Format: Advance
Genre: Action platformer
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

The detail and quality of Circle of the Moon's graphics was astounding, but there were two beefs: the environments were too bland, and the sprites were too small. Konami clearly took these complaints to heart; Harmony of Dissonance's player and baddie sprites are massive, colorful, and well-animated. The environments are likewise lush, yet retain the detail and ambience that made CotM memorable.

The sound department here is much the same as in CotM. There isn't a sound or music bit in the whole game that sounds anything Gameboy Color'ish. The only thing that has maybe regressed slightly is the soundtrack; the style is excellent, and the melodies are even more appropriately haunting than CotM's. The problem is that most of the songs are too short when playing through a whole area with the same tune.

Take the rock solid gameplay from CotM, and augment it with more refined player movements, a new spell book system which adds more applicability to the sub weapons in the game, a host of new items to equip, shops strewn about, and amazingly creative map design. Then tack on the clever baddies, and the inventive ways in which they are used. After all of that, you have a real winner, a must have title.

CotM was probably the best Castlevania game ever. It's difficult to say whether Harmony of Dissance is truly better or not, but this much is certain: if you own a GBA, you must have this title. Creative inventions are rampant throughout this title and, when combined with the new audio/visual styles, add a fresh feel to the Castlevania franchise, a freshness that perhaps lacked a little in CotM.