Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
North American box art depicting the main protagonists Charlotte Aulin (left) and Jonathan Morris (center)
DeveloperKonami
PublisherKonami
DirectorSatoshi Kushibuchi
ProducerKoji Igarashi
ProgrammerShutaro Iida
Writers
  • Koji Igarashi
  • Hiroto Yamaguchi
  • Shutaro Iida
Composers
SeriesCastlevania
PlatformNintendo DS
Release
  • JP: November 16, 2006
  • NA: December 5, 2006
  • EU: March 9, 2007
  • AU: March 22, 2007
GenresAction role-playing, Metroidvania
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is a 2006 action role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo DS handheld system. The game is the first in the Castlevania series to feature a cooperative multiplayer gameplay mode and the first handheld entry to have English voice-overs, outside of its original Japanese release.

The game is a continuation of the events from Castlevania: Bloodlines, a 1994 Sega Genesis title. Set in Europe during World War II, the story follows Jonathan Morris, the son of John Morris from Castlevania: Bloodlines, and Charlotte Aulin as they attempt to stop a vampire from resurrecting Dracula. The game expands on the two character gameplay found in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and adds new cooperative online functionality while foregoing much of the mechanics involving the Nintendo DS touch screen.

Portrait of Ruin received an overall positive critical response and several awards as one of the best Nintendo DS games. Critics praised the game's soundtrack, story, and cooperative mechanics, while some criticism was directed towards the gameplay. The game's two protagonists later appeared in the 2010 multiplayer focused title Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. In 2024, Portrait of Ruin was re-released as part of the multi-platform Castlevania Dominus Collection alongside Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, and Haunted Castle Revisited.