When Castlevania launched on the NES in 1986, no one, especially Konami, anticipated that it would receive dozens of sequels and multiple animated series depicting the Belmont family's eternal struggle against the iconic vampire Dracula.

With its gothic aesthetic, RPG elements, action-adventure exploration, and masterful level design, the Castlevania series produced some of the greatest platformers ever and played a large role in creating the Metroidvania genre. While some entries have a historic place in gaming, others are hidden gems that have slipped through the cracks over the years. But with so many games to choose from, which ones are most worth your time?

Updated on January 3, 2024, by PJ Molloy: It has been almost ten years since the last non-mobile Castlevania game. Despite that, the Netflix animated series is going strong, with the first season of Castlevania Nocturne debuting in September 2023, giving the fan-favorite vampire hunter Richter Belmont his time in the spotlight. If you're itching for more of Richter or the rest of the Belmont family, the following games are the best in the Castlevania series.

These games are ranked based on their impact on the Castlevania series and how well they have held up.

15 Castlevania 2: Belmont's Revenge

A Short, Yet Fun Classic Castlevania Game

Contrary to what the title might suggest, Castlevania 2 for the Game Boy is not a port of the infamous sequel to the original NES game. Instead, Belmont's Revenge is an entirely different game to Simon's Quest, resulting in a much better experience.

You play as Christopher Belmont, who must rescue his son from Dracula's clutches. There are four castles to tackle, and for the first time in the series, they can be played in any order. The gameplay is a tad slow, but if you can look past that, Belmont's Revenge features impeccable level design for fans of the traditional Castlevania formula.

14 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow

The Best 3D Castlevania Game

Produced by Hideo Kojima and developed by MercurySteam, the team behind Metroid Dread, Lords of Shadow was meant to be a full reboot of the Castlevania series that finally gave the Belmont family a successful 3D adventure. You play as Gabriel Belmont, a holy knight who uses whip-based hack-and-slash combat to annihilate demons and colossal bosses.

On top of the new gameplay style, many elements from the 2D games return. You can level up, like the Metroidvanias, and collect whip upgrades and sub-weapons, like the classic titles. The one thing that holds it back is its heavy reliance on quick-time events. If you can stomach that, you'll experience the best 3D Castlevania game and a phenomenal performance by Sir Patrick Stewart.

13 Kid Dracula

A Silly Castlevania Spin-Off

Launching as a re-imagining of its Famicon predecessor, Kid Dracula is a goofy Castlevania spin-off that parodies the series and the horror genre in general. The plot follows Dracula's son (who may or may not be Alucard in this timeline) on a journey to stop a demon named Galamoth from taking over his army.

The gameplay has you run, jump, and shoot fireballs to defeat cute enemies, like plants that wear sunglasses and a chibi version of Jason from Friday the 13th. You can even unlock magic spells that grant various abilities, including transforming into a bat. If you want the standard Castlevania difficulty with a comedic twist, Kid Dracula is right up your alley.

12 Castlevania: Bloodlines

A Visually-Stunning Gem On Sega Genesis

The only Castlevania game on Sega Genesis nods to Bram Stoker's novel by starring John Morris, son of Quincy Morris from the book. You can choose him or the spear-wielding Eric Lecarde to travel across Europe and obliterate the vampire army.

Each character has different weapons and abilities that give them access to unique paths, like John's ability to swing across large gaps and Eric's high jump. Everything is enhanced by the Genesis' gorgeous graphical capabilities, allowing for set pieces like a rotating Tower of Pisa. It doesn't do much to innovate the traditional formula, but it's a solid entry with memorable stages and tight gameplay.

11 Castlevania

The One That Started It All

The first Castlevania game set the stage for the series by introducing the iconic vampire hunter, Simon Belmont, and his legendary feud with Count Dracula. This game is up there with Ghosts 'n Goblins and Battletoads as one of the hardest NES games, requiring precise platforming and knowing where all the pork chops are hidden to stand a chance.

Gameplay-wise, Casltevania's controls feel a bit awkward by today's standards. The knock back and the fact that you can't adjust your jump midair can lead to many frustrating deaths. Regardless, the level design has aged surprisingly well, and its importance in video game history makes it a must-play retro platformer.

10 Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon

A Worthy Successor To Symphony Of The Night

As a launch title for the Game Boy Advance, Circle of the Moon brought the Metroidvania-style of gameplay established by Symphony of the Night to Nintendo consoles. The story follows Nathan Graves, a vampire hunter who must destroy Count Dracula and Carmilla (known for her appearance in the animated series) before his rival, Hugh Baldwin, beats him to it.

With the help of your trusty whip, you explore Dracula's non-linear castle and collect magic cards, which can be combined to grant Nathan devastating powers or summon creatures to fight with you. While the Metroidvania format would be further refined in later games, Circle of the Moon laid a solid foundation and remains a remarkable Game Boy Advance title.

9 Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia

Ensuring The DS Trilogy Goes Out With A Bang

The final game in the Castlevania DS trilogy, Order of Ecclesia, takes place after Symphony of the Night. The Belmont family has mysteriously vanished, leaving the titular Order of Ecclesia as the world's last defense against Dracula. You play as Shanoa, a member of the order suffering from amnesia, who must fight the vampire's army to regain her memories.

Rather than exploring one big castle, you travel across 20 smaller areas connected by a world map. Another new addition is the glyph system, a series of magical symbols based on Dracula's power that give Shanoa new attacks and abilities. With over one hundred to find, Order of Ecclesia offers tons of content and replay value for Metroidvania fans.

8 Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse

The Best NES Castlevania Game

Serving as the inspiration for the Netflix animated series, Castlevania 3 follows Trevor Belmont, Sypha, Alucard, and Grant as they storm Dracula's castle to put an end to the vampire's tyrannical reign. This game revolutionized the series by introducing multiple playable characters and branching paths, making each playthrough feel fresh.

Each member of Trevor's team has unique powers that make them useful in different scenarios, like Alucard's bat transformation and Sypha's elemental magic. You can take one partner with you at a time and switch between them on the fly. Overall, Dracula's Curse was a big improvement over the original Castlevania and the best out of the NES trilogy.

If you're going to play Castlevania 3, check out the Japanese version included in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, since it has a more balanced difficulty curve.

7 Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow

A Perfect End To The Game Boy Advance Metroidvanias

Since Aria of Sorrow was the third Castlevania title on the Game Boy Advance, Konami decided to mix things up. The year is 2035, and a Japanese exhange student, Soma Cruz, is accidentally transported to Dracula's Castle. Now, he must fight his way through the army of monsters without the help of the Vampire Killer whip.

To further expand the Metroidvania format, Aria of Sorrow introduces the Tactial Soul System. Depending on your luck stat, each enemy has the chace to drop a soul, which can be equipped to gain new sub-weapons and abilities. You can even trade souls with a friend by linking up your Game Boy Advance systems.

6 Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth

An Outstanding Remake Of A Classic Game

Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth breathes new life into a subpar Game Boy title by remaking it from the ground up, producing one of the best games in the linear style. Every level has been completely redesigned with new ideas, faster gameplay, branching paths, and a more fair difficulty curve.

The controls also received a much-needed fresh coat of paint, allowing you to adjust Christopher Belmont's jump midair. As the cherry on top, the soundtrack is filled with remixed versions of the most iconic songs in the series. While it doesn't push the traditional formula forward, the crisp gameplay and creative level design make this the greatest hidden gem in the series.

5 Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow

A Fantastic Sequel To Aria Of Sorrow

In Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Soma Cruz returns when he gets targeted by a Dracula-worshipping cult who are out for blood after the events of Aria of Sorrow. The Metroidvania-style exploration and Tactical Soul System are also back, with over one hundred souls to find this time.

At this point, the Metroidvania format had been refined and polished into the best it has ever been. The only divisive part of the game is the touch controls, which require you to quickly draw seals with your stylus to open doors and finish off bosses. Your enjoyment will depend on how much you like using the touch screen. Besides that, Dawn of Sorrow is one of the finest Metroidvanias in the series.

4 Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood

Richter Belmont's Moment To Shine

Initially launching as a Japan-exclusive title, Rondo of Blood is now available in the West, thanks to Castlevania Requiem on PlayStation 4. However, this game is best known for inspiring the Castlevania Nocturne series on Netflix.

Taking place before Symphony of the Night, the story follows Richter Belmont and Maria Renard as they storm Dracula's castle in search of Richter's missing girlfriend. Thanks to the console's technical capabilities, Rondo of Blood features the most impressive set pieces and epic boss fights of the classic games, with tight gameplay and tough levels to boot. If you want a challenging platformer, this is the way to go.

If you're a Switch owner, you're unfortunately stuck with Dracula X, the inferior SNES port of this game. However, it's a perfectly playable version if it's your only option. You can check it out in the Castlevania Advance Collection.

3 Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin

A Must-Play Metroidvania

Set during World War Two, Portrait of Ruin is a follow-up to Castlevania Bloodlines. You play as John Morris' son, Johnathon Morris, and a young sorceress named Charlotte as they leap in and out of magical paintings that transport them across the world to defeat a vampire painter named Brauner.

Much like Order of Ecclesia, this Metroidvania takes you outside the castle to explore various locations, like a haunted circus and an Egyptian pyramid. Plus, you can switch between Johnathon and Charlotte anytime to use their unique abilities against enemies. As a special surprise, you can play as Richter Belmont and Maria Renard once you beat the game. If there's one DS Castlevania game you should play, it's this one.

2 Super Castlevania 4

Simon Belmont's Greatest Adventure

Super Castlevania 4 is a half-sequel-half-remake of the original game on NES, re-imagining Simon Belmont's first encounter with Count Dracula by adding more levels, enhanced graphics, and tighter controls.

Simon can now whip in eight directions, adjust his position mid-jump, and use the Vampire Killer to swing across gaps, giving the gameplay a liberating sense of freedom. The game also takes full advantage of the Super Nintendo's Mode Seven, which allows for unprecedented set pieces like spinning backgrounds. In a nutshell, the classic Castlevania gameplay style has never felt smoother to control and more satisfying to play.

1 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night

The Best Castlevania Game

It's hard to overstate the importance Symphony of the Night had for the Castlevania series and video games in general. This game reinvented what a Castlevania title could be, thanks to the inclusion of Metroidvania-style exploration and RPG elements. The result was a massive turning point for the series and the entire genre.

The game takes place four years after Rondo of Blood. Richter Belmont has vanished, leaving Alucard as the world's last hope against Dracula's army. You explore two versions of the castle, take on massive bosses, and level up your stats by equipping armor and fighting monsters. With tight controls, a phenomenal soundtrack, and a satisfying difficulty curve, Symphony of the Night is a retro game everyone should play.