Re-release Information

(1) 2005: Re-released in Japan as part of Konami's GBA "The Best" series
(2) 2006: Re-released along with Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow as part of the GBA Castlevania Double Pack

Manual Story Description

Fifty years have passed since Simon Belmont vanquished the curse of Dracula.

Fate has dictated that Juste Belmont, blood descendant of the Belmont Family, hunt for the relics of Dracula.

One day, Juste's best friend, Maxim, who had set out on a training expedition two years earlier, returned unexpectedly... his body covered with wounds.

He informs Juste that Lydie, a childhood friend whom they both deeply care about, has been kidnapped.

Maxim has completely lost his memory in his training away from home, and only has vague images of the kidnapping.

Ignoring his bodily injuries, Maxim leads Juste to the place where he believes Lydie is being held captive.

Passing through thick fog, the two men happened upon a castle undocumented on any map. Could this be the fabled Dracula's castle?

Standing solemnly in the night, this forbidding castle welcomes its unexpected guests as the moonlight shines upon it...

Objective/Overview

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance is Konami's follow-up to Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. However, this simple statement doesn't tell the whole story: As far as the trademark, the division KCEK (which created Circle of the Moon and the two N64 titles) was out of the loop, victim to consolidation, and the series' fate was now controlled by KCET and specifically by the familiar Koji Igarashi and team.

So the creators of Symphony of the Night bring you Harmony of Dissonance, another free-roaming adventure-RPG that is directly in line with Circle of the Moon's play-style but different in terms of philosophy. Your mission is to take control of Juste Belmont, the grandfather of Simon, and scour thirteen castle sections--each filled with waves of minor enemies, devilish traps, and boss creatures--to locate and save the mysteriously abducted Lydie Erlanger. If certain conditions are met before the rescue, your mission will continue thereafter and unfold into something more grand. Juste, in basic form, takes to the action with his Vampire Killer whip and six sub-weapons. Though, his power will grow considerably as he gain levels and his statistics increase therein; as he collects whip extensions and dozens of armor types; as he puts to use relics that supply him the usual accessibility moves; and as he utilizes the "Spell Fusion" system, which affords him thirty powerful sub-weapon-based attacks.

After clearing the game for the best of three endings, some new options will open: (1) You can play through again in a "difficult" mode. (2) You can play as Maxim, in a unique mission. (3) You will unlock the "Boss Rush" mode, a three-level gauntlet challenge which pits you against all of the game's bosses; as a bonus to this feature, you can actually play through the mode with Simon Belmont. And (4) you can access a sound test.

Version Differences

Castlevania: Double Pack's version of Harmony of Dissonance has to it some strange omissions and changes: (1) In the GBA version, the enemy Pike Master is known to drop both the Gold Headband and the Floating Boots; in the Double Pack version, Pike Master doesn't drop the Gold Headband and in its place relinquishes only 400 gold. (2) Changed, also, is the hint card that mentions the Summoning Tome, which is instead called the "Black Scroll." (3) Rather than dropping the Medusa Pendant, Gold Medusa drops 100 gold. And (4) the Man Eater, which once dropped the Mirror Pendant, now instead drops Turquoise. (Thanks to Insanitist for this information.)

Japanese/European Differences

As usual, the differences between the Japanese and U.S. versions all revolve around the deviations of certain names. For instance: Our Maxim Kischine is known in Japan as Maxim Kishin. Also, the name of the bullet-tip extension for Juste's whip, which allows it spew fireballs, is instead named for Christopher Belmont--"Christopher's Soul," to be exact, since that was more or less the character's trademark. And, of course, Juste's last name is "Belmondo," as it always is in the case of the Belmont family in Japan.

Eleven areas in the Japanese version feature different names. The Wailing Way is called "The Approach to Deplore." The Castle Top Floor is called "Castle Tower." The Chapel of Dissonance is called "Chapel of a Heretic." The Sky Walkway is called "Corridor in the Air." The Shrine of the Apostates is called "Heretic's Grave." The Luminous Cavern is called "Moss-Grown Cave." And the Aqueduct of Dragons is called "Waterway of Aquatic. The four others are merely reciprocal: The Marble Corridor is "Corridor of Marble." The Castle Treasury is "Castle's Treasury." The Skeleton Cave is "Cave of Skeletons." And the Clock Tower is "Clockwork Tower." (Thanks to ReyVGM for this information.)

There are no mechanical or graphical differences between the games except for maybe slight palette changes.

Soundtrack and Credits

Soundtrack
Opening and Ending Themes: 1 - Title Screen | 2 - Title BGM 2 | 3 - Name Entry 2K2 (Underground) | 4 - Prologue (Theme of Maxim Kischine) | 5 - Epilogue | 6 - Epilogue II | 7 - Successor of Fate II
Area Themes: 1 - Successor of Fate (Theme of Juste) | 2 - Offense and Defense | 3 - Approach to Despair | 4 - Luminous Caverns | 5 - Aqueduct of Dragons | 6 - Chapel of Dissonance | 7 - Clock Tower Casualty | 8 - Skeleton Den | 9 - To the Center of the Demonic Castle
Battle Themes: 1 - Boss (Loop Pattern A) | 2 - Boss (Loop Pattern B) | 3 - Boss (Loop Pattern C) | 4 - Last Battle | 5 - Arch Enemy
Miscellaneous Themes: 1 - Beloved Person (Theme of Lydie Erlanger) | 2 - Dark Covenant | 3 - Incantation of Darkess | 4 - Dark Door | 5 - Knight Head | 6 - VK2K2 | 7 - Game Over | 8 - Extra Stage Music 2 | 9 - Vampire Killer | 10 - Simon's Death | 11 - Theme of Merchant

Links
Music Files: MP3 and MIDI
Soundtrack Release: The GBA Collection and Castlevania Best Music Collections Box
Game Credits: Available

Other Characters

Lesser Enemies: Bat, Tiny Slime, Slime, Medusa Head, Zombie, Skeleton, Fleaman, Bone Soldier, Armor Knight, Ghost, Bone Pillar, Large Ghost, White Dragon, Rock Armor, White Dragon Lv2, Lizard Man, Ectoplasm, Skeleton Blaze, Big Skeleton, Flying Bone, Peeping Eye, Skeleton Flail, Skeleton Spear, Red Skeleton, Skeleton Rib, Bone Thrower, Skeleton Ape, Gate Guarder, Tiny Devil, Scarecrow, Skeleton Spider, Man-Eater, Axe Armor, Witch, Siren, Bomber Armor, Balloon, Big Balloon, Bone Archer, Ruler Sword, Disc Armor, Merman, Fishman, Arabaki, Ruler Sword Lv2, Father Demon, Guardian Armor, Boomerang Armor, Fleaman Armor, Gold Medusa, Mimic, White Dragon Lv3, Skeleton Mirror, 0, Harpy, Axe Armor Lv2, Specter, Bronze Guarder, Melty Zombie, Bone Liquid, Ruler Sword Lv3, Poison Lizard, Spriggan, Gorgon, Blaze Master, Anthro Skeleton, Rare Ghost, Skeleton Glass, Victory Armor, Hammer-Hammer, Disc Armor Lv2, Pixie, Sylph, Master Lizard, Owl, Clear Bone, Jp Bonepillar, Simon Wraith and Pike Master
Bosses: Giant Bat, Living Armor, Golem, Skull Knight, Minotaur, Devil, Giant Merman, Max Slimer, Peeping Big, Legion (Saint), Shadow, Pazuzu, Minotaur Lv2, Legion (Corpse), Talos, Death, Death 2, Cyclops and Maxim
Dracula Forms: Dracula Wraith and Dracula's Wraith 2
Supporting Cast: Maxim Kischine, Lydie Erlanger, Death and the Merchant

Character Lists

Lesser Enemies | Bosses | Dracula Forms | Supporting Cast

Limitations: As a typical KCET secret character, Maxim is free to go almost everywhere without restriction. In Symphony terms: Maxim is Richter to Juste's Alucard, and his is a better overall experience if you like realized power from the outset. Maxim attacks using the Stellar Sword and sweeping kick while ducking. Maxim is quicker than Juste, in regular and weapon speed, and stronger than an average-level Juste, but he has no access to any items or weaponry; he can only collect hearts, which power his sizable sub-weapon. Since the castle is made more with Juste in mind, Maxim will have to utilize his special moves: That is, he can triple jump to reach amazing distances, and he can roll into a ball at the peak of a jump and continue rolling forward once he hits the ground (and this can be used as a fourth jump). Otherwise, he can jump kick after the second or third jump, and he can use two spells--one to project forward multiple damaging images, to quickly destroy bosses, and another that restores energy. Since Maxim has no stat-potential, he can only gain increased offensive and defensive propensity by collecting the crystals left behind by vanquished bosses.

Limitations: It's amazing that Simon makes his return after all these years ... in his original form. Sadly, though, Simon can only be controlled during the "Boss Rush" mode. He controls exactly the same way you'll remember from the NES' Castlevania. Due to this, he has adaptability issues: (1) He can't collect the sacred fist or magic book. (2) His morning star whip cannot be powered up, since it's already at its most powerful. (3) The holy water reacts differently to his use. (4) His strength changes from room to room to adjust to the more powerful bosses. And (5) he comes with his own background theme--Vampire Killer! As for his limitations, I defer to my past commentary (with some revision): "Simon is rather plodding in the way he moves, and he cannot redirect jumps while in the air. Any enemy contact will send him flying back, too. Also, because of said limitations, Simon will have to rely heavily on sub-weapons if he hopes to defeat the toughest of boss creatures."