Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (キャッスルヴァニア ～暁月の円舞曲～, Kyassuruvania ~Akatsuki no Menuetto~, lit. "Castlevania ~Minuet of Dawn~") is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. It is part of Konami's Castlevania video game series, and the third installment of the series on the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America on May 6, 2003 and released in Japan on May 8, 2003. Although the game sold poorly in Japan, selling only 27,000 units nearly one month after its release, it was commercially successful in the United States, with more than 158,000 units sold three months following its release.
The storyline of Aria of Sorrow is part of the fictional universe of the Castlevania series, which features the struggle between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the vampire lord Dracula. The game is set in the year 2035, where Dracula has been defeated, and his powers are to be passed onto his reincarnation. The game's plot follows the adventures of Soma Cruz, a high school student who is granted powers as a result of Dracula's death, and his battle against those who wish to acquire Dracula's powers. Aria of Sorrow takes many elements from other Castlevania games, including Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, which was in production at the same time as Aria of Sorrow. (more...)