Castlevania (video game)

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Castlevania

Box art for the NES version
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Nintendo (GBA)
Series Castlevania
Platform(s) Famicom Disk System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, PC MS-DOS, PC Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, AT&T Wireless mMode Network, Virtual Console
Release date Flag of Japan September 26, 1986
Flag of the United States May 1, 1987
Flag of Europe December 19, 1988
See release details section.
Genre(s) Platform game
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) ESRB: E (Everyone) (GBA, Wii)
PEGI: 3+
CERO: A (All ages)
Media 1-megabit cartridge (NES)

Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura?, lit. "Demon Castle Dracula"), is a console video game developed and published by Konami for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in September of 1986. A year later, in May 1987 it was ported to cartridge format and released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) followed by a European release in 1988. It is the first game in the Castlevania franchise, but the seventh chronological installment of the franchise in the current canon.

Contents

[edit] Storyline

It is the year 1691...The land of Transylvania has been at peace for one-hundred years now, thanks to the efforts of Christopher Belmont. The peasants and villagers have begun to purge their minds of the memories of the times when the lands were dominated by chaos and shadows, times when the undead walked the earth...However, there are those that remember that the evil Count Dracula returns every one-hundred years to plague the land, bringing with him the forces of Hell...Thus, one evening, the Prince of Darkness rises and returns to Castlevania, his ancestral home, calling forth his minions to purge the world of human flesh.

The people cry out for a hero — someone to defend them from the evil desires of the Count. Thankfully, they don't have to look very far, for within the land of Transylvania the Belmont line still lives, as Simon Belmont, great-grandson of Solieyu Belmont, takes up the legendary whip called the Vampire Killer, and sets forth on his journey through the darkened countryside to the dark lord's castle...

Upon arrival, the young man fights his way through legions of zombies, gigantic bats, and even faces Death himself, but in the end, he makes it to the Count and in a battle to end all battles, he comes out the victor...

The price? The evil master places a curse of death upon Simon, which will lead him into a long and dangerous journey in the very near future...

[edit] Gameplay

Castlevania is a typical platform game of the 8-bit era: the game comprises six levels, which are played through in a strictly linear progression. The player controls Simon Belmont, whose primary mode of attack is via his whip, which can be upgraded by obtaining special items throughout the course of the game which extend its length. In addition, various "sub-weapons" can be obtained which provide different means of attack. By breaking candelabra and certain other items located throughout the castle, Simon collects hearts, which can then be used to activate whatever sub-weapon he possesses at that point. Simon can only carry one sub-weapon at a time.

Each of Castlevania's six levels conclude with a boss fight: these bosses are generally taken from horror literature or legend, and include a vampire bat, Medusa, mummies, Frankenstein's Monster and Igor, and the Grim Reaper.

[edit] Music

Like most video games from its time, the audio was synthesized by a sound chip. The music was composed by Kinuyo Yamashita and has been reused and remixed numerous times in the Castlevania games. The tracks in this game include:

  • "Underground"
  • "Prologue"
  • "Vampire Killer"
  • "Stalker"
  • "Wicked Child"
  • "Walking on the Edge"
  • "Heart of Fire"
  • "Out of Time"
  • "Nothing to Lose"
  • "Poison Mind"
  • "Black Night"
  • "Voyager"

[edit] Releases

Screenshot of Castlevania on the NES.
Screenshot of Castlevania on the NES.

Castlevania has been ported to a variety of different video game consoles, handheld game consoles, home computer systems, and mobile phones. The NES release of the game was adapted for video arcades both as a part of Nintendo's Play Choice 10 series and (with the addition of a two-player competitive play mode) the Nintendo Vs. Series.

In 1990, versions of the title were released for the IBM PC Compatible, the Commodore 64 (both developed by Unlimited Software), and the Commodore Amiga (developed by Novotrade).

In 2002, Konami released the first three NES Castlevania games for PC Microsoft Windows as the Castlevania and Contra: Konami Collector's Series. This was later added to GameTap in 2006.

In 2004, Castlevania was released for the Game Boy Advance as part of the Classic NES Series.

In 2007, it was released through the Wii Virtual Console.

[edit] Mobile phone

Also in 2002, Konami Mobile released a mobile phone version of the game for Motorola phones (developed by Upstart Games). That version was upgraded in 2004 with improved graphics, and was subsequently released in Europe for the Samsung A600 and the Sanyo 8100, and for AT&T Wireless's mMode network in North America. A third mobile phone version was produced in late 2004, with even better graphics, but has only been released in Japan as of early 2005.

[edit] Other games

The game has been ported to other consoles, including mobile phones. The same storyline and setting has been reused for different games in the series on different platforms, including the MSX (known as Vampire Killer in Europe), the Super Nintendo (as Super Castlevania IV), and the Sharp X68000 (which was later ported to the PlayStation and released as Castlevania Chronicles), as well as an arcade game remake called Haunted Castle. While all of these games share a variety of elements with Castlevania, including title (in the original Japanese, all were simply called Demon Castle Dracula), they are totally different games.

[edit] Release details

Platform Release date Region Developer Media
Famicom Disk System September 26, 1986 Japan Konami Floppy disk
MSX2 October 30, 1986 Japan Konami Cartridge
1986 Europe
NES/Famicom May 1, 1987 North America Konami Cartridge
December 19, 1988 Europe
February 5, 1993 Japan
PC MS-DOS 1990 North America Unlimited Software Floppy disk
Commodore 64 1990
Commodore Amiga 1990 Novotrade
PC Microsoft Windows November 16, 2002 North America Konami CD-ROM
AT&T Wireless mMode July 7, 2004 North America Upstart Games Download
Game Boy Advance
(Classic NES Series)		 August 10, 2004 Japan Konami Cartridge
October 25, 2004 North America
January 7, 2005 Europe
Virtual Console March 23, 2007 Europe Konami Download
April 30, 2007 North America
July 17, 2007 Japan
Platform System requirements
PC MS-DOS Intel 8088 or higher, DOS 3.0 to 3.3, 384KB RAM
PC Microsoft Windows Intel Pentium, Windows 95, 16MB RAM, 10MB free hard drive space, 2X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 8.0

[edit] Reception

Castlevania was rated the 23rd best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Powers Top 200 Games list.[1] The re-release of the game on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii was rated a 7.5 by IGN, saying that the graphics show their age after 20 years, but the soundtrack is famously creepy and the game is still atmospheric and challenging.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ “NP Top 200”, Nintendo Power 200: 58-66, February 2006 .
  2. ^ Mark Birnbaum (April 30th, 2007). Castlevania Review. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Castlevania series
Console
Handheld
Characters
Staff