Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Bosses
he guardians of Rondo of Blood are a numerous and diverse bunch that can prove challenging if tackled impetuously. Rondo originates some principle features, alternate bosses being a crucial one. The first four stages each have more than one boss. You will encounter different bosses depending on the route you choose to take in a stage. In the sixth stage, you meet the Dark Priest Shaft, who will bid four bosses in a row before you can face him in combat. These are the first four from Castlevania on the NES.
You will receive a 1-up if you manage to clear a stage with maximum health. This strategy is geared toward not only defeating the bosses, but doing so while avoiding any damage.
Wyvern
You will be able to see the Wyvern approach from the nebulous distance. As soon as the avian beast comes within range, hit it with axes and don't stop. It will try a plunging attack that isn't hard to evade, and will expel flames from its mouth. The fire is more problematic. The Wyvern will shoot the flames diagonally and when they connect with the ground, they will bounce off to different points in the stage. Try to be directly underneath the Wyvern when the flames hit the surface. Don't stop striking the creature with axes and it will perish very quickly.
Water Dragon
This sea monster will begin by springing over the bridge in an arcing motion. Don't be caught by its body on its descent back into the deep. Only the head is vulnerable, so hit it when it is heading back into the water. The ophidian will also rise directly out of the water to shoot aqua globules at Richter. When this happens, hit its head with an axe, then back away and leap over its diagonal water shot and strike it with the whip while airborne. Hit it again when it's on its way back down into the water.
The most difficult attack to dodge is when the serpent wraps around the bridge and glides forward quickly. Remain on the defensive, jump over the head when it comes, and then walk forward a bit to keep up with the body, making sure it doesn't collide with Richter. While you can duck and hit the head while it's in this phase, it is better not to risk getting damaged unless you're very sure of yourself.
Once you deplete the serpent's health, continue walking back and forth along the bridge, because it will rise with one last effort to kill Richter, and if you stay in one spot too long, it's sure to hit him.
Werewolf
The Lycanthrope is a very shrewd opponent. The safest thing to do is wait to see what he will do and then react. He has several attacks at his disposal. One of his favorites is leaping to either the wall or ceiling, and then performing a spinning attack that heads for Richter. As he is coming in, swat him away with the Vampire Killer. He also has a sliding maneuver that shouldn't be too much trouble. Leap over the slide and counter attack with the Vampire Killer. The moon captive can also throw a projectile with his hand. This, too, is not much to worry about.
One of the more deceptive attacks is when he begins to glow and then launches toward Richter quickly. Let the Werewolf advance before making your move to dodge, which will usually be ducking or jumping, otherwise you're sure to get hit by his charge.
Another assault that may be touchy is when the Werewolf quickly bounces around the room in a ball, rebounding off the floor and walls. One hit is all it takes to knock the creature out of this, but it can still be hard to land a hit due to his speed. The Werewolf will only attempt this attack when his health is getting to a critical state. Once you finish off his health, the beast will try a last ditch attack to kill or injure Richter. Move out of the way when you see him coming down to crash into the earth.
Bone Golem
This odd mixture of skulls and bones has three different forms. The first resembles the Skeleton Spiders from Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance. The only assailable part of its anatomy is the head. It is not very aggressive. It will merely shamble forward and reach out with its arm and blow fire. These are easily dodged by moving back. Attack the head forcefully.
After losing a little over a quarter of its health, it will adopt a different strategy and morph into a flying creature that sails in a waving pattern. The tail it has is the biggest threat. It swings widely and can be difficult to evade. If it connects with Richter, it will cast a curse on him and hinder his movement. An axe or cross works well in getting in hits without risking taking them. The Golem will also fly in a straight line and drop skull bombs beneath it, making traveling under it perilous. Stay in front of it and bash it with your sub-weapon.
The third form is a jumbled mass that runs back and forth across the length of the room. This one is the easiest to handle. As it comes at Richter, whip it, then wait for its regeneration time to end, and attack with the whip immediately after. Try to keep it at the whip's full length. It will push you back a little, but you should be able to finish it off before you run out of space. Should that happen, you can safely ride on top of the Golem.
Minotaur
Bring an axe into this battle. The Minotaur's huge hatchet capably wards off blows from the cross. The bullheaded beast has a few attacks that should be easy to dodge if you don't remain too close to him. Petrifying breath doesn't have much reach, but it can be a real problem if you get hit by it, so keep a safe distance. There is also a stabbing attack he does with his axe. He broadcasts this attack before he does it, so move back to keep from being on the losing end of a bayonet.
One of the Minotaur's more dangerous techniques is his leaping slash. Go beneath him when he does this, or if you feel you have enough room, move backwards away from him. Try not to get pushed into a corner. If that happens, use the platforms all around the room to get above Minotaur and to the other side of the room. When struck, the Minotaur recoils from the damage, so you can knock him back with your whip or sub-weapon, giving you more breathing room.
Minotaur will tear away pieces of the floor and launch them at Richter in an arcing motion. You can use a grimoire or axe to clear some of the debris away, or alternatively, simply use careful maneuvering to avoid these attacks. Watch out for his charging attack, in which he launches himself horizontally at Richter and then gets caught in the wall. A careful timed jump is all that is needed to avoid this. When the Minotaur comes out of the wall, he will do so with a huge leap, so stay under him. Once his health is depleted, the Minotaur will try one last charge. Make sure you kill him while you're on the right side of him. When he dies, move all the way to the rightmost platform and stay there. The Minotaur's dying charge will not be able to hit Richter while in that spot.
Dogether
This one eyed demon is a big, slow target. However, it can teleport from place to place, allowing it to escape tough situations. When you first see Dogether, be at ground level; hit it with an axe, and then duck. It will shoot a green tri beam that will pass over Richter's head, and then it will discharge flames everywhere. Stay underneath the left platform. It will serve as an umbrella to guard against the flames.
If Dogether hovers high, bash it with axes. It will summon rocks that waltz around it then charge toward Richter. Use your axe to try and break these rocks before Dogether has a chance to throw them at Richter. If you get in a perilous situation that you don't believe you're able to dodge, Item Crash if you have enough hearts, and that will cause Richter to be invulnerable for a short period of time.
When Dogether loses its health, it will fly clockwise around the room. Stand on the left platform, and when the beast approaches, jump off. After you've dodged it, keep on the move because Dogether's final effort will be trying to plummet down on Richter.
Dullahan
The Dullahan's attacks have a good amount of range because of his lance, so don't be greedy and try to get too many hits on him without retreating. Get some in with the whip, but then back off. When he pulls the skiver back but points the tip forward, he's getting ready to thrust. When this happens, jump away from him. When he holds the lance with the tip pointing toward the ground, he's going to perform a leaping attack. Depending on how much space you have on either side, you should either back away or move under his jump, if you'll have more space on the opposite side of him.
Sometimes Dullahan will puncture the ground with the lance, causing craggy ice spires to rise from the floor. Use the platforms to avoid these attacks, and get a good distance away from Dullahan, as well. One of Dullahan's chancier attacks is when he sends his head after Richter. It will take careful maneuvering to dodge the head, and perhaps a back flip or two. If you're touched by it, Richter will have a curse cast upon him that will slow him down. There is another time when Dullahan will cause his head to send debris from the ceiling crashing down below. Go to the extreme left or right of the screen to avoid this attack. Dullahan is left exposed during these times, but it's safer to take up the defensive. The best sub-weapon for this battle is the grimoire. It will help defend from the ceiling barrage, and it can get multiple hits on the Dullahan even as you're dodging attacks.
Before Dullahan dies, he will send his head up into the air, and it will discharge balls that go in a spread motion. Get in between the balls to dodge this attack. If you kill Dullahan while he's in the attacks that send his head out to curse Richter or cause the ceiling to collapse, you can avoid Dullahan's death attack.
Carmilla
If you're approaching Carmilla from Stage 4', you will not have the opportunity to get the axe, which is the most useful sub-weapon for this battle. Pick up the Holy Water in the room before Carmilla's chamber. You can use that to invoke Hydro Storm and cause her severe damage. When you enter the room, Carmilla's mask will rise in the air, and Laura, Carmilla's servant will be sitting peacefully in a chair. The mask will break apart, revealing a skull and Carmilla will appear atop it. Congruent with Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Carmilla cries tears that become flames and recoil off the floor in wide arcing motions. These aren't too difficult to evade.
Stay on the incline above the ground level where Laura paces back and forth. If she gets a hold of Richter, she will kiss him and steal your hearts. Wait for Carmilla to fly within striking range of your whip, and then leap up and let her have it. If you get impatient, you can try an Item Crash. If you approach from Stage 4, you can quicken the process if you have an axe.
When Carmilla's health gets very low, she will fade away, and her floating skull will dissolve into hazardous flaming shards. She will leave Laura to deal with Richter. Strike her with the whip and she will come out of her comely dress and into something more comfortable. Laura is very nimble, and attacks with swift martial arts techniques. It's best not to fool around with her. You should be able to finish her in one or two attacks. If you stay out of her attacking range, she will perform an acrobatic mid-air cartwheel. Attack her when she lands and move away so she does not try to jump kick Richter. Wait for her to land from another cartwheel and attack again.
Death
The best sub-weapon for this battle is the cross, because Death will begin summoning sickles all over the screen, and it's the best tool for clearing them away. Death will float around the battlefield forming sickles that usually shoot in Richter's direction. Dodge these as best you can by maneuvering, whipping, and expelling them with crosses. Strike Death when practicable. Don't worry about running into him, he cannot harm you – only the sickles can. Deplete Death's health as fast as you can because this is the state in which it is hardest to avoid his attacks. Attack Death as quickly as possible, because the faster you attack him, the less chance he has of beckoning the little cleavers. If you have long intervals of time in between your attacks, he will fill the screen with sickles that all have Richter's name on them.
After a little more than half his health is exhausted, Death will fly far in the background and blast massive skulls at Richter. Start walking at one end of the sail, and as you see the first wave coming in, walk to the other end and keep going until the skulls stop coming.
For his final phase, Death will exchange his blue cloak for a brown robe, and take out his large scythe to mince Richter in close range combat. When you attack Death, he will be knocked back from it. If you knock him to the edge, he will swiftly perform a whirling leap attack, so be ready for that. If Death's attacks connect, they will not only cause considerable damage, but also knock Richter back a long way. It is very possible to fall off the sail, so don't be too brazen with the attacks, and remain defensive. Death will summon the occasional sickle to distract you. If need be, whack it away with the whip. Never use a sub-weapon while Death is in this phase. He will block the attack and turn its energy against you. Death does not have a final attack. When his health reaches zero, his scythe will fly into the air and decapitate him.
A Nightmare Reborn
The Dark Priest Shaft summons four different monsters from the netherworld to finally kill Richter Belmont. They are the original first four bosses of the Castlevania series. You must face them all in succession, so plan each and every move well, since you won't be getting an orb to replenish your health for a while. The best sub-weapon to pick here is the axe, as usual.
Vampire Bat
As soon as you see this huge purple bloodsucker, begin pelting it with axes. It will release a fireball that will fly toward Richter, but you can knock this away with an axe. The bat will attempt a corkscrew attack that can be dodged merely by moving out the way. You should be able to get through this part of the trial unscathed. When Vampire Bat dies, it will drop many hearts. Be sure to pick up each and every one.
Medusa
This fight is quite a bit tougher than the last. The snake lady gets knocked back when she's attacked, so there is no reason why she should corner you. This gorgon has three attacks. The first is her petrifying gaze. Duck to avoid her eyebeams. The second attack has Medusa leaping into the air and lashing with her long tail. Don't let her lure you into being hit. Her tail is very long, so don't underestimate its length. The third attack is a bit tricky. She will send ringlet snakes from her hair to home in on Richter. Destroy these with the Vampire Killer and an axe. They can be difficult to dodge due to the angles in which they come in. Keep pounding her until she concedes.
Akmodan
Each fight gets more and more difficult. As soon as this ancient evil appears, duck and whip him like mad. He will shoot his arm wrappings a short distance forward above Richter's head. As long as you're ducked there's nothing to worry about. He will then call upon three stone slabs that will fly toward Richter. Leap up each slab one at a time to get over all three. The final attack is the most difficult to avoid. Akmodan will cause many small wrappings to release from his body and they will come at Richter in droves from the top and bottom. The safest thing to do is Item Crash when you see these coming. When you kill Akmodan, he will drop a pot roast. It wouldn't be surprising if you sustained a large amount of damage by now, so definitely pick that up.
Frankenstein's Monster
This brute will begin with sporadic movements, and he will lunge forward and try to catch Richter in his vice grip; move back to avoid this. Afterward, in traditional fashion, Frank will cause debris to fall from the ceiling. Move under the shelter of the platforms at either extreme end of the room when this happens. Finally, the Creature will blast electric bolts out of his hands. Jump at the moment right before he fires to keep from getting shocked. You may run into a problem with the Creature pushing you too far against the wall. Don't let up with the attacks and kill him as soon as possible.
Shaft
Shaft will leap from one end of the screen to another in an effort to evade your attacks, and get time to cast his spells using two emerald orbs. He always casts them in a particular cycle. First is a flame spell, in which both orbs become balls of flame that are guided toward Richter. It is difficult to dodge these, but use your whip and axe (if you have any hearts left) to knock them back momentarily. After which, he will use his orbs to vertically blast electrical beams toward the ground. The shots will happen three times. The orbs fly in a way that will try to trap you within the two beams, thereby forming electrical walls on each side that close the gap between them. Watch where the two orbs are, and make sure there is a wide gap in between both of them when they fire. If there is, you should be okay. If not, try to get them both to one side of Richter so he's not in between the two. Shafts final attack is when he commands the spheres to closely follow Richter. Take up a completely defensive approach and back flip over the orbs if need be. Get in attacks when you can, but remember to fight defensively. Taking on Shaft after all these other foes makes for the toughest battle in the game.
Shaft's Ghost
Believe it or not, the Dark Priest Shaft still has some fight left in him. The cultist refuses to leave the earthly plain until Richter Belmont joins him in death, so he uses his dark magic to linger as an undead spirit. Shaft's robe is empowered by one of his orbs. He will hover on one side of the screen, and when attacked, he will glide to the opposite end. Try not to touch Shaft, or Richter will become cursed and his movement will become very sluggish, and you're going to need to be light on your feet for this battle.
The spook will summon bats from above to work as distractions, you can usually avoid these by walking out the way, or using an axe, cross, or grimoire to banish them. Shaft summons monsters that you've seen before, except now they are undead corpses. The Behemoth from Stage 2 rises from the ground at one end of the stage, and rushes through the length of the floor. Dodge this with a well timed back flip over it.
Shaft also calls upon the Wyvern that was vanquished earlier. Of the Wyvern's two attacks is a barrage of flames expelled from its maw. Right before it happens, walk to one end of the arena to avoid this. The other attack is a bit trickier. The Wyvern will swoop down and try to grab Richter. Start in the middle of the arena, and walk to the other end and you should remain free from its clutches. Don't stay in one spot, because it will be sure to get Richter.
Remember, you must stay on the move. The best weapon to use is the axe, because Shaft will sometimes hover up high and out of range of your whip. And it also helps with clearing away bats that swoop down toward Richter.
Dracula
The final battle.
This is what everything has been leading to, so you've come too far to fail. The Count teleports from his throne and onto the foreground. He will launch a trio of fire balls from his long cloak. When Dracula appears leap into the air and strike him in the head. It would be best if you had a good distance between Richter and Dracula. Then when you land, leap over his three fireballs. If you're quick enough, you can leap up again and strike him once more before he teleports away.
Dracula will also launch his meteoric balls of destruction at Richter. These are easily dodged by ducking and jumping. This form should not pose a great challenge considering the other ordeals you've gone through. The second form is a giant azure man-bat that will leap up and down slowly, and release three fireballs. The only fireball that will usually be a threat is the second. Jump over it or move back accordingly.
At times, Dracula will move to one end of the screen and release a wave of energy at Richter. Crouching is all it takes to avoid this. Hit Dracula's head with crosses and your whip, continually. Truthfully, this is a fairly tame battle. The toughest you will encounter in this game are probably Shaft and his Ghost. Dracula's attacks deal heavy damage, but they're comparatively easy to dodge. After Dracula is dead, the final cutscene will play, and Richter will escape Castlevania.
