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Castlevania review

Game: Castlevania
Platform: NES
Genre: Action (Platformer)
Developer: Konami
AKA: Akumajou Dracula (JP)

Reader review by brightshield

March 28, 2007

As you enter the castle; the door shuts behind you. Now you realize that there’s no turning back. Suddenly, groups of zombies come charging at you. Your pulse begins to quicken, but you remain calm and ready your weapon. You swing your whip just in time to turn the zombies into dust. Watch out! Another one is approaching from behind, and he’s far too close to swing your whip at. Getting hit seems inevitable. However, you aren’t going down without a fight. Just as the zombie is about to strike; you hurl a razor sharp knife at him. He howls in pain as he dies, and you realize that this is going to be one hell of a night.

The intro should serve as a fine example of what this game is like. The word “intense” fits this game like a glove. As Simon Belmont(a descendant of a legendary line of vampire hunters) it’s your duty to brave the perils of Dracula’s Castle, and strike the vampire down for good. The story doesn’t have much to it, but let’s face it; NES games never have good plots.

Now the creepy atmosphere easily makes up for the lackluster plot. Castlevania is one of if not the first game to ever have a horror-like atmosphere. The castle is infested with all your favorite horror movie monsters; from skeletons to the almighty Dracula himself. The castle itself is a spooky environment; even though the color palette is a bit too bright for a dark game like this. All in all the graphics were superb for their time, but a few darker shades and a little more detail on Simon would have been nice.

The music is another area where this game is a complete success. Just try and get through the first level without humming “Vampire Killer”. The tunes aren’t the best in sound quality, but they are extremely memorable and fitting. The score definitely sets the mood for the game. The music comes across as a mix between an action and horror soundtrack. While that may seem like a weird combination; the game actually pulls it off quite effectively. The songs really get you in the mood to beat down some monsters, but at the same time there’s a sense of doom. It’s really one of those things you just have to experience for yourself.

Now the game play established the foundation for every other game in the series. However, it’s lacking the tweaks of the later installments. It’s hard to flaw this game for that alone, because it was only the first game in the series. Still, there’s somewhat of a design flaw in this game. Right off the bat you’ll notice that there’s barely any healing items lying around. In fact, almost all the healing items are hidden in breakable walls. Considering that some of the later bosses are nearly impossible to defeat without full life(Death in particular will rip you apart); I’d consider this a tiny flaw.

The main flaw lies in a few of the level designs though. The infamous level 2 stairway will have you ripping your hair out. The problem is that whenever Simon gets hit, he falls back about 3 feet. If you’re on a small platform or stairway, expect Medusa heads to come by and knock you plummeting to the ground. You can’t really dodge the Medusa heads either; there just isn’t enough room. This could have been remedied by giving Simon more precise control over his whip. The Medusa heads zigzag up and down the screen so the ability to swing your whip in multiple directions would have been a nice touch. Unfortunately, Simon can only swing his whip directly in front of him. Another tiny gripe of mine is that the game is a bit too unforgiving. I’m all for restarting at the beginning of the level when I die, but do they have to take away the 3 crosses I’ve been stashing up all game?

Despite its obvious flaws, Castlevania is a great action game. It started a phenomenal franchise that still sells well today, and created a unique atmosphere. It may be a bit too difficult for some gamers, but those of you brave enough to challenge the Count; will definitely have a blast. It’s still fun 20 years after its initial release, and that my friends; is the sign of a true classic.

Rating: 8/10

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