Retro Gaming Australia

Nano Breaker is a game cast in the mould of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, but ditches Dracula and the occult for cybords and plasma weapons. Nano Breaker was brutalised by critics of the day, despite those same critics being more receptive of Lament of Innocence. Today Nano Breaker is remembered as being one of the bloodiest games ever released.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night marks the start of a dramatic shift in the series, moving away from pure action toward a more exploration based gameplay with light RPG elements – the so-called “Metroidvania”. Finding a PAL copy of the game is an expensive endeavour due to high demand.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was a turning point for the series. It was the first of what the fans dubbed “Metroidvanias”, called such because the game adopted a non-linear approach to gameplay that teased you with places you couldn’t access without the necessary ability. It also introduced English voice acting to the series with hilarious results.

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance was the second of three original Castlevania games developed for the Game Boy Advance, and arguably the most divisive. Many fans label the game’s soundtrack as the worst in the franchise’s history. Others feel the game is too easy. Despite these complaints, it is still considered one of the better games on the Game Boy Advance.

Silent Hill puts you in the role of Harry Mason, a dedicated father whose search for his missing daughter Cheryl brings him to the titular town following a car crash. The game’s emphasis on psychological was a departure from the standard survival horror fare of the day, which mostly relied on jump scares.