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Castlevania
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Logo of the Castlevania series. |
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure game |
| Primary developer(s) | Konami |
| Website | Konami Tokyo Konami USA |
Castlevania is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986 with the release of Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ Akumajō Dorakyura?, lit. "Devil's Castle Dracula")[1] for the Famicom Disk System (FDS), followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30. Although the MSX 2 port (localized in Europe and Brazil as 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 releases of Castlevania in 1987. The series soon became a recognized landmark in the design of action platforming games.
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, PC Engine, Commodore 64, the Sharp X68000, the Commodore Amiga, PC MS-DOS, and Microsoft Windows. It has also been released for Pocket PCs, and mobile phones.[2] [3]
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The Castlevania series is about a war between the vampire hunting family of the Belmonts and Dracula. Almost every hundred years, Dracula is resurrected and the Belmonts must defeat him before he takes over the world.
The series is loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. The novel is included in the official timeline of the series, with Castlevania: Bloodlines taking place shortly afterwards.[4] The connection even goes as far as to claim that Quincy Morris, a character from the novel, is in fact a Belmont descendant.
The earliest games borrowed source material from motifs in iconic horror cinema and monsters from the German Expressionism era of films. It also includes various mythological creatures.
Some common monsters used in the Castlevania series are:
The very first console title was a typical platform game in which the player takes the role of Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont clan, a bloodline of vampire hunters. He goes to Castlevania, the demonic castle of Dracula and fights a many monsters through the castle up to its master's keep to destroy him. The main weapon used by the Belmont family is a whip named the "Vampire Killer", a holy weapon passed down generation to generation since the eleventh century, its power originating in alchemy and mystical rites.[5]. The games also feature secondary weapons inspired by the legends and folklore regarding vampires and related supernatural beings. The secondary weapons are powered by Hearts, all of which can be found by whipping candles. Common secondary weapons are the silver dagger,[6] the throwing axe, the bottle of holy water, the cross and a stopwatch with the power of freezing time. Some installments of the series have featured additional secondary weapons, such as the holy fist,[7] the holy Bible[8], the rebounding Crystal Stone[9], the lightning-discharging Agunea[10], the sacred Bibuti ashes[11], the Garlic[12] and the Oak Stake[13], both subweapons that despite their notoriety in vampire-related paraphernalia, have only been included once to date.
Its first sequel, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, featured several RPG-influenced elements, including a retractable world map the player was free to explore and revisit. The player could also purchase supplies, equipment and weapon upgrades in several different towns. There was also a leveling up system, which allowed the player to level up by gaining experience from defeating enemies. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse returned to the traditional style and gameplay of its original predecessor while including new features, such as alternate paths with new and different stages and multiple playable characters.
The major turning point in the gameplay mechanics and overall aesthetic of the series was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Symphony of the Night was the progenitor of what is sometimes called a "Castleroid", with gameplay that has been compared to Metroid series (particularly Super Metroid), and combines this with console RPG elements, such as collectible weapons, armor and other items. Most subsequent Castlevania games have since followed this.
In addition to reinventing the technical aspects of Castlevania, Symphony of the Night introduced a new aesthetic to the series. Ayami Kojima's bishonen art became a mainstay since its release. Years later, the first two Nintendo DS Castlevania returned to the anime style used in the original Dracula X: Rondo of Blood and Castlevania Legends among other titles, in hopes of broadening the player demographic, by not discouraging slightly younger Nintendo DS owners to be put off by Kojima's art. [14] Dawn of Sorrow was the first game to do this, and the second DS release Portrait of Ruin followed with the same style. [15]
The first games in the series to employ 3D graphics were Castlevania and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness for the Nintendo 64.
Koji Igarashi has stated that if The Dracula X Chronicles does well, the series may return to the more traditional style of the original games, possibly suggesting further remakes for the Chronicles titles.[16]
Most of Castlevania's music changes from game to game, but some themes recur often. These include Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, and Bloodlines[17] , three very popular tracks, first appearing in Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, and Castlevania: Rondo of Blood respectively. Several songs, including both Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears were also featured in the soundtracks of other Konami games, including Wai Wai World, Contra: Hard Corps, and Konami Krazy Racers.
The success of the Castlevania series has resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the series 7 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include "Most Games in an Action Adventure Series", "Largest Number of Platforms for One Series", and "Longest Castlevania Title" for the 1999 release Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness.
In Japan, the series is known as Akumajō Dracula ("Devil's Castle Dracula").[1] However, not every installment of the franchise had that title. For example, the first two installments for the Nintendo Game Boy were released under the title Dracula Densetsu ("Dracula Legend") and the game known in North America as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse was originally released in Japan as Akumajō Densetsu. Castlevania: Bloodlines was also released as Vampire Killer in Japan. 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 the developers chose to adopt the Castlevania title as a way to involve scenarios that do not solely revolve around Dracula himself.[18] After hearing demand from fans in Japan, Konami returned to the Akumajō 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 violence, nudity and religious imagery. Removal of such material is prevalent in Nintendo and Super Nintendo titles Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and Super Castlevania IV, because of Nintendo of America's strict censorship policies at the time. Castlevania: Bloodlines, for the Sega Genesis, was renamed Castlevania: The New Generation for European release to avoid the reference to blood used in the American title. In addition, blood and gore was re-colored and removed throughout the European version. Although censorship policies vary from country to country in Europe, Germany's strict "decency standards" may inevitably affected the content released throughout the entire continent.
Simon Belmont was one of the stars in the animated series Captain N: The Game Master.[19] He was a member of the N-Team, a group of mostly video game characters who defended Videoland against the antagonst Mother Brain from Metroid. He does not appear in the Captain N Valiant Comics series because his copyright was owned by Konami. 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, though he was portrayed as a rebellious skateboarding teenager. Several other Castlevania monsters appeared in cameo roles, including Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, and the Skull Knight. Simon is portrayed as egotistical on the show and his physical appearance is radically different from his design in the videogame titles.
Action figure and collectible manufacturer company NECA officially licensed Castlevania to produce a line of models of characters due for distribution in October 2007. The first series includes Simon Belmont, Dracula, Alucard, and the Succubus from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. [20]
In 2005 IDW Publishing released a comic book adaptation Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy written by Marc Andreyko with art by E. J. Su. It was based on the Castlevania The Adventure. [21]
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.[22]
In the chapter W is for Winner of Maddox humor book The Alphabet of Manliness, Castlevania is listed as an example of a winner. In particular, he names the first game, Dracula's Curse, Super Castlevania IV, Symphony of the Night and Dawn of Sorrow as "winners".
In 2008, a manga adaption of "Curse of Darkness" was released by Tokyopop, written by Kou Sasakura.
In November 2005, Crystal Sky Pictures acquired the rights to adapt the video game series for the big screen. The company attached Paul W.S. Anderson to write and direct the film adaptation, with production slated to begin in mid-2006.[23] Later in the month, Dimension Films entered negotiations with Crystal Sky for North American distribution of Castlevania. The film adaptation was estimated to have a budget of $50 million.[24] In July 2006, producer Jeremy Bolt explained that Castlevania will "integrate a Dracula origin story... with the story of the Belmonts." Bolt also said that the film would refer back to early versions of the games.[25] Director Anderson reiterated Bolt's description, adding that Dracula and Simon Belmont would be key characters in the film. Anderson also indicated that the "very lush, Romantic, Gothic look" of the 3D incarnations of the Castlevania series would be used in the film. He also expressed his hope in using the games' composer, Michiru Yamane, to score the film's soundtrack.[26]
In November 2006, Rogue Pictures replaced Dimension Films, who reneged over script differences, in handling North American distribution of Castlevania, with Crystal Sky Pictures handling international distribution. Paul W.S. Anderson described Castlevania to take place in many time periods, but primarily in 15th century Transylvania. The director and producer Jeremy Bolt had scouted locations in Hungary and Romania, with plans to build castle interiors in Budapest. Principal photography was slated to begin in spring 2007.[27]
In January 2007, director Anderson said the studio was still finalizing the film's budget, and filming would begin in fall or winter in Transylvania and Hungary. According to the director, the filming was postponed because production had desired snow on the ground for the film's forest scenes. Anderson described the locations: "It was like discovering Mordor as a real location — epic, dramatic, and above all scary. These locations haven't been shot properly in a mainstream movie, so that is always extra exciting... to put something on camera that hasn't been seen before." The director also revealed that post-production and effects work for Castlevania would be done in London.[28]
In June 2007, Anderson conceded directing duties to Sylvain White in order to take on the project Death Race, a remake of Death Race 2000. White, who played the Castlevania video game in the early 1990s, was attracted to the prospect of filming a vampire film. White explained "Most of the vampire films have been present or set in the future, from Blade to Underworld, and I was attracted by the chance to make a dark, epic period movie that almost has an anime feel to it". The new director, who negotiated a salary of seven figures, will rewrite the script with Anderson's assistance. The premise will follow Trevor Belmont and his younger brother Christopher as they are ordered into service to the church, to take the cursed castle of Dracula and live up to the legend set by their ancestor Leon. Production of Castlevania is slated to begin in late fall 2007 in South Africa and Romania. Castlevania is planned for a late 2008 release.[29] In October 2007, Anderson said that he hoped to have a script within two or three weeks before the onset of the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike. Producer Jeremy Bolt said that production was intended to begin in spring 2008.[30]
In December 2007, Rogue Pictures halted active development of Castlevania due to the writers' strike. Despite the shelving, White remains committed to direct the film.[31]
{{Navbox |name=Castlevania series |title=Castlevania series (List of titles)
|group1=Console |list1= Castlevania • Vampire Killer • Simon's Quest • Haunted Castle • Dracula's Curse • Super Castlevania IV • Kid Dracula • Chronicles • Chi no Rondo • Bloodlines • Dracula X • Symphony of the Night • Castlevania (1999) • Legacy of Darkness • Lament of Innocence • Curse of Darkness • Judgment
|group2=Handheld |list2=The Adventure • Belmont's Revenge • Legends • Circle of the Moon • Harmony of Dissonance • Aria of Sorrow • Dawn of Sorrow • Portrait of Ruin • The Dracula X Chronicles • Order of Shadows • Order of Ecclesia
|group3=Characters |list3=Castlevania characters • Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow characters • Dracula • Simon Belmont • Alucard • Soma Cruz
|group4=Staff |list4=Koji Igarashi • Michiru Yamane • [[Ayami Kojima] • Kinuyo Yamashita
}}