"The beginnings of greatness."

Castlevania, arguably Konami's best franchise, debuted early on the NES to a warm reception. Starring Simon Belmont, a stern vampire hunter who sets out to rid his land from Dracula, this game was the first to truly incorporate dark themes with rock solid platform action. As far as impact goes, this game cannot be stressed enough. Before Castlevania, the ''shiny happy'' family system only featured games like SMB, which were technically sound and conceptually juvenile. Sure, Mario is a great character, but it was Belmont who showed that more mature themes could work on a home console. Games ranging from Hous of the Dead to Resident Evil to Playstation update Symphony of the Night all owe their existence to Konami's wunderkind.

Graphics
The graphics in Castlevania are tough and and gothic, incorporating a crumbling castle with fantasic vampire lore. In the first level, you can see rotting tapestries and mold on wet basement steps where well animated fish-like monsters lurk in silence. Zombies swathed in torn clothing slowly pace towards you. As Belmont, the vampire hunter, you hustle after them, assailing them with good-looking weapons such as a whip, dagger, axe, and boomerang. The animations can get a little jerky, but this is the NES we're talking about here. Which games didn't have jerky animations? As a side note, bosses like Frankenstein and the Grim Reaper are as evil-looking as they are tough to destroy.
(8/10)

Sound
The music in this game is almost classic by today's terms. The first level's tunes are recognizable to most gamers, and they radiate a feeling of a secret past marred by the curse of a formidable beast. The underground level is reserved but foreboding, and it really builds the tension of the game. The individual sound effects are excellent, ranging from a campy but fearsome whip crack and the clink of a flask of holy water crashing on steps. Simon's grunting noise when he is hit sounds a little painful, though )and not necessarily in a good way).
(8/10)

Control
Control is the weakest aspect of Castlevania. Simon cannot change direction once he has jumped, which often leads to unnecessary deaths when fighting the nefarious Medusa Heads. The overall controls are simple, with a button for jumping, a button for attacking with the whip, and an easy combination for special weapon use (Up plus the Attack button). Everything else is pretty tight here, and Simon can stop on a dime if need be. However, the jumping problem darkens the overall appeal of the control by a bit.
(6/10)

Gameplay
The gameplay is tested and true platform gaming. Simon travels along each stage, whipping candles for items and hitting enemies in order to progress without getting hurt. As he is hit, a certain number of bars (increasing as the game continues in level) with be subtracted from his life total at the top of the screen. This system was relatively new at this game's debut, and it is as effective as ever. Each level is separated into sections by doors that serve as restarting points if Belmont bites the dust. This game is quite challenging, with a wide variety of special weapons with which to tackle to bosses and even a few power-ups (Double and Triple Shot) thrown in. The straightforward action is nothing new, but Konami gets big points for adapting it to a new concept and challenging the norm of NES games.
(6/10)

Story
Pretty cool. The vampire folklore has historically been one of the richest and varied on the planet, so Konami makes use of plenty creepy ideas to improve the game. Castlevania exposes the darker side of fantasy and helps to partially redefine the boundaries of the action genre. As I said, games like Resident Evil owe this game a LOT.
(7/10)

Replay Value
This game won't go to rest easily, although once you have beaten it, it is only a matter of memorization to complete it again. However, you will definitely play this game more over extended time...it has all the elements of a successful and effective action game and you will miss it after a while.
(6/10)

Average (7/10)...This game is a landmark one for the NES, and its sequels solidify its position as one of the best franchises on the system. Castlevania is a ''must-play'' game; it has a few flaws and plenty of great ideas. Games like this never go out of style.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/14/00, Updated 02/14/00