After releasing Super Castlevania IV, which was a kind of remake/re-imagining of the first game in the series, but as many know is almost like a totally different game, Konami decided to release another remake of the first Castlevania, but this time one that was faithful to the original both in level design and gameplay, and above all, in difficulty, so on July 23, 1993 saw the light exclusively in Japan for Sharp X68000 computers.
Certainly as a remake it takes several liberties, as it is not a 1:1 translation with the original game and even most of the bosses and levels are completely new. However, as such the spirit and essence of the first Castlevania is there, the difficulty is high and will require you to memorize the level design to have a chance of beating it, it requires good reflexes and muscle memory, and above all a lot of luck with the bosses which as in the first game, are very erratic and a bit unfair most of the time. This game has the difficulty of one of the 80s, only that in reality the level design is more polished, but it is also more challenging. One of the things to note is that this game is actually more difficult than the first Castlevania, and just look at the iconic wall of the first level that held the chicken and now awaits a nest of infinite flea man ... so yes, this version is aimed at veterans and hardcore fans of the franchise, get ready, because this will be an adventure that will require a lot of patience, persistence and skill, although if you could with the NES, probably you can also with this one.
To balance things out a bit, Simon can now direct his whip downwards or to any lower diagonal, it certainly doesn't offer the same versatility as Castlevania IV's control, but believe me this small addition to the gameplay can save your bacon on more than one occasion. In this installment Simon feels "slow" in trying to replicate the mobility of the original games, so if you're coming from Castlevania IV or any modern game it will be something you'll resent, but eventually learn to get used to. The secondary weapons are the same as the first Castlevania, although if you're a bit lucky you may come across a healing plant, a secondary weapon exclusive to this version and that revitalizes you in exchange for a lot of hearts.
Something that I quite appreciate about this game are its graphics, because for its time they are quite close to those of the PS1 era, it has a very well cared visual style with a well selected color palette, however almost all the backgrounds in the scenarios are static, unlike those of Castlevania IV that had many animated elements. I can assume that Castlevania Symphony of the Night took inspiration from this game in the artistic section, because in general it feels like an evolution of what this game presented.
Something in which this game takes several liberties is also the soundtrack, as most of the pieces are new compositions. And wow, there are some really good new songs, such as the two songs from the doppleganger level, Moon Fight and The Tower of Dolls, which are songs that fascinate me and would reappear in future games in the franchise. Music in this game sounds similar to what the Sega Genesis sound chip was capable of reproducing, only with a bit more fidelity.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly a very good remix of the original Castlevania, which unlike Castlevania IV, decides to take a more faithful direction to the original game while still keeping it fresh with all new levels and small difficulty spikes, making it possibly one of the most difficult Castlevania games, although if I managed to finish it without saves states, I'm sure you can too.
If you're a fan of the first title and want to try something with the same essence but with small twists in difficulty, I recommend you try this one.
Additional comment related to the review
I played this game through the original mode included in Castlevania Chronicles for PS1, which is a port practically identical to the original, but with loading times.
Certainly as a remake it takes several liberties, as it is not a 1:1 translation with the original game and even most of the bosses and levels are completely new. However, as such the spirit and essence of the first Castlevania is there, the difficulty is high and will require you to memorize the level design to have a chance of beating it, it requires good reflexes and muscle memory, and above all a lot of luck with the bosses which as in the first game, are very erratic and a bit unfair most of the time. This game has the difficulty of one of the 80s, only that in reality the level design is more polished, but it is also more challenging. One of the things to note is that this game is actually more difficult than the first Castlevania, and just look at the iconic wall of the first level that held the chicken and now awaits a nest of infinite flea man ... so yes, this version is aimed at veterans and hardcore fans of the franchise, get ready, because this will be an adventure that will require a lot of patience, persistence and skill, although if you could with the NES, probably you can also with this one.
To balance things out a bit, Simon can now direct his whip downwards or to any lower diagonal, it certainly doesn't offer the same versatility as Castlevania IV's control, but believe me this small addition to the gameplay can save your bacon on more than one occasion. In this installment Simon feels "slow" in trying to replicate the mobility of the original games, so if you're coming from Castlevania IV or any modern game it will be something you'll resent, but eventually learn to get used to. The secondary weapons are the same as the first Castlevania, although if you're a bit lucky you may come across a healing plant, a secondary weapon exclusive to this version and that revitalizes you in exchange for a lot of hearts.
Something that I quite appreciate about this game are its graphics, because for its time they are quite close to those of the PS1 era, it has a very well cared visual style with a well selected color palette, however almost all the backgrounds in the scenarios are static, unlike those of Castlevania IV that had many animated elements. I can assume that Castlevania Symphony of the Night took inspiration from this game in the artistic section, because in general it feels like an evolution of what this game presented.
Something in which this game takes several liberties is also the soundtrack, as most of the pieces are new compositions. And wow, there are some really good new songs, such as the two songs from the doppleganger level, Moon Fight and The Tower of Dolls, which are songs that fascinate me and would reappear in future games in the franchise. Music in this game sounds similar to what the Sega Genesis sound chip was capable of reproducing, only with a bit more fidelity.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly a very good remix of the original Castlevania, which unlike Castlevania IV, decides to take a more faithful direction to the original game while still keeping it fresh with all new levels and small difficulty spikes, making it possibly one of the most difficult Castlevania games, although if I managed to finish it without saves states, I'm sure you can too.
If you're a fan of the first title and want to try something with the same essence but with small twists in difficulty, I recommend you try this one.
Additional comment related to the review
I played this game through the original mode included in Castlevania Chronicles for PS1, which is a port practically identical to the original, but with loading times.
Absolutely hated this, this is the most relentlessly bullshit Castlevania title I've played so far, and unlike the rest of them, the music here is Sonic Spinball levels of loud and obnoxious.
Terrible.
Uma das dificuldades mais deliciosas que experimentei, apesar de algumas fases me traumatizaram. (Maldito corredor da morte)
probably the most overrated castlevania difficulty wise, i guess it's understandable if you've never played these games before but dracula's curse was so much harder it's not even a competition.
all around great game, it's still tough but i found it pretty fair.
all around great game, it's still tough but i found it pretty fair.
Very nice remake/reimagination of the first Castlevania game.
I played the Sharp X68K version, but the Chronicles edition for the PS1 is the same game.
It's what would've happen if a full fledge Castlevania remake would have ported to the Sega Genesis since it used the Motorola X68000 CPU, hence the name of the system.
I played the Sharp X68K version, but the Chronicles edition for the PS1 is the same game.
It's what would've happen if a full fledge Castlevania remake would have ported to the Sega Genesis since it used the Motorola X68000 CPU, hence the name of the system.
el nivel de medusa es horriblemente dificil, este juego es mas frustrante que divertido en su mayoria
DISCLAIMER: Ok, technically I played this via the PS1 release, Castlevania Chronicles. To put a long story short, Chronicles is a remake of this game with enhancements, but also contains the (mostly) unchanged Sharp X68000 version alongside it, and as I'm playing the series in release order, I only played this original version. The PS1 release has tiny changes in audio and enemy placement/speed, but I consider it damn near close enough to count - this game is tough as nails either way.
Akumajou Dracula is Konami's 4th remake of the original Akamajou Dracula, better known to us as Castlevania. While the MSX2 version went a bit wild with key hunting, and Super Castlevania IV added a lot of bells and whistles that makes for a fun game but an odd remake, this entry is far more faithful to the original game in terms of the handling and gameplay.
This means that Simon Belmont is unable to whip in diagonal directions and still has issues getting up and down the stairs, though he can now at least whip downwards and on the stairs. Beyond that, he controls pretty much as he did in the Famicom/NES original, stiff as a board but consistently stiff. It is a little annoying how there's zero mid-air manoeuvrability if you walk off of a ledge, but it's avoidable if you're careful.
I mean, in true Classic-vania fashion, this is a game that kicks your ass and buries your face into the sidewalk until you figure out how to play it. Enemies are fast and follow wild patterns, and you'll really need to rely on the randomly(ish) dropped subweapons to take them out without taking damage. While health restoration items are exclusively hidden in a handful of walls once more, there's a new subweapon - the herb - that consumes hearts for health restoration if you're lucky enough to find it and hold onto it.
While it may feel the same as the original game, there's a lot of added content. Dracula's had a renovation in the castle, as it's way bigger and has a few new bosses. The boss fights are a mixed bag: some are simple, others a bit too easy, some are ridiculously overpowered and one is almost tricky, until you find out how exploitable the AI is. The werewolf boss in particular is a standout encounter with how well-made both the fight and the visuals are above all others, hats off to the devs there.
The music is generally fantastic throughout - the Sharp X68000 uses a sound chip that the Genesis uses a cheaper version of, hence some strong similarities - but is perhaps a little inconsistent in tone. There are some great remixes of music from the original, but some sound like they belong in different games entirely - one track sounds right out of Sonic. Still, it's not a big deal - if it slaps, it slaps.
Graphically, it's nice - very much a "what-if" for if Castlevania came out on the Genesis/Sega-CD. Sprites are well-made, animations won't set the world on fire or anything (sure set that tree at the start on fire though). The iconic Belmont strut is goofier than ever, but that's probably the smoothest animation you'll find here. What I find most surprising of all, though, is how this was a game made exclusively for a $3000 computer that offered definite quality upgrades over contemporary consoles, but differences that probably wouldn't have mattered much in the slightest to the typical end user.
All in all, I don't think this is necessarily better or worse than the original Castlevania. It's a solid remake, and adds in new content that elevates it above the original...and enough annoying new content to drag it back down to the same level, in my opinion. I can't really recommend it to the average gamer, but if you played the original Castlevania, and didn't like the direction Super Castlevania IV took, then this might really be to your liking.
Akumajou Dracula is Konami's 4th remake of the original Akamajou Dracula, better known to us as Castlevania. While the MSX2 version went a bit wild with key hunting, and Super Castlevania IV added a lot of bells and whistles that makes for a fun game but an odd remake, this entry is far more faithful to the original game in terms of the handling and gameplay.
This means that Simon Belmont is unable to whip in diagonal directions and still has issues getting up and down the stairs, though he can now at least whip downwards and on the stairs. Beyond that, he controls pretty much as he did in the Famicom/NES original, stiff as a board but consistently stiff. It is a little annoying how there's zero mid-air manoeuvrability if you walk off of a ledge, but it's avoidable if you're careful.
I mean, in true Classic-vania fashion, this is a game that kicks your ass and buries your face into the sidewalk until you figure out how to play it. Enemies are fast and follow wild patterns, and you'll really need to rely on the randomly(ish) dropped subweapons to take them out without taking damage. While health restoration items are exclusively hidden in a handful of walls once more, there's a new subweapon - the herb - that consumes hearts for health restoration if you're lucky enough to find it and hold onto it.
While it may feel the same as the original game, there's a lot of added content. Dracula's had a renovation in the castle, as it's way bigger and has a few new bosses. The boss fights are a mixed bag: some are simple, others a bit too easy, some are ridiculously overpowered and one is almost tricky, until you find out how exploitable the AI is. The werewolf boss in particular is a standout encounter with how well-made both the fight and the visuals are above all others, hats off to the devs there.
The music is generally fantastic throughout - the Sharp X68000 uses a sound chip that the Genesis uses a cheaper version of, hence some strong similarities - but is perhaps a little inconsistent in tone. There are some great remixes of music from the original, but some sound like they belong in different games entirely - one track sounds right out of Sonic. Still, it's not a big deal - if it slaps, it slaps.
Graphically, it's nice - very much a "what-if" for if Castlevania came out on the Genesis/Sega-CD. Sprites are well-made, animations won't set the world on fire or anything (sure set that tree at the start on fire though). The iconic Belmont strut is goofier than ever, but that's probably the smoothest animation you'll find here. What I find most surprising of all, though, is how this was a game made exclusively for a $3000 computer that offered definite quality upgrades over contemporary consoles, but differences that probably wouldn't have mattered much in the slightest to the typical end user.
All in all, I don't think this is necessarily better or worse than the original Castlevania. It's a solid remake, and adds in new content that elevates it above the original...and enough annoying new content to drag it back down to the same level, in my opinion. I can't really recommend it to the average gamer, but if you played the original Castlevania, and didn't like the direction Super Castlevania IV took, then this might really be to your liking.