Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

Having always been a fan of monsters and spooky things in general, as well as the action genre, this game holds a special place in my heart. It was the game that really made me an obsessive fan of the Castlevania series, which I believe to be one of the richest, coolest, and overall best quality game series out there. Some of the things that make this entry in the series stand out:

-it introduced Trevor Belmont, the famous Simon Belmont's ancestor. When the game was released and for many years afterward, Trevor was described as the first Belmont to ever fight Dracula. Eventually the canon introduced Sonia Belmont (in Castlevania Legends) and claimed she was the first, but most recently Leon Belmont became the end-all official first in the Belmont bloodline to fight Dracula (in Lament of Innocence).

-It introduced three other playable heroes, greatly increasing the game's re-playability. These included the wall-climbing pirate Grant DaNasty, the sorceress Sypha Belnades, and Dracula's own son, Alucard, who eventually became a very popular hero in his own right when he became the protagonist of Symphony of the Night.

-There were several points in the game where your path split, and you had to choose which way to go. This totally changed what levels and bosses you'd encounter on your way to fight the Count, as well as which of the other three heroes you would run into and could then take with you.

-Great music and graphics. Apparently there was a special chip added to the game cartridge to enable even better graphics than the NES was supposed to be capable of.

In short, this game is totally awesome. Even after all the years and all the advances in technology and the many fantastic games that have come out, this remains one of my favorite games ever. Great gameplay, great atmosphere, great action and monsters, etc. A shining moment in the already incredible Castlevania series.

I previously reviewed Battletoads, and I really love it. But combine that with the first Castlevania, and you get this masterpiece.

This is the second best NES sequel/prequel, right behind Super Mario Bros. 3.

This is also the second best Konami game on NES, right behind Contra.

Music: The music is outstanding, and from what I understand the Famicom version is even better. So I'd really love to see how that plays out, too bad I don't own one. It's spooky, upbeat, and appropriate. 10/10

Graphics: Either this or Battletoads gets the title for best graphics on NES. 10/10

Sound Effects: The sound effects are just perfect, and pleasant to listen to. 10/10

Difficulty: I love the challenge I get from this game. 10/10

Concept: The concept is original, and executed perfectly. 10/10

Overall Game: This is my 6th favorite NES game of all time...right behind Contra, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Super Mario Bros. 3.

Out of the three NES Castlevania games, this one is the best. Set before the events of the first Castlevania, Dracula has started to ravage Europe, and the church has called the once-exiled Belmont clan to stop them. Now, taking on the role of Trevor Belmont, the wielder of the Vampire Killer whip in this story, you must save Wallachia.

Unlike the last game, SImon's Quest, which played like Metroid, Dracula's Curse goes back to the side-scrolling gameplay of the first Castlevania, which is a good thing. However, this game would improve upon it by adding three additional characters that you can switch Trevor out with during gameplay. However, you can only bring one ally, and each one has his or her own special abilities (Grant can climb walls and cielings, Alucard can turn into a bat, which consumes hearts, and Sypha uses elemental magic). Also, some parts of the game have branching paths, which will lead to different levels, making each playthrough different depending on choices made.

However, the game is hard as usual. Thankfully, the game does offer infinite continues, and if you get tired and need a break, also offers a password system, which is an improvement from Simon's Quest, as it now requires a name to be entered and a grid with certain items from the game filled in a certain way to continue where you left off. This is one game that must be played, and has been re-released multiple times (the recent one being the Castlevania Anniversary Collection).

The Castlevania series is one of the most different adventure video games! The characters, the action, and the sure thrill of adventure makes this game a fun non-stop playing time! Below is a brief look how I think the game is!

Game Play: The game play is very good. There is really basic controls here and is easy to perform. Novice gamers should have a good time here!

Graphics: The graphics are wonderful especially for the first Nintendo system! The backgrounds are really beautiful!

Difficulty: The game is easy but as it goes on you find out that it will become more difficult!

Music: The music is great! Just fantastic catchy tunes through out the game! In My opinion its some of the best music ever in a video game!

Sound: The sound is great. Nuff said!

Overall: I have always loved Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse! If you like excellent adventure games that has Dracula, Werewolves, Ghosts, and more then I strongly recommend you play this game!