Rate is a statistic found in Castlevania games that measures map completion. Starting from Symphony of the Night, each map would count as 100% toward the total, leading to many following games having a greater than 100% maximum map rate.
Game specific information
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Aside from a percentage rate of map completion, this game also features a room count which allows the player to determine the number of blocks they have explored so far. The first map of the game takes place in the "normal castle", where it's possible to obtain an approximate of 99% map rate. The number of blocks counted in the room count for the normal castle are 942 rooms.
However, once Alucard saves Richter Belmont in the Castle Keep by wearing the Holy Glasses, the dark priest Shaft will appear and reveal the Reverse Castle, being the game's second map but with an inverted layout. Entering this castle extends the map rate beyond 100%, as it contains another 948 rooms.
The maximum map rate attainable in the game without glitching is 200.6% by visiting all 1,890 rooms of both castles.
In Richter Mode, the maximum map rate attainable without using glitches is 194.6%.
In Maria Mode, the maximum map rate attainable without using glitches is 194.2% (same blockers as Richter, and she also cannot use the Stopwatch for access to four more rooms).
Akumajō Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight (Saturn)
The Sega Saturn version of Symphony of the Night features four new areas not present in other versions of the game (Underground Garden, Hell Garden, Cursed Prison and Soul Prison), increasing by 100 the number of rooms to be explored, and by extension, its map completion rate.
In this version, the maximum attainable map rate in the standard game (Alucard) is 211.2% by visiting all 1,990 rooms without glitching.
In Richter and Maria's modes, the maximum map rate attainable is 205.6%.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
In this game, the maximum rate completion is 100% for all gameplay modes.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
In this game, the maximum rate completion is 200% since there are two castles. Each castle earns 100% map rate when fully completed.
In Maxim Mode, the normal maximum rate completion is 198.3% (Maxim cannot access the Castle A central chamber unless glitches are used).
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
In this game, the maximum rate completion is 100%. The Chaotic Realm doesn't count as part of the completion rate.
In No Soul Mode, the normal maximum rate completion is 95.9% (the Forbidden Area cannot be accessed without using glitches).
In Julius Mode, the normal maximum rate completion is 99.4%, or 99.5% when fighting his final boss (Julius cannot access the room behind the boss's chamber or the rooms on the way to the Chaotic Realm unless glitches are used).
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
In this game, the maximum rate completion is 100%. The game also allows the player to unlock the four body armors in Rinaldo's shop with each progress on the Search Ratio of the map.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
In this game, the maximum rate completion is 100%.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Portrait of Ruin has a total of 10 maps (9 portraits plus the castle), and every map, including its secret rooms, has a maximum completion rate of 100%. So, by completing all 10 maps individually, the combined maximum rate is 1,000%. Each map counts toward an equal fraction (among maps) of the total map completion rate, regardless on how many block units the map contains relative to other maps. For example, a single map block will count more in total completion on the relatively sparse City of Haze or 13th Street maps than on other larger maps with more blocks.
Having at least 888% total map rate allows the player to access the Nest of Evil secret area.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Unlike the original Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, where obtaining 100% map/file completion rate is relatively easy, basically just needing to play each stage but without requiring to explore every room, and even allowing to ignore entire sections of them, in The Dracula X Chronicles it takes much more effort, as many other factors are taken in consideration. These include rescuing all four maidens (Maria, Tera, Iris, Annette), defeating all 13 bosses, unlocking the three extra games (Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night, Akumajyo Dracula Peke), but most importantly, collecting all 37 Sound Items. This means it's mandatory to explore every alternate path of each stage, including almost all of their minor detours, as most of them generally contain at least one Sound Item.
Not enough with this, it's also mandatory to complete Boss Rush, and each course must be completed at least three times under different time ranges to get different Sound Items and one extra game.
The required conditions to achieve 100% on a save file are the following:
- Boss: 3% × 16 bosses = 48%
- Rescue maiden: 3% × 4 maidens = 12%
- Original Game: 1% × 3 games = 3%
- Sound Item: 1% × 37 Sound Items = 37%
- 48 + 12 + 3 + 37 = 100%
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Order of Ecclesia features a separate map for each dungeon, unlike a single map for the whole game. Therefore, the various areas in this game have their own map rates, which is helpful for determining what area has been cleared from those that haven't. The map rate also makes up a percentage of the game's total completion rate.