Chapter 1: The encounter.
It was the year of 1989. I was only 10 years old and I was on vacation with my parents in one of the most recognized tourist destinations in my country: The Island of Margarita. Just one afternoon, when we returned from the beach, we decided to enter a Pizzeria for lunch, not knowing that there also had an "Arcade machine room", very fashionable at the end of the 80's. It would be right at that moment when I would have my first encounter with one of the most impressive games for the time and that, without doubt, would become one of my favorites.
The machine, which had the name of "Haunted Castle", had impressive graphics for the time and a powerful orchestral music. The main character had to cross several levels facing endless hordes of monsters, ghosts and demons, armed only with a whip. This, although it was not the first game in the series, was the initial approach I had with the famous and unforgettable series of games that would be titled "CASTLEVANIA".
The Arcade kept all the spirit of the first version, which would see light in 1986 in the Famicom Disk System, original Japanese version of Nintendo and using floppy disks instead of cartridges, thus assuming an improvement in terms of graphics and sound with respect to the original "Famicom". This 8-bit console, better known here in America as the Nintendo Enterteinment System or "NES", definitely stood as the queen of home video game machines, displacing other consoles such as the Atari 2600 or the Intellivision.
However, the catalog of games for the Famicom in Japan, or NES in America, lacked any title that winked at the horror genre, or that was intended by a more adult audience. It is there where the video game developer Konami, hit the spot with this jewel of the world of games, the first chapter of "Castlevania".
The plot of the Castlevania games, basically is based on a conflict between the lineage of a European family with a long tradition of vampire-hunting, as is the family "Belmont", and the prince of darkness, the "Count Dracula" . These members of the Belmont clan must stop the evil Vampire, before he sows terror and pain in the territories he wishes to place under his yoke of horror.
Within the bloodline of the Clan Belmont, there are many characters that, although they are separated chronologically by years of distance throughout history, take center stage through several games of the saga. However, there is no doubt that the most famous of these individuals is undoubtedly "Simon Belmont", a hero who would appear in the first and most memorable installments of Castlevania.
Next, I will make a brief pause in my story and I will share a brief review of each of the games designed for the NES console, accompanied by a video captured by me, in which you can see the real-time game play of each title ! Enjoy it!!!
It saw light originally in Japan under the title Akumajō Dracula or Akumajō Dorakyura, is a video game of the house Konami, published, originally for Famicom Disk System in Japan, in the year 1986. Later, in May of 1987, the game was launched in E.E.U.U. in cartridge format for the Nintendo Entertainment System console. After his success in North American lands, he saw light in Europe on December 19, 1988.
The history of the game takes us to the year 1691. The land of Transylvania has remained peaceful for more than one hundred years thanks to the efforts of the Belmont clan. However, this time of partnership would not last long. After a century of tranquility, the evil Vampire appears again, returning to his former home and bringing with him a horde of monsters, ghosts and demons to help him in the task of razing everything in its path and sow terror in lands Transylvanian Luckily, there is still a Belmont alive, capable of carrying the mythical whip "Vampire Killer", and use it to defeat the nefarious Dracula. We refer to Simon, the hero in charge of ending the Count's plans.
Castlevania is the typical platform game of the 8-bit era: We will immerse ourselves in an adventure that will take us through the six levels that comprise the area of Dracula's castle, killing countless monsters with our sacred whip, which can receive improvements throughout the game.
In addition to the whip, other weapons can be obtained that serve as support throughout the game, such as knives, axes, a cross that we can use as a boomerang and even a holy water with which we can burn the enemies. You get them by breaking candelabra or other objects that you will find in each stage.
After crossing each level, we will face a "boss" or end-of-level boss. These are based on classic horror characters, such as a giant vampire, a jellyfish, large mummies, the monster of Frankenstein, the jellyfish, death and finally Dracula.
Particularly it is one of my favorite games, although I must admit that it was the last one I had in my hands, after having tried the sequels II and III. However, from the first moment I started playing it, I understood why it was so successful. If we place ourselves in the context of the year of its release (1987) and we detail its high development bill, although at the same time having a simple concept and even somewhat crude controls, we can definitely affirm that it is one of the best games of platforms released for the Nintendo. That, added to the great difficulty to advance in the same, would turn it into a classic challenger and not apt for novices.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is an action-adventure video game released by the developer Konami. It is the sequel to the first Castlevania, which put aside the pure platform style, to become a platform game / RPG, format that years later would repeat in other games of the saga. Originally, the title was released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan, in 1987. It was then reissued for the cartridge format, for the American NES in 1988.
Once again he is led by Simón Belmont, who after defeating Count Dracula and as the years go by, realizes that he is under a terrible curse, provoked by the old wounds obtained in his battle against the evil Count. To get rid of this spell, you must collect parts of the body of the vampire (heart, bone, nail, ring and eye) and after obtaining them, you must burn them. It is important to highlight that this game incorporates interesting elements such as the ability to increase the level of experience / skills, as well as the change between a day and night development, that is, at longitude of the adventure we can go from day to night, influencing this in the resistance of the enemies, being more vulnerable in the hours where sunlight predominates.
Throughout the game, Simon will be able to interact with the inhabitants of each city, either to request information, buy items that will help him in his search or recover the lost energy. It should be noted that Simon's whip, the Vampire Killer, can improve several times during this game, going from the traditional leather whip, chain with spikes and even a whip of fire.
By collecting the five parts of Dracula and burning them, the protagonist must once again face the Count, to eliminate him once and for all and end the curse that ails him.
As far as I'm concerned, at the beginning it was difficult to adapt to the change of game system, compared to Castlevania I and III, but after going deeper into the dynamics of "Simon Quest", I loved it so much that to this day I still I play frequently. Unfortunately there are many people who do not like me and who practically rejected this great game; possibly due to its high difficulty. If you did not have a guide, such as those that came in specialized magazines of that time, it was extremely difficult to finish the adventure.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, is the name of the third and last Castlevania game for the NES. Originally released by Konami Japan in 1989, it saw light in the United States in 1990. Its arrival in Europe, was late, being published in 1992.
This title leaves aside the action / RPG system of its predecessor and returns to the pure platform style used in the first Castlevania. That does not mean that it is exactly a linear game, because it is full of passages and intersections along the way that will take us through different routes, some longer than others, to the Castle of Dracula.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse takes place at least 200 years before the events in Castlevania I and II. It is played by Trevor Belmont, who was the ancestor of Simon, the hero of the previous installments. During the development of the game we will find different characters, which will make appearances in later installments of the saga.
The plot of this game transports us to the year 1476. Count Dracula was destroying much of Europe with his powers and his army of monsters. The church, who exerted a great influence at that time, had banished the members of the Belmont family, due to the superhuman powers they possessed. However, realizing that Dracula seemed unstoppable, they decide to look for some descendant of the famous vampire hunting clan, resulting in the encounter with the new carrier of the "Vampire Killer": Trevor Belmont.
Throughout the game we will find several characters that being under a spell, will attack us. After beating them, we can add them to our cause: Sypha Belnades, a young vampire hunting sorceress, possessing a wide repertoire of spells to defend against the hosts of evil, Grant DaNasty, a pirate able to climb walls and very agile in his attacks, and Alucard, son of Dracula, half vampire and half human, which has the ability to become a bat and fly for short periods of time, as well as throwing fireballs. His motives for joining this crusade against his father will be a mystery at the beginning of this adventure.
Trevor and his friends run through the territory plagued with monsters and ghosts, until they reach the Castle of Dracula, where in the end they will fight until they defeat it and reestablish peace throughout the region. The game has three alternate endings, depending on which characters you get to the final confrontation with the Vampire.
Undoubtedly, this game is one of the best in the Castlevania series, both for its playability, extension, difficulty level, variety of scenarios and for its very careful graphics and high-end music. A cartridge that was definitely ahead of its time and that squeezed the maximum capacity of the 8-bit console, so it is still considered today as a classic cult video game and, particularly, my favorite of this trilogy designed to the NES.
Chapter 2: The search.
After these brief reviews and going back to the story of how my first approach to this mythical saga of games, I returned to Caracas, to my daily activities like any child of that time, but with the fresh memory of such an impressive game.
By then, I was the happy owner of an NES and I decided to investigate if that game, a vampire hunter who was handing out lashes around infected worlds of monsters, existed for the most sought-after console of the moment.
To my surprise, one of my classmates had returned on vacation with a new game, which on its cover bore the title: Castlevania III "Dracula's Curse".
The title had nothing to do with the "Haunted Castle" that I had played in Margarita, but the pictures printed on the box showed a great similarity to my long-awaited Arcade game, so I showed my power to convince that my partner lend me his game ... and that's how it happened.
Chapter 3: "At last in my hands"
could verify when using it that, although graphically and technically speaking, it was not at the same level of the recreational machine, without a doubt this game belonged to the lineage of that one that I could meet in my vacations, consolidating itself as well as one of my favorite cartridges.
While I could have a few days with me, it was a borrowed game, I would propose to get it for me and know all the titles in the series. I said to myself: if this one I played is Castlevania III, obviously there should be the I and the II respectively. After a short time, I ended up falling into my hands the three titles that saw light for the Nintendo 8 bits: Castlevania, Castlevania II "Simons Quest" and Castlevania III "Dracula's Curse".
It's been almost thirty years since my first encounter with the Belmont Family Clan and it's still an exciting adventure to take, even in a virtual way, the powerful "Vampire Killer" whip and travel the most hidden corners of Transylvania destroying all the hosts of the evil Vampire. If by chance you have not enjoyed playing any of these titles, or you are a young man of a recent generation, who only knows the versions for modern consoles, I invite you not to lose a second more and run to find any of these gems playful ... they are essential classics that must pass through the hands of anyone who claims to be a lover and connoisseur of the passionate mute of video games.
awesome! keep up the good work!
Thanks dude!
This was an awesome in debth and personal history of a great series.
Castlevania 2 for NES was difficult for a host of reasons. The biggest one being that there are so many things in the game that you'd have to know either from word of mouth of by buying a Nintendo guide.
It came out long before the internet, so there's parts that you would never be able to beat without someone telling you.
The biggest one that comes to mind is the part where you have to kneel in a specific corner with a specific item equipped that summons a tornado that picks you up.