Exciting Teaser Sparks Hopes for a New 3D Castlevania Collection

Castlevania is marking its 40th anniversary, and for the first time in ages, fans have exciting developments on the horizon. Next month, we can look forward to the much-anticipated Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the first mainline title in over a decade. In addition to announcing that the original Castlevania will be available for free on mobile for a limited time, the celebration kicked off with a trailer that highlights the franchise’s journey from the classic 1986 NES game to the upcoming release. While the video primarily serves as a tribute, sharp-eyed fans noticed a significant hint regarding potential titles for Konami’s next Castlevania collection.

At around one minute and 22 seconds into the trailer, four portraits featuring key art from various entries in the series appear. The first showcases Belmont’s Curse, while the subsequent three represent games that have yet to be re-released on modern consoles: Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Given that Konami has been actively releasing collections of nearly all its other Castlevania titles in recent years, it’s reasonable to speculate that these games could form the basis of a new collection.

What ties these games together is their departure from the series’ traditional side-scrolling format, as they are all 3D action titles. Castlevania: Lament of Innocence debuted in 2003 on the PS2 and received slightly better reviews than its N64 predecessor. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness followed in 2005, offering a more open-ended gameplay structure reminiscent of Symphony of the Night. Then, in 2010, MercurySteam launched Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a reboot that many consider the pinnacle of 3D Castlevania experiences.

The selection of these three titles is likely due to their strong reputations among 3D Castlevania games; the N64 entry is often viewed as too clunky by today’s standards, and the more recent Lords of Shadow 2 received negative feedback.

Konami has been actively re-releasing Castlevania titles over the past few years. In 2019, the Castlevania Anniversary Collection was launched, featuring the first four games along with some unique picks like Kid Dracula. In 2021, the Castlevania Advance Collection was released, including the trio of Game Boy Advance titles and Castlevania: Dracula X. Most recently, the company re-released all three DS games in the 2024 Dominus Collection. With nearly all other titles getting a fresh release, it makes sense for Konami to explore its 3D catalog, even if those games haven’t always received the same level of acclaim as their 2D counterparts.