Nosferatu

Overview

Nosferatu is a horror-themed action-adventure game based on the legend of Nosferatu (an adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula). The player, as Kyle, must recover his girlfriend Erin from the vampire Nosferatu after the undead creature spirits her away in the middle of the night and takes her back to his castle.

The game takes elements from both Konami's Castlevania franchise and Prince of Persia. Kyle moves through the castle using his fists, acrobatics and wits to avoid traps and fight Nosferatu's minions, most of which are classic horror archetypes like Frankenstein's Monster. Like Prince of Persia, the player has a hard time limit to get to Erin and Nosferatu in a far tower, but this time limit can be extended by finding special hourglass power-ups. Kyle can also find crystals that increase his power (red), restore health (green) or increase the length of his health bar (blue).

Gameplay

Controls

The control actions are simple. Move. Attack. Jump. However, by using different combinations of these controls, the player is able to perform a deep array of actions. Walking, running, long jumps, short jumps, quick hops, climbing up and down, and collecting items are all able to be performed through button input combinations.

Combat is equally simple to learn and takes skill to master. Only the Y button is used to attack. But, with combinations of moving and jumping, a simple four punch combo can have uppercuts, roundhouse kicks, jumping kicks, slides, dodges and knee strikes added to them.

Character Advancement

By collecting items that are hidden throughout the levels, the player is able to make Kyle stronger and more capable of taking on the opponents that he is faced with.

• Red Crystal: Red crystals are powerful items that increase Kyle's combative ability. For every 3 crystals collected, Kyle's attack speed and power increase. Along with that, the attacks that he is able to perform during a basic combo are expanded as well. If Kyle takes any kind of serious damage, or is knocked over, he will lose 1 red crystal.
• Green Crystal: Health restoratives. If Kyle loses any health during his adventure, it will be restored by collecting these.
• Blue Crystal: Rarely found and hidden well, a blue crystal will increase Kyle's maximum health by 1 point. Be sure to find as many as possible.
• Hourglass: Increases the time left to complete a level by several seconds.
• Treasure Box: These chests can be found all around the game's levels. Some in obvious sight, some hidden. Regardless, they usually contain helpful items. Be sure to check a box several times, since they often hold more than one treasure. Sometimes, a ghost hides in a treasure box and will reduce health and remove one red crystal.

Levels

The levels of Nosferatu are linear, but with branching paths. The first level is completely linear. All subsequent levels have branching paths that all eventually lead to the same end of the level boss fight.

• The Dungeon: The first level of the game. Teaches the basics of what to do and how to do it, as well as introduces several low-level enemies and traps.
• Castle Hall: The second level is slightly tougher, introducing more advanced platforming, tougher traps and pressure plates that can open doors and gates.
• The Gallery: Level 3 has more hazards and more powerful enemies than the first two, and introduces enemies who patrol back and forth and attack on sight.
• Dungeons 2: A more advanced version of the first level. It has all of the same traps and enemies as the first visit to the dungeons, as well as some new ones.
• Castle Hall 2: A more difficult version of the first castle hall. This area introduces even more new traps, and treats its platforming sections as puzzles that need to be solved.
• Nosferatu's Castle: The lair of the titular villain. Everything that the player has previously faced before is present here, as well as some new traps and some of the most difficult platforming sections yet.

Traps

The levels are loaded with hazards that make the game harder to complete. The traps that you will encounter are:

• Spike Pits: The most common form of trap encountered. Falling into one is instant death.
• Wall Spikes: Spikes that jut out of a wall for anyone who rushes too quickly through a level. Will not kill outright, but will make Kyle drop a red crystal.
• Floor Spikes: Retractable spikes in the floor. Easy enough to run past or jump over.
• Ceiling Swords: Swords that pop continually in and out of the ceiling. Getting impaled by them is instant death.
• Dropping Weights: These heavy, red blocks will slowly raise up, hang for about a second, then drop down to crush anything beneath them.
• Slamming Gates: When using a pressure plate to open a gate, it must be passed through quickly. If it drops while anything passes underneath, it is instant death.
• Crumbling Platforms: Not all platforms are sturdy. Some of them are weak and will break if stepped on for too long. Often found over spike pits.
• Ghost Box: A treasure chest with nothing but a ghost in it. Deals minimal damage, but makes Kyle lose a red crystal.
• Fire-Breathing Lions: Decorative lion head statue that are either mounted on the wall or on the floor. The ones on the floor blow fire horizontally. The ones on the wall blow fire vertically.
• Floor Saws: Roaming sawblades that move back and forth. Touching one is instant death.
• Haunted Paintings: Living artwork that will attack anything that gets too near.
• Possessed Statues: Statues that attack anything that gets too near. Getting hit by one will make Kyle lose one red crystal.
• Hanging Skeletons: Skeletons that will drop from the ceiling and slam into Kyle, they cackle madly every time they do. Easy to run past.
• Grasping Hands: Disembodied hands that reach out of the floor to trip Kyle as he moves. Getting caught by one will make Kyle lose one red crystal.
• Flying Furniture: Chairs and tables that float up and down. Either run past or slide under them.

Characters

Kyle

The player character in the game. Kyle's mission is to infiltrate Nosferatu's Castle, in order to defeat the vampire lord and rescue his girlfriend.

Erin

Kyle's girlfriend. She was abducted by Nosferatu in the middle of the night to become his next victim. Whether or not she does depends on how many times the player has died along the way to rescuing her.

Nosferatu

The cause of all the trouble in the game. He is a vampire who takes the form of a wolf or a bat to roam the land and abduct new victims.

Enemies

• Gargoyles: The basic troops of Nosferatu's army. They attack by jumping on Kyle and biting him. Weak individually, they are a slightly bigger threat in numbers.
• Zombies: Freshly dead corpses risen from the grave. They reach out to grab and choke the life from Kyle. Other versions carry bones to attack with, and others still are burly and strong, capable of attacking with combos of unarmed attacks.
• Centipedes: Rarely encountered, these bugs crawl out of small crevices to bite at Kyle's heels. They are invincible, but can be stopped by jumping on top of them.
• Frankenstein: A tall, lumbering monster who attacks with powerful punches.
• Floating Eyes: Wandering beasts that attack Kyle on sight and are difficult to hit with standard attacks.
• Mummies: Similar to frankenstein, but they grab and choke like zombies.
• Window Demons: Chubby guys who pop out of windows to knock Kyle into spike pits as he jumps past them.
• Flying Axes: Axes that float stationary, until Kyle moves too close, then they fly forth to attack. Invincible.
• Abominations: Massive ghosts who roam the halls. They attack like floating eyes, but are easier to hit and cannot be dodged.
• Gem Eaters: They do not attack, but steal your red crystals.

Bosses

• Wolfman: The first boss of the game. When he first appears, he is a hunchbacked man with a curved blade. He moves slowly, but he is able to throw his blade like a boomerang and jump halfway across the screen to attack. When the moon is half full, or his health is half gone, he turns into a towering werewolf. As a werewolf, he only attacks with his claws.
• Twin Apes: Two monstrous primates who share half of a health bar. They will attack with their long arms or roll into Kyle. Often, they try to double team by getting on either side of Kyle to attack.
• Vampire Bones: A blood-sucking corpse. Moves quickly across the screen and attacks by swinging its arms. Sometimes, it will grab Kyle and drink his blood. After losing all of his health, he will be reduced to a disembodied head, which will still try to attack. The head will crumble to ash when it is defeated.
• Ectoplasm: The king of the ghosts. This barely corporeal being has long reach with its ranged attacks. Fires multiple projectiles at once and stretches itself forth with astonishing speed.
• Golem: A being made from stone. The golem attacks by shooting parts of its body at Kyle, as well as with heavy punches. If it is hit with a strong attack, it will break apart, reform and attempt to attack from above.
• Nosferatu: The final boss. He appears in his human form, and attacks with punches and kicks. Occasionally, he will grab Kyle and lift him into the air. Once he loses enough health, he will begin changing into a bat monster and attack with swoops and bites. After time has passed, or he has lost enough health, he will change back to human form.