Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

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Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Developer(s)	KCEK
Publisher(s)	Konami
Series	Castlevania
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance
Release date(s)	JP March 21, 2001[1] NA June 8, 2001[1] EU June 10, 2001[1]
Genre(s)	Action adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	CERO: B ELSPA: 11+ ESRB: T OFLC: G8+
Media	64-megabit cartridge

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, known simply as Castlevania in Europe and as Akumajō Dracula Circle of the Moon (悪魔城ドラキュラ Circle of the Moon, Akumajō Dorakyura Sākuru obu za Mūn^?, lit. "Devil's Castle Dracula Circle of the Moon") in Japan, is a video game created by Konami for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance system. The game was released in 2001 and is the first Castlevania game for the Game Boy Advance. Despite the differences in local titles, the American title has become the standard used to refer to this game.

Circle of the Moon is the only game on the Game Boy Advance to bear the "Akumajō Dracula" title, as subsequent entries adopted the "Castlevania" name, even in Japan. This continued until Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, for the Nintendo DS.

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Alternative Modes 2 Plot 2.1 Characters 2.2 Story 3 Development 4 Audio 5 Reception 6 References

[edit] Gameplay

The gameplay in Circle of the Moon is similar to Symphony of the Night, in which the player must explore a castle filled with undead enemies and evil aberrations in a non-linear fashion.^[2] Enemies defeated by the player drop items and equipment, as well as providing experience points which increase the player character's attributes.^[2] Boss enemies provide plot progression, and their defeat allows the player to acquire new abilities to progress further in the game. The player character uses a weapon by the name of "Hunter Whip" to attack enemies, alongside secondary weapons: axe, cross, holy water, dagger and stopwatch.^[2] Only one of secondary weapons may be carried at any time by the player, draining a supply of "hearts" when used. These statistics are Strength, which determines player's attack power, Defense, which determines resilience to damage, Intelligence, which determines the Magic Point (MP) recovery speed, and Luck, which modifies the frequency with which items are dropped by enemies.

One of the game's distinguishing aspects is its DSS (Dual Set-up System) for magic, based around magic cards which are divided into two categories: Action and Artibute. When two cards from each category are combined, they produce an attack techinique.^[2] For example, the player can combine the "Mercury Card" (Action card with the power of whip enhancement) with the "Salamander Card" (Attribute card with the power of fire), obtaining a fire elemental whip attack as a result. The cards are found throughout the game; there are twenty Action and Attribute cards, 10 of each, making for a total of 100 card combinations. Each of these cards is dropped by certain enemies, with a probability based on the player character's "luck" statistic, thus adding another search element. Use of DSS cards drains the player's supply of MP.

The Battle Arena, an optional bonus area in the castle, consists of seventeen rooms. Each room contains a selection of standard enemies, which must be defeated for the player to exit. However, the Dual Set-Up System (DSS) is unavailable in this area, with the player's MP dropping to zero as soon as s/he enters. Each subsequent room contains a tougher selection of enemies than the last. While completing the Arena as a whole is a stiff challenge, the player can leave the Arena between certain rooms, making the area ideal for gaining Experience Points.

Completing the entire battle arena grants the player 291,582 experience points in total from enemies defeated, and the "Shinning Armor" [sic], a body equipment that significantly increases the player's Defense by 500 points and gives a small 10 point boost to Strength, Intelligence, and Luck. There are also two DSS cards (Unicorn and Black Dog - the light and darkness Attribute Cards, respectively) that can only be obtained from enemies in the arena.

[edit] Alternative Modes

Once the game is completed, the player receives a code that can be entered as their name when starting a new game. This code will start the game in Magician Mode, where the player starts with all 20 DSS cards and high magical ability, at the expense of reduced strength, defense, and health.

By completing Magician Mode, another code is received, which lets the player start the game in Fighter Mode. In this mode, no DSS cards can be used, but physical power is drastically increased.

In turn, completing Fighter Mode unlocks the code for Shooter Mode. This mode places emphasis on combat using the subweapons, by making them inflict significantly more damage, giving the player a very high maximum of Hearts to use them with (as well as halving the amount of hearts each subweapon uses), but giving a penalty to strength, defense, and HP. Shooter Mode also has a unique subweapon, the Homing Dagger, which is only usable in this mode.

Completing Shooter Mode unlocks the code for Thief Mode. This last alternate mode reduces all of the player's stats except Luck, which is boosted by an enormous amount. The idea in Thief Mode is to survive on whatever items and equipment the enemies drop, with greater Luck increasing the odds of getting items from each kill.

[edit] Plot

Castlevania series fictional chronology
1094 - Lament of Innocence 1476 - Dracula's Curse 1479 - Curse of Darkness 1591 - The Adventure (ReBirth) 1606 - Belmont's Revenge 1600s - Order of Shadows 1691 - Castlevania (Vampire Killer, Super, Chronicles) 1698 - Simon's Quest 1748 - Harmony of Dissonance 1792 - Rondo of Blood 1797 - Symphony of the Night 1800s - Order of Ecclesia 1830 - Circle of the Moon 1844 - Legacy of Darkness 1852 - Castlevania (Nintendo 64) 1917 - Bloodlines 1944 - Portrait of Ruin 2035 - Aria of Sorrow 2036 - Dawn of Sorrow
Alternate timeline and/or universe Legends Lords of Shadow

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon was originally present within the series' chronology from its original release until 2002, when a timeline published on the official Japanese Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance website omitted it - as well as several other Castlevania games - from the series' continuity.^[3] The others also included Castlevania Legends for the Game Boy, and two Castlevania releases for the Nintendo 64.

In 2006, series producer Koji Igarashi stated that "These games were taken out of the timeline [...] not because I didn't work on them, but because they were considered by their directors to be side projects in the series".^[4] Since the 2002 removal, the events of Circle of the Moon have occupied an ambiguous place in timelines published by Konami of Japan, Konami of America, and various gaming publications. Morris Baldwin was mentioned in the English Xtreme Desktop Timeline[1]. The most recent English language timeline, distributed with preordered versions of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin in North America by Konami of America, includes the date for Circle of the Moon though the events are not described.^[5]

[edit] Characters

Nathan Graves: The protagonist of Circle of the Moon. Nathan's parents were friends of his teacher, Morris Baldwin. Ten years ago, Nathan's parents banished Dracula, at the cost of their lives. Morris managed to survive, and took Nathan as a student. Nathan was trained alongside Morris' son, Hugh, to become a vampire killer. Nathan has been chosen by Morris to be the successor of the Hunter Whip.

Morris Baldwin: Morris is Hugh's father and a veteran Vampire Hunter. He and Nathan's parents sealed Count Dracula ten years ago. Morris chose Nathan as his successor instead of his son, Hugh, because he suspected that his son only wanted the whip for the glory of inheriting the family heirloom.

Hugh Baldwin: The son of Morris and Nathan's rival. Hugh envies Nathan for being chosen by his father for possession of the Hunter Whip. However, Nathan does not reciprocate his hate, and often tries to reason with him.

Dracula: Sealed away in 1820 by a team of Vampire Hunters, Morris Baldwin and Nathan's parents, Dracula hopes to use Morris' energy to fully revive himself and taint the world with darkness.

Camilla: A minion of Dracula, Camilla is actually a demon disguised as a human female. She led the attempt to revive Dracula, hoping she could serve him again. Camilla turns out to be a boss later in the game. In the Japanese version, her name is Carmilla, a reference to the vampire novella, Carmilla, written by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, which strongly influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula.

[edit] Story

Set in 1830 at an old Austrian castle, Camilla, a minion of Dracula, revives Count Dracula. However, Morris Baldwin, a Vampire Hunter who had previously helped to seal away Dracula^[6], and his apprentices, Nathan Graves and Hugh Baldwin, arrive with the intent of sealing Dracula away again.^[7] Before the group is able to banish Dracula again, Dracula destroys the floor under Nathan and Hugh, causing them to plummet down a long shaft, leaving Morris alone with Dracula and Camilla. Nathan and Hugh survive the fall and Hugh runs off to find Morris, leaving Nathan behind; Nathan decides against leaving the castle, also wanting to rescue his mentor.^[8] He then explores the large castle, fighting Dracula's minions along the way. Nathan encounters and defeats the Necromancer, another one of Dracula's minions, although not before the Necromancer informs him that at the next full moon, Morris's soul will be used to return Dracula's full power.^[9]

As Nathan makes his way through the castle, he meets up with Hugh multiple times, who becomes more hostile to Nathan as the game progresses.^[10][11] Eventually, Nathan encounters Camilla, who hints that she and Dracula are responsible for the changes in Hugh's personality.^[12] Nathan manages to vanquish Camilla in her true form, and meets up with Hugh once more. Upon seeing Nathan, Hugh immediately attacks him, saying that he will defeat Nathan to prove himself to his father.^[13] After Nathan defeats Hugh, Dracula's mind control over Hugh is broken and Hugh tasks Nathan with rescuing Morris.^[14]

Arriving at the ceremonial room, Nathan confronts Dracula who explains that he had tampered with Hugh's soul to cause the changes in Hugh's personality.^[15] Nathan attempts to vanquish Dracula and save Morris from being sacrificed as a part of the dark ritual. Dracula teleports away to gain his full power and Hugh frees Morris; together they escape the castle, leaving Nathan to fight Dracula alone.^[16] Nathan then is transported to another dimension where he fights and defeats Dracula. With Dracula's defeat, the castle begins to crumble and Nathan escapes the castle. He is reunited with Morris and Hugh, and they leave to continue their training.

[edit] Development

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Audio

Circle of the Moon's score consists of numerous remixes 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.

[edit] Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	89%[17]
Metacritic	92 of 100[18][19]
MobyGames	87 of 100[20]
Review scores
Publication	Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly	9.5 of 10[17]
Game Informer	8.75 of 10[21]
GamePro	[22]
GameSpot	9.6 of 10[23]
GameSpy	82 of 100[24]
IGN	9.0 of 10[2]
Nintendo Power	5 of 5[17]
Awards GameSpot Editors' Choice Award[23] IGN Editors' Choice Award[25]

Craig Harris of IGN called Circle of the Moon "one of the best playing Castlevania games released". Harris praised the gameplay, calling it "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 the "character animations look like they've been ripped out of a GBC development".^[2]. Gamespot.com gave it 9.6 out of 10, leaving Circle of the Moon as the best rated GBA game.^[23] It was rated the 108th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.^[26] On the review aggregate site Metacritic, it is the seventh-highest rated GBA title.^[19] GamePro rated the game 5.0, their highest rating, stating that it closely mirrored the most highly acclaimed Castlevania, Symphony of the Night with its rich graphics and branching story.^[22] Many players commented that they find it difficult to see the action on the screen because of the dark graphics of this game and the lack of built-in light source before the arrival of later GBA models.^[27] Subsequent GBA Castlevania games use brighter colour schemes to avoid this problem.

[edit] References

v • d • e Castlevania series List of media  • Music in the Castlevania series Console and arcade games Castlevania  • Vampire Killer  • Simon's Quest  • Haunted Castle  • Dracula's Curse  • Super Castlevania IV  • Kid Dracula  • Chronicles  • Rondo of Blood  • Bloodlines  • Dracula X  • Symphony of the Night  • Castlevania (Nintendo 64)  • Legacy of Darkness  • Lament of Innocence  • Curse of Darkness  • Judgment  • The Arcade  • Lords of Shadow  • The Adventure ReBirth Handheld games The Adventure  • Belmont's Revenge  • Legends  • Circle of the Moon  • Harmony of Dissonance  • Aria of Sorrow  • Dawn of Sorrow  • Portrait of Ruin  • The Dracula X Chronicles  • Order of Shadows  • Order of Ecclesia Characters Castlevania characters  • Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow characters  • Dracula  • Alucard  • Soma Cruz Staff Koji Igarashi  • Michiru Yamane  • Ayami Kojima