Castlevania
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- This article is for the entire Castlevania series. For the first game in the series, see Castlevania (video game). For the Nintendo 64 game, see Castlevania (Nintendo 64). For the PlayStation 2 game called Castlevania in Europe and Japan, see Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. For the upcoming film by Paul W.S. Anderson, see Castlevania (film).
Castlevania is a video game series, created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan with the release of Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura?, Demon Castle Dracula) for the Famicom Disk System (FDS) and MSX 2 platforms in 1986. Even though the MSX 2 port (which was localized in Europe and Brazil under the title of Vampire Killer) was released first outside of Japan, the series did not receive wide attention outside of Japan until the FDS version was ported to cartridge format for the Nintendo Entertainment System and localized for North American and European release under the title of Castlevania in 1987. The series was landmark as it was among the earliest video games to feature a gothic horror storyline while at the same time abandoning the campy elements of similar games of the time, such as Ghosts 'n Goblins.
The Castlevania series is one of Konami's most famous franchises, and has seen titles released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo, the Sega Mega Drive, the PC Engine, the PlayStation, the Sega Saturn, the Nintendo 64, the PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox video game consoles. Several franchise titles have been released for handheld game consoles, including the Game Boy, the Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS, and for various personal computer platforms, including the MSX 2, the Commodore 64, the Sharp X68000, the Commodore Amiga, PC MS-DOS, and PC Microsoft Windows, with a Playstation Portable game due for release in fall 2007.
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[edit] Overview
The Castlevania series is about a war between the enchanted family bloodline of the Belmonts (originally "Belmondo") and Dracula. Almost every hundred years, Dracula is resurrected and it is up to the Belmonts to defeat him before he unleashes his wrath on the entire world.
The most notable Belmont is perhaps Simon Belmont, star of the first several Castlevania games. However, the games feature many other characters, including Belmonts, relatives and other people that the player can control. Included among the usual characters is Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, also known as Alucard, the son of Dracula himself. Also, several female characters star in some of the later games. See Castlevania characters for more information about the characters of Castlevania.
The series is loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. In fact, the novel is included in the official timeline of the series, with Castlevania: Bloodlines taking place shortly afterwards. The connection even goes as far as to claim that Quincy Morris, a character from the novel who lands the final blow against Dracula at the cost of his own life, is in fact a Belmont descendant. Morris is also said to have a son, John and grandson, Jonathan, who star in Bloodlines and Portrait of Ruin, respectively. The series also incorporates a variety of other creatures from classic horror fiction, films, fantasy, and mythology. These monsters serve to obstruct the path to Dracula but are rarely tied to the game's plot.
Dracula is often a load bearing boss.
[edit] Regional variations and localization
In Japan, the series is most commonly known as Demon Castle Dracula (Akumajō Dorakyura). However, not every installment of the franchise has borne that title. For example, the first two installments for the Nintendo Game Boy were released under the title The Legend of Dracula (ドラキュラ伝説 Dorakyura Densetsu) and the game known in North America as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse was originally released in Japan as The Legend of the Demon Castle (悪魔城伝説 Akumajō Densetsu). Starting with the release of Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance for the Game Boy Advance, the Japanese games adopted the "Castlevania" name for a brief period. According to series producer Koji Igarashi (or IGA, as he is commonly known), the developers chose to adopt the Castlevania moniker as a way to involve scenarios that do not solely revolve around Dracula himself. Later bowing to overwhelming fan demand, Konami returned to the "Demon Castle Dracula" branding for the Japanese release of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.
The series is also known for the differences between the Japanese and English language versions. Particularly in earlier installments, the localization process usually removes a heavy share of violent and religious imagery and references.
In addition, the English localizations have frequently been plagued by a number of omissions, errors and deliberate alterations from their original Japanese counterparts. Notable examples include the mistranslated character names (Soleiyu Belmont from Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge is a mistranslation of "Soleil," French for "sun," and the name of the protagonist of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse was changed from "Ralph C. Belmont" to "Trevor Belmont" for the English version).
Another minor difference is that in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, Hector clearly says "Belmont", yet in the Xbox version, the subtitles say "Belmondo", and the PS2 version subtitles say "Belmont".
[edit] Availability
Several games in the series have been produced in very limited quantities, in North America and Europe at least, and have thus greatly fallen short of demand. Most recently, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow have been sold on eBay for two to three times their original selling price, prompting the release of an officially released "double pack" of both games in early 2006. Demon Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, considered by many Castlevania fans to be the "Holy Grail" of the series due to having been released solely on the Japanese PC Engine CD console, still easily sells for over two hundred dollars, as does the original Japanese version of the MSX installment, Vampire Killer. Rondo of Blood has been confirmed to be a July release for the PlayStation Portable under the name of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles. Other rare editions include the original Sharp X68000 remake of the first title in the series, which was later re-released on the original PlayStation under the moniker Castlevania Chronicles. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow has been found to be in short supply, and therefore, has been put back into production as of Fall 2006. Furthermore Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, one of the most popular games in the series, has become a rare find. In particular, there is a version that was released on Sega Saturn (with areas and playable characters not in the Playstation original), which is considered yet another lost treasure in the series. This version never received Western releases. The NES version of the original Castlevania and Super Castlevania IV on the Snes have both been released on the nintendo wii's virtual console service. Symphony of the Night was released on the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service March 21st, 2007.
[edit] Evolution of the games
The gameplay mechanics are fairly consistent among most of the earlier titles. These are typical platform games in which the player takes the role of a whip-wielding warrior from the Belmont family as he ventures inside Castlevania (Lord Dracula's castle) and fights a variety of supernatural beasts on his way to defeat Dracula. The whip used by the Belmont clan is a relic named the Vampire Killer, which was blessed with the power to destroy vampires and other creatures of the night. The games also feature secondary weapons that are powered by hearts, all of which can be found by destroying candles. Common secondary weapons are the straight-flying dagger, the overhead-thrown axe, the ground-burning vial of holy water, a Bible that flies in a circular motion around the screen, and the cross, which is wielded like a boomerang. Although the second game in the series featured several RPG-influenced elements (including towns where the player could purchase supplies and upgrades), and the third allowed a certain degree of level and character selection, the controls, physics, and graphics remained faithful to the original game.
The general appearance of the characters in the games has also changed since the first installments. In the earlier games, the main characters were usually warriors sporting leather armour or similar garb. As new Castlevania games were released, the heroes' outfits evolved into more elegant, fancy vests. The "modern look" adopted by Castlevania games borrows heavily from bishōnen-style art, and was originally introduced to the series by artist Ayami Kojima during the production of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The recent Nintendo DS Castlevania games' art style has switched back to an anime style similar to that of the original Dracula X. Dawn of Sorrow was the first game to receive this makeover, and the recently released Portrait of Ruin followed suit. Kojima however will return for the PSP remake of Rondo of Blood, Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles.
A major turning point in the series was the ground-breaking Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Symphony adopted what is sometimes called a Metroidvania (also called: Castleroid) style of gameplay due to its many similarities to the Metroid series (primarily Super Metroid), and combines this with the console RPG concepts of experience levels, hit points, and equipment. Subsequent Castlevania games have followed this new style, with the replacement of the secondary weapons by complex magic systems in which spell components are collected from enemies or found in the castle. These systems use hearts to replenish MP and often include most of the classic secondary weapons among the much larger variety of spells and attacks.
The first games in the series to employ 3D graphics were released to mixed reactions in critical and public venues. These include Castlevania 64 and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness for the Nintendo 64. In the two DS titles, backgrounds were occasionally three-dimensional.
[edit] Game list
| North American/European title | Japanese title | System | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlevania | Demon Castle Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura) |
Famicom Disk System, NES, Commodore 64, PC DOS, Amiga, PC Windows, Game Boy Advance | 1986 |
| Vampire Killer (Japan, Europe and Brazil only) |
Demon Castle Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura) |
MSX | 1986 |
| Castlevania II: Simon's Quest | Dracula II: The Accursed Seal (ドラキュラII 呪いの封印 Dorakyura Tsū Noroi no Fūin) |
Famicom Disk System, NES, PC Windows, Wii Virtual Console | 1987 |
| Haunted Castle | Demon Castle Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura) |
Video arcades | 1988 |
| Castlevania: The Adventure | The Legend of Dracula (ドラキュラ伝説 Dorakyura Densetsu) |
Game Boy | 1989 |
| Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse | The Legend of the Demon Castle (悪魔城伝説 Akumajō Densetsu) |
NES, PC Windows | 1990 |
| Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge | The Legend of Dracula II (ドラキュラ伝説II Dorakyura Densetsu Tsū) |
Game Boy | 1991 |
| Super Castlevania IV | Demon Castle Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura) |
Super Nintendo, Wii Virtual Console | 1991 |
| Castlevania X68000 (Japan only) |
Demon Castle Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura) |
Sharp X68000 | 1993 |
| Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (Japan only) |
Demon Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (悪魔城ドラキュラＸ血の輪(ロンド)廻 Akumajō Dorakyura Ekkusu Chi no Rondo) |
PC Engine | 1993 |
| Castlevania: Bloodlines Castlevania: The New Generation (Europe) |
Vampire Killer (バンパイアキラー Banpaia Kirā) | Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis | 1994 |
| Castlevania: Dracula X Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss (Europe) |
Demon Castle Dracula XX (悪魔城ドラキュラＸＸ Akumajō Dorakyura Ekkusu Ekkusu) |
Super Nintendo | 1995 |
| Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | Demon Castle Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight (悪魔城ドラキュラＸ 月下の夜想曲 Akumajō Dorakyura Ekkusu Gekka no Yasōkyoku) |
PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Xbox Live Arcade | 1997 |
| Castlevania Legends | Demon Castle Dracula: Dark Night Prelude (悪魔城ドラキュラ 漆黒たる前奏曲 Akumajō Dorakyura Shikkoku Taru Zensōkyoku) |
Game Boy | 1998 |
| Castlevania (also known as Castlevania 64) |
Demon Castle Dracula Apocalypse (悪魔城ドラキュラ黙示録 Akumajō Dorakyura Mokushiroku) |
Nintendo 64 | 1999 |
| Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness | Demon Castle Dracula Apocalypse Side-Story: Legend of Cornell (悪魔城ドラキュラ黙示録外伝 Akumajō Dorakyura Mokushiroku Gaiden) |
Nintendo 64 | 1999 |
| Castlevania Chronicles (port of Castlevania X68000) |
Demon Castle Chronicle: Demon Castle Dracula (悪魔城年代記 悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Nendaiki: Akumajō Dorakyura) |
PlayStation | 2001 |
| Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Castlevania (Europe(except for France)) |
Demon Castle Dracula: Circle of the Moon (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura: Circle of the Moon) |
Game Boy Advance | 2001 |
| Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance | Castlevania: Concerto of the Midnight Sun (キャッスルヴァニア 白夜の協奏曲 Kyassuruvania Byakuya no Concerto(Kōsōkyoku)) |
Game Boy Advance | 2002 |
| Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow | Castlevania: Minuet of Dawn (キャッスルヴァニア 暁月の円舞曲 Kyassuruvania Akatsuki no Minuet(Enbukyoku)) |
Game Boy Advance | 2003 |
| Castlevania: Lament of Innocence Castlevania (Europe) |
Castlevania (キャッスルヴァニア Kyassuruvania) | PlayStation 2 | 2003 |
| Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow | Demon Castle Dracula: Cross of the Blue Moon (悪魔城ドラキュラ 蒼月の十字架 Akumajō Dorakyura Sōgetsu no Jūjika) |
Nintendo DS | 2005 |
| Castlevania: Curse of Darkness | Demon Castle Dracula: Curse of Darkness (悪魔城ドラキュラ 闇の呪印 Akumajō Dorakyura Yami no Juin) |
PlayStation 2, Xbox | 2005 |
| Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin | Demon Castle Dracula: Gallery of Labyrinth (悪魔城ドラキュラ ギャラリー・オブ・ラビリンス Akumajō Dorakyura Gyararī obu Rabirinsu) |
Nintendo DS | 2006 |
| Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles | PSP | 2007 |
[edit] Related titles
There are also six parody games created by Konami that have Castlevania-related elements or characters. These, according to Castlevania Dungeon, are:
| Game title | Console/Platform | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Konami Wai Wai World | Family Computer | 1988 | Released only in Japan, unofficial English translation by Demiforce |
| Wai Wai World 2: SOS From Parsley Castle!! | Family Computer | 1991 | Released only in Japan, unofficial English translation by Kitsune Sniper |
| Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun | Family Computer | 1991 | Released only in Japan, unofficial English translation by Kitsune Sniper |
| Kid Dracula | Game Boy | 1993 | Released as Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun in Japan |
| Sexy Parodius | Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn | 1996 | Released only in Japan |
| Konami Krazy Racers | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Released as Wai Wai Racing in Japan. In this game, Dracula is a playable character. |
A medley of music from the series is also present in Konami's Keyboardmania arcade series and in Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 for the Xbox, under the name "Akumajo Dracula Medley."
[edit] Cancelled titles
| Game title | Console/Platform | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlevania: The Bloodletting | Sega 32X | 1996 | Koji Igarashi confirmed that some sprites were reused in Symphony of the Night. |
| Castlevania: Resurrection | Sega Dreamcast | 2000 | Would have been the first Castlevania developed by Konami's American division. |
[edit] Chronology
Prior to the release of Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, every game in the series was accepted as canon, with the original versions of certain games (such as the original Castlevania and Dracula X) usually accepted as the canonical interpretation of certain events. This was assumed even though there was no official unified direction to the series's storyline (other than conflicts against Dracula). However, when Koji Igarashi took over as producer for the series (starting with Symphony of the Night), he revised the timeline and removed the following games from it: Castlevania Legends, Castlevania 64, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. According to an interview later conducted with 1UP, the only game he deliberately retconned was Castlevania Legends, whereas the other games were produced to be side-stories from the start[citation needed].
With the release of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Konami of America has included a pre-order bonus "20th Anniversary" package that includes a Castlevania series timeline. This timeline includes the dates for Castlevania 64, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. This was likely to show all of the games for the series that had been released in North America, as the three games mentioned above are merely given titles and dates, with no story information given[citation needed]. Castlevania Legends and its date, however, were left off of the list for reasons unknown, although the game appears in the accompanying box artwork book.
[edit] Recurring Major Characters
[edit] Dracula
Dracula has generally been the main antagonist throughout the Castlevania series, though the portrayal of the character has varied over time. He was originally depicted as little more than a villain, but the character became much more dramatic as more titles were released. Dramatic or not, Dracula always played an important role in the series; his legacy stays even in the games where he doesn't make any canonical physical appearances, such as in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow.
In games where Dracula does actually make a "physical" appearance, he often sports his obligatory royal clothing with a cape. During the early games, his clothing is mostly red or purple, but in more recent releases, he has been dressed mostly in black with black/red cape.
The attack pattern of Dracula (and later those who are deemed to be similar to him) almost never changes. He often fights the hero in two forms: His humanoid form and his demonic form. The battle pattern on Dracula's humanoid form is a mainstay of the series: He teleports all around the battlefield while attacking with various fire blasts in between teleports, including his trademark attack, the Hellfire (where he fires three fireballs at the protagonist), an attack later inherited by his son, and a meteor, where he fires two meteors from his cape. After he takes enough damage, he will transform into his demonic form with various new attacks. Another recurring theme, introduced in more recent games, is the use of the song "Dance of Illusions" in the background during the battle.
[edit] The Belmont Family
The Belmont bloodline is sworn to oppose Dracula in all his various forms. In most Castlevania games, the main character is a Belmont. If not, the Belmonts are usually present in the form of supporting characters. Following continuity of the book, twice the hero has been from the Morris family. In Castlevania: Bloodlines for the Sega Genesis, the player could choose between two characters, one of which was John Morris (supposedly a descendant of Quincey Morris from the novel). In Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, the player could take control of Jonathan Morris, the elder John Morris' son.
[edit] Recurring enemies
The Undead
In keeping with its gothic/horror theme, Castlevania includes many undead enemies, such as zombies, skeletons, and ghosts.
Death
The Grim Reaper, later better known simply as Death, is present in practically all Castlevania games (although exceptions do occur). Death is often an end-game boss, that is, he appears late in the game, shortly before the final boss (though he is once honored to be the final boss, in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence). In some of the later games, he is also known as Dracula's second in command, and occasionally plays an important role, such as where he teams up with Dracula's first form in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. For the most recent games, Death's statistics have been revolved around the number 4. In Aria and Dawn of Sorrow and as well as Portrait of Ruin, his HP is 4444. This is because one of the reading for the number 4 in Japanese is 'shi', which has the same sound as the word death as in 'shinigami'.
Appearance-wise, Death always looks like a floating skeleton without his lower body. His fashion evolves slightly; in early games, he just wears a ragged cloak, and looks precisely like how the cultural Grim Reaper looks like. Later, he starts wearing fancy top hats and even multi-layered coats.
Like his friend Dracula, Death always uses the same attacks in every game. In one attack he possess, he tries to hit the heroes with a scythe. Another is that he almost always summons small sickles out of thin air that home in onto the heroes, and this particular attack is usually the main stress factor of the fight, especially in early games where the heroes can't move as freely as later characters. Like Dracula, he has been fighting the heroes in two forms lately: Often the first form with him donning his normal clothings and the second form where he becomes various skeletal creatures.
Some Castlevania philosophers engage in heated debate over the reason that Death appears to be a member of Dracula's court. Some contend that Dracula, being undead, has beaten death and as a result rules over the Grim Reaper himself. Others posit that Death is merely biding his time while he thinks of a way to claim the vampire. A few even suggest that the Reaper is present as a consequence of Dracula's evil; that is, wherever Dracula goes death follows closely behind him. A final theory is that Death is merely a powerful demon who simply uses "Death" as a name.
Bat
A fictional work revolving around Dracula is not complete without bats. This enemy has been present in every Castlevania game, usually as a weak enemy that flies around in a pattern that makes them hard to hit, and in the process, making it hard for the heroes to get through, especially when the heroes are traversing perilous terrains such as collapsing bridges. These bats have become less and less intimidating as the series progress since now they rarely appear in crucial times (see Medusa Head and Fleamen below for comparison).
In contrast, some other bats have become bosses in the series. The first of such bat boss is a Giant Bat (also called Phantom Bat) which is actually the first boss to be introduced to non-arcade Castlevania games. These recurring boss have been seen in different forms, and even inspire some other bosses in later games to mimic their battle style.
Medusa / Medusa Heads
When Medusa first appeared in the first Castlevania title, and even earlier (or later) in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, she was but a head. However, this so called Medusa Head later becomes one of the most well-known and much hated enemy in the whole Castlevania series, not only for being present in practically every Castlevania game, but also one of the most frustrating enemies in the whole series for often appearing in the worst places at the worst times, usually in the Clock Tower area of the castle, where there are moving gear platforms near a wall or bed of spikes, leading to a big amount of health being taken out. To add more frustration, Medusa Heads in later games also have the power to petrify, even though Medusa bosses already have this petrification ability from quite early. These enemies were so hated that Gamespot claimed that they were one of the things in games that gamers love to hate.
Armored Knights / Living Armors
Castlevania houses a large variety of armored knights and living armors, though whether these armors are actually worn is not certain. In early days, there are lance-wielding knights and axe-wielding knights, which is particularly interesting because they can throw their axes like a boomerang. Later, more and more armored knights are added, ranging from a normal sword wielding knight, bomb-throwers, saw-disc users (who throw their discs like a yo-yo) and more, even their sizes start to vary greatly, with some knights being human-sized while others are as tall as the room they're in (which are usually large).
Hunchbacks / Fleamen
These little enemies are almost the same as Medusa Heads, in that their mobility is their main threat. Early in the series, these enemies were pretty slow, but because they loved jumping around erratically, they became a menace. This problem no longer exist in the latter games, mostly because by then, they are too weak to actually inflict considerable damage. Also, they are not considered as deadly as Medusa Heads because unlike the heads, the Hunchbacks / Fleamen are rarely present in critical areas of the castle, whereas Medusa Heads often pop up in places with a lot of instant/quick-kill threats.
Mermen
The fish-humanoids are present from the very first Castlevania, and have never been away from watery places. They usually attack by spitting, though curiously enough they don't always spit water (or maybe acid solution instead of water), that is, sometimes they are even able to spit fire.
Legion
In most cases of the series, Legion serves as a main boss. Legion was called Granfaloon in the U.S. version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Legion is a sort of living orb that flies around attacking with zapping tentacles. Its most noticeable feature, however, is its armor constructed entirely of dead bodies. To get to the orbical weakspot, the player will have to attack its "corpse armor" until its true form is revealed. In one instance where Legion is different from this description is in Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon, where Legion is a lesser monster composed of three heads melted together, and with tentacles coming out of the three mouths. Touching Legion in Circle Of The Moon results in being cursed. It most likely takes its name from the biblical story of Legion, a young man possessed by 1000 demons.
[edit] Recurring castle areas
More often than not, Castlevania games take place in Dracula's castle (very often called Castlevania itself). While the castle areas change from time to time (In Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Alucard mentions that this change is due to the castle being a creature of chaos that can take many incarnations), some places seem to stay the same.
Castle Entrance
This section of the castle, as the name suggests, is normally featured early in a Castlevania game. Originally serving as the first level of Vampire Killer and Castlevania, this portion of Dracula's castle is notable for the following characteristics:
- It normally begins outside in a brief forest section, where the character must enter the actual castle via drawbridge or just a regular entrance.
- Inside, you reach the main hallway that often has grey walls that are partially crumbled exposing brick work along with pillars, curtains and tall window sets. The common enemies here are zombies, bats, and sometimes panthers.
- Midway through the level, there is usually a flooded basement section featuring mermen.
- After exiting the basement section, there is usually one final hallway similar to the first main hallway.
- The song entitled "Vampire Killer" is often heard for the background music in homage to that tune being heard in this level of the original games.
Chapel
The supposed place of worship is another of Castlevania's favourite places. One particular characteristic of a Castlevania chapel is that it is always the only place in the castle which is decorated with stained glass windows.
Clock Tower
In early games, this portion of the castle is often featured towards the end of the game, serving as either the final stage which leads directly to Dracula's Keep, or the game's second to last stage, an honor which is often lost in latter games even though this place is always located close to the keep. The tower contains spinning gears and pendulums which serve as platforms and enemies that usually consist of medusa heads and harpies. The Clock Tower is also the one place in the castle with a lot of instant-kill threats, mostly spikes.
Castle Keep
The keep is Dracula's personal room, so to speak, and because of that, this place has usually been featured in most Castlevania games. This place is distinct in several ways:
- It is always the highest spot of the castle (though usually matched by the Clock Tower).
- The keep is always connected to the rest of the castle by merely a single long flight of stairs with a full moon shown in the back along with (sometimes) the clock tower *In most later games, this keep also serves as a throne room.
Underground Caverns
Literally the wettest place in Castlevania. Inhabitants of this place are usually the mermen, killer fish and other aquatic beasts, though some other enemies also make their home here, such as fractile golems. In some later games, waterfalls are often seen here.
Dungeon
The dungeon stages usually feature backgrounds filled with prison cells (sometimes occupied), chains and wall handcuffs, and skeletons and corpses laying just about everywhere. The stages usually feature such enemies as bone throwing skeletons, hunchbacks and axe wielding knights. The stage's final stretch usually features a long hallway with these aforementioned knights and then a boss fight.
[edit] Film
- In November 2005, news of a Castlevania movie surfaced. Crystal Sky Pictures acquired the movie rights for Castlevania from Konami. British filmmaker Paul W. S. Anderson has been announced as director of the Castlevania film. No cast has been announced and production was expected to start in mid-2006 - this has however changed to late 2007, as "snow is desired" in the Forest scenes. [1]
[edit] Other media
- Simon Belmont was one of the stars in the animated series Captain N: The Game Master. He was a member of the N-Team, a group of mostly video game characters who defended Video Land against the evils of Mother Brain and others. He does not appear in the comic book form of Captain N. Dracula (referred to only as "The Count" in the series) was also one of the villains in Captain N. Alucard also appeared in one episode as a skateboarding teenager. Several other Castlevania monsters appeared in cameo roles, including the Frankenstein's monster, the mummy, and the Skull Knight.
- Castlevania: Prelude to War, is an independent short-film. It was written, directed and starred independent film maker Ben Isaac. It was not officially approved or endorsed by Konami. The film featured Isaac as Simon Belmont and prequelled his adventure in Dracula's castle. [2]
- On October 13 2006 comic book writer Warren Ellis announced on his blog that he is on board to pen an animated film adaptation of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse for Project 51 Productions. James Jean will be the art director. [3]
- In the chapter W is for Winner of Maddox humor book The Alphabet of Manliness; Castlevania is listed as an example of a winner.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Akumajō Dracula series at Konami Tokyo (Japanese)
- Castlevania series at Konami USA
- The Castlevania series at MobyGames
- Castlevania at Wikia
[edit] Fan websites
- Immaculate Chapel of Resonance The Castlevania website.
- Castlevania Radio An internet radio station dedicated to Castlevania music.
- CastlevaniaRL A fan-made cRPG/RL based on Castlevania
- Vampire Hunter X A fan-made traditional Castlevania game
- Castlevania: The Blood Way Fan-made flash game
- The Castlevania Dungeon
- Castlevania: Disharmony A text-based Castlevania RPG
- The Castlevania Saga
- Mr. P's Castlevania Realm
- ICVD Forums Forum site with Castlevania discussion and current events
- The Lost Castlevania Legend
