Castlevania Judgment
A fighting game entry in the Castlevania series for Wii.
Castlevania Judgment is a fighting game released in 2008 for the Wii, developed by Eighting and published by Konami. It marks the Castlevania series' first venture into the fighting genre.
**Gameplay**
The game uses 3D arenas and relies on the Wii Remote and Nunchuk's motion controls. Players swing the Remote for basic attacks, sub-weapons, and weapon strikes, while the Nunchuk handles movement and defensive actions. Characters can move freely around stages, similar to the game *Power Stone*. Each fighter has unique weapons, and stages offer interactive elements like traps and monsters that can be used against opponents. Summons, sometimes triggered by items, also appear in battles. The game supports local multiplayer only and can connect with the Nintendo DS title *Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia* to unlock bonus content in both games. Stage examples include the Throne Room, Torture Chamber, and Ghost Ship. Players can also choose a different color palette for their character, called an "alignment color," with two options adding accessories.
**Characters**
There are 14 playable characters: 13 heroes and bosses from across the Castlevania series, plus a new original character named Aeon. Non-playable enemies like zombies, mermen, and minotaurs wander the stages as obstacles that can be defeated to restore health.
**Plot**
The villain Galamoth sends his servant, the Time Reaper, from ten thousand years in the future to destroy his rival Dracula and alter history. A man named Aeon discovers this plot and gathers champions from various eras into a time rift to find a chosen one who can defeat the Time Reaper. Each character has their own storyline, cutscenes, and ending in story mode.
**Development**
Konami registered the title *Castlevania Judgment* with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 11, 2008. Lead designer Koji Igarashi wanted to bring a Castlevania game to the Wii and use its motion controls. He felt a full adventure would be too tiring due to constant whipping motions, but a fighting game would break up the action with rest periods. The team aimed to recreate the series' Gothic feel. Igarashi found developing multiplayer combat challenging. Some designers from *Elebits* and *Dewy's Adventure* joined his team to work on graphics and textures. Manga artist Takeshi Obata redesigned all the characters.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Eighting
- Publisher
- Konami
- Director
- Akihiro Minakata / Yuta Kobayashi
- Producer
- Koji Igarashi
- Artist
- Takeshi Obata
- Composer
- Yasushi Asada
- Series
- Castlevania
- Platforms
- Wii
- Released
- NA · November 18, 2008JP · January 15, 2009 · EU · March 20, 2009 · AUS · April 2, 2009
- Genre
- Fighting
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Castlevania Judgment was developed by Eighting and published by Konami for the Wii in 2008. Lead designer Koji Igarashi planned to bring a Castlevania game to the Wii and wanted to utilize the motion-sensing controllers. He felt that a prolonged adventure story would be tiring due to the franchise's whipping and swinging gameplay, but in an action setting the swinging motion would be broken up with resting intervals. The game focuses on recreating the Gothic feel of the franchise. The design team worked on graphics and textures with some designers from Elebits and Dewy's Adventure. All characters received new redesigns by manga artist Takeshi Obata.
The game features 14 playable characters, including 13 heroes and bosses from Castlevania history and a new original character named Aeon. Non-playable enemies such as zombies, mermen, and minotaurs roam stages as obstacles. The plot involves Galamoth plotting to send the Time Reaper from ten millennia in the future to destroy Dracula and change history. Aeon pulls champions from different eras into a time rift to find a chosen one capable of destroying the Time Reaper. Each character has unique storylines, cutscenes, and endings.
Reader's Guide
Castlevania Judgment is significant as the first fighting game in the Castlevania franchise, attempting to translate the series' action into a versus format using the Wii's motion controls. Its legacy is mixed: initial reaction to the fighting game announcement was met with shock and skepticism. After showing at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, the game received generally harsh criticism. Kotaku editor Luke Plunkett wrote that he 'walked away from the show feeling bad. Bad for Castlevania fans, at least' and stated 'There is just nothing right about this game. Nothing.' The reception was negative, holding a total rating of 49% on Metacritic. 1UP.com rated it a D−, criticizing art direction and camera control. IGN called it a 'deep, fun fighter' and nominated it for Best Fighting Game of 2008 for the Wii, but it lost to Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Nintendo Power rated it 7.0/10, calling it 'pretty fun' despite questionable character designs. X-Play gave it 1/5, calling it unbalanced and 'bastardizing established Castlevania designs.' GameSpot gave it 3/10, calling it a 'sloppy cash-in.' Following its Japanese release, the game sold only 3,700 units, a financial bomb.
Did You Know?
- Castlevania Judgment is the first fighting game in the Castlevania series.
- The game features a new original character named Aeon.
- The game sold only 3,700 units following its Japanese release.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Castlevania Judgment?
Castlevania Judgment is a motion-controlled 3D fighting game that launched in 2008 for the Nintendo Wii. It was developed by Eighting and published by Konami, with Koji Igarashi serving as lead designer.
How do you control characters in Castlevania Judgment?
The Wii Remote handles attacking, sub-weapon swings, and weapon strikes, while the Nunchuk manages movement and defensive actions. Fighters roam freely across three-dimensional stages rather than being locked into a side-scrolling lane.
What made Castlevania Judgment a first for the series?
It was the very first Castlevania title to enter the fighting-game genre, stepping outside the franchise's traditional action-adventure and metroidvania formats. The free-roaming arena combat drew comparisons to titles like Power Stone.
Who developed and published Castlevania Judgment?
Eighting handled development while Konami published the game. Koji Igarashi, a longtime figure in the Castlevania franchise, led the design effort.
What kind of stages does Castlevania Judgment feature?
Battles take place in three-dimensional arenas where players can circle their opponents rather than fight in a fixed lane. Stages also include interactive hazards such as traps and enemy monsters that can disrupt combat.
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