Castlevania Review by The Successor

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easoned gamers often look into the distance with a glazed expression, warmheartedly recalling embarking on epic crusades lasting entire days. They valiantly challenged a game, tag-teaming with friends and family, pooling their talents in the hope that maybe someone in the room could conquer the hurdles that mocked them at every turn.
Morning turned to noon, day gave way to night. If fortune was on their side, they could defeat the game before it was time for bed…
And if not, they'd start anew the next day.

There were those games from the time of before that seemed like they lasted forever. Playing them all the way through was a whole day's adventure. Yet, upon revisiting years later… people became conscious that those games aren't near as long as they remembered.

Castlevania is one of those games.

Unlike today, the majority of video game players in the 80's were kids. Castlevania is too difficult for most children (or unacquainted adults) to pick up and beat. This is not to say that it's unapproachable, or not fun, but one shouldn't expect to surmount this game without concentrated practice. Sweet victory is awarded to the select few with the patience, durability, and discipline to actually get good at the game, because it grants no quarter to anyone.

Castlevania adheres to the philosophy of a certain niche of "hardcore" video game players. The fans that obsess themselves with action, shoot'em up, or fighting games that are particularly difficult, intense, often obscure, and usually short.
This recipe was the median for games in general during the 80's, which is why these specific fans are frequently males at, above, or approaching 30.

Naturally, with a game of this sort, a good deal of trial and error is involved. To unaccustomed players, the constant repetition makes the game seem longer than it really is. But to those familiar with the enemies, stages, mechanics, and physics, Castlevania can usually be beaten in about 18 to 30 minutes, without rushing.

By today's standards, that may seem like a massive letdown, but what an explosive 20 minutes it is!

Before judging a game based on some standard, what it is meant to be must be taken into account.
No, Castlevania is not an adventure game like Harmony of Dissonance. If that's what you're looking for, you've come to the wrong place. There are no save files, passwords, or shops.
It's not readily perceptible, but Castlevania's best feature is that it's bare bones. It gives you everything you need and nothing more. This isn't just the case when making comparisons to modern Castlevania games that sometimes include an overabundance of stuff. Castlevania is scarce in content even when compared to… more comparable games, like Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

This is not a bad thing.

Castlevania does not bite off more than it can chew, or haul around superfluous luggage. Castlevania 3 attempts to outdo this game and its primary method is by being bigger.
More content! More characters, more stages, more bosses, more enemies, more everything.
There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's expected. The problem that arises is more opportunities open for holes that allow mediocre content to find its way in. Castlevania 3 is designed less sturdily, because it isn't as focused. It's more expansive in scope, but there's fat that should have been trimmed off.
What Castlevania would have done is turned that fat into useful muscle mass. The game uses every single instance to top itself and keep the player interested throughout its entirety.

A wholly solid, if shorter, package is preferred to a bigger, outwardly fancier one that rollercoasters in terms of quality. Quality is not determined by the amount of content, but the eminence of the content presented.

Nothing in Castlevania is mediocre -- not the stages, bosses, or music…
Well, admittedly, the tune "Out of Time" is only okay. That aside, it's amazing what the composers were able to do with the limits of their given tools.

At this hour in the series' point, "Vampire Killer," "Wicked Child," and the like may not seem as special as they used to, especially on the NES' basic synth. Nevertheless, this is where many unforgettable and unforgotten anthems originated.

Castlevania's compositions aren't as intricate as those heard in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest and they don't have the advanced, pristine sound of Akumajo Densetsu, but overall, this collection of music will to stick with listeners more. Some tunes, like the aforementioned "Vampire Killer" and "Wicked Child," are haunting but with a slight tinge of lampoon in a "Monster Mash" fashion. Others are genuinely grim and baleful, such as "Walking on the Edge" and "Poison Mind."

Additional audio delights come as sound effects. Before video games began implementing more realistic sounds, they had to make due with all manner of eccentric sounds to get a point across. This imparted a surplus of cherished sounds players would associate with events.
Simon's subtle grunt while taking damage, the resonance of collecting a heart, the jingle-jangle of a crashing vial of holy water, and the "blip blip" caused by striking a Bone Pillar are all unbelievably characteristic, and part of the entire package that unmistakably says "Castlevania" when you hear them.

A further look into the content leads to the visuals.
The graphics were excellent for the time, and remain enduring. Castlevania is vibrant, and though it may seem like it's emulating a corny horror movie, it has its dark, moody moments. Put it aside Super Mario Bros. or Megaman, and Castlevania is shockingly glum and depressing. Stage 5's dungeon laboratories contain skeletal remains of people lying absolutely everywhere. Many of them are chained to walls seemingly wallowing in past misery.
There's nothing slapstick about that.

The castle suggests departed majesty, which has given in to decay, corruption, and rot. Despite the decomposing state, Castlevania is still a sight to see, displaying prominent pillars, large windows, and grand arches. The castle's gushing with character. Castlevania begins by showcasing a delicate area, abound with windows and gauzy drapes ravaged by time and neglect, and the excellence and individuality continues with each stage. It's surprising how much feeling and detail went into these areas.

On the subject of the stages, a look at screenshot maps will reveal that they aren't laid out elaborately, at all. They're straightforward paths that consist of death traps interspersed without. The traps are usually basic pits. Where the imagination comes in is the enemy placement, and how the enemies and stages are designed around the player character.

Castlevania's game play is perfectly honed. Playing this game fundamentally comes down to knowing what Simon and his enemies are capable of. Variables for different situations arise depending on what sub-weapon Simon is carrying and the terrain.
Simon's main weapon is the fabled Vampire Killer whip, which can be upgraded -- once to boost attack strength, and twice to increase length. Players need to know the range of their attacks, and the resiliency of the enemies they face. For example, one can make a confident jump towards a Raven and destroy it with one shot. But try the same move on an Axe Armor, and it will stand unfazed, causing Simon to jump right into the enemy, resulting in the loss of four bars of health.

This game isn't just about fighting enemies. It's about dealing with hazardous environments while fighting enemies. Simon isn't the most dexterous character, so dealing with sticky situations takes precision and hasty calculation. Death pits are all around, which are often the biggest obstacles. Simon is pushed back when he takes damage, so enemies are constantly trying to force him down a pit, or into deadly waters. So, yes, skill is involved. You won't be able to button mash your way through this or whore super powerful spells.

The story for Castlevania is pretty cool. It birthed an entire saga, after all.
Some poke fun at the series for having a stupid story. It's very rare that a Castlevania story is outright stupid. Dawn of Sorrow and Legends are the only two that fit that category. The tales may habitually be underdeveloped rehashes, but the Castlevania series does not have a bad story.

It's difficult to say exactly what the one fundamental element of the overall Castlevania story is, but it's easy to point to Dracula. In this game, the dark vampire was defeated 100 years ago by legendary Hunter, Christopher Belmont, the ancestor of Simon Belmont.
Legends foretell that Dracula would resurrect 100 years after being defeated, returning more powerful than before. The forecast proves true and Count Dracula is reborn into the world, alongside his Demon Castle.
The Belmont bloodline of vampire hunters is the world's only hope of salvation against the Count. Simon takes hold of the very same whip Christopher wielded a century before and enters Dracula's Castle... alone.

The makings of a grand adventure start there. Castlevania is truly solid. It is incredibly well thought out and balanced. Not only does it excel in game play and level structure, but also visual and audio aesthetics. It's dripping with atmosphere, lore, and intrigue. It is a short outing, but it does offer a more difficult play through on the second run for those who haven't had enough.

Castlevania may not seem exciting to some who have played its children first, but it must be appreciated for being the milestone that invented a very trademark form of game play for the series, treasured music, a fascinating theme, and a legacy that has lasted longer than twenty years.

Castlevania is nothing short of a mini-masterpiece of 8-bit design.