As a Mega Man fan who is playing through the Castlevania franchise, this was a nice little surprise. A parody spinoff of Castlevania puts you in the shoes of the long time antagonist, Dracula, when he was a child has you jumpn' and shootn' Mega Man style through levels with a boss usually waiting at the end.
Other comparisons to Mega Man is the fact when you defeat a boss at the end of a level you get a new weapon in the form of a charge blast, that you are able to switch. Some of these charge blasts are homing attacks, explosions or even the ability to turn you into a bat for a short period. The only other thing the gameplay does to really differentiate itself from Mega Man is the ability to shoot up (which if Mega Man could do, he would be so OP).
I do wish this game had the structure of a Mega Man game where you could choose your level order, considering bosses do give you weapons this time around, it would have been cool to find an order that gives you your favorite weapons first.
Level wise, the design is more focused on shooting enemies then platforming. There are a handful platforming sections but nothing too hard or stressful. You won't get the disappearing blocks over a bottomless pit type of challenge. Some of the level themes are cool as they take some of the designs from Castlevania and "kidify" them in artsyle. The first level itself is a straight up recreation of Dracula's castle from the original title and it was so cool reliving it. Other levels are more typical levels you'd see in a platformer like the Ice stage or Desert stage - not bad but nothing too great and original either.
The game difficulty is very fair for a NES game and Castlevania game nonetheless. Someone with decent experience with NES platformers should be able to beat this in one sitting with a good level of challenge.
I liked this little fun break from the rage inducing early Castlevania titles, especially as a fan of Mega Man this is a solid MM clone and treat.
Other comparisons to Mega Man is the fact when you defeat a boss at the end of a level you get a new weapon in the form of a charge blast, that you are able to switch. Some of these charge blasts are homing attacks, explosions or even the ability to turn you into a bat for a short period. The only other thing the gameplay does to really differentiate itself from Mega Man is the ability to shoot up (which if Mega Man could do, he would be so OP).
I do wish this game had the structure of a Mega Man game where you could choose your level order, considering bosses do give you weapons this time around, it would have been cool to find an order that gives you your favorite weapons first.
Level wise, the design is more focused on shooting enemies then platforming. There are a handful platforming sections but nothing too hard or stressful. You won't get the disappearing blocks over a bottomless pit type of challenge. Some of the level themes are cool as they take some of the designs from Castlevania and "kidify" them in artsyle. The first level itself is a straight up recreation of Dracula's castle from the original title and it was so cool reliving it. Other levels are more typical levels you'd see in a platformer like the Ice stage or Desert stage - not bad but nothing too great and original either.
The game difficulty is very fair for a NES game and Castlevania game nonetheless. Someone with decent experience with NES platformers should be able to beat this in one sitting with a good level of challenge.
I liked this little fun break from the rage inducing early Castlevania titles, especially as a fan of Mega Man this is a solid MM clone and treat.
good platformer if you ignore everything about it
GooeyScale: 55/100
GooeyScale: 55/100
This game was fun. Easier than a lot of the earlier Castlevania games and way more light hearted.
Gets pretty bullshit in the back half, in a very NES way, but the presentation and game feel are great. The city stage boss alone is well worth checking out. Really makes me wish they had made more of those (not counting the GB one)! Could you imagine, Kid Dracula with modern game technology? The mind reels.
Also, I like the witches with the big thighs. I'm not made of STONE.
Also, I like the witches with the big thighs. I'm not made of STONE.
Very technically impressive but also very annoying. Even so, it's probably the best Castlevania game on the Famicom.
Divertido até chegar na fase final. O pico de dificuldade é absurdo, e eu tava suando naquela luta com o Galamoth, de resto é um jogo mediocre com um visual bonitinho.
Aqueles minigames até que são daoras mas eu joguei em japonês e não entendi nada kkkk
Aqueles minigames até que são daoras mas eu joguei em japonês e não entendi nada kkkk
Its fun until you get to the last section where this game suddenly wants to become the hardest unforgiving game in the series, and that's saying something since its a spinoff.
Otherwise its a cute lil game, not much to write home about.
Otherwise its a cute lil game, not much to write home about.
The 8th game on the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, and also one which had its debut in the West via that collection, Kid Dracula is a bit of an odd title. Very much in the vein of games like Famicom Splatterhouse game or Konami's Parodius titles (in which Kid Dracula himself would later appear), Kid Dracula is a silly take on an existing property in a familiar but different genre. Getting away from the melee-action platforming the series is so familiar with and going for a Mega Man-style shooting platformer, Kid Dracula is a very oddball but still fun entry in the wider Castlevania series.
Kid Dracula is chilling in his castle one day when it's suddenly attacked by monsters under the control of the galactic conqueror Galamoth. Not one to take such things lying down, Dracula sets off to kick some invader butt. The only catch is that Dracula isn't the big, adult Dracula we're familiar with. He's just a little kid! Obviously a non-canon game in the series, the game nonetheless has an epilogue that says that Dracula's defeat of Galamoth gained him such popularity that more and more monsters flocked to his banner until he was the new lord of darkness, which makes this something of a parody origin story for Dracula XD. The presentation all around is very colorful and silly like this, having bright, pastel color and a super deformed style for the monsters present, it is a very cute game (particularly for the Castlevania series). The only really exceptional thing is that the music is really nothing to write home about. It isn't bad, just not what you'd hope for with a Castlevania game.
The mechanics are very much like Mega Man more than they are Castlevania. Kid Dracula has a series of blaster-type powers he can use to fight enemies, and can even charge them for special effects (I think in-game they're spells he's casting). Upon beating a boss of a stage, you unlock a new power you can use, very much like Mega Man, however those powers very rarely (if ever) have any relation to the stage you just went through or the boss you just fought. You only get the special power of that weapon if you do a charge attack, so most of your time is spent with your weapon charged. The weapons also aren't dished out terribly balanced, with the homing shot you get for beating level 1 being one of the best weapons in the game. Several weapons aren't even weapons but platforming aids, letting you transform into a bat to fly or sticking to the ceiling. These are neat, but the execution isn't terribly inspired.
The level design is fine, but the later levels get pretty brutal with checkpoints, as the final stage doesn't have them at all. The bosses range from a little frustrating to super easy, and the final boss is a good challenge too. The only real dangers in the last few levels of the game is the aforementioned lack of checkpoints and a particularly nasty vertical climbing section, but even then the levels aren't that long. I didn't even end up using save states for this one. It's not a terribly long game, only coming in at around 2 to 3 hours over eight stages, but it's a fine time and a fine challenge for what it is, even if it isn't terribly Castlevania-y.
Verdict: Recommended. Kid Dracula isn't particularly amazing, but it's a very competent game and it's worth playing on the collection. The difficulty and overall design remind me a lot of Taito's Panic Restaurant or Konami's Biomiracle Bokutte Upa, where it's a silly, pastel-colored platformer, and the theme of this particular game just happens to be Castlevania's Dracula as a kid. It may not be the superior GameBoy sequel (whose absence on the Collection is quite odd, really), but it's still a fine game that will deliver a burst of retro platforming goodness, even if it's not ultimately that memorable.
Kid Dracula is chilling in his castle one day when it's suddenly attacked by monsters under the control of the galactic conqueror Galamoth. Not one to take such things lying down, Dracula sets off to kick some invader butt. The only catch is that Dracula isn't the big, adult Dracula we're familiar with. He's just a little kid! Obviously a non-canon game in the series, the game nonetheless has an epilogue that says that Dracula's defeat of Galamoth gained him such popularity that more and more monsters flocked to his banner until he was the new lord of darkness, which makes this something of a parody origin story for Dracula XD. The presentation all around is very colorful and silly like this, having bright, pastel color and a super deformed style for the monsters present, it is a very cute game (particularly for the Castlevania series). The only really exceptional thing is that the music is really nothing to write home about. It isn't bad, just not what you'd hope for with a Castlevania game.
The mechanics are very much like Mega Man more than they are Castlevania. Kid Dracula has a series of blaster-type powers he can use to fight enemies, and can even charge them for special effects (I think in-game they're spells he's casting). Upon beating a boss of a stage, you unlock a new power you can use, very much like Mega Man, however those powers very rarely (if ever) have any relation to the stage you just went through or the boss you just fought. You only get the special power of that weapon if you do a charge attack, so most of your time is spent with your weapon charged. The weapons also aren't dished out terribly balanced, with the homing shot you get for beating level 1 being one of the best weapons in the game. Several weapons aren't even weapons but platforming aids, letting you transform into a bat to fly or sticking to the ceiling. These are neat, but the execution isn't terribly inspired.
The level design is fine, but the later levels get pretty brutal with checkpoints, as the final stage doesn't have them at all. The bosses range from a little frustrating to super easy, and the final boss is a good challenge too. The only real dangers in the last few levels of the game is the aforementioned lack of checkpoints and a particularly nasty vertical climbing section, but even then the levels aren't that long. I didn't even end up using save states for this one. It's not a terribly long game, only coming in at around 2 to 3 hours over eight stages, but it's a fine time and a fine challenge for what it is, even if it isn't terribly Castlevania-y.
Verdict: Recommended. Kid Dracula isn't particularly amazing, but it's a very competent game and it's worth playing on the collection. The difficulty and overall design remind me a lot of Taito's Panic Restaurant or Konami's Biomiracle Bokutte Upa, where it's a silly, pastel-colored platformer, and the theme of this particular game just happens to be Castlevania's Dracula as a kid. It may not be the superior GameBoy sequel (whose absence on the Collection is quite odd, really), but it's still a fine game that will deliver a burst of retro platforming goodness, even if it's not ultimately that memorable.
En general esta muy genial el juego, excelente jugabilidad al momento de cambiar las habilidades, linda música, bonitos gráficos, y lo mejor es que tiene password pero hasta el stage 7, desde ahí en adelante los 3 stages siguientes no tienen, por lo que si no se termina y estás en el stage 9, como me pasó, tendrás que volver a jugarlo desde el stage 7 nuevamente, algo que me resulto super frustrante. Me gustó mucho a pesar de eso!.
MEGAVANIA
What was that? :D Tonally, this was completely different from the other Castlevania games but hey, it's a spin-off^^ Really good boss fights, fair levels, good level design in general. Sound/Music is not really my cup of tea but I recognize the quality behind it. Graphics are really cute and completely different from what I'm used to. I'm a bit overwhelmed :D
ممتعة و لطيفة
NES game for Goofballs. NES game for jokers who love Halloween.
So, this game is in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.
It is a game.
It is horrible.
Maybe consider skipping it.
It is a game.
It is horrible.
Maybe consider skipping it.
Fun platformer for the NES/Famicom. The levels and bosses were creative and entertaining and the controls/moveset for the titular character felt good. Fuck the space elevator though.
A very solid Megaman-esque take on the world of Castlevania that I think can stand toe to toe with games from both franchises. If it weren't for level 7 and 9 I'd fuck with it a lot harder though, cuz each of those not having any checkpoints is extremely brutal.
kid dracula is a game where you play as kid dracula and do kid dracula things such as kill a big bad villain
O filho bastardo da senhora Castlevania com o senhor Mega Man.
É um jogo muito simpático, mas o que ele tem de fofo, ele também tem de limitado. A ideia das habilidades especiais é legal, mas fora as habilidades necessárias pra passar de uma parte ou outra, vc vai acabar usando só a habilidade que dá mais dano msm (que é a explosão). Outra ideia interessante dele é a de conseguir moedas ao longo da fase pra conseguir 1Up's em minigames entre fases - dependendo do minigame e da sorte, dá pra conseguir uma quantidade bem boa de vidas pra se manter vivo na gameplay.
Mas no geral, Kid Dracula cai na mesma casa de Castlevania: The Adventure no sentido de ser uma base bruta com ideias muito boas mas que só foram melhor trabalhadas e polidas na sua sequência.
É um jogo muito simpático, mas o que ele tem de fofo, ele também tem de limitado. A ideia das habilidades especiais é legal, mas fora as habilidades necessárias pra passar de uma parte ou outra, vc vai acabar usando só a habilidade que dá mais dano msm (que é a explosão). Outra ideia interessante dele é a de conseguir moedas ao longo da fase pra conseguir 1Up's em minigames entre fases - dependendo do minigame e da sorte, dá pra conseguir uma quantidade bem boa de vidas pra se manter vivo na gameplay.
Mas no geral, Kid Dracula cai na mesma casa de Castlevania: The Adventure no sentido de ser uma base bruta com ideias muito boas mas que só foram melhor trabalhadas e polidas na sua sequência.
Несмотря на более детский тон сеттинга игра довольно хорошая. Видно, что игра вдохновлена Super Mario Bros. Игра не такая хардкорная, как классические части, но это не главное. Важно то, что в неё очень весело играть.
Победа над боссом дает вам новую способность, некоторые из них придется обязательно применить на уровнях. Между уровнями есть небольшие мини-игры, которые требуют монетки. Проблема в том, что до самого конца игра сложно понять, как их получить.
Despite the more childish tone of the setting the game is pretty good. You can see that the game is inspired by Super Mario Bros. The game isn't as hardcore as the classic parts, but that's not the important thing. What is important is that it is a lot of fun to play.
Defeating a boss gives you a new ability, some of which you will have to use in the levels. In between levels there are small mini-games that require coins. The problem is that until the very end of the game it's hard to figure out how to get them.
Победа над боссом дает вам новую способность, некоторые из них придется обязательно применить на уровнях. Между уровнями есть небольшие мини-игры, которые требуют монетки. Проблема в том, что до самого конца игра сложно понять, как их получить.
Despite the more childish tone of the setting the game is pretty good. You can see that the game is inspired by Super Mario Bros. The game isn't as hardcore as the classic parts, but that's not the important thing. What is important is that it is a lot of fun to play.
Defeating a boss gives you a new ability, some of which you will have to use in the levels. In between levels there are small mini-games that require coins. The problem is that until the very end of the game it's hard to figure out how to get them.
I can't believe Wolfenstein stole the emotive face in the HUD from this
legal porém nada demais, o estilo de arte tem um ar do mestre akira toriyama e por conta disso é bem divertido explodir monstrinhos fofos com os poderes do draculinha, ou alucardinho, não sei dizer quem é
Perfectly fine game with a cute artstyle and solid gameplay.
Played on the Switch version of Castlevania Anniversary Collection. As an avid Mega Man player, I had hoped Kid Dracula would be a refreshing deviation from the classic CV formula (with which I was growing frustrated), and play more like a run-and-gun game. Upon reaching Stage 2, however, I realized this game is built on the same vindictive level design seen throughout the other games in the collection, with none of the redeeming qualities of a polished platformer. I am done with Kid Dracula, and with the rest of the collection; thanks for nothing, Konami.
It's a realy cute game. I found it fun magical and whimsical. The game had great controls that made it quite enjoyable. It's filled with many different weapons but under utilizes the need to switch them making it feel uninovative. The last level is a bit obnoxious and ruins the pacing. Probably the worst thing about the game is the sound effects in the final boss. The boss isn't to difficult but the sound makes the experience unbearable. As fun and cute as the game is it's not great objectively.
I have a personal doc with some notes that I am working on refining my game reviews this is the first on this system. I pro will start versioning them and adding that to them.
I have a personal doc with some notes that I am working on refining my game reviews this is the first on this system. I pro will start versioning them and adding that to them.
Un Castlevania colorido y sencillo. Muy disfrutable, aunque el nivel final si puede llegar a ser un dolor de cabeza.
E bem ok essa mistura de Mega Mano com Castelo da vania,ótima trilha sonora,comandos bem complicados mas ele é bem legalzinho
It's cute in the most japanese way you can think of.
Pretty decent mega man clone, its fun UNTIL you get to the space tube. That shit was brutal.
quick side note, after i finished the game, i wanted to see whether the konami code did anything, and a black screen appeared saying "Sorry! Nothing this time!" idk if i was the first man on earth to discover that shit but it was pretty funny
quick side note, after i finished the game, i wanted to see whether the konami code did anything, and a black screen appeared saying "Sorry! Nothing this time!" idk if i was the first man on earth to discover that shit but it was pretty funny
Detestável
Game Review - originally written by Gideon Zhi (editor's note: founder of Aeon Genesis Translation Group)
God, I suck at this. I can't even beat the rollercoaster bit in stage 2 for chrissakes! But, um, yeah. This is sort of a Castlevania game, but it really isn't. It's a sidescroller featuring a cute midget version of Dracula as the main character. You go through levels throwing fireballs at stuff, and jumping over stuff, and, uh, stuff.
You can charge your shot by holding down the fire button (and the Kid gets this evil little grin on his face); this seems to be the only way I've found of getting Coins, which are needed to play the minigames. The only one I got to try was the “One Shot” game, which had a little Skeleton-T lookalike sticking out of a trash can, or something, but I didn't get to see what it was about because I didn't figure out the weapon-charging thing 'til I got to stage 2, and as I said earlier, I never made it past the rollercoaster. Doh. Also of note is that you can aim your fireball up by holding “up” on the gamepad. I didn't figure this out until about halfway through stage 1, and two of the three bats in the first hallway nearly killed me ‘cuz I didn't know this. Doh, again >_<
I don't know what the plot behind this is, unfortunately, because there doesn't seem to be one in the stage-and-a-half that I played. Maybe something kicks in later, but as far as I can tell, the Kid got woken up and he's pissed at whatever woke him up, so he throws a temper tantrum and goes bonkers on anything that gets in his way. And falls off of rollercoasters. And gets thrown off of clouds by witches and buzzards. And dies a lot. Doh.
All in all, this is a pretty cool game, I just suck at it. FUN!
Also, please note that this game has some really nasty emulator issues, so refer to Kit's readme for the full story.
God, I suck at this. I can't even beat the rollercoaster bit in stage 2 for chrissakes! But, um, yeah. This is sort of a Castlevania game, but it really isn't. It's a sidescroller featuring a cute midget version of Dracula as the main character. You go through levels throwing fireballs at stuff, and jumping over stuff, and, uh, stuff.
You can charge your shot by holding down the fire button (and the Kid gets this evil little grin on his face); this seems to be the only way I've found of getting Coins, which are needed to play the minigames. The only one I got to try was the “One Shot” game, which had a little Skeleton-T lookalike sticking out of a trash can, or something, but I didn't get to see what it was about because I didn't figure out the weapon-charging thing 'til I got to stage 2, and as I said earlier, I never made it past the rollercoaster. Doh. Also of note is that you can aim your fireball up by holding “up” on the gamepad. I didn't figure this out until about halfway through stage 1, and two of the three bats in the first hallway nearly killed me ‘cuz I didn't know this. Doh, again >_<
I don't know what the plot behind this is, unfortunately, because there doesn't seem to be one in the stage-and-a-half that I played. Maybe something kicks in later, but as far as I can tell, the Kid got woken up and he's pissed at whatever woke him up, so he throws a temper tantrum and goes bonkers on anything that gets in his way. And falls off of rollercoasters. And gets thrown off of clouds by witches and buzzards. And dies a lot. Doh.
All in all, this is a pretty cool game, I just suck at it. FUN!
Also, please note that this game has some really nasty emulator issues, so refer to Kit's readme for the full story.