Castlevania: The Retrospective

Exploring Konami's horrifying legacy from the NES's Castlevania to Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse!

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Castlevania (released in 1987 for the NES, 2007 for the Wii)

The Story
Set in 1691, vampire hunter Simon Belmont braves Dracula’s castle alone, determined to end the Count’s reign of terror.  As more games were added to the series, the story chronology expanded in both directions, putting this adventure right in the middle of the Belmonts’ ages-old feud with the Prince of Darkness.

The Game
The first installment of the franchise set the winning formula of many entries to come with its classic 2D action-platforming.  Attacks were made with the upgradeable whip and sub-weapons (dagger, boomerang cross, holy water, axe, and stopwatch), all of which used collectible hearts as ammo.  Enemies were classic gothic monsters, from bats to mummies to Frankenstein’s monster.  With its share of tricky platforming, brutal end-of-level bosses, and plentiful cheap shots (the Medusa heads were a pain), Castlevania was one of the more challenging games in the series.  Its graphics, while primitive by later standards, were nonetheless creepy and atmospheric.  Combined with catchy music that set the series’ trend of excellent soundtracks, Castlevania was a spooky and involving adventure.

In My Opinion
Though it lacks the bells and whistles of later entries in the series, the franchise’s winning gameplay is evident in this first entry.  Filled with satisfying action, challenging platforming, and lots of devilish secrets, the original Castlevania is a solid title that every true fan of the series should experience.