History Videogame / CastlevaniaJudgment

* NoFlowInCGI: Due to technical limitations, no characters retain flowing hair or outfits. Particularly noticeable in the case of [[RapunzelHair Shanoa]].

* TenThousandYears: Aeon's line - "I come from ten thousand years hence." Which, considering the fight prominently takes place outside of any actual timeline, [[FridgeLogic doesn't make any sense at all]]. On the other hand, it could mean he's from ten thousand years after Dracula's time, which could make sense.

* 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.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[Manga/DeathNote "Watashi wa Shimon Belmondo desu."]]]]

* HeroicSacrifice: Oddly, the Golem has the most heart-wrenching 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.

* TenThousandYears: "I come from ten thousand years hence."
** Which, considering the fight prominently takes place outside of any actual timeline, [[FridgeLogic doesn't make any sense at all]]. On the other hand, it could mean he's from ten thousand years after Dracula's time, which could make sense.

* WholePlotReference: If you squint hard enough, to ''VideoGame/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.

* 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.

** CursedWithAwesome: He's ''still'' a werewolf, so he puts those abilities to good use while hunting the other denizens of the night.

* DownerEnding: The fate of characters in the time rift is unalterable, so [[spoiler:Eric still dies in ''Portrait of Ruin'']].

* 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]]. ([[ThatOneBoss Not canonically, anyways.]])

* IntraFranchiseCrossover: [[BigBad Galamoth]] sends the [[TheDragon Time Reaper]] from 10,000 years in the future into the period in which his rival {{Dracula}} reigned and somehow change history. Aeon discovers this and pulls together champions from [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} different eras of history]] into a time rift, in order to find a chosen one capable of destroying Galamoth's servant, the Time Reaper.

* TimeMaster: Ultimately, the game is a duel between two of them: Aeon and the Time Reaper.

* WeCanRuleTogether: Death's storyline is about attempting to convert heroes to Dracula's side.

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

* TeleportSpam: Dracula can do this. Players will enjoy doing it, [[SNKBoss get mad at the A.I. of the Dracula from the last stage of the non-story mode,]] then get mad when more skillful players ruin their attempt at doing the same.

** Which, considering the fight prominently takes place outside of any actual timeline, [[FridgeLogic doesn't make any sense at all]]. Then again, it could mean he's from ten thousand years after Dracula's time, which could make sense.

* ArtShift: [[Manga/DeathNote Takeshi]] [[Manga/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 its existence. Simon Belmont himself has changed outfits and faces repeatedly throughout his career.
** Perhaps the shining exception to this is Cornell, whose [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot wolf knight]] redesign is almost unanimously deemed to be awesome and a good step up from his werewolf form in ''Legacy of Darkness''.
** It's worth remembering that many of the old inconsistent designs are from games before Ayami Kojima became the franchise's main designer. After ''Symphony of the Night'' the characters' designs have remained more consistent, even in more Anime-like games like ''Dawn of Sorrow'' and ''Portrait of Ruin''. So the Judgment's redesign was the first radical change in years.

** BiggerBad: Galamoth, as revealed if you pay close attention to what time period the Time Reaper hails from, and stated [[RandomNumberGod at random]] when you defeat the Time Reaper.

-->'''Aeon''': You are not the one. Then I must go myself.

* MovesetClone: Simon and Trevor -- same Vampire Killer, different applications. Even down to their {{LimitBreak}}s, both called "Vampire Killer" after the whip, Simon's is practically [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Omnislash]] with a whip, while Trevor's is a single forward stroke that seems to temporarily exhaust him (no effect on gameplay)

==>'''Aeon''': You are not the one. Then I must go myself.

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

* {{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.

** The timeframes for the villains can't be confirmed, but Dracula must logically enter after ''Bloodlines'' and before 1999, when Julius Belmont kills him once and for all.

* 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.
* DownerEnding: The fate of characters in the time rift is unalterable, so [[spoiler:Eric still dies in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'']].

* 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.

* 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.

* IntraFranchiseCrossover: The character [[BigBad Galamoth]] plots to send the [[TheDragon Time Reaper]] from 10,000 years in the future into the past to destroy his rival {{Dracula}} and change history. A man named Aeon discovers this and pulls together champions from [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} different eras of history]] into a time rift, in order to find a chosen one capable of destroying Galamoth's servant, the Time Reaper.

* MovesetClone: Simon and Trevor -- same Vampire Killer, different applications.

** Which, considering the fight prominently takes place outside of any actual timeline, [[FridgeLogic doesn't make any sense at all]].

* 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]].

** Grant can also use his to [[FlechetteStorm throw dozens of knives at his opponent]], although if the first few knives don't connect then he is left wide open until he is hit or finishes. The only real use of this is against the Time Reaper, who can't get hit by standard {{Limit Break}}s.

* MovesetClone: Simon and Trevor--same Vampire Killer, different applications.
* MsFanservice: Carmilla alone [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes jacks up the age rating of this game]]

* PimpedOutDress: Maria, packed to the brim loli-goth appeal and zippers.

* TimeMaster: Ultimately the game is a duel between two of them: Aeon and the Time Reaper.

* YourSoulIsMine: The fate of anyone hit by Death's super move. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Supposedly]].

* The character [[BigBad Galamoth]] plots to send the [[TheDragon Time Reaper]] from 10,000 years in the future into the past to destroy his rival {{Dracula}} and change history. A man named Aeon discovers this and pulls together champions from [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} different eras of history]] into a time rift, in order to find a chosen one capable of destroying Galamoth's servant, the Time Reaper.

* {{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.

'''''Castlevania: Judgment''''' is widely considered the {{oddball|InTheSeries}} in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series. Released in 2008, it was announced as exactly what it was: a 3D ''Castlevania'' {{fighting game}}.