with GameSpot noting that the game could be finished in five hours and "is fairly easy as far as Castlevania games go". GameSpot extolled the game's animation and graphics, describing the backgrounds as "intricate and gorgeous" and the individual animation, especially of enemies, as one of the game's "highlights". IGN echoed this assessment, calling the animation "stunning and fluid", and noted the differences in graphics between Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow, saying the latter was on a "broader and more impressive scale". Reviewers lambasted the use of an anime style of drawing the characters, as opposed to the traditional gothic presentation of illustrator Ayami Kojima in earlier Castlevania games. GameSpy deplored the "shallow, lifeless anime images" used for the characters and Kojima's absence from the production. IGN believed the new images were "down to the level of 'generic Saturday morning Anime' quality". The audio by Michiru Yamane and Masahiko Kimura was highly regarded, with GameSpot saying it was "head and shoulders above [Aria of Sorrow]". IGN noted that the DS dual speaker system presented the audio "extraordinarily well". In the review from 1UP.com, the game's score was compared to the soundtrack of Symphony of the Night, with "excellent" sound quality and "exceptional" compositions. The functionality associated with the Nintendo DS, namely the touch screen and the Magic Seal system, was subject to criticism from reviewers. GameSpot noted that it was difficult to use the stylus immediately after the game prompted the player to draw the Magic Seal, thus forcing the player to use their fingernail on the touch screen. Other functions using the touch screen, including clearing ice blocks, were viewed as trivial, with GameSpy calling it a "gimmick". However, IGN dismissed the lack of DS functionality as a major issue, claiming it "doesn't hurt the product in the slightest". In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. Notes References External links Official website Official Castlevania website 2005 video games Dawn of Sorrow Fiction set in 2036 Metroidvania games Mobile games Multiplayer and single-player video games Nintendo DS games Fiction about reincarnation Fiction about sacrifices Science fiction horror video games Side-scrolling role-playing video games Video games scored by Michiru Yamane Video games developed in Japan Video games with alternate endings Video games about cults Science fantasy video games