You can definitely enjoy the shows without playing the games, but playing the games is going to make you appreciate the Netflix adaptation a lot more because there are s ton of easter eggs throughout.

I don’t want to spoil any of them, so instead I’ll just say that at a minimum you should play these:

• Castlevania 4 (SNES): Its a remake of the original, and still loads of fun.

• Castlevania 3 (NES): This is the game that the original series is mostly based on. Also a 2D platformer, but way more difficult than Castlevania 4.

• Castlevania Symphony of the Night (PS1): If you only play one game from this list, this is the one you want to play. Its easily the most influential game in the franchise. It helped create an entire genre in gaming, and it’ll be the best entry point for most people because the 2 I’ve previously mentioned can be brutal. Loads of fun. Lots to do. Most of the easter eggs in the series come from this one too

• Castlevania Lament of Innocence (PS2): This is the origin story of both Dracula and the Belmont clan. It’ll help you understand Dracula a bit more - Our hero here is Leon Belmont - you may remember Trevor mentioning this guy in season 2

• Castlevania Curse of Darkness (PS2): Play this one if you want to see how Netflix did Hector dirty, and how they gave Isaac a massive upgrade. It’s staged very soon after the events of Castlevania 3.

• Castlevania Rhondo of Blood (SNES): This is Richter’s story. He does appear in other games, but this is the main one for his character. Rhondo of Blood was only released in Japan, which makes this one a bit harder to find, but not impossible.

• Castlevania Dracula X (SNES): This is the American/European adaptation of Rhondo of Blood. It’s inferior by all accounts, so if you have to pick between the two, choose Rhondo.

These games are so old that they’re easily emulated on most computers, and some of them have also been ported to newer consoles. Hope you guys enjoy them!