Everyone should know the classic Castlevania storyline by now: Dracula is resurrected and it’s up to you to stop him. As Simon Belmont you’ll have to make it through eight stages, some of which are the most challenging to ever make it into a Castlevania game. Make no mistake about it – this game is hard. If you’re the type of person who gets frustrated easily by a challenge, then you should probably stay away from Chronicles. While not impossible, there are certain areas that have to be handled a certain way and at a certain speed or else you’re a dead man. You’ll definitely be dying quite a bit until you figure out the best way to attack a certain situation. For instance, there’s an area with respawning skeletons that just keep coming. If you’re not fast, then you could be up against five enemies instead of only two. It’s sections like this that make Chronicles a patient mans 2d platformer.

If you’re having too much trouble with the difficulty of the game, you can simply lower it to easy in the arrange mode. Along with allowing you to play around with the difficulty of the game, this mode also features a few notable graphics upgrades. The most obvious upgrades are the all-new sprite for Simon Belmont and a more menacing looking Dracula. The other minor touches include a new death animation for the enemies, a little glow around the candles in every level, a remixed soundtrack and a redesigned map screen between each stage. This mode also features an all-new FMV ending that is very reminiscent of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. While these touches may seem minor to a lot of people, Castlevania lovers should be pleased with the slightly updated look and sound of the game.

Speaking of the sound, the game is quite pleasing to the ear. Long-time fans of the series will no doubt recognize classic tunes such as vampire killer, bloody tears, and wicked child. Castlevania has always received praise for its haunting musical scores and this game continues on that legacy. The remixed tracks in the arrange mode are of special note because Konami actually went ahead and updated the quality of the sound to equal current standards. “Theme of Simon Belmont” has never sounded better! The sound effects are nothing special, but get the job done. Considering the game is so old, the sound crew did a great job here.

If you’re done with the main game, then Konami has thrown in a few extra things for the player to mess around with. A time attack mode becomes available once you finish an arranged game. There’s an art gallery that opens up featuring the brilliant works of Ayami Kojima (SotN.) The gallery includes all the artwork from SotN, in addition to the wonderful Chronicles art. The game also includes a rather informative interview with the producer of the Castlevania franchise, in which he talks about future projects and the possibility of more remakes. The fan service is definitely much appreciated.

If you’re a Castlevania fan, then don’t hesitate to pick up this little collector’s item. Everyone else would be well advised to rent before making a purchasing decision. The game does look and feel a little dated, but the gameplay is timeless. My only gripe with Chronicles is the weak save system – you have to lose all your lives before you’re given the option to save. In the grand scheme of things though, this is a small black mark on an otherwise solid disc. For $30 and a piece of Castlevania history, the enthusiast can’t go wrong. Check it out and pick up a copy of Symphony of the Night while you’re at it. (I really can’t plug that game enough)