Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle (悪魔城ドラキュラ Xクロニクル, Akumajō Dorakyura Ekkusu Kuronikuru, lit. "Devil's Castle Dracula X Chronicle"), is a PlayStation Portable game in the Castlevania series of games by Konami. The game is a remake of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood with 2.5D graphics, and represents the first time that Rondo of Blood was officially released outside of Japan. The game also includes the original Rondo of Blood localized into English, as well as a remastered port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The game was released in North America on October 23, 2007.
Plot[]
The Dracula X Chronicles adds minor additions and features to the gameplay of Rondo of Blood. Two new obstacles, a barrier made of red skeletons, and a barrier made of crystal, are added to various parts of the game. Saving Tera and Iris grants the player respective items required to destroy these barriers. The puzzles required to save Iris and Annette have been altered. Stage 5' is given a revamped stage layout and a brand new boss, the Hydra. Not saving Annette forces the player to battle a vampire version of her in place of Shaft's ghost in Stage 7, which warrants a bad ending. This boss is moved to an alternate exit in Stage 5' if Annette has been saved. After saving Annette and defeating Shaft's ghost, Dracula gains a new third form which must be defeated to obtain the true ending.
New dialogue scenes are added, and pre-existing scenes are altered or extended. Small introductory cutscenes are added before boss fights. These are fully voiced in English and Japanese, and the player can choose the language in the options menu. The title of Stage 8 is renamed "Bloodlines", the same title as the introduction level in the English localization of Symphony of the Night. "Rondo of Blood" is the title in the original Japanese versions.
First seen in Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, a Boss Rush mode is added. The mode contains four courses, which differ in the set of bosses fought. This mode can be played cooperatively with a second player over the PSP's Ad-Hoc wireless connection.
While the original game featured anime style artwork, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles contains new character designs by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night character designer Ayami Kojima.