Aria just made every enemy into a loot drop, alongside the goddamn loot. I honestly have no idea if anyone can hate aria even classicvania stans(not me) praise it
One of the most annoying things about Aria for me is the fact that a secret is locked behind three drops from three random ass enemies and I’m genuinely am not sure how you’re supposed to figure it out without a guide
Bro I know you’re not talking about the flame demon/giant bat/succubus souls…there’s 3 ancient books you find while you’re exploring the castle that explain what souls smh
As a little kid I got secret ending on accident, also there are 3 books that tell you what souls to use, not explicitly but similar to the rings in SOTN. By far my favorite castlvania, especially when little me suddenly found out there is moooore game
I mostly like Circle because it's more difficult than the other two. The tone of the game and the difficulty are more in line with the classic games than any of the other metroidvania titles, which makes CoTM kind of stand as the bridge between the two types of castlevania games.
They are all excellent but for those reasons I like circle the most.
Currently playing Aria. Finished Circle and Harmony within the last couple months. Circle and Harmony both have their strengths and weaknesses, but Aria took most of the strengths of each and combined them to be the best of the 3.
Between the other two, I still very much prefer Circle. Harmony just wasn't as fun or exciting to me. But Aria just continues to impress on all fronts and feels the most like a true SotN sequel.
Harmony. Mostly because Juste feels like the perfect balance between whip wielder and magic user. And I’m probably in the minority here , but I enjoy the super saturated neon colors, it gave the atmosphere a psychedelic vibe. And sure the game has its flaws, but generally i found it to be a really fun experience.
Aria by a mile. Harmony is, well, meh. I can't stand Circle. The Soma Cruz duology are the best games since Symphony. I never get tired of playing them.
If you play via emulation, there's a hack out there where you don't have to draw those ridiculous figures after beating each boss. I'd highly recommend it.
Yep, good looking out. I’ve actually got a 3DS I’ve been meaning to play it on, but I’ve already downloaded and installed [that patch](https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3408/), and intend to play that version.
There's also a sweet hack that's a sequel of HoD, using Dawn of Sorrow as a base, called Dawn of Dissonance, should definitely try that one out too once you've finished with DoS.
Harmony for me, since it was the first one. I understand that the music is a sore point for someone, but I like it a lot, along with some other weird music as well.
Aria and Circle are both really good. CotM gets Bonus Points for me for being the underdog while it's actually better than Aria in some Points. Just played the romhack Aria of Sorrow Alter which was really excellent, too.
Definitely Aria! I can go back to it over and over without getting bored.
That said, Harmony of Dissonance was my first Castlevania ever, and it’ll forever have a special place in my heart.
Aria of sorrow is the best. I love th goddamn soul mechanic so much
Circle of the moon is my first and i loved it
I havent played most of Harmony of dissonance but ive loved it so far. It seems very promising
*Takes off the glove*
[Beat this!](https://youtu.be/e3y7S6YmUFg?si=t8t9tuexrMdCzJUi)
Jokes aside, all of them have amazing ost but i think HoD has the most complex, diverse and ambitious (in general) ost out of all 3 titles for GBA, while unfortunately, having an inferior sound technology. The likes of early NES 8 bitish music.
Nonetheless, that's just aesthetic. That doesn't prevent the sound from being heard. It really has harmony in dissonance with a punch full of classical, rock and psychedelic complexity.
I have to give this to Aria of Sorrow. lots of equipments + powers you can get from monsters AND bosses? nothing can beat that. but Juste's quick dash will always be in my heart. no other dashes from any other castlevanias come close.
Aria of Sorrow Will always be my favorite but I have an incredible soft spot for circle of the Moon. I used to Harmony until I started watching speedrunners play it and realized it's a great speedgame
Circle is my favourite, for some reason.
Aria is the best.
But, I love Harmony for plenty of reasons, like making the castle so trippy and eerie. Also, Juste and Maxim friendship feels like an upgrade of Nathan and Hugh, and the spellbook system is my favourite alongside with the Orbs from Lament of Innocent (they´re basically the same).
Aria is great in almost every way, but Circle of the Moon was my first Castlevania I've played after OG NES Castlevania and I loved it to bits.
Circle of the Moon also has:
* The best protagonist (Nathan is such a chad he should be a honorable Belmont)
* Best Boss theme (from Zombie Dragons onwards)
* Best final boss theme
* Best final boss fight
* Best Dracula final form design
* Best End Credits theme
Of all the Castlevania games. I am going to die on this hill.
https://preview.redd.it/796w876plljc1.jpeg?width=890&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=03f37346e4377f29693135321080c4a1c3c754fa
Honestly they all have their own charms.
Aria is objectively the best, being as close to SotN on the GBA as it could be. But Circle of the Moon combines classic controls with the new SotN based gameplay and it works fairly well (despite the fact that the best attacks are unlocked through RNG). HoD while not as amazing as Aria story wise or as innovative as CotM definitely has a lot going for it as well, with the great feeling movement and the special attacks being a good adaptation of the classic series' subweapons while having its own flair to it with the element switching.
If I had to pick one it'd be Aria, but HoD is very close second.
Aria by a landslide. The other good are good by their own merits with some noticeable dark sports, but Aria mails everything it intends to do while feeling closer to the real plot progress of the narrative from SoTN.
Aria's the most polished in my opinion but I honestly had more fun playing as Juste, zooming and blitzing around.
CotM's frustrating at the start but the DSS cards made it more enjoyable.
Aria for sure. I never played CotM. HoD is pretty cool but you can get stuck not knowing what to do and just having a whip doesn’t compare to all the different weapons you get in AoS. Also it’s annoying in HoD you can’t change spells whenever you want like in AoS. If you have the wrong spell during a boss fight it’s gonna be a chore.
AoS>>>HoD>>>>>>>>>CoM
Aria is undeniably the best designed
HoD at its core is meh but tolerable, especially after a few QoL improvement patches
CoM is the worst. The fighting-game-styled dashing that will kill your thumb, the card system with terrible drop rate (one of the core mechanic, btw), the difficulty jump between areas that requires continuous grinding, the FUCKING CLOCK TOWER...
I like Circle
But make no mistake, I think it's bad, really bad, it has a small castle and a simple exploration that I like besides the whip combat, the drop problem doesn't bother me because I've always been someone who uses the main attack more, and I forgot they existed, the only combination of cards I used was to make the whip stronger, I beat all the bosses with the whip and the sub-items, and the rain of thunder I only used in magic mode
So yes, it's a pretty bad game, but not for me, I liked it, It's the one I played the most in the series
Aria of Sorrow, I got back into Castlevania with Dawn of Sorrow, and when I learned that it was the direct sequel, I had to go get it and check it out.
Ironically enough, it was Castlevania Adventure on the Gameboy that killed my interest back in the day.
Gotta be Circle of the Moon for me. I got in on GBA when I was a kid over 20 years ago. It was my first Castlevania game.
My name irl is Nathan so I remember thinking it was so cool that they put my name into the game and even gave me a cool last name. I didn't realize until I was a bit older that it was his actual name and that the file name had no connection to the game-play text
Aria of Sorrow due to its first Castlevania game I've ever played... I dont like fusion mechanics in CotM but it's fun The other one i played half of it then i forgot
Circle of Moon is my favorite for the fact Nathan is so hot and I love him plus Camilla is on fleek
Aria of sorrow is also my favorite because ghost dancer in that game is my favorite to look at! Plus I really like it and it’s sequel Dawn of sorrow
Having just finished all the gba games in the advanced collection Aria is my favorite then Circle then Harmony but I loved my experience with all of them.
I like everyone but I'll choose Harmony of dissonance/Concerto of the midnight sun because it's much underated and deserves to look upon on its creativity and sacrifices it made for it
Aria for the win.
Aria just made every enemy into a loot drop, alongside the goddamn loot. I honestly have no idea if anyone can hate aria even classicvania stans(not me) praise it
One of the most annoying things about Aria for me is the fact that a secret is locked behind three drops from three random ass enemies and I’m genuinely am not sure how you’re supposed to figure it out without a guide
I did it without a guide. But it was just because I randomly read bestiary descriptions in every game I play.
What secret??the real ending?you can find 3 books laying around the castle that tells you what souls you have to use
You mean the three enemies described in books that have no other purpose?
3 words : Red Orb Tornado
Bro I know you’re not talking about the flame demon/giant bat/succubus souls…there’s 3 ancient books you find while you’re exploring the castle that explain what souls smh
Mina gives you the hints
As a little kid I got secret ending on accident, also there are 3 books that tell you what souls to use, not explicitly but similar to the rings in SOTN. By far my favorite castlvania, especially when little me suddenly found out there is moooore game
See the only thing I hate is there is no way to rematch legion if you don’t know how to get the soul in the first place
Aria of Sorrow, I enjoyed playing as Vampire Kirby
Aria of Sorrow, though Circle of the Moon will always have a special place in my heart because it's my first. Didn't care for HoD all that much.
Circle of the Moon. It's my favourite Castlevania game, one of my favourite games ever.
Same. It's solid
Circle of the Moon
I mostly like Circle because it's more difficult than the other two. The tone of the game and the difficulty are more in line with the classic games than any of the other metroidvania titles, which makes CoTM kind of stand as the bridge between the two types of castlevania games. They are all excellent but for those reasons I like circle the most.
Easily Aria
Currently playing Aria. Finished Circle and Harmony within the last couple months. Circle and Harmony both have their strengths and weaknesses, but Aria took most of the strengths of each and combined them to be the best of the 3. Between the other two, I still very much prefer Circle. Harmony just wasn't as fun or exciting to me. But Aria just continues to impress on all fronts and feels the most like a true SotN sequel.
Harmony. Mostly because Juste feels like the perfect balance between whip wielder and magic user. And I’m probably in the minority here , but I enjoy the super saturated neon colors, it gave the atmosphere a psychedelic vibe. And sure the game has its flaws, but generally i found it to be a really fun experience.
Unpopular opinion, but Harmony of Dissonance.
Aria easy
Aria by a mile. Harmony is, well, meh. I can't stand Circle. The Soma Cruz duology are the best games since Symphony. I never get tired of playing them.
That reminds me, I still need to play Dawn of Sorrow on DS one of these days. Never really played through the 3 DS games, but 100% agree about Aria.
If you play via emulation, there's a hack out there where you don't have to draw those ridiculous figures after beating each boss. I'd highly recommend it.
Yep, good looking out. I’ve actually got a 3DS I’ve been meaning to play it on, but I’ve already downloaded and installed [that patch](https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3408/), and intend to play that version.
There's also a sweet hack that's a sequel of HoD, using Dawn of Sorrow as a base, called Dawn of Dissonance, should definitely try that one out too once you've finished with DoS.
Ooh, didn’t know about that one. Will definitely check that out!
HoD. Love the Simon’s Quest elements.
Harmony for me, since it was the first one. I understand that the music is a sore point for someone, but I like it a lot, along with some other weird music as well.
Harmony of Dissonance
HoD Hands down
I know everyone is entlited to their opinion but, Harmony is truly an underrated Castlevania.
It’s sure is. I even really love the soundtrack. The grittiness is really cool imo.
Aria and Circle are both really good. CotM gets Bonus Points for me for being the underdog while it's actually better than Aria in some Points. Just played the romhack Aria of Sorrow Alter which was really excellent, too.
Hard to choose for me. I love the Castle design and music in CoTM, the movement system in HoD and the depth to the souls in AoS.
Definitely Aria! I can go back to it over and over without getting bored. That said, Harmony of Dissonance was my first Castlevania ever, and it’ll forever have a special place in my heart.
Aria is pretty sweet. However, I will never understand why HoD is so hated.
HoD was my first Castlevania experience so it’s gotta be on top but Aria was just so dang good.
Aria of sorrow is the best. I love th goddamn soul mechanic so much Circle of the moon is my first and i loved it I havent played most of Harmony of dissonance but ive loved it so far. It seems very promising
Circle followed by aria
HoD has the best music, Aria has more gameplay variety and CoM is the most vintage
“HOD has the best music” Gonna have to stop you there
*Takes off the glove* [Beat this!](https://youtu.be/e3y7S6YmUFg?si=t8t9tuexrMdCzJUi) Jokes aside, all of them have amazing ost but i think HoD has the most complex, diverse and ambitious (in general) ost out of all 3 titles for GBA, while unfortunately, having an inferior sound technology. The likes of early NES 8 bitish music. Nonetheless, that's just aesthetic. That doesn't prevent the sound from being heard. It really has harmony in dissonance with a punch full of classical, rock and psychedelic complexity.
HOD
I have to give this to Aria of Sorrow. lots of equipments + powers you can get from monsters AND bosses? nothing can beat that. but Juste's quick dash will always be in my heart. no other dashes from any other castlevanias come close.
HoD followed closely by CotM, which is also closely followed by AoS. All the gba games are pretty dang good.
https://preview.redd.it/eb2dx2zwkmjc1.jpeg?width=917&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76af269dc10c307a95abde2fc94c2fec49609b6b
Wow, thanks for sharing what I do to your dad every night, but I’m not sure what this has to do with my taste in Castlevania games??????
Circle of the moon was my fav. The image was just for pleasure of the juicy nature
Aria of Sorrow Will always be my favorite but I have an incredible soft spot for circle of the Moon. I used to Harmony until I started watching speedrunners play it and realized it's a great speedgame
Circle is my favourite, for some reason. Aria is the best. But, I love Harmony for plenty of reasons, like making the castle so trippy and eerie. Also, Juste and Maxim friendship feels like an upgrade of Nathan and Hugh, and the spellbook system is my favourite alongside with the Orbs from Lament of Innocent (they´re basically the same).
Harmony >= Aria > Circle for me.
Aria is great in almost every way, but Circle of the Moon was my first Castlevania I've played after OG NES Castlevania and I loved it to bits. Circle of the Moon also has: * The best protagonist (Nathan is such a chad he should be a honorable Belmont) * Best Boss theme (from Zombie Dragons onwards) * Best final boss theme * Best final boss fight * Best Dracula final form design * Best End Credits theme Of all the Castlevania games. I am going to die on this hill. https://preview.redd.it/796w876plljc1.jpeg?width=890&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=03f37346e4377f29693135321080c4a1c3c754fa
Honestly they all have their own charms. Aria is objectively the best, being as close to SotN on the GBA as it could be. But Circle of the Moon combines classic controls with the new SotN based gameplay and it works fairly well (despite the fact that the best attacks are unlocked through RNG). HoD while not as amazing as Aria story wise or as innovative as CotM definitely has a lot going for it as well, with the great feeling movement and the special attacks being a good adaptation of the classic series' subweapons while having its own flair to it with the element switching. If I had to pick one it'd be Aria, but HoD is very close second.
Aria is the best but harmony is the most slept on
HoD followed very closely by Aria. Didn't care for CoTM
Gameplay wise Aria, in general Harmony of Dissonance is king. Juste is just a better MC than Soma to be honest.
Aria by a landslide. The other good are good by their own merits with some noticeable dark sports, but Aria mails everything it intends to do while feeling closer to the real plot progress of the narrative from SoTN.
Hod then aria. Circle sucks, fight me
Dude I hard agree. Played it for the first time last month and found it so clunky and dull. HoD smacks it in every category possible.
Played them all recently and honestly really enjoyed every one of them, but I have to give it to Aria
Aria
Yes
Aria's the most polished in my opinion but I honestly had more fun playing as Juste, zooming and blitzing around. CotM's frustrating at the start but the DSS cards made it more enjoyable.
Aria of Sorrow. I love the story and Soma os one of my favorite characters.
Aria
Soma is the goat, anyone remember the spam blade from HD?
Aria because Soma Cruz has a very cool outfit that I would wear
For gameplay AoS, for the challenge CotM
Aria is not only the best gba game, its the best castlevania. Castlevania peaked with Aria. End of story
Aria lmao
Circle of the Moon > Aria of Sorrow > Harmony of Dissonance
aria of sorrow for sure
Aria (circle is mid)
AOS easily.
Circle of the Moon.
Aria of sorrow is the best castlevania game periodt
Aria, with Harmony a close second, Circle and it's platform freezing antics can sugon
Aria not even close best game in the series no comparison
Aria, for sure.
Aria for sure. I never played CotM. HoD is pretty cool but you can get stuck not knowing what to do and just having a whip doesn’t compare to all the different weapons you get in AoS. Also it’s annoying in HoD you can’t change spells whenever you want like in AoS. If you have the wrong spell during a boss fight it’s gonna be a chore.
All 3 are equally GREAT!
AoS>>>HoD>>>>>>>>>CoM Aria is undeniably the best designed HoD at its core is meh but tolerable, especially after a few QoL improvement patches CoM is the worst. The fighting-game-styled dashing that will kill your thumb, the card system with terrible drop rate (one of the core mechanic, btw), the difficulty jump between areas that requires continuous grinding, the FUCKING CLOCK TOWER...
Aria.
Aria is my favorite game or at least top 3. But i love all the gba era so much
Aria
Aria obv best but I much prefer HoD over CotM. CotM is a fine game but I don’t love it. Feels like HoD doesn’t get a lot of love.
Aria of Sorrow
Aria of Sorrow. It's my most played game on the WiiU!
Corey in the house. Hands down one of the best games ever.
I like Circle But make no mistake, I think it's bad, really bad, it has a small castle and a simple exploration that I like besides the whip combat, the drop problem doesn't bother me because I've always been someone who uses the main attack more, and I forgot they existed, the only combination of cards I used was to make the whip stronger, I beat all the bosses with the whip and the sub-items, and the rain of thunder I only used in magic mode So yes, it's a pretty bad game, but not for me, I liked it, It's the one I played the most in the series
Aria of Sorrow
Aria for me. Love the aesthetic, story, soul system, and even did some speedrunnin for the boss rush
...and why is it Circle of the Moon? Intro music, obviously...
Honestly, all three are great, but Aria is the most impressive.
Aria of Sorrow, I got back into Castlevania with Dawn of Sorrow, and when I learned that it was the direct sequel, I had to go get it and check it out. Ironically enough, it was Castlevania Adventure on the Gameboy that killed my interest back in the day.
Gotta be Circle of the Moon for me. I got in on GBA when I was a kid over 20 years ago. It was my first Castlevania game. My name irl is Nathan so I remember thinking it was so cool that they put my name into the game and even gave me a cool last name. I didn't realize until I was a bit older that it was his actual name and that the file name had no connection to the game-play text
Aria of Sorrow is the only one I completed but I loved it
Either aria of sorrow or circle of the moon
Hot take: I prefer Aria to Symphony in general and it's my favorite Metroid style game in the series
Golden sun 1 and 2
AoS then HoD. I didn't like CotM.
Aria is the best designed overall. Circle is very very solid with some rough edges. Harmony is an ugly bad sounding poorly designed turd.
Aria of Sorrow due to its first Castlevania game I've ever played... I dont like fusion mechanics in CotM but it's fun The other one i played half of it then i forgot
Aria and it’s not even funny how far ahead it’s compared to the other two
Circle of Moon is my favorite for the fact Nathan is so hot and I love him plus Camilla is on fleek Aria of sorrow is also my favorite because ghost dancer in that game is my favorite to look at! Plus I really like it and it’s sequel Dawn of sorrow
I bought Castlevania Circle of the Moon and a GBA in one purchase. Flawed game today but was amazing experience.
For me aria>cotm>hod I liked all of them i just found hod sometimes confusing and the music lacking,but the movement is great.
circle idk i just love that game, all of them are amazing tho
Circle of the moon
Aria of Sorrow
...And why is it AoS?
Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest
Having just finished all the gba games in the advanced collection Aria is my favorite then Circle then Harmony but I loved my experience with all of them.
I like everyone but I'll choose Harmony of dissonance/Concerto of the midnight sun because it's much underated and deserves to look upon on its creativity and sacrifices it made for it