Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a 2005 action-RPG platformer developed by Konami for the Nintendo DS. Set one year after the events of Aria of Sorrow, the game follows Soma Cruz as he confronts a mysterious cult determined to unleash the power of Dracula. Gameplay takes place across one of the largest castles in the series, which players explore in the franchise's signature nonlinear style while battling enemies and acquiring abilities. A distinctive mechanic ties into the DS hardware: defeating bosses requires drawing specific magic seals on the touchscreen within a time limit, or enemies will survive the encounter. Outside the main campaign, a versus mode allows two players to compete through custom-built castle rooms in a race-style format. The combination of exploration-focused level design, touchscreen integration, and multiplayer content made it a notable entry in the long-running series.