Haunted Castle Areas
aunted Castle's areas are presented similar to the other older titles of the series: go forward and whip monsters until you encounter the boss at the end. Rinse, and repeat. If there is one thing that sets Haunted Castle apart from its peers it's that the levels are structured to deliver sudden cheap blows against Simon in order to drain quarters from players. Couple that with poor hit detection and relentless enemies and you have a recipe for hair-pulling frustration. Regardless, there's a lot of charm to the stages, mostly stemming from their bad B-movie presentation. The graphics themselves (for their time) were quite well-animated. Unlike the static backgrounds from the NES iterations, Haunted Castle's areas were usually teeming with background detail, from stormy red skies to falling chandeliers.
Graveyard
Simon begins his rescue mission in the graveyard on the outskirts of a town. Animated skeletons and vampire bats move forward to slow down our chivalrous hero. As you go deeper, night quickly falls upon the scene. The undead rise from their graves to bring Simon to a similar fate. Even inanimate objects seem to be under Dracula's sway, as walls will come to life and fling themselves at Simon while fiery torches fall at inconvenient times. At the end is a stone structure housing the first boss encounter - the cackling Medusa.
Golden chateaus resting against the mountain range. There's a sense of German expressionism here. When the sun goes down is when the fun begins, so prepare yourself.
An evil spirit possesses this wall. If Simon is struck by one of the bricks that are launched toward him, it will inflict a devastating injury.
There are more hazards along the way. Near a set of mausoleums, a torch spills onto the ground causing an inferno that can give Simon a hot foot if you're not careful.
The trees are alive… really alive! You can't trust anything around here, not even the flora. Don't rush forward too quickly or Simon might find himself in the warm embrace of a wicked tree spirit.
Inside a large tomb, that ancient ugly Medusa awaits all challengers beneath a massive spider web.
Enemies:
• Skeleton
• Vampire Bat
• Wall Widow
• Raven
Boss:
• Medusa
Music Track:
Caverns
Simon starts out wandering in mist. The shape of Castlevania appears in the background, so it's time to take a detour through the caves. In the depths lay rapid water and slimy mermen eager for battle. Heavy boulders bounce and roll, aiming for Simon's head. Descend deeper until the river itself turns into blood - not a good omen. A skeletal dragon guards the way back to the surface. As you emerge, you're greeted with a burning red sky and dying trees in a hellish swamp. Beware mud men and straggling mermen. Prepare for another fossilized fiend before Castlevania's drawbridge opens for its guest.
The Skeletons have a new trick at their disposal. After destroying them, some relinquish a phantom that will lunge forward. Be prepared for their surprise attack; you must conserve all the health you can.
The Devil Castle looms behind sheen of green mist daring foolhardy adventurers to test its wicked wiles.
These caves are a pretty odd. Be sure not to fall into the red colored liquid (I have no idea what that is), and beware tumbling boulders. You must be in the right position at the right time to avoid getting avalanched.
This place gets stranger the further you go. The sky is a fiery red hue and what look like dead tree husks stretch on for miles. Lagoon creatures will continue to attack from the crystal clear.
If you can defeat Bone Dragon King you will face the terror from within. Mwahahaha!
Enemies:
• Skeleton
• Vampire Bat
• Skeleton Ghost
• Merman
• Skeledragon
• Rolling Stone
Boss:
• Bone Dragon King
Music Track:
Entrance Hall
Prepare for trouble the moment you step into Castlevania's halls. The crumbling, painting-adorned halls themselves will stop at nothing to kill Simon. Chandeliers fall from the ceiling, eerie eyeballs blink out of the background before rolling towards Simon, and possessed cutlery fling themselves at our hapless hero. The enemies here are relentless; prepare for gangs of Fleamen from all sides to make life a little more interesting. Axe Armors and Ghosts enter the fray looking for a fight. Even an inter-dimensional rift opens, teleporting Simon to a bizarre harpy-filled world before depositing him back to Castlevania. Deeper into the halls lies a magnificent stained-glass window. Be on guard, because it will shatter to reveal the third evil - the Stained Glass Knight.
Crackling plaster walls and knights holding the line. Welcome back! The real problem comes from the quick hunchbacks. This may be a straight path but it is heavily fortified.
Simon is momentarily swept into another dimension where harpies strike from above. I can't really explain what this is all about, but it is one of the coolest parts of the game.
There are many eccentric sights in this stage, but stay focused. Much of the ornamentation will come alive and attack. The dining utensils and the ornate chandeliers will add to your woes.
Another one from the weirdness files. A pair of eyes from the walls gaze upon all, and even expel eyeballs to roll down punishment on trespassers. Tread lightly.
Once again, perils from the background become your living nightmare. A stained glass window will shatter, and the shards will form into a knight who seeks Simon's head. Perhaps the most worrisome part is the hunchbacks that will glide across the floor in assist of your assailant.
Enemies:
• Hunchback
• Harpy
• Axe Armor
• Spirit
• Rolling Eye
• Ghost
Boss:
• Stained Glass Knight
Music Track:
Catacombs
Beneath the surface, the living dead walk freely in musty catacombs. Disembodied eyes again make their presence known, peering out from the earthy walls before rolling after Simon. Mummies exit from coffins and attack with flurries of possessed bandages, and Skeletons and Fleamen are also afoot. Utilize skillful platforming, as the latter parts of the stage are alive with criss-crossing flying platforms. Ascend to the top to encounter the artificial being of soil and rock known as the Golem.
In the blackness of the abyss, candles are a light to Simon's footsteps. Whenever you see a coffin around Dracula's Castle, chances are it houses a nasty surprise.
Remember what your mother told you; don't just pick up anything you see. If you have the stop-watch at this point, it is greatly worth your while to keep it.
Grim statues of the Count adorn this cave. But who would be way down here to admire them? Vampire hunters reckless enough to enter this castle and strong enough to make it this far, that's who!
Be wary . . . more eyeballs. It looks like there is an antechamber that leads somewhere, but now's not the time for sight seeing, so stick to the main path.
Without the sword, those mummies pose a major threat. If you haven't gotten the sword at this point, you may want to restart the game.
Enemies:
• Mummy
• Vampire Bat
• Rolling Eye
• Skeleton
• Hunchback
Boss:
• Golem
Music Track:
Clock Tower
As the stage opens, all seems safe, but after walking a few short steps the floor soars to the above sections. Watch out during this hair-raising ride, as stone outcroppings will brainbust Simon if one is careless. As the floor stops, be prepared to deal with flying skulls and nesting crows with a hankering for human flesh. Fleamen, skeletons, and mummies patrol the clock towers' innards. Wind your way to the top of the tower to a small laboratory to encounter the classic monster, The Creature.
It seems this place wasn't built to accommodate an average sized man.
Gears turning cogs churning, mummies snaking, quaking, booty shaking. Controlling sidescrolling rock'n'rolling . . .
Those skull ghosts are real pests. Oftentimes the best way to deal with them is to use your stop-watch to freeze time and then take them out.
The man made monstrosity called the Creature is back, but he's flying solo this time. Even without his hunchbacked friend, he's a very formidable opponent. This is when he first got into the tradition of causing debris to fall from the ceiling.
Enemies:
• Axe Armor
• Mummy
• Hunchback
• Red Ghost
• Raven
Boss:
• Frankenstein's Monster
Music Track:
Castle Keep
Now it's time to meet the dreaded vampire Count himself! As you make your way across the ruined bridge, it immediately begins to fall apart under Simon's feet. Race to Castle Keep but be mindful of the vampire bats that try to slow you down. Should Simon avoid plunging to his doom, you'll be right at Count Dracula's inner chambers housing his coffin. Dispose of the harpies to summon the vile vampire lord to end this once and for all.
If you can make it past this bridge, you will reach Count Dracula. Don't let the serene sunny landscape lull you, this is one of greatest challenges to be had. Best of fortune, brave warrior.
Enemies:
• Vampire Bat
Boss:
• Dracula
Music Track:
