The sequel to one of the best exploration-style Castlevania titles on the Game Boy Advance, Dawn of Sorrow comes to the DS and establishes the series on new hardware. This meticulously detailed action platform game is addictive, and even more so than the previous entries. The addition of a soul collection system raises this Castlevania entry above the usual expectations and keeps players hooked.
What makes this collection aspect work (and impossible to dismiss as a gimmick) is how flawlessly it has been integrated into the gameplay. It feels normal, gathering souls that are sometimes deposited by a large variety of killed enemies, to use on weapons or to advance past an otherwise locked section of the enormous castle. The only problem this creates is randomness, since a soul you need to advance may not be in your inventory. It's not always clear which soul you need either.
You're right in thinking that it barely qualifies as a flaw. Dawn of Sorrow is just that impressive, making any aggravation brief and forgettable. These new Castlevania titles have the uncanny ability to make being lost for hours fun and engrossing. Opening a new section is a joy, and the feeling of accomplishment only grows as the castle map increases.
If you're looking for an entirely new experience, something to bring back the basic style when the series originated, that's not going to happen here. The DS isn't used extensively, and the best feature is the map displayed on the top screen at all times. It literally saves hours, eliminating the need to swap various status screens just to find a small part of the map you have yet to explore.
This is a rare DS game (as of this writing) that uses the bottom screen for its core gameplay. This allows for minor touch screen features, like the ability to break ice blocks by touching them. You'll also need to "seal" bosses by drawing a specific pattern on screen, and this can be frustrating. It's not enough to just kill a boss, but just a slight mistake starts the battle again.
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I want stradys and walk throughs not telling about the game!