A Bloody Good Time: The Castlevania Franchise's Hidden Gems

If you look back on the history of video games following the infamous crash of the late '70s, it was Capcom and Konami (alongside Nintendo) who were neck and neck as the leaders of Japanese game development from the '80s to the '90s and through much of the 2000s. Both companies then faced the consequences of their focus on unfortunate industry trends of the last decade (DLC practices and the like). However, Capcom has since rebuilt its reputation of yesteryear, and Konami is also on a journey to redemption following the rock-bottom release of Metal Gear Survive. The journey involves celebrating the past and reminding the gaming populace of who Konami once was.

Konami has somehow clawed through nearly 60 years of existence, so commemorating this legacy has involved a series of compilations of their timeless classics, as well as lovingly crafted remakes of their biggest hits from yesteryear, namely Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3.

One can argue that Castlevania is Konami's biggest IP, and while we have yet to see a brand-new entry in the franchise in recent years, the IP is anything but dormant if the popularity of the Netflix animated series is any indication.

In the meantime, Konami has done a fantastic job of compiling some of the best games of the franchise into thematic collections capturing the main eras. These collections are Castlevania Anniversary Collection, Castlevania Advance Collection, and Castlevania Dominus Collection. Within each these collections lie some rare cuts from the enormous this franchise, and these are some of the more interesting games to dive into.

Haunted Castle

The question of whether Haunted Castle even counts as a Castlevania game is a complex one, with the simple answer being it both is, and it isn't. When the original Castlevania made its debut on the NES, it was an instant hit, and so Konami decided to the create a version for the then much superior arcade hardware and called it Haunted Castle. The game stars Simon Belmont, getting hitched at a church, only to immediately see his bride kidnapped by Count Dracula. He then goes on the pursuit of her with his trademark whip.

When the original Castlevania made its debut on the NES, it was an instant hit, and so Konami decided to the create a version for the then much superior arcade hardware and called it Haunted Castle.

At first glance, Haunted Castle resembles the basic design of the NES game, but a few seconds in, you realize that it is anything but. The aesthetic is there (which still looks quite strong for a 1988 arcade game), the music sounds great with its grinding chip-tune organs, but the gameplay feels different despite sharing the same premise.  

Haunted Castle is a mechanically stiff game, more so than any of the NES games, and ultimately the challenge is a mismatch between enemy patterns and mechanical responsiveness. Still, with enough patience it obviously is possible to work out a razor-sharp pattern of perfectly timed attacks and movements to conquer each stage (and each stage concludes with a boss battle), but the gameplay variety is sorely lacking. Unlike mainline games, where the level design allowed players to experiment with different playstyles, the uninspired level design of Haunted Castle forcibly imposes a singular approach.

It's good that Konami had enough foresight even back then to not use the Caslevania branding at all, and so ultimately Haunted Castle is a historical curiosity at best. It's a good showcase of graphics and music for '80s arcade hardware and offers insight into a time when arcades were light years ahead of consoles in graphical and technical prowess. Still, good graphics don't always guarantee great gameplay, and so Haunted Castle became the Castlevania game that never was.

That is...until 2024!

Featured exclusively in the Casltevania Dominos Collection, Haunted Castle: Revisited is a complete remake that transforms a subpar arcade game into a must-play classic for fans. The graphics are completely redone with modern visual effects, the music sounds sensational, and the gameplay feels light years better than the 1988 arcade game. Mind you, Simon Belmont is still a bit on the heavy and clumsy side, and the level design isn't always the most intuitive, but it's great to see so much attention and care go into a remake that literally no one would have asked for. It feels like a Bonafide classic any fan should be excited to discover.

Dominos Collection is worth it just for revisiting the excellent Nintendo DS trilogy alone, but Haunted Castle: Revisited is one for lifelong fans looking for a reimagining, which is not only one of the most unexpected, pleasant surprises of 2024, but it also successfully executes what the original vision would have been back in the day.

Bloodlines

No video game platform rivalry was more interesting or colorful than the one between SEGA Mega Drive and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) during the still-famous 16-bit wars. Each respective competitor was so unique that they hardly shared any common games, and even when they did, the differences were substantial.

Back then it wasn't a case of one competitor hardware being more objectively powerful than the other, as is the case today where PS5 and Xbox Series X share virtually the same library of games and even the exact same brand of components and processors, with one simply being objectively more powerful than the other (for now, that is).

During the 16-bit wars each respective hardware was so unique in its architecture that it didn't necessarily offer something better or worse than the other, but rather something completely different. Whether it was graphical effects, color palettes, or even sound, each piece of hardware was fashioned in a way that couldn't be replicated. Even to this day this subject is fascinating, just have a look at any of the in-depth analyses Digital Foundry does for retro video games.

Each respective competitor was so unique that they hardly shared any common games, and even when they did, the differences were substantial.

Castlevania historically began as a Nintendo franchise on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and this loyalty remained consistent up until the Nintendo 3DS. Still, there were occasions when the series would appear on rival platforms too, with the most notable and first being Rondo of Blood on PC-Engine (TurboGrafx-16), followed shortly by Castlevania: Bloodlines (a.k.a The New Generation) on Mega Drive.

During this period, Super Castlevania IV had already been out on the SNES for more than two years, and it was an absolutely stunning showcase for the system. Rondo of Blood innovated further, with its unstructured game design being what would lay the foundation for Symphony of the Night and its now still oft-imitated Metroidvania gameplay design. Bloodlines had a lot to prove given the fierce competition during the 16bit wars, and it remained the only exclusive Castlevania title on a SEGA system (Castlevania: Resurrection on Dreamcast was cancelled).

Castlevania as a video game has a fascinating lore and mythology, and over time the series of action games would create a timeline for the game's universe spanning several millennia, where most games would take place in a medieval/fantasy setting while some even took place in a futuristic/sci-fi setting, such as Aria of Sorrow. There have been alternate timelines too, as in Lords of Shadow. What still surprises people even now is how the novel Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker is officially part of the series' canon, and so Bloodlines found itself in an interesting position where the story (set in the year 1917) followed and referenced the events of the novel.

In the novel, it was Quincey Morris who defeated the titular Count Dracula and in Bloodlines it is his son, John Morris, who picks up the eternal Vampire Killer whip to once again defeat Dracula and his legions. In this lore, the Morris family inherited the Vampire Killer, being the rightful descendant to the Belmont family. John Morris battles much like any other Castlevania protagonist, but unlike his ancestors he comes garbed in jeans and leather. He is joined by an ally in Eric Lecarde, who also serves as a playable character and introduces a distinct playstyle with his spear.

As a game, Bloodlines is among the best of the best. It retained the 2D action gameplay the series had become known for at the time but changed it enough to make the gameplay more compelling. There were familiar sequences and set pieces from the original NES trilogy, but the manner in which all the sequences came together ended up creating memorably challenging levels, with satisfying boss encounters thanks to inventive attack patterns.

The manner in which power-ups were used in Bloodlines was unlike any other game in the series, as the sub-weapons have never been more useful and versatile than they were in Bloodlines. While John Morris lacked the same finesse as his ancestor Simon Belmont in Super IV, the iconic Vampire Killer whip still had a few neat tricks and upgrades.

Back in the day, SEGA prided itself on being edgier than Nintendo, and the aesthetics of Bloodlines (even the blood-dripping title screen alone) did just that with the blood and gore, which was an especially huge deal in video games back then. The art style and visuals played off the strengths of SEGA's console extremely well, and it was a case of building a graphics engine only SEGA's console could host.

Artistically, Bloodlines remains the most unique entry in the franchise largely because of the era it is set in (during the first World War), and this setting was a welcome change from the typical medieval style of prior games. The music was unique, there was something distinguishably unique about how the Mega Drive produced its chip-tune music (extra emphasis on the bass) and offered a signature soundtrack fashioned for SEGA's unique sound hardware (most notable track being The Sinking Old Sanctuary).

Now the question of whether Bloodlines is better/worse than Rondo of Blood or Super IV doesn't have a clear-cut answer, and it perhaps never will. These games are simply different from each other, and they each succeeded in crafting something completely original and inventive for their respective console, harnessing the very best out of their respective hardware configuration. This represents a magical time in video games when games on rival platforms were not necessarily better or worse than each other, but simply so different that the debates around them can never have a clear conclusion.

Vampire's Kiss

The enormous Castlevania timeline is testament to the rich history and legacy of the 30-year-old franchise, and yet attempts of canonizing its massive library of games has yielded almost similar inconsistencies and deep confusion as what occurred during the canonization of scripture. The analogy to scripture is quite fitting too, as to the many loyalists the experience they have with these games is almost religious. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what allowed Castlevania to build such a legendary aura over the decades, but it’s safe to say that it is an experience far greater than the sum of its many crucial elements, each one worthy of iconic status, be it the soaring diversity of the soundtrack, the evolving yet timeless art, and the sense of adventure and triumph offered by the intricate level design.

The analogy to scripture is quite fitting too, as to the many loyalists the experience they have with these games is almost religious.

No game in the series has caused more confusion than Castlevania: Rondo of Blood on the PC-Engine, a title which would remain in Japan until the release of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles on the PlayStation Portable. Its appeal was more than just it being an import darling, as Rondo of Blood was not only the predecessor to the acclaimed Symphony of the Night, but it also planted the first seeds of what would eventually become known as Metroidvania. 

Rondo of Blood instilled a stronger sense of adventure compared to its predecessors, in particular offering multiple branching paths in story progression. While the game remained persistently exclusive to Japan and the PC-Engine at the time, purists outside of Japan would eventually have to settle with what they incorrectly assumed to be the SNES conversion of Rondo of Blood. At a cursory glance, Dracula X on the SNES appears to be a port of Rondo of Blood, and so those yearning for the acclaimed and elusive PC-Engine title back then were probably expecting the exact same experience. The PC-Engine artwork sporting an identical logo further fueled this assumption. However, much to their surprise and disappointment this wasn’t the case at all, which quickly gave this SNES the status of being among the worst entries in the series. 

However, this criticism may simply be a matter of perception, because once you accept the fact that while Dracula X did indeed share the same character and setting as Rondo of Blood, you have to accept it's simply not meant to be the same game at all. In other words, while the themes and characters may be shared between the games, Dracula X is not Rondo of Blood.

Whoever was responsible for the PAL release of Dracula X should someday be championed and acknowledged, because while PAL regions have historically always received the short end of the stick, in this case the European/Australasian localization proved to be ideal simply by a change of name, logo, and artwork. Marketing 101 will tell you these seemingly inconsequential things make a huge difference in consumer perception. Giving the PAL release the brand-new eye grabbing title of Vampire’s Kiss allowed this misunderstood action game to forge its own unique identify, far removed from the shadow of its PC-Engine predecessor.

Even with a rebranding, Vampire’s Kiss still has a tough task to not only follow Rondo of Blood, but to live up to the lofty reputation of SNES’ own Super Castlevania IV. In fact, it’s far more reasonable for someone to criticize Vampire’s Kiss in comparison with Super IV, the latter which still remains among the most celebrated games in the SNES library and an all-time favourite of many who have followed the franchise since its 1986 debut.

Ultimately, the muddled reputation of Vampire's Kiss has nothing to do with the quality of the experience it offers on its own merit, but rather a consequence of the high standards the franchise had set for itself at the time, as well as the changing priorities of the gaming populace. Which means all the harsh criticisms directed towards the game were arguably exaggerated in hindsight. At its very core is among the strongest and most traditional Castlevania experiences, and it is perhaps a reimagining of the design and gameplay conventions of the original 1986 NES game applied to the tapestry of Rondo of Blood. As a result, Vampire’s Kiss ends up being the last bastion of all the qualities which defined the franchise before everything, for better or worse, changed with Symphony of the Night.

If there is one thing about Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night, and the many entries beyond, which separate it from the original Castlevania blend, it’s that these games allow far too many concessions for the sake of allowing the player to explore and experiment with the game world, all at the cost of a satisfying triumph over true adversity. Vampire’s Kiss, on the other hand, conforms to a now-lost tradition of providing an authentic challenge within a compelling and thrilling action adventure. It offers the same rhythmic yet terrifying action which defined the 1986 NES game, perhaps even better than the acclaimed Super IV even with all its many welcome features and mechanics. 

Even with a rebranding, Vampire’s Kiss still has a tough task to not only follow Rondo of Blood, but to live up to the lofty reputation of SNES’ own Super Castlevania IV.

Vampire’s Kiss is arguably the closest game to the original vision of Castlevania, and for this very reason it is misunderstood. The game was accused of being unfairly difficult, poorly designed with its frustratingly imposed difficulty, and generally being poorly conceived. Ironically, these very same traits also defined the first NES adventure but are viewed more favorably from the rose-tinted lens of time. 

The game is no doubt an incredibly challenging and dauting experience, so much so that most naysayers struggle to make it past Stage 2, and often decide then on the game's standing. Perhaps they forgot how much effort goes into playing, replaying, and mastering the intricate levels and mechanics. Maybe the forgot how the process of finding the right rhythm and flow reveals a sublime and organic design hidden in a seemingly unfair endeavor.

From the diversity of action to the inventive platforming and carefully crafted boss encounters, Vampire’s Kiss is the school of hard knocks any self-respecting Castlevania connoisseur would be a fool to not acknowledge. As an icing on the cake, the game is visually among the more impressive SNES titles thanks to its detailed backgrounds and character designs, and it blares a stunning soundtrack that leaves a lasting impression with its upbeat and at times jazzy goth synths. It becomes difficult to stay frustrated with Stage 2 when one of the best renditions of Vampire Killer sets the perfect mood.

Vampire’s Kiss remains the most confusing and oft-forgotten anomaly in near 40-year legacy of Castlevania, but when you remove all the preconceived notions and misconceptions, you will find a game which carries all the right ingredients that has allowed the franchise to forge its incomparable, but often imitated, identity. The game is like an underappreciated and out of print hard rock album only the most authentic fans know about and appreciate, and so if you want the Born Again (Black Sabbath, 1983) equivalent in the Castlevania discography, then Vampire’s Kiss is the series’ best kept secret for you to cherish.

There you have it! These are some of the most notable rare cuts from this illustrious franchise, and it's always worthwhile exploring the nuances of these entries even in the presence of more popular entries.

Castlevania Anniversary Collection, Castlevania Advance Collection, and Castlevania Dominus Collection are available on all major gaming platforms.