Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Encyclopedia
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, known simply as Castlevania in the PAL region
and as in Japan
, is a video game created by Konami
only for the Game Boy Advance
. Published as a launch title
in 2001, Circle of the Moon belongs to Konami's Castlevania
video game series, the premise of which centers on the eternal conflict between the vampire hunter
s of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula
. Circle of the Moon focuses on Nathan Graves and his quest to rescue his kidnapped mentor from Dracula.
of gameplay, similar to many of the previous Castlevania video games.
The objective of Circle of the Moon is to lead player character
Nathan Graves through a monster-filled castle as he searches for his kidnapped mentor. Like many of the previous Castlevania protagonists, Nathan uses a whip to attack and defeat enemies, alongside secondary weapons—an axe
, cross
, holy water
, dagger
and stopwatch
—only one of which may be carried at any time by the player. Hearts, typicially found within candles, determine the amount of any secondary weapon carried by him. Circle of the Moon follows a nonlinear style of gameplay: at the beginning of the game, Nathan can only traverse certain areas of the castle; by obtaining various abilities, such as becoming able to run or break certain portions of the castle's walls, he gradually explores the castle. He will also encounter rooms with the ability to teleport him across portions of the castle and rooms which will restore his health
and allow the player to save his or her progress in the game
. The game also automatically updates the castle map to reflect Nathan's progress through it.
Circle of the Moon incorporates elements found in role-playing game
s. Nathan possesses various statistics: hit points, the amount of damage he can withstand before dying; magic point
s, how often he can cast a magical attack; strength, the power of his physical attack; defense, his resilience to damage inflicted by the monsters; intelligence, the recovery speed of magic points; and luck, the frequency with which items are dropped by enemies. Defeated enemies drop various items and equipment, and provide experience point
s; after reaching a predetermined amount of experience points, Nathan will level up, and his statistics will improve. The defeat of boss enemies allows the player to acquire new abilities to progress further in the game.
Unique to Circle of the Moon is the Dual Set-up System (DSS), based on magic cards found throughout the game that belong to one of two categories: Action and Attribute. Each of the ten Action card takes its name from one of the gods and goddesses from Roman mythology
, and determines the type of magic being performed, while the ten Attribute cards take their names from creatures from Greek
and Roman mythology
, and add an effect to the magic. To produce a magicial effect, the player combines one card from each of the two categories, for a total of one hundred different combinations. However, in "The Battle Arena"—a certain area of the castle which consists of seventeen rooms filled with monsters—Nathan's supply of mind points is drained, causing the DSS cards to become unavailable.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon has four alternative modes of gameplay, which must be completed in order as completion of one mode unlocks the code for the next. Once the player has finished Circle of the Moon for the first time, he or she receives a code that can be entered as his or her name when starting a new game; this code will start the game in Magician Mode, in which Nathan has decreased strength and defense, but increased intelligence and begins with all twenty DSS cards. Fighter Mode does not permit the use of DSS cards, but increases his strength and endurance. Shooter Mode allows a higher maximum of hearts he can carry, but gives a penalty to strength, defense, and hit points. Thief Mode reduces Nathan's strength, but increases his luck.
of the Castlevania series. The premise of the series is the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula
. Circle of the Moons protagonist
, however, is Nathan Graves, whose parents died a decade ago to banish Dracula. Morris Baldwin, who helped in Dracula's banishment, trained him to defeat Dracula and the monsters; Morris ultimately chose him as his successor and gave him the "Hunter Whip", to the displeasure of Hugh, Morris' son who trained alongside him.
At an old castle, Camilla, a minion of Dracula, revives him, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Morris, Nathan, and Hugh. Before they are able to banish him again, Dracula destroys the floor under Nathan and Hugh, causing them to plummet down a long tunnel. Surviving the fall and wishing to find his father, Hugh leaves Nathan behind. Nathan proceeds to search the castle for his mentor. Along the way, he learns that at the next full moon, Morris' soul will be used to return Dracula to full power. He also periodically encounters Hugh, who becomes more hostile as the game progresses. Eventually, Nathan encounters Camilla, who hints that she and Dracula are responsible for the changes in his personality. Nathan vanquishes Camilla in her true form and meets up with Hugh once more. Upon seeing him, Hugh immediately attacks him with the goal of proving himself to his father through Nathan's defeat; Nathan, however, realizes that Dracula is controlling Hugh. Nathan defeats him, and Dracula's control over Hugh breaks. Confessing that he doubted his self worth when Nathan was chosen as successor, Hugh tasks him with Morris' rescue.
Arriving at the ceremonial room, Nathan confronts Dracula, who confirms that he had tampered with Hugh's soul to cause the changes in his personality. They begin to fight and halfway through, Dracula teleports away to gain his full power. Hugh then frees his father and tasks Nathan with Dracula's banishment. Following Dracula to another dimension, Nathan continues the battle and defeats him. He then escapes the collapsing castle to be reunited with Morris and Hugh. They leave to continue their training.
for the Game Boy Advance
. At the 2000 Tokyo Game Show
, a playable demo
of it debuted, which featured two selectable player characters: Hugh and Nathan. The option to play as Hugh did not appear in the final version of the game. Circle of the Moon was published by Konami
in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 10, 2001, and as Castlevania in the PAL region
on June 22, 2001; it also saw a Japanese-only re-release under the "Konami the Best" label on November 3, 2005.
es of tracks from earlier games, such as "Vampire Killer", "Aquarius" (from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
), "Visions of Dark Secrets" and "The Sinking Old Sanctuary" from "Castlevania: Bloodlines" and "The Trick Manor" (also known as "Clockwork Mansion") (derived from combining "Rotating Room" and "Spinning Tale" of Super Castlevania IV
). In addition to these, the game also features "Dance of Illusions" and "Requiem"(from Devil's Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
), which is used in the first phase of the final battle. Also included are some original pieces such as "Fate to Despair", "Awake", and "Proof of Blood". The soundtrack was prepared by Sotaro Tojima
.
's Top 200 Games list.
On the review aggregate site Metacritic
, it is the twelfth-highest rated Game Boy Advance title.
Craig Harris of IGN
called Circle of the Moon "one of the best playing Castlevania games released", calling the gameplay "very long and extremely challenging without being frustrating or a chore to zip through". However, he noted that due to the dark graphics, the game was "difficult" to see, and that the character animations looked as though "they've been ripped out of a GBC
development". Gamespot.com gave it 9.6 out of 10. GamePro
rated the game 5.0, their highest rating, stating that it closely mirrored the most highly acclaimed Castlevania game, Symphony of the Night
with its rich graphics and branching story. Gaming Target heavily praised the smoothness of the animations, though too cited a lack of replay value and dark graphics. In addition they gave praise to the game's DSS system, describing it as the best new feature of the title. RPGamer
also praised the new system, calling it a "breath of fresh air" when combined with the existing ideas from previous entries in the series, though in contrast felt the game had significant replay value due to its various additional modes and the strengths/weaknesses related to each that required new strategies. Despite their criticism of the plot and recycled elements, they summarized the title as "Konami's Second Symphony". GameSpy
stated that while the graphics were a problem, they more readily attributed the issue to the Game Boy Advance itself than the game, adding "it's a horror game about Dracula, don't you want ample light around you anyway?" They also praised the game's music and sound effects as appropriate for the title, though criticized the lack of decent artificial intelligence
on the part of the enemies.
Despite the game's success, series producer Koji Igarashi
, who had not been involved in its production, was highly critical of the game. When developing follow up title Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
, he cited in an interview several flaws he felt should have been rectified in Circle of the Moons design, primarily its control scheme and the dark appearance of the graphics on the Game Boy Advance. He additionally criticized the DSS card system, stating that it "did not match with the world Castlevania had established over a long period of time", though admitted he felt it was a good system. In 2002, Circle of the Moon was removed from the series timeline, a move met with some resistance from fans. Igarashi noted the reason for the removal as not due to his non-involvement with the games, but instead the intention of the game's development team for Circle of the Moon to be a stand-alone title. However since that time, later timelines distributed with preordered copies of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
noted the game's presence, as did one featured in Nintendo Power
for a preview of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
. However, unlike other games mentioned Circle of the Moons events were not described.
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
and as in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, is a video game created by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
only for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. Published as a launch title
Launch title
A launch game, or launch title, is a video game released to consumers synchronously with the release of its respective video game console, meaning they are the only available games at the time of the console's launch. Several of these games are also packaged with the console...
in 2001, Circle of the Moon belongs to Konami's Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
video game series, the premise of which centers on the eternal conflict between the vampire hunter
Vampire hunter
A vampire hunter or vampire slayer is a character in folklore and fiction who specializes in finding and destroying vampires, and sometimes other supernatural creatures....
s of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula
Dracula (Castlevania)
, whose real name is Mathias Cronqvist , is a fictional character from the multi-platform Castlevania video game series...
. Circle of the Moon focuses on Nathan Graves and his quest to rescue his kidnapped mentor from Dracula.
Gameplay
Circle of the Moon makes use of a 2D side-scrolling styleSide-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
of gameplay, similar to many of the previous Castlevania video games.
The objective of Circle of the Moon is to lead player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
Nathan Graves through a monster-filled castle as he searches for his kidnapped mentor. Like many of the previous Castlevania protagonists, Nathan uses a whip to attack and defeat enemies, alongside secondary weapons—an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
, cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
, holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
, dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
and stopwatch
Stopwatch
A stopwatch is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated. A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stopclock.The timing functions...
—only one of which may be carried at any time by the player. Hearts, typicially found within candles, determine the amount of any secondary weapon carried by him. Circle of the Moon follows a nonlinear style of gameplay: at the beginning of the game, Nathan can only traverse certain areas of the castle; by obtaining various abilities, such as becoming able to run or break certain portions of the castle's walls, he gradually explores the castle. He will also encounter rooms with the ability to teleport him across portions of the castle and rooms which will restore his health
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
and allow the player to save his or her progress in the game
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...
. The game also automatically updates the castle map to reflect Nathan's progress through it.
Circle of the Moon incorporates elements found in role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s. Nathan possesses various statistics: hit points, the amount of damage he can withstand before dying; magic point
Magic point
Magic points are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games as an expendable resource that is needed to pay for magic spells and other abilities, such as special attacks...
s, how often he can cast a magical attack; strength, the power of his physical attack; defense, his resilience to damage inflicted by the monsters; intelligence, the recovery speed of magic points; and luck, the frequency with which items are dropped by enemies. Defeated enemies drop various items and equipment, and provide experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s; after reaching a predetermined amount of experience points, Nathan will level up, and his statistics will improve. The defeat of boss enemies allows the player to acquire new abilities to progress further in the game.
Unique to Circle of the Moon is the Dual Set-up System (DSS), based on magic cards found throughout the game that belong to one of two categories: Action and Attribute. Each of the ten Action card takes its name from one of the gods and goddesses from Roman mythology
Dii Consentes
The Dii Consentes were a list of twelve major deities, six gods and six goddesses, in the pantheon of Ancient Rome. Their gilt statues stood in the Forum, later apparently in the Porticus Deorum Consentium....
, and determines the type of magic being performed, while the ten Attribute cards take their names from creatures from Greek
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and Roman mythology
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
, and add an effect to the magic. To produce a magicial effect, the player combines one card from each of the two categories, for a total of one hundred different combinations. However, in "The Battle Arena"—a certain area of the castle which consists of seventeen rooms filled with monsters—Nathan's supply of mind points is drained, causing the DSS cards to become unavailable.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon has four alternative modes of gameplay, which must be completed in order as completion of one mode unlocks the code for the next. Once the player has finished Circle of the Moon for the first time, he or she receives a code that can be entered as his or her name when starting a new game; this code will start the game in Magician Mode, in which Nathan has decreased strength and defense, but increased intelligence and begins with all twenty DSS cards. Fighter Mode does not permit the use of DSS cards, but increases his strength and endurance. Shooter Mode allows a higher maximum of hearts he can carry, but gives a penalty to strength, defense, and hit points. Thief Mode reduces Nathan's strength, but increases his luck.
Plot
Taking place in 1830, Circle of the Moon is set in the fictional universeFictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of the Castlevania series. The premise of the series is the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula
Dracula (Castlevania)
, whose real name is Mathias Cronqvist , is a fictional character from the multi-platform Castlevania video game series...
. Circle of the Moons protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, however, is Nathan Graves, whose parents died a decade ago to banish Dracula. Morris Baldwin, who helped in Dracula's banishment, trained him to defeat Dracula and the monsters; Morris ultimately chose him as his successor and gave him the "Hunter Whip", to the displeasure of Hugh, Morris' son who trained alongside him.
At an old castle, Camilla, a minion of Dracula, revives him, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Morris, Nathan, and Hugh. Before they are able to banish him again, Dracula destroys the floor under Nathan and Hugh, causing them to plummet down a long tunnel. Surviving the fall and wishing to find his father, Hugh leaves Nathan behind. Nathan proceeds to search the castle for his mentor. Along the way, he learns that at the next full moon, Morris' soul will be used to return Dracula to full power. He also periodically encounters Hugh, who becomes more hostile as the game progresses. Eventually, Nathan encounters Camilla, who hints that she and Dracula are responsible for the changes in his personality. Nathan vanquishes Camilla in her true form and meets up with Hugh once more. Upon seeing him, Hugh immediately attacks him with the goal of proving himself to his father through Nathan's defeat; Nathan, however, realizes that Dracula is controlling Hugh. Nathan defeats him, and Dracula's control over Hugh breaks. Confessing that he doubted his self worth when Nathan was chosen as successor, Hugh tasks him with Morris' rescue.
Arriving at the ceremonial room, Nathan confronts Dracula, who confirms that he had tampered with Hugh's soul to cause the changes in his personality. They begin to fight and halfway through, Dracula teleports away to gain his full power. Hugh then frees his father and tasks Nathan with Dracula's banishment. Following Dracula to another dimension, Nathan continues the battle and defeats him. He then escapes the collapsing castle to be reunited with Morris and Hugh. They leave to continue their training.
Development
Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe, Circle of the Moon was designed as a launch titleLaunch title
A launch game, or launch title, is a video game released to consumers synchronously with the release of its respective video game console, meaning they are the only available games at the time of the console's launch. Several of these games are also packaged with the console...
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. At the 2000 Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
, a playable demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
of it debuted, which featured two selectable player characters: Hugh and Nathan. The option to play as Hugh did not appear in the final version of the game. Circle of the Moon was published by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 10, 2001, and as Castlevania in the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
on June 22, 2001; it also saw a Japanese-only re-release under the "Konami the Best" label on November 3, 2005.
Audio
Circle of the Moons score consists of numerous remixRemix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es of tracks from earlier games, such as "Vampire Killer", "Aquarius" (from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
-Reception and legacy:Nintendo Power listed it as the ninth best Nintendo Entertainment System video game, praising it for its strong improvements over previous entries in the series.A 1991 Captain N episode was based on this game....
), "Visions of Dark Secrets" and "The Sinking Old Sanctuary" from "Castlevania: Bloodlines" and "The Trick Manor" (also known as "Clockwork Mansion") (derived from combining "Rotating Room" and "Spinning Tale" of Super Castlevania IV
Super Castlevania IV
Super Castlevania IV, known as in Japan, is a platform game developed and published by Konami and the first Castlevania game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was originally released in 1991 and later re-released on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console in 2006...
). In addition to these, the game also features "Dance of Illusions" and "Requiem"(from Devil's Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, known in Japan as is a platform video game developed by Konami for the PC Engine. The tenth installment of the Castlevania video game series and a 2D side-scroller, it acts as a middleground between the earlier, typically linear Castlevania games and the later...
), which is used in the first phase of the final battle. Also included are some original pieces such as "Fate to Despair", "Awake", and "Proof of Blood". The soundtrack was prepared by Sotaro Tojima
Sotaro Tojima
Sotaro Tojima is a Japanese video game music composer and Audio Director.-Works:*Castlevania: Circle of the Moon*Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots*Halo 4-External links:** at OverClocked ReMix...
.
| Castlevania: Circle of the Moon & Castlevania: Concerto of Midnight Sun Original Soundtrack | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. |
"鎮魂歌" "血脈の印" "Inversion" "awake" "Clockwork" "戦慄" "ゲームオーバー" "fate to despair" "Aquarius" "カラクリ館" "Big Battle" "Nightmare" "Vampire Killer" "幻想的舞曲" "proof of blood" "鎮魂の丘" "プロローグ" "タイトルバック" "Name Entry 2K2" "宿命を継ぐ者" |
1:12 0:37 0:45 0:47 1:32 1:51 1:23 0:54 0:09 0:42 1:18 2:23 0:56 1:31 0:52 1:06 1:22 1:51 1:03 1:47 0:24 1:17 1:27 |
24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. |
"攻防" "慟哭参道" "ひかりごけの洞窟" "架橋龍水道" "礼拝堂の空" "因果律機械塔" "骸骨魔窟" "愛しい人" "決戦" "エピローグ1" "Game Over" "I闇の化身" "宿敵" "エピローグ2" "宿命を継ぐ者" "マイペースな物売り" "漆黒の扉" "ナイトヘッド" "VK2K2" |
1:46 1:12 1:48 1:21 1:12 1:11 1:17 1:12 1:51 1:07 1:19 1:22 0:08 0:43 1:17 1:53 1:04 0:32 0:55 0:55 1:11 2:15 4:19 |
|||||||||||||||||
Critical reception and legacy
Circle of the Moon was positively received, selling a total of one million copies in the month following its North American and European release, 500,000 of which in Japan. It was rated the 108th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
's Top 200 Games list.
On the review aggregate site Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, it is the twelfth-highest rated Game Boy Advance title.
Craig Harris of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called Circle of the Moon "one of the best playing Castlevania games released", calling the gameplay "very long and extremely challenging without being frustrating or a chore to zip through". However, he noted that due to the dark graphics, the game was "difficult" to see, and that the character animations looked as though "they've been ripped out of a GBC
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
development". Gamespot.com gave it 9.6 out of 10. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
rated the game 5.0, their highest rating, stating that it closely mirrored the most highly acclaimed Castlevania game, Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997. It is the 14th installment of the Castlevania series, the first installment released for the PlayStation, and a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.Symphony of the...
with its rich graphics and branching story. Gaming Target heavily praised the smoothness of the animations, though too cited a lack of replay value and dark graphics. In addition they gave praise to the game's DSS system, describing it as the best new feature of the title. RPGamer
RPGamer
RPGamer is a media and news website dedicated to covering computer and video game RPGs. Its coverage includes North American game news, European game news, Asian game news, gaming industry news, game reviews, game previews, hands-on game impressions, gaming conventions, game merchandise, release...
also praised the new system, calling it a "breath of fresh air" when combined with the existing ideas from previous entries in the series, though in contrast felt the game had significant replay value due to its various additional modes and the strengths/weaknesses related to each that required new strategies. Despite their criticism of the plot and recycled elements, they summarized the title as "Konami's Second Symphony". GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
stated that while the graphics were a problem, they more readily attributed the issue to the Game Boy Advance itself than the game, adding "it's a horror game about Dracula, don't you want ample light around you anyway?" They also praised the game's music and sound effects as appropriate for the title, though criticized the lack of decent artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
on the part of the enemies.
Despite the game's success, series producer Koji Igarashi
Koji Igarashi
, also known simply by the nickname IGA, is a Konami employee and one of the producers of the Castlevania video game series. He is best known as the assistant director of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, his first major involvement in the Castlevania series , also known simply by the nickname...
, who had not been involved in its production, was highly critical of the game. When developing follow up title Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. Belonging to Konami's Castlevania video game series, it is the second installment of the series on the Game Boy Advance...
, he cited in an interview several flaws he felt should have been rectified in Circle of the Moons design, primarily its control scheme and the dark appearance of the graphics on the Game Boy Advance. He additionally criticized the DSS card system, stating that it "did not match with the world Castlevania had established over a long period of time", though admitted he felt it was a good system. In 2002, Circle of the Moon was removed from the series timeline, a move met with some resistance from fans. Igarashi noted the reason for the removal as not due to his non-involvement with the games, but instead the intention of the game's development team for Circle of the Moon to be a stand-alone title. However since that time, later timelines distributed with preordered copies of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, known in Japan as , is an action video game developed and published by Konami. The game was released on November 16, 2006 in Japan, and in the US on December 5, 2006 for the Nintendo DS handheld game console...
noted the game's presence, as did one featured in Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
for a preview of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, known in Japan as , is the third Nintendo DS installment of the Castlevania franchise, developed by longtime Castlevania developer Koji Igarashi.-Gameplay:...
. However, unlike other games mentioned Circle of the Moons events were not described.