The News Wire


	The News Wire

10/27/09 - Original series musician speaks: Kinuyo Yamashita, who is credited with the music for both the Famicom and MSX versions of Akumajo Dracula, talks about the creation of video-game tunes, hitting upon the Castlevania series.
10/26/09 - First Rebirth video: Courtesy of "Nintendo Week" (a weekly Wii Nintendo Channel feature), GoNintendo has posted a first-look video of Castlevania the Adventure Rebirth.
10/21/09 - Adventure Rebirth dated: Konami's Japanese website sets the release date as Oct. 27th and shows some basic information. It gives no word on when other territories will see digital release.
10/16/09 - Koji Igarashi: Born Again: Kotaku contacts Konami to discover that the famed IGA is involved with the latest game.
10/13/09 - First Rebirth information: GoNintendo is home to the first magazine scans revealing Castlevania the Adventure Rebirth's gameplay and graphical styles.
9/30/09 - Lords of Shadow Extended Trailer: Shown offscreen at the Tokyo Game Show was yet another Lords of Shadow trailer, which features a combination of storyline intros, credits, action scenes, and an extension of video bits seen previously. (Credit to Squalidpumpkin.)
9/13/09 - Castlevania the Adventure Rebirth: Following the WiiWare release of Contra Rebirth, a new entry in that long-running series, Konami, as discovered via the ESRB approval process, will be giving the same treatment to Castlevania (apparently to the much-maligned Game Boy title).
9/11/09 - More from the shadows: Lords of Shadow producer Dave Cox discusses the game's genre and fighting mechanics, the monsters, the story, the "magic system," what inspired its design, and Koji Igarashi's non-involvement.
9/5/09 - Dawn of Sorrow goes mobile: The classic DS title Dawn of Sorrow, arguably the best of the trilogy, is being ported to mobile phones. Here are two videos of the game in action, courtesy of Youtube. (Thanks to Squalid Pumpkin for this information.)
8/31/09 - Speaking from the shadows: Kotaku displays scans from On Screen magazine, which features a "Letter to the Fans" from Hideo Kojima. On the topic of Lords of Shadow: Discussed is basic information about the game's story and gameplay.
7/23/09 - Castlevania movie back on?: Bloodydisgusting.com reports that James Wan--one of the writers responsible for the Saw movies--will assist Paul W.S. Anderson in the creation of the thought-defunct Castlevania movie.
6/3/09 - Lords of Shadow E3 site: Konami prepares another (longer) trailer via an official E3 site. Patrick Stewart provides narration.
6/3/09 - Lords of Shadow trailer: Computer and Video Games shows us the new title's trailer.
6/3/09 - Castlevania returns to consoles: Konami at E3 reveals Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, which will "take the series in a new direction." Made by MercurySteam, a Spanish company, and directed by Konami's Hideo Kojima, Lords of Shadow is an action-heavy game said to be based in an open-world environment. The title will appear on both X-Box 360 and PS3.
4/4/09 - Pachi-Slot goes mobile: In preparation for the release of its newest Pachinko game, Konami releases for cell phones a simulator.
4/4/09 - Official Pachi-Slot site: Konami launches an official website for its newest arcade title.
3/21/09 - Judging by the music: GameSetWatch speaks with members of Noisycroak, the studio behind Castlevania Judgment's music, in a feature titled Sound Current: Traversing Castlevania's Musical Timeline with Noisycroak.
3/1/09 - New Pachinko game?: Following its foray into casinos with Castlevania: The Medal, Konami unveils a new product. (Check sidebar links for additional trailers.)
2/9/09 - Arcade-title site launches: Konami gives the public its first official look at Castlevania: The Arcade. Featured are an introductory video and the basics.
1/12/09 - Virtual Console is cursed: The best of the three NES entries and series standout Castlevania 3: Dracula Curse arrives on the Wii's Virtual Console.

12/19/08 - Castlevania movie on ice: The on-again, off-again adventures of Paul W. S. Anderson and his making of the Castlevania movie take another detour. As it turns out, production on such a project hasn't even begun.
11/25/08 - Arcade action: Gametrailers presents one of the first hands-on playtests of the Castlevania arcade title.

11/7/08 - Koji Cubed: The bearded-one chats with C3 about the decision-making behind Judgment's platform, the challenges in its creation, the character-selection process, its many modes, DS connectivity, chances of a sequel, and more.
11/7/08 - The sound of Judgment: Konami's Japanese site reveals the release date for the official Castlevania Judgment soundtrack.
10/30/08 - Dracula's Curse goes virtual: European and Australian Wii owners can now download via the Virtual Console the NES classic Castlevania 3: Dracula Curse--just in time for Halloween. Or as PAL territories call it: Friday.
10/22/08 - The Master speaks: Koji joins Kikizo for an interview about current titles. Topics discussed include Judgment's classification and art style, Ecclesia's heroine and its lack of touch-based control, the continuation of 2D Castlevania, and more.
10/21/08 - Ecclesia pre-order update: It seems the chaps at Konami released so limited a number of physical soundtrack CDs that some GameStop outlets are offering a questionable replacement.
10/16/08 - A look at Castlevania: The Arcade: Makers of an ongoing thread at Neogaf.com are putting together a collection of screenshots for Castlevania: The Arcade, which uses a motion-controlled whip peripheral.
10/10/08 - The new title's trailer: GameTrailers presents the 37-second video as shown at the Tokyo Game Show.
10/9/08 - Yet another new title announced: Joystiq, reporting on the Tokyo Game Show, confirms the existence of a new series title for X-Box 360 and PS3 said to be the direct sequel to 1997's Symphony of the Night.
10/9/08 - Aria of Sorrow to cell phones: Aria of Sorrow, once an exclusive to the Game Boy Advance, brings its brand of series greatness to cell phones (but, for now, only in Europe).
10/7/08 - Ecclesia gets its own bonus: Japanese players get their special pre-order bonus, and now North American players get thrown a bone: The game's soundtrack as composed by Michiru Yamane and Yasuhiro Ichihashi. The bonus is also available at Game Crazy.
10/7/08 - Order of Ecclesia site updates: The Japanese site's no-doubt final form (but still a work in progress) manifests with basic information, the story, the characters, gameplay mechanics, music and artwork.
9/24/08 - Judgment pre-order bonus: Pre-ordering Castlevania Judgment at GameSpot, either in-store or online, will net you a bonus item--a 5x7 "laser cel."
9/19/08 - New entrants join the fight: Character artwork discovered by GoNintendo reveals two new Judgment fighters: Death, who we know well as Dracula's right-hand man, and ... some other guy.
9/19/08 - Judgment site opens: Konami of Japan puts in place the hub for all things Judgment, including commentary, artwork, profiles and screenshots.
9/19/08 - Another character model: Thanks to the creative talent of Takeshi Obata, a new Simon Belmont character model (based on his Judgment artwork) will be joining those already produced by Nyko.
9/19/08 - The train leaves the station: Whip-wielding Koji turns his attention to the G4 network, to which he speaks about Ecclesia's time-period and the game's events plus multiplayer aspects. Addressing Judgment, he discusses the game's accessibility, how it differs from other fighters, and the skepticism surrounding the title.
9/15/08 - The hype train begins: In preparation for the arrival of the title, Koji talks about Ecclesia's place in the timeline, its cast of characters, the Glyph system, graphical upgrades, the "Hard Mode," and Judgment connectivity; also discussed are the series' future and the importance of accessibility.
8/25/08 - Castlevania: The Medal?: Two new images shed a bit of light on the previously reported series arcade entry. The first is a poster, the second an actual arcade unit. Make of these two shots (provided by Belmontvlad) what you will.
8/25/08 - In praise of Symphony: GameObserver.com gives its opinion on the best side-scrolling games ever made, with Symphony of the Night making the cut. Where did it land? Click the link (provided by Sebastian) to find out.
7/27/08 - Castlevania returns to arcades?: Kotaku reports upon an apparent acrade release titled Castlevania: The Arcade, which was available for hands-on yet not ready for release. The product is described to be unique in its gameplay.
7/23/08 - The E3 talk-a-thon begins: Koji joins Destructoid's Jonathan Holmes for a discussion about his first "fighting" game and what to expect, Order of Ecclesia and what it brings to the table, 2D on consoles, and the chances of Igarashi appearing in a game.
7/23/08 - The Judgment: Continued: The Game Life blog inquires about the reasons for Judgment's existence and interviews Koji about such topics as the eschewing of a classic series title, broadening the series' appeal, the Wii audience, Mega Man 9 and more.
7/11/08 - Koji's Judgment Day: IGN chats with Koji Igarashi pre-E3 about Judgment and its Wii remote use, its basic gameplay, potential DS connectivity, the roster size, the modes, the Internet elements, and more.
7/1/08 - Castlevania Judgement confirmed: Konami reveals Castlevania Judgment, the series' first Nintendo Wii title and its first foray into the genre of "Fighting Game."
6/26/08 - Castlevania fighting game? GoNintendo.com, via a Nintendo Power reader, breaks the news that the famed Castlevania series is finally ready to conquer a new genre.
6/16/08 - More from the master: Koji chats with Gamasutra about keeping 2D alive, his thoughts on Dracula X Chronicles' reception, recognizing customer demand, the possibility of community elements, and some unrelated topics.
5/20/08 - Koji ain't done yappin': The revitalized director talks with GameTrailers about Ecclesia's originality, fans' requesting for a female lead, the "Glyph" system, why the 3D games haven't worked, and his thoughts on moving on to something else.
5/16/08 - Order of Ecclesia website launches: Though for now limited to just screenshots, the Japanese site is up for viewing.
5/16/08 - IGA talks Castlevania ... again: He chats this time with GameSpot in a video interview that covers his favorite weapon, Ecclesia's heroine, the Glyph system, the controls and accessibility, and when we should expect to see it.
5/15/08 - IGA talks Castlevania: Series director Koji Igarashi talks with IGN about Ecclesia's storyline placement, the game's formula and escaping the norm, the online mode plus the "Wii Connect" mystery, and the future of 2D (on portables and consoles).
5/15/08 - More on Ecclesia: Destructoid, reporting on "Konami Gamers' Night '08," provides more details on the game's hero, the new system and its application, the absence of the Belmonts, and more.
5/15/08 - Konami's official statement: Konami.com's press release talks Order of Ecclesia. Discussed are its new fighting system, explorable locations, the storyline, its multiplayer mode, endings, replay value, and its release date.
5/14/08 - Order of Ecclesia confirmed: Japanese magazine Famitsu confirms previously leaked screenshots to be the real deal--evidence of the newest DS title. Early information hints of true co-op play and some type of Wii connection. (Via NeoGaf.)
4/25/08 - Tapping into the series' history: GameTap TV takes a look at the Castlevania series, examining the titles in order of release and circumstances/activities surrounding each entry (or, at least, most of the entries).
4/21/08 - New logo adds an air of uncertainty: The last discovered trademark, Order of Ecclesia, was thought be the new DS title, but the discovery of a new trademark may point to bigger happenings.
4/14/08 - New DS title officially confirmed: The new game, titled Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, has been rated by the ESRB as we now await its unveiling.
3/28/08 - Rondo of Blood to Virtual Console: As shown on the schedule, the much-vaunted PC-Engine title will finally see console re-release with its entry into the Wii Virtual Console.
2/1/08 - Simon shows some new moves: The perennial vampire hunter is set to make a guest appearance in Konami's newly announced DS title: New International Track and Field. Follow the link (if you're registered with the site) to view his profile.
12/21/07 - Koji talks, we listen: Topics this time include development team sizes, stupid rumors, stage design, the possibility of outsourcing titles, problems in moving from 2D to 3D, and issues with storyline inconsistencies plus time-placement.
12/06/07 - Castlevania movie on hold: Paul W.S. Anderson's live-action film sees a delay due to issues with its script.
11/05/07 - Another title on the way: In reporting on an interview in Famitsu, IGN confirms the existence of yet another DS title in the works, as created by the people behind Portrait of Ruin.
10/30/07 - More from the master: Koji, at it again, talks with the chatty Gamasutra about the GameStop expo, how Dracula X Chronicles will impact future games, 2D versus 3D, and the series' future and overall growth.
10/29/07 - Simon's Quest arrives on Wii: The now-somewhat-infamous (thanks to a former Youtuber) NES classic arrives on the Virtual Console just in time for Halloween.
10/25/07 - Koji kills the radio star: The busy creator takes the act to video and chats with GGL Wire about current portable exploits, his favorite 8-bit series title, living up to Symphony, the viability of 3D, MMO possibilities, and the console wars.
10/24/07 - Koji keeps on yappin': It's this time Destructoid, with whom Koji talks about taking the series to the next level, his favorite 2D games, series influences, DS happenings, the Castlevania movie, and the implementation of new concepts.
10/23/07 - More thoughts from Koji: The man this time talks with Joystiq about his position at Konami, the challenges of creating Dracula X Chronicles and maintaining the series' freshness, and the series' console future.
10/20/07 - Koji feeling Wired: The omnipresent Igarashi talks to the Wired Blog about the in-doubt Castlevania movie, games coming on the portable front, The Dracula X Chronicles, regrets on adding a timeline, and Dracula's odd furnishing habits.
10/9/07 - Japanese Dracula X pre-order bonus: Japan gets a much-tastier pre-order bonus bundle that includes an artbook, a poster, and a couple of unique hardware items.
9/22/07 - Dracula X pre-order bonus: Available from GameStop with any pre-order purchase of The Dracula Chronicles is a NECA-brand figurine--a "pixel-art Simon Belmont." To view the figure in advance, click this link.
9/11/07 - The Future of Castlevania: Game Informer talks with Koji Igarashi about the final stages of Dracula X Chronicles development, the planning of a new DS title, and the console future of the series.
9/5/07 - Test drive the new mobile game: Konami has set up a subsite that lets you sample a two-minute Flash version of its new cell phone title; available, too, is information about the game's release and the services you can use to download it to your cell phone.
9/5/07 - New Castlevania comes to cell phones? IGN chats with Tyrone Rodriguez, the lead designer on an unexpected series title for mobile phones.
8/22/07 - Another DS title in the works: During the 2007 Games Convention, Koji Igarashi reveals future plans. More to come.
7/19/07 - Symphony comes to Playstation Network: The overworked classic rides again on Playstation 3 and as an extension the PSP (mere months before it will playable on the portable via The Dracula X Chronicles).
7/17/07 - More Dracula X Chronicles in motion: GameSpot offers four videos worth of gameplay.
7/16/07 - Dracula X Chronicles in motion: IGN shows off two videos of the game in action.
4/30/07 - Castlevania debuts on Virtual Console: The classic NES title, one day short of its 20th anniversary, sees its Nintendo Wii digital re-release.
4/20/07 - Konami talks Castlevania: Group Manager Dennis Lee talks about his role in the series, the success of the two DS titles, Portrait-specific mechanics, The Dracula X Chronicles, and the series' console and digital future.
4/12/07 - EGM Afterthoughts: Castlevania: Koji looks back on Portrait of Ruin and talks to EGM about Jonathan's weird sub-weapons, the "Sisters Mode" ending, the inclusion of Old Axe Armor, Eric Lecarde, and level-design issues.
3/21/07 - NECA gets "Castlevania" license: Toy manufacturing company NECA procures the rights to publish action figures based on the upcoming Castlevania movie.
3/14/07 - Castlevania Mega Interview: Koji Igarashi discusses presentation issues surrounding The Dracula X Chronicles and its inspiration, the Symphony of the Night extra, the title's introduction to western audiences, and the future impact of its old-style design versus the one featured in modern titles (this plus other topics).
3/1/07 - Portait of Ruin Soundtrack: Japanese magazine Famitsu reports on the arrival of the Portrait's official soundtrack (in Japanese, of course). Google.com's translator is recommended.
2/22/07 - Castlevania to Virtual Console: The NES classic has been rated by the ESRB and will arrive at an unspecified date.
2/4/07 - Cowboy Koji talks to Game Informer: The series director discusses The Dracula X Chronicles and the decisions that led to its portable release plus its content, how it leads into Symphony of the Night, the character design, and its music; also discussed are possible changes to its Symphony extra, Virtual Console possibilities, more Wii talk, and the console future of the series.
2/2/07 - Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles comes to PSP: At its "Konami Gamer Day" event, the company announces a portable collection featuring a trio: The original-version of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, its 2.5D remake, and Symphony of the Night as an extra.
1/25/07 - IGA to speak at GDC: Series director Koji Igarashi is scheduled to speak at the Game Developer's Conference, where he'll discuss industry-related issues and definitely Castlevania.
1/20/07 - Another series title heading to Virtual Console: IGN reveals on its Wii-k in Review podcast that Konami is bringing another classic to the system.
1/12/07 - "Big" Castlevania news coming?: Publication EGM claims that its next issue will reveal a series-related scoop for people who liked Symphony of the Night. (News via NeoGAF.)
12/21/06 - Super Castlevania 4 to Virtual Console: The SNES classic, which has already seen re-release in Japan, comes to the west (or "the Americas," as Reggie would say) just in time for Christmas.
12/19/06 - G-Wie-Gorilla talks with the same duo: Koji and Yamane discuss differences between 2D and 3D, Yamane's first concert and music, the story of Dracula, Koji's trip to Vlad Tepes' castle, pressure to produce, their favorite games/activities, and more.
12/16/06 - Kikizo talks to Koji and Michiru Yamane: The duo discusses the basics of Portrait and its WI-FI play, music composition and its importance, the issue of 2D on consoles, and the XBLA Symphony release.
12/12/06 - First evidence of the Castlevania movie?: QJ.net gets a hold of a supposed movie poster for Castlevania: Dracula Begins, the supposed new title for the film directed by Paul Anderson.
12/6/06 - Portrait of Ruin Music Samples: Now featured on the Japanese site for Portrait of Ruin, for those who may want a sneak preview, are MP3 music samples.
10/26/06 - Koji, Man of Interviews: Our beloved director talks to Game Life, this time about online games, more Wii possibilities, the Live Arcade re-release of Symphony, handhelds versus consoles, wireless play in Portrait, and more.
10/24/06 - Castlevania comes to GameTap: A GameTap media alert reveals that the previously PC-only release Konami Collector’s Series: Castlevania & Contra is coming its service. The media alert is hosted on-site, with it some select media.
10/24/06 - Updated pre-order bonuses: As mentioned in a previous news post, a pre-order at select places would net you Portrait of Ruin and a bonus CD. Well, now the package has been bolstered by the inclusion of other goodies including an art book, a stylus and game case, and a timeline poster.
10/23/06 - Koji Igarashi Video Interview: The ever-present game director talks to 1UP.com's Sam Kennedy about the series' 2D future, the upcoming Castlevania movie, and the possibility of a Wii entry.
9/24/06 - Yes--yet another Koji interview: IGA meets up with IGN and talks about what he's learned about the DS plus Portrait's voice-acting options, its WI-FI and wireless modes, the story's effect on design, and more.
9/24/06 - Yet another Koji interview: This one, from the very same 1Up.com, goes into detail about Portrait's development progress, its style of play, the WI-FI trading system plus shop features, storyline connections, and more.
9/21/06 - More chatting with Koji: The series' director talks to 1Up.com about Castlevania's 20th anniversary, the possibility of 2D on next-gen systems, the X-Box 360 version of Symphony, and future series viability.
9/20/06 - Portrait of Ruin Japanese site: Konami opens up a Potrait-themed sub-site on its Japanese webpage.
9/15/06 - Portrait of Ruin bonus CD: The retail chain GameStop announces that any order of Portrait of Ruin will for a limited time net the customer a "Castlevania 20th Anniversary Soundtrack."
9/14/06 - MSX games come to Virtual Console: Nintendo announces (at least for Japan) that MSX titles will be available for the Wii's Virtual Console; since on board for distributorship for the Virtual Console is Konami, among others, the re-release of MSX titles like Vampire Killer is possible if not a no-brainer.
9/7/06 - New Koji Igarashi interview: Nintendo of Europe interviews Crazy IGA about Portrait of Ruin, its style of gameplay, and its usage of local multiplayer and Nintendo WI-FI Connection. Also discussed, in ambiguous fashion, is the possibility of a series title coming to the Wii. (Interview via Neogaf.com.)
8/27/06 - Dracula's Curse comes to cell phones: Revealed on Konami's mobile sub-site is information for Akumajo Densetsu, which is available for Japanese cell phones.
8/27/06 - Wai Wai World comes to cell phones: Konami's Japan-only all-mascot action-adventure has made its way to cell phones.
8/27/06 - Kid Dracula comes to cell phones: Akumajo Dracula Special: Boku Dracula-kun arrives in Japan forplay on cell phones.
8/25/06 - Even more Portrait of Ruin fun: From the Leipzig Games Convention, via YouTube, comes this video showing off the game in action straight from the perspective of a DS user.
8/24/06 - Portrait of Ruin interview: GameSpot interviews Dennis Lee, the project manager for Portrait of Ruin. Topics discussed include castle/world exploration, the characters' unique abilities, the storyline, wireless multiplayer via modes, and the release date.
8/23/06 - New Portrait of Ruin trailer: A new trailer shows off character attacks, castle environments, new enemies (and the returning Rondo version of Frankenstein), and some small storyline snippets.
8/17/06 - New Portrait of Ruin media: Gamefront shows off new screenshots and some character artwork.
8/11/06 - Portrait of Ruin named and dated in Japan: IGN reveals the translated Japanese name and when the country should expect to see the game released.
8/4/06 - Symphony of the Night comes to X-Box 360: 1UP.com reports that Konami's Playstation classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will find its way to Microsoft's "X-Box Live Arcade" sometime next year.
7/14/06 - Koji talks to Game Informer: Koji Igarashi discusses the series' 2D future, the upcoming Portrait of Ruin and its usage of the DS' functionality, and the series' status where next-generation systems are concerned.

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