If Famous Monsters were a video game, we would definitely be CASTLEVANIA. We both have a love for classic movie monsters (especially the Universal and Hammer ones), both got our starts in the silver age of our respective mediums, and both have gone through several iterations (though I do hope our current magazine is of better quality than CASTLEVANIA‘s newest series).
With that all being said, welcome to the Classic Castlevania Marathon. We’ll be going through all of the bit-era games of the CASTLEVANIA legacy. I would plow through the entire series, but with so many games, I’d be saying “Happy 2016″ by the time I’m through. So for now, I’m only covering the console games of the 8 and 16-bit era (though that’s not to say I won’t cover the rest somewhere in the near future).
Like a classic film, CASTLEVANIA stands the test of time. Though it’s a year shy of thirty years old, the charm still holds up.
As I’ve mentioned before, CASTLEVANIA is very much in the vain of the classic Universal and Hammer horror films. You play as Simon Belmont, a a long descendant of vampire hunters who must journey through Dracula’s castle full of ghouls, goblins, and many other monsters to vanquish the legendary vampire once again.
The gameplay is simple as most side scrollers go. You start from point A and get to point B in each level, trying not to take too much damage from enemies, avoiding numerous pitfalls and traps, and defeating each stage’s boss—often a famous monster. In addition to your standard whip that attacks in one direction, you’re also given a variety of special weapons, ranging from a time-freezing clock to holy water.
With that being said, just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. True to the nature of many NES classics, CASTLEVANIA is as difficult as they come. And it’s a good challenge, taking what could be an hour and creating a true gauntlet to be tried, tested, and finally completed after hours or even weeks of hard work. Don’t think it’s something that even hardcore gamers can breeze through. There are three types of hard: normal hard, difficult hard, and NES hard.
Unfortunately, while it’s a challenge, CASTLEVANIA can also be an extremely frustrating game. A challenge requires skill and perseverance, but cheap difficulty requires memorization and often dumb luck.
Movements are stilted, and the whip only goes in one direction. Meaning your attacks and precision have to be fairly precise. A misstep or bad timing can have severe consequences.
There’s a variety of enemies and bosses, ranging from the easy to the agonizing. But out of all of them, the birds and hoppers are the most annoying. They’re simple to defeat—one lash of your whip will send them to oblivion. However, their erratic attack patterns and ability to chase after you make them some of the biggest obstacles in the whole game. One miss can cause them to continue attacking you with no predictable strategy, easily taking half of your health before you finally defeat them.
Still, most of my deaths came from the stairs and pits. Stairs are difficult because you can’t jump, move fast, or get off of them once you start. Not to mention that it’s sometimes difficult to get Simon on the stairs, causing him to fall to his death instead. On top of all that, you don’t land on the stairs but rather behind the stairs if you get hit, resulting in many frustrating deaths.
Pits are even more of a nuisance. In and of themselves they aren’t too tough. But with Simon taking a leap back with every hit, many sections of the games turn into one-hit kills.
None of these, and I mean none of these things compare to the Grim Reaper stage, which is one of the most difficult (though beatable) sections I have played in my life. If you manage to survive the marathon of never ending Medusa heads and knights, you’ll face the Grim Reaper. He throws a never ending row of scythes that have no predictable pattern. And if you don’t have the boomerang and a full bar of health, you might as well hit the reset button.
However, all the passion that Konami put into the art direction makes the frustrating deaths worth plowing through. As I’ve said again and again, CASTLEVANIA is a loving tribute to the Universal and Hammer horror movies. Everything, from the design of the castle to the color choices, feels like it was pulled straight off the silver screen.
The music is also worth mentioning. Kinuyo Yamashita created a soundtrack that’s not only memorable and atmospheric, but also far ahead of its time. Rather than creating quick, catchy riffs like so many of her contemporaries did, Yamashita established complex melodies and classical compositions that pushed the boundaries of 8-bit music. “Vampire Killer” remains a staple of the franchise and there’s no debate that Yamashita, along with other colleagues such as Nobuo Uematsu, were responsible for thrusting video game music into new and exciting territory.
While it’s nowhere close to being the best game in the series, the original CASTLEVANIA is undeniably a classic. It can be hopelessly infuriating and seemingly impossible at times, but nevertheless is a masterpiece that shaped not only the history of the series, but video games themselves.
RELEASE DATE: May 1st, 1987 (North America)
PUBLISHER: Konami
DEVELOPER: Konami
ESRB: N/A
January 26, 2015 By Andrew Hudson