Released the same year as the Famicom Disk System original, Akumajo Dracula was also released for the MSX2 computer in Japan, Europe, and some other international markets. The game is known as "Vampire Killer" in the West, and this title easily differentiates it from Castlevania. While the game looks very similar to its Famicom/NES counterpart, the gameplay is radically different in many regards. Generally forgotten nowadays, the game is certainly a viable entry in the series. Let's take a look at a possible lost classic.
The game begins in a very similar fashion as the original classic. You roll up to Drac's castle and that ominous music plays and sends shivers down your spine. Once you enter the main hallway, you will start to notice the significant changes that this version makes to the Dracula/Castlevania formula. First of all, enemies come at you rather quickly and are fairly relentless. The game is actually quite a challenge at times. The second change is the "keys" that are scattered around the level. The brown keys open chests that are around the level. The white keys open the gate and end the stage.
These keys can often be hard to find. They are usually in walls that you break. Once you find the key that you need, you can simply move on. Sounds easy, right? Well, not exactly. This game is unforgiving. First of all, you are given zero continues......that's right.....zero. If you die three times, you start at the beginning of the game. This will have time and time again. Luckily, I assume most of you will be playing this one by emulation due to its high price and obscurity. Save often. Also, you lost all of your weapons when you die. Speaking of weapons, the famous Vania whip sucks in this game. The basic whip has terribly short range and it never seems to hit enemies properly. Most sub-weapons such as the cross and time stopper are present, but are activated and used with weird button combinations such as jumping and pressing buttons at the same time. This makes the game even more frustrating.
The familiar bosses return in this game. Death, the Bat, Medusa, and Dracula all exist to make your life miserable in this version as well. The boss battles are pretty much as hard, and you will have a hard time dealing with these baddies. Dracula is not quite as bad as the NES/Famicom version. However, his two forms will still likely kill you more than a few times before you send him packing.
After beating Dracula, you are treated to what is likely the worst ending of any Vania game. Seriously....terrible. The MSX version of Akumajo Dracula has some glaring flaws. Awkward controls, a lack of continues, and the confusing key system make it far less appealing than its Nintendo cousin. Completists might enjoy trying the game, however, I believe it is far inferior to the NES/Famicom is about every regard despite this game have fairly nice visuals and pretty much the same soundtrack. An interesting curiosity, but a game that can certainly be mostly forgotten.
+Nice visuals
+Great music and soundtrack
+Unique entry in series
-Lack of continues
-Health does not replenish when advancing to next level
-Awkward controls
-Very rare and hard to find
Rating-7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment