Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin | 9.0

t's a safe bet that when Konami creates a Castlevania for a handheld that it's going to be pretty good. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is no exception, and while it doesn't do much we haven't seen before in the series, it still manages to pack one heck of a punch. Following up the wonderful Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin puts you in the shoes of Jonathan and Charlotte; a whip and magic wielding duo that you play as together throughout the game. This new dynamic adds some spice to the tried but true side scrolling gameplay, which is rich with a horde of weapons, items, and power-ups to find. And, since this is a Castlevania game, it's only natural that the boss battles are nothing short of fantastic and the best parts of the game. The graphics look sharp with superb animation and effects that really show off what the DS is capable of with 2-D graphics. The music and sound is superb as well, and the game offers some decent touch screen capabilities that are more substancial than the ones found in Dawn of Sorrow. If there's any cons to Portrait of Ruin, it's that the level designs don't have that personality that we've seen in previous Castlevania games like Dawn of Sorrow and the GBA titles, but that's not a huge gripe. All in all, Portrait of Ruin is another superb portable Castlevania game, and yet another must own title for the DS.