Simon Belmont takes over Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin in this ambitious Nintendo DS ROM hack

Castlevania: Simon’s Legacy brings Simon Belmont into a redesigned version of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, complete with three playable versions of the vampire hunter, new stages and reworked level layouts. It’s a substantial ROM hack built on Konami’s 2006 Nintendo DS adventure, replacing much of the original experience with a game centred on one of Castlevania’s most recognisable characters. Created by DarkPrinceAlucard over approximately two years, Simon’s Legacy goes beyond a simple character swap. The project changes the environments, introduces new stage layouts and puts Simon at the centre of an adventure originally built around two very different protagonists. For anyone familiar with the original Portrait of Ruin, there’s plenty to discover here.

From Portrait of Ruin to Simon’s Legacy

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin arrived on Nintendo DS in Japan and North America in 2006, with its European release following in March 2007. Developed by Konami, the game takes place in 1944 and follows vampire hunter Jonathan Morris and magician Charlotte Aulin as they investigate Dracula’s castle during the Second World War.

Its biggest departure from earlier Castlevania games was its dual-character system. Players could switch between Jonathan and Charlotte, use their different abilities during combat and combine their attacks against enemies.

The castle offered plenty of ground to explore. Magical paintings transported players to separate locations, each with its own enemies, environments and challenges. Alongside equipment, character progression and interconnected areas, the game continued the exploration-focused approach established by earlier handheld Castlevania releases.

Simon’s Legacy takes this existing framework and changes much of the adventure built around it. Jonathan and Charlotte are no longer the main attraction. Simon Belmont takes their place, bringing a different character and a revised set of stages to the Nintendo DS game.

Three versions of Simon Belmont take centre stage

Simon Belmont made his debut in the original Castlevania, released in Japan in 1986. Armed with the Vampire Killer whip and a selection of secondary weapons, he fought through Dracula’s castle in a side-scrolling action game built around combat and platforming.

He returned in Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, which introduced a more open structure, towns, character progression and exploration across multiple locations. Super Castlevania IV brought Simon to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991, introducing more detailed animation and a whip capable of attacking in several directions.

Simon’s Legacy draws on this history with three playable versions of Simon Belmont, placing different interpretations of the character within Portrait of Ruin’s Nintendo DS engine. It’s an unusual combination. Simon originally appeared in games centred on individual stages and direct combat, whereas Portrait of Ruin uses larger interconnected areas, equipment systems and character progression. The ROM hack brings these two approaches together without abandoning the technical foundations of the original Nintendo DS release.

New stages change the original adventure

The biggest changes aren’t limited to the playable characters. Simon’s Legacy introduces new stages and redesigned level layouts, replacing familiar parts of Portrait of Ruin with a revised adventure. Players can expect different environments and routes through the game rather than a straightforward replay with Simon taking Jonathan’s place.

It’s a substantial change to the original structure. Portrait of Ruin’s interconnected castle and separate painting locations provide the foundation for the new level designs. Simon’s Legacy uses this existing framework to introduce its own stage arrangements and progression.

The modifications extend to the visual presentation, bringing elements associated with Simon’s earlier appearances into a game originally created for a different generation of Castlevania characters. The project isn’t a direct remake of Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest or Super Castlevania IV. It uses Portrait of Ruin as its starting point and builds a separate Simon Belmont adventure within its engine.

Classic Castlevania meets the Nintendo DS formula

Simon’s Legacy combines elements from different periods of the series. The original Castlevania games focused on individual stages, enemy placement, platforming and combat with Simon’s whip. Later releases introduced larger environments, equipment management and character progression, giving players greater freedom to explore.

Portrait of Ruin continued this approach through its castle, magical paintings and two-character combat system. Simon’s Legacy brings Simon into this later format, pairing his established character designs with the exploration and combat mechanics of Konami’s Nintendo DS title. The three playable versions of Simon, revised environments and new stage layouts form the main changes, giving the modified game its own identity within Portrait of Ruin’s existing framework.

How to play Castlevania: Simon’s Legacy

Castlevania: Simon’s Legacy is an unofficial ROM hack for the Nintendo DS version of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. It’s not a standalone release or an official Konami production. Playing it requires a compatible original game ROM and the appropriate patching software. Once patched, the modified game can run on suitable Nintendo DS hardware or through a compatible emulator.

With three versions of Simon Belmont and a substantially revised selection of stages, Simon’s Legacy offers a different way to play Portrait of Ruin, bringing the franchise’s original vampire hunter into one of its later handheld adventures.

Spread the love