It's possible to poke holes in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, but it most definitely is the most compelling example of classic gaming on the PSP. True retro-gaming fans may disagree and point to collections of 8-bit titles such as the Atari, Namco, or Midway releases. Each to his or her own, of course, but in my memory of classic gaming experiences, Castlevania ranks up there with Tomb Raider, Mega Man, Madden, and Final Fantasy. Compared to the classic side-scrolling adventures from 8-bit days, Castlevania is much more vibrant and varied in the world it offers to the gamer. Both major releases contained here, Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood, are creepy to an extreme. The visual style of Rondo of Blood will surprise gamers that haven't tuned in since the original PlayStation release of 1997. Rondo of Blood is not so much different in the way levels are designed, but the detail is sharper and the enemies (especially bosses) are more elaborate and animated. In Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, you'll first play a remastered version of Rondo of Blood that opens up gradually to reveal all kinds of secrets including its original Japanese release and the original Symphony of the Night release. It was a bit disappointing not to have both games selectable from the get-go, but if you're going to play Castlevania, you're going to learn to love unwrapping elaborate puzzles and cracking bones to get that sweet marrow.

There is plenty of scripted material in here, with decent voice acting (a bit over the top, but it feels so right for these classic releases) and cut-scene sequences. Rondo of Blood even includes cut-scene sequences that introduce boss and mini-boss encounters. This all feels like bonus material for fans of the original, and the sophistication of Rondo of Blood came as a pleasant surprise after carrying the memory of Symphony of the Night for all these years. The PSP is exactly the right platform to carry a release such as this because all the cool stuff from the PlayStation version carries over easily and the upgraded material not available before also works well on the more advanced hardware. The little touches are what makes the game great, such as watching bats pass by a window in one area you're exploring, knowing that they'll appear in the next level or room. Seeing the fine detail of enemies and the sounds of battle all make Rondo of Blood a pretty awesome experience; even though ten years have passed, you won't be disappointed when you unlock Symphony of the Night.

3D graphics make the two games seem miles apart on the surface, but their gameplay is very similar. Side-scrolling platformers have a tendency to become slightly stale and things become too routine. It's easy to figure out the patterns and often you have to wait for a new level in order to see new enemies. The Castlevania style is to throw a few enemies of one kind at you, then mix it up, then combine, then fight a really hard enemy, mini-boss, or boss. In short, these aren't games where you'll stand around gawking. You're on the move every moment and every screen is chock full of your imminent demise. Many screens contain secrets and hidden items, which is another way that Castlevania stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Unlocking the additional two games in this UMD collection is accomplished by collecting certain items in the Rondo of Blood remake. Other little surprises include branching paths that bring you into contact with new enemies and even new boss battles. Suffice it to say that replay value in all these games is huge. Who can forget the moment in Symphony of the Night when you find that the entire map you've been playing and opening up is now flipped, exposing all kinds of new stuff. It's not often that a game hits the library and sticks there for eternity, but this is just such a perfect release of not one... not two... but three classic adventures.

If all this wasn't enough, you can now play the Boss Rush Mode in two-player co-op, as long as your buddy has a copy of the game. The boss battle extravaganza is quite challenging, so you'll appreciate the extra help. Other additions to the main game modes are a Technique Mode that lets you trade money collected in the game for tutorials on the various bosses. The Sound Assign lets you listen to different background music as you play. Stage and Character Select modes perform the obvious, but you'll need to unlock everything before you can go making changes. By the time you unlock everything, these features from the Main Menu are just the icing on an otherwise tasty cake.

The sticking point with Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is likely to be that it is damn hard. Of the various releases, the later Rondo of Blood was probably a good choice to begin. It would have been more difficult to make changes to Symphony of the Night without upsetting players already familiar with that game's layout. The good news is that most of the major unlockables are available early into Rondo of Blood, and it's not like you have to beat all nine levels to open up any good stuff. This is a smart move, but there will be players that bail out early due to some misperception about Rondo of Blood. Even the remake is true to the original format, which is not very athletic. These heroes are about walking slowly and carrying a big stick. You don't get to move around like a bunny dodging foes and mashing buttons until the screen is clear. Everything about success in these games comes from timing. You'll have to learn how the regular enemies move before you can pass unscathed. Power-ups and health items are stashed around each level, but not in the kind of plentiful supply a newbie gamer might need. The caveat for anyone considering this game is that it totally rocks but requires some patience and mad skillz. The payoff is well worth the effort, so hang in there.

Each of the three games has a slightly different approach to managing your character and Rondo of Blood tends to be much more oriented toward the arcade-do-or-die gaming aesthetic. You do get to go back and replay from particular levels, but the idea is more to play through in one sitting than to whittle away over time. Symphony of the Night includes a save system that gives you more control over how you progress through the game. Not surprisingly, Symphony of the Night also includes many ways to customize and modify the gaming experience. The closest parallel in Rondo of Blood is selecting the alternate character that uses different attacks and has a different approach. The controls are identical from game-to-game, so once you master the different button functions, you'll be fine. Nothing in these games cries out for analog, so moving with the Control Pad is just fine. Both games include a neat feature that lets you use "familiars" or creatures that will support you in battle. In Rondo of Blood, these take the form of sub-weapons and can be used like any other weapon. Symphony of the Night approaches the familiar more like a magic spell and lets you sustain your form as long as your MP (magic points) hold out. This leads to more interesting puzzles and strategy. The trade-off in Symphony of the Night is that your character is enabled with more fluid movement and some attack combinations that would feel at home in a fighting game. The control over combat in Symphony of the Night is superior, but doesn't make the game any easier. Lots of enemies are coming at you constantly and the bosses are even more ferocious than in Rondo of Blood. Pinpoint control is still something that gamers new to the series will appreciate, compared to the slow pace of Rondo of Blood.

The mark of quality is on this one. Gamers that love this series will think they've died and gone to heaven. New fans will be made but there will definitely be folks that just can't get on board with the control scheme. It doesn't take long to get accustomed to moving only with the Control Pad and having a very limited range of motion. The weapons you have kill most enemies in one, no more than two hits, unless you're fighting a boss. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is a study in how games were made differently, and it illustrates how far the side-scrolling genre has fallen off recently. The classics will never go away, but it would be great to see developers using the new hardware to create some next-gen side-scrollers. Until then, there's always Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles.