Akumajou Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku

"A few small flaws do not stop this game from being a great entry in the CV series."

Regarded by many as the best Castlevania of all time, Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight was originally released for the playstation console. The release was a bit premature, as several areas and items were not finished, and many glitches went unfixed. Fortunately, however, the Saturn port delivers the complete experience.

The downside? The port was handled by a different branch of Konami (KCEN) and it wasn't handled with quite the amount of care as it should have been. What follows is a summary of what was added, and what was taken away.

CONS

The biggest qualm I have is the speed. Not only does the game pan slower than the ps1 counterpart, but load times for the menu are longer as well. What's worse, you have to access the map from the menu screen, because the button that would have been used for it is now needed for Alucard's new third hand, which is used only for holding items, rather than weapons/shields.

A voice test was added to the Librarian's menu, but sadly the Boss Tactics are no longer for sale. Also, some of the death animations have been, imo, changed for the worse. For instance, instead of exploding into pieces, the Marionette now spins around and shrinks into nothingness.

Some cool transparency effects are also gone, like the fountain with the angel statue.

PROS

A new relic, the Boots of Godspeed, has been added, which allows you to run faster. My only gripe is that you can't acquire it until halfway through the game (with all the slowdown, it would have been useful from the very start).

Several new equipment items can also be found, such as the cool ''Rainbow Robe'' which seamlessly changes the color of Alucard's cloak every few seconds. And, if you've only played the English release, you'll be rewarded with two extra (though not too original) familiars, along with the original Japanese voice acting.

Four new areas and two new boss battles have been added (all six each featuring a brand new music track). The new areas aren't bad by any means, but aren't too interesting either (about the same level as the Abandoned Mine). On the plus side, while the first new boss fight is pretty average, the second is one of the tougher fights in the game, giving a very easy quest a slight boost in difficulty.

Maria is now a playable character, and, along with Richter, can be played from the very start. You now have the option of playing Richter in either his Rondo or NitM clothes. Unfortunately, their quests still go without original storylines, but they do both have new intros similar to Alucard where they race through the forest on horseback and leap into the castle.

The ps1 version may be more polished, but I can no longer bring myself to play it knowing I'll be missing out on all those extra goodies. It is a shame, though, that the mysterious 5th ending was not implemented into this version.

Graphics (8/10): In the original ps1 version, I would have given this a 10. But the compromised quality of special effects in this version bring it down a bit.

Control (10/10): The most fluid and responsive control of any Castlevania game to date.

Sound (9/10): A nice variety of sfx for the weapons and attacks, as well as enemy screams and howls.

Music (10/10): Most Castlevania games contain memorable music, but Nocturne's is both memorable and beautifully composed.

Story (6/10): Deeper than the earlier Castlevanias, but still a bit short and weak compared to, say, Legacy of Darkness.

Gameplay (7/10): Again, because of the slow down and loading times, I have to be harsh on this area.

Challenge (5/10): Easy, easy, easy. There are so many heart and HP ups lying around it's almost sickening.

Replay value/Fun factor (9/10): Richter and Maria's games are nice, but not as fun to go through since you can't obtain the max percentage or fight all the bosses. However, Alucard's game alone has plenty of weapons and familiars to constitute several replays.

Bottom line: You'll have a hard time tracking this one down, especially with a cheap price tag. But, if you are a true Symphony of the Night fanatic, you'll want to get your hands on this simply to see what you've been missing.

Overall score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/24/03