Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow review

Boss battles are the highlight of every Castlevania game, and here they're handled in a brand new way. To deliver the death blow, you've got to trace a magic seal that pops up on the touch screen. Botch the job and the bloody, puss-spraying monster keeps coming. So even if you hand the Grim Reaper his bony butt, you’ve got to memorize an eight point seal to finish the job. Problem is, this tends to bust up the swordplay when all of a sudden you've got to rush for the stylus.

The new Doppelganger ability, however, brings the game's extensive customization into its own. With the push of a button you can switch your equipped weapons, armor and souls between two settings. It's a good idea to keep one decked out with power-amping souls and all the strongest weapons. Make the other your four-leaf clover, with maxed out luck and intelligence. Basically one setting is for tastefully chauffeuring demons into Hell, the other for finding rare souls and items.