Castlevania Dominus Collection (PC) Review – An Effective Way to Play 

Following the trend of solid collections of the Castlevania franchise, the Castlevania Dominus Collection is a serviceable addition that will undoubtedly find new players and satisfy longtime fans at least for the most part. There are few games more visually interesting on the Nintendo DS than the three Castlevania games Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia so having all three on modern platforms unexpectedly is delightful. While not entirely sure if these ports are the ultimate ways to play these games, it’s an admirable solution to a weirdly specific hangup. The inclusion of a brand-new remaster of an arcade classic, Haunted Castle Revisited, alongside the original game adds more value to an already tempting package. 

• Game Name: Castlevania Dominus Collection
• Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
• Developer(s): KONAMI
• Publisher(s): KONAMI
• Release Date: August 27th, 2024
• Price: $24.99

Released as a shadow drop during the Indie World Showcase + Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, Castlevania Dominus Collection gathers all three Nintendo DS Castlevania titles alongside the arcade original Haunted Castle plus an additional, brand-new remake called Haunted Castle Revisited. The Castlevania titles on the Nintendo DS have always been a little odd due to parts of those games relying on the touchscreen functions of the two-screened handheld console, leaving many to wonder if we would ever see those games again. While the solutions used in the Dominus Collection are not as elegant as they could have been, they are surprisingly functional. 

Even though Konami’s output has been sparse over the last decade, leaving many of us pining for the glory years, their retro ports have been solid and offer a good value to players. In some instances, the versions on these collections have even been utilized by speedrunners who often look for the highest quality and performance between versions. In the case of Dawn of Sorrow, the version found in the Dominus Collection might be preferred by those types of players since button prompts can be used to finish magical seals. Although, it is hard to say at this point in time if the Dominus Collection holds a candle compared to other ports at least at extreme levels of scrutiny. 

The Good

The main attraction of this collection is that in instances where touch is needed, one can use a standard controller. A cursor can be used through an analog stick with an adjustable speed that is toggled by pressing in the stick. It can feel pretty awkward compared to the immediacy of a touch screen but it gets the job done. This was one of the first things I wanted to test in this collection since I’ve always loved Dawn of Sorrow but usually reached for the GBA game before it, Aria of Sorrow, instead because of those finicky touch segments. Again, the mechanical circumventions are not perfect but entering button commands instead of dragging a stylus is an exciting addition to one of my favorite games of this franchise. The timing can be hard to nail and it’s not conveyed as good as it could be but it works. 

I spent a considerable amount of time playing through the early sections of each game, fondly remembering the expert sprite work and gawking at the backgrounds that are now easier to notice. For the most part, these games are beautifully realized with an artistic flair that made Castlevania such a prominent franchise. It is no wonder that these stories and characters translate so well into anime. 

As a longtime fan of the Metroidvania genre with many tropes and staple mechanics stemming from these games, I love the fact that Castlevania Dominus Collection exists. Finally, there are more ways to appreciate these classics outside of tracking down a DS copy. 

Outside of the DS games, Haunted Castle Revisited is a compelling remaster of the arcade game. Gameplay-wise, it feels comparable to Rondo of Blood but with a touch more control in one’s jump. Simon still has a fairly short horizontal travel in his jumps that can be hard to get used to but playing Revisited feels immediately more approachable by comparison.

It is good fun playing both versions of Haunted Castle to see how the developers have translated the game through a modern lens. The sprites of Revisited look great and I love the fact that the game is in widescreen. It also helps that after beating a stage, one can start the game at that point which means there is no need to complete the game in one sitting. Haunted Castle Revisited is the hidden gem of Castlevania Dominus Collection; I love it. 

The Bad

Even though this might be one of the better approaches to bringing DS games to modern platforms so far, playing Castlevania Dominus Collection can feel awkward. There are several ways to arrange the game’s screens, even adding a third screen for additional information. While I appreciate the all-encompassing nature of this layout, there is no option for just playing on the main gameplay screen, which would work just fine in most cases.

Furthermore, while the original games didn’t feature scanlines I can’t help but think the three core games would look better with them. Granted, there are options for Scanlines, Smoothing, and a mix of the two for Haunted Castle and Haunted Castle Revisited, so the collection has this visual option, just not for the DS titles. I wish that Castlevania Dominus Collection had more visual options even though what is here is functional enough to get by. 

This isn’t on the Dominus Collection but the level design in parts of Castlevania Order of Ecclesia is horrendous and I had to talk about it somewhere because I repressed these levels from my memory. There’s an early game stretch where one simply moves to the right as waves of enemies spawn in and it might be the single worst instance of gameplay in any Castlevania game I have played. To my knowledge, I have played almost every game in this franchise so that says a lot. 

That aside, there is so much Castlevania to play here as each of the three DS games features unlockable playable characters, modes, and more. For those who like to compare value to the amount of potential hours, Castlevania Dominus Collection is a steal at its asking price. 

The Verdict

This collection of Castlevania’s DS legacy could have been better but the bar is so low for Konami that I am pleasantly surprised that this collection (and their other recent collections) is serviceable. Being able to use a controller instead of swiping on a touchscreen is a blessing that I hope is made just a little better in a patch. The inclusion of Haunted Castle Revisited is a real treat and it is definitely worth playing.

I love the fact that this collection has other regions’ versions as an option, is crammed full of interesting concept art (though there isn’t a gallery for Haunted Castle/Revisited), features a full music player, and can have so much information on the screen at once. Yet, I can’t help but think that this collection might be better with either more time or in the hands of another development team. I have my fingers crossed for a small patch or two.

I played Castlevania Dominus Collection primarily on Steam Deck and, aside from the touch screen not functioning at all as it should, it was a perfect way to replay these games. Handheld systems have come a long way since the DS so these games feel right at home on Steam Deck and I imagine they feel great on the Nintendo Switch as well. 

Review Disclosure Statement: Castlevania Dominus Collection was provided to The Outerhaven by Konami for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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