What would be a good first Castlevania game to play?

[Soldier Blue]

Symphony of the Night. Worth it for the cheesy voice-overs

[Luke]

Go with the original. Straight classic.

Castlevanis II ftw.

No, do what noise suggested. If you skip to IV, so many references will be lost. Plus playing the original will prepare you for all the fun that some people call "difficulty".

Personally I would start with Castlevania, followed by Castlevania III, and then Super Castlevania IV.

[alexis524]

Go with the original. Straight classic.

'nuff said.

[Lazer]

Go with the original. Straight classic.

This. Play 1 and 3 on NES (2 is optional), then play Bloodlines on Genesis, then play 4 on SNES, then play Symphony of the Night. SotN will rock your world!

Notice I said "play", not "beat". I have been playing 1 and 3 for 30 years and have never beaten either. Play for a day or two until you get frustrated, then move on to the easier titles on the later consoles. Super 4, Bloodlines, and SotN are all beatable.

[Tanooki]

Keep in mind though from Symphony forward they're not true standard castlevania games as they ripped off the design structure of Super Metroid with a map system, going back over places repeatedly, gear and item collection, and so on. They're just not as hard. The classic experience though they are for the most part and they're straight platformers without RPG aspects to them.

[TEKTORO]

Always start with the first in a series no matter what game, did you know it's near impossible to make sense of the whole castlevania timeline so there technically is and isn't no set order to play them and I have no clue what I just meant.

I'd play them all if I were you even Judgment.

[Luke]

Nah nah...BEAT, not "play". You can always continue on Castlevania. Last leg is tough as screws, but completely doable and the feeling of putting down the controller and watching the end credits is one you won't forget.

Not kidding. That last level is a bit nuts, so are the last bosses, but it's one of those games that when you beat you actually feel like you accomplished something.

[TEKTORO]

Yes Beat!

I think the only Castlevania I'm yet to beat is Simons Quest so I'm gonna prep for that one starting October when I gear up for a month of Halloween type games. Even playing Gex/Bully for the Halloween levels and Halloween night.

Back on topic with a serious opinion for Castlevania, I personally prefer the original platformers first followed by the Metrovania then the 3-Ds. Castlevania Judgment can be polarizing depending on how open you are to trying a fighter, still like the lore, character models as well as the fighting which is not too bad but not too good compared to a real fighting game.

[Luke]

I personally prefer the original platformers first followed by the Metrovania then the 3-Ds.

Know what's been missing from Castlevania for about twenty years?

"Scary"

But I agree, original platformers are also my favorite, by a mile.

[dogman91]

I beat the first Castlevania not only with no continues, but also the second loop with tougher enemies on the same go. You can do it.