As someone who recognizes the significance of the right-aligned image, I can’t help but feel a little NES nostalgia… oh, and a lot old. Seems like every video game franchise worth knowing is celebrating its bidecennial lately, and in commemoration, Konami is giving some of its aging classics the next-generation treatment. Contra 4 arrived for Nintendo DS in time for the peak gifting hour, but could PSP owners expect to be left out of consumerism’s glow?

Well, not with Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles still fresh off its Hallowe’en release. The game takes Rondo of Blood, a TurboDuo, Japan-only release from 1993, into the age of crisp polygons, spatially-accurate backdrops, and digital music. But fret not - the biggest appeal of this game is, perhaps, that one can unlock the gorgeously hand-drawn and electrifyingly-scored original, as well as the 1997 PSX classic, Symphony of the Night. Hours of vampire-slaying via decidedly sacreligious use of bibles, crosses and holy water await.

Oh, just one more thing though, before you start getting your hopes up - it’s still hard as HELL. Konami, Konami… no matter how pretty games are getting on the outside, some things will never change.

Posted on December 26th, 2007 by katie