Konami used to be one of the biggest video game companies around. They ruled the NES market and even had to create another company, Ultra Games, to bypass some Nintendo legality issues on releasing too many games. Some classics on the NES includeContra,Metal Gear,Gradius, and of course,Castlevania. Nowadays, Konami doesn’t make many video games, but it does lend out characters occasionally.
RELATED:Beginner Tips For Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania
Dead Cellswas the perfect indie game to getCastlevania-themed DLC.Dead Cells: Return to Castlevaniaalmost works too well, overshadowing many of what made the original indie roguelike darling so charming. So, if the developers at Motion Twin could tackle another NES game from this era or beyond, like the 16-bit era, what should they go after next?
8Final Fantasy
TheFinal Fantasyseries has been featured in many cross-promotional game events. Some of them make sense, like the newFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeDLC forPowerWash Simulator,and sometimes they are more baffling, like theAssassin’s Creedcontent inFinal Fantasy 15.Final Fantasycould work well inDead Cells, though, if the developers base it on the first game.
There’s not a lot of story to it, so they wouldn’t have to worry about messing with any lore. Players could go into several biomes based on where the four crystals are located in the first game, and then they could fight each boss that guards these crystals like Lich.
7Ghosts ‘N Goblins
Ghosts ‘n Goblinswould make just as much sense inDead CellsasCastlevania. LikeCastlevania, it was an NES game that featured players fighting off the legions of the dead, including zombies, skeletons, and other horrors of the night. The original game is well-known for being a brutal NES title.
That difficulty challenge would fit right at home with a roguelike akin toDead Cells.Ghosts ‘n Goblinsmay be kind of a dead series from Capcom now, even though they did put out a new entry in 2021 calledGhosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection. It didn’t make a huge splash, but maybe DLC forDead Cellscould help bring the brand back in a bigger way.
6Metroid
Metroidis the other half of the Metroidvania genre coin.Super Metroidpopularized the formula over the original, and thenCastlevania: Symphony of the NightupgradedSuper Metroid’sideas by adding RPG elements, and the rest is history.Dead Cellsis more of a roguelike, but the core game does give players skills to unlock new paths.
RELATED:NES Games That Got Remakes (& What They Were Released For)
For example, there is the ability to grow vines or the one that allows them to burst through floors. So, it would make just as much sense to get Samus in on the roguelike action via herMetroidseries. Maybe this hypothetical DLC could turnDead Cellsinto a more proper Metroidvania experience.
5Metal Gear
Metal Gearsounds like an odd game to makeDead CellsDLC for. The developers are not beholden to make every piece of content for the game roguelike related, though. Perhaps the developers may want to branch off and try their hand at a stealth-based game instead.
Maybe the nameless hero could accidentally make a wrong turn in the pipes on his way back to his cell. Maybe this wrong turn can lead it into a prison within Outer Heaven, the location fromMetal Gearon the NES. Basing the game onMetal Gear Solidmay get more hype instead, but either way, fans should be overjoyed to see another classic Konami title resurrected via DLC.
4Mortal Kombat
Making DLC based on a fighting game likeMortal Kombatmight also sound odd at first. However, let’s look atStreet Fighter X Mega Man, which was a fan-made game at first. Capcom liked the game so much that they officially sanctioned it and released it on PC. It was aMega Mangame through and through, but his bosses were based onStreet Fightercharacters like Ryu.
Mortal KombatDLC forDead Cellscould feature the same trajectory. Players could go through reimagined levels from theMortal Kombatseries and then fightbosses like Scorpionor Sub-Zero to get their weapons or powers.
3Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaidenis another game that is infamous for being expertly challenging on the NES. The entire trilogy is known for this, as is the reboot series that began on the original Xbox. The nameless hero inDead Cellsis already pretty agile, like a ninja, making this a good fit.
RELATED:The Best Selling NES Games, Ranked By Sales
Plus, there are plenty of ninja-like weapons in the game, from twin blades to throwing knives to nunchaku. Give this nameless hero some black garb and send him ona ninja gamejourney through pain.
2Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The developers shouldn’t be satisfied with making one ninja-based DLC, though.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswould also be a fun fit for Dead Cells.Battletoadsmade it intoShovel Knight, soDead Cellsgetting the turtles would be like a fun nod to that.
There are plenty of great arcade ports on the NES based onTMNT, but fans would be most ecstatic if theDead CellsDLC was based onTurtles in Time. It could tie into the upcoming movieTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayheminstead of some good cross-promotional material.
1The Legend Of Zelda
The Legend Of Zeldais no stranger to getting the DLC treatment/spinoff sequel viaCadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda. That kept the core concept of a musical roguelike intact but instead set the game in Hyrule.
The nameless hero inDead Cellscould get zapped into Hyrule and visit some iconic locations like Kakariko Village and Death Mountain.A Link to the Pastwould be a good game to base thisDead CellsDLC idea off of, as it is a classic 16-bit game on the SNES. However, likeMetal Gear Solid’sexample,Ocarina of Timemay be the better nostalgia play.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevaniawas released on July 25, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
