Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

 Review

Common Sense Media says

A 3-in-1 remake of classic vampire hunting games.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while the ESRB warns about violence and blood, this T-rated side-scroller's images are so small that the acts of killing enemies aren't too graphic. Players will be killing fictitious beasts including vampires, imps, skeletons, dragons, and minotaurs. They can use a whip to defeat monsters, some of which will leave blood before dying.

  • Not applicable.
  • While tame by today's standards, players use a whip to defeat monsters, some of which will leave blood before dying.
  • Some scantily dressed female characters.

What's it about?

CASTLEVANIA: THE DRACULA X CHRONICLES for the PSP is three games in one: two versions of the Japanese exclusive Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which were originally released for the PC, and a revamped version of the celebrated Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but with new content and re-recorded voice acting. But don't look for all three games available from the main menu: You must find special objects in the new 3-D version of Rondo of Blood to unlock the original 2-D version of the game from 1993 (but now in English) as well as the remake of Symphony of the Night.


Is it any good?

 

In Rondo of Blood, you play as either Richter Belmont or Maria Renard, heroic vampire hunters determined to destroy the maniacal Count Dracula. The side-scrolling game, where you move your character from the left side of the screen to the right, has you battling demons, jumping over chasms, and defeating tough "boss" characters. While the game is easy to control, the 10 stages are increasingly difficult, so expect a serious challenge.

Symphony of the Night, where you begin as Dracula's son, Alucard, improves on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 2 versions by adding Maria as a playable character (along with Richter), redoing the script and voice acting, and fixing some technical bugs found in the original game. Fans of the Castlevania games might also be interested to know The Dracula X Chronicles features new character designs by renowned Konami artist Ayami Kojima, an optional wireless "boss mode" to be played with other PSP gamers, and the ability to mix and match music soundtracks from the various games.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about whether the killing in a game seems less intense when enemies are fictitious ones like the vampires, imps, skeletons, dragons, and minotaurs found in this game. What about in games like Manhunt 2 or the Grand Theft Auto series where the player is encouraged to kill innocent people?


This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Platforms:PSP
Available online?Available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:Konami
Release date:October 25, 2007
Price:$29.99
ESRB rating:T for Blood and Gore, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

This review was written by Marc Saltzman

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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