Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is a 2003 action role-playing game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. It is the 20th main entry in the Castlevania series, as well as the third and final game produced for the system. Producer Koji Igarashi, who had led the production teams for previous Castlevania games, oversaw Aria of Sorrow's development in parallel with its predecessor Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002). Michiru Yamane returned to compose the music alongside Takashi Yoshida and Soshiro Hokkai. Director Junichi Murakami was new to the Castlevania series.

In contrast with other Castlevania titles taking place in the late medieval period or the early 20th century, Aria of Sorrow is set in 2035, decades after a climactic war resulted in Dracula's permanent demise and his castle being sealed in a solar eclipse. The plot follows the journey of Soma Cruz, a teenager granted occult powers, as he is trapped in the eclipse and encounters dark figures who wish to inherit Dracula's power. The game has been described as an action-adventure game with elements of role-playing games. Aria of Sorrow introduces several features to the series, such as the "Tactical Soul" system that enables Cruz to absorb the properties of defeated enemies, as well as a full New Game Plus mode.

Aria of Sorrow was released in May 2003. Although it sold poorly in Japan, selling 27,000 units nearly one month after its release, it was commercially successful in the United States, with more than 158,000 units sold in the three months following its release. Aria of Sorrow received universal acclaim, with praise for its visuals, gameplay (particularly the Tactical Soul System), music, and level design. Some critics considered it the best Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night (1997), as well as one of the best Game Boy Advance and Metroidvania genre games.

Konami released a sequel, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, in August 2005. It incorporated many elements from its predecessor, including the "Tactical Soul" system. Aria of Sorrow was re-released as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection on September 23, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One alongside Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001), Harmony of Dissonance, and Castlevania: Dracula X (1995).