Konami boxes DS Castlevania

Like an undead bloodsucker with an unquenchable thirst for blood, so, too, do some hardcore gamers have an unquenchable thirst for preorder knickknacks. To help bolster preorders of its upcoming DS game Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Konami announced an array of giveaways for those who put money down in advance for the game at GameStop, EB Games, and GameCrazy stores around the country.

When those who preorder the game go to pick it up, they will receive a limited edition, wax-sealed box that contains a 48-page art book and a soundtrack CD, both of which pull their content from numerous games throughout the series' 20-year history. In addition, the box set will include an extendable Castlevania stylus, a game case that comfortably holds Portrait of Ruin and the first DS Castlevania game, Dawn of Sorrow, and a timeline poster to settle debates over key events in the series' chronology.

Portrait of Ruin puts players in control of vampire hunter Jonathan Morris and the magically adept Charlotte Orlean, with the ability to switch freely between the two to match the needs of their current situations. Both characters will have powerful summon attacks and a variety of weapons and equipment at their disposal, but they will also have their own unique strengths and abilities. Konami is promising more than 100 different enemies and bosses on which to try out all those weapons and abilities.

Portrait of Ruin is rated T for Teen and will retail for $34.99 when it is released this December.