Why We Need A Castlevania Advance Collection

While it looks like Konami has banished Dracula back down to the crypt, there's hope that the Belmont clan could live to slay another day and resurrect the long-dormant Castlevania series in a big way. There's hasn't been a new Castlevania game since 2014, and with Lords of Shadow 2 hardly bowing out in style, the latest update should have fans saying "fangs a lot". 

Even as Konami remains quiet and players look out for even a whimper of a new Silent Hill or Metal Gear game, there's some exciting news that a Castlevania Advance Collection could be coming to modern consoles and relive some of the franchise's forgotten entries.

What is the Castlevania Advance Collection?

Rumours of a Castlevania Advance Collection first started doing the rounds thanks to a leak from an Australia ratings board. The game was officially classified on June 18 and lists Konami Digital Entertainment as the applicant alongside M2 as the author. Elsewhere, Gematsu has confirmed the Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea has rated the Castlevania Advance Collection for PC.

Remember that Konami has published Castlevania since the first in 1996, while M2 was behind 2019's Castlevania Anniversary Collection that brought together legacy titles including the OG Castlevania and the never released in English Kid Dracula. The eight-game collection was a huge hit and has possibly led to the Castlevania Advance Collection. 

Although it's unconfirmed, a Castlevania Advance Collection would presumably include Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001), Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002), and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003). Then again, remember that Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow have already been released as the Castlevania Double Pack in 2006 AND that Harmony of Dissonance removed Circle of the Moon from franchise canon.

There are plenty of other titles that could make up this mythical collection, with another port of the OG Castlevania also sure to be a popular choice.

Why now is the right time for the Castlevania Advance Collection

In terms of why now is the right time for the Castlevania Advance Collection, it would be a well-timed segue back into this world of vampires, magicians, and monsters. While a lot of Konami's time is taken up by people asking for more Silent Hill, Castlevania largely has a bigger pop culture presence. 

Netflix's anime of the same name has just bowed out with Season 4, however, we already know Powerhouse Animation is working on a Castlevania spin-off that will shift the focus to Richter Belmont. With a reinvigorated fan base and interest in the IP, it's only a matter of time until someone resurrects Castlevania like Dracula himself.

Moving forward with a wholly next-gen game is a gamble, and at a time there's uncertainty about what's going on with Konami, it might be a step too far. Remodelling some old classics should be a relatively easy sell - especially if games previously available on the Game Boy Advance got their time to shine on the likes of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

While the release of the Castlevania Advance Collection isn't quite a next-gen 3D game that sees the Belmonts wield the Vampire Killer whip, there's a sense of justice that the fan-favourites that missed out on the Castlevania Anniversary Collection could get their chance to shine. For now, we'll have to wait and see if the Castlevania Advance Collection will unfurl its wings.