Castlevania collected on PSP

Dracula X Chronicles collects Rondo of Blood remake with the PC Engine original and Symphony of the Night later this year.

For a handheld with latter-day gaming staples like an analog stick, 3D graphics, and online multiplayer action, the PlayStation Portable is building a significant library of games with retro appeal. Beyond compilations like Sega Genesis Collection, Capcom Classics Collection, and EA Replay, the system has also played host to remakes of Valkyrie Profile, Mega Man, and Ghosts 'n Goblins.

Now it's getting a retro collection and remake in one with Konami's Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Like the 2001 PlayStation release Castlevania Chronicles, Dracula X Chronicles features an older installment in the vampire-slaying series that has never before been released outside of Japan. In the former game's case, that was Akumajo Dracula for the X68000 PC. In the case of Dracula X Chronicles, the game is Rondo of Blood for the TurboGrafx-16's Japanese counterpart, the PC Engine.

Unlike Castlevania Chronicles, the main attraction in Konami's new PSP game isn't the importing of the original version of the game; in fact, players will have to unlock the original Rondo of Blood. The featured game in Dracula X Chronicles is actually a 3D remake of Rondo of Blood that retains the game's 2D gameplay. And if bloodthirsty players want a little more vampire-hunting action, Konami's also including an unlockable version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a PlayStation Greatest Hits title also set to appear on the Xbox Live Arcade.

The Rondo remake will let players play through more than 10 stages as one of two characters, and features new character designs by Ayumi Kojima. It will also include a sound-collection system that lets players earn songs from the original Rondo and Symphony of the Night, and then use them to make custom soundtracks.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is scheduled for a 2007 release.

172 Comments

  • ChudWarrior

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 11:27 am PT

    SWEET!! SOTN is easily the best sounding, best looking, and over all best feeling Castlevania game ever. The fact that it comes bundled with an awesome Castlevania game that (like waaay too much stuff) was only in Japan just makes it that much sweeter.

  • jongaska

    Posted May 8, 2007 5:30 pm PT

    I might just have to go out and buy a PSP just for SOTN.

  • desperado2503

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 11:12 pm PT

    If SOTN is like the saturn version, i will definitely buy it. Also... this a must have title anyways for a castlevania fan.

  • Ark_rf22

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 12:06 pm PT

    Yay!! a must have game for castlevania fans and psp owners!!!

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:22 pm PT

    That makes 2 whole games I wan't for the PSP. I may consider buying that worthless piece of garbage yet.

  • crunchb3rry

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 8:05 pm PT

    The only thing I want to know is if the SotN version is the one with Maria playable. I might go out on a limb and assume so, since the whole purpose of this collection is to give Western gamers something they didn't have access to before (aside from importing).

    Can't wait to play SotN in the native resolution.

  • Dante565

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 1:35 pm PT

    I am truly happy at this amazing news.

  • greyfox6662912

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 1:28 pm PT

    I am so glad that the psp is finally getting castlevania, its been far too long since a fun castlevania has crossed my path. Last one was Lament of Innosence (I dont have a nintendo DS). By the way, who cares about anything Wii? This is the psp section weaponx178, go take your fanboyish dreams over to the wii forums.

  • kyzer1978

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 12:43 pm PT

    A virutal console remake of Legacy of Darkness would be good.

  • weaponx178

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 11:27 am PT

    Besides the psp announcement of castlevania...does anyone think the castlevania legacy of darkness for the n64 should be remade or at least put on the wii's VC?

  • higgydiggy

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 10:27 am PT

    that brings psp count to 3

  • beedog

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 10:01 am PT

    Hmm, might acually have to consider buying a PSP now...

  • LexLas

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 9:14 am PT

    It's about time they made a Castlevania for the PSP. I always wondered why they never had made any, I am glad they finally made the decision to make it. Yeah !

  • bugsonglass

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 8:24 am PT

    As others have said. I will get a PSP after all, purely for Kastlevania and Final Fantasy Tactics. It's worth it too!

  • cornelle123

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 8:20 am PT

    "This collection should be on the DS." Symphony of the Night is like 500 mb! (Live Arcade reference, I think) There is no way to properly fit the original game on a cartridge. There are also other games on the collection which would make sense to maybe port it to a console or the psp. But Konami has sold pretty well on the psp with the release of Kojima Production titles.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 7:37 am PT

    This collection should be on the DS.

  • dragonsama

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 6:36 am PT

    Awesome for the PSP however why not just put this out for the PS2 where it will do better? OR even put it all out as a downloadable game on PS3?

  • NandoSupes

    Posted Feb 5, 2007 5:38 am PT

    this are 2 great Castlevania games,maybe now I might decide to buy the paperweight that is the PSP,nah!!! lol,but good news for PSP owners, great games indeed

  • kyzer1978

    Posted Feb 4, 2007 10:56 pm PT

    Lumines...
    Tekken...
    Daxter...
    Metal Gear...
    Final Fantasy Tactics...
    Crisis Core...
    Castlevania...

    How could you not want a PSP now? The PSP future is slowly but surely looking brighter and brighter

  • ardandil

    Posted Feb 4, 2007 8:09 pm PT

    i going to get a psp only to play this and the ff tactics remake... i have no other choice

  • SolidTy

    Posted Feb 4, 2007 7:15 pm PT

    Wow. PSP owners are soooooo lucky. Good for them, this and SOTN are both GREAT!

  • gigabrowser12

    Posted Feb 4, 2007 1:33 pm PT

    Tungsten88
    Yay CV! But dang! It's going to take so long to beat 3 games. Isn't that a good thing????

  • vaejas

    Posted Feb 4, 2007 12:49 pm PT

    I love any game with the chutzpah to begin with Stage 0. Even if it is not also on runaway horseback. Richterrrrrrr!!!!

    (I sure hope they beef up the SFX in Rondo. Seriously, it needs beef.)

  • Jerrymiru

    Posted Feb 4, 2007 11:35 am PT

    SWEET!!!! However, I hope that this well help bring some origial stuff too... But I am glad to see that they're not just porting over the game. That they are making it even better like what they did with Megaman X!

  • whiplash

    Posted Feb 4, 2007 10:33 am PT

    This is officially the greatest news to hit the PSP since the announcement of the Final Fantasy Tactics port!

  • Tungsten88

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 9:02 pm PT

    Yay CV! But dang! It's going to take so long to beat 3 games.

  • warumono

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 8:41 pm PT

    Wow...! Konami finally gave us Rondo of Blood... a game that most of us played only many years later and paying top dollar for an imported copy and the PC-Engine Emulator. And Symphony of the Night... well what can I say... SOTN is probably the best Castlevania ever. Can't wait for this game!

  • Zoryuken

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 6:33 pm PT

    Oh yeah. Fantastic news.

  • Dualmask

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 5:25 pm PT

    Finally! I've been clamoring for some great Castlevania games to take advantage of the PSP's power ever since I got one. It's about time too. Nothing wrong with remakes either, especially since most folks never played Rondo of Blood (including me) and SotN is timeless.

    And the PSP hate really has to stop. As an owner of both, it just seems silly to compare the two to me. While the GBA and DS Castlevanias will never compete with SotN (although graphically Dawn of Sorrow came close), they're good games in their own right, and worth playing. Why shouldn't the PSP get some good 'Vanias too? After all, the series has graced almost every other game system worth mentioning in one form or another.

  • legenderysoldie

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 3:02 pm PT

    3 games in 1, great

  • somethingwicked

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 1:58 pm PT

    This is such fantastic news. Even though they're not original titles, this is something that the PSP really needs. Here's hoping for more!

  • aashkii

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 1:00 pm PT

    I just got started playing the Castlevania franchise ever since I bought Portrait of Ruin a few months ago. I might buy Dracula X Chronicles just because of the unlockable Symphony of the Night (which I never played).

  • Runningflame570

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 12:27 pm PT

    Wahahaha! I'm truely enjoying all the DS Fanboy damage control. "Oh well, we get original games" Neither of which are as good as these or as sought after! These two games are the pinnacle of classic and igavania titles and both help explain the backstory behind the other..PC-Engine's ending is the beginning of SoTN in fact.

    "PSP Sucks" Uhuh, try to justifying that position with something other than "ports" which this game isn't even! Its a remake, so funny, even the port is an original game for 99% of people here because they've never played it.

    "I'm not buying PSP for this" Your loss, many other people will though. Apparently one person already has.

    "Heres hoping it comes to DS" Not happening, the system isn't capable of holding all the CD-quality audio, sprites, and 3D textures this game requires, you would end up getting a half-baked game that would only have people crying out in fury.

    This is only one of the, if not THE best game collection ever released and people are trying to marginalize it, the funniest thing I've ever heard.

  • solsticeblue

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 10:45 am PT

    I missed out on Symphony of the Night, looks like I can get two of the deepest Castlevania games (well... technically 3) with one stone. I think it's really about time I went vampire hunting.

  • fahad2mail

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 10:25 am PT

    thats great.

  • gmayronne

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 10:24 am PT

    awesome, PSP isnt dead yet

  • CovieEngineer

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 10:04 am PT

    I just got a HUGE erection. I've never been able to play Rondo of Blood and being a huge castlevania fan it sucks to have people all around me yammer about the Holy Grail of castlevania. This is going to be awesome. I am never going to make fun of the PSP ever again.

  • fluffebunnie

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 9:59 am PT

    "When people expect DS castlevania game beaters.... the originals arent that.
    They are good games, but a castlevania game where you level up are always the best, in my opinion."

    Well in my opinion, they are just different. Not any better or worse. Personally, I like the way you have to unlock SotN. Should be fun! Also, I am sure someone will post up a save that already has it unlocked. That is to say if there isn't some sort of code that already unlocks it.

    This game is going to be saweet.

  • Jebril

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 9:18 am PT

    Well if this is the case then DS get getter MGS....nah I'm playin were happy with the new Castlevania Titles.

  • Megavideogamer

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 9:07 am PT

    At last Castlevania on the PSP this gamer is happy.

  • GrimBee

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 8:23 am PT

    I am afraid to say, but not having Symphony of the Night on here - its a bit of a let down. As a non-official title I mean. You have to unlock probably THE best game of the series?! Strange...

    Although I love the other games to bits - Once you experience the whole "levelling up" aspect - it is a bit hard to fully enjoy the originals as much.
    PSP definately needs Castlevania Symphony of the Night. Hopefully Konami will see sence and release them for the DS and PSP...
    The DS castlevania games are incredible, but are alot like Symphony of the night.
    When people expect DS castlevania game beaters.... the originals arent that.
    They are good games, but a castlevania game where you level up are always the best, in my opinion.

    I hope Konami release the extended Sega Saturn version on the PSP (with extra bits, but no slow down).

  • The_Weekend

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 8:02 am PT

    Brilliant!

  • risi37

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 7:48 am PT

    yeah great news

  • LordelX

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 7:29 am PT

    Wow, a PSP game I want. I wonder how often this will happen?

  • Chadius

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 7:16 am PT

    Port this to the PS2, please?

    Bah, so far the PSP's up to 2 games I want (Maverick Hunter X, I'm staring at you!) And they're both ports. Good thing I already played Rondo on "my friend's" PC-engine.

  • Quicksilverpr

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 6:54 am PT

    videos of actual game play on psp http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3156895&type=game&sec=VIDEOS

  • GFofgaming

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 6:05 am PT

    COOL

  • lew_0911

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 5:31 am PT

    Finally, my PSP's getting its Castlevania fix. I can't wait.

    ...Then again, at least I still have time to finish Portrait of Ruin before this comes out. Heck, I don't even have Dawn of Sorrow yet. And I miss playing Circle of the Moon! Aria of Sorrow! "Insert Word 1" of "Insert Word 2"! AH!

  • Ernice

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 3:56 am PT

    looks great. too bad i dont have a PSP. but i'm still happy with my DS.

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