GAMING DIARIES
I've been gaming since the 1980's when my dad bought our family our very first NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM a.k.a. the original NES. I was just a little kid back then and I had no real talent for gaming. Either that or the games were really hard! To spare my ego I'll say it was probably a combination of the two. Anyway, we had only a few games and I maybe beat one or two legit and the rest I used my GAME GENIE on to cheat and destroy.
Years passed and I got a hand-me-down SUPER NINTENDO (when the NINTENDO 64 and PLAYSTATION were popular). If the games on the NES were my foundation and the genesis (SEGA?) of my love of gaming, the SNES cemented that love of gaming for life. Games like SUPER METROID, SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV, and SUPER STREET FIGHTER II were directly responsible for making me the life long gamer that I am. The big difference with these games was that I was older (with slightly more talent though not much) and I could beat these games!
While falling in love with the SNES I came to know the greatness of the SEGA GENESIS! Then came the Playstation followed shortly by the PS2 (the first console system I ever bought on the very launch day) and so on and so forth. During my college years was probably the height of my gaming career, discovering and playing many of my all-time favorites and acquiring my greatest gaming achievements.
Now much older, and having acquired a somewhat decent collection of systems and games, I am trekking back through the stacks and knocking out some of those harder games from my childhood that kicked my ass. Not to mention the extensive backlog of games I purchased but never had the time to get to.
Here are the diaries of my gaming misadventures!
THE CASTLEVANIA FRANCHISE
By the late 1990's and early 2000's I was already neck deep in my obsession with Castlevania. I was buying Castlevania games for systems I didn't even have yet (the games were cheaper than the consoles)! Luckily I had friends who had the various systems and were cool with either letting me borrow the consoles or letting me play my games at their houses. Cursed with being a completest, with a series across as many systems as Castlevania is, this was the only viable option a kid like myself had.
My collection of Castlevania games was growing and my friends were beginning to see just how crazed over this franchise I was. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night blew my young mind and opened up incredible new avenues for the franchise that I never thought possible, that of the "Metroidvania" style. But even as amazing as Symphony was, I still had a deep love for the classic style Castlevania games. What I don't really have much fondness for are the various 3D Castlevania games, despite having played them all (completest, remember?).
I was in junior high or high school when a good friend of mine gave me a copy of Castlevania Legends, brand new off the store shelves (little did I know that twenty years later this game would become my most valuable piece of Castlevania memorabilia). The very first thing that stood out about the game was the hero, or should I say, heroine. Never before I had I seen a female Belmont let alone a female main protagonist at all for a Castlevania game.
The anime style of the art caught my eye too (Konami taking a lead from Rondo of Blood's anime approach). At the time this game came out Anime was just coming around in popularity in The West and I too had become an avid viewer of anime at the time (including VAMPIRE HUNTER D). This game was mixing two of my favorite things! Needless to say I tore into the game with fervor and discovered... a great many things, foremost that this game is quite divisive among fans and higher ups at Konami. Most would say it's a mixed bag.
Warning: this is going to be the biggest Castlevania post on Blood Work yet. Prepare yourselves.
Warning: this is going to be the biggest Castlevania post on Blood Work yet. Prepare yourselves.
CONTROVERSY & CANON
Prequels
and sequels to beloved franchises seem to come with a degree of
contention. Castlevania Legends seems to be one such bone of contention
and it all boils down to three reasons. 1) Apparently the game is an embarrassment. 2) An implication that Alucard
sired Trevor Belmont. 3) A female protagonist.
Konami's own Koji Igarashi, Symphony of the Night's assistant director and Castlevania's caretaker for a significant period of time, removed her game and her character from the series' canon. Here is the reason:
"Koji Igarashi didn't like the idea of having a female protagonist in the respective time period that Castlevania Legends takes place in, since it didn't quite fit with the motifs of a vampire story. He stated that: 'Legends remains something of an embarrassment for the series. If only that development team had the guidance of the original team of the series.'"
Interpret that comment as you will. Having full control over the franchise means he can do that and anyone who wants to ignore this game's existence is welcome to. But the game does exist and is an official Konami released game in the Castlevania franchise, that much is fact. It was fully intended to be a part of the series and the canon. And one can't help but think that if not for Igarashi the game would still be canon. It is also worthy of note that of all of the Castlevania games to come after Symphony, Igarashi retconned all of the games he was not involved with. Interpret that as you will too. A second game starring Sonia Belmont was in development for the Dreamcast in the late 90's. Coincidentally the game was scrapped after a decent way into development. Coincidence or fate?
Konami's own Koji Igarashi, Symphony of the Night's assistant director and Castlevania's caretaker for a significant period of time, removed her game and her character from the series' canon. Here is the reason:
"Koji Igarashi didn't like the idea of having a female protagonist in the respective time period that Castlevania Legends takes place in, since it didn't quite fit with the motifs of a vampire story. He stated that: 'Legends remains something of an embarrassment for the series. If only that development team had the guidance of the original team of the series.'"
Interpret that comment as you will. Having full control over the franchise means he can do that and anyone who wants to ignore this game's existence is welcome to. But the game does exist and is an official Konami released game in the Castlevania franchise, that much is fact. It was fully intended to be a part of the series and the canon. And one can't help but think that if not for Igarashi the game would still be canon. It is also worthy of note that of all of the Castlevania games to come after Symphony, Igarashi retconned all of the games he was not involved with. Interpret that as you will too. A second game starring Sonia Belmont was in development for the Dreamcast in the late 90's. Coincidentally the game was scrapped after a decent way into development. Coincidence or fate?
As for Alucard being the sire of Trevor Belmont, it was merely an implication and not a statement. It was literally an "interpret as you will" story bit (I promise not to use that phrase anymore). Likely the game's writers were aware that such a plot element would be sensitive with the fanbase as it was purposefully left unclear. If Alucard really was Trevor's father what would that mean and is it a problem? Is it a problem having a female protagonist set during 1450 A.D.? And is the game really an embarrassment to the franchise? Let's dig into it, shall we?
THE CONTEXT
The Castlevania series first graced gamers shelves in Japan in late 1986 and then later in the United States in May of 1987. Ten years later, by 1997 the Castlevania series had twelves games to its credit (not all available outside of Japan). That's an incredible pace for any franchise, more than one new game every year across eight different game systems. This pace is quite evident in looking at Castlevania's 1997 slate alone. Konami was working on not one, but three different Castlevania games at one time, each in various stages of development by 1997.
The famed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night began production first, planned originally for the Sega 32X under the working title "Castlevania: The Bloodletting." The project was cancelled by Konami and elements of The Bloodletting were later reworked into what we western gamers know today as Symphony of the Night. Symphony was yet another 2D game during a time when all eyes were looking to the burgeoning 3D gaming evolution on the horizon. Symphony was originally viewed by Konami as a "side-story" to the Castlevania series. As such, in 1997 Konami had another game in development, intended to be the series' next main entry. This game would transition the series from the old 2D gaming world to the new 3D future: Castlevania 64.
As of 1997 the Castlevania series was in a state of flux. SotN introduced a largely wholly different 2D gaming experience than the series had seen previously. And what's more, this marked the first time that a whip wielding protagonist was not available to play as (at least not at the onset of the game, barring the prologue sequence). And Castlevania 64 was set to debut something completely different entirely. In the midst of all of this Castlevania had entered into its tenth anniversary as a franchise. It seemed Konami had forgotten the kind of game that the franchise was built upon... or did they?
The third title being developed during 1997 was for the, soon to be out of date, original Game Boy handheld system. Konami had only released two handheld Castlevanias prior to this, The Castlevania Adventure in 1989 and Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge in 1991. The third handheld title, Castlevania Legends was released in Japan in 1997 and later in the United States in 1998. Titled Demon Castle Dracula: Dark Night Prelude in Japan, known as Castlevania Legends abroad, this game marked the final installment in the original Game Boy Castlevania trilogy.
1997 was the tenth anniversary of the franchise's United States premiere, 1998 being the tenth anniversary of Castlevania's actual world wide debut. In celebration of the series' landmark anniversary Castlevania Legends was purposefully developed in the "classic" Castlevania style. To date this game remains the last original entry in the series developed in the classic Castlevania style, not including rereleases of previous games such as Rondo of Blood or reworks of older games such as Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth.
 |
| The March 1998 issue of Nintendo Power |
According to an article in the March 1998 issue of Nintendo Power, "The release of Castlevania Legends is quite a milestone, marking the tenth anniversary of the series." This game was intended as a tribute to the series' roots. Not only was it a spiritual return to the franchise's humble origins, but also a thematic return to the series' "origins" as the plot of the game explores the genesis of the saga. The game features (at the time of its release) the first Belmont to battle Dracula in the story. Hence the Japanese title "Dark Night Prelude."
Castlevania Legends' story is heavily entrenched in the Castlevania mythology. Not only does it retroactively inform the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, but also reinforces elements and ideas presented in Symphony of the Night. It also supports plot elements from Castlevania Bloodlines, that of Bram Stoker's book being a part of the Castlevania canon therefore Dracula's real life inspiration, Vlad Tepes Dracul, also being canon. Legends even provides an origin for the various sub-weapons that the Belmonts use and how those weapons became so powerful against the supernatural.
The development team behind this game truly took the idea of "returning to the series' origins" to heart, not just in style but in many other aspects as well.
THE STORY
Note: this is how I have interpreted the events based on dialog from the game, both the Japanese and English game manuals, and the prologue text scroll. And of course, the previously established canon and real life history.
In the year 1448 Vlad Tepes Dracul became the warlord ruler of Wallachia (in actual history). The citizens of Wallachia owed Dracula their lives for driving out the Turks. But they also feared his power and wrath. Out of fear and superstition, the people moved against Dracula, first striking at his wife, Lisa, burning her at the stake as a witch. Enraged beyond measure, Dracula revealed his true vampiric form. He unleashed his darkness upon the land, his monsters and devils spreading throughout the countryside.
At this time Alucard, Dracula and Lisa's son, was grieving and trying desperately to come to terms with his mother's last words, "Do not hate humans. If you cannot live with them, then at least do them no harm. For theirs is already a hard lot." Alucard was filled with anger and wanted vengeance just as his father did, which made reconciling his mother's last wish impossible. Later, while wandering the countryside, Alucard came upon a mansion far from the villages and townships. There he saw an angelic young woman practicing battle tactics with her grandfather. Alucard was intrigued and wanted to observe further.
Not only was the woman incredibly beautiful but she possessed a fighting prowess the likes he had never beheld. Her grandfather preached duty and honor, strength tempered with compassion. And doing what was right no matter who had wronged you. These ideas resonated within Alucard, thoughts he could not shake from his mind. Alucard left to meditate on these ideas.
Days later, while once more wandering through the trees and forests, Alucard saw a pack of monsters roaming the woods. Curious, Alucard followed the beasts and watched as they prepared to slaughter a group of travelers. Alucard felt conflicted as to whether he should stand by and let his father's creatures kill these people or step in and prevent further bloodshed. Before he could act the young woman from the other day appeared. Wielding a mystical and powerful whip, the woman deftly defeated the monsters and saved the travelers from death. The people she saved were in a state of shock, afraid of both the monsters and this seemingly super human woman who had saved them. Despite their ingratitude and cries of fear and hate toward her, the woman seemed to harbor no ill will toward them.
Watching this, Alucard was once more enthralled by this young woman. He made himself known to her. From her expression he could tell that she knew exactly what he was: a vampire. While she eyed him cautiously, she did not attack. Instead the two of them began talking. Alucard asked how she felt being spurned by the very people she had saved. Her response was simple, "They're alive. That's what matters." Then he asked why she would fight for people who hate and fear her. Again she simply responsed with, "Because it's the right thing to do." They continued talking, Alucard listening and learning, and becoming more enchanted by this woman every minute they were together. And he learned her name... Sonia Belmont.
By the day's end they had both learned much about each other. Sonia was the latest in a long line of monster hunters. Her parents were traveling Wallachia battling Dracula's hordes while she stayed at home being trained by her grandfather. She spoke of possessing an inherent talent for slaying monsters, her grandfather having told her that she was born with "holy powers." Alucard too could sense that the powers of light were strongly aligned with her. They parted ways only to see each other again another day. And then yet again. Over time Sonia eventually warmed to Alucard, at last reciprocating his feelings.
By the year 1450 their friendship had blossomed into a romance, slaying monsters together one minute, enjoying each other's company the next. And while they were seeing each other the words of Alucard's mother kept repeating in his mind. One day, when Sonia and Alucard's romance was at its most intimate, Alucard realized his hatred of humanity had vanished, his feeling having been changed after falling in love with Sonia. At last he felt he could finally honor his mother's final wish as he now had a reason to fight for humanity.
Like they had many times before, after meeting secretly in the forest, they once more parted ways. As Sonia returned home, Alucard finally realized what he had to do: confront his father and stop the bloodshed. Unbeknownst to him, Sonia returned to her home to find it besieged by Dracula's creatures. Her parents had returned home and the monsters had followed them. Her mother and father had been overrun and it was too late to save them. After defeating the monsters Sonia searched for her grandfather, finding him far away near a village at the foot of the mountains. He died in her arms, "Now is the time to finally make use of your powers," being his final words.
As Alucard returned to Castle Dracula, he made known his intentions. In defense of their dark lord, the beasts turned their sights on the vampire prince. At the same time Sonia battled her way through the countryside and eventually to Dracula's castle. The first Belmont to tread upon the stones of Castlevania, Sonia made her way inside the demon castle.
PARALLELS & SYNCHRONICITY
Suffice it to say, the narrative of this game is a big deal (arguably the game's greatest aspect) and a big focus of the game itself. While the story rendition above is far more fleshed out than the game's instruction booklets, what I've written is extrapolated from the game's manual and the story segments within the game as well as previously established history and lore, some of which set down by Symphony of the Night that same year. As such, this game was one of the more story heavy and ambitious narrative efforts from the series at that time. These story segments are presented within the game with some great in-game artwork for Sonia, Alucard, and Dracula. Alucard and Dracula's dialog and rhetoric match their voices and personalities from Symphony very closely too. Upon close examination and comparison one can see that the writers of the game took great care to get the characters and tone correct.
The game's characters and story were meant to connect to the saga on a deeper level than most games in the series. Before Ayami Kojima's radical redesigns of classic characters, Simon, Trevor, and Christopher Belmont were originally depicted with blonde hair. Even Ayami Kojima, try as she might to get away from the blonde trope, gave Lisa Tepes and Maria Renard those golden locks though. Sonia follows suit, even being dressed somewhat scantily like Simon, Trevor, and Christopher had been before her.
Sonia Belmont marked the first female lead protagonist for the franchise. Castlevania was partially inspired by the Japanese novels Vampire Hunter D, the first of which features a female whip wielding monster hunter named Doris Lang (whom Sonia resembles. Alucard himself is very much like Vampire Hunter D too. Doris and D had an understated romance also). What's makes Sonia's gender significant here is that women in Castlevania are almost always relegated to supporting cast or at best secondary playable characters (in the cases of Sypha and Maria). To this day there have only ever been two female main protagonists in the entire franchise (and still there are some fans who refuse to even acknowledge Sonia's existence at all).
Fans of Castlevania Legends have kept Sonia's spirit alive and strangely it is also because of fans that the other female lead protagonist exists as well. If not for "fans requesting a female heroine" it is likely Sonia would be the only lead female protagonist of Castlevania. From Igarashi's own mouth, Shanoa came about from the fans. Anyway... that's for another post. Now, simply making a female lead because there aren't any isn't a good reason. Taking a step back though, and looking at the big picture, Sonia works because of her story not because she's a woman. The fact that she's a woman is incidental.
In Symphony it is obvious that Alucard and Maria share a connection, one that would become a romance post game. Maria's age is noted as being 17 years old (according to the booklet). Sonia, who happens to be an angelic blonde woman like Maria, is also noted as being 17 years old. Sonia also sports a similar color pallet and costume design elements to Maria as well. Giving Sonia a similar esthetic to Maria retroactively informs Alucard's attraction to Maria in Symphony. As previously pointed out, most female characters in Castlevania are magic wielders. Sonia too is described as having powers of "light" continuing this motif and adding another parallel to Maria. This again reinforces Alucard's attraction to Maria and why Maria, of all people, is able to salvage Alucard's soul and end his self-immolation.
The game is also a significant chapter in Alucard's story as well. In Castlevania III, when gamers were first introduced to Alucard, his motivations are vague beyond a desire to stop his father. Alucard is never given a "real" reason to battle his father whom he loves. It is first revealed in Symphony that Lisa Tepes was burned at the stake, her death sparking Dracula's war against humanity. Alucard hears his mother's last words, basically her telling him not to seek revenge for her death. He's told not to seek vengeance but is never given a reason to care for humanity or aid them himself. And still he has no reason to war against his own father (whom he feels guilty about killing according to his ending in Castlevania III). Even in Symphony Alucard never explains why he has allied himself with humanity save that his "mother told him to." In the man's own words, "I had my own reasons for destroying him." That vague cryptic line is all the explanation we're given.
Alucard's previous appearances only establish why he doesn't attack humans like Dracula does. In Castlevania Legends, by having Alucard come to care for Sonia on his own, and have that love threatened by his father, he is given his own personal reason to battle his father. This also informs Alucard's character in Castlevania III, waiting for Sonia to arrive only to encounter Trevor instead. If his motivation was merely to stop his father, not necessarily kill him, upon learning that his father had murdered Sonia would give Alucard the motivation to kill his father. This also gives Alucard reason to so readily ally himself with Trevor Belmont (other than the "could no longer abide by his father's evilness" as stated in the CVIII manual).
SONIA + ALUCARD
Then there's the insinuation of Trevor being Alucard and Sonia's child. The game never explicitly says the child is Trevor (although the timeline adds up) nor that Alucard is the father. This is only implied. But let's entertain the idea for a moment. Adding Alucard's strength to the Belmont bloodline answers the question of just how "seemingly normal" humans like the Belmonts are able to single-handedly battle an insanely powerful Dracula and his monstrous legions. Now remember, Alucard is not a vampire, he's a Dhampir (half vampire half human). In genetics not all traits are passed down to offspring. A dilution of Alucard's physical strengths could've been passed on through his genes to Trevor without the vampiric traits being present. Adding Sypha's genetics to the mix would strengthen the Belmont bloodline further as the generations continued culminating in the super human Richter Belmont.
And speaking of Trevor Belmont, it is said in the game's story that the Belmonts were feared by the people for their "super human" powers and exiled from the land. But if Castlevania III was the first time a Belmont fought Dracula then what happened to make the people fear them? This plot point was never expounded upon. Having a story set prior to Castlevania III in which a Belmont fought and defeated the invincible Dracula would provide a basis for this plot point. The fact that it was a woman who defeated Dracula is all the more significant to this point. The world already feared witches and powerful women during that time period, Joan of Arc having been persecuted for the same reason only twenty years prior in history. This even coincides with Lisa Tepes' death as well.
Castlevania III has a particularly interesting opening scene for Trevor too. The scene opens with Trevor kneeling before what appears to be a tomb or mausoleum with ruins in the background. To my knowledge these ruins and tomb are never concretely identified by any Castlevania source. One possible conclusion is that Trevor is praying in a church. But this explanation is counter to plot details that the Belmonts were cast out of the church and exiled for fear of their "super human" power. Having Trevor praying in a church doesn't make sense given the Belmont's history with the church.
Castlevania Legends provides (or offers) an alternative identification, one that makes more sense to the plot: that of the ravaged Belmont estate and the final resting place of Trevor's mother, Sonia Belmont. Sonia being killed during the inciting incident of Castlevania III adds another layer to Trevor's psyche and further contextualizes his character's journey through the game. Not only is it his family's destiny to fight Dracula, but now he also has a revenge motive and or a need to avenge his mother's death. To fight for what his mother believed in and the teachings she passed to him. Trevor's character now has actual motivation besides simply destiny.
Then there is also the origin of the fabled Castlevania sub-weapons here. In Castlevania Legends you are able to collect all of the classic sub-weapons: the dagger, holy water, the stopwatch, the holy cross, and the axe. But strangely the player cannot wield the sub-weapons. Instead Sonia gains "soul powers" after defeating the bosses. These powers parallel the sub-weapons in many ways. Castlevania Legends presents the idea that this is first time a Belmont has acquired the sub-weapons. These soul powers Sonia collects imbue the sub-weapons with supernatural power, thereby explaining why these weapons are so powerful against Dracula's forces. Admittedly not all of the soul powers match the sub-weapons' traits, but the majority do.
In numerous ways Castlevania Legends deepens the mythology. There are direct references to and similar rhetoric found in Symphony of the Night and Castlevania III. You can tell that the development team thought very hard about the story and the lore, not just the immediate story they were telling, but on a macro level as well making it all mesh together.
THE PLAYTHROUGH
This game was designed with the intent to be utilized with the Super Game Boy SNES attachment, allowing for different color tinting throughout the game. The title screen in particular uses this coloring to great effect. You have the option here to continue where you left off by using the password feature or start a new game, a feature also seen in the previous game, Belmont's Revenge. Starting a new game gives the player a choice between two difficulties: Standard and Light. This is a first for the Game Boy Castlevanias.
After selecting the difficulty some atmospheric and somber music plays over the narrative text scroll revealing a very detailed picture of Sonia standing before Dracula's castle. Then we're treated to a classic in-game map of the levels with Sonia walking along the bottom of the screen. This is a direct call back to such screens from the original Castlevania as well as a few others. This is another example of placing emphasis on the series' roots.
Level 1 ~ The Haunted Forest: The first level opens with a remixed version of the classic track Bloody Tears which, to me, really starts the game off on an exciting tone. Immediately you'll notice how tight the controls are and how smooth the gameplay is, having retained the refined gameplay from Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge. Like the previous games Sonia has two whip upgrades, from the leather whip to the chain whip and finally to the fireball throwing whip. Sonia can change directions in mid air allowing for a greater degree in air control as well as crouch-walk (something only Simon in Super Castlevania IV had previously been able to do). Immediately the game offers you the most refined controls of the three GB Castlevanias.
The controls for Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge are fantastic but the game was considerably light on difficulty. Castlevania Legends provides you with arguably greater controls but also vastly increases the challenges that await you. The first stage of the Crystal Castle in Belmont's Revenge only presents the player with one enemy to kill and thirty enemies total for the whole level including the boss (excluding respawning enemies i.e. the rolling eyeballs). The first stage in level one of Castlevania Legends has you slaying thirteen enemies, 113 enemies total for the whole level (excluding respawning enemies. The bats and ghosts will be the bane your existence). That's almost a 400% increase in enemies. Lest you think a 400% increase in baddies is a bit much, the game offers you a great equilizer:
Burning Mode
Just below Sonia's life bar is another equally long gauge. This is Sonia's Burning Mode Meter. At anytime during the level the player can activate Burning Mode, triggering this second gauge to deplete. While in Burning Mode Sonia is invincible. She's faster, stronger, and untouchable (so you can run through enemies without getting knocked back). Burning Mode lasts until the gauge runs out (only a few seconds). Burning Mode can only be used once per level. The gauge refills at the beginning of each level or after you die and start again. This little feature can get you out of pinch or can be your clutch Boss Killer.
Note: I always imagined if Burning Mode were depicted in a movie or anime that it would be Sonia drenching herself in Holy Water, thus every enemy that touched her would burst into flames. The idea came to me from watching Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight when Jada Pinkett covers herself in Holy Blood.
The level offers a judicious amount of platforming as well along with a few non-linear surprises. There are multiple instances where the player is presented with two paths to take. Depending on which you choose you may find yourself entering a little detour which results in some meat to heal you or missing the detour entirely and progressing further into the level (there are no real obvious indications as to which path is the one that progresses through the level).
Every level in this game contains crossroads like these and if you choose the path that progresses the game then you may miss out on several things such as meat and the classic sub-weapons. Some of these paths are dead ends too, designed to wear you down as well as the clock. There are sub-weapons hidden throughout the levels and if you miss one or more of these secret items then you won't receive the game's best ending. This adds replay value as well as a unique level design not present in the previous GB Castlevanias.
Then there are the "Trap Rooms." Whipping certain candles will activate Trap Rooms where you're dropped into a room with no exits and enemies constantly assault you. This first level has two trap rooms, both identical, where you are surrounded by zombies. These rooms can kill you fast if you don't know what to do. Once you have killed all of the enemies you are magically returned to where you were in the level. But be careful! The candle that housed the Trap Room is also back and whipping it takes you right back into the Trap Room. There is no reward for making it through a Trap Room and you don't receive anything special. They seem to be there just to add something new and challenging to the series.
Once you've made it through all the stages and the trap rooms, taken the detours and found the Axe sub-weapon, you end the level facing the boss: the Creature Bat. Aside from the terribly generic name, this boss is rendered and animated very well. The boss moves all over the screen and actually has fairly decent tracking. As far as I can tell there isn't a safe place to battle this guy without getting hit. The best strategy is to keep moving, bait him, and then get out of his way. Burning Mode can level him off pretty easy but be careful when you use it. Sometimes the boss hangs out in the air for a while and you'll waste your Burning Gauge. Defeat this boss monster and gain his soul power: Wind. This gives you the ability to stop enemies in their tracks.
Level 2 ~ The Castle Hall: This level instantly feels reminiscent of the opening level in the original Castlevania. Classic Castlevania enemies like the Bone Pillers and Flea Men make their Game Boy debut here, once more leaning into a traditional franchise experience. Also introduced here are giant skulls that only move when your back is turned. After a few stages you'll come to a series of five rooms, each room completely the same but featuring different enemies. This is maybe the only blatantly repetitive section in the game in an otherwise fairly diverse layout of levels.
Remember that Soul Power you acquired from the previous level's boss? From the instant you start level two you are able to pause enemies for a time. This is identical to the classic Stop Watch sub-weapon in previous Castlevanias and quite handy when enemies overwhelm you. If you were whipping candles throughout the last level you should have plenty of hearts stocked up to use (your heart stock carries over from level to level). After a few stages you must traverse a vertical shaft. Pausing the enemies here is a big help getting though. At the top there is a crossroads, one path leads to the hidden sub-weapon (the actual Stop Watch) and the other progresses through the level.
From there you cross a collapsing bridge to enter the library. There you come to another branch in the path. Going further down and making your way past a couple of Great Sword Armors you'll eventually come to the boss, the monstrous Death Dragon (a cool looking zombie dragon, my favorite boss of the game). The Death Dragon will move its head up and down spitting fire balls and then pounds its front legs on the ground to knock rubble loose from the ceiling. This is probably one of the cooler looking bosses in the game, but its lack of mobility makes it fairly easy to defeat. Once beaten you obtain a truly awesome Soul Power - Ice/Water: Refills your entire life gauge. This extremely helpful power comes at a heavy cost however as it consumes a staggering 20 hearts
Level 3 ~ The Clock Tower: A classic stage from many a Castlevania game, the level opens with a vertical climb using a signature trope of the original Game Boy Castlevanis: Ropes. This first stage is quite challenging with Ghosts and Bats descending upon you from all sides. Use the Wind Soul Power to stop them where they stand to give you an edge. You need a healthy stock of hearts though, so no dying otherwise they take all of your hearts. Moving up and down the screen can cause enemies to respawn like crazy too, making this stage potentially maddening. There are a lot of stages like this throughout the level so brace yourself. You will get hit, perhaps a lot, so remember you can refill your life bar now with the Ice Soul Power too. After a few stages you come to the first mid-boss of the game: Flying Wolf. This boss looks pretty cool but is fairly simple. He flies back and forth across the screen spitting triple fireballs.
Passed him comes yet more vertical climbs and then a crossroads. There's a path to the left and a path above. The path to the left takes you down a corridor where the path diverges yet again. One path takes you to a new Trap Room (laid out differently than the last) and the other to the Dagger sub-weapon. Head back to the right and continue up for several more stages until... you come face to face with the Grim Reaper himself. Death finally makes his Game Boy debut appearance (not like those knock off Zeldos from the previous GB Castlevanias). His battle can be tough, especially if you don't have many hearts or have emptied your Burning Mode gauge already. If you come prepared and loaded for bear, he's not too bad. Once defeated Death gives you an epic Soul Power - Fire: Damages all enemies on screen!
Level 4 ~ Dracula's Keep: You've reached the top floor of the castle, now making your way to Dracula's throne room for the final confrontation! Playing throughout the level is one of my favorite music tracks of the game "Highest Castle Floor." The stage opens with a long hallway filled with enemies, sliding ropes, and spike pits. From there you climb up into another corridor filled with giant spiders and man-eating worms. The next room opens with a crossroads, either continuing on to the left or going up ropes to another stage. Going up takes you through several stages and some devious traps: Trick candles! These trick candles do not hold hearts but reveal monsters instead! Giant spiders and bats. At the very top of this tower you'll find some meat.
Make your way back down to the crossroads and continue on to the left. Eventually you come to a mid boss: Medusa! For a Game Boy game Medusa looks pretty good here, very similar to how she appeared in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Here she wields a sword and, once defeated, she escapes by flying off as only a Medusa Head. Again, Medusa is a classic boss who has been in nearly every Castlevania game. After this continue on until you come to another crossroads. There's a vertical shaft separated down the middle by a wall. At the top you have a path on both the right and left. On the right lies the path to the hidden sub-weapon, Holy Water. Head up the right for a few stages, watch out for trick candles, and grab the Holy Water. Head back down and back to the other path.
This will lead you Dracula's throne room! But instead of Dracula, Alucard appears! The game goes into a "cut scene" (or the equivalent of a cut scene for the Game Boy).
THE STORY
Alucard and Sonia meet, both shocked to see the other. Alucard pleads with Sonia to leave, that he alone must be the one to stop his father. Alucard, finally coming to terms with his mother's dying wish, feels he must put an end to his father's madness (a direct reference to story elements first revealed in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night). Alucard then reveals the real reason why he wishes for Sonia to leave, that if she were to die he could not bear her loss. Sonia understands his feelings and confesses that Alucard is probably right. But even so, she cannot turn back. Her grandfather believed the powers of light were aligned with her for a reason. And she believes facing Dracula is the reason. She believes this is her fate. Alucard hears the conviction in her voice, and he wants to believe in her. But he feels he needs to see her strength first hand to believe she has the power to destroy his father. Alucard tells Sonia to prepare herself before launching towards her, sword drawn!
That's right, the boss battle of this level is Alucard himself! He transforms into a bat and flies across the screen at you. He lunges at you with his sword and can throw his trademark fireballs that he inherited from his father. Again the graphics here look great as Alucard looks like he does in Symphony (far better than he looked in Castlevania III). After the battle the game goes into another cut scene: Alucard, defeated, now believes Sonia has the strength and power to defeat his father. Both Sonia and Alucard lament having fought each other, also acknowledging their romance has come to an untimely end. Alucard states he must enter a death like sleep to put an end to his accursed bloodline (an action he also takes after the events of Castlevania III). After beating him you gain the Soul Power: Saint, which enables you to fire a projectile blast. The floor then falls out from beneath your feet and Sonia plummets down deep into the bowels of the castle!
Level 5 ~ The Hidden Cathedral: Landing down in the lower depths, you find yourself in a cave system beneath the castle. Bats, mermen, and giant worms attack you down here. Making your way through you come to a crossroads to go right or go down. If you need hearts then go right. If not then head down. There you'll pass through an underground stream on your way to the mid boss: a Minotaur! Another great looking boss, this guy can deal some damage if you're not careful so be on your guard. After that you come to another crossroads: go right or go up. To the right lies an empty room that immediately dead-ends? Looks like we're going up. Going up you'll encounter bats and a Great Sword Armor. The vertical shaft is split down the center, one half going up to a dead end, the other going on to the right.
To the right lies a room with a pit fall. If you'll remember we're now above that empty room from earlier. This room tempts you to leap down onto a little thin platform just above the pitfall. Oops! Sonia misses the landing and plummets down into the pit! You pass down one screen with two candles and a tiny platform. Whip the candles and get a "1up" but keep going down. The floor that was there when you first entered the room at the bottom is now gone! Sonia keeps falling! Congratulations! You've found the BONUS STAGE!
Secret Level ~ The Torture Chamber: Sonia finally hits the dank, musty bottom of the pit. Bats, mermen, and giant worms attack! Moving passed the first stage on downward shambling corpses and spear guards come at you, dead bodies shackled to the walls lying in the background (easily my favorite background of the game). Sonia's path only leads further down. Continuing to the right through a corridor filled with zombies and more, you come to a seemingly empty room. Further into the room you are mysterious stopped in your tracks. You've just stumbled into another Trap Room! Spirits flood the screen flying at you from the left and right in droves. Whip enough to save your life and then continue up the rope on the right.
The next stage offers two paths: up or to the right. Continue to the right to find the final sub-weapon: the Holy Cross. Then head back and go up. There is yet another branching path, again up or to the right. The path up leads to a dead end. Heading back to the right takes you through a room with spikes and mermen and then onward to the boss: the Executioner. This guy is huge and relentless. You're only left with the narrowest of margins to slip passed him and dodge. Make sure you have full life and full Burning Mode gauge! Once defeated you gain the final Soul Power: Demon Magic ~ Destroys an enemy on contact! One last note on this level, it contains another great music track: Dungeon of Silence.
Return to Level 5 ~ The Hidden Cathedral: After escaping the corpse covered Torture Chamber Sonia makes her way back to the Hidden Cathedral. The game returns you to the room just after the battle with the Minotaur. After heading back up to where you dropped down to the secret level, continue across to the next stage. After several stages battling bats and Great Sword Armors you'll come to a rope that extends both up and down to different stages. Going down only leads to more hearts. Climbing up takes you to a room with a large stained-glass window in the background and the final confrontation with the prince of darkness himself, Count Dracula.
THE STORY
The game breaks into a cut scene where Dracula congratulates Sonia, the first human to storm his castle. Sonia reveals that she knows exactly what he is, a vampire, and that he is the cause of much suffering and death. Dracula refutes her, stating that he is there at the behest of humans to fulfill their insatiable desires. Sonia declares humans must fulfill their dreams on their own. She accuses Dracula of no longer serving his own will, but instead has become a slave to the dark powers, no longer able to determine his own fate. Dracula responds that he is in control of these dark powers and will use them to rule humanity. Seeing both her power and beauty, Dracula commands that she give herself to him. Sonia defies him, saying that her power will only be used to protect humanity. Dracula responds with, "As you wish, girl. Then it is your fate to kneel before my power!"
The battle begins! Dracula teleports around the citadel throwing five fire balls when ever he appears. Staying far away from him gives you the best chance of avoiding being hit, but it also makes striking him that more difficult lest you have a fully powered up whip and hearts to supply your Soul Weapons. The Soul Weapon you acquired from Alucard: Saint, will be the best choice, enabling you to fire off a projectile blast, provided you have a stock of hearts to use it. You could use your Burning Mode but better to save it for now. Once defeated the game goes into a brief cut scene. Dracula shows his respect to Sonia, impressed once again by her abilities. "Prepare yourself!" Sonia cries as she moves to strike the final blow. Dracula taunts her as he transforms into his final form!
The second half of the final battle commences as Dracula morphs into a gargantuan beast with giant bat wings and hideous faces all over his body pushing out under his skin. There is a great rendition of the classic track Vampire Killer scoring the battle. The giant demon head spits out eight fire balls that cover the screen. The head itself moves freely about the body, protruding out of the flesh at different points. Now's the time to use your Burning Mode (if you still have it) and strike Dracula down! Once defeated, another cut scene follows: "This cannot be!" roars Dracula, "Me, losing to a human?" Sonia laments him, stating that having gained eternal life he lost his humanity, his ability to love and live for others. "There must have been a time when you too cherished the bonds with the ones you loved... There is no place in the world for the likes of you." As he dies Dracula warns her that he shall return. And she promises him that she, or someone like her, will strike him down again and again for as long as it takes.
VICTORY!
The game ends with a wonderful (and classic) shot of the Belmont hero standing upon a cliff watching the castle crumble. The rendering of Sonia and the castle look great, far better than the prior Game Boy Castlevania ending shots. We then get an ending title scroll stating how Sonia stopped the world from being flooded by darkness. If you beat the game on Light Difficulty without finding the Secret Stage or finding all of the hidden sub-weapons, the game ends here. The screen fades to black and the credits roll.
If you beat the game on Standard Difficulty but still didn't find the Secret Stage and sub-weapons you'll get just the tiniest bit more to the ending. After the first title scroll, Sonia turns to you and unties the braids in her hair, her hair blowing in the wind. Another title scroll begins basically restating that this story marked the beginning of the age old war between Dracula and the Belmonts. Then the credits roll with Sonia still present on screen.
However, if you managed to get all of the Soul Powers and sub-weapons and played on Standard Difficulty you'll be privy to the best ending. The screen fades yet again to reveal the hidden ending (or best ending) of the game. A new picture of Sonia is shown, a baby in her arms. After sometime Sonia bore a child, a child who would carry on the fate and tragedy of the Belmont family. A child burdened with a cursed fate, who would rise to battle the prince of darkness. This child would one day be praised as a hero by the people, but that is a tale for another time...
And if the game proved too much for you, it even has some cool art for the "Continue?" screen after you lose all of your lives and a neat graveyard picture at the Game Over screen.
THE END
The development team behind this game truly took the idea of "returning to the series' origins" to heart, not just in style but in many other aspects as well.
THE STORY
Note: this is how I have interpreted the events based on dialog from the game, both the Japanese and English game manuals, and the prologue text scroll. And of course, the previously established canon and real life history.
In the year 1448 Vlad Tepes Dracul became the warlord ruler of Wallachia (in actual history). The citizens of Wallachia owed Dracula their lives for driving out the Turks. But they also feared his power and wrath. Out of fear and superstition, the people moved against Dracula, first striking at his wife, Lisa, burning her at the stake as a witch. Enraged beyond measure, Dracula revealed his true vampiric form. He unleashed his darkness upon the land, his monsters and devils spreading throughout the countryside.
At this time Alucard, Dracula and Lisa's son, was grieving and trying desperately to come to terms with his mother's last words, "Do not hate humans. If you cannot live with them, then at least do them no harm. For theirs is already a hard lot." Alucard was filled with anger and wanted vengeance just as his father did, which made reconciling his mother's last wish impossible. Later, while wandering the countryside, Alucard came upon a mansion far from the villages and townships. There he saw an angelic young woman practicing battle tactics with her grandfather. Alucard was intrigued and wanted to observe further.
Not only was the woman incredibly beautiful but she possessed a fighting prowess the likes he had never beheld. Her grandfather preached duty and honor, strength tempered with compassion. And doing what was right no matter who had wronged you. These ideas resonated within Alucard, thoughts he could not shake from his mind. Alucard left to meditate on these ideas.
Days later, while once more wandering through the trees and forests, Alucard saw a pack of monsters roaming the woods. Curious, Alucard followed the beasts and watched as they prepared to slaughter a group of travelers. Alucard felt conflicted as to whether he should stand by and let his father's creatures kill these people or step in and prevent further bloodshed. Before he could act the young woman from the other day appeared. Wielding a mystical and powerful whip, the woman deftly defeated the monsters and saved the travelers from death. The people she saved were in a state of shock, afraid of both the monsters and this seemingly super human woman who had saved them. Despite their ingratitude and cries of fear and hate toward her, the woman seemed to harbor no ill will toward them.
Watching this, Alucard was once more enthralled by this young woman. He made himself known to her. From her expression he could tell that she knew exactly what he was: a vampire. While she eyed him cautiously, she did not attack. Instead the two of them began talking. Alucard asked how she felt being spurned by the very people she had saved. Her response was simple, "They're alive. That's what matters." Then he asked why she would fight for people who hate and fear her. Again she simply responsed with, "Because it's the right thing to do." They continued talking, Alucard listening and learning, and becoming more enchanted by this woman every minute they were together. And he learned her name... Sonia Belmont.
By the day's end they had both learned much about each other. Sonia was the latest in a long line of monster hunters. Her parents were traveling Wallachia battling Dracula's hordes while she stayed at home being trained by her grandfather. She spoke of possessing an inherent talent for slaying monsters, her grandfather having told her that she was born with "holy powers." Alucard too could sense that the powers of light were strongly aligned with her. They parted ways only to see each other again another day. And then yet again. Over time Sonia eventually warmed to Alucard, at last reciprocating his feelings.
By the year 1450 their friendship had blossomed into a romance, slaying monsters together one minute, enjoying each other's company the next. And while they were seeing each other the words of Alucard's mother kept repeating in his mind. One day, when Sonia and Alucard's romance was at its most intimate, Alucard realized his hatred of humanity had vanished, his feeling having been changed after falling in love with Sonia. At last he felt he could finally honor his mother's final wish as he now had a reason to fight for humanity.
Like they had many times before, after meeting secretly in the forest, they once more parted ways. As Sonia returned home, Alucard finally realized what he had to do: confront his father and stop the bloodshed. Unbeknownst to him, Sonia returned to her home to find it besieged by Dracula's creatures. Her parents had returned home and the monsters had followed them. Her mother and father had been overrun and it was too late to save them. After defeating the monsters Sonia searched for her grandfather, finding him far away near a village at the foot of the mountains. He died in her arms, "Now is the time to finally make use of your powers," being his final words.
As Alucard returned to Castle Dracula, he made known his intentions. In defense of their dark lord, the beasts turned their sights on the vampire prince. At the same time Sonia battled her way through the countryside and eventually to Dracula's castle. The first Belmont to tread upon the stones of Castlevania, Sonia made her way inside the demon castle.
PARALLELS & SYNCHRONICITY
Suffice it to say, the narrative of this game is a big deal (arguably the game's greatest aspect) and a big focus of the game itself. While the story rendition above is far more fleshed out than the game's instruction booklets, what I've written is extrapolated from the game's manual and the story segments within the game as well as previously established history and lore, some of which set down by Symphony of the Night that same year. As such, this game was one of the more story heavy and ambitious narrative efforts from the series at that time. These story segments are presented within the game with some great in-game artwork for Sonia, Alucard, and Dracula. Alucard and Dracula's dialog and rhetoric match their voices and personalities from Symphony very closely too. Upon close examination and comparison one can see that the writers of the game took great care to get the characters and tone correct.
The game's characters and story were meant to connect to the saga on a deeper level than most games in the series. Before Ayami Kojima's radical redesigns of classic characters, Simon, Trevor, and Christopher Belmont were originally depicted with blonde hair. Even Ayami Kojima, try as she might to get away from the blonde trope, gave Lisa Tepes and Maria Renard those golden locks though. Sonia follows suit, even being dressed somewhat scantily like Simon, Trevor, and Christopher had been before her.
Sonia Belmont marked the first female lead protagonist for the franchise. Castlevania was partially inspired by the Japanese novels Vampire Hunter D, the first of which features a female whip wielding monster hunter named Doris Lang (whom Sonia resembles. Alucard himself is very much like Vampire Hunter D too. Doris and D had an understated romance also). What's makes Sonia's gender significant here is that women in Castlevania are almost always relegated to supporting cast or at best secondary playable characters (in the cases of Sypha and Maria). To this day there have only ever been two female main protagonists in the entire franchise (and still there are some fans who refuse to even acknowledge Sonia's existence at all).
Fans of Castlevania Legends have kept Sonia's spirit alive and strangely it is also because of fans that the other female lead protagonist exists as well. If not for "fans requesting a female heroine" it is likely Sonia would be the only lead female protagonist of Castlevania. From Igarashi's own mouth, Shanoa came about from the fans. Anyway... that's for another post. Now, simply making a female lead because there aren't any isn't a good reason. Taking a step back though, and looking at the big picture, Sonia works because of her story not because she's a woman. The fact that she's a woman is incidental.
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| Sonia Belmont, Maria Renard, and Doris Lang from Vampire Hunter D |
The game is also a significant chapter in Alucard's story as well. In Castlevania III, when gamers were first introduced to Alucard, his motivations are vague beyond a desire to stop his father. Alucard is never given a "real" reason to battle his father whom he loves. It is first revealed in Symphony that Lisa Tepes was burned at the stake, her death sparking Dracula's war against humanity. Alucard hears his mother's last words, basically her telling him not to seek revenge for her death. He's told not to seek vengeance but is never given a reason to care for humanity or aid them himself. And still he has no reason to war against his own father (whom he feels guilty about killing according to his ending in Castlevania III). Even in Symphony Alucard never explains why he has allied himself with humanity save that his "mother told him to." In the man's own words, "I had my own reasons for destroying him." That vague cryptic line is all the explanation we're given.
Alucard's previous appearances only establish why he doesn't attack humans like Dracula does. In Castlevania Legends, by having Alucard come to care for Sonia on his own, and have that love threatened by his father, he is given his own personal reason to battle his father. This also informs Alucard's character in Castlevania III, waiting for Sonia to arrive only to encounter Trevor instead. If his motivation was merely to stop his father, not necessarily kill him, upon learning that his father had murdered Sonia would give Alucard the motivation to kill his father. This also gives Alucard reason to so readily ally himself with Trevor Belmont (other than the "could no longer abide by his father's evilness" as stated in the CVIII manual).
SONIA + ALUCARD
Then there's the insinuation of Trevor being Alucard and Sonia's child. The game never explicitly says the child is Trevor (although the timeline adds up) nor that Alucard is the father. This is only implied. But let's entertain the idea for a moment. Adding Alucard's strength to the Belmont bloodline answers the question of just how "seemingly normal" humans like the Belmonts are able to single-handedly battle an insanely powerful Dracula and his monstrous legions. Now remember, Alucard is not a vampire, he's a Dhampir (half vampire half human). In genetics not all traits are passed down to offspring. A dilution of Alucard's physical strengths could've been passed on through his genes to Trevor without the vampiric traits being present. Adding Sypha's genetics to the mix would strengthen the Belmont bloodline further as the generations continued culminating in the super human Richter Belmont.
And speaking of Trevor Belmont, it is said in the game's story that the Belmonts were feared by the people for their "super human" powers and exiled from the land. But if Castlevania III was the first time a Belmont fought Dracula then what happened to make the people fear them? This plot point was never expounded upon. Having a story set prior to Castlevania III in which a Belmont fought and defeated the invincible Dracula would provide a basis for this plot point. The fact that it was a woman who defeated Dracula is all the more significant to this point. The world already feared witches and powerful women during that time period, Joan of Arc having been persecuted for the same reason only twenty years prior in history. This even coincides with Lisa Tepes' death as well.
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| Trevor Belmont at the beginning of Castlevania III |
Castlevania III has a particularly interesting opening scene for Trevor too. The scene opens with Trevor kneeling before what appears to be a tomb or mausoleum with ruins in the background. To my knowledge these ruins and tomb are never concretely identified by any Castlevania source. One possible conclusion is that Trevor is praying in a church. But this explanation is counter to plot details that the Belmonts were cast out of the church and exiled for fear of their "super human" power. Having Trevor praying in a church doesn't make sense given the Belmont's history with the church.
Castlevania Legends provides (or offers) an alternative identification, one that makes more sense to the plot: that of the ravaged Belmont estate and the final resting place of Trevor's mother, Sonia Belmont. Sonia being killed during the inciting incident of Castlevania III adds another layer to Trevor's psyche and further contextualizes his character's journey through the game. Not only is it his family's destiny to fight Dracula, but now he also has a revenge motive and or a need to avenge his mother's death. To fight for what his mother believed in and the teachings she passed to him. Trevor's character now has actual motivation besides simply destiny.
Then there is also the origin of the fabled Castlevania sub-weapons here. In Castlevania Legends you are able to collect all of the classic sub-weapons: the dagger, holy water, the stopwatch, the holy cross, and the axe. But strangely the player cannot wield the sub-weapons. Instead Sonia gains "soul powers" after defeating the bosses. These powers parallel the sub-weapons in many ways. Castlevania Legends presents the idea that this is first time a Belmont has acquired the sub-weapons. These soul powers Sonia collects imbue the sub-weapons with supernatural power, thereby explaining why these weapons are so powerful against Dracula's forces. Admittedly not all of the soul powers match the sub-weapons' traits, but the majority do.
In numerous ways Castlevania Legends deepens the mythology. There are direct references to and similar rhetoric found in Symphony of the Night and Castlevania III. You can tell that the development team thought very hard about the story and the lore, not just the immediate story they were telling, but on a macro level as well making it all mesh together.
THE PLAYTHROUGH
This game was designed with the intent to be utilized with the Super Game Boy SNES attachment, allowing for different color tinting throughout the game. The title screen in particular uses this coloring to great effect. You have the option here to continue where you left off by using the password feature or start a new game, a feature also seen in the previous game, Belmont's Revenge. Starting a new game gives the player a choice between two difficulties: Standard and Light. This is a first for the Game Boy Castlevanias.
After selecting the difficulty some atmospheric and somber music plays over the narrative text scroll revealing a very detailed picture of Sonia standing before Dracula's castle. Then we're treated to a classic in-game map of the levels with Sonia walking along the bottom of the screen. This is a direct call back to such screens from the original Castlevania as well as a few others. This is another example of placing emphasis on the series' roots.
Level 1 ~ The Haunted Forest: The first level opens with a remixed version of the classic track Bloody Tears which, to me, really starts the game off on an exciting tone. Immediately you'll notice how tight the controls are and how smooth the gameplay is, having retained the refined gameplay from Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge. Like the previous games Sonia has two whip upgrades, from the leather whip to the chain whip and finally to the fireball throwing whip. Sonia can change directions in mid air allowing for a greater degree in air control as well as crouch-walk (something only Simon in Super Castlevania IV had previously been able to do). Immediately the game offers you the most refined controls of the three GB Castlevanias.
The controls for Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge are fantastic but the game was considerably light on difficulty. Castlevania Legends provides you with arguably greater controls but also vastly increases the challenges that await you. The first stage of the Crystal Castle in Belmont's Revenge only presents the player with one enemy to kill and thirty enemies total for the whole level including the boss (excluding respawning enemies i.e. the rolling eyeballs). The first stage in level one of Castlevania Legends has you slaying thirteen enemies, 113 enemies total for the whole level (excluding respawning enemies. The bats and ghosts will be the bane your existence). That's almost a 400% increase in enemies. Lest you think a 400% increase in baddies is a bit much, the game offers you a great equilizer:
Burning Mode
Just below Sonia's life bar is another equally long gauge. This is Sonia's Burning Mode Meter. At anytime during the level the player can activate Burning Mode, triggering this second gauge to deplete. While in Burning Mode Sonia is invincible. She's faster, stronger, and untouchable (so you can run through enemies without getting knocked back). Burning Mode lasts until the gauge runs out (only a few seconds). Burning Mode can only be used once per level. The gauge refills at the beginning of each level or after you die and start again. This little feature can get you out of pinch or can be your clutch Boss Killer.
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| The glow surrounds her when the player activates Burning Mode |
Note: I always imagined if Burning Mode were depicted in a movie or anime that it would be Sonia drenching herself in Holy Water, thus every enemy that touched her would burst into flames. The idea came to me from watching Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight when Jada Pinkett covers herself in Holy Blood.
The level offers a judicious amount of platforming as well along with a few non-linear surprises. There are multiple instances where the player is presented with two paths to take. Depending on which you choose you may find yourself entering a little detour which results in some meat to heal you or missing the detour entirely and progressing further into the level (there are no real obvious indications as to which path is the one that progresses through the level).
Every level in this game contains crossroads like these and if you choose the path that progresses the game then you may miss out on several things such as meat and the classic sub-weapons. Some of these paths are dead ends too, designed to wear you down as well as the clock. There are sub-weapons hidden throughout the levels and if you miss one or more of these secret items then you won't receive the game's best ending. This adds replay value as well as a unique level design not present in the previous GB Castlevanias.
Then there are the "Trap Rooms." Whipping certain candles will activate Trap Rooms where you're dropped into a room with no exits and enemies constantly assault you. This first level has two trap rooms, both identical, where you are surrounded by zombies. These rooms can kill you fast if you don't know what to do. Once you have killed all of the enemies you are magically returned to where you were in the level. But be careful! The candle that housed the Trap Room is also back and whipping it takes you right back into the Trap Room. There is no reward for making it through a Trap Room and you don't receive anything special. They seem to be there just to add something new and challenging to the series.
Once you've made it through all the stages and the trap rooms, taken the detours and found the Axe sub-weapon, you end the level facing the boss: the Creature Bat. Aside from the terribly generic name, this boss is rendered and animated very well. The boss moves all over the screen and actually has fairly decent tracking. As far as I can tell there isn't a safe place to battle this guy without getting hit. The best strategy is to keep moving, bait him, and then get out of his way. Burning Mode can level him off pretty easy but be careful when you use it. Sometimes the boss hangs out in the air for a while and you'll waste your Burning Gauge. Defeat this boss monster and gain his soul power: Wind. This gives you the ability to stop enemies in their tracks.
Level 2 ~ The Castle Hall: This level instantly feels reminiscent of the opening level in the original Castlevania. Classic Castlevania enemies like the Bone Pillers and Flea Men make their Game Boy debut here, once more leaning into a traditional franchise experience. Also introduced here are giant skulls that only move when your back is turned. After a few stages you'll come to a series of five rooms, each room completely the same but featuring different enemies. This is maybe the only blatantly repetitive section in the game in an otherwise fairly diverse layout of levels.
Remember that Soul Power you acquired from the previous level's boss? From the instant you start level two you are able to pause enemies for a time. This is identical to the classic Stop Watch sub-weapon in previous Castlevanias and quite handy when enemies overwhelm you. If you were whipping candles throughout the last level you should have plenty of hearts stocked up to use (your heart stock carries over from level to level). After a few stages you must traverse a vertical shaft. Pausing the enemies here is a big help getting though. At the top there is a crossroads, one path leads to the hidden sub-weapon (the actual Stop Watch) and the other progresses through the level.
From there you cross a collapsing bridge to enter the library. There you come to another branch in the path. Going further down and making your way past a couple of Great Sword Armors you'll eventually come to the boss, the monstrous Death Dragon (a cool looking zombie dragon, my favorite boss of the game). The Death Dragon will move its head up and down spitting fire balls and then pounds its front legs on the ground to knock rubble loose from the ceiling. This is probably one of the cooler looking bosses in the game, but its lack of mobility makes it fairly easy to defeat. Once beaten you obtain a truly awesome Soul Power - Ice/Water: Refills your entire life gauge. This extremely helpful power comes at a heavy cost however as it consumes a staggering 20 hearts
Level 3 ~ The Clock Tower: A classic stage from many a Castlevania game, the level opens with a vertical climb using a signature trope of the original Game Boy Castlevanis: Ropes. This first stage is quite challenging with Ghosts and Bats descending upon you from all sides. Use the Wind Soul Power to stop them where they stand to give you an edge. You need a healthy stock of hearts though, so no dying otherwise they take all of your hearts. Moving up and down the screen can cause enemies to respawn like crazy too, making this stage potentially maddening. There are a lot of stages like this throughout the level so brace yourself. You will get hit, perhaps a lot, so remember you can refill your life bar now with the Ice Soul Power too. After a few stages you come to the first mid-boss of the game: Flying Wolf. This boss looks pretty cool but is fairly simple. He flies back and forth across the screen spitting triple fireballs.
Passed him comes yet more vertical climbs and then a crossroads. There's a path to the left and a path above. The path to the left takes you down a corridor where the path diverges yet again. One path takes you to a new Trap Room (laid out differently than the last) and the other to the Dagger sub-weapon. Head back to the right and continue up for several more stages until... you come face to face with the Grim Reaper himself. Death finally makes his Game Boy debut appearance (not like those knock off Zeldos from the previous GB Castlevanias). His battle can be tough, especially if you don't have many hearts or have emptied your Burning Mode gauge already. If you come prepared and loaded for bear, he's not too bad. Once defeated Death gives you an epic Soul Power - Fire: Damages all enemies on screen!
Level 4 ~ Dracula's Keep: You've reached the top floor of the castle, now making your way to Dracula's throne room for the final confrontation! Playing throughout the level is one of my favorite music tracks of the game "Highest Castle Floor." The stage opens with a long hallway filled with enemies, sliding ropes, and spike pits. From there you climb up into another corridor filled with giant spiders and man-eating worms. The next room opens with a crossroads, either continuing on to the left or going up ropes to another stage. Going up takes you through several stages and some devious traps: Trick candles! These trick candles do not hold hearts but reveal monsters instead! Giant spiders and bats. At the very top of this tower you'll find some meat.
Make your way back down to the crossroads and continue on to the left. Eventually you come to a mid boss: Medusa! For a Game Boy game Medusa looks pretty good here, very similar to how she appeared in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Here she wields a sword and, once defeated, she escapes by flying off as only a Medusa Head. Again, Medusa is a classic boss who has been in nearly every Castlevania game. After this continue on until you come to another crossroads. There's a vertical shaft separated down the middle by a wall. At the top you have a path on both the right and left. On the right lies the path to the hidden sub-weapon, Holy Water. Head up the right for a few stages, watch out for trick candles, and grab the Holy Water. Head back down and back to the other path.
This will lead you Dracula's throne room! But instead of Dracula, Alucard appears! The game goes into a "cut scene" (or the equivalent of a cut scene for the Game Boy).
THE STORY
Alucard and Sonia meet, both shocked to see the other. Alucard pleads with Sonia to leave, that he alone must be the one to stop his father. Alucard, finally coming to terms with his mother's dying wish, feels he must put an end to his father's madness (a direct reference to story elements first revealed in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night). Alucard then reveals the real reason why he wishes for Sonia to leave, that if she were to die he could not bear her loss. Sonia understands his feelings and confesses that Alucard is probably right. But even so, she cannot turn back. Her grandfather believed the powers of light were aligned with her for a reason. And she believes facing Dracula is the reason. She believes this is her fate. Alucard hears the conviction in her voice, and he wants to believe in her. But he feels he needs to see her strength first hand to believe she has the power to destroy his father. Alucard tells Sonia to prepare herself before launching towards her, sword drawn!
That's right, the boss battle of this level is Alucard himself! He transforms into a bat and flies across the screen at you. He lunges at you with his sword and can throw his trademark fireballs that he inherited from his father. Again the graphics here look great as Alucard looks like he does in Symphony (far better than he looked in Castlevania III). After the battle the game goes into another cut scene: Alucard, defeated, now believes Sonia has the strength and power to defeat his father. Both Sonia and Alucard lament having fought each other, also acknowledging their romance has come to an untimely end. Alucard states he must enter a death like sleep to put an end to his accursed bloodline (an action he also takes after the events of Castlevania III). After beating him you gain the Soul Power: Saint, which enables you to fire a projectile blast. The floor then falls out from beneath your feet and Sonia plummets down deep into the bowels of the castle!
Level 5 ~ The Hidden Cathedral: Landing down in the lower depths, you find yourself in a cave system beneath the castle. Bats, mermen, and giant worms attack you down here. Making your way through you come to a crossroads to go right or go down. If you need hearts then go right. If not then head down. There you'll pass through an underground stream on your way to the mid boss: a Minotaur! Another great looking boss, this guy can deal some damage if you're not careful so be on your guard. After that you come to another crossroads: go right or go up. To the right lies an empty room that immediately dead-ends? Looks like we're going up. Going up you'll encounter bats and a Great Sword Armor. The vertical shaft is split down the center, one half going up to a dead end, the other going on to the right.
To the right lies a room with a pit fall. If you'll remember we're now above that empty room from earlier. This room tempts you to leap down onto a little thin platform just above the pitfall. Oops! Sonia misses the landing and plummets down into the pit! You pass down one screen with two candles and a tiny platform. Whip the candles and get a "1up" but keep going down. The floor that was there when you first entered the room at the bottom is now gone! Sonia keeps falling! Congratulations! You've found the BONUS STAGE!
Secret Level ~ The Torture Chamber: Sonia finally hits the dank, musty bottom of the pit. Bats, mermen, and giant worms attack! Moving passed the first stage on downward shambling corpses and spear guards come at you, dead bodies shackled to the walls lying in the background (easily my favorite background of the game). Sonia's path only leads further down. Continuing to the right through a corridor filled with zombies and more, you come to a seemingly empty room. Further into the room you are mysterious stopped in your tracks. You've just stumbled into another Trap Room! Spirits flood the screen flying at you from the left and right in droves. Whip enough to save your life and then continue up the rope on the right.
The next stage offers two paths: up or to the right. Continue to the right to find the final sub-weapon: the Holy Cross. Then head back and go up. There is yet another branching path, again up or to the right. The path up leads to a dead end. Heading back to the right takes you through a room with spikes and mermen and then onward to the boss: the Executioner. This guy is huge and relentless. You're only left with the narrowest of margins to slip passed him and dodge. Make sure you have full life and full Burning Mode gauge! Once defeated you gain the final Soul Power: Demon Magic ~ Destroys an enemy on contact! One last note on this level, it contains another great music track: Dungeon of Silence.
Return to Level 5 ~ The Hidden Cathedral: After escaping the corpse covered Torture Chamber Sonia makes her way back to the Hidden Cathedral. The game returns you to the room just after the battle with the Minotaur. After heading back up to where you dropped down to the secret level, continue across to the next stage. After several stages battling bats and Great Sword Armors you'll come to a rope that extends both up and down to different stages. Going down only leads to more hearts. Climbing up takes you to a room with a large stained-glass window in the background and the final confrontation with the prince of darkness himself, Count Dracula.
THE STORY
The game breaks into a cut scene where Dracula congratulates Sonia, the first human to storm his castle. Sonia reveals that she knows exactly what he is, a vampire, and that he is the cause of much suffering and death. Dracula refutes her, stating that he is there at the behest of humans to fulfill their insatiable desires. Sonia declares humans must fulfill their dreams on their own. She accuses Dracula of no longer serving his own will, but instead has become a slave to the dark powers, no longer able to determine his own fate. Dracula responds that he is in control of these dark powers and will use them to rule humanity. Seeing both her power and beauty, Dracula commands that she give herself to him. Sonia defies him, saying that her power will only be used to protect humanity. Dracula responds with, "As you wish, girl. Then it is your fate to kneel before my power!"
The battle begins! Dracula teleports around the citadel throwing five fire balls when ever he appears. Staying far away from him gives you the best chance of avoiding being hit, but it also makes striking him that more difficult lest you have a fully powered up whip and hearts to supply your Soul Weapons. The Soul Weapon you acquired from Alucard: Saint, will be the best choice, enabling you to fire off a projectile blast, provided you have a stock of hearts to use it. You could use your Burning Mode but better to save it for now. Once defeated the game goes into a brief cut scene. Dracula shows his respect to Sonia, impressed once again by her abilities. "Prepare yourself!" Sonia cries as she moves to strike the final blow. Dracula taunts her as he transforms into his final form!
The second half of the final battle commences as Dracula morphs into a gargantuan beast with giant bat wings and hideous faces all over his body pushing out under his skin. There is a great rendition of the classic track Vampire Killer scoring the battle. The giant demon head spits out eight fire balls that cover the screen. The head itself moves freely about the body, protruding out of the flesh at different points. Now's the time to use your Burning Mode (if you still have it) and strike Dracula down! Once defeated, another cut scene follows: "This cannot be!" roars Dracula, "Me, losing to a human?" Sonia laments him, stating that having gained eternal life he lost his humanity, his ability to love and live for others. "There must have been a time when you too cherished the bonds with the ones you loved... There is no place in the world for the likes of you." As he dies Dracula warns her that he shall return. And she promises him that she, or someone like her, will strike him down again and again for as long as it takes.
VICTORY!
The game ends with a wonderful (and classic) shot of the Belmont hero standing upon a cliff watching the castle crumble. The rendering of Sonia and the castle look great, far better than the prior Game Boy Castlevania ending shots. We then get an ending title scroll stating how Sonia stopped the world from being flooded by darkness. If you beat the game on Light Difficulty without finding the Secret Stage or finding all of the hidden sub-weapons, the game ends here. The screen fades to black and the credits roll.
If you beat the game on Standard Difficulty but still didn't find the Secret Stage and sub-weapons you'll get just the tiniest bit more to the ending. After the first title scroll, Sonia turns to you and unties the braids in her hair, her hair blowing in the wind. Another title scroll begins basically restating that this story marked the beginning of the age old war between Dracula and the Belmonts. Then the credits roll with Sonia still present on screen.
However, if you managed to get all of the Soul Powers and sub-weapons and played on Standard Difficulty you'll be privy to the best ending. The screen fades yet again to reveal the hidden ending (or best ending) of the game. A new picture of Sonia is shown, a baby in her arms. After sometime Sonia bore a child, a child who would carry on the fate and tragedy of the Belmont family. A child burdened with a cursed fate, who would rise to battle the prince of darkness. This child would one day be praised as a hero by the people, but that is a tale for another time...
And if the game proved too much for you, it even has some cool art for the "Continue?" screen after you lose all of your lives and a neat graveyard picture at the Game Over screen.
THE END
THE REVIEW
The Castlevania Adventure had sluggish controls and was frustratingly difficult as a result. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge had smooth controls but little to no difficulty (one of the easiest Castlevanias to beat). Of the three original Game Boy Castlevanias, Castlevania Legends feels the most balanced, challenging but still fun. If the first two games are polar opposites, then the third game is the happy medium.
Castlevania Legends is the longest game of the three original Game Boy games and possesses considerably more replay value in comparison to its Game Boy predecessors as well. The game offers two levels of difficulty, refined controls, far more in-depth story telling, more bosses, a hidden stage, secret items, five varied sub-weapons, and multiple endings, all of which the previous Game Boy entries did not. The game also has a good soundtrack, in keeping with the typically high quality scores of the series. The music here doesn't always reach the heights of the previous Game Boy games, but it still contains many standout tracks.
Conversely though, the game doesn't possess nearly as detailed backgrounds as the previous games. There is some nice imagery of course, but the look of the game is slightly less dynamic than its predecessors. But even so, The Castlevania Adventure had an entire level with no background at all (I'm talking about you, Level Three!), so at least this game never dropped that low. But really, what's preferable: a game that looks good but plays terrible? Or a game that plays well but doesn't quite look as refined? Between the game you can play versus the game you can't, the choice is obvious. And even so, this game's graphics have held up much better than many of the 3D Castlevanias.
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| Images of what the game was going to originally look like |
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| The backgrounds were originally up to Belmont's Revenge standards. What happened to change that? |
But without a doubt, Castlevania Legends' shining aspect is its story, attention to mythology details, and faithfulness to series' esthetics. The game feels like a love letter to the series and a secret chapter in the mythology. This game adds more depth to characters, informing their decisions in other games, and providing more three dimensional motivations. There are no contradictions to previous canon nor glaring plot holes. Castlevania Legends' story informs the entire mythology going forward. This game also places Alucard within the firmament of the mythology, pivotal to the origin of the Belmonts. Prior to this he was simply an alley of happenstance in Castlevania III (and arguably the weakest of the four protagonists of that game) who bizarrely transformed into the leading figure of the series without just cause.
When compared to its two Game Boy predecessors (the only games it should be compared to) the game offers more in many respects, yet falls short in two particular areas: the backgrounds and the music. The previous Game Boy games have superior backgrounds and soundtracks, some of the best soundtracks out of the entire series in fact, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Castlevania Legends has a strong soundtrack as well. Castlevania Legends set out to be a celebration of the series, to commemorate the franchise's 10th anniversary. And in that regard the game succeeds wonderfully.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Is Castlevania Legends an embarrassment like Koji Igarashi said? A definitive no (both Nintendo 64 games, The Castlevania Adventure, and Castlevania Judgement are the candidates for that honor not to mention both Lords of Shadow games). Is Alucard the father of Trevor Belmont? That answer is purposefully unclear, allowing the fans to decide for themselves what they prefer (strangely though Konami would lean hard into this story angle for the Lords of Shadow games, making Dracula a Belmont and even going one step further by actually making Trevor and Alucard the same person).
And is it a problem having a female protagonist set in 1450 A.D.? Not in the slightest as Joan of Arc, a real life European warrior, predates this time period by a mere twenty years (Sonia is set up very similarly to Joan too by having "holy powers" and embracing a holy calling). With the plot point that the Belmonts were feared for their supernatural power, having a female lead in this game in fact makes more sense given the hysteria surrounding witches during this era.
Overall, this game does so much for the franchise that it's hard to find another game in the series that services the franchise and mythology more. There are no continuity errors or plot holes created as a result of this game's story either. And when compared to its direct peers, the previous Game Boy games, Legends offers the player so much more than the others, only lacking in the backgrounds and having a slightly less endearing soundtrack.
When compared to its two Game Boy predecessors (the only games it should be compared to) the game offers more in many respects, yet falls short in two particular areas: the backgrounds and the music. The previous Game Boy games have superior backgrounds and soundtracks, some of the best soundtracks out of the entire series in fact, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Castlevania Legends has a strong soundtrack as well. Castlevania Legends set out to be a celebration of the series, to commemorate the franchise's 10th anniversary. And in that regard the game succeeds wonderfully.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Is Castlevania Legends an embarrassment like Koji Igarashi said? A definitive no (both Nintendo 64 games, The Castlevania Adventure, and Castlevania Judgement are the candidates for that honor not to mention both Lords of Shadow games). Is Alucard the father of Trevor Belmont? That answer is purposefully unclear, allowing the fans to decide for themselves what they prefer (strangely though Konami would lean hard into this story angle for the Lords of Shadow games, making Dracula a Belmont and even going one step further by actually making Trevor and Alucard the same person).
And is it a problem having a female protagonist set in 1450 A.D.? Not in the slightest as Joan of Arc, a real life European warrior, predates this time period by a mere twenty years (Sonia is set up very similarly to Joan too by having "holy powers" and embracing a holy calling). With the plot point that the Belmonts were feared for their supernatural power, having a female lead in this game in fact makes more sense given the hysteria surrounding witches during this era.
Despite all of this, Castlevania Legends still remains divisive among the franchise. Many see it as an eye sore, some going as far as to say it's an
abomination that should never have been made. And then there are those
who staunchly defend and praise the game, decrying its reconned
status and the injustices heaped upon it. Given the results of this detailed analysis, many of the accusations levied against this game appear unfounded and inaccurate, especially when measured against its direct Game Boy peers.
It seems that Koji Igarashi's comments about the game appear to be where much of the negative perspective originates. Many view his opinions as the definitive word on the franchise, coloring the views many have toward this game resulting in such a divisive response. Igarashi is not the creator of Castlevania nor should he have the final say in all aspects of the franchise (just look at the entirety of Castlevania Judgement and the loads of questionable choices in Curse of Darkness. Lament of Innocence has more questionable continuity than Legends). Symphony aside (which he did not direct nor solely write), Igarashi's contributions to the series vary widely in quality. So, anything Igarashi says should be taken with large grains of salt.
Castlevania Legends explored arguably the most significant chapter in
the mythology: The beginning. It's easy to see that perhaps Igarashi
himself wanted to be the one to tell such an important chapter in the
saga, and given his appointed place of power over the franchise, he had
the power to recon whatever he wanted and tell the origin story he
wanted for the series. Perhaps that is the true reason why he retconned
Castlevania Legends.
Regardless, Castlevania Legends is still an officially licensed and released Castlevania game from Konami and nothing about it's story or presentation contradicts previous games in the franchise nor the games Igarashi helmed that came afterwards (it still works, even with Lament of Innocence). And besides, Konami did away with the original timeline anyway by rebooting the franchise with the Lords of Shadow series. In essence, Konami reconned Igarashi's games too. At the end of the day we can each decide our own canon with what Konami has officially presented us.
Given all of the facts, the intentions behind the game, and the context surrounding the game, Castlevania Legends is somewhat of an unjustly vilified game in the series, the very definition of a cult classic. It is possible to enjoy and even love both Symphony of the Night and Castlevania Legends. There is no side to choose between here. Ignoring the comments by Igarashi, and keeping in mind his dubious motivations (and abuse of power?), if you give this game the chance you may discover an enjoyable Castlevania waiting for you to sink your fangs into.
Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10
An essential entry in the Castlevania saga.
And thus ends my longest post yet on the subject of Castlevania.
Please feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts on this polarizing game.
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