Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow/Walkthrough

Entrance
The entrance is the first room in the game.

Mina is located at the far left. When you talk to her, you will be healed back to full health. She will also give you hints on what is needed to proceed past some obstacle or puzzle. They include:
 * Being able to jump further by slowing your rate of descent. (Flying armor)
 * Being able to stand on water and jump. (Undine)
 * Some spaces within the castle connect to different locations. (Refers to Floating Gardens)
 * The area accessible by travelling through water (Scula)
 * Charging at full speed with a large body to break through a wall of water (Curly, Devil, or Manticore)
 * A creature that can stop time in the castle (Chronomage), and some enemies that are immune to being frozen in time. (Galamoth)
 * Being able to instantly kill an enemy by swapping HP and MP (Killer mantle, Iron Golem)
 * An enemy moving at high speeds that can only be detected by stopping time (Sky fish).
 * Ancient books located throughout the castle that describe Dracula's powers.
 * If you look up and see a demon at the altar, there's something else there as well. (probably refers to teleportation rooms, but unconfirmed.).

Castle Corridor
The castle corridor is the first major section. You will get the Grave Digger soul (which allows you to slide back), and fight against the first boss, Creaking Skull.

The Creaking Skull is a simple enemy. It will simply raise it's large bone, and bring it crashing down. It may also launch a fire breath.

When it is defeated, proceed to the right until you reach a save point. Then go down and to the right to collect the Flying armor soul. Next, head back up until you reach a large gap. Use the flying armor to jump across. Continue right until you reach the chapel.


 * Items
 * Cape: Past zombie room
 * Short sword: Past zombie room
 * Lucky charm: located at top-right corner of entrance. (Requires double jump)
 * Yasutsuna: Located near third save point (requires Giant Bat)
 * Vjaya: Located in room right of teleport. (Requires Giant Bat)
 * Cestus: Located in room right of teleport.
 * Lance: Located in path to Dance Hall.
 * Copper plate: After using flying armor (or another means to jump the gap), take the upper path until you reach another large room. Take the upper-right exit from this room, and jump on the monster to reach it.
 * Scarf: After using flying armor (or another means to jump the gap), take the upper path until you reach another large room. Take the lower-right exit from this room.
 * Armor of Fire: After using flying armor (or another means to jump the gap), take the upper path until you reach another large room. The armor is located at the top-left corner.  (Requires Giant Bat)


 * $500: At the second save point, go southwest.

Chapel
The chapel is a small section on the right-hand side of the map.

The boss in this section is a Manticore. It's two attacks is a tail sting (identified by a small shake), and by breathing fire.


 * Bamboo Sword: available from the room above the first corridor.
 * Rapier, located on the right of the map, in the uppermost room. (Requires double jump)
 * Tallhammer: located at the top-right corner of the Manticore boss room.
 * Silk Robe: located to the upper right hand exit of the room. Break the top wall of this room to colelct $1000.

Study
The boss is a Great Armor. It walks back and forth slowly, and will occasionally swing it's sword. The easiest method to attack it is to crouch as close as possible and attack. It's shield will protect against your ranged attacks.


 * Bastard sword available by taking the right path from the entrance.
 * Whip Sword located at bottom-right corner. Requires back-dashing into the skull that blocks access.
 * Kaiser Knuckle and melon located at top-left corner of section.
 * Broadsword located by moving the crate down to the floor below, and jumping up the platforms. Requires double jump.
 * Heart Pendant located by pushing crate to the right, and jumping to the room above.
 * Hammer located at the top right corner.


 * Ancient Book 1 is available either from the Forbidden zone or by using slide.

Dance Hall
The boss is a Big Golem. It can be hit in either the leg or head - arm attacks are ineffective.


 * Cutall: Located in large room with ghost dancers. Requires Slide.
 * Samurai Armor: Located at the upper portion of the dance hall, two rooms above the teleport.
 * Sherman Ring: Located in secret room, up from the area where you would head to Inner Quarters.
 * $500: Located in cellar, by taking the right-hand path.

Inner Quarters
The boss is the Headhunter, and it attacks in three phases.

After defeating Head hunter, continue right, and go directly up. The Undine soul is located at the top-right corner, and a poison sword in the top-left corner.


 * Dainjslef and Ancient Book 2 located past Chronomage.
 * Hrunting: Located at top-left corner from where you get Undine.
 * Ninja Suit: Behind two secret walls. First is located at the bottom of the second room in Inner Quarters (requires hammer or an attack that can hit the floor), and the other is a wall on the right.

Floating Gardens

 * There is $500 at the top of some of the rooms.
 * To reach the clock tower, go to the top-left section of the initial area, and continue left.
 * To reach the second save point and a mysterious door, head to the top-right seciton of the initial area, and continue right. Alternatively, you can head to the top-left area, head two rooms left, then immediately turn around on the third room.

Clock Tower
Death will initially summon a floating scythe while attacking with miniature scythes that appear randomly. It will usually make spins towards you, but Death will also cause floor beams to inflict heavy damage.

When the scythe is destroyed, it will approach, and create a double scythe. It will make melee attacks with the scythe (dodged by jumping or ducking), will throw the scythe (dodged by ducking), or by having the scythe circle around the corner of the room (best dodged by jumping over the scythe as it approaches, and by being on the right-hand side of Death.)

When destroyed, you will get the Scula soul.


 * Pitch Black suit: Found at bottom-left corner of Clock tower.
 * Burtgang: Located in pendulum room.
 * Mystletain: Located in a secret room, several rooms west of the first save point.
 * Death's Robe: Located en route to Death from Floating Gardens or the save point. (Requires Giant bat)
 * Death's Sickle: Located before Death boss fight. (Requires Giant Bat, and hard mode)
 * $2000

Underground Reservoir
The Underground Reservoir leads to The Arena, and the Underground Cemetery, both of which are reached from the bottom-left corner of the section.


 * Rahab's Sword is found left of the vertical shaft on the left hand side of the sector.
 * Elfin Robe found above the western entrance corridor.
 * Milcan's Sword located at the top-center of the large room.
 * Osafune located the right, behind an underwater secret wall.
 * Rune ring located at top-right corner of the section.
 * Ronginus' Spear located at the top-left alcove near the waterfall.
 * Eversing behind waterfall.
 * Armor of Water located at the bottom of this section.
 * Ancient Book 3 located at top-right corner.


 * $1000 in room to the right of eastern entrance.
 * $2000 in top-right room in sector.
 * Super potion located in large room above the first save point.
 * Super potion located in large waterfall room, accessible from the top-right section.
 * Super potion behind middle of waterfall
 * Tasty meat available on the left path from Castle Corridor.
 * High mind up is within the water near the entrance to The Arena.
 * Pudding is at the bottom left corner.
 * Mana Prism in path just above the route leading to The Arena.


 * Exit to forbidden zone: use the undine soul, and either the Curly, Devil or Manticore soul to charge through the waterfall.

The Arena
Balore is the boss of this section, located in the bottom-left corner. In the first phase, you will need to hit his left eye (shown on the right) while avoiding his fists. On the second phase, he will switch to the other eye, and fire beams from his eye to create fire (which can be jumped over.)


 * Collect the Rare Ring (directly right of Balore)
 * Collect Balmung (above Rare Ring)
 * Collect Silver Gun (hard mode, near balmung)
 * Collect Olrox's Suit (above Balmung)
 * Collect Black Cloak, in the bath above the save point.
 * Collect Laevatain (fire sword).


 * $1000 can be collected repeatedly from the torch behind the giant skeleton.
 * High potion is at the top-right corner of this area.

Underground Cemetery
The boss of this area is Legion. To get its soul, you must destroy all four outer sections to expose the core, which then must be destroyed.


 * Get the Gold Ring at the top-right corner of the section.


 * $2000 at the top-left corner of the section.
 * high potion just right of Legion.

Forbidden Area

 * Claimh Solais is behind a secret wall to the left of the ship.
 * Joyeuse is at the end of the corridor, after going through the bottom-right of the ship.

Top Floor
With the Giant Bat soul, you can challenge Graham at the top of the tower.

In his first form, he will randomly teleport, launching flame attacks each time he appears. When low on health, he will teleport to the center, and start launching the fiery orbs in a circular pattern. Make sure you have the Flame Demon, Giant Bat, and Succubus souls before destroying the first form.

In the second form, he will appear in the background, with the hands and chandelier being the major threat. The hands will occasionally sparkle, and swing towards the middle. However, these hands can never hit you if you are ducking (or sliding). The chandelier will move to your position, and occasionally blast you with energy. It may be dodged simply by sliding or by getting out of the way. To defeat Graham, you must hit the center of the body.


 * Satan's Ring. From the entrance, go up, take a left, and get past the Final Guard.
 * Gunger: From the entrance, go up, take a left, and go to the left room again. Break the ceiling at the top-left corner of the room.
 * Kaladbolg: Below the throne room, at the top-left corner.
 * Tear of Blood: Located at the top-right corner on the stairs leading to the throne room.
 * Dracula's Tunic: Defeat Graham, and continue left.


 * Hippogryph: Break the wall behind the Iron Golem.

Chaotic Realm
The boss of this region is Chaos.

The first form will prevent you from using your souls (turning the Chaos Ring into a piece of jewelry). The piece holding the red orb will create three projectiles and launch them at you. The piece holding the blue orb will transform to a creature and charge. The piece holding the yellow orb will try to drain your MP. If possible, destroy the red orb piece first.

The second form has a bone snake circling around randomly. The snake will occasionally launch an attack, but that's not the only thing to worry about. The center will occasionally launch four orbs to the corners, which then try to close in on you (which are repelled by attacks). Also, a set of thorns will appear in a circular pattern. To defeat this second form, destroy the eyes at the corner to lower the defense of the middle section, then attack the middle until it is destroyed.

If you have trouble with the thorns, then watch the way they appear. Once the circle of thorns is complete, they will launch in the same order. Simply walking under the center will let you avoid this attack.
 * Chaos ring located up and left of the area reminiscent of Clock Tower (hard mode, 100% souls)