My first true introduction to Castlevania was in college when one of my friends found a lost copy of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for Game Boy Advance lying on the ground. He gave it to me because he didn't have anything to play it on. I had a DS phat at the time (still do) so I popped that mutherfucker in and wound up locking myself in my room all weekend.

I went on to play every GBA and DS Castlevania title I could get my hands on, but when it came time to revisiting the NES series, I was a bit disheartened that I forgotten how to climb stairs. The controls take getting used to, some jumps and enemies placements are cheap as shit, and certain secondary weapons lack utility. At least there's meat in hidden in the walls, just like in the real Dracula's Castle (citation needed).

It's these little secrets that make the first Castlevania appealing. I eeked my way through the first cycle only to find out that the game keeps going. Searching for hidden treaures the second time around made the experience more enjoyable, but the difficulty is unforgiving by today's standards. Thankfully there are save states on the Anniversary Collection.

I still can't remember if I rented this as a kid, but I can definately remember renting 8 Eyes for all the wrong reasons. My time with the first Castlevania was well spent, and it made me want to go back and revisit some of the GBA and DS titles. Which classic Castlevania game is your favorite? Start a dialogue in the comments.