Skip to main content

Konami could resurrect the Castlevania series for the Nintendo Switch

Castlevania | Teaser: Vengeance | Netflix
Konami recently injected new life into its Bomberman series with the release of Super Bomberman R on Nintendo Switch, and the success of Nintendo’s platform seems to have the publisher considering the revival of the Castlevania series, as well.

Speaking to Miketendo64 on a conference call, Konami European brand manager Richard Jones revealed that the publisher has been examining other classic franchises it can bring to the Nintendo Switch.

Recommended Videos

“All I can say is that there is lots of internal discussion going on within Konami regarding what games we can bring to the Nintendo Switch, other than Bomberman, a game which we are well aware of its heritage and how loved it and Castlevania [are],” Jones said. “So much so that Castelvania is getting its own shown on Netflix and because of that, we’re hearing a lot of desires from our fans for a new Castlevania series.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The Castlevania television series will be animated and will be “hard R-rated,” with the copious amounts of violence seen in some of the later games.  It’s based largely on the NES game Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, and will run for two seasons. Four episodes will debut on Netflix on July 7.

The Castlevania series was otherwise put on ice after the conclusion of its rebooted Lords of Shadow sub-series. One of those games, Lords of Shadow — Mirror of Fate, was originally released as a 3DS exclusive before being moved to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

In place of an official Castlevania, however, longtime series producer Koji Igarashi has been developing a spiritual successor, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The game returns to the exploration-heavy “Metroidvania” gameplay for which the series was known since the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and it will also be releasing on Nintendo Switch in addition to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and PlayStation Vita.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
I want the Nintendo Switch 2 to steal this one Wii U feature
A black and pink Switch 2 joy-con.

When Nintendo revealed the Switch 2, there was a tinge of disappointment in some corners of the internet over the fact that the console wasn't a major departure from the original Switch. It is still a hybrid console that you slide in and out of a dock to play games on the go or via your TV, only with prettier graphics, a bigger screen, and new Joy-cons. However, Nintendo still has a gimmick up its sleeve, only it isn't as in-your-face as it was with something like the Wii's motion controls.

The Switch 2's new Joy-cons aren't just bigger and magnetic but also appear to have new mouse-like functionality. This opens up the doors for a ton of new games we want to see on the Switch 2 that could take advantage of that unique control scheme.

Read more
How to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 on a blue background.

Now that the Switch 2 has made its official debut, everyone is ready to put their money down to get their hands on this new console. The initial trailer showcased just a glimpse of the system but did put many minds at ease by confirming backwards compatibility. Sadly, the one major piece of information we were hoping for, the release date, was missing from the reveal. We know it is coming in 2025, and that there will be events held around the world to play it early, but most of us just want to preorder the system so we know we will have it when it does finally launch. You can't technically preorder the Switch 2 quite yet, but we can show you how to be the first to know when you can.
How to preorder the Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 – First-look trailer

As of the time of this writing, preorders for the Switch 2 are not open at any retailer. We suspect they will open once the full release date and price is shared, likely on April 2 during the next Direct. However, there are some retailers that are currently allowing customers to sign up for email notifications when preorders become available. Here are all the current places you can go to sign up for notifications:
Best Buy
You can visit the Best Buy store and sign up for their email notifications. Emails will include information about the console, but also games and other things related to the Switch 2.
GameStop
GameStop has launched its product page for the Switch 2 and also offers emails related to pre-orders, news, and upcoming games.
When will preorders start for the Switch 2?

Read more
5 games we want to see on the Nintendo Switch 2
Astrion holds his chin in Baldur's Gate 3.

Now that the Nintendo Switch 2 has had its formal reveal and will be arriving in 2025, we can finally shift our focus from all hardware leaks and rumors to the most important part of any console: the software. The Switch 2 was revealed with footage of Mario Kart 9 and details about its backwards compatibility, but that leaves a lot of room to hope and speculate for other games to fill the lineup of upcoming games. With a host of new features, as well as more power to keep up with games that wouldn't be possible on the Switch, a world of possibility has opened up for games we would love to play on the Switch 2. These are our top seven games that we would love to see hit Nintendo's latest console.
Crusader Kings 3

Hardcore strategy games have typically been a genre locked to PCs. While plenty of recent games have done an admiral job of adapting the complex controls and systems for controllers, the genre is clearly best played with a mouse in almost every example. The Switch 2's new Joy-cons may look like a larger version of the original, but they come with a simple yet brilliant feature that opens the doors for these types of experiences to sing. By holding the Joy-con on its side and placing it on a flat surface, you can use it as a mouse pointer. This would be the ideal way to play a game like Crusader Kings 3, which is built on being one of the most dynamic and deep simulations set in the Middle Ages. Being able to take your empire on the go and still be able to easily manage all the systems without fumbling over the controls would easily get us addicted all over again.
Baldur's Gate 3

Read more