Castlevania review

Castlevania earns its place as the start of Konami's vampire series. Konami sells it today in Castlevania Anniversary Collection, which it describes as tracing the origins of the franchise and the fight against Dracula. The collection holds Castlevania, Castlevania II Simon's Quest and Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, plus Super Castlevania IV, the two Game Boy entries, Bloodlines and Kid Dracula, along with an eBook of developer and artist details. At $19.99 on Steam, that is a good deal for players who want the NES original legally. The used cartridge lists at $54.99 at DKOldies before sales. The game asks for practice against Dracula's forces, which is why it scores lower on ease of setup than the Nintendo picks. For players who enjoy a stiff challenge in a gothic setting, it still holds up.

Who it is for

Players who want a hard, atmospheric action game with a gothic setting.

Price

Used NES cartridge from $54.99 at DKOldies (regular price, before sales).

Original price: $54.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• The first game in Konami's Castlevania series
• Anniversary Collection includes Castlevania, Simon's Quest and Dracula's Curse from the NES era
• Collection also includes Super Castlevania IV, Bloodlines and Kid Dracula
• eBook with developer and artist details
• Original cartridge plays on any NES

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Konami's Anniversary Collection is $19.99 on Steam with eight games
• Strength: Short, focused stages
• Strength: Strong pick for horror and action fans
• Weakness: Demanding action that rewards practice
• Weakness: $54.99 used for a short game
• Weakness: Original cartridge has none of the collection's extras, such as the eBook

Key facts

• Publisher: Konami
• Genre: Action platformer
• Enemy: Dracula
• Legal re-release: Castlevania Anniversary Collection, $19.99 on Steam
• Games in the collection: 8 plus an eBook

Where it ranks

Castlevania is No. 7 in our Best NES Games of All Time verdict.