Topic: Which Castlevania(s) do you feel is/are the most underrated?

[Belmont Stakes]

By the way to answer the original question, Bloodlines. It's super innovative and moody and then maybe Chronicles.

[CircleBoi6]

I say LoD and maybe CVC.

[Gaawa-chan]

Lament of Innocence, imo.

[Dark Nemesis]

Lament of Innocence, imo.

Never posted here, so i'll have to say that i agree that LoI is one of the most underrated games, since it might not have the best looking graphics or areas background graphics, but it has one of the best 3D game play mechanics, 3D platforming, no character xp level grinding, just stats power up items along with equipment to increase your characters stats and puzzles. I think i'll have to give another run.

[Beaumont_Belmont]

I feel like Circle of the Moon gets ignored a lot of the time, maybe because it's been de-canonized, maybe because a lot of people forget in favor of later GBA and DS titles. But it's the only GBA 'Vania that I found challenging, features a well-designed Castle and most shocking of all, ORIGINAL SPRITES! The DSS system was also a nice and varied change from the more conventional magic attacks we got in the other GBA games.

[Pfil]

I believe Portrait of Ruin is very underrated, because a lot of people seems to hate it but I really enjoyed everything about it (played, in all modes, 70+ hours).
But that would be unfair hate.

In terms of underrated, I would say that the Game Boy trilogy receives very little attention these days.
Also, the N64 games are really, really underrated. To me, despite their mistakes, they are the perfect example of how to make a 3D Castlevania.

[Zuljaras]

From all Castlevania games that I have played there are several titles that I feel people do not like.

1. Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance - People complain about the quality of the sound, they also complain about the graphics being too cartoonish. Well I don't think so ... there is a charm in the music that makes it feel old like the NES versions and the graphics for me are quite good.

2. Castlevania Circle of the Moon - why don't people see just how good this game is. Beautiful music, extremely nice graphics. Most people say that it is quite dark ... well that is true but I play in on my DS lite and I don't have that problem. The castle areas are one of the most memorable in all castlevania games.

3. Castlevania Portrait of Ruin & Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow - I put those two title next to each other because I have heard bad things for both of them equally. For example DoS is borring grind-fest of sould and the high-end weapons are made by sacrificing boss souls - well that is a welcome change for me from AoS which was easy and if you know where claimh solais is the game is pretty much over. As for PoR I really liked the long dialogs and the character interaction between eachother. I don't mind the anime style as long it is CV game

Well those are for me the most underrated Castlevania games.

[kraidstar]

a lot of good stuff in this topic. one thing we can really take from this is that just about every CV game is at least above-average. the standards for this series are high, though, leading to a lot of expectations which have changed as time has gone on, our perspectives looking back now are certainly different than when these games originally launched. but i think time has shows that this series is remarkable is how it has so many games with different attributes on different systems, and somehow they are all still good. overall i've played every game except for judgement, the ios game, and Lords of Shadow, and i've enjoyed every game. but here's my list.

1. legacy of darkness. N64 - really one of the top-10 or at least top-20 N64 games. big, varied environments/objectives, fun but nerve-wracking platforming (clock tower is amazing), good bosses, lots of replay value, decent item system. this is the direction 3D CV games should be going in. funny thing is, CV64 got very good reviews when it came out, so there must have been some redeeming qualities to it. and then legacy actually greatly fixed/improved many of the camera/control/slowdown problems and added a whole bunch of new content, and yet those games are now generally remembered as failures... doesn't make sense, and i hope more people come to appreciate the many good qualities of those games.

2. Haunted Castle, arcade - this is one of the weaker CV games, but it is so poorly regarded that i felt i had to include it in the list. it is exceptionally difficult, but can be mastered with patience and practice, and the level design, enemies, and atmosphere are actually very good. start off with the easier ROM set and even lower the difficulty if you like. once you get the hang of it, it's actually a really fun game. the key is to add quarters at the beginning of the game to boost your health way up to 400% - this means you only have 1 life, but believe me, it is still possible to win, and there aren't many bottomless pits to kill you anyways. collect all the hearts you can, there are some spots where getting a couple of those tricky hearts means all the difference in the world (excess hearts boost your health at the end of the level). also use the stopwatch, it is by far the best weapon.

3. Vampire Killer, MSX computer - a fun oddity that has the same physics/graphics of CV1, but some very unusual gameplay, which involves searching short, 4-5 screen levels for keys and items. it's actually pretty fun, but you'll need to use the infinite lives cheat, as the game is nearly impossible otherwise.

4. Castlevania Dracula XX, SNES - this is a good CV game, and it is really more of a sister game to rondo rather than a port. the levels are completely different, though the enemies are largely the same. the end boss is one of the best in the series as well. based on its own merits it's a good game, though not great, and is worth playing for any CV fan whether you've played rondo or not.

5. Bloodlines, genesis - this is one of the best CV games in the series, but is rarely mentioned as such. i love the fast gameplay, it's a nice departure from the belmonts' normal slower speed. the bosses are also exceptional. i do wish though they'd abandoned the limited continue system and just made the game harder but with infinite continues.

honorable mention: CV chronicles, CV rebirth

[PyramidHead]

Of course, Legacy of Darkness is underrated. Usually when I play other Castlevanias I sometimes say something like "I would add this.""I would change that". "It would be more fun if...". But when I play LoD I say nothing. I just can't imagine what can make this game even better.

Also, Simon's Quest. It has its flaws, but it's not a bad game. Actually, it's one of the best games on nes. 

[JoshuaKadmon]

I think Castlevania Chronicles, especially its Arrange Mode, is sorely overlooked.  Its content and level structure are like an amalgamation of the original Castlevania, Vampire Killer, Haunted Castle, and Super Castlevania IV.  Its release on PSX was also a sort of homecoming for Koji Igarashi and Ayami Kojima.  I still enjoy playing it on my Vita.

[Skycaptain Steampunk]

Lords of shadows is the more underrated every body hate it when is the best of the history, this is the more underrated any game can have.

[son_the_vampire]

Order of Shadows... such a wholesome game... very short but you can see that they put effort into it.. i like the music too

[Flame]

Lords of shadows is the more underrated every body hate it when is the best of the history, this is the more underrated any game can have.

Lords of Shadow is not underrated by any stretch of the imagination. It has many fans, and is specifically meant to garner more mainstream gaming media attention, where previous entries have been very niche. And on that front, it succeeded.

The fact that it was as divisive among the fanbase as it was, is solid proof that it is NOT underrated. It garnered PLENTY of attention, and PLENTY of opinions about it. both pro and con.

Also, sorry, still not the best CV in history. There are far stronger games which could get that title, like SCIV, or SoTN. Or possibly even Rondo. Or heck, CV3.

[Skycaptain Steampunk]

It is underrated because lot of people hate because it is made in Spain, if all people can look and see the only reality every one will see it is the best castlevania and stop talking about the past, the old games passed of fashion or the igarashis that are not for men i don't even think of igarashis as castlevanias and they are the better example of overrated, like who say.

[Lelygax]

We dont hate it because it has been made in Spain, we dislike some things in it because they did it wrong. A mistake is a mistake, it being made in Spain or Japan or any country, it simple doesnt matter.