"This is definitely a game you cannot afford to miss for your classic NES"

As with the first Castlevania I got this game kinda by accident. I bough 10 games for about 10 dollars, and look has it that this game was among them. That was around 6 years ago, and I still play this game to date. There is so much to it, and it's practically impossible to beat, but it is always a fun time through.

STORY (5/10): Basically the story is the same as the rest of the series. Go after Dracula and smite his with your whip. The add on is however that along the way Dracula's son, a disgruntled pirate, and a sorceress have been put under spells, and will join up with you when you free them. That is a little add on to the traditional Castlevania story.

GRAPHICS (9/10): Pretty damn good for a classic nintendo game. The backgrounds are lovely and fit in well, and the enemies also have an appealing look to them, all of them look different. The bosses are basically all the same size, but they all look different. Trevor looks ok, but has not really been improved upon from the other Castlevania's (with Simon)

SOUND (9/10): What wonderful sound coming from my television. It is obvious to realize this was a late release for the Classic Nintendo cause it is so well made in the music track. Each song fits its respective part well. The sound effects are mediocre, but the music is perfect.

GAMEPLAY (10/10): 4 different playable characters, around 15 different levels, and a password save system. Really what else could you ask for. The four playable characters each have different skills. Trevor is the typical Castlevania hero who fits with the whip. Grant can climb walls upside down, and jump at angles of your choice, but he fits with a weak knife. Sypha is slow and has a weak defence, but has a very powerful array of magical spells at her disposal once you pick up a book. Finally you have Alucard who shoots with magical balls of power from his cloak. He can also transform into a bat when the need arises. Did I also tell you all the subweapons have returned?

REPLAYABILITY (9/10): Different characters, different ending, and a very high scale of difficulty. Do I really have to say anything else?

CHALLENGE (10/10): Hardest game I own. It is extremely difficult to beat, and I am not even close to doing so. This game would have been better if they just made it a little easier to please its players. Trust me on this though, you will keep on playing until you have the shot to defeat Dracula.

OVERALL (9/10): Like Legacy of Darkness this game is near perfection. The challenge of it hurts though, cause you will find yourself stuck in a level you can't get by. But if you love side-scrolling adventures, you definitely need to pick this game up. Four different playable characters in a Nintendo game, who could honestly risk this amount of fun!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10 | Originally Posted: 12/07/01, Updated 01/24/02

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