Originally released in November 2006, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is the second Castlevania game for the Nintendo DS. Similarly, Portrait of Ruin is another entry in the “Igavania” style of games that are synonymous with the franchise during this era. Both the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS would end up being home to two separate trilogies of Castlevania titles, all of which are Metroidvania games in the “Igavania” style rather than traditional Castlevania entries. Unlike the two games before it, though, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin shares no connection to the story of Soma Cruz and does not continue the story from Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow.
Portrait of Ruin‘s existence would first be announced shortly after the release of the first Nintendo DS game in the series, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Following that entry’s success and critical acclaim, Koji Igarashi and his team would once again set out to make another entry for the Nintendo DS modeled after Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. While Portrait of Ruin does do away with the Tactical Soul System from the two games before it, it also removes the Magical Seal system from Dawn of Sorrow which received plenty of negative feedback.
Many fans consider Portrait of Ruin to be one of the better and more under-appreciated entries in the Castlevania franchise. This is primarily due to its following up one of the series’ best arcs (the duo of Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow). Additionally, Portrait of Ruin‘s follow-up, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, is arguably one of the greatest and most unique entries in the entire franchise. Regardless, Portrait of Ruin would receive plenty of critical praise and have a considerable amount of commercial success, with the title having an estimated 400,000 units sold.
Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin Premise
While it doesn’t have the same kind of modern-day setting as its two predecessors, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin’s setting is still unique. Rather than take players back to the Middle Ages or the Industrial Revolution, Portrait of Ruin takes place during World War II. Players control not one hero but instead the duo of Jonathan Morris and his partner Charlotte Aulin. Though Jonathan’s family are the current holders of the iconic Vampire Killer whip, Jonathan himself cannot use it. That said, he is still a powerful warrior whose skills are further backed up by Charlotte’s powerful magic abilities.
The partner structure of Portrait of Ruin plays a major part in the title’s gameplay. Players will regularly switch back and forth between Jonathan and Charlotte for combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Each character has unique abilities and stats that make them better suited for certain enemy encounters. Similarly, players can utilize both characters in tandem to solve puzzles and reach previously inaccessible areas. During gameplay, players can control both Jonathan and Charlotte and utilize special abilities unique to the duo, or they can wield each character solo.
Also unique to Portrait of Ruin are the game’s multiple maps. Rather than contain the entire game within Dracula’s Castle, Portrait of Ruin utilizes titular Portraits to transport players to other biomes. There are 9 separate biomes in addition to the central hub area of Dracula’s Castle, giving Portrait of Ruin one of the single largest map area sizes in the entire Castlevania series.
Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin Main Characters
The characters in Portrait of Ruin mark a new era for the Castlevania series after two connected entries. Accordingly, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin introduces two new series protagonists. While Dracula returns once again as the game’s primary villain, there are also several new enemies to contend with. In addition to the Dark Lord Dracula, there are three new Vampires that Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin introduces. Main characters in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin include:
- Jonathan Morris: One of Portrait of Ruin‘s two protagonists. Jonathan is a member of the Morris clan who shares blood relatives with the Belmont clan. As such, he is the current wielder of the legendary Vampire Killer whip necessary to slay Dracula. However, he is incapable of wielding the whip at full power without the help of a member of the Lecarde family.
- Charlotte Aulin: Charlotte is the other hero in Portrait of Ruin and is Jonathan’s partner. Interestingly, she is a young witch of great power and a member of the Belnades clan (the very same one that Yoko from Aria of Sorrow hails from).
- Brauner: Brauner is the new primary antagonist in Portrait of Ruin. A vampire taking inspiration from real-world 20th-century artist Victor Brauner, Brauner uses magical paint to open portals to other worlds within Dracula’s Castle.
- Stella & Loretta: The descendants of the Lecarde family, the twin sisters Stella and Loretta are turned into vampires and assist Brauner in his scheme to resurrect Dracula.
- Dracula: The Dark Lord of vampires, Dracula is once again the primary antagonist in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.
Games in the Castlevania Series
Since 1986, the Castlevania franchise remains one of the most important action-adventure series in gaming. Following a trilogy of groundbreaking titles on the Famicom/NES, the series’ 16-bit era would push the franchise’s formula further with a duo of excellent titles. However, the first 32-bit game in the series, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, would see the franchise help birth a new subgenre — the Metroidvania. Since Symphony of the Night, Castlevania has served as the foundation for several other Metroidvania titles and continues to be the gold standard of the subgenre. Mainline entries in the Castlevania series include:
- Castlevania (1986)
- Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (1987)
- Castlevania: The Adventure (1989)
- Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (1989)
- Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (1991)
- Super Castlevania IV (1991)
- Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993)
- Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994)
- Castlevania: Dracula X (1995)
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
- Castlevania Legends (1997)
- Castlevania 64 (1999)
- Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (1999)
- Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001)
- Castlevania Chronicles (2001)
- Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002)
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003)
- Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003)
- Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)
- Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (2005)
- Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2006)
- Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (2007)
- Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008)
- Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (2009)
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010)
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (2013)
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (2014)
- Castlevania Requiem (2018)
- Castlevania Anniversary Collection (2019)
- Castlevania Advance Collection (2021)
Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin Cheats & Secrets
Like other games in the series, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin features plenty of secrets and unlockables. Additionally, there are several Pro Action Replay cheats players can make use of as long as they have the Pro Action Replay peripheral or an emulator with a cheat menu.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Unlockables
Ending Bonuses
Unlike the other Game Boy Advance and DS-era Castlevania titles, Portrait of Ruin only has two endings — a “bad” ending and a “good” ending. To earn the “good” ending, players must defeat both Dracula and the Whip Memory at the game’s conclusion. Doing so will unlock the following rewards:
- Boss Rush Mode Courses 2 and 3
- Richter and Sisters Mode (Alternate Duo for Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin)
- Hard Mode
- Sound Mode
- New Game +
Play as Old Axe Armor
Players can unlock the ability to play through Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin as one of the Old Axe Armor enemies. During a normal game, kill at least 1,000 Old Axe Armor enemies. After beating the game, save the “Game Complete” file. After, select the option to start a new game. Players should have the option to play through Portrait of Ruin as one of the Old Axe Armors.
Magus Ring
Completing all of Wind’s quests will reward players with the Magus Ring. This ring will quickly restore the player’s MP.
Fully Power Up the Vampire Killer
During the fight with Stella and Loretta, use the Sanctuary spell on them. This will cause the sisters to no longer be evil as well as offering to power up the Vampire Killer to its full potential. After, speak to the sisters again to enter an optional boss fight. Defeating Stella and Loretta during this fight results in the Vampire Killer becoming fully powered up.
Hard Mode Unlockables
Beating the game in Hard Mode using one of the Level Caps (1, 25, or 50) will unlock rewards that grant permanent stat boosts. To unlock all three at once, players can simply play Hard Mode with the Level 1 cap and earn all the available rewards.
Unlockable | How to Unlock |
---|---|
Konami Man (Grants a +50 Strength boost) | Beat Hard Mode with the Level 1 cap |
Twin Bee (Grants a +50 Intelligence boost) | Beat Hard Mode with the Level 25 cap |
Vic Viper (Grants a +50 Luck boost) | Beat Hard Mode with the Level 50 cap |
Boss Rush Mode Unlockables
Completing the Boss Rush Mode courses within certain time limits will provide the following rewards:
Reward | Course & Time |
---|---|
Astral Ring | Clear Course 1 in 1 minute or less |
Invisible Cape | Clear Course 1 in 3 minutes or less |
Record 1 | Clear Course 2 in 3 minutes or less |
Illusion Fist | Clear Course 2 in 5 minutes or less |
Record 2 | Clear Course 3 in 3 minutes or less |
Scout Armo | Clear Course 3 in 5 minutes or less |
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Easter Eggs
Birthday Cake
Players can earn a special reward by manipulating the Nintendo DS’ internal clock. Setting the Nintendo DS’ date and time to that of your birthday (which should be saved to your user profile on the system) will result in Vincent offering players a special Birthday Cake item. Players can purchase the Birthday Cake for 3,000G.
Hidden Vincent Dialogue
While controlling Charlotte, stand in front of Vincent and press Up to speak to the shopkeeper. You will hear a bit of hidden dialogue.
Alternate Credits
After unlocking Hard Mode, start a new game and successfully complete it to see an alternate portrait of Vincent during the credits.
English and Japenese Voiceovers
Players can switch back and forth between the English and Japanese voiceovers for Portrait of Ruin using a special button combination. Holding L and pressing A on the main menu will result in Jonathan saying “Showtime”. This is your indication that the game has successfully switched between the English and Japanese voiceovers (and vice versa).
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Glitches
Duplicate Quest Rewards Glitch
After completing one of Wind’s quests, return to his location and press Up to speak with him and open the Quest menu. Press A twice and then quickly press Start to exit the menu after hearing the reward chime. The quest will still be active but you will already have the corresponding reward. Repeat as many times as you like to earn multiple rewards for a single quest.
Easily Defeat Dagon
Fighting Dagon in the Forest of Doom can prove to be one of the more challenging boss fights. However, there’s a method players can use to make the fight much easier. First, stock up on Potions and Tonics to their maximum. While inside Dagon’s arena, use the Holy Lightning skill on repeat and replenish MP as needed by switching out partners.
Easily Defeat Doppelganger
Note that this method requires having the Illusion Fist (reward from Boss Rush Course 2). Equip Jonathan with the Illusion Fist (making sure the item is active and his stats are boosted). After heading into the arena, the Doppelganger will be unable to do anything other than walk toward you thanks to a missing animation.
Easily Defeat Legion
Players can easily defeat Legion by utilizing Charlotte as their main character. Switch over from Jonathan to Charlotte and have her use the Ice Needle spell. Depending on the player level, it should take 2-4 hits of Ice Needle to destroy a section of Legion. Similarly, players can use the Volcano Dual Crush to safely take out Legion from the top platform.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Pro Action Replay Cheats
Players can utilize any of the following cheats as long as they have a Pro Action Replay peripheral for the Nintendo DS. Alternatively, players experiencing Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin on an emulator can enter any of the following cheats into the emulator’s “Cheat” menu.
General Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
Max HP | 1211216e 0000270f |
Infinite HP | d3000000 0211216e f211216c 00000002 d2000000 00000000 |
Max MP | 12112172 0000270f |
Infinite MP | d3000000 02112172 f2112170 00000002 d2000000 00000000 |
Max/Infinite Gold | 021121c4 0098967f |
Fast Level Up (XP Multiplier) | 021121c0 0098967f |
All Sub-Weapon Skills Mastered | d5000000 ffffffff c0000000 0000000e d6000000 02111ccc d2000000 00000000 |
Enemy Guide Complete | 02111aac ffffffff 02111ab0 ffffffff 02111ab4 ffffffff 02111ab8 ffffffff 02111abc ffffffff |
9999 of All Enemies Killed | 72111eaa 0000270f d5000000 0000270f c0000000 0000009a d7000000 02111d76 d2000000 00000000 |
Item Guide Complete | d5000000 11111111 c0000000 00000029 d6000000 02111af4 d2000000 00000000 22111b9c 00000011 |
Low Game Time | 021119e0 00000064 |
Unlock All Characters, Boss Rush, & Sound Modes | 0213d358 01007f00 0213d368 0f240a00 |
Jump Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
Jonathan Moon Jump | a4000130 ff7f0000 94000130 fffd0000 020fcac0 ffffb930 d2000000 00000000 |
Jonathan Infinite Jumps | 220fcb8e 00000001 |
Charlotte Moon Jump | a4000130 ff7f0000 94000130 fffd0000 020fcc20 ffffb930 d2000000 00000000 |
Charlotte Infinite Jumps | 220fccee 00000001 |
Jonathan Stat Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
Max Attack (ATK) | 12111fc0 000003e7 |
Max Defense (DEF) | 12111fc2 000003e7 |
Max Strength (STR) | 12111fc4 000003e7 |
Max Constitution (CON) | 12111fc6 000003e7 |
Max Intelligence (INT) | 12111fc8 000003e7 |
Max Mind (MND) | 12111fca 000003e7 |
Max Luck (LCK) | 12111fcc 000003e7 |
Charlotte Stat Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
Max Attack (ATK) | 12112010 000003e7 |
Max Defense (DEF) | 12112012 000003e7 |
Max Strength (STR) | 12112014 000003e7 |
Max Constitution (CON) | 12112016 000003e7 |
Max Intelligence (INT) | 12112018 000003e7 |
Max Mind (MND) | 1211201a 000003e7 |
Max Luck (LCK) | 1211201c 000003e7 |
Equipment/Items Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
All Accessories | 02111c98 99999999 02111c9c 99999999 02111ca0 99999999 02111ca4 99999999 02111ca8 99999999 22111cac 00000099 |
All Body Armor | 02111c54 99999999 02111c58 99999999 02111c5c 99999999 02111c60 99999999 02111c64 99999999 02111c68 99999999 02111c6c 99999999 22111c70 00000099 |
All Leg Armor | 02111c88 99999999 02111c8c 99999999 02111c90 99999999 12111c94 00009999 22111c96 00000099 |
All Head Armor | 02111c74 99999999 02111c78 99999999 02111c7c 99999999 02111c80 99999999 12111c84 00009999 22111c86 00000099 |
All Food | 02111bf8 99999999 02111bfc 99999999 02111c00 99999999 02111c04 99999999 02111c08 99999999 02111c0c 99999999 02111c10 99999999 02111c14 99999999 02111c18 99999999 22111c1c 00000099 22111c1d 00000009 |
All Relics | 12111a9a 00001111 02111a9c 11111111 12111aa0 00001111 |
All Skills/Sub-Weapons | 22111a71 00000099 12111a72 00009999 02111a74 99999999 02111a78 99999999 02111a7c 99999999 02111a80 99999999 02111a84 99999999 02111a88 99999999 02111a8c 99999999 02111a90 99999999 02111a94 99999999 12111a98 00009999 |
All Weapons | 02111c2c 99999999 02111c30 99999999 02111c34 99999999 02111c38 99999999 02111c3c 99999999 02111c40 99999999 02111c44 99999999 02111c48 99999999 02111c4c 99999999 |
Have Konami Man (+50 STR) | 22111c1f 00000010 |
Have Twinbee (+50 INT) | 22111c1f 00000001 |
Have Vic Viper (+50 LCK) | 22111c20 00000010 |
Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin Cheat FAQs
How long is Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin?
Most playthroughs of Portrait of Ruin will take roughly 9.5-10 hours. However, attempting 100% completion takes roughly 24-25 hours on average.
How do you get the best ending in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin?
To get the best, or “good”, ending, use the Sanctuary spell on the Vampire Sisters during their boss fight. Not only will they offer to power up the Vampire Killer whip for you, but this gives way to the second half of the game where players fight Brauner, the Whip Memory, and Dracula.
What’s the best weapon in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin?
One of the best weapons in terms of stats is the Royal Sword. This sword has an impressive +84 attack power and grants a +6 boost to Strength, Constitution, and Intelligence.
What is the maximum completion percentage in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin?
There are 10 different maps in Portrait of Ruin including Dracula’s Castle as the hub area. Completing all of them at 100% will see the player’s total completion reach 1,000%.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.