Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

About Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon dropped on Game Boy Advance in March 2001 before appearing on Wii U later. This Konami title marked a major shift for the franchise by adopting the action/RPG formula popularized by Symphony of the Night instead of strict level-based gameplay. Players guide Nathan Graves, a vampire hunter chosen as successor to Morris Baldwin, through Dracula's large castle. The story unfolds in 1830 as Nathan seeks his mentor while battling monsters and a corrupted Hugh. It remains a single-player adventure that blends exploration with character progression on portable hardware.

Gameplay

You navigate a massive interconnected castle rather than distinct levels. Your primary weapon is the Killer Whip, but you customize your build by equipping various armor pieces and accessories to boost stats. The core loop involves finding artifacts to unlock new movement abilities like double jumps or dashes. A unique Dual Set-up System lets you pair two cards for magical effects. Combining a fire card with your whip adds burn damage, while pairing it with a summon card spawns a demon ally to attack enemies directly. Sessions focus on backtracking through dark corridors, managing inventory, and testing different card combinations against varied boss encounters.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community rates this entry highly compared to other handheld classics. Current data shows an IGDB score of 79.4 based on 118 ratings. Players report an average playtime of around 12 hours for a standard run, though completionists often spend over 15 hours chasing all hidden cards and secrets. Community moods lean heavily toward "nostalgic" and "challenging," with 68% of reviewers mentioning the difficulty spike in later castle sections. Review snippets frequently cite the Dual Set-up System as the most memorable mechanic, with users noting how card combinations can turn desperate fights around. Completion rates sit at 42%, reflecting the grind required to unlock every ability.

PlayPile's Take

This game suits players who enjoy methodical exploration and character building over pure twitch reflexes. The $15 price point on modern platforms offers solid value given the depth of customization available. You will earn roughly 20 achievements, many requiring specific card setups or finding rare items in hidden areas. Not every build feels equally viable since some card pairings lack utility against later bosses. If you want a challenging RPG that respects your time by avoiding filler levels, this is a strong pick. Skip it if you dislike stat management or prefer linear stage-based action games.

Storyline

Taking place in 1830, Circle of the Moon is set in one of the fictional universes of the Castlevania series. The premise of the original series is the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula. Circle of the Moon's protagonist, however, is Nathan Graves, whose parents died a decade ago to banish Dracula. Morris Baldwin, who helped in Dracula's banishment, trained him to defeat Dracula and the monsters; Morris ultimately chose him as his successor and gave him the "Hunter Whip", to the displeasure of Hugh, Morris' son who trained alongside him. At an old castle, Camilla, a minion of Dracula, revives him, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Morris, Nathan, and Hugh. Before they are able to banish him again, Dracula destroys the floor under Nathan and Hugh, causing them to plummet down a long tunnel. Surviving the fall and wishing to find his father, Hugh leaves Nathan behind. Nathan proceeds to search the castle for his mentor. Along the way, he learns that at the next full moon, Morris' soul will be used to return Dracula to full power. He also periodically encounters Hugh, who becomes more hostile as the game progresses. Eventually, Nathan encounters Camilla, who hints that she and Dracula are responsible for the changes in his personality. Nathan vanquishes Camilla in her true form and meets up with Hugh once more. Upon seeing him, Hugh immediately attacks him with the goal of proving himself to his father through Nathan's defeat; Nathan, however, realizes that Dracula is controlling Hugh. Nathan defeats him, and Dracula's control over Hugh breaks. Confessing that he doubted his self-worth when Nathan was chosen as successor, Hugh tasks him with Morris' rescue. Arriving at the ceremonial room, Nathan confronts Dracula, who confirms that he had tampered with Hugh's soul to cause the changes in his personality. They begin to fight and halfway through, Dracula teleports away to gain his full power. Hugh then frees his father and tasks Nathan with Dracula's banishment. Nathan continues the battle and defeats Dracula; escaping the collapsing castle, he reunites with Morris and Hugh. Nathan is declared a master vampire hunter by Morris. Hugh vows to retrain under Morris due to his failure.