Castlevania: The Arcade

The castle opens its doors again, and this time you shoot your way through. Castlevania: The Arcade is a light-gun shooter developed and published by Konami, released in February 2009 for arcades — the series’ return to the coin-op floor, its whip replaced by a firearm pointed at whatever crawls out of the dark.

Built to be played standing up with a partner, it sends players through Dracula’s halls to face the monsters, mummies and undead things that wait inside. No platforming, no exploration — just a corridor of horrors and the sound of your own gun.

It remains a curiosity in the Castlevania line: the Belmonts’ war told through a shooting gallery, remembered by arcade-goers who fought Dracula with a light gun in each hand.