Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
North American box art
Developer(s)	Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher(s)	Konami
Director(s)	Junichi Murakami
Producer(s)	Koji Igarashi
Programmer(s)	Shutaro Iida
Artist(s)	Ayami Kojima
Writer(s)	Koji Igarashi
Composer(s)	Michiru Yamane Takashi Yoshida Soshiro Hokkai
Series	Castlevania
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance Mobile phone
Release	Game Boy Advance NA: May 6, 2003 JP: May 8, 2003 EU: May 9, 2003 Mobile EU: 2008
Genre(s)	Action role-playing, Metroidvania
Mode(s)	Single-player

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow^[a] is a 2003 action role-playing game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. It is the third Castlevania game for the Game Boy Advance. Producer Koji Igarashi, who had led the production teams for previous Castlevania games, led Aria of Sorrow's development as well. Michiru Yamane returned to compose the music alongside Takashi Yoshida and Soshiro Hokkai. Director Junichi Murakami was new to the Castlevania series.

Aria of Sorrow is set in the year 2035, when Dracula has been sealed away after a battle in 1999. The plot follows the journey of Soma Cruz, a teenager granted occult power as a result of being a potential vessel of Dracula's reincarnation, as he battles dark figures that wish to inherit the undead lord's power. The game has been described as an action-adventure game with elements of role-playing games. Aria of Sorrow introduces several features to the series, such as the "Tactical Soul" system and employs a futuristic storyline in contrast to the medieval setting of other Castlevania games.

Aria of Sorrow was released in May 2003. Although it sold poorly in Japan, selling 27,000 units nearly one month after its release, it was commercially successful in the United States, with more than 158,000 units sold in the three months following its release. Aria of Sorrow received universal acclaim, with praise for its visuals, gameplay (particularly the Tactical Soul System), music, and level design. Some critics considered it the best Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night.

Konami released a sequel, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, in August 2005. It incorporated many elements from its predecessor, including the "Tactical Soul" system. Aria of Sorrow was re-released as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection on September 23, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One alongside Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001), Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002), and Castlevania: Dracula X (1995).^[1]

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