Castlevania series. Famitsu gave Aria of Sorrow a 36/40, the highest score any game in the Castlevania series has received from the publication. It was rated by Nintendo Power as the 22nd best game made on a Nintendo System in their Top 200 Games list. Official Nintendo Magazine called the game "Fang-tastic stuff", placing it 71st on a list of greatest Nintendo games. In Japan, the game sold 27,000 units one month after its release, considered to be a poor showing for a major video game franchise. Conversely, the game was significantly more successful in the United States, with more than 158,000 units in sales three months after its release. As the third installment of the Castlevania series on the Game Boy Advance, many reviewers made note of the game's differences from its predecessors, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, with many considering it the definitive Castlevania game for the Game Boy Advance. GameSpy noted that Aria of Sorrow "managed to get just about everything right" as compared to its predecessors, and lauded it as "the best portable Castlevania game yet created." RPGFan claimed that Aria of Sorrow "[showcased] the true art of game development: to adapt and change as necessary yet remain consistent." RPGamer considered Aria of Sorrow one of the best games released for the Game Boy Advance. In 2007 IGN ranked it as the second best Game Boy Advance game of all time. Game Informers Tim Turi ranked it among the best Castlevania games on the Game Boy Advance. He praised its gameplay and visuals for setting a standard for future Castlevania games. GameZone ranked it as the seventh best Castlevania title and the best of the Game Boy Advance Castlevania titles. The gameplay, specifically the Tactical Soul system, was a frequent subject of acclaim among reviewers. RPGFan called the Tactical Soul system "addictively fun", and GameSpot lauded the simplicity and depth of the gameplay. RPGamer considered the gameplay "one hundred percent solid," lauding the game's controls and interaction with enemies, as well as the Tactical Soul system. RPGFan asserted that the game had "a chance to be the most revered installment of the series, hardly caught in the shadow of Symphony of the Night like its predecessors." The game's length and difficulty were brought into question by several reviewers. GameSpot noted that a single play through the game would only last ten