In fact, it's a pretty old game, related to the series. The first thing you should know about this game is that it's NOT Castlevania VI, which would have made it a new game in the series.
Other than that, it's back to the grave for Castlevania.
Where the 8-bit editions gracefully exited with the excellent Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, this last hurrah is a muted one.įor an awesome alternative version of this title, you may want to check out the import-only PC Engine game. It's a shame the 16-bit Castlevania games had to end this way. The sound effects, however, are just average - the snapping whip and occasional loud crashes fill in the other part of the soundtrack. The controls are almost perfect the only exception is a slight delay when you repeatedly use a special weapon.įans of the 8-bit games will get a kick out of the beautifully reworked music scores. The play engine feels like it's right out of the 8-bit versions (only horizontal whipping is allowed), and only a few new abilities (jumping onto staircases and picking which weapon to carry) were thrown in.
The graphics are simple - no knockout Mode 7 stages, no rotating rooms (like in Castlevania IV). Some have easy patterns, like the giant Minotaur, while only a few are challenging, like the grim reaper on the clock tower. In Dracula X, however, the bosses are only so-so. One of the highlights of the Castlevania games has always been the bosses. While this provides a new challenge, the location of the captives is too obvious, leaving little incentive to re-explore the stages for other possible hidden goodies. They also contain the two women captives that must be rescued.
Just press the Item Crash button.ĭivided into several areas, Dracula X adds a new twist: Hidden stages are found in the lower levels on the main map that appears each time a stage is completed. ProTip: Even If you don't have a weapon, you can use a flaming whip if you have enough hearts.