History VideoGame / CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** In ''Aria'', [[HornyDevils a Succubus and a Lilith]] appear to have been taking a bath together in one room, and the Lilith is hidden underwater at first. In both games, quite a few of the humanoid or partially humanoid enemies have sprites that make it obvious that they're completely naked. The sprites are actually anatomically correct in many cases, but it's fairly subtle due to the GBA and DS' resolution. This is also true of some of the background art. Also, see ImprobablyFemaleCast.
** One of the bedrooms in ''Dawn'' is filled with female enemies, some on the bed within the room. You'll find that two Witches have brought in their Apprentice to consort with a Lilith and a Succubus in a Yoko costume and have dragged in one of the Persephone maids to join them.
** Only visible in the debug menu (which in turn can only be accessed by hacking), the internal name for the Inner Quarters is the "Harem".

* ZettaiRyouiki: [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080227203541/castlevania/images/c/c2/MinaDawn.jpg Mina]] in ''Dawn of Sorrow''.

* BlessedWithSuck: Soma is Dracula. This gives him many powerful abilities, but also means that a bunch of people attempt to either turn him into Dracula proper for ulterior motives, or to eliminate and replace him to gain his power.

* OldSaveBonus: If you start ''Dawn'' while ''Aria'' is in your GBA slot, you start with Rare Ring, which makes those rare drops more likely to drop. Also, Yoko's shop gets a Mina doll in the background.

The box, manual and introduction [[LateArrivalSpoiler make no effort to hide]] Soma's status as Dracula's reincarnation. The game starts with Soma living a normal life with his [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend not-girlfriend]] Mina when he is suddenly attacked by cult leader Celia, who wishes to create a new dark lord. After the fight, Soma [[WithThisHerring charges into the cult's base with nothing but a rusty pocket knife and the clothes on his back]]. Oh, and [[BagOfSpilling he doesn't have any of the souls from]] ''[[BagOfSpilling Aria]]'', [[JustifiedTrope having dumped them in the Chaotic Realm to reseal Castlevania and all]]. This time, the castle is somewhere in Europe and is made to be a similar substitute to the sealed Castlevania.

* TheAntiChrist: [[spoiler:Soma is Dracula's reincarnation, which makes him the target of the With Light cult that believes in GoodNeedsEvil, so they're trying to get him to come into his heritage and become the Dark Lord the world needs so the world's balance can be completed]].

* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: Both Arikado and the cultists in ''Dawn'' appear to believe that the universe requires a supreme evil being (whether Dracula, [[LateArrivalSpoiler Soma]], or someone else) to balance out God. The cult tries to force the issue, while Arikado and Soma come to the conclusion that the universe will balance things out eventually by providing a Dark Lord.

%%* BigBad: [[spoiler:Graham]] in ''Aria of Sorrow'', and Celia in ''Dawn of Sorrow''.

* BookEnds: Depending on how you look at it, the ''Sorrow'' series provides [[EarnYourHappyEnding the ultimate closure for Dracula]]. For one, compare Soma to [[spoiler:Mathias]]; [[RuleOfSymbolism the color of their garments and hair are almost completely reversed]]. In ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence Lament of Innocence]]'', we see [[spoiler:Mathias]] falling out with the Belmonts and [[StartOfDarkness the beginning of his descent into darkness]]. In the ''Sorrow'' games, Soma gets to live a relatively blissful life, has a good ally in the form of Julius Belmont, and, just as he is the latest incarnation of Dracula, [[spoiler:his love interest Mina Hakuba is heavily implied to be the reincarnation of Dracula's loves, Elisabetha and Lisa]]. [[WildMassGuessing Perhaps]] God gave [[spoiler:Mathias]] [[MyGreatestSecondChance another shot at happiness]]?

* GoodNeedsEvil: [[spoiler:Celia believes that [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil in order for good to exist, evil must exist, too]]. This is why she wants Soma to become Dracula so the world's balance will be completed. Arikado believes in this trope, too, yet his opinion is the universe will provide a "Dark Lord" when it's necessary, and that no one ''has'' to be evil to fit the requirement.]]

* GrandFinale: The good endings mark the conclusion of the battle between Dracula and the Belmont clan. In ''Aria'', Soma manages to defeat the evil of Castlevania that sought to turn him into Dracula again. In ''Dawn'', he refuses the mantle once again despite being told that the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil demands that he become the King of Evil. So even if the universe truly needs a BigBad, it won't be Dracula again.

* KnightTemplar: Celia's cult from ''Dawn'', With Light. Believing that GodIsGood, they reason that in order for God to exist, the Dark Lord must stand opposite of him. And since Soma [[RefusalOfTheCall rejected his status as such]], Celia's going to offer him up as a sacrifice to create a new one, or failing that, attempt to force his hand. [[spoiler:In the ending, Arikado affirms that the cult's way of thinking was right, but that if the world truly needs a Dark Lord, [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil nature will respond of its own accord]].]]

* MyNameIsQuestionMarks: When Genya first speaks, in the opening cutscene, his name is "???".

* ReligionOfEvil: The BigBad of the first game was the head of a sect that focused on the apocalypse, while the second game had cultist Celia and her minions trying to [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil recreate the Dark Lord in order for a perfectly good God to exist]].

** Graham Jones, although his AGodAmI phase [[FauxAffablyEvil discards most of his affability]].

* DevilComplex: [[spoiler:Graham Jones]] in ''Aria'' and Dmitrii and Darius in ''Dawn'' are completely convinced that they are Dracula's {{Reincarnation}} because they were born the day he died. While they all have demon-related supernatural abilities, they are also completely wrong; the real reincarnation is [[spoiler:the protagonist [[AntiAntiChrist Soma]]]].

* GrandTheftMe: This is how [[spoiler:Dracula came BackFromTheDead, via his reincarnation Soma Cruz]].

** Soma's NPC allies all have a counterpart in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse''. Genya is Alucard, Yoko is a descendant of Sypha, Julius is a descendant of Trevor, and Hammer shares many physical and personality traits with Grant. None the least of which is his [[HopelessSuitor crush on Yoko]], a Belnades witch.

!''Aria of Sorrow''

!''Dawn of Sorrow''

* ShoutOut:
** The Legion soul in ''Aria'' is based on the laser from ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}''. It even fires three as though they were from Vic Viper and the options. Another ''Gradius'' reference can be found in ''Dawn'': the Bat Company boss sometimes forms into the shape of a ring-spitting Moai head, a common enemy in the ''Gradius'' series.
** There is a skeleton enemy that occurs in a single location in ''Aria'' who wears a ScarfOfAsskicking and whose only attack is the [[Franchise/KamenRider Rider Kick]]. It has a chance of dropping a Red Scarf or an Ancient Belt, and its soul lets you do the kick yourself.
** Taking this further with a nod to ''Franchise/KamenRider''[='=]s own MythologyGag monster, the [[SpiderPeople Arachnes]] in ''Aria'' shoot volleys of needles in the same manner as [[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Dispider]].
** The Ape Skeleton [[Franchise/DonkeyKong throws barrels]].
** Cagnazzo, Scarmiglione/Skull Millione, and Rubicante/Lubicant in ''Aria'' are members of the Malebranche from the ''[[Literature/TheDivineComedy Inferno]]'', as are Barbariccia, Draghignazzo, and Malacoda in ''Dawn''. It's possible that ''Dawn''[='=]s [[PlanetHeck final area]] is also intended to be an ''Inferno'' reference, especially given that it has multiple segments with different themes, one of which is frozen.
** Being a high schooler and a [[spoiler:(reincarnation of a) vampire]], Konami couldn't resist making Soma full of [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Jotaro and Dio]] references.
*** The Cagnazzo soul is basically a Stand, complete with the "Ora ora ora!" shout. Other blue souls that manifest entities to protect or assist in battle all pretty much resemble the other known stands.
*** Blocking with the Final Guard elicits a "Muda!"
*** Healing himself to full by draining enemies causes Soma to quote Dio when he drained [[spoiler:Joseph]].
*** What used to simply be the [[TimeStandsStill clock]] item was turned into a colossal reference in ''Aria''. First [[spoiler:Soma encounters an enemy with a confusing power that won't let him get near. Then he gains the ability to move through stopped time. Finally he learns to stop time himself]]. [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Sound familiar?]] The series' visual effect is even modeled after the ''[=JoJo=]'' [=OVAs=]. Furthermore, to extend the resemblance, in Dawn of Sorrow Soma can throw knives with a red soul during the timestop that will freeze in time as they leave his hands, exactly like Dio does it in ''Stardust Crusaders''. This effect also turns up in ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin Portrait of Ruin]]'' when Jonathan uses the Stopwatch and then starts throwing knives.
*** Zephyr in ''Dawn'' shows up to reference everything else about Dio that Soma missed.
*** Kyoma Demon resembles the Hanged Man Stand, and several bosses in ''Dawn of Sorrow'' utilize mirrors to escape Soma's attack, forcing him to manipulate their reflections to make them vunerable.
*** A massive ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Battle Tendency]]'' reference appears in the Chaos Realm in ''Aria'', where you can encounter a Skeletal Charioteer in a room that resembles part of the Arena section of the Castle, which has quite a striking resemblance to the chariots used by Joseph and Wamuu in their fight.
** Mina takes her name from the heroine of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} the original Bram Stoker novel]] (for bonus points, "Hakuba" is as Japanese as they could ever make "Harker" to be).
** The UniqueEnemy [[spoiler:Chronomage, who can stop time]] is depicted as [[spoiler:a [[Literature/AliceInWonderland White Rabbit in Victorian dress with a pocketwatch.]]]]
** ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' of all things gets one too. There is a usable healing item called Tinned Spinach and the description reads as "May give the illusion of bulking up muscle mass." Sadly, it neither heals you very much nor gives you a temporary boost in attack power.
** It may or may not have been intentional, but Menace's "antibodies" are remarkably similar to Literature/TheLangoliers.
** Bat Company could be a reference to the band Music/BadCompany. The official player's guide even makes a joke about it.
** It seems more than just coincidence that the enemy [[MonsterClown clowns]] sometimes drop [[UsefulNotes/McDonalds hamburgers]] when killed.
** The Poison Fist is a supposed kung fu technique popularized in Japan by [[Main/TheEighties 80s manga]] such as the obscure ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}'' spin-off, ''Tatakae!! Ramenman'' and Wong from ''Manga/TekkenChinmi''. The game has their anime adaptations' purple color when attacking.

* ItCameFromTheFridge: Spoiled Milk. "It expired THREE YEARS ago."

** RandomDropBooster: In addition to the Rare Ring for items, the Soul Eater Ring increases the chance for souls.
** RareRandomDrop: Some souls can be stupidly hard to get. Tsuchinoko from ''Aria'' and Peeping Eye from ''Dawn'' get the honour of being the most difficult ones in each game.
*** Just for the sake of clarification, it isn't the drop rate that makes the Tsuchinoko soul hard to get. It's the fact that it can just straight up leave the room, so you need to be decently powerful and/or hope it feels like co-operating to get even a chance of having its soul. And then you need to hope the RNG co-operates as well, although its drop rate isn't too terrible. So as long as you're strong enough to kill it decently quickly, it's much easier to get.
*** Sky Fish in ''Aria'' gives a StealthHiBye.
*** Iron Golem in ''Dawn'' has 50 HP and resistance to ''EVERY SINGLE ATTACK TYPE IN THE GAME'', ensuring that you will only ever do 1 HP of damage with every attack (unless you attack it with Death's Scythe's special attack, which deals 2 HP), or using a multi-hit weapon like Laevatain to reduce that. The only relief to give oneself in this venture is to use the not-as-useful Imp Soul, "Astral Veil", which turns the screen black-white for a bit and switches HP/MP for a time. However, this Iron Golem STILL has 15 MP, which while more manageable, would still require 8 hits from Laevatain in order to defeat. Astral Veil doesn't last but a few short seconds and costs a pretty hefty ''50 MP'' to cast. Soul Rarity is 3-stars (1%). Players are pretty likely to attempt farming this soul several times for the Chaos Ring and to forge Burtgang in the Sword forging list. The only other consolation is the fact that Iron Golem gives a pretty hefty 2000 experience points per kill.

* [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Hoist By Her Own Petard]]: In the bad ending to ''Dawn'', [[spoiler:Celia fakes killing Mina. Without Mina's talisman to absorb the darkness spawned by his rage, Soma becomes Dracula, [[GoneHorriblyRight just like Celia wanted... and then brutally kills her in revenge.]] Nice work, Celia. Rest in peace.]]

** [[strike:[[BlackBlood Black]]]] [[BlackBlood Orange Blood]]: For some reason, any non-scenery blood in ''Dawn'', whether it comes from you or your enemies, is orange. It's possible that this was an attempt to make the blood look [[RealIsBrown more realistic]] that backfired.