I beat the game with 100% today (got all the previous endings too, I was actually pretty surprised how much extra exploration was needed in the castle to get the good ending). Awesome game! Easily the best game on the DS (which says a lot since there are quite a few good DS games out now) and also the best Castlevania since Symphony of the Night, the music in this game is incredible, especially the remixes. I was really impressed with the animation of Soma and all of the enemies and bosses. And also the last boss, good stuff. Who needs 3D castlevania

I was having fun with the sound test and I noticed that Illusionary Song from Symphony of the Night is in it but haven't encountered it in the game yet. I already started the "second quest" with Julius, just curious if its played in that quest?

Did you enjoy DOS more then advance wars? Just curious.

Not sure if this was tossed out to everyone or not, but I personally did prefer DOS to every other DS game I have played including the excellent Advanced Wars. However, Phoenix Wright is really going to be a close second or third by the time I finish. That game has exceeded all expectations and gets the maximum fun out of the old point and click adventure/text adventure genres.

I'd say that AW is the superior experience because there is so much more content there, particularly if you can take advantage of the multiplayer.

It is a tough call but I would probably say AW as well. They are just two very different games.


Oh yeah, the Chaos ring is awesome!

Anyone been playing Boss Rush Mode?

Oh no you didn't just ask that!

It's a tough call. Advance Wars is pure perfection and fun, not to mention its loaded. But Castlevania: DOS is probably one of the best games to come out this Fall, even comparing with home consoles. Being the Castlevania fan I am, I like DOS better, just barely, but I am also thoroughly enjoying Advance Wars DS, both the games are really the cream of the crop but in different genres. I haven't even picked up Phoenix Write yet.

Thanks for the great responses folks. I'm a huge fan of both series and just wondering which one I should pick up first once I get my graphite DS.

I've been playing Julius Mode and just got in my party. Most people probably knew about this from the screenshots. I almost jumped out of my seat. Kick Ass! Straight from SOTM, even has the shadow walk and purple sword.

Yeah I was pretty happy about this as well. Makes Julius mode really worth playing.

Finally beat it for the crappy ending.

Time to go get the better ending now. Though I have to admit the crap to get it is kind of lame, as it's one of those things it's really hard to know how to do without checking gamefaqs or another guide.

Man, got addicted to this and played until a quarter to 3!

Got the bad ending and unlocked Julius mode and then went back and beat the real boss for the best ending. Jesus Christ that last boss was a pain in the ass. Almost as bad as the final phase of Dracula in Circle of the Moon.

Final save was a 9 hours 23 minutes and I have 97.5% of the map uncovered. I'm not going to bother trying to find the last 2.5%, partly because some of it is behind some of those pain in the ass gold doors.

But definitely a great game. I'd give it a 9/10. To add some minor nitpicks, it could have been a bit larger castle. But I will probably play Julius mode sometime, so that'll add some play time.

There were a couple of times where it wasn't clear where to go next. i.e. when you just had to find a key or something rather than just use your new power you got from a boss to get to a new area. I wasn't overly fond of that either. Just seemed like a lazy way to tack on some playtime by having people back track and look for tiny things they missed. But that's a very minor nitpick.

And, as mentioned before, I don't like how obscure some of the things you have to do to get the best endings in these games are. There's no way most people would even be aware of them with out checking a guide.

But still, best game I've played in a while. I'd rank in third in the metroidvanias, behind SOTN and Harmony of Dissonance.

Can anyone help me with the last boss (to get the good ending)? I read the tips at gamefaqs but am still stuck. I have full potions/mind ups, and several types of food, but still can't seem to beat it. I can destroy the but can't seem the kill the

Thank you!

I strugged as well, but just got better and got through it. I focused on the head until it was dead, just hitting it when I could with my weapon and getting above it and tosses axes down at it.

Then I went down and dealt with the knee, mainly used the gergoth soul to deal with it.

You might need to level up some, I think I was at level 46, and make sure you did the soul fusion things with the weapons and have a weapon that's doing a lot of damage. My attack rating was 72 I believe.

I finally beat it. I leveled up to 45 and collected 9 Axe Armor souls to upgrade the axe. Using the Devil familiar kept all the flying things away from me.

What a great game. I would buy the DS again in a heartbeat just for this title alone. I can't wait for the next one.

I thought I would hate the touchscreen part of the game, but it was actually kinda neat. After an intense battle, the pressure of drawing the seal was fun.

I finally did it. I beat the zombie dinosaur that shots that big ass laser out its mouth. Yeah Me. Now I'm off to explore the rest of the castle. I just hope I get to fight Cutman so I can take his scissor soul.

Just today we found a copy of the strategy guide at work, so I snatched it up. Now I can finally advance past the lab!

Death is now dead so no one need fear dying any more. The hardest part was doing the seal. Had to do that seal like 5 times before I got it right.

Abaddon was easier but I again screwed up the seal and he kicked my sorry butt back to Death. Hey didn't I just kill him? I found the Malachi soul(Slow moving ball of darknest) to be the most useful here, but the Gergoth soul (Big Dragon Ball Z type laser blast) is also good. Just have to practice the seal before dancing with him.

So if you start a new game with the Castlevania double pack in the DS, does it still give you the rare ring, or do you have to have the original Aria of Sorrow cartridge?

Has to be the original to get the rare ring.


Beat Abaddon but had to do that seal 4 times before I got it right. What the heck is a giant bug in a suit doing in hell any way? Maybe waiting for his chance to get out so he can get his own room in castlevania. Hmmmm and how did those other demon get out and not him. He's a lot stronger than most of the demons so why he hanging in hell?

For that matter have you ever wondered why any monster or demon is actually in the castle? Why not go outside and attack the village like some of the other monster do? Sure some of the monsters are guards like the knights or employees like the maid but what about oh say the killer clown. Shouldn't that clown be attack children in the town?

Oh and how come there are no modern bad guys like a team of zombies armed with military weapons. Sure Dracula is dead but shouldn't whoever is doing the recruiting be bringing in some more talent? Some more talent with more firepower that is.

Also where are the vampires. Didn't the big D going around biting people. The place should be crawling with vamps.

And where the heck is the bathroom? I have to go number 2 and don't think I can hold it.

Finally beat Menace. I hit him with a left and right and down he went. Wasn't nothing for a G like me.

Now I'm off to play Julius mode. No evil will stop my mighty whip.

Dracula's Castle only appears every 100 years or so, so maybe they're scared that if they go outside the castle they might not be able to find their way back because it'll have disappeared? That and they are servants of the darklord, so maybe dracula just wants them guarding his castle for the time being.

I actually think it is Death who is doing the recruiting. He did find some people with guns, the gun skeletons in Symphony of the Night (the ones who wear the purple robes with the long rifles), but I think he is more of an old fashionist so to speak, none of those new fangled automatic machine guns and whatnot

See Lament of Innocense for info on other vampires (there's one in that one), and also in the N64 one too.

Now the bathroom you have me stumped. My guess would be that if you are dead, well you probably don't need one, so he converted them into confession rooms in SoTN.