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Alternate
Incarnations
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Japan Cell
Phones |
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Re-Release
Information
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2005: 2014: 2015: 2021: 2021: 2021: 2021: 2021: 2023: 2025: |
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The
Manual's Synopsis
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The year is 2035. Japan. Crowds of spectators are gathering around in anticipation of the first full solar eclipse of the 21st century. My name is Soma Cruz and I am a high school exchange student studying abroad in Japan. I live near the Hakuba Shrine, an ancient shrine with strong ties to Japanese mythology. Mina Hakuba, the only daughter of the shrine's caretaker, is both my classmate and my childhood friend. I started making my way to the shrine to see the solar eclipse with Mina. But, for some strange reason, the stairway leading up to the shrine felt longer than usual, as if something was trying to keep us from our destination. When I finally managed to get through the shrine gate, my senses began to dim. In the distance, the solar eclipse was approaching totality, but the pitch black sun appeared to be trapping chaotic darkness. At that moment, Mina and I were knocked unconscious - only to awaken inside a mysterious castle. Now I must find a way out of this labyrinth and escape safely with my friend |
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Objective
/ Overview
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While creating Harmony of Dissonance, KCET was so sure of its success that the production of the division's next title was already ongoing. So in timely fashion, it brings to you Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, yet another free-roaming adventure-RPG in the vein of the award-winning Symphony of the Night; this latest GBA entry, as you'd suspect from the timing, closely emulates the previous Harmony but corrects many of its deficiencies. You're this time in control of Soma Cruz, a seemingly ordinary young man, and you must guide him through thirteen castle sections--each crowded with Aria's brand of minor enemies, twisted traps, and menacing boss creatures--in a quest to discover his true self, to gain insight into his so-called friends' intentions, and to escape from the thought-banished Castlevania. Soma starts out with only a weak knife and his fists, so you'll have to empower our hero using the RPG system, which can be manipulated through the gaining of levels, through the collection of dozens of new weapons and armor types, and through the use of inventory-held magical items. Moreover, you can take advantage of Soma's natural ability to steal souls and therein gain three types of soul power: Bullet (sub-weapons); Guardian (helpers); Enchanted (body enhancers); and Ability (relic-like powers such as sliding, double jumping and dashing). How you go about reaching the final destination will earn you one of three different endings. Once you complete the game, having received the best ending, more options will open up: (1) You can play through the game on a "hard" mode. (2) You can play as Julius Belmont. (3) The "Boss Rush" mode returns, this time a single-gauntlet challenge that pits you against all of the game's bosses; this time around, you can select your main mission file and carry along all of your collected weapons, souls and items. You can play through it with Julius, too, in his own special manner. And (4) you can access a sound test. |
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Port
Differences
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Mobile
Phones
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The soundtrack features only four area themes (Castle Corridor,
Chapel, Study and Underground Reservoir), which substitute
for even boss fights and sequences. |
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Version
Differences
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Japanese Version |
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Soundtrack
and Credits
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Soundtrack
Links |
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Character
List
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Lesser Enemies
Bosses
Dracula Forms
Supporting Cast
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