Castlevania - (NES) - Full Playthrough
CASTLEVANIA - (NES) - RELEASED MAY 1ST, 1987 (USA)
Another long overdue title. I thought I had gone through most of the quick ones already, but I kept forgetting to check this one off the list. Castlevania is one-half of the games that spawned the genre known as 'Metroid-vania' (a combination of 'Metroid' and 'Castlevania'). The genre became known for its non-linear platformers. The game is considered a Nintendo classic and was such included in the 'Nintendo Classic' system, that came with 30 pre-loaded games.
I'm embarrassed to say that I never played 'Castlevania' as a kid. I remember I had a friend who had it, but never wanted to swap games with me. I even recall one time at Woolworths, they were advertising NES games on sale. They had 'Castlevania' for some ridiculously low price, like $10 or so, but tragically I couldn't get any money together. It's hard to pin down exactly how old I was at the time, but based on the house I was living in, I was between 3 and 8.
Anyway, diving into the game itself. The game is divided into six levels that are then divided into eighteen stages. At the end of each level you'll face a boss. The main character, Simon Belmont's main weapon is a Magic Whip, which can be upgraded to twice to a short and long Morning Star. Additionally there are weapons: a stopwatch, throwing dagger, axe, fire bomb and boomerang. The small and large hearts you find do not restore your health, but instead act as ammo for your weapons. The Double Shot and Triple Shot upgrades allow you to fire your weapons more rapidly.
When you do need to restore your health, I'm afraid you'll have to settle for pork chops found hidden inside walls of ancient castles. Mmm, mmm! The game provides a nice challenge that can be overcome with just a little practice of each level and boss. The final boss fight against Dracula poses a unique challenge, as the fight is broken up to into two phases. However, this too can be conquered with a little practice.