It seems the rumor mill spins yet again, and this time it gets its wind from Konami and the Castlevania franchise. It looks very likely that a new one is on the horizon that is not Lords of Shadow. The early buzz stems from a recent European trademark filed by Konami for the name “Harmony of Despair.”
Initially thought to be for the upcoming iPhone HD, unnamed sources have said that it’s actually an Xbox Live Arcade title that will provide 2D action and support for 6-player coop as well as versus modes. No more detail than that, but more is no doubt on the way.
6-player coop sounds like an odd idea for the 2D Castlevania games, but I’m inclined to hope it’s one of those ideas that are so crazy that they just might work. There are, to date, six 2D Castlevanias that have released since Symphony of the Night, and they are all on a portable system. They are also not quite as awesome as their big daddy, though often coming remarkably close. Maybe coming back to console and throwing in a truly new mechanic is something that can breathe new life not just to the franchise, but to the 2D explorer genre. It’s all rumor, of course, but it actually sounds kind of neat.
