The first NES Castlevania sends you into the dark battle against monsters and vampires. Dracula's Castle awaits you, where you travel through levels, fight evil monsters and put an end to Dracula.
A view of Castlevania
The Gothic-Feeling for which the series has become famous is omnipresent and the excellent music sets the game perfectly.
The NES Castlevania
Unfortunately, time hasn't done the game any good in other ways. It's the first in the series, so as you might expect, it's pretty straightforward. There are annoying little things, such as B. not being able to jump from stairs. The game is incredibly difficult in some places - the final boss will often make you swear.
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, the game is fairly simple in design with a mix of action and 2D platforming. The platform lets the hero Simon Belmont jump over pits, hope for moving platforms and dodge enemies. Most of the time it works well but feels a bit stiff. Once Simon is in the air, he cannot change direction. However, it is most annoying when he is hit by an enemy - he flies back a few meters and often into a pit. This often results in frustrating deaths in the same place.
The weapons
As for the action, Simon uses his trusty whip to destroy monsters, zombies, bats and even the dreaded Medusa Head, which leads to repeated deaths in the pit. You can acquire numerous secondary weapons, ranging from knives to axes, among others, and help kill oddly placed enemies and bosses with odd movement patterns. You can only hold one secondary weapon at a time. So if you find one you like, don't touch any of the others as you never know when you'll find them again.
Conclusion
Castlevania is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy games, and flaws notwithstanding, the first NES title is still something of a classic. However, the game does not come close to the later parts.