Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - Julius Mode

 

I finished Dawn of Sorrow months ago, but I've got one more thing to take a look at. Finishing the game unlocks "Julius Mode", one of the many 'Vania postgame modes where you play as a different character. However this one is particularly notable because A) They really went the extra mile here, giving you a party of three new characters to switch between, and B) It's the closest we'll ever get to a Julius Belmont 1999 game (which is kind of crazy considering that's technically the canonical final battle between the Belmonts and Dracula, and we never got a game for it).

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, 2nd Half

 

Our Halloween festivities conclude with Soma playing a giant piano. Wasn't able to find a secret to this: It's just a giant piano, and it's there, so you can randomly play it before continuing on your way. These games are so stylish.

Side Note: So it seems that the 1999 battle between Julius and Dracula was actually the final resurrection of Dracula and he's defeated for the rest of time. Julius' 1999 battles being essentially the final battle of the Castlevania timeline (not counting Soma's future antics) makes it even weirder that we never got a game based around it.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Nintendo DS, 2005)

The direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow, and something I should have checked out months ago.