Series producer IGA has always claimed that Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is his favourite game in the franchise and he has lifted the ability to switch characters from that game. A quick press of a button is all it takes to switch between PoR's two plucky heroes - Jonathan Morris (son of John Morris from the Mega Drive installment Castlevania: Bloodlines/New Generation, who in turn was the son of Quincy Morris - a character featured in Bram Stoker's original Dracula novel) and Charlotte Aulin, a young witch. This mechanic throws up all sorts of possibilities - puzzles that require both characters to push a block or stand on two different switches in order to progress, for example. One character can be told to stay in position and act as a platform, allowing the other to jump onto their shoulders and thus reach higher levels. Special attacks which include both Jonathan and Charlotte are also available, and there's the option to allow the AI to control the other character as you fight your way through Dracula's castle. It's a shame then that this potentially groundbreaking aspect of the game ends up promising more than it ultimately delivers. Opportunities for the player to tackle dual-character puzzles are few and far between, and most will find themselves playing the entire quest with Jonathan (as he's the more powerful of the two), only calling in Charlotte when a particular spell is required. When the AI is controlling the other character it can be useful in some situations but an annoying hindrance in others and those of you that tired of having to constantly change equipment and weapons in previous games will no doubt be overjoyed to know that you now have twice as much item-switching to indulge in here. Considering how much Konami were pushing this aspect of PoR, it's something of a disappointment to discover it's not actually all it's cracked up to be.

Although the previously mentioned 'Metroidvania' structure is present and correct, subtle changes have been made. Dracula's castle now features 'painting portals' which grant access to areas that exist outside the boundaries of Vlad's infamous fortress. The result is a much bigger game area than has previously been experienced, with each 'painting' presenting a sizable map to explore. This does throw up some concerns - those players who found themselves getting hopelessly lost in any of the other Castlevanias are almost certainly going to spend a fair amount of time wandering around aimlessly here. As you gain more skills and abilities it becomes necessary to revisit previously explored parts of the castle and enter paintings you'd thought you'd seen the last of. This aspect has been present in all of the recent Castlevania titles and while a little bit of backtracking is no bad thing, in PoR it is taken to almost mind-numbing lengths. It's extremely frustrating to hit a brick wall and spend hours trying to find the one item or room that will allow you to progress further - even more so when you have additional maps to consider, too.

The 'Soul' collection system that was at the heart of Aria of Sorrow and DoS has been cast aside for PoR, although fans of those titles will be pleased to know that it has been replaced by something very similar. 'Secondary' weapons (accessed in the traditional Castlevania manner by pressing 'up' and 'attack' together) can now be collected that offer a variety of attack options and there are various incantations that allow you to summon enemies as allies or boost strength, intelligence and other attributes. The dazzling depth and breadth of options offered up by the aforementioned Soul System has been watered down a little here, but considering many of the souls in AoS/DoS were next to useless, it doesn't impede the game as much as many predicted it would. Some skills and items can only be obtained by taking part in quests set by a mysterious character named 'Wind' (his true identity becomes apparent as you progress and it's a twist that is bound to keep the fanboys happy). These quests aren't essential but they serve as a nice diversion from the main game and will easily swallow up hours of your time if you allow them to.

The level design itself is a mixed bag - Dracula's castle has been re-imagined so many times over the past few years that the introduction of the painting portals is a very welcome one and it has given IGA's team free reign to create some truly weird and wonderful levels as a result. Ironically, the variety of levels actually works against the game in a way - hopping from one unconnected locale to the next makes PoR feel very disjointed at times, and the game struggles to maintain its 'Gothic' theme. It's also a shame that visually locations vary from stunning to mediocre, with some of the backgrounds looking like they've been lifted directly from SNES game. For every 'City of Haze' (a gorgeous level based on Victorian London) and 'Nation of Fools' (complete with rotated rooms and enemies that walk on walls and the ceiling) there's a 'Sandy Grave' - an Egyptian area that contains boring backgrounds and underwhelming design, or 'Forest of Doom', which has the dubious distinction of showcasing some of the worst 3D backdrops yet seen in a DS title. The much-hyped World War II setting is also sadly wasted - a level set in a war-torn battlefield would have been stunning.

The graphical inconsistency stretches to the enemy sprites as well. Although every Castlevania game since Dracula X: Rondo of Blood has relied on recycled characters to some degree, one would have hoped that seven games down the line Konami's artists would have created a few more original enemies to face. Some of the sprites used in PoR are over a decade old and while it's always nice to see old faces, you can't help but feel short-changed in this regard. The console is a powerful platform for 2D titles and with a little more effort Konami could have created a truly jaw-dropping game in terms of visuals. As it stands, there is little here in terms of graphics that hasn't been seen before, and to be brutally honest PoR often looks worse than the previous DS Castlevania.

Since it was announced that videogame music legend Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, Actraiser) would be contributing tunes to PoR the Internet has been buzzing with excited chatter and expectation. Koshiro's tunes are indeed excellent, but singling them out does the rest of the music in the game (composed by Michiru Yamane) a disservice as the entire package is of a very high standard indeed. The original tracks have plenty of atmosphere and many come dangerously close to matching the high standard set by SotN, while the remixed classics are done in such a way that they come across as fresh and interesting, yet reassuringly familiar at the same time. As with so many games on the DS, it's highly recommended that the player invests in a pair of decent headphones rather than relying on the actual DS speakers, which are simply not up to the task. Konami has done wonders with the sound effects here too - there's lots of speech, plenty of grunts and shouts and even some of the older enemies have new dialogue - the alluring Lilith utters the line 'I'll play with you' as she approaches and moans 'So lonely' when she is vanquished - a really neat touch that almost makes up for the fact that the enemy sprites haven't been updated. Almost.

Ultimately PoR is a lot less revolutionary than Konami would have you believe. The core mechanics have barely changed since the days of Symphony of the Night and as we pointed out in no uncertain terms when we reviewed Dawn of Sorrow , the format is growing stale now. While IGA and his team should be applauded for at least trying to deviate a little, the introduction of a second character is less effective than it should be and the expanding the size of the castle with sub-levels doesn't actually add that much play time (it's possible to complete the quest in under eight hours) and unfortunately results in a game that confuses the player far too often. Don't be mistaken - there is much to love here, and PoR is blessed with the same addictive qualities found in previous titles - the urge to uncover ever inch of the castle, collect every item and learn every skill is as strong as ever and some would rightly argue that it is here that the true appeal of the game lies. Castlevania fans will lap up the massive doses of fan service IGA and his team have incorporated, but when expectations of each release are so high it's hard not to feel slightly disappointed when the end result is a game you feel you've played one time too many.

As it stands, PoR is still a quality product that all fans of the series should invest in, but Konami should really start considering giving everyone's favourite vampire-hunting franchise a face-lift when it comes to crafting a follow-up.