Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (Nintendo DS, 2006)

I've played lots of castlevania games, all of them great and this was not the exception. This game has some of the greatest features that transformed castlevania into a legend, if you are fan of castlevania or you just started to know about it, this is one of your best choices.

The gameplay and the music were great. The story is really well explained and the controls make it easy for anyone to learn. If you love castlevania, or simply, adventure games, you should get it.

The game was a blast! Not to mention addicting! I bought the game for my son on recommendation. I ended up beating it before him. lol I purchased it from eBay because, obviously, I got it cheap.

Find the entire review @ http://gnadegames.blogspot.com/

Castlevania is an epic video game franchise and each new iteration is a solid entry into the series (minus the 3D ones). Almost every Castlevania fan points to Symphony of the Night as the pinnacle of the series, though Aria of Sorrow or even Dawn of Sorrow both approached excellence. For me the two best Castlevania games were Symphony of the Night for Sega Saturn (yes I had that obscure system) aka Nocturne in the Moonlight and Circle of the Moon for GBA. Circle of the Moon is by no means the best GBA Castlevania, but it did surprise me, impress me, entice me…and ultimately sold me on the Gameboy Advance as a system. Well, I should probably add Portrait of Ruin to that list because although it doesn’t feel as new and great as the 2 Castlevania’s that really won me over to the series, it really offers way more as far as game length, characters, modes, etc. So to end the ranting and really get to the summary of the review: Castlevania Portrait of Ruin doesn’t surprise, offers some new features, and is another great addition to the Castlevania franchise. It is better than last year’s Dawn of Sorrow, and although a Co-op adventure mode is truly a huge missed opportunity, the new partner mechanics are pretty cool and the painting mechanic is freaking awesome.

Gameplay: 8.5/10
Pros: This is how games are meant to play…classic side scrolling action adventure. Controls are immediately familiar to castlevania fans though there are several new partner features such as calling them in, dual attacks, switching etc. that are fun to learn and work really well. Game is challenging and intense as always. The new portrait system will hopefully be used in future titles.
Cons: Touch features from Dawn of Sorrow were almost completely dropped…there’s no sealing of bosses or touch screen doors to unlock. I think the dual screen could be used for more than just a map. Finally, the dual character mechanic could have been utilized a lot more for puzzles and goddamn a co-op mode would’ve been sweet!

Graphics: 8.5/10
Pros: Good ole pixel art! As always, Castlevania sports excellent sprites, animations, and even some sweet 3D backgrounds. It’s built on the same engine as Dawn of Sorrow and the new iteration looks just as good if not better.
Cons: Some enemies have been rehashed from the previous games and I would have liked to see more 3D, sprite effects, etc.

Sound/Music: 8/10
Pros: All the old familiar sounds sound as good as ever. There is some good voice work even though it is minimal and the score is perfectly creepy and atmospheric.
Cons: The story is still told in text boxes, and the music isn’t as memorable as previous installments.

Lasting Appeal: 8.5/10
Pros: The game offers a lot when it comes to castle real estate and terrain to explore. The paintings are very large worlds and allow you to visit very different locales. As with any other Castlevania game, the decent story and great gameplay will keep you adventuring to the end. There are some other modes and characters, which offer some replay value, but ultimately the modes are a novelty, and you may not want to play through the adventure all over again.

Average: 83.75%
Tilt: +0.25%

...read the rest of the review @ http://gnadegames.blogspot.com/

Newphew asked for it, he is well up on all the new and best games. He has wanted this game for a long time. By buying a used in good condition, we were able to get it for him.

It took a while but it finely went through, thanks for all the help in trying to do it and thank you for doing the postal low enough for me. :)

I love Castlevania I just suck at it. I'm sure I just have to keep on trying and I'll get it eventually.

the game is good but the team system sucks,i bought it since its castlevania but like i stated dawn of sorrow is better,it has a creepier vibe

This is a MUST for any Castlevania fan. . The Art book if definitely the best part, the whole thing over all just awesome.

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Please take advantage of this offer!!!

-- I actually bought this because I lost my oirignal copy. Plus it came with the box (Why is it so hard to keep the friggn' box for a DS game?).

Anyway, it came in a speedy manner and I'm very pleased with it.

Definitely for older crowd.Quite challenging for hours of fun.My wife and teenager love the game.I highly recommend if you like a little challenge and frustration.

This game is not to shabby considering you can play over four characters that go through different story modes, it has a boss mode where you kill various high level bosses, a shop mode to exchange items over wifi with other people! I have been going at it in my free time and its defiantly worth your time and money!

I have not had time to play this game very much, but what I have seen so far, I like.
It is fun! I have it hid from my kids, or I would NEVER get to play it.

This is the best Castlevania game that came out since symphony of the night. I like the indeph adventure and gameplay is great. It's Wifi compatable which makes this game very interesting. There is co-up and races on wifi. It's a highly recommended game to get.

NEVER RECEIVED ITEM AND EBAY AND HALF DOT COM ARE IGNORING ME!!!! ALL BUYERS BEWARE, EBAY BECOMING TO BIG FOR THERE OWN GOOD!!!

Portrait of Ruin was an awesome game for anyone who's a fan of the Castlevania series, and for anyone who may be a newcomer. Portrait of Ruin offers a few new elements that you haven't seen in previous Castlevania games. For instance, you can switch back and forth between the two main characters instantly during gameplay, and you can use the secondary character when you cast certain spells. You also get to go to these "alternate world" themed sub-levels throughout the game which also adds a fun and new element to the game. All in all, if you like Castlevania, you will LOVE this game. Definitely the best Castlevania on any handheld device along with Order of Ecclesia, but I would hold off on that one until you've played the others because of the sheer difficulty.

Any Of the Castlevania DS titles or GBA titles are great games, especially if your in to Castlevania like me. Great game!!!

I love this game because it lets you be creative. You can choose male/female, their clothing and hair styles. You can also shop in this game and decorate your hotel rooms the way you want them. It's great for both genders because you get to beat up aliens,and villians too! There isn't anything I dislike about this game. 2 thumbs up!!

This game is great. Great graphics and sound for 2D game. It's not easy but not frustrating eitehr, so long hours of entertainment are guaranteed.

It is a second game after Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow. Game play still excellent and valuable for collect.

Get one for FREE!!! Have a look at this video first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFKYVE__Mug

Just take 2 minutes and read this. This is very EASY to do! It literally
takes 10 minutes to setup. Simply follow the steps below. I promise you,
this is 100% real. I will answer you on any question! Here is what you
do. Click on the link below, register, pick an account type (referral is
the easiest) and complete just 1 offer (Very important that you complete
the 1 offer otherwise your account will sit in limbo until you do).This
is not like other sites where you need to complete one offer on 2 or 3
different pages!!! And a lot of these offers are FREE trials with
nothing else to buy...No commitments!!!

There are plenty of cool offers to choose from such as Blockbuster
online, Stamp.com, Netflix, Gamefly which are services you would
regularly sign up for anyways and their all secure networks, why not use
them to get a free PS3 System or cash (I did the Stamps.com for a 30 day
free trial and it never cost me a penny and I received credit for it the
same day). Look at the offers and choose the one that works for you.
After signing up and completing your one offer, simply refer 8-14 people
(depending on the FREE prize you choose) to do the same under your link
(just post the same thing as I have on eBay, and you'll get your
referrals before the auction even ends.)

Then they will ship your PS3 System or your selected item for free, I
chose the PS3 80gb System. No Joke, 100% REAL!!! The reason these
companies make money, is because most people don't bother getting all
the referrals. All you have to do is post it ! They use us as
advertisement by word of mouth which saves them tons of money which goes
toward yours and my free gift. These are legit companies such as
Blockbuster, Netflix, Gamefly etc... You can copy my listing if you
want. You must use your own authentic link though. You will get your own
personal link after your orders placed.



Step 1: COPY AND PASTE THIS LINK IN YOUR ADDRESS BAR http://www.YourPS34free.com/index.php?ref=5173274


Step 2: Sign up and chose an account type (Referral is the easiest and
best).

Step 3: Complete just 1 offer (like Blockbuster or Stamps.com) and refer people to do the same (use eBay! Do what I did, copy my ad).

Step 4: Receive your PS3 System for FREE!!!!!!!!!! (Even The Shipping Is Free!!!)


For proof that this is for real, click on the link below. It's the
company that is behind everything.

http://www.trainn.org/reviews.php

If you have any questions feel free to message me!! I'll Respond ASAP.
If you want hints/tips about the whole process, I'd be happy to fill you in.

This is great Castlevania game, recommended for Fans and others alike! I got it from Seller Hoghead38, a great seller! You must pick up this title, especially if you're a big series fan like I am.

EXCELLENT SELLER - AS DISCRIBED AND ON TIME - WILL BUT AGAIN
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Its a continuation of castlevanias on gba sp editions. Maps, searching and interesting enemies. Overall entertaining!!