Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles Bosses
racula X Chronicles presents Rondo of Blood's bosses in glorious 3D. This lethal crew of night stalkers will use every ounce of their dark power to turn Richter into lunch meat. If you wish to rescue Annette and save the world, you will need to adopt different strategies to handle Dracula's monstrous goons. While Dracula X Chronicles' bosses should not be taken lightly, persistence and memorization will see you through.
Wyvern
As you near the Castle entrance, a strange flying creature will scream its challenge. The Wyvern, a fierce fire-breather, stands between Richter and Castlevania. The Wyvern is somewhat sluggish, pausing briefly between attacks. Expect three attacks: a swoop-and-swat where it will attempt to grab Richter; a pillar of fire, which will spread into small flames once it hits the ground; and a large fireball in the shape of a howling wolf's head that will sweep across the ground.
All three attacks can be avoided with good timing combined with a relentless yet cautious offense. It is wise to bring the Axe for this battle. Be sure to quickly duck or jump to safety should it hover over the player, as that means it is about to lunge its talons at you. Beware its fiery breath, for even if you leap out of the way it will splash across the ground as smaller fires. After sustaining enough damage, it will summon a strange bolt of fire in the shape of a wolf that will shoot horizontally across the ground. Leap over it.
The best way to send this red-hot annoyance packing is with the Axe sub-weapon. As it's flying in the air, throw as many as you can at it before it unleashes a counter attack. It is especially vulnerable to the whip when it flies low to grab Richter in its clutches. Stay clear of the talons and quickly whip it. By constantly using the Axe in between its attacks, it is possible to reduce the foe into roast chicken before it can unleash its fire wolf ability.
Sea Serpent
A monstrous serpent said to feast on entire crews of unlucky ships. Defeating the Sea Serpent requires you be light on your toes, but take heart; the boss follows a predictable pattern. First, it will leap out of the water in an angle, diving back into the side facing the player. The head is the real danger here; step out of harm's way, and quickly whip at the head once it is level with Richter. Usually, you can expect it to perform this attack twice. It will follow up by ascending from the water and spitting a large globule of water. Stand under the head to avoid it, and quickly walk out as it lets its body fall back into the water. Again, strike the head when it's level with Richter.
Eventually, the creature will wrap around the bridge slither toward the Richter. Jump into one of the bare spots between the coils and slowly move with the snake to avoid being struck from behind or walking into the creature. Afterwards, the Sea Serpent will resume its offense. Both the Cross and Axe sub-weapons work particularly well in this fight. The Axe can dice it into fish steak when it rears up for the water-strike. This tactic holds true for the Cross, which alternatively can be lobbed onto the Serpent's face when it crawls toward Richter.
Once the sea monster's corpse returns to dark waters, be sure to keep walking- it will launch a final attack of desperation before succumbing to death.
Werewolf
The full moon has warped this man into a vicious werewolf out for raw flesh. It is a relentless fighter well-adapted to close-range combat. Stay on the defensive for this battle, as the Werewolf is random with its attacks. Study its movements and be ready to whip at every advantage you get.
It will begin its attack by either sliding toward Richter or shooting a fireball. Jump over either attack; once it kneels, be ready to dodge the lycanthrope's slide. This boss is notorious for climbing the walls and launching himself into a rolling strike. Leap over him when he does this. Bear in mind that whipping it will usually cause it to latch to a wall.
Whip it when it's on the ground or when it's on the lower part of the wall; it is most vulnerable there. The Werewolf will warp itself for more troublesome rolling attacks, bouncing about the room. You need only strike it to disrupt this attack. Anticipate these moves and flog the beast when it leaves itself vulnerable. Beware, once its life bar has been drained, it will attempt a final strike. Leap clear of this assault and watch the monster in its death throes.
Holy Water can prove useful should you bring it to this battle. Be sure to toss some in front of you when the werewolf performs its dash attack. Item crashing Holy Water when the man-wolf hybrid is bouncing about the room is particularly effective, both in stopping its attack and dealing considerable damage.
Bone Golem
An amalgam of various bleached bones ready to do battle with any wanderer unlucky enough to disturb its peace. It has the power to reassemble itself into different forms. The Bone Golem is quite resilient, but is hampered by very methodical attacks. The Cross sub-weapon is your best ally for this fight. Keep in mind that once this boss sustains enough damage, it will break apart and reform itself to resume the battle.
The first form is a multi-segmented creature with two attacks: it will either breathe flames in a small arch or thrust its hand forward. Both of these are simple to avoid; its skull will glow before it opts for the fire attack, so move towards the entrance to get out of harm's way. As previously mentioned, it has only a short range and curves in a small arch. When it tries to lunge forward, you may either jump out of its reach or duck underneath its skull. Counter after each attack. Should you weather down its health bar, it will assume a new form.
Now, a cumbersome flying skeleton, it will slowly move back and forth across the room flaying its tail and occasionally dropping skull bombs. The tail warrants the most caution, as it induces a slowdown effect if it hits Richter. The rear is its weak spot, so get behind it and attack repeatedly. If you remembered to grab the Cross, send a few flying into its face. Pummel the golem until it reveals its third and final form.
This time, it is a strange ball of bones and skulls that will charge back and forth. Keep hitting it to delay its charge. Jump on top of it should it corner you, but it can be challenging to get a hit in if you do this. Once again, the Cross works like a charm; smite it with this holy weapon to paralyze its reckless dashing.
Minotaurus
Minotauras is a half-man, half-bull Grecian nightmare that possesses a deadly combination of brute strength while expertly wielding a massive axe. Don't be fooled by his bulk; he possesses several agile moves to hone in on his prey. He'll alternate between a set of attacks, one being a jump-chop. Back-flip or move under him to avoid this, and attack him when he is recovering. If it feels you are too close for its liking, it will attempt to cleave Richter in half. Be sure to back-flip when it tries this.
Remember, your whip reaches longer than his axe. One of his ranged attacks is to grab chunks of the floor and fling them in the air, hoping that the debris will clobber Richter. Position yourself when they are mid-air so they'll harmlessly fall around you, or use the axe sub-weapon to destroy them.
Also worthy of caution is its petrifying breath. It will rear back when it's about to unleash its breath, so quickly walk of the way. Should you become encased in rock, quickly wiggle the d-pad to free yourself to continue the battle. Unlike his chopping move, your whip will be too short to strike him while he performs this attack, thus this is a good time to use a sub-weapon. The Cross works particularly well.
Once the tide turns in your favor, Minotauras will start to unleash a powerful dash move. Utilize the platforms above to avoid the brutal charge or back-flip over him. He will briefly become lodged in the wall in the aftermath of this attack, which grants you an opportunity to lay in some powerful hits. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. He will burst out of the wall with a jump, so get in a few attacks and take the defensive before he's out of the wall. Once his health hits zero, he will attempt a final powerful uppercut. You must back-flip over him to dodge this. This will take the fight out of the monster, who will return to the underworld.
Dogether
Do not be fooled by its awkward appearance; this massive floating eyeball is an adept magician whose medley of strange spells may befuddle and confuse its prey. Dogether utilizes three spells, all forewarned by the symbol that will glow in front of it: Green dictates that it will shoot a tri-beam from its eye; blue will summon a rock shield that it will send to smash Richter; and red will send forth flames that will scatter around the room somewhat like the Wyvern's fire attack. It is fond of teleporting, often making it difficult to corner. Jump and duck is the rule here; its spells can be avoided if you stay on the move. Jumping and whipping at the same time can be a hassle, so utilizing the Axe to strike when it is floating above you is a good idea.
Although it has only three spells, its girth is a problem. Observe what space you have to attack and use it wisely. Moving below it is a good way to avoid its flame attack. When it is above, lay at it with the Axe. Be prepared to jump when it summons beams. The rocks it calls forth are susceptible to damage; whip at them the moment it casts the spell so there won't have anything to throw. Once you've sent the freak a clear message about how Richter handles magic-users, he will rotate around the room as a last ditch maneuver; just jump over him and relish in your triumph.
Dullahan
This headless horror prefers the lance as his main weapon. Dullahan is more resilient and hits harder than most, so do not underestimate his attacks. Any sub-weapon works well against this cretin, but I prefer Holy Water. His attacks are random, and depend on where you are standing. He will thrust his lance to gut Richter; be sure to back-flip to safety. Another attack of his is in the same vein as Minotauras; he'll jump and strike down with the lance. Again, move out of the way as fast as you can.
Two of his attacks require more dependency on the environment. He can smite the ground with the lance, causing spikes of ice to burst from it and move along the ground toward Richter. Move to the topmost platform by the door to avoid this. Once Dullahan loses enough health, he'll decide that perhaps flattening Richter will do the trick. He will throw his head in the air and cause debris to rain form the ceiling. Stay as close as possible to the door to avoid the boulders.
His head can prove to be as big a threat as his lance. He will throw his head in the air in a similar fashion to his earthquake attack, but the head will shine with a green glow and fly at Richter. To avoid this, stay near the wall and back-flip once the head is close enough. If you time it correctly, you will back-flip over the head to safety. It will come back again, so repeat this evasion once more. During the time it drifts back to its body is when you can sneak in some extra hits, so once you avoid the head the second time, walk over and strike the body as much as possible.
While the high ground is preferable (you can pelt Dullahan with Holy Water at your leisure from there), it will agitate the boss to send his head after you. The best way to handle this boss is to alternate between fighting on the topmost platforms and level ground. Like several of his comrades, Dullahan will perform an attack when his health reaches zero. He will throw his head up, which will send out a spreading mass of green spheres. Avoid these and victory is yours.
Carmilla and Laura
In Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Simon Belmont did battle with Carmilla's Mask. Now, it is back with its lovely but deadly servant Laura, seeking to give Richter's journey a bloodstained ending. Carmilla will float atop her massive skull, which weeps tears of blood. When each tear hits the ground, it bursts into flame and spreads out as an arch. Never stay under Carmilla, or you will bear the brunt of these volatile tears. Laura isn't content to sitting around, either; she'll follow you around the room, pulling Richter into a kiss, sapping away a few of his hearts and throwing them into the air. Jump to recollect these. Stay on the ledges to avoid Laura's deadly seduction, and keep hitting Carmilla's skull.
Despite their flashy appearance, the fireballs sent out by the bloody tears are quite easy to avoid. Just stand next to where they hit, and they will arch over you. Dodge the flames and the pesky Laura, and keep hitting the skull. Once the Boss Life Meter is almost empty, Carmilla will scream for a final time and disappear from her skeletal perch. The skull will shatter into pieces that can still harm Richter, so move out of their way. Now, it's time to deal with Laura, who is quite eager to do battle you.
Laura's true form is quite different than the pacing regal figure before. She's quite agile now, and will jump-kick back and forth across the room. Duck to avoid her ninja-like attacks, and whip when she lands on the floor. Bear in mind that the diminished boss meter does not rejuvenate even after Laura joins the confrontation. As such, it will only take a few hits until she goes down. Stand over her to gain some extra hearts to increase your score.
Death
Dracula's top lieutenant who reaps the souls of the dead. Only by defying Death itself do you have a chance to tackle Count Dracula. Death starts out with a pattern predictable to fans of the Castlevania games: he will float around summoning small scythes to home in on Richter. These spawn randomly out of nowhere, so you must keep moving lest they tear you up. Strike or leap over them.
Death will be moving back and forth while this is happening, leap and keep swatting him. Knocking down half his health will spur him to retreat to the background and summon five large skulls to hurl at player Richter. The moment he disappears to the back, start at one end of the screen and move to the other the moment he sends the first skull flying towards you. You should out-walk all the skulls.
Should you survive, expect Death to pull out his trump card- he will unleash his full power. Brandishing his large scythe, he will leap back into hand-to-hand combat and continue to summon scythes. Do not throw caution to the winds and foolishly rush him, as you will find yourself staring at the game over screen. The moment he lands, whip him, and then back off. Once he swings his scythe twice, resume offense.
If Death is backed into a corner, he will jump in the air and unleash a spinning attack. Be sure to move backwards at a moment's notice, as this attack can quickly slash away a good portion of your health. Repeat the pattern of steadily whipping then retreating, and you should be able to give Death a taste of his own medicine. His scythe attacks send Richter sailing through the air, and have the potential to kill you by knocking Richter far below, thus dodge them whenever possible. Rely on the whip, as he may block and counter sub-weapons with a spark-like attack that is difficult to avoid.
Shaft
Shaft is a twisted dark priest, fiercely loyal to Dracula, who is responsible for his lord's resurrection. At first he will not even bother to attack you himself, preferring to send out his own cadre of monsters some older fans might find familiar.
GIANT BAT: Straight out of Castlevania, the Giant Bat! It will flutter around the room, shooting the occasional fireball. You can strike these away. Its real attack is to warp itself into a corkscrew and attempt to bore into Richter. Move away the moment it convulses into the drill-shape, and keep hitting it while it is stuck in the floor. It will repeat these simple attacks, so whip it until it goes down. That was easy, huh? Beware; you've only fought but only one of Shaft's creatures.
MEDUSA: The infamous accursed woman from myth, Medusa, will join the fray. Her initial attack is to fire a petrifying beam at Richter. Duck underneath the beam and strike her. She will then attempt to leap and smack Richter with her whip-like tail. Avoid the tail by moving out of its range, and keep hitting her. Her final trick is to throw three small snakes at you. Whip the little reptiles and resume the attack. She'll go down soon enough.
MUMMY: Now you have to contend with an ancient evil, The Mummy. Be sure to crouch to avoid his arm attack, and whip at it as fast as you can. When it summons the blocks, quickly scale them and jump over to avoid being crushed. When he sends bandages out, strike them and stay near the mummy so you won't find yourself cornered. Once it goes down, it is time for. . .
FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER: A terrible monster who possesses great strength. He will start off by trying to seize Richter in a death grip, so quickly walk out of his reach. Each time you walk out of the way, turn and lay into him. Be sure not to let him corner you. He will jump and slam into the ground, causing rocks from above to fall. Take the time to avoid these, and resume the offensive. His trickiest attack will be his lightning; he'll summon a quick ball of electricity, so time a good back-flip to avoid it. Once he goes down, it is time to finally face Shaft.
Shaft relies on two powerful orbs as his weapons. He tends to warp around when he is hit, so don't expect him to go into a corner easily. One attack, Shaft of Fire, will engulf the orbs in flames and recklessly fly about the room. You can strike them to keep them at bay. Shaft of Lightning will cause the orbs to emit pillars of lightning. Stand in between the orbs; first, the electricity will go on either side of you. The moment the second one strikes, immediately walk forward as they will then directly try to electrocute you. He will also infrequently use a boomerang-style attack with the orbs when they glow purple and orange. When they fly toward Richter, duck! The orbs will come around to smack you on the floor, so time a back-flip to clear them on their return path. Hydro-Storm is greatly useful here, since it will render you briefly invincible in case you find yourself in a pinch. Once Shaft has been slain, his two orbs will continue to stalk you. Walk away from them until they drop and shatter on the floor. You've taken care of him…for the time being.
Lesser Vampire
The worst has happened. . . Richter's beloved Annette has been warped into a ruthless vampire beyond the point of return. Only death can save her. L. Vampire relies on a swarm of bats to do her bidding, and she is only open to attack once she dispatches them. When the bats are surrounding her, she is otherwise invulnerable. Her first attack is to send five vertical rows of bats straight down onto the stage. Move to the middle of the room to avoid them. She'll also send the swarm as a single row, which is easier to dodge. Move out of their way and attack the vampire while her flock is away. Every time she is hit, she'll recall the bats to reform their force field around her ("Defend!" "Protect me!").
She can still attack while the bats are surrounding her. Be aware when they bunch up and form three sets, as the middle group will shoot half-way across the screen before being recalled. L. Vampire also possesses a swirling Grimoire-style attack in which she sends the bats in a circular motion. Stick to the first line of bats to try to avoid this. It is important that you try to land a hit when she sends her bats out, as that is the only time she is vulnerable. Otherwise, this can turn into a protracted and time consuming battle. The axe and cross sub-weapons have enough range to land hits from afar. Stay towards the middle to avoid the five-stream bat attack and prepared to leap in case she sends the large single bat strike down.
Shaft's Ghost
Death is too trivial a thing to stop the evil machinations of the dark priest Shaft. After witnessing his sudden revival, be on guard- Shaft will not be the only thing resurrecting. Like your last encounter with him, when struck, he will move to the other side of the arena, so prepare to chase him down. His initial attack is summoning a swarm of bats. Leap out of their reach or whip them.
He will also summon some old foes from the great beyond; namely, the Wyvern and Behemoth. The Wyvern will either try to grab Richter within its claws or breathe purple flames. Dodge the claws and pay close attention to a bare spot to avoid the fire. When the ground on the left corner of the screen begins to tremble, prepare to jump- the Behemoth will emerge and rush from one end of the screen to the other quickly, and you will suffer extensive damage if it hits you.
Take note that bumping into Shaft's Ghost will cripple Richter for a few seconds, leaving him dangerously vulnerable. What's the best method to send this necromancer scooting back to the underworld? It's the Axe sub-weapon! Work more on avoiding his attacks than hitting him, since when you slug it out with him, you will find that the Wyvern and Behemoth tend to hit you when you least expect it. While dodging whatever he sends after you, send a few Axes to where he is floating. This will keep him on the run while you can concentrate on his summon. If you don't have the Axe, don't panic. Go at him once the summoned monsters have finished their attack. Continue this to put an end to the dark priest once and for all?
Hydra
An ancient terror awaits you at the end of stage 5'. Surely you didn't think such a strenuous area would let you off the hook that easily with a wimpy boss fight? When you first wander into the Hydra's domain, you will face but one of its heads. It has two simple attacks; it will spit acid or try to ram you. You can tell which attack it is about to use when it brings its head back; when its mouth is open, be prepared for acid spit. If it has its mouth shut, it will attempt to head-butt Richter. Leap over the ball of acid, but back away to the corner of the room when it is about to ram you. Keep striking the fiendish head until it gives up the ghost.
It is time to take out the whole beast. . . There are now three heads to deal with. Killing those colored red will only temporarily ease the battle- they revive after a short time. However, your goal is not the heads, but the body itself. The head to your right will cough up flames to hit you from above. Take note of where they land and avoid them. To the left, the blue head will summon balls of lighting that travel over the pillars you are standing on. Get too close and it may bite you. Jump over the electric orbs to clear its shocking attack.
The top-left redhead takes a more physical approach; from above, it will either bite or try to bash you with its massive head. Alternate between standing on the middle and right platforms to avoid his over-sized fangs, and duck for cover when it swings its head.The blue head can be killed permanently, but the reds will be back with a vengeance. While striking the red center of the body is key to victory, take your time and try to knock off each head first. This will give you at least a small opening to relentlessly hit the body without having to parry attacks at the same time.
The ever-reliable Axe once again will come through for you if you take it to this fight. It makes it that much easier to jump between platforms while hitting the body. Also, the Grimoire's arch can inflict impressive damage on both the body and its head simultaneously (especially when opting to whack the right head first.) Even with the Knife's item-crash you can speed the Hydra's downfall as long as you're at a good vantage point. With some quick handiwork with your sub-weapons and staying on the middle and right platforms shall you live through the Herculean fight.
Count Dracula
The perils of your journey has consummated into a confrontation that will be told of for years upon years to come. Dracula has already unleashed his fury upon a village of innocents and kidnapped the meek and young. Your ancestors have long sought to rid Transylvania of his wicked presence - now it is your turn to bring the vampire to eternal justice.
Depending on whether or not you managed to rescue Dracula's hostages and Annette, Dracula will either take two or three forms. For the initial encounter, Dracula has the same tactics as he used in the original Castlevania. Keep in mind that his head is his only weak spot for this battle.
He will teleport to a random location and either summon three fireballs or two meteors. When he lifts his cape to left, he will use the fireball attack, but should he swing it to the right, expect the burning onslaught of meteors. For the fireballs, I recommend you jump and whip when he lifts back his mantle and you can see the fire when they're about to form. If timed correctly, you can both strike his head and destroy the fireballs. For the meteors, immediately duck, and then jump to avoid the second one. Repeat these tactics until he decides to show you his true power. . .
SECOND FORM
Dracula's back, this time with a face no mother could love, a gargantuan demon physique, and now much more annoyed than before. His new pattern can rack up major damage should you let him, but is still avoidable. He will leap about the room, trying to crush you with his sheer weight. When he leaps, quickly walk under him to avoid being toe-jam. After each of his leaps, jump and whip off his ugly snarl. Dracula will commonly spit three fireballs at you at three different but predictable angles- the first fireball will go near his feet; the second at a much wider angle, nearly clearing the floor; and the third will tread the middle of those extremes. If you are at a safe distance, you will only need to worry about the second fireball - jump over it. Should you be closer to Dracula, walk away/ jump the first one, walk towards him and duck the second one, and immediately walk away or jump to avoid the third fireball.
If a purple aura appears in front of him, duck - a wave of energy will sweep the room but will miss Richter if you're down. Once you batter his health bar to zero, Dracula will collapse. That was the final battle if you failed to recover all the girls, so sit back and watch the ending. But, if you performed your Belmont duties, take a deep breath- the fight has just begun.
THIRD FORM
You'd better keep that crucifix close, because now it is time for the mother of all battles. Dracula will alter back to his first form, but now accompanied with seraphim-like fiery wings. To show he isn't kidding, he will command a torrential storm of blood to douse Richter. As soon as he teleports to either side of the room, immediately walk over and stay under him as it's the only safe spot from the bloody rain. If you have the Holy Water, a good tactic is to use the Hydro Storm item crash to get in several hits while he's summoning the unholy downpour. He will then send out foul bats in a sweeping arch. Quickly retreat to a corner and kneel to avoid the blood-suckers. Another attack is his wolf dash. Assuming the form of a hellish canine, Dracula will charge across the screen, sometimes leaping into the air when he does. His high speed and random chance of jumping can be bothersome to avoid, but try your best to anticipate his movements and crouch or leap when appropriate. Pillars of flames are another one of the Nocturnal Count's favorites.
The ground below Richter will warp into burning magma before a flame quickly sprouts up. The moment you see the fire kindle underneath Richter, move out of the way until all three flames have dissipated. Once his lifebar has been halved, expect an attack similar to Death's summoned skulls: Dracula will warp to the background and send five ghastly, grieving great balls of fire at you. And just like before, use the same strategy- start at one side of the room and walk towards the other to avoid being flash fried. Be wary of the bloody blades that Dracula will summon from the ground. Keep walking to avoid them, but stop after the fourth time. A fifth set will erupt between Richter, but you will be safe from the sharp spikes as long as you're immobile. The pattern of aforementioned attacks will repeat randomly, so be prepared for anything. Once his health is low enough, Dracula will go all out. He will call upon a bloody blob to follow you, but whip it away if it gets too close. It serves as a distraction for the desperate Count, who will morph into a cloud of bats and fly off-screen before reforming. Dracula may even fly into Richter. You can strike him when he is in bat form.
Even better, the three columns of fire gain a nice addition- they become constant instead of stopping at three. Dracula will also fire a spurt of blood at Richter to keep you low to the ground. The more damage he takes, the more merciless his attacks will become. Cede no ground and fight your way to the count to get at least a few whips in before he flies to another point. With some patience and endurance, you will down your furious foe. Once his health runs empty, his power will fail him. Congratulations! You've vanquished the undead hordes of Castlevania and sent their vampire overlord to the Abyss. . . forever?
