23 Years Ago Today, Konami Released 'Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow'

In the '90s and early 2000s, it was difficult for fans to discuss video games without Konami's portfolio of titles entering the conversation. The Silent Hill and Castlevania series have some of the strongest (and weakest) individual game entries in franchise history, and one of Konami's greatest titles turns 23 years old today.

Today, May 6, 2026, is the 23rd anniversary of the North American release of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow on the Game Boy Advance. Aria of Sorrow was the first game in the Castlevania series to be set in the future, in the year 2035, and expand on the role-playing and metroidvania foundations established in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

The game starred Soma Cruz in the leading role, a high school exchange student studying abroad in Japan. On the night of a solar eclipse, he blacks out on a walk to the nearby shrine and wakes up at Dracula's Castle. Players are then tasked with fighting creatures, exploring the castle, and unraveling the mysterious connection Soma has to Dracula and his castle.

Aria of Sorrow was the first game in the series to feature the "souls" system, which allowed Soma to defeat enemies and learn some of their powers. The game retained a leveling system like Symphony of the Night.

According to Metacritic, Aria of Sorrow sits at an impressive 91 metascore, making it one of the most positively received games in the history of the 40-year-old series. The game saw particular praise for its "souls" system, exploration, boss fights, and state-of-the-art handheld graphics (at the time).

Aria of Sorrow received a direct sequel on the Nintendo DS called Dawn of Sorrow, and that game would see similar praise. Aria of Sorrow, along with Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Dracula X, were re-released together for modern consoles and PC in 2021 as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection.

A new Castlevania title, calledCastlevania: Belmont's Curse, is in development and scheduled for release in 2026, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 3:54 PM.