A funny thing happened to the gaming industry along the way to the planned domination of photo-realistic and HD-powered visuals.  Incredibly, classic 2D gameplay began making a comeback, thanks to a new generation of online-equipped gaming consoles, lower prices, and generations of fans having come to respect the pixel as an art form.  Few companies have been able to ride this retro-train with such class as Konami and their unique ‘upgrades’ to their classic line-up with the ReBirth series.  Perhaps a better title would have been Remix, as these odd hybrids of Konami classics feel more like best-of compilations than actual remakes or completely new chapters.  After successful treatments with Gradius and Contra, developer M2 aims their guns at possibly the most anticipated chapter in this surprising phenomenon yet with Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth for Nintendo’s WiiWare service.

While Konami is touting this latest ReBirth title as a remake-of-sorts for the two-decade old Gameboy original, don’t believe a word of it.  The original was the portable debut for the series, and a rather limited one at that, removing much of what had become trademarks of the most famous pre-Symphony of the Night installments.  While the core gameplay of a Belmont (Christopher) whipping his way across levels that required stealthy jumping remained intact, gone were the incredulous and depth-defying staircases, sub-weapons, and of course, color.  While that game saddled players with the slowest member of the Belmont clan and blurry visuals, this update re-imagines the original through 16-bit goggles for a new generation of vampire slayers.

ReBirth essentially eschews nearly everything from the original game, instead finding its inspiration in the totality of a true ‘classic’ Castlevania experience.  Gone are the Gameboy’s reliance on climbing ropes and crushing spikes, replaced with stock staircases, multitudes of familiar sub-weapons (axe, knife, holy water, boomerang, etc) and plenty of hearts to collect along the way.  Apart from the very unwelcome return of rolling eyeball baddies (gross) and the ability to upgrade your whip with a flaming projectile, the game bears almost no resemblance to its namesake release.  The effect is something new that feels classic, yet entirely its own unique experience.

With six long levels full of undead skeletons, bats, and the occasional flying Medusa head there’s plenty to slash your way through.  Taking a cue from ‘later’ releases, each level now has a mid-boss encounter and branching passages, some which lead to treasure while others to shortcuts to the end.  Thankfully, there are mid-level checkpoints to help keep the frustration level to a minimum, because this is truly a classic Castlevania experience – and classic means really, really difficult.  And the game rewards your bravery, as playing on high difficulty levels means you'll be seeing more of what the levels have to offer...if you survive.  Having the option to tailor the experience based on difficulty is always welcome, and something I wish modern games took advantage of more often.

Completing the game unlocks a special ‘Classic’ mode, which removes the ability to control your jumping direction mid-air, essentially making an already difficult game even more difficult.  Not that I have a problem with that, mind you.  I like ‘em tough.

Much like previous ReBirth games, Castlevania’s graphic styling is pure manna from 16-bit heaven, with an extra helping of brightly colored sprites filling practically every last inch of the screen.  I was actually really impressed with most of the game’s new look, particularly with how many newly drawn monsters and backgrounds that simply EXPLODE with vivid color.  While some may decry the lack of gothic-laced dreariness and shadowy-style the series has often flirted with, I love seeing chunky sprites animating in my platform games, making the game seem like a Gameboy Advance or latter-day DS title expanded to fit larger displays.

Few game franchises have been so intrinsically linked to their soundtracks as have Castlevania , and this is where things get really interesting.  Instead of strictly upgrading the original Gameboy’s (excellent) soundtrack for this edition of ReBirth, developer M2 and composer Manabu Namiki have dug deep into the series’ history and re-appropriated a healthy mix of familiar and obscure tunes that help keep the blood flowing.  Tracks like ‘Reincarnated Souls’ (Bloodlines, Sega Genesis) and ‘Aquarius’ (Castlevania III, NES) may be more familiar than the relatively obscure ‘New Messiah’ (Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge, Gameboy) or the strange ‘File Load BGM’ (Akumajo Dracula, X68000) but they do sound great when you’re busy whipping a few undead back where they came from.  Of course, the classic ‘Vampire Killer’ is back in full force, introducing each level to great effect before blooming full towards the game’s finale.

While the versions of the songs here certainly aren’t the best we’ve ever heard (perhaps itself a nod to the series FM synth roots?) they get the job done.  It’s a shame the game didn’t include more of the Gameboy’s excellent soundtrack for its own, and what’s up with the Saturday Morning Cartoon-quality sound effects in places?  Did those monsters really just go ‘GOOSH!’ and ‘SPLAT!’ when they died?

Apart from a snazzy visual upgrade and being a download-only title for the console’s WiiWare service, this new Castlevania doesn’t gain much from being transported onto the Wii console.  There are plenty of options when it comes to control, including standard Wii Remote, Classic Controller, Nunchuk, and even GameCube pads if that’s your thing.  Thank goodness the Nunchuk option is just that, with a little swing of the Wii remote substituting for Belmont’s whip…sounds nice in execution, but if there was ever a game that required pinpoint accuracy, it’s Castlevania.  My personal preference was the Wii remote on the side, which helped reinforce the whole 8-bittiness of the actual gameplay.

Konami continues their successful string of new-classics with the spectacular re-imagining of the Gameboy original with Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth.  For a virtual pittance you get a classic-playing Castlevania that looks 16-bit, plays 8-bit, and contains more than enough nostalgic cues to please even the most hardened fan of the series.  Punishing difficulty and linear level-design both make triumphant returns here, with exquisite jumping and timed whips awaiting those who dare take such a challenge.  And the soundtrack is a great trip down memory lane, even in its strange FM synth mode.  Let's hope Konami keeps the ReBirth series coming, because its high time for more Rush 'n Attack and top-down Metal Gear.