CastleVania
Platform: Commodore 64
Region: pal
Controller: joy
Genre: Arcade
Gametype: Undefined
Release Year: 1990
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Players: 1
Programmer: Alan Stewart
Musician: Kris Hatlelid
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Every hundred years, the dark vampire known as Dracula resurrects and terrorizes the land. A vampire hunter named Simon Belmont bravely ventures into the Count's mansion in order to defeat him. Along the way he'll have to defeat skeletons, bats, fishmen, medusa heads and other evil creatures.

Castlevania is a side-scrolling platform action game. The player taking the role of Simon Belmont is able to jump and crack his whip directly in front of him. Power-ups can be obtained by defeating enemies or by whipping candles that appear in the castle. One such power-up increases the power and length of Simon's whip. Different weapons can be gathered which consume hearts when used, these hearts can also be collected from monsters and candles. Additionally, some walls will hide secrets such as the health-restorative turkey or the Double and Triple shot abilities for the weapons Simon has collected. At the end of each section of the castle is a boss, which must be defeated. Progression through the castle eventually leads to a confrontation with Count Dracula himself.

Trivia

Game Boy Advance version

The Game Boy Advance version of the game has some different names for certain items and characters. For instance:
Count Dracula is now simply called "The Count".
The Holy Water item called "Fire Bomb" in the manual.
The Vampire Killer (Simon's whip) is now called a "Magic Whip".
Even though the game takes place in Transylvania, there is no mention of this anywhere in the game or the manual.
There is also no mention of the hero's name, Simon Belmont.
Remake

This game was remade a decade after, but this time for PSX, known as Castlevania Chronicles.
References

Beat the game once and head to the second part of level two. Climb the stairs, get to the top of the screen and jump on the first moving platform. A blinking treasure will come out of the ground. If you examine it closely, it's a Moai head! Devoted Konami fans will recognize this Easter Island statue from the Gradius series, which seems to be obsessed with them for some odd reason.
Unused sprites

There are a number of unused sprites found in the NES Castlevania ROM, most notably a cross, a cupcake, and a love letter, and a basket with kittens inside(?!).
Awards

Game Informer
August 20012 (Issue #100) – #48 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll
Translations

Akumajo Dracula means "Demon Castle of Dracula".

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Description from the packaging:

Your fate may be sealed.

Beyond the twisted iron gates of Castlevania there lurks an unearthly terror who stalks the night in search of revenge... and blood.

With darkness and fear slowly engulfing the town, village elders are calling on you, Simon Belmont- the one hero with the power to forever entomb that death defying demon- Count Dracula.

To survive you'll need the strength to wield weapons like the whip, dagger, hatchet and fire bomb. You'll also need a ferocious intellect to find the option that renders you invisible and the clock that suspends time, both of which are hidden in a maze of cobwebs and torture chambers.

But before you sharpen the stake, know that behind these purgatory walls are dungeons, tombs, and haunted hallways filled with hundreds of creatures who have escaped from the grave. These Gothic horrors include the Ax Man, the Skele-Dragon, the Mummy Man, the She Worm and that cursed "dead-head"- the Grim Reaper.

At every turn these occult obstacles will become more vicious. And, as you step deeper and deeper into the darkness, their point values will slowly pale in comparison to the value you'll place on staying alive.

So grab your cross of gold and prepare to confront the blood thirsty Count in a deadly adventure that will surely leave you drained.

For 1 player only.
