Castlevania Advance Collection finally revives classic Game Boy Advance games

By Jess Reyes September 23, 2021

After weeks of rumors, the Castlevania Advance Collection will launch for the Nintendo Switch later today. Like its name suggests, it includes the three original games released on the Game Boy Advance: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. It also features Castlevania: Dracula X, an SNES title based on Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.

Circle of the Moon marked the iconic Castlevania series‘ debut on the Game Boy Advance in 2001. Harmony of Dissonance followed in 2002 and Aria of Sorrow in 2003. The three titles were popular enough that they rereleased on the Wii U in 2014. However, the Castlevania Advance Collection will be the first time they come to newer consoles.

M2, a studio that already worked with Konami in the past on its Castlevania Anniversary Collection, is handling the new GBA collection. This includes implementing the newly announced rewind, quick save, and button-mapping options to improve gameplay for new players. Regional versions of the games, along with a gallery of never-before-seen artwork, also sweeten the deal.

Castlevania is one of the most iconic platformers from the early 2000s. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night especially stuck in gamers’ minds with its mix of platforming and RPG elements. It even inspired part of the term “Metroidvania” — a type of platformer adventure game. It’s a different protagonist most of the time, though the vampire-filled, supernatural setting stays the same. Count Dracula haunts the world, whether he happens to be up and about in that particular game or just affecting it through history.

Castlevania leaks sprang weeks before the official announcement at the recent Nintendo Direct. According to its ESRB Rating, Castlevania Advance Collection will also come to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in the future. Konami just hasn’t announced it yet.

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Jessica Reyes is a freelance writer who specializes in anime-centric and trending topics. Her work can be found in Looper…

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The best Game Boy Color games of all time

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The Game Boy Color was Nintendo's stepping-stone handheld, offering a moderate power increase compared to the first Game Boy, but substantially less than the Game Boy Advance, which would release just three years later. It maintained the same two-button control scheme as its predecessor, but swapped out the green-hued display for a much more vibrant one.

Despite its short lifespan, the Game Boy Color managed to get several great games, including titles in classic series such as Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda, and many of them are just as entertaining today as they were two decades ago. In fact, some are even better than more recent 3DS games and Switch games, and they're certainly still worth tracking down.

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How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3

Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

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Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
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As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)