History Videogame / CastlevaniaJudgment

* CrisisCrossover: Calling characters from different time periods in Castlevania history. This is meant to explain why certain incarnations of characters were used:
** Alucard is taken from after the events of ''[[CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]'', while Maria is taken from a time period between ''[[CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Rondo of Blood]]'' and ''Symphony''.
** Trevor and Grant were taken after the events of the third game while Sypha was taken from before she met them, hence her old attitude towards them.

* CrisisCrossover: Calling characters from different time periods in Castlevania history.

* BossBattle: Each character has a boss battle against another character in their regular story modes. When True Story Mode is unlocked, players will battle Aeon one more time before taking on the TrueFinalBoss, the Time Reaper. If the player goes through True Story Mode as Aeon, they will encounter Dracula instead.

* MovesetClone: Simon and Trevor--same weapons, different application.

* RyuAndKen: Simon (Ryu) and Trevor (Ken), the wielders of the Vampire Killer whip.

* CrisisCrossover

* BewarerTheSillyOnes: Maria Renard has the general looks and attitude you'd expect of a MagicalGirl, and even has the ability to flub her special attacks and combos, resulting in her tripping and falling -- in fact, her Hyper attack involves her falling flat on her face while trying to pull it off. Despite that, she can kick plenty of ass if she tries.

** AmiKoshimizu (Sypha)

* RyuAndKen: Simon and Trevor--same weapons, different application.

* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything: Aeon has a quote for ''everyone'' when he uses his super on them ([[{{Mirrormatch}} Even himself]]), usually talking about their attitudes, such as how Eric's arrogance with the Alucard Spear isn't justified by his jealousy of the Belmont whip.

* WholePlotReference: If you squint hard enough, to ''KidDracula'' [[CanonDiscontinuity of all games]]. Galamoth is trying again to usurp Dracula, take his throne, and control the Netherrealm. The Time Reaper's "I come from ten thousand years hence" line refers to 10,000 A.D., the date of ''Kid Dracula''. In ''Kid Dracula'', Galamoth has in his service [[TheGrimReaper a reaper]] named Shinigami-San, which is Death's name in Japan, thus linking him to the Time Reaper.

* BigBreastsBigDeal: Sypha. Only mentioned in Maria's story.

It boasted a cast of thirteen familiar faces from the entirety of the ''Castlevania'' series in addition to a new game-specific character, justified with an ExcusePlot about pulling people from various time periods to battle a future menace who sought to change history. Long-time bosses {{Dracula}}, {{Death}} and Carmilla were [[PromotedToPlayable playable for the first time ever]]. (Well, [[CastlevaniaSorrow Dracula is debatable]]...) Battles took place in 3D arenas with their share of obstacles, as well as breakable objects containing items that could be used in addition to each character's natural abilities. Despite the odd concept, it looked to be promising.

* ArtShift: [[Manga/DeathNote Takeshi]] [[HikaruNoGo Obata's]] artwork for this game got a ''strong'' reaction from the fans. Which is ironic, considering that ''Castlevania'' has almost never maintained consistent character depictions over the 25+ years of it's existence. Simon Belmont himself has changed outfits and faces repeatedly throughout his career.

* HannibalLecture: Aeon actually incorporates these into his Hyper Attacks, with an individualized one for each character, even [[MirrorMatch himself]].

* ACupAngst - Maria's storyline, taking place three years after ''Rondo of Blood'', involves being jealous of the other female characters' larger breasts. Aeon tells her point-blank she'll get the figure she craves, but will also mature past the need for it.
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent - Fans have noticed certain characters sporting strong similarities to members of the ''[[SoulSeries Soulcalibur]]'' franchise:

* AncestralWeapon - Simon tries to prove himself worthy of the Vampire Killer whip to Trevor. Eric tries to prove the value of the Alucard Spear to the eponymous donor.
* ArcNumber - Aeon has thirteen. Thirteen hours on Aeon's clock, thirteen hits to his Super, thirteen characters brought to the time rift to help him...
* ArtShift - [[Manga/DeathNote Takeshi]] [[HikaruNoGo Obata's]] artwork for this game got a ''strong'' reaction from the fans. Which is ironic, considering that ''Castlevania'' has almost never maintained consistent character depictions over the 25+ years of it's existence. Simon Belmont himself has changed outfits and faces repeatedly throughout his career.

* {{BFS}} - Eric's spear is larger than he is. Alucard's sword is of normal size, but he uses the larger Sword Familiar as a sneak attack.
* BigBadassWolf - Cornell.
* BigBreastsBigDeal - Sypha. Only mentioned in Maria's story.
* BlessedWithSuck - Prior to his plot point in ''Legacy of Darkness'' establishing that he trained himself to harness such abilities, Cornell seeks to eliminate his beastman nature.
** CursedWithAwesome - He's ''still'' a werewolf, so he puts those abilities to good use while hunting the other denizens of the night.
* BloodKnight - Shanoa, who's willing to test her power on the Belmonts.
* CostumePorn - The character designs give almost everyone very elaborate clothing.

* DarkIsNotEvil - Cornell and Golem pull this off, [[TearJerker tearjerkingly]] so for the latter.
* DealWithTheDevil - Subverted. Cornell asks Death if he knows how to cure his condition. Death responds in the affirmative and offers to do it. Cornell refuses; he only wanted to confirm that there ''was'' a way.
* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything - Aeon has a quote for ''everyone'' when he uses his super on them ([[{{Mirrormatch}} Even himself]]), usually talking about their attitudes, such as how Eric's arrogance with the Alucard Spear isn't justified by his jealousy of the Belmont whip.
* {{Dojikko}} - In addition to her super move's odd outcome, Maria randomly trips during two of her moves. It's a ScrappyMechanic, as it leaves her open to any combo or super move even if her move connects.

* DramaticIrony - Sypha comes from a time prior to ''Castlevania III'', while the other three protagonists come from after it. Some of them take advantage of this.
* EnemyMine - Aeon's method requires help from the other thirteen, including the villains. Death in particular is quick to aid him, as he knows what's going on.
* ExtyYearsFromNow - "I come from ten thousand years hence."

* {{Expy}} - Aeon is a composite of two time-manipulating characters from the series: St. Germain from ''Curse of Darkness'' (his organization, outfit, inability to directly act outside areas rifted from time, and Death rivalry) and the Chronomage from ''Aria of Sorrow'' (the [[Literature/AliceInWonderland White Rabbit]] motif with color, pocketwatch, and obsession with being on time, and his opposition to Galamoth).
* FlechetteStorm - Grant has a stance, meter-draining special move, and super move all devoted to filling the enemy with numerous knives.
* FragileSpeedster - Grant and Carmilla, with honorable mention to Death.
* TheGhost - Galamoth is the mastermind behind the plot. He never appears in the game, and only a single line from the final boss establishes his involvement.
* HannibalLecture - Aeon actually incorporates these into his Hyper Attacks, with an individualized one for each character, even [[MirrorMatch himself]].
* HeroicSacrifice - Oddly, the Golem has the most heartwrenching story in the game. He becomes self-aware and strives to become human, only to sacrifice his newfound consciousness to save the rest of humanity.
* IneffectualLoner - Eric, here portrayed as a child prior to the events of ''Bloodlines'', is unhappy with being TheLancer ([[BladeOnAStick literally]]) to the Morris clan, and goes out to prove he's good enough on his own. Others call him out on his arrogance, and he ends up begrudgingly accepting his fate in the end.
* InformedAbility - One of Death's victory lines is "I decide who lives and who dies. You could not expect to win." [[RecurringBoss This hasn't]] [[EnemiesWithDeath been supported]] [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu by the series]].
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy - Grant's storyline resolves with this.
* JigglePhysics - In '''spades'''.
* KickingAssInAllHerFinery - All the ladies, given the detailed clothes they have on.

* LimitBreak - The Hyper Attacks.

* LoveTriangle - Grant's storyline stems from his unrequited feelings for Sypha, who went on to marry Trevor.
* MightyGlacier - Golem, though a savvy player that's skilled at using evade moves can readily use him as a LightningBruiser since Golem's rolling evasion is quite fast and long-ranged. It's usually better to use that instead of his painfully slow walk as his primary mode of locomotion.

* MsFanservice - Carmilla alone [[NoMoreHeroes jacks up the age rating of this game]]
* [[MustMakeHerLaugh Must Make Him Laugh]] - Grant's special quotes against [[TheStoic Alucard]] show getting ol' Al to show any kind of emotion as one of his goals.
* NamesToKnowInAnime - With some [[TheOtherDarrin other darrins]] to go along with:

* NoFlowInCGI - Due to technical limitations, no characters retain flowing hair or outfits. Particularly noticeable in the case of [[RapunzelHair Shanoa]].
* OldSaveBonus - Linking to ''{{Order of Ecclesia}}'' unlocked some stuff automatically in both games.
* OnlySixFaces - You can make a game out of figuring out which ''Manga/DeathNote'' character each character most resembles. Simon looks like Light, Maria looks like Misa, Aeon looks like Near...
* OverlyLongFightingAnimation - Each character's super move takes over ten seconds to play out, and none of them can be skipped.
* PaletteSwap - ''Curse of Darkness'' fans will recognize the Time Reaper immediately.

* PlaceBeyondTime - None of the battles fought within the time rift have any effect on the timeline. Trevor takes advantage of this when fighting Sypha, and Death occasionally laments that his victories are meaningless.
* PromotedToPlayable - If you wish for Death, here he is. Dracula himself follows soon afterward.
* RewardingVandalism - In true ''Castlevania'' fashion, items are obtained by breaking fragile objects that litter the field.
* RyuAndKen - Simon and Trevor--same weapons, different application.
* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong - One wouldn't normally think that removing Dracula from power qualifies as ''wrong'', but [[HitlersTimeTravelExemptionAct those who know temporal mechanics disagree]].
* ShapeshifterModeLock - As long as Cornell's in the time rift, he's stuck in wolf form.
* SNKBoss - The Time Reaper certainly qualifies. His health bar is three times as long as anyone else, and he gains new attacks as you chip away at his health bar, including the ability to fire FrickinLaserBeams out of his hands, summon random magical explosions, and even self-destruct without taking damage. This is taken UpToEleven on [[NintendoHard Brutal difficulty]], where the number of attacks, as well as their strength, go up.

* TheStarscream - Much like in the non-canon [[SpinoffBabies Kid Dracula]], Galamoth is once again trying to wrestle away control from the Dark Lord (this aspect of his personality was also briefly hinted at in his ''[=SotN=]'' bio). He fails yet again.
* {{Stripperiffic}} - Carmilla's outfit. Oddly, she usually wears ''less'' than this in most of her other appearances.

* TimeMaster - Ultimately the game is a duel between two of them: Aeon and the Time Reaper.
* TitleScream - Said by a random character each time. Golem can use four-syllable words?
* TokenMiniMoe - Eric and Maria.
* TooManyBelts - [[http://www.castlevaniadungeon.net/Images/Scans/judgment/trevor.jpg More like Trevor BELTmont, amirite?]] Seriously though, his vest is made of them.
* VanHelsingHateCrimes - Sypha, in her effort to destroy evil, has no tolerance for cursed beings. No matter how benevolent they are. She even hates on ''Shanoa'' because of this.
* VictoryQuote - Leading to many a ClicheStorm. Some just scream ''Soulcalibur''.
* WeCanRuleTogether - Death's storyline is about attempting to convert heroes to Dracula's side.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman - Golem wants to know.
* WholePlotReference - If you squint hard enough, to ''KidDracula'' [[CanonDiscontinuity of all games]]. Galamoth is trying again to usurp Dracula, take his throne, and control the Netherrealm. The Time Reaper's "I come from ten thousand years hence" line refers to 10,000 A.D., the date of ''Kid Dracula''. In ''Kid Dracula'', Galamoth has in his service [[TheGrimReaper a reaper]] named Shinigami-San, which is Death's name in Japan, thus linking him to the Time Reaper.
* YourSoulIsMine - The fate of anyone hit by Death's super move. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Supposedly]].

It boasted a cast of thirteen familiar faces from the entirety of the ''Castlevania'' series in addition to a new game-specific character, justified with an ExcusePlot about pulling people from various time periods to battle a future menace who sought to change history. Long-time bosses {{Dracula}}, {{Death}} and Carmilla were [[PromotedToUnlockable playable for the first time ever]]. (Well, [[CastlevaniaSorrow Dracula is debatable]]...) Battles took place in 3D arenas with their share of obstacles, as well as breakable objects containing items that could be used in addition to each character's natural abilities. Despite the odd concept, it looked to be promising.

* PromotedToUnlockable - If you wish for Death, here he is. Dracula himself follows soon afterward.

** Shanoa can use hers to keep her dash going.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[DeathNote Watashi wa Simon Belmont desu.]]]]

The game garnered mixed reactions. Reasons are numerous; The fighting engine was significantly different from several other fighters of the time, and many felt that the Wii-remote configuration was tiring after prolonged use (though other controller figurations are supported). Noted manga artist Takeshi Obata (of ''HikaruNoGo'' and ''DeathNote'' fame) was called upon to do the artwork, resulting in drasticlly stylized character designs that the franchise had never been known to display before. Character motivation was given the spotlight, but many were of the traditional fighter variety and tended to be more annoying than interesting. On the brighter side, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the soundtrack]] was highly praised.

* ArtShift - [[DeathNote Takeshi]] [[HikaruNoGo Obata's]] artwork for this game got a ''strong'' reaction from the fans. Which is ironic, considering that ''Castlevania'' has almost never maintained consistent character depictions over the 25+ years of it's existence. Simon Belmont himself has changed outfits and faces repeatedly throughout his career.

* OnlySixFaces - You can make a game out of figuring out which ''DeathNote'' character each character most resembles. Simon looks like Light, Maria looks like Misa, Aeon looks like Near...

* {{Expy}} - Aeon is a composite of two time-manipulating characters from the series: St. Germain from ''Curse of Darkness'' (his organization, outfit, inability to directly act outside areas rifted from time, and Death rivalry) and the Chronomage from ''Aria of Sorrow'' (the [[AliceInWonderland White Rabbit]] motif with color, pocketwatch, and obsession with being on time, and his opposition to Galamoth).

* HimeCut - Shanoa. She has either this or a Bob cut, but thanks to her veil we will never know. Her appearance in ''Order of Ecclesia'' suggests the former.

* {{Badass}} - Cornell.
** BigBadassWolf to be specific.

* CuteShotaroBoy - Eric. Possibly to balance out [[TokenMiniMoe Maria]].

* BadassFurry - Cornell.

* FirstInstallmentWins - Aside from [[CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia Shanoa]] and [[OriginalGeneration the newcomer Aeon]], all of the characters in this game were introduced to the series before 2000, prior to when IGA became producer. References to the handheld {{Metroidvania}}s and the non-{{Nintendo 64}} 3D games are sparse: Death's music comes from ''{{Lament of Innocence}}'', Trevor's ending foreshadows ''{{Curse of Darkness}}'' and most of the enemy models are taken from that game, Alucard's ending foreshadows ''{{Aria of Sorrow}}'', and Eric's ending hints at a plot point introduced in ''{{Portrait of Ruin}}''.
** Compare to the playable cast of ''CastlevaniaHarmonyOfDespair''. It's at the other side of the spectrum.