Castlevania: Anniversary Collection

Older games don't always maintain their appeal through the years, but most of these early entries in Konami's vampire hunting series have aged fairly well. That said, some of the games in Castlevania: Anniversary Collection stand apart from the rest, for good and ill. The original Castlevania remains an irrefutable classic thanks to its simple mechanics and moody atmosphere, and similar praise can be laid at the feet of both Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (though it has more of an action/role-playing game vibe) and the challenging Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Controls may feel a little stiff compared to modern games, and the difficulty can be almost aggravating at times, but once a player gets used to them, these landmark games provide ample justification for the franchise's enduring popularity and iconic status within the video game community.

Other games in this assortment probably won't appeal as broadly, though they'll still find welcoming niche audiences. The two Game Boy games included -- Castlevania: The Adventure and the follow-up Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge -- are so rudimentary in look and feel that they'll likely find love only from those who remember playing the originals nearly 30 years ago. And the witty Kid Dracula, which switches things up by putting players in the role of Dracula's son, feels like the black sheep of the family. It has solid controls and combat, but projects a light comic book style that doesn't quite fit in with the atmosphere of the rest of the games. But even playing through just one or two of the entries included in Castlevania: Anniversary Collection will likely be enough for most players to justify its bargain price.