Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance Game Boy Advance

A follow-up to Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance casts players in the role of vampire hunter Juste Belmont, a descendent of Castlevania III's Trevor Belmont. Players will once again explore a castle, avoiding spikes, and other hazards along the way, while battling gothic monsters. As part of the Belmont lineage, Juste is outfitted with a whip and can acquire a number of secondary weapons, such as axes, daggers, crosses, and holy water.

New to the series is the ability (via spell books) to combine secondary weapons, giving players such moves and special items as a lunging ice punch and a large spinning ice cross. In addition, Juste's whip can be powered up by attaching runes. The shoulder buttons can be used to lunge at enemies or retreat quickly as the situation dictates. Each time players defeat a boss, Juste gains a new asset, such as a double jump or the ability to slide low to the ground.

In response to criticism that Circle of the Moon was darkly lit and at times hard to see, the developers designed Harmony of Dissonance using brighter colors and a lighter overall look for better object recognition. Progress during the adventure, acquired moves, and collected rune stones can all be saved via battery backup. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide