Customer Reviews

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Official Strategy Guide

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The internet has pretty much led to the death of the need for a strategy guide. With a few simple clicks, you can get every code, learn secrets to every boss, find out item locations, so on and so forth. However, some games are just....better with a strategy guide. Castlevania DS is a prime example of this. Sure, you could get an FAQ of the game, but pictures are worth a thousand words. It's much easier to look at a detailed map, read detailed descriptions of enemies to learn their weakness, items, and soul ability then it is to just read it online. This book will probably be a collectors item, with beautiful art work and a nice, thick, compact design. Tons of hints, tips, and secrets lay within the many pages of this quality strategy guide. I purchased this strategy guide after have 99.1% soul completion and 98.3% game completion. I just wanted to buy it for the sheer beauty of it. A great strategy guide and collectors item for Castlevania fans, don't let this book slip away!

Never has a Castlevania guide been so honest, clear, and to the point. With the Double jump Books Official Strategy Guide to Castlevania Dawn of Souls you'll conquer more than you could possibly imagine! This comprehensive guide gives you everything you need in a user friendly way, without holding your hand, and keeping you informed every step of the way!

The guide begins with a run down of the basics. Character Bios and all the mechanics you need to get started. If you're like me you hate instruction manuels because they're too vague. This guide is not vague, and if you're new to Castlevania, this helps any gamer out.

Onward we get details on more how-to details. This time talking about synthesizing and giving hints on what to buy and why sometimes buying from Hammer (the shopkeep) is a bad idea.

The walkthrough is astonishing! Never has a walkthrough for Castlevania been so easy to use. Each section begins with a map and a number. Thanks to the DS's Duel Screen, the map is ALWAYS displayed, and therefore can ALWAYS be used with this guide. Don't want it to hold your hand? No big deal. The map has a number, and if you get stuck you can just find the number that coresponds on the map. They give you a short, brief and very indepth explanation on what to do. No more reading useless paragraphs of things that don't relate to what needs to be done in certain areas (if you read the Lament of Innocence Guide by BradyGAMES you know exactly what I'm talking about).

Crystal clear screenshots, and a huge detailed fold out map are perhaps your best companions. Don't assume there are no maps in the guide, there are. The fold out map just makes getting around all around easier. Yes, this guide has just about all you could want. The boss strategies are perhaps the best part of the detail. Each boss strategy tells you a precise pattern (with screenshots along the way) and just what to do to combat them. Excellent. No longer will you be plauged by some bosses because you don't know what their pattern is. This guide is straight-forward and to the point.

All the details on Hard Mode, every key difference is explained in full detail. Plus, a nifty trick to level up Soma, and even a checklist of everything that needs to be done to master the game!

Then we go on to all the items list, the monster list, soul list and whatnot. Each of which is expertly detailed and easy t0 use. Nothing should confuse you.

Then we move on to the extras like the Enemy Set Mode and Boss Rank Mode. Each area is, you guessed it, detailed to the fullest extent of a gaming guide.

Perhaps the most perplexing thing is when you get to the spoilers. If you were fortunate enough to get a hold of the Double Jump Books "Phantom Brave" guide, then you know the secrets and spoilers section is upside down. This is done purposely to keep readers from ruining the meat and experience of the game. Things like, story plots and whatnot. Don't want it to be ruined, by the time you flip there it's upside down so you KNOW you shouldn't be looking just yet.

And finally, we're treated to an interview with the creators of the game. This is one hefty interview where you can learn about not just Dawn of Souls, but the other games as well. Learn about the History.

What is execellent about this guide besides all that I said above, is how it doesn't hold your hand. How not every little thing is explained to you as if you're a six year old. It makes the guide easier to use, and it helps it get to the point faster. This guide is crafted for experts and beginners alike!

Don't use any other guide, use Double Jump Books. No guide is more detailed, or informative.

Awesome game> If you are a fan of Castlevania then this is a must have game. This is by far the best Castlevania game I have ever played. And on the DS I was totally surprised at the graphics. I would give it a 9.5 easy.
The shipping was fast and game was in excellent shape. I would reccomend the guide book as there are tons of secrets I would not have known about.

Item received earlier than expected. Condition was better than described and packaging was of high quality. Made for a Merry Christmas!

Keep in mind all my reviews for the strategy guides I own will be the same unless they bring something new to the table, because they are the same just for different games. So don't be upset because I cut and paste. I only do it in this for the guieds I own and I know it applies to. Thank you.

If you get stuck on games like the average person this will help you get through the rough spots. I found it very helpful, easy to read, and well put together for the most part. My only complaint is all the secrets and bonus stuff is in the back of the book. I feel it should be in the walkthrough so you don't have to go back and forth to see if you missed something. or get an item so late that it is irrelevant anymore because you got it so late its too weak. But most Guides do this so this is not the only one with this flaw. Hope that helps you out

Tells you everything you need to know to complete the game and get all the extras.

Being lamentably short of free time, I don't do video games on a regular basis. So unlike most (if not all) reviewers I am by no means a skilled player but rely on beginner's luck and sound instinct. DoS is my first Castlevania game ever; its highly entertaining rendition impressed me so much that I bought a strategy guide - something I never did before. Thank goodness I picked the right one, as this book is teeming with precious trivia, tipps and tricks. Without it, I'd certainly still be stuck in the Garden of Madness, fighting screaming carrots and heavily armor'd cattle.

Especially the Labyrinth part proved to be a gem, and even the Boss fights lost their primary terror once I learned how to handle the guys. Apart from the detailed description of friends, foes, weapons, souls etc., another big asset of the book are the screenshots. Occasionally there are minor flaws - like a Dungeon room that is described as being located in the Chapel - but they are easy to detect, and absolutely negligible.

I whole-heartedly recommend this strategy guide to every DoS fan, be they on level 01 or 1.000!