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The best Castlevania game to start with depends on the style of play you want: choose Castlevania Anniversary Collection for classic, stage-based action, Castlevania Advance Collection for Game Boy Advance-era action and exploration, or Castlevania Dominus Collection for the Nintendo DS era and modern convenience features. If you want the connected story of Soma Cruz, play Aria of Sorrow before Dawn of Sorrow.
Konami says Castlevania debuted in 1986 and marks its 40th anniversary in September 2026. Rather than claim one game is objectively best, this guide matches the available collections to the experience each offers.
Which Castlevania collection should you play first?
| Collection | Best for | Games included | Platforms and notable features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlevania Anniversary Collection | Early series history and classic stage-based action | Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania: The Adventure, Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge, Castlevania Bloodlines, and Kid Dracula, plus a bonus book. | Konami’s cited lineup page establishes the contents; it does not provide a platform list here. Simon’s Quest is an action RPG focused on exploration and puzzle solving, unlike the more linear entries. |
| Castlevania Advance Collection | Action-exploration games from the Game Boy Advance era | Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria of Sorrow, and Dracula X. The first three originally appeared on Game Boy Advance; Dracula X originated on Super NES. | Nintendo lists the collection as part of its Switch collections bundle. The cited source does not document convenience features for this collection. |
| Castlevania Dominus Collection | Nintendo DS-era games with documented modern conveniences | Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Order of Ecclesia, Haunted Castle, and Haunted Castle Revisited. | Konami lists Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Documented features include rewind, quick save, regional versions, artwork, music, and an encyclopedia. |
The lineups and collection details are documented by Konami’s Anniversary Collection page, Nintendo’s Switch bundle listing, and Konami’s Dominus Collection page.
Choose Anniversary Collection for classic, stage-based action
This is the clearest starting point if you want to see how Castlevania’s early games approached combat and progression. Its eight-game lineup spans console and handheld releases, with Kid Dracula adding a different flavor to the collection. The bonus book provides extra historical material.
#1 Best Overall
- LIMITED EDITION: Official Limited Run Games release #251 of the Castlevania Dominus Collection featuring Order of Ecclesia cover art for Nintendo Switch
- GAME FORMAT: Physical DVD-ROM release, not a digital download, packaged in standard Nintendo Switch game case
- CONTENT: Action-packed collection of classic Castlevania games, rated T for Teen by ESRB
- PACKAGING DIMENSIONS: Comes in standard Switch case measuring 6 inches high, 3 inches wide, and 2 inches deep
- REGION AND LANGUAGE: US release with English language support, compatible with Nintendo Switch systems
One important exception to the classic linear-action feel is Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. Konami describes it as an action RPG centered on exploration and puzzle solving, so it is a better fit if you want to roam and work out where to go than if you want a straightforward sequence of stages.
Choose Advance Collection for action mixed with exploration
Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow are the collection’s three Game Boy Advance releases. If you are looking for the action-exploration side of Castlevania rather than the earlier stage-by-stage format, this is the most direct collection match. The fourth game, Dracula X, originally appeared on Super NES, so the collection is not exclusively a GBA set.
Rank #2
- COLLECTION CONTENTS: Features multiple classic Castlevania titles in one comprehensive Nintendo Switch collection from Konami
- LIMITED EDITION: Special Limited Run physical release for Nintendo Switch collectors and series enthusiasts
- GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE: Action-packed side-scrolling adventure featuring vampire hunting, gothic environments, and classic Castlevania combat
- RATING DETAILS: Teen-rated game suitable for players 13 and older, containing fantasy violence and mild themes
- PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY: Exclusively designed and optimized for the Nintendo Switch gaming system
Nintendo’s listing groups Advance Collection with the Anniversary and Dominus collections in a Switch bundle. The cited collection information does not establish specific convenience features for Advance Collection, so compare it by its games and era rather than assuming it has the same documented feature set as Dominus.
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Dominus Collection brings together three Nintendo DS-era games—Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia—alongside Haunted Castle and Haunted Castle Revisited. Konami lists versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.
Rank #3
- Three incredible action adventure games from the Castlevania series have finally returned, for the first time!
- Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Order of Ecclesia
Konami documents rewind and quick-save options, regional versions, artwork, music, and an encyclopedia. Those additions make this the strongest fit among these collections if you value ways to revisit or preserve progress and want extra reference material alongside the games. The official details establish the features, but do not provide a direct performance or quality comparison against the other collections.
Play Aria of Sorrow before Dawn of Sorrow
If the Soma Cruz storyline is your priority, start with Aria of Sorrow in Advance Collection, then play Dawn of Sorrow in Dominus Collection. Konami describes Dawn of Sorrow as continuing the story one year after Aria of Sorrow. Because the games are in separate collections, following that order means moving from one collection to another.
Rank #4
What is available for the 40th anniversary?
In its September 25, 2026 announcement, Konami said the original Castlevania was temporarily free on the App Store and Google Play through October 24, 2026. This is a time-limited offer; check the relevant app store to confirm it is still available before claiming it.
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Konami also announced soundtrack releases and a Castlevania 40th Anniversary orchestral concert planned for spring 2027 in London, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, alongside anniversary merchandise. Those announcements may interest collectors, but they do not change which game collection best matches your preferred style.
Best Value
- 17 Levels - Each one with its own atmosphere, foes and secrets to discover
- 5 Bosses - Made by the most sadistic of the devs, raised on the salt of the testers
- 150 or so weapons and skills - Spears, swords, bows, magic spells, shields, pets, frying pans etc; You name it, we got it
- Unlock the four original Dead Cells DLCs, giving you late-game content plus an entire new pathway to follow, with an alternative ending and tons of new enemies, weapons & outfits
- Battle through the corridors of Dracula’s Castle; Wield weapons against monsters to reach the throne room of the Dark Lord
Konami announced Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse for October 15, 2026. As of the announcement date, that was a future release date, not evidence that the game was already available.
Konami’s anniversary announcement also listed PlayStation Store sale dates of September 23–October 7, 2026, and Steam sale dates of September 24–October 1, 2026. The Steam window had ended by October 4, 2026, the date of this guide’s current information; sale prices and availability can change by storefront and date. See Konami’s 40th-anniversary announcement for the announced events and offer details.
Quick Recap
How to make your choice
- Pick Anniversary Collection for early entries and classic stage-based play, keeping in mind that Simon’s Quest is more exploration-focused.
- Pick Advance Collection for the GBA-era games, especially if you want to play Aria of Sorrow.
- Pick Dominus Collection for the DS-era lineup, its documented rewind and quick-save features, or the next chapter after Aria of Sorrow.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
