Haunted Castle (arcade game)
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| Haunted Castle | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Release date(s) | September 22,1988 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, PlayStation 2 |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade display | Raster, 256 x 224, horizontal orientation |
Haunted Castle is the name of an arcade game released in 1988, by Konami. In Japan, the game is known as Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura?), so besides the different name it gained in the west, Haunted Castle is indeed a game from the Castlevania saga, and also a remake of the first Castlevania (which also include Vampire Killer, Super Castlevania IV and Castlevania Chronicles). It is one of three Castlevania arcade games released (along with the PlayChoice-10 and Nintendo Vs. Series versions).
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[edit] Plot
The story of Haunted Castle is said to be a mirror of that of the original Castlevania, but is simply another telling of the tale. In this version, Simon Belmont is getting married to his bride (whose name is not mentioned in the story, although several Japanese websites call her Selena) when Dracula kidnaps her shortly thereafter. Simon is forced to make his way to Castlevania, the ancestral home of the count, and save his bride from a potentially horrific fate. [1]
[edit] Gameplay
Haunted Castle is a typical platform game comprised of six levels, which are played through in a linear progression. The player controls the main character, whose primary mode of attack is via his whip. He must fight various enemies which consist partially of skeletons, zombies, fishmen, and hunchbacks. By destroying certain enemies, he can switch his weapon to a more powerful spiked mace or sword. In addition, various "sub-weapons" can be obtained which provide different means of attack which consist of bombs, boomerangs, stopwatches, crosses, and torches. Hearts are collected to use each of these "sub-weapons." The player can only carry one sub-weapon at a time.
Each of Haunted Castle's six levels conclude with a boss fight. Like in other games of the series, these bosses are generally taken from horror literature or legend, and include Medusa, Frankenstein's Monster, and of course, Dracula.
[edit] Critical reaction
Haunted Castle has a high level of difficulty; one credit would grant one life, and the player could only continue three times for a total of four lives. Once all continues have been exhausted, the player would be returned to the beginning of the game. The player could also sacrifice up to three continue chances in favor of adding more hit points to the life meter. The controls were a bit stiff compared to its contemporary games (characteristic of the older Castlevania games) and often made it difficult to dodge oncoming attacks. The game constantly sends enemies running towards the player (in infinite numbers on some levels) and, in some cases, made it seem impossible to avoid damage.
There has been some confusion surrounding the game due to emulation. Four different versions of the game have been released: The American versions (referred to as Version M and Version K) and the Japanese versions (referred to as Version N and Version T). The American Version M is the most common among emulation sites, and it is also the most difficult. While other versions of the game subtract two bars of health for every hit endured, Version M takes away nearly half of the players hit points for a single blow. Also, while the American versions force the player to use a continue after falling into a bottomless pit, the Japanese versions allowed the player to continue playing from an earlier point in the level at the cost of some hit points. Many assume these factors are what contributed to Haunted Castle's poor sales when it was released to arcades.
[edit] Music
There are a several notable music tracks in Haunted Castle that have been reused in other Castlevania games. The well-recognized Bloody Tears (which debuted in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest) is used in this game as the theme for Stage 3. Another arcade piece, the Stage 1 theme Cross Your Heart, was recently reused in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, under the title "Crucifix Held Close". It is also part of the Akumajo Dracula Medley that appears in Konami's Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3, along with Bloody Tears. Underground Melody" which plays during Stage 5, was remixed in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Finally, Don't Wait Until Night, played during Stage 6, was remixed in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for Julius' theme known as "Heart of Fire". This particular song, however, is known as "Don't Wait Until Night" in Japan. It is actually a medley of the Haunted Castle tune and "Heart of Fire" from the original Castlevania.
[edit] Ports
A small Japanese game publisher called Hamster ported the Japanese version of Haunted Castle to the PlayStation 2 in May 2006 as part of the Oretachi Game Center Zoku series. This game port is not slated to be released outside of Japan.[2]
