Castlevania -NES- 9.5

March 15, 2024

I just beat Castlevania, using the whip and cross/boomerang to defeat both the Grim Reaper and Dracula. I actually beat this game for the first time back in late 2020, but I used a trick with the holy water to freeze the Grim Reaper, as well as slow down Dracula’s second form. I was never satisfied with beating those two bosses in such a cheap manor, so I finally went back today and used my skills to beat the game legitimately, no cheating and no tricks. I am proud to say that I have now properly conquered this notoriously difficult game.

Simon Belmont’s adventure through Dracula’s castle is one of the renowned classics for the Nes. I have great memories of playing this game as a child, but I never had the skills to finish it until adulthood. Even when the game punishes you for the slightest error, you still have a great time sharpening your skills. It’s all about learning the proper timing of when to jump and when to throw out your whip. This game employs the infamous knock-back when an enemy hits you, and this will lead to many deaths until you get better. Being aggressive and learning enemy patterns is key. There’s also a small, but great selection of sub weapons to attain during each run. The cross/boomerang was my favorite, but the watch, dagger, axe, and holy water/fire bomb were very useful, too. But the best and most important weapon was the whip, which you quickly upgrade to the morning star at the beginning of each run. Discovering the secret items behind breakable walls added an extra layer of depth to the gameplay.

Part of what made Castlevania so unique at the time of release was its gothic setting and tone. The many hideous beasts and monsters were like nothing seen in a videogame before, especially one of this quality. And each enemy was very dangerous and forced you to learn their attack styles and patterns. Traveling through Dracula’s giant castle was amazing, as each backdrop was so artfully depicted. Each stage was distinct and looked completely different from the last. Many of the series’ later installments even have callbacks to the set pieces seen in this first entry. The boss fights at the end of each level were awesome, and the Grim Reaper is one of the hardest bosses I have ever faced in an Nes game. I also loved fighting Medusa, the two mummies, and Frankenstein. These were some of the most memorable boss battles of the Nes era.

To top it all off was the incredible soundtrack. Every single track fit the dark atmosphere perfectly. “Wicked Child” and “Heart of Fire” in particular were my absolute favorites. Castlevania is an iconic classic that started a beloved series, and I am rating it a 9.5 out of ten. It is quite a marvel to consider this was released in 1986 in Japan and 1987 in the United States, still quite early in the Nes/famicom lifecycle. It’s a blast to replay over and over all these decades later.