5-6-2003		5-8-2003
	5-9-2003		-

The year is 2035, and it has been 35 years, since Dracula was defeated for good by Julius Belmont. He sealed Castlevania inside the eclipse of the moon, and lost his memory. He wandered the land, only knowing his name bagan with J.
On another shore, in Japan, Soma and his friend Mina have gone to see the Eclipse at the Hakuba Shrine. It is then, at the moment of the eclipse, that Soma and Mina are transported to a mysterious castle. It is time for fate to step in, and show Soma the truth of the possiblity of his true self. Thus a new chapter in the fight against evil has begun.

You know what they always say...save the best for last. Aria of Sorrow was the final title to be released for the GBA, and is cited as being the best of the GBA titles for many different reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is the different story-line, and time-line. Rather than being the typical find and defeat Dracula, who has been resurected by so and so, Aria has and almost entirely new cast of characters. Rather than a Belmont being the main character, you are in control of Soma Cruz, who is a student in Japan. He is far more odern in appearance and personality than that of our previous heroes, and lends to a fresher feel for the game. Also the story, in a castlevania first, takes place in the future. Interestingly enough, there is no real futuristic look to it. But just the story line taking place in another time was enough to garner a stand apart from the other titles. AOS is also filled with great plot lines, and twists throughout the game, keeping you on your towes as to what is really going to happen.
In the coninuation of the series Action-RPG, Aria provides the player with a arsenal of weapons and armor. Rather than the Vampire Killer whip of the last two titles. Soma will also gain experience, and level up by defeating the random enemies found in the castle. There are no sub-weapons as with the previous titles, but Aria features a Soul Collecting system. Each of the enemies in the game may drop their soul, which will give Soma a new ability to use while fighting. The collecting of the souls proved to be a major fun aspect of the game, though it seemed that there could have been more involvement with the system by fans. (See Dawn of Sorrow for the involvement you seek).
Graphically, Aria was far superior to the other two GBA titles, in the detail of the characters, enemies, and backgrounds. Though the graphics were so stunning, they did not go without complaints. Many said that they were too dark, similarly to Circle of the Moon, and harder to see than that of Harmony of Dissonance. Either way, the complaints were few. A lot of detail went into the graphics of Aria. And the beauty is seen from the beginning to the very end of the game.
The music was far better than that of HOD. So far better. I found that I returned to listening to the games many wonderful scores, rather than my radio. Therer are some new scores that were wonderfully composed, as well as great remixes of old familiar scores, like Vampire Killers. The Gba was pushed hard on the quality of the sound in AOS. And it did not dissapoint the fans. There was little if any complaints about the scoring of the game.
Aria of Sorrow's most notable claim to fame could be the major plot twist found towards teh end of the game. Mixed with the new era of the game setting, and there is enough freshness in the game to completely re-innovate the game. The fans also showed there support greatly with this title.
In 2005, Dawn of Sorrow, the sequal to Aria was released on the DS. Aria of Sorrow is a fantastic game indeed, and shows a different direction for the series. Outside of Dawn of Sorrow, it is not known at this time whether or not the futuristic plot will be evolved further. With the positive reactions of both titles, it most likely will be. My suggestion is play this title along with Dawn of Sorrow. I promise you will not be dissapointed.