Castlevania

Story-

For centuries, the Belmont clan have been the direct response to the overwhelming threat of Dracula and his mysterious castle full of ghouls which resurfaces somewhat regularly to wreak havoc on the world. Utilizing "Vampire killer", a whip heirloom passed down through the generations for the purpose of living up to its namesake, the Belmont family has routinely battled back against the forces of darkness no matter where it has risen without fail. Now the old blood-sucker has shown back up for his latest attempt at gothic debauchery and it's up to the current generation Belmont (Simon) to pick up his mantle and start whipping everything in sight!

Overview-

Castlevania is a side-scrolling action/adventure game where players assume the role of Simon Belmont and his whip - "Vampire Killer" with the sole purpose of destroying the recently resurrected Dracula and his pack of evil monsters across 6 different stages. Each level consists of obstacles in the form of platforming sections and enemies who attack Simon at will with the main goal being to reach the end where a boss awaits to challenge you before allowing further admittance. Along with the horizontally-focused whip (your main weapon), Simon can also use sub-weapons such as the axe and holy water which attack with different trajectories increasing your variety of offense. Beyond that, additional power-ups such as hearts (ammunition for your sub-weapon), pork chops (health boost) and more can be obtained throughout Simon's adventure for further assistance.

Utilizing any advantages will be paramount to your success since Dracula's combination of countless ghouls and pitfall traps make for a relentless labyrinth that Simon must push through requiring a more steadied approach in each stage. This same sentiment goes double for the boss battles as Simon is encountered with a unique adversary equipped with a life-bar just as long as his but who does excess damage necessitating even more strategy and nuance. Make your way through the depths of Castlevania and eventually you'll come face-to-face with the Count himself who stands in your way to ultimate victory. Survive this encounter to banish him back to the coffin and win the game!

Critical Analysis-

• Gameplay: 4/5 (I like it)
  There's no question, Castlevania scores big with the arcade crowd utilizing easy-to-understand mechanics to get players directly into the action right away while offering one of the greatest challenges experienced during the 'tude era. This combination provided an excellent mainstream type of gaming experience on the NES that was both accessible and harrowing, "separating the men from the boys" as it were in terms of who actually reached the end to abolish the 8-bit scourge of Transylvania. The main criticism I have in this department is the unfair difficulty as way too many deaths are caused by Simon jutting backwards after receiving damage from an enemy causing your inner-fuse to light at times otherwise this would for sure have a higher score up there since I love everything else.
• Controls: 4/5 (I like it)
  Similar to the gameplay department, the controls in Castlevania are very close to being in the "I love it" realm however the absence of being able to dictate Simon's momentum after you've jumped places Castlevania's handles a little behind some other NES action counterparts such as Contra and Mega Man. Also, it kind of sucks having to press (and hold) up to climb stairs since it's too similar to the sub-weapon input (up + attack) causing a frustrating step on the background staircase at times instead of you using the projectile attack you were intending making you even more vulnerable to Dracula's goons. Still, the bigger portion of the game is spent whipping your foes with "Vampire Killer" while walking anyways and that part is as spot-on as can be so at least its main focus was executed nicely.
• Music/Sound: 5/5 (I love it)
  Man, who knew Dracula could rock this hard? Every single stage in Castlevania blares at you with amazing rhythmic quality pairing with the intense gameplay like a fine wine while the sound effects are easy to discern and pretty cool in their own right especially when hearing the *ting* from clashing your whip against an armored opponent for example. There's no denying that this is quite simply one of the very best overall soundtracks that can be found on the NES bar none!
• Graphics: 4/5 (I like it)
  Visually, Castlevania impresses overall with nicely-drawn sprites and above-average backgrounds though it's held back a little by its lack of color variety per stage. I swear, some of the hue choices in the levels are just downright awful such as the purple/orange combination found in stage 2 or the sewage dump looking backdrop when your taking on Mummy Man at the end of stage 3. Despite this though, pretty much everything else is eye-pleasing with solid animations, a smooth frame rate and distinctive characters so there's not too much to complain about in this category on the bottom line.
• 'Tude Meter: MAXIMUM (Coolness guaranteed)
  No drop-offs in sustainability here, the 'Tude Meter wails with the ferocity of a banshee as soon as Castlevania is popped into the NES thanks in large part to the super badass horror setting rarely experienced during the 8-bit era. Combine that with some killer whip-action and you've got arguably the coolest game on the entire console. Plus (as if you needed more awesomeness), you get to home run Dracula's head to the moon after defeating his first form which is delightfully ridiculous!

Final Verdict: 5/5 (Great game)

One of my earliest gaming experiences, Castlevania certainly whips the nostalgia factor for me square in the face though it's high points stand the test of time like a stubborn vampire who just keeps getting resurrected again and again specifically the simple premise, excellent soundtrack and satisfying challenge. Just slam it in and you'll be lashing 8-bit zombies and bats to super-cool rhythmic-style beats in no time which really is as great as it sounds though its longevity in the minds of gamers is stooped in the overwhelming test it represents to reach its conclusion with your sanity intact - a staple of the "NES-hard" days. Besides that though, its built-in cast of classic horror film all-stars (including mummies, Frankenstein's monster and Death himself) supply a "ready-to-eat" narrative that's as easy for minds to comprehend as there has ever been in gaming, ensuring a 'tudey output in the maximum range that virtually guarantees visual real estate to any interested prospectors. I mean, your not dealing with some dopey cartoon boss here after all... this is Count Dracula - vile scourge of all iniquities giving you a more tangible sense of good vs. evil then you would typically experience, juicing up the story a bit during this time of "safety-first" dialogue in the surrounding status-quo. Rated H for HELL YEAH!

Of course, not everything in Castlevania is crimson and clovers namely the unfair knock-back that puts you in the Grim Reaper's waiting room far too often (working overtime I see...), the fixation with the color brown (good lord how many different shades of it are there?) and the despairingly-redundant enemy patterns (It's bad enough the Medusa heads zigzag at you but do they really have to re-spawn over and over again too???) just to name a few. In the end though, none of these sums come close to derailing the overall equation of Simon's first-ever quest to keep from recommending in any way. It's simplistic nature centered around arcade-action gameplay rendered it playable to nearly anyone who claimed ownership to virtual tastes, but its hardcore difficulty layered underneath applied beautifully to the nerd crowd who clamored for more trials of this magnitude regardless of the exterior, effectively reaching a critical mass of unilateral appeal proportions (at least as far as I'm concerned)! Not only does Castlevania catalyze the epic action-platforming franchise with dignity, but it provides a worthy experience in its own right leaving a lasting feeling to anyone daring enough to accept the barrage of obstacles that it presents. "CAUSE YOU KNOW I'M THE KING OF THE COOL WHIP!!!"

Parting Thoughts-

• Pros-
  *Badass horror concept
  *Awesome music
  *Easy-to-learn mechanics
• Cons-
  *Too many unfair deaths
  *Not my favorite jumping controls
  *MEDUSA HEADS

The 'Tude Dude's Bottom Line-

Combining accessible gameplay mechanics with an already established horror motif guaranteed to draw attention, Castlevania succeeds as the catalyst to the grand ghoul-whipping franchise with responsive action draped in Konami's typical aesthetic quality.

Thanks for reading!