Aria of Sorrow begins with the characters Soma Cruz and Mina Hakuba visiting the Hakuba Shrine to observe the Solar Eclipse of 2035. However, as they reach the shrine, they strangely end up inside Dracula’s Castle, which has been sealed inside the Solar Eclipse. The plot naturally thickens but, to be brutally honest, it really takes a backseat to the main game, and features bland, unimaginative characters that provide little depth to the shallow story. Konami are usually masters at depicting intriguing tales within their titles, and while the previous Castlevania's did not focus heavily on their script, Konami obviously have the talent to add a previously unknown layer of depth to the gameworld. Fortunately, Castlevania’s focus has never been on plot, and this title is no different.

‘Gotta Catch ‘em All!’ says Pokemon, and it’s a phrase that has convinced a generation that collecting is fun. In Aria of Sorrow, instead of collecting monsters, the idea is to collect a soul from each type of enemy, gaining Soma an ability or trait of that monster. The rarer the soul, the less chance there is of obtaining the soul from an enemy. Souls come in four different varieties: Red for Bullet Souls (which gives the player a new attack, Blue for Guardian Souls (an ability which can be toggled on or off), Yellow for Enchanted Souls (gives the player a new property, such as being able to walk on water) and Silver for Ability Souls, which give the player extra moves, like the back-dash, or flying kick.

They say variety is the spice of life, and Konami have taken note of this. The sheer array of abilities that can be earnt if the player puts enough time into it is breathtaking, and the game can only be classed as “complete” by collecting all souls, and with 112 enemies in the game, this could take a while. By the time of the final encounter with Dracula, Soma’s repertoire will have extended considerably.

To assist Soma in the collection of all the souls, the player can obtain items that increase the chances of gaining these rare items, although playing through the game twice provides no guarantee that the same set of souls will be obtained both times. Here is where the Pokemon style link-up option comes into play, as two players can swap the souls they have obtained in an attempt to collate the souls together to obtain them all.

Aria of Sorrow gives the player a percentage grade of not only the amount of souls collected, but also the amount of the castle that is explored. Any gamer that manages to fully obtain all of the souls and explore every nook and cranny of the castle deserves serious credit. Finishing both generates a surprising amount of satisfaction, and should last many battery recharges.

Sadly, the usual whip cracking won’t be seen in this game (well, you’ll have to work to play as a Belmont…) but instead there are a wide array of weapons for you to use. With a list encompassing weapons such as Spears, Rapiers, Swords, Hammers and even Handguns, rest assured that vanquishing the undead will never become a chore. Rapiers are pure stabbing weapons, usually fast, but with a simple stab, sometimes difficult to hit enemies above and below. Spears are similar, but usually a little slower and more powerful. Swords and hammers, however, swing in a wide arc, hitting enemies all around. Hammers only do damage if the hammers' head hits, though, so swords have a slight advantage. And if the player explores thoroughly, weapons such as the boomerang and the pistol can be discovered.

The beauty of such a diverse range of weapons is that until some of the later, all-powerful weapons are found, each enemy has a weakness to certain types of weapons. Not a direct weakness as such but, for example, swinging swords are fantastic for getting the small, annoying Fleamen, yet the Whip Swords extend far enough to get past the shields of the Armor guards. Like many RPG games, a fair amount of the weapons also have an elemental attribute to them, emphasising the need to swap weapons over to kill enemies more quickly and efficiently. Extending this RPG element further, the player can also 'level up', increasing the players' statistics the more they play.

Set in 2035, you would expect Dracula’s castle to be a futuristic, ostentatious mix of metallic towers, smooth spiralling staircases and glass floors. Thankfully, the titular Castlevania hasn’t changed in appearance, as it has been kept intact and ageless within the solar eclipse. So we return to the gothic, antiquated castle that should now be familiar to Castlevania fans. Even surpassing the previous 32bit incarnations, the whole castle has been imbued with a sinister atmosphere. Bats fly in the background, clouds tumble and fall atop the rooftops, and demon butchers walk the bleak corridors. Even Cycoplean eyes peer through half-opened windows as you go past, leaving the player contemplating whether a Resident Evil style shock is going to be coming their way. Unfortunately, no such shocks raise their heads, but the little details in the backgrounds do add sufficient depth to the environments, making exploring the castle a rather surreal and unsettling experience.

The design of the castle is also exceptional. Progression through the castle bears a remarkable similarity to how the player progresses through a game such as Metroid Prime (or even the earlier Castlevania game Symphony of the Night), in that as new abilities are gained, more areas open themselves up to the player. If a player would like to run through the game as fast as possible, then little backtracking is needed, and with the help of nicely placed save points and teleporters, traversing the massive castle is never a chore.

Early criticism of this game cited that the game was too short, taking roughly 4 hours to complete. Completing the game like this will give the player the ‘bad’ ending, one that leaves a subtle hint that the castle still has more to be explored. Obtaining the three Ancient Books and heeding the hints within, however, extends the game further than the final fight with Dracula, giving an extensive plot twist and revealing a giant new area. If this is completed successfully, a boss mode is unlocked and, by skilfully navigating this mode, even more weapons are unlocked. Luckily the GBA SP has a rechargeable battery pack, or else a remortgage might be in order to pay for the amount of batteries that can be spent completing the title thoroughly.

Longevity is a facet often overlooked by designers. Unlockable characters and modes can make the game last many times the length of the main game and, by including a Pokemon style Trade system, players can trade souls in an attempt to gain 100%. Fortunately the artwork, mechanics and ambience ensure that playing the game is always gripping and intriguing, meaning nothing should get in the way of thoroughly completing this gem, and enjoying the experience at the same time.