Ahh this takes me back... I love the days of my childhood spend playing 2D side-scrolling action of yore, and now its back. Now I could go on and on about how cool it is but Im here for the problems... and there arernt few. Some would say graphics suck, but its the GBA. Music wasnt to well done, and one of those "out there" stories, but this isnt too bad.

Now this is what Castlevania should be, too bad its not on a larger engine like PS2 or Gamecube. Although a little easier than previous games in the series, this one definately is one of the better ones I've played. Basically the same story line with different characters, but always a classic!

Iam a huge Castlevania fan,and I can say I was pleased with Konami's sequal to the great COTM. However,their are some major flaws that I cant look past,like awful music and several areas in the game that can get a little tiring.On the other side,the graphics are amazing,and are bright and colorful and easy-to see. And of course there is the gameplay,which is most of the time,pure classic 2-d fun. Besides some unfortunate flaws,this is a definate must-own for all gamers.

I never played Circle of the Moon, wanted to, but complaints of its dark, hard-to-see graphics sort of drew me away. I finally got this game, after all the great reviews it got, and i must say for the most part it lives up to the hype! First off, the graphics are awesome, especially for a GBA. Check out the 3D clock tower after making it to the top of the castle! The controls are also very tight. Moving Juste is a cinch, and executing magic attacks is much simpler than the somewhat difficult Street Fighter-style button combinations in Symphony of the Night. The game is also filled with rooms and hidden areas to explore, along with some cool-looking enemies and bosses. However, i do have some complaints. First off, the music, while tolerable, is pretty bad, reminiscent of the NES'. Also, the bosses were almost no-brainers to beat. I basically just kept whipping them all to death, so strategy is all but non-existent. The only boss with any challenge was Maxim, towards the end of the game, and after that, you finally fight Dracula, who turns out to be a complete pansy, and is one of the easiest final boss fights in gaming history! Also, the game can get very tedious, as you'll be backtracking a lot more than you did in Symphony, just from trying to figure out the game's confusingly odd 2-castles-within-one lay-out. Once you figure it out, though, you'll return to your having fun exploring the games many areas. I would say that, overall, if you're tired of the GBA's many SNES ports, which i don't mind, though i know a lot of you do, then get this game. Not only is it an original title, it is also one of the GBA's better games.

this is soooooooo much better. it's beauty blinded me. viva la revoloution! it coulda been harder though. circle of the moon is harder.

I'm sorry everyone, but I have to intervene. Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, I"m sorry to say, fails to live up to Circle of the Moon's standard. Now, before you all yell and start rippin off your monitor in your disgust, consider a few things first. First, the graphics: Come on, you have to admit that HoD's graphics are much poorer than those of CotM. They look like they were totally made of sprites! I mean, the Hunter's whip in HoD looks like half the length of its depiction in CotM! Second, controls are a bit inferior to that in CotD. The reactions of Juste just seems slower and less tight as that of Nathan Graves. Third, THE MUSIC. Whoever said that it's elevator music is wrong; it's computer-synthesized music. The music is subpar to that of CotM, and I can't understand why Konami does not want to take advantage of the GBA's speaker capabiblities. Bottom line: the music sucks. Period. Finally, the magic aspect. They should have stuck with the DSS. End of story. Of course, there are some pros to be said on HoD. The storyline and challenge level outshines CotD's. I mean, it has two castles to explore! What's more, Juste's moves more freely than Nathan, ex. his animation. Also, the magic relics are more plentiful in HoD, which equals more abilities (which i guess makes up for the diminished magic system). And finally, the cheats are more plentiful in HoD. All in all, HoD seems to be more of a sequel to Symphony of the Night, rather than the beautifully done Circle of the Moon. It fails to really take advantage of the GBA's power, and that leaves one who has played great games such as Golden Sun and CotM wanting to go back and admire its predecessor. But for those who are new to the Castlvania saga, or haven't played one since SotN, I recommend this to you. But I still enjoyed it. I'm just hoping Konami's next release is more spectacular the next time around.

this game is the best since circle of the moon but the music is from an elevator because its pure crap the graphics are the best truly

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance is the sequel to one of the greatest GameBoy Advance games ever.It improves over the orginal in every possible way,and is mega-fun to play.First of all,you will notice the obvious graphical changes.They look great!The music is a step down for Circle of the Moon,which is very dissapointing,but its not so bad you have to put the GBA music on mute.In fact,there are a few tunes you may actully find yourself humming to.The gameplay is much imrpoved,and the bosses are better.If you liked Circle of the Moon,its a no brainer to buy this game.Even if you missed the first,you cannot miss this GBA masterpeice.Check it out!

Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance is the second Castlevania game to hit the Gameboy Advance, and is by far the better of the two. In Hod you play as the newest member in the seemingly endless Belmont line, by the name of Juste. After meeting up with Maxim, who only serves to get the game going along, you promptly come across a giant heap of armor. The armor seems to have no purpose in being there, until it proceeds to get up and chase you into the castle. This enemy is well animated, and serves as an example of what to expect from the games graphics. For all of you who have been waiting for a sequal to Symphony of the Night, this is as close as you are going to get. The game looks very good, and the graphics are visable even without direct light. The characters are well animated, and many special affects abound. The sound takes a back seat to the graphics unfortunatly, but you can always pop your favorite soundtrack into your CD Player. The quest is unfortunatly easy and relativly short, but there is enough here to bring you back again and again. All in all, this game gets a thumbs up, and a 5.0 on the Fun Factor scale.