《惡魔城週年慶合輯》（Castlevania Anniversary Collection）是KONAMI為紀念經典動作遊戲系列《惡魔城》（Castlevania）所推出的合輯，於2019年5月16日正式發售，支援Nintendo Switch、PlayStation 4、Xbox One和PC（Steam）等平台。收錄八款經典惡魔城遊戲，涵蓋該系列早期的代表作品，並且為現代玩家提供回顧這款傳奇遊戲系列歷史的機會。

該作包含1986年至1994年間推出的八款橫向卷軸動作遊戲，每款作品均圍繞著貝爾蒙特家族（Belmont Clan）與德古拉伯爵（Count Dracula）之間的世代恩怨展開。

1.《惡魔城》（Castlevania, 1986）:故事發生在1691年，主角西蒙·貝爾蒙特（Simon Belmont），持著家族聖鞭「殺魔鞭（Vampire Killer）」，進入德古拉的城堡挑戰不死的吸血鬼伯爵。

2.《惡魔城II 詛咒的封印》（Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, 1987）:西蒙成功擊敗德古拉後，卻遭受其詛咒，因此他必須收集德古拉的遺骸並焚毀它們，才能解除詛咒並徹底消滅德古拉。與前作相比，增加RPG元素，如城鎮探索和晝夜系統。

3.《惡魔城III 德古拉的詛咒》（Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, 1989）:時間回溯至1476年，特雷沃·貝爾蒙特（Trevor Belmont），攜手三名夥伴：魔法師賽法（Sypha Belnades）、盜賊格蘭特（Grant Danasty）以及德古拉之子艾卡多（Alucard），共同對抗德古拉。

4.《惡魔城傳說 / 德古拉傳說》（Castlevania: The Adventure, 1989）:為系列首度登上Game Boy的作品，講述克里斯多福·貝爾蒙特（Christopher Belmont）在1576年與德古拉對抗的冒險。

5.《惡魔城冒險II / 德古拉傳說II》（Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge, 1991）:延續前作劇情，克里斯多福的兒子索雷尤·貝爾蒙特（Soleiyu Belmont）遭到德古拉詛咒，必須拯救他並再度擊敗吸血鬼伯爵。

6.《超級惡魔城IV》（Super Castlevania IV, 1991）:經典初代《惡魔城》的重製版，主角仍是西蒙·貝爾蒙特，但加入更多現代化的改進，如360度揮鞭、更流暢的跳躍與更豐富的場景互動。

7.《惡魔城外傳 少年德古拉君》（Kid Dracula, 1990）:與正統系列風格不同，是搞笑風格的橫向動作遊戲，主角是小德古拉（Kid Dracula），他必須對抗敵人並展開冒險。

8.《血之輪迴》（Castlevania: Bloodlines, 1994）:是唯一收錄的PC Engine遊戲，講述19世紀吸血鬼獵人約翰·莫里斯（John Morris）與夥伴艾瑞克·里卡多（Eric Lecarde）為阻止德古拉復活而戰的故事。

遊戲玩法與特色:作為經典的橫向卷軸動作遊戲，《惡魔城週年慶合輯》保留原始遊戲的玩法，同時加入部分現代功能來提升遊玩體驗。

1.橫向卷軸動作與挑戰性關卡:該系列以高難度的關卡設計聞名，需要熟練運用跳躍、攻擊與道具來應對各種敵人與陷阱。殺魔鞭依然是主要武器，部分遊戲還提供副武器如聖水、飛刀、十字架等。

2.多種角色選擇:在《惡魔城III》中，可選擇使用不同的角色，如擅長魔法的賽法、能爬牆的格蘭特，以及能變身蝙蝠的艾卡多，增加遊戲策略性。

3.畫面與音樂保留經典風格:保留原版的像素畫面與音樂，忠實還原當年的遊戲體驗，同時加入濾鏡選項，可以選擇懷舊畫質或稍微平滑化的畫面。

4.新增「即時存檔」:由於舊版《惡魔城》系列難度極高，這次合輯特別加入「即時存檔」，能夠隨時保存進度，避免因失誤而重新開始。而許多人期待的「倒轉」功能卻沒有出現。

5.內建美術設定集與歷史資料:遊戲中包含數位美術設定集，內含角色設計圖、原始封面與開發者訪談，可以更深入了解《惡魔城》系列的歷史。

關卡與遊戲體驗:《惡魔城》系列的關卡設計以探索與挑戰並重，每個遊戲都擁有獨特的城堡設計與機關，從森林、地下墓穴、鐘樓到吸血鬼城堡，每個場景都充滿著暗黑哥德式氛圍。

1.敵人與BOSS戰:需要面對大量敵人，如骷髏士兵、鬼魂、惡魔與魔像，每一關還有獨特的BOSS，例如巨大蝙蝠、死神、梅杜莎等。

2.機關與陷阱: 從搖晃的吊橋、崩塌的地板、流沙、激光，到無數移動平台，這些機關設計讓遊戲更具挑戰性。

3.音樂: 《惡魔城》系列以其精湛的背景音樂聞名，如《Bloody Tears》《Vampire Killer》等曲目，都是遊戲史上經典的電子音樂作品。

市場評價與玩家反應:《惡魔城週年慶合輯》推出後，受到老玩家與新玩家的歡迎，特別是喜愛懷舊遊戲的粉絲。

正面評價: 許多評論認為本作是對經典遊戲的「完美致敬」，特別是加入的即時存檔與倒轉功能，大幅降低早期遊戲的不合理難度，讓更多人能夠體驗這些經典作品。

負面評價: 也有玩家指出，本合輯並未包含其他更受歡迎的《惡魔城》作品，如《惡魔城X 月下夜想曲》，讓部分粉絲感到遺憾。

整體而言，《惡魔城週年慶合輯》成功將這個經典系列帶回現代遊戲市場，對於喜愛動作遊戲或是想回顧歷史的玩家來說，這是極具收藏價值的作品。

The Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a compilation released by KONAMI to commemorate the classic action game series Castlevania. It was officially launched on May 16, 2019, and is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam). The collection includes eight classic Castlevania games, covering the early representative works of the series, providing modern players with an opportunity to revisit the history of this legendary game franchise.

This collection features eight side-scrolling action games released between 1986 and 1994, each centering around the generational feud between the Belmont Clan and Count Dracula.

Castlevania (1986): The story takes place in 1691, where the protagonist, Simon Belmont, wields the family’s legendary whip, the Vampire Killer, and ventures into Dracula’s castle to challenge the immortal vampire lord.

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (1987): After Simon defeats Dracula, he falls under a curse. To break it, he must collect Dracula’s remains and destroy them. This installment introduces RPG elements, such as town exploration and a day-night cycle.

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (1989): Set in 1476, the game follows Trevor Belmont, who is joined by three allies: Sypha Belnades, a magician; Grant Danasty, a thief; and Alucard, Dracula’s son. Together, they battle Dracula and his forces.**

Castlevania: The Adventure (1989): The first Game Boy entry in the series, it tells the story of Christopher Belmont’s battle against Dracula in 1576.

Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (1991): A direct sequel, where Christopher Belmont’s son, Soleiyu Belmont, is cursed by Dracula. The player must rescue him and once again defeat the vampire lord.

Super Castlevania IV (1991): A remake of the original Castlevania, featuring Simon Belmont once again, but with modern enhancements such as 360-degree whip attacks, smoother jumping mechanics, and richer environmental interactions.

Kid Dracula (1990): A comedic spin-off of the main series, starring Kid Dracula, who embarks on an adventure to defeat his enemies in a lighthearted platforming experience.

Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994): The only PC Engine game in the collection, featuring John Morris and Eric Lecarde, two vampire hunters in the 19th century battling to stop Dracula’s resurrection.

Gameplay and Features

As a classic side-scrolling action series, Castlevania Anniversary Collection retains the original gameplay while adding some modern features to enhance the experience.

Side-scrolling Action and Challenging Levels: The series is known for its difficult level design, requiring skillful use of jumping, attacking, and items to navigate traps and defeat enemies. The Vampire Killer whip remains the primary weapon, while sub-weapons such as holy water, throwing knives, and crosses add to the strategy.

Multiple Character Choices: In Castlevania III, players can switch between characters, including Sypha, who specializes in magic; Grant, who can climb walls; and Alucard, who can transform into a bat, adding strategic depth.

Classic Graphics and Music: The collection preserves the original pixel art and soundtrack, faithfully recreating the retro experience. Players can also choose from different visual filters, including a classic CRT look or a smoother modern appearance.

New “Save State” Functions: Due to the high difficulty of older Castlevania games, this collection introduces a save-anywhere feature, allowing players to resume from any point. However, the much-anticipated rewind feature is absent.

Built-in Art Collection and Historical Archives: The game includes a digital art book, featuring character designs, original cover artwork, and developer interviews, offering deeper insight into the history of Castlevania.

Levels and Game Experience

The Castlevania series balances exploration and challenge, with each game featuring unique castle designs and mechanisms. From forests, underground crypts, and clock towers to Dracula’s castle itself, each setting is filled with gothic horror aesthetics.

Enemies and Boss Battles: Players will face numerous enemies, including skeleton soldiers, ghosts, demons, and golems. Each level also features iconic bosses, such as the Giant Bat, Death, and Medusa.

Traps and Environmental Hazards: Players must navigate shaking bridges, collapsing floors, quicksand, laser beams, and moving platforms, making the game highly challenging.

Music: The Castlevania series is renowned for its outstanding soundtrack, featuring legendary tracks such as “Bloody Tears” and “Vampire Killer”, which remain some of the most celebrated chiptune compositions in gaming history.

Market Reception and Player Feedback

Upon release, Castlevania Anniversary Collection received positive responses from both longtime fans and new players, especially those who enjoy retro gaming.

Positive Reviews: Many critics praised the collection as a “perfect tribute” to the classic series. The save state and modern enhancements made the older titles more accessible, reducing their frustrating difficulty and allowing more players to experience these classics.

Negative Reviews: Some fans expressed disappointment that the collection did not include other popular Castlevania titles, such as Castlevania X: Rondo of Blood or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Overall, Castlevania Anniversary Collection successfully brings this legendary franchise back to the modern gaming audience. For those who love action games or wish to revisit gaming history, this is a highly collectible and valuable release.