January 17^th, 2003 (12:00am) - Konami has the revealed the details for their latest Castlevania game for the Game Boy Advance, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Aria of Sorrow is the third Castlevania game to hit the Game Boy Advance, and with Koji Igarashi and the team behind the cult classic, Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow plans to redefine the series.

"Aria of Sorrow adds so many amazing new features to the Castlevania series that this iteration is radically different from previous titles," says Jason Enos, Product Manager at Konami of America, Inc. "This is the first Castlevania set in the near future, the first Castlevania where the hero is not tied to the infamous Belmont clan of vampire hunters, and the first Castlevania to let you acquire the souls of enemies and use their abilities as weapons. Castlevania will never be the same!"

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow takes place in the year 2035 with the game’s protagonist being a high school student, by the name of Soma Cruz. Soma Cruz finds himself in a mysterious castle, the way he makes it there is unknown, but when he was about to witness the first solar eclipse of the 21st century he suddenly passed out and the next thing he knew he found himself in Alucard’s castle. In addition to collecting and wielding multiple weapons, players now also have the unique ability to use the souls of their enemies to gain over 100 powerful new attacks and skills. Using the Nintendo Game Link Cable, players can also exchange or trade enemy souls with their friends, further bolstering their character’s strength against the evil forces lurking within the castle walls. Enhanced by a haunting musical score, stunning animated characters, gigantic monsters, astonishing special effects and breathtaking graphics, Aria of Sorrow will have players wishing for their garlic cloves and wooden crosses

Aria of Sorrow is scheduled to hit North American retailers in May 2003…