Castlevania Aria of Sorrow
↗ 9.4%
(GameBoy Advance - PAL, Action & Adventure)
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Complete
$387.50
Loose $72.51
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Developed_By:
Konami
Published_By:
Konami
Released On:
06 May 2003
The year is 2035 and Soma Cruz is about to witness the first solar eclipse of the 21st century when he suddenly blacks out -- only to awaken inside a mysterious castle. As Soma, you must navigate the castle's labyrinths while confronting perilous monsters at every turn. But beware, you must escape before the evil consumes you!
UPC-A:
083717500322 (USA)
Part #:
AGB-A2CE-USA (USA)
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Typical $333.50–$387.50 (last 90 days)
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
In this action RPG set in 2035, you play as Soma Cruz, trapped within a mysterious version of Dracula's Castle alongside your childhood friend, Mina Hakuba. The premise revolves as you explore the labyrinthine castle, battle monstrous enemies, and utilize their defeated souls to inherit magical powers. Your primary objective is to survive and find a safe escape route out of the castle before it is too late.
Story
PROLOGUE
The year is 2035. Japan. Crowds of spectators are gathering around in anticipation of the first full solar eclipse of the 21st century.
My name is Soma Cruz and I am a high school exchange student studying abroad in Japan. I live near the Hakuba Shrine, an ancient shrine with strong ties to Japanese mythology.
Mina Hakuba, the only daughter of the shrine's caretaker, is both my classmate and my childhood friend. I started making my way to the shrine to see the solar eclipse with Mina.
For some strange reason, the stairway leading up to the shrine felt longer than usual, as if something was trying to keep us from our destination. When I finally managed to get through the shrine gate, my senses began to dim.
In the distance, the solar eclipse was approaching totality, but the pitch black sun appeared to be trapping chaotic darkness. At that moment, Mina and I were knocked unconscious - only to awaken inside a mysterious castle. Now I must find a way out of this labyrinth and escape safely with my friend.
GAME OVERVIEW
I. STARTING A GAME
•
Insert the Castlevania®: Aria of Sorrow™ Game Pak into the Game Boy® Advance and turn on the power.
•
Select "GAME START" or "SOUL TRADE" at the Title Screen and press the A Button to confirm the selection.
•
GAME START: Begin a new game or load a previously saved game.
•
SOUL TRADE: Exchange Tactical Souls with other players via the Game Boy® Advance Game Link® Cable (sold separately).
See page 14 (TACTICAL SOULS) for more information.
II. GAME SYSTEM
The castle map and story is gradually revealed as the player (Soma Cruz) explores Dracula's Castle in search of a safe escape route for both you and your childhood friend, Mina Hakuba.
Along the way, you'll discover a variety of weapons to use in battle against the hordes of monsters that you'll encounter within the Castle.
Additionally, you'll be able to capture and equip yourself with the Souls of the enemies you defeat in battle, and in doing so, inherit the magical powers and abilities of a wide variety of creatures.
III. GAME OVER
The game ends when your character's HP falls to zero.
Pressing the A Button will return you to the Title Screen.
How to Play
Saving & Loading
The main character gains experience while advancing through the story. You can save game data (character level, experience points, items, and progress) onto the Game Pak. A maximum of three save files may be stored, allowing up to three players to save their progress.
I. Save
Games may only be saved permanently when your character is in a Save Room. Press Up on the Control Pad in front of the statue of Maria to bring up a save prompt. All game progress conditions will be saved to this location.
II. Sleep
This quick save feature allows you to save anywhere, such as on a train, without being near a Save Room. Select SLEEP on the Status Screen to save your game. This option is unavailable during boss battles and certain story events.
Your game is saved as "temporary saved game data," allowing you to continue ONCE from the point where you slept. Be aware that once a sleeping game is reloaded, it is permanently erased from memory. If you reset or turn off the game without visiting a Save Room, you will lose the sleeping data.
III. Load
Previously saved games are continued by selecting the save data file from the Select Data Screen. Games saved with SLEEP appear below permanently saved games. When a sleep game is loaded, the start location is the last room visited, and stats/items are restored to their state at the time of the sleep save.
Status Screen Menus
I. Soul Set
Allows you to select or equip acquired TACTICAL SOULS. This setting applies only to BULLER, GUARDIAN, and ENCHANTED SOULS.
II. MP Consumption Rate
The icon on the left depicts the rate of MP consumed by a soul's magic. Souls consume MP at different rates depending on their magical effect. For example, "$ / TIME" indicates the soul consumes 5 MP each time the stated duration elapses. Be aware of MP consumption before using a soul in battle.
IV. Equip
Allows you to change currently equipped weapons, armor, and accessories. Equipment increases effectiveness and may bestow strange powers. You may possess up to 9 items of the same type. Equipment can be dropped on the floor or picked up from slain opponents.
V. Item Use
Allows you to use and confirm expendable items, such as HP/MP recovery items. Consumable items disappear after a single use. You may possess up to 9 items of the same type.
VI. Ability
Allows you to switch learned abilities from Ability Souls ON or OFF. Abilities activate the moment an Ability Soul is captured and require no MP. They continually affect your character unless turned OFF via this menu.
VII. Sleep
Quickly save your game and quit without using a Save Room. Current progress is temporarily saved in the last room visited. See the Saving and Loading section for details on the SLEEP function.
VIII. Config
Change button configurations.
IX. Enemy
Review stats and profile information on defeated enemies. Pressing the A Button reveals detailed information, including attributes, weaknesses, drop items, and soul capture status (acquired souls are listed in bold). Press Down on the Control Pad to view a soul's effect on your character. Enemy listings appear only after being discovered and defeated.
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SOUL
•
SWORD
•
FLAME
•
WATER
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LIGHTENING
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DARKNESS
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HOLY
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POISON
•
CURSE
•
STONE
Tactical Souls Overview
Tactical Souls are acquired by defeating opponents, but there is no guarantee of success against every monster. Stronger souls are more difficult to obtain. If capturing a soul fails, hunt other monsters or experiment with weaker monsters that may possess powerful souls.
Many Ability Souls are scattered throughout the Castle map by the Soul-Keeper. Rarely, a monster may drop an Ability Soul. If you are missing souls, you can trade with friends using the Game Boy® Advance Game Link® Cable (sold separately).
Soul Trade Connection
The Soul Trade feature allows exchanging souls with other players via a Game Link® Cable. Two Game Boy® Advance systems and two game Paks are required. Configure the cable before trading.
•
What to Prepare:
•
2 Game Boy® Advance systems
•
2 "Castlevania®: Aria of Sorrow™" Game Paks
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1 Game Boy® Advance Game Link® Cable
•
Connecting:
•
Confirm both systems are OFF and insert a Game Pak into each.
•
Connect the Game Link® Cable to the external expansion connectors.
•
Switch both systems ON.
•
Cautions for Linked Play:
•
Using a cable other than the official Game Link® Cable.
•
The cable is not inserted completely.
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The cable is disconnected during play.
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The cable is disconnected from the box.
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Connecting more than 2 Game Boy® Advance systems.
Preparing to Soul Trade
1. Select SOUL TRADE from the Title Screen.
2. Select a saved game from the Select Data Screen. Detailed descriptions appear on the right. Choose your desired file and press the A Button.
3. In the Soul Trade Menu, select the souls you wish to trade and press the A Button. Traded souls appear on the left; your souls in the upper portion, companion's in the lower.
4. When both players complete selections, select OK to complete the trade. You will return to the Select Data Screen
Controls
L BUTTON
Use Ability
CONTROL PAD
Movement
START
Status Screen
SELECT
Map Screen
R BUTTON
Use a GUARDIAN SOUL
A BUTTON
JUMP
B BUTTON
ATTACK
CONTROL PAD DOWN-ARROW
CROUCH
CONTROL PAD UP-ARROW + B BUTTON
BULLET SOUL ATTACK
CONTROL PAD DOWN-ARROW + A BUTTON
JUMP DOWN WHEN FLOOR IS THIN/SLIDE
A BUTTON + B BUTTON + START + SELECT
RESET THE GAME SOFTWARE
Buttons
Escape STONE condition
Tips & Maps
Tactical Souls
Tactical Souls are the magical spirits of creatures inhabiting Dracula's Castle that Soma Cruz can capture to gain special powers and abilities after defeating opponents or destroying Soul-Keepers.
Bullet Souls
This class consumes MP to fire single-burst attacks, which are executed by pressing the Control Pad Up-Arrow and B Button.
Guardian Souls
These souls consume MP to generate continual magical effects until the gauge is empty, operated by pressing R to start/stop effects or holding R for effects that grow in intensity.
Enchanted Souls
These souls produce continuous effects on the character's body without consuming MP and remain active until disabled or changed in the SOUL SET menu.
Ability Souls
These souls grant special abilities that take effect immediately upon acquisition and can be toggled on or off using the ABILITY menu.
Enemies & Characters
Soma Cruz
A high-school student living in the town of Hakuba and the hero of this game. He possesses a strangely daunting presence and people find him distant and difficult to approach.
Mina Hakuba
The only daughter of the Shrine's caretaker and head priest. A childhood friend of Soma's, Mina is extremely friendly and well liked by everyone she encounters.
Graham Jones
The founder of a new religious sect with hordes of devout followers. He gains converts by preaching that the apocalyptic prophecies that were so popular at the end of the last century will come to pass in the year 2035 A.D.
Yoko Belnades
Descendant from a long line of witches employed by the Church. Talkative and quite nosy, she has been sent by the Church to investigate the prophecy of Dracula's resurrection.
Genya Arikado
An extremely cold man with an inhumanly attractive face. Mr. Arikado always wears a dark suit and is said to belong to a shadowy organization somehow related to national security.
I
Suffers from amnesia that was triggered by a traumatic incident he experienced in 1999. I possesses amazing powers of magic and is extremely fearful of the resurrection of Dracula.
Hammer
A soldier dispatched by the army to investigate Hakuba Shrine. Possesses an extremely rough personality and he only works when he feels like it.
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