Games Similar to the Castlevania Series

No media (book, movie, or game) exists in a vacuum. Castlevania shared concepts in common with platformers that came before it and then influenced games afterwards. This is especially true once the series merged into the Metroidvania genre (which, we should note, happened with the second game in the series, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, although the bones were even beginning to take shape in the semi-remake/port Vampire Killer) -- it was inextricably linked to the explorational adventure-platformers, forever now being referenced when a new game (a "Metroidvania" game) in the genre is released.

So what makes a game a direct relative of Castlevania or Metroid? Is it just the ambiance, or the game play? Really, it's both as the style and substance of a game can indicate it saw what Konami (and/or Nintendo) was cranking out and decided to play in the same pool. Throughout this section we'll look at the games that came out before, around, and after the Castlevania entries and look at what was influenced by our favorite series and what might have been drawn from them in return.

Games and Series Started in the Classic Era

Games and Series Started in the 8-Bit Era

Games and Series Started in the 16-Bit Era

Games and Series Started in the Post-64-Bit Era

  • Shantae (2002, Nintendo Game Boy Color)
    • Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010, Various Systems)
    • Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014, Nintendo 3DS & Nintendo WiiU)
    • Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (2016, Various Systems)
    • Shantae and the Seven Sirens (2019, Various Systems)
  • Mega Man Network Transmission (2003, Nintendo GameCube)
  • Van Helsing (2004, Various Systems)
  • Shaman King: Master of Spirits (2004, Nintendo Gameboy Advance)
    • Shaman King: Master of Spirits 2 (2005, Nintendo Gameboy Advance)
  • Koumajou Densetsu: Scarlet Symphony (2009, Personal Computers)
    • Koumajou Densetsu II: Stranger’s Requiem (2010, Personal Computers)
    • Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony (2021, Personal Computers)

Games and Series Started in the Modern Era

Upcoming Games

  • Gestalt: Steam & Cinder (TBD 2023, Personal Computers)
  • Afterimage (TBD 2023, Various Systems)
  • Brave Earth Prologue (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • Carpathian Night (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • Deathchron (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • The Last Faith (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • Lords of Exile (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • Mariachi Legends (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • Mandragora (TBD Eventually, Various Systems)
  • Rune Fencer Illyia (TBD Eventually, Various Systems)
  • The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)