The power is not given by law!
As a representative of the dark race,
He did dirty deeds
With an evil dusk grimace.

Awaken by those who were
Scourge of his unfortunate fate,
He also drank a stranger,
Having lost itself in a thirst for passionate.

Scary scarlet pupils,
And people – like targets in a dash.
Beginners do not understand,
That they are creatures in this world.

Inspiring mortals only a nightmare,
To manners are inclined,
Transfer the great gift
Only in the highest extent unworthy.

A passage of the song
King and Jester – Dark Teacher
A. Knyazev, 2010

What is the main thing for you? To finish the work begun or so that everything was fine with friends and loved ones? Or maybe you yourself live in abundance, or to engage in charity work and help other people whom you can help? This is all important in the first place for ourselves. To satisfy your own needs. In the second turn, this is important for society as a moral impetus for a person, as an inspiration for future actions, accomplishments.

For a creative person, whether he is a writer, an artist, a musician, or, in our case, a game designer, the main goal is to present the essence of his work. This is forced the reader, viewer, listener to catch what he wanted to say. Entertain, think about something, convey some sensation or just give information. Usually, the first time this is few. A person experiments, tries what techniques to use more efficiently, how to better convey those sensations, those emotions that he experiences. The author looks at the reaction of the public, and if satisfied with it, then he is satisfied. If he wants, he will even further improve his business, adding something new and unusual.

But, as is usually in our world, the author does not have time to say everything he wanted. Maybe he does not know how to express what he wants to convey? Or personal difficulties interfere with him? Or maybe someone more influential told him that he will be enough to deal with this business-it insults someone, interferes with someone or simply does not bring a lot of profit, because you can’t go far on a bare enthusiasm?

So the leadership of Konami decided, giving the last chance to Hitoshi Akamatsu and the last chance for the Castlevania series. And this chance was Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse.

The past of the series (Dracula II: Noroi No Fuiin) was an ambiguous game among both players and the press. The game was confusing, the bosses are easy, riddles are not clear. The crooked game design interfered with this game. Hitoshi Akamatsu tried to convey the spirit of the adventure and the spirit of the 16th century in open (as far as this can be said) locations, but it turned out with a stretch. Although this game nevertheless left its trace in video game history, and not only as a game with the worst ridds, but also as a game that tried to make a non -linear journey (as Metroid and The Legend of Zelda).

Konami leadership, looking at this, was skeptical of the idea of ​​creating a sequel. But having learned how people liked Akumajou Dracula, she still allowed Hitoshi to continue, with one “but” – it should have been like the first part: linear, complex levels, the bosses gave a test (or rupture of one soft place), the graphics are the most beautiful, the music is the most cool, but without riddles. Well, well … said – done!

On December 22, 1989, one of the most beautiful, one of the most difficult, one of the perfectly sounding games is the game Akumajou Densetsu (Per. Ang.: “Legend of the Demon Castle”; Per Rus.: “The legend of the demonic castle”). At the head of the development was Hitoshi Akamatsu-san.

The plot of the game is a prequel to the very first game – Akumajou Dracula, and occurs 200 years before it began.

Europe of the 15th century. In the Middle Ages there was a man who everyone was afraid. The person who renounced all human. The name is Count Vlad Tepesh, better known as Dracula. His possessions were on the outskirts of Transylvania, in Wallachia. Dracula used forbidden magic to cause an evil deity. The demon granted the graph of power, and in return he called the devilish creatures into the world to absorb the whole walachy darkness.

But Dracula was not enough. He wanted to capture the whole of Europe and drown it into the abyss of despair and eternal bloodshed. But the Catholic Church did not share these plans. She immediately called on a powerful army in Wallachia, but there was no news from this army. Dad had to turn to mercenaries, as well as vampire hunters.

The first to whom dad addressed was Sifa Velnemes – a monk who sought to become a priest. Sifa has the strongest magic of fire, ice and lightning. But Velnames does not use weapons and vulnerable to physical attacks. Sifa in childhood lost his parents and was found wandering near the monastery, where local monks sheltered him. He accepted the request of the pope.

Around the same time, in Vlahiy, a group of rebels secretly organized the overthrow of Count Dracula. However, she was not even an army of monsters, and the rebels could not compare with the forces of Dracula. Some were torn to pieces by pieces, others pierced the stakes, and the “lucky ones” were turned into disgusting monsters. Among them was a dodger from Wallachia, a grant din.

Vlad Tepes was not completely satisfied with his power, and he wanted even more strength and power. Therefore, his deal with the devil spread to his son. But his son has a human heart. Andrian Fahrenheit Tepes hated his father for selling his soul to the devil. However, Andrian cannot challenge his father, since one cannot cope with him. Andrian took the name Aloucard and began his journey to find quite strong allies in order to stop the tyranny of his father.

Sifa Velnemes sent earlier after a large amount of time did not return back. Dad suggested that Sifa could not fulfill the mission and, most likely, was dead.

It was at that moment that a descendant of the oldest of the clans of vampire hunters appeared. The one who was afraid of even the Church itself appeared. The one who was attributed to the devil’s forces. This clan was afraid of the whole Transylvania, as I was afraid of Dracula. Long -haired young man from the Belmondo clan – Ralph to. Belmondo. He appeared to fulfill the request of the pope and stop Count Vlad Tsepish Dracula. The church had no choice, since all the best hunters who were sent, either disappeared without a trace, or are already dead. Therefore, they had to agree to Belmondo’s proposal.

Akumajo Densetsu discards almost all gamed decisions of the past game, giving place more familiar from the first part. Now there are no open locations in the game where you can travel throughout Wallachia. There are no confusing riddles. There is no gathering of objects, pumping a character, buying objects and other crooked-realized ideas that was in Dracula II: Noroi No Fuin.

The game re -stood on the rails Akumajou Dracula, but it has become much larger and more complicated. Akumajou Densetsu increased all the advantages of the first game on Famicom, and also added perhaps the most important idea of ​​Dracula II. This is nonlinearity. No, the game is also divided at stage and blocks. We also need to get from point A to point B, winning at the end of the boss level (or maybe even in the middle of the level). But now we can choose in certain places at what level to go. Accordingly, at the first passage, the player will not see the whole game and will not go through all levels – which adds to the game of reiglable.

Well, in the gameplay plan, this is the same Akumajou Dracula, with its three types of whip, all additional weapons, as well as hearts that are now not like currency or expli, but as it was in the first part – a consumable for using additional. weapons. Ralph is also clumsy here, we do not control the jump, and with every blow it throws it back, which can play a cruel joke even more and drop the player into the abyss.

But not one Belmondo one. According to the plot, we were introduced to us three more characters who decided to resist Dracula. And we can also play for these characters, and we can go through the game without them.

Let’s start with the first representative of our brave heroes – Sifa Velnemes. Sifa is a hereditary magician, and in his arsenal there is no murderous weapon, and he cannot boast of physical strength. From the monsters, Sifs fights off the staff and his magic. The usual attack does not inflict much damage, and the range is very small, but the magician hits twice as fast as Belmondo. And his health is taken from one division more. But as it was said, the earlier in Velnamodes is solved by magic, and here it is three types:

Holy Fire – A very powerful flame that destroys everything in its path. Hits directly like a whip of a underwear.

Frozen crystals – Ice crystals that shoot in all directions to freeze enemies. While the adversaries are in the form of ice statues, they can be easily destroyed with one blow. Also, with this spell, you can freeze water under you.

Holy discharges – Sifa shoots three very powerful discharges. They follow enemies in all directions and will not lag behind them until the goals are overtaken.

The hearts are also responsible for the use of magic, and only one heart is spent for each use of it. In most cases, the spells are very useful – they can help go through the most difficult places for Ralph, and in the last levels it is much easier to kill bosses, but for this you need to get used to playing for it, as used to get used to the shirt. But believe me, it only first seems to be a useless and weak character ..

Our second adventure is a grant of dynast. A resident from a group of robbers, a group that decided to destroy the Grand Duke. The main feature of the grant is its acrobatics. He crawls along the walls and ceilings, jumps higher and further Ralph, and they can also be controlled in a jump.

Play for this character after clumsy Belmondo is just a pleasure, but from the weapon of Grant only a throwing dagger, which is endless, and an ax in the form of additional weapons. They can easily crawl out and slip through half of the block, without falling into enemies and skipping even whole sections of levels. Where else will you see this?

Well, the last one is in line – Andrian Fahrenheit Tepes, better than us as an alcker. Attentive players and readers noticed that his name “Alucard” is a mirror anagram of the name of his father – “Dracula”. And the alucard is fully consistent with its name. He is as a vampire as his father.

Alucard knows how to turn into a bat and fly in complex areas of levels (hearts are taken away for this ability), and from attacks it has fire balls that improve up to three times (for each improvement, the number of balls that shoot in different directions is added). This is, so to speak, a version of what would happen if we were allowed to play for Dracula.

All our heroes will not start the adventure from the very beginning of the game, as they started going to the castle of darkness before Ralph Belmondo. The player will find them only in the process of his journey, and then, only one can be taken to partners. We begin for Ralph, who, before entering the damned land in the possession of Count Dracula, decided to pray in front of the altar in the destroyed church, and the sky is rushing away, sparkling with lightning in the sky. Belmondo begins his long way in the last settlement in front of the castle, which now teems with creatures and zombars.

The main part of the game is not held in an ancient castle, as it was in the first part (in it we will only be 3 blocks), but the road to it, which takes 7 blocks. And in general, we will go through 10 blocks per game, which is 4 more than in Akumajou Dracula on Famicom. But 10 blocks for only one passage. In the game in general 16 blocks, which is not even twice, but somewhere two and a half more than in the first part.

But how we get into other blocks? After passing the village of the dead, what is the first block, we will be offered a fork where we can go to the clock tower in front of the bridge to the castle, so the path will be even shorter, or bypassing the forest, where we will need to cross the lake later.

If we choose the way to the tower, then at the top we will meet the monster, which will turn out to be the robber Grant of Dynast, and after the victory over it, Ralph will destroy the spell of Dracula and the grant will offer his help to Belmondo. Here the player himself has the right to refuse him or accept an offer. In any case, the count sensed something was wrong and destroyed the bridge in front of the castle, so you have to overcome this block in the opposite direction and still go to the forest.

Well, if we go to the forest right away, we will leave the dynasties in the tower in the form of a guard monster. In the forest, the hunter will also find a fork that leads either to the swamp or further into the forest. And in the forest, on the ruins of the old temple, where the statues of the monks are skillfully and accurately cut out, Belmondo will meet the cyclops, having won the curse, one of the statues will come to life and be lost by Sifa Velnemes. Sifa will also offer his help, and if the player previously took Grant as his assistants, then agreeing to the help of Sifs, the dynasties will leave travelers and go to his journey. In any case, you will continue to ascend the ghost ship and swim to another deadly tower in front of the bridge.

If Belmondo decided to go a long and difficult way through the swamp, then he will fall into the catacombs where the ancient vampire is sleeping. Having defeated him, the vampire seems to be the son of Dracula, an alucard, and will offer his help, and he will describe the battle with him as a test, since the journey will be dangerous. One way or another, after the catacombs, having gone either an old prison or a sunken city, adventurers will fall into the catacombs of the castle, where they will go out to the foothills, where the castle of the Count of Dark.

In any situation, despite who you choose to the partners, which way you will go along, you will fall into the main hall familiar in the first game. Moving into the depths of the castle, Ralph Belmondo comes to the throne room of the ancient vampire Count Dracula.

For one passage it is impossible to go through all levels and take all partners with you, and if you take into account that each assistant has its own individual gameplay, then the game can be held at least 4 times in different characters. And if you see all the blocks, then five times. And Ralph can pass all the blocks itself, that is, for him at least two large forks and two small ones – this is 6, or even 7 times! Well, if you want to see all the possible blocks for all the characters that you can go through these blocks, then this is about 10 times of different adventures, along different ways for different characters! I do not know, before Akumajou Densetsu on Famicom, and indeed in the industry, there were linear platformers with such a reigree?

And if in Akumajou Dracula on Famicom you will spend about 1-2 hours for passing, then in Akumajou Densetsu you will spend about 2-4 hours for one passage for one passage. And multiply it 10 times. Akumajou Densetsu at one time was really a big game. And also do not forget that as in the original game, here, after the first passage, there will also be a second quest, where enemies are not just more and they beat more painfully, and new content also appears, inaccessible at the first passage. This multiplies reiglabia by 2 times! This is great!

And if it came to enemies, then the bestiaria was again replenished with new representatives of not only ordinary enemies, but also bosses. Leaders here 15 for the whole game. In addition to an alukard and a grant of dynast and cyclops, old friends will interfere in the form of: Gorgons, Frankenstein, Mummia and Phantom Bishop, as well as a pack of new complex and colorful bosses, among which it is worth highlighting Doppelganger. This scum is a copy of the character for which you will play, that is, you are fighting against yourself. So let’s say 4 boss in one bottle. And this bastard will suck out of you all the blood and crush all the nerves! Even make -ups in this game is not so ruthless.

And yes, we will meet our https://pirate-spins.uk old acquaintance again, and even in the familiar block! He will wait for travelers in the main hall of the castle. And although the riber is not so complicated, but for some characters and generally easily killed, he will be able to surprise you with the second form that any additional does not take. Ralph Belmondo weapons. You have to beat only with a whip, or switch to another character and pick them with additional weapons.

Well, and the most important bastard is, of course, the prince of darkness himself is Count Vlad Tepes Dracula. And he is also not as difficult as in Akumajou Dracula, but this is compensated by his three forms – the latter which is the very embodiment of the ancient deity to which Vlad sold his and Andrian to the soul. It will be problematic to defeat them at a time, but it is very possible.

After the victory over the count, we will be given four endings, where Ralph Belmondo will stand alone or together with a partner on a cliff and meet the dawn together against the background of the destructive castle. Just in one of these endings, we will learn that Sifa Velnames is actually a woman. And after this trip, Ralph Belmondo, together with Sifa Velnemes, will continue the Belmondo genus.

The composers decided to write compositions in Akumajou Densetsu is better than in Dracula II and Akumajou Dracula, and is better than in all games at Famicom out before that. And all this thanks to the chip, which was designed specifically for Akumajou Densetsu – the Konami VRC6 (VRC -VI) chip.

In Konami VRC chips, and indeed the MMC (Multi-Memory Controllers or Memory Management Controllers) chips, used to expand the memory of the cartridge, which allowed a large amount of content in the form of the best graphics, a large number of various objects and even pseudo-scrolling to some graphics. All this was done by switching memory banks that were in a special chip.

So, in this version of the chip, Konami engineers added 3 more additional channels: 2 pulse (Square 3, Square 4), and one sawn -out channel (Sawtooth). So, using the VRC6 chip, a total of 8 channels in the game! This is even 2 channels more than Famicom Disk System. But when writing music for Akumajou Densetsu, only 7 channels were used. Did not use only triangular (triangle). At all. I have never heard him in the whole game.

Three composers were responsible for the music. This is Jun Funahashi, Yuka Morimoto (Yukie Morimoto) and Hidenori Maezawa. And it was Hidenori Maezava who knew how to use the sound capabilities of the VRC6 chip at full power, because he was one of the engineers of this chip, and most likely he was responsible for the sound equipment of this.

Akumajou Densetsu was memorable thanks to music, and I’m not about the technical part of this issue, but about the written compositions themselves specifically for this game. This game has many memorable music, which emphasizes the atmosphere of some and really terrible and unpleasant locations, in a good way. And when necessary, then drive music also plays for your ears.

In general, the style of music was chosen in the direction of the first part, namely Akumajou Dracula. There is even one composition that came from the 1986 game, of course in an improved version. And yet, there is one composition that will enter the top three of the most recognizable tracks from the Castlevania series – Beginning. So we can say that tracks Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears And Beginning form the musical layer of the series. It is these three tracks that will most often meet in further games in different arrangements.

As previously written, the VRC6 chip significantly expanded not only sound capabilities, but also graphic. Thanks to this Mapper, the developers were able to improve and diversify the visual at a time compared to past parts. With all past parts. So, even in Intro, where we are told the background of all this action, clouds diverge over the castle to the beautiful effect of parallax. By the way, this effect will still be used in the game.

Deja vu (Vampire Killer)

There are also a lot of moving details in Akumajou Densetsu in the background. Even the lightning discharges are in one block. The locations themselves are worked out as thoroughly as the console allowed it. Here are whole pieces of foliage on blocks, and worked out statues, and a diverse forest, as well as the most beautiful waterfall along which Ralph makes its way upstairs. Beauty!

There are many new interactive objects in this game. The overlapping platforms and presses with spikes were returned here back, as well as adding pendulums and beams, on which they would also have to balanced. At an 8-bit Famicom, it all looks very amazing and technological. Both in terms of graphics, and in terms of game design. Akumajou Densetsu to this day is one of the most beautiful games on 8-bit Nintendo. And one of the most difficult.

This is an adventure, one of the Belmondo family, is also praised for the worked out game design. For so worked out that each block, each level is built so that you can go through the game without much pain for each character. Even with the second passage. Plus, in the first block there are places where Ralph does not get, but the same alucard or dynasts – with ease.

This game is complicated – yes. She will let you get off again and more than once. You will have fifth place in the second or third block. But, I repeat, she is honest. In this game, all random deaths are minimized not through your fault, as it was in Akumajou Dracula on Famicom. Yes, there are places where it will seem to you that the game is to blame, that you have died again because of the random. But, if you are more attentive, then even many complex places you can go through the first time. Not all, but many.

In this game, I like that we are introduced to many obstacles in advance and under safe circumstances. The spinning platforms for the first time appear in the first block. The first platform at the very beginning of the stage, where, falling off it, we will not die, but just go down to the blocks below.

In the same way, acquaintance with balancing beams on a ghost ship. At the very beginning of this block, we are shown beams and let us try to climb on them. Then, further in this block there will be a place where we will have to jump over them, but now there is no gender under us, and if the character falls from him, then he will die. And these beams also appear at the last levels, where we are again safe with them if we do not go along the way of a ghost ship.

Well, with pendulums also. For the first time they appear in the second block, where the dynasty-monster lives. At first, we can train ourselves to jump on them without losing life, because under the character the floor, and then jumping over the abyss. And if we missed this level, then in the last block we will also be safely introduced to the pendulums first. In any case, we will not miss all these obstacles, and even in any case, without special risks for the player, they will familiarize us with them.

And the levels are built so that there is practically no sudden appearance of the enemy. At first we see an adversary, we think how to safely approach and bang or how to get around it if there is such an opportunity. Why practically? Yes, because the Hitoshi is still that joker, and at the beginning of the block, he can shove a couple of enemy, who, after a couple of seconds of the start of this block, jump onto the character, but you will not even have time to blink.

The critics and players Akumajou Densetsu really liked it, those who could defeat her until the end. Famitsu gave Akimajou Densetsu 30 out of 40 points, praising the developers for the courage to return to the basics of the first game on Famicom and develop it to a very high level. Critics liked both excellent music and amazing visual, the peculiarity of passing the game for several characters and for the non -linearity of this passage. But due to excessive complexity, the points were reduced. So, a 4 -point game is better than Dracula II, but 4 points are worse than Akumajou Dracula. All this, according to critics from Famitsu magazine.

The game was traditionally released to the west in September 1990 in America, and much later in December 1992 in Europe. And … the western version is so different from Japanese in many points where the most important of them is music.

When starting games to the West, Nintendo very strictly controlled the release process. Big N itself made cartridges, and, accordingly, she did not use chips from third -party developers. Therefore, the developers had to get out of the situation, since the VRC6 chip could now not have been present on the cartridge, and on Western cartridges it could not be, more precisely, it would not reproduce additional sound channels. The Cartridge’s payment simply did not attend the contacts that were responsible for music in this game on Japanese cartridges.

Although the graphics managed to save thanks to the mapper from the Nintendo MMC5 itself, which was able to do the same as the VRC6 chip. Well, according to the graphic part. Well, the music had to sacrifice and completely rewrite.

Deja vu (Vampire Killer)

As you could hear, now it is not so expressive and deep. Of course, the composers rewrote the music well, but part of the charm of the game itself disappears. And Western players for many years will not be able to officially hear the wonderful soundtrack Akumajou Densetsu, content with only the Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. But the truth is, for this game, a Western release is one “curse”. Damn for players.

For some reason, Akamatsu-san decided to complicate a rather complex game for Japan for the Western release for Japan. It is decent so complicated. New enemies appeared on some locations, changed the behavior and part of the attacks to the bosses, other objects are already in the candlesticks, and often they are useless. And the Dracula with his last block is already a last nightmare. Starting from the fact that after death on Dracula you appear not before lifting into his chambers, as in Akumajou Densetsu, but at the beginning of the stage, that is, much further.

And even before the Lord of Darkness in Akumajou Densetsu, you can knock out a cross in the candlestick, which greatly helped in the final battle, and in Castlevania III only … a knife. Pick up a knife and still complicated version of Dracula. If the first and second form of the boss did not particularly change, then the battle with the deity itself was complicated – be healthy! Now the rays are not small and do not shoot only down. Now they are at the full length of the character and shoot in all directions! That is, you will not only die on it more often than in the Japanese version, but also get to it longer. And more difficult! While you try to get to it, you can die to Comte, and there you please go through the whole block to go through. Brilliant! And also a grant cannot throw a knife. No, well, in principle, he can only as well. weapon.

And in Castlevania III also complicated the complicated regime. I wrote above that new enemies are added in the second round. So, I will correct myself a little. They are added in the western version. That is, in Castlevania III there are enemies who are not in Akumajou Densetsu, and then, this is only in the second round. Who in their right mind will pass still complicated Akumajou Densetsu? By the way, some and ordinary enemies improved springs, and the bosses were prettier. Of course, a little more censorship was added in some places, and for some reason Gremlin was changed to the hatchback, but this does not change a special picture.

And of course, another main change that all fans of the series know is the names of playable characters, as well as the background of the game. The Castlevania III manual says that the action takes place 100 years before the original Castlevania, that is, in the 16th century. Based on this, the American timeline and Japanese occur in a different period of time and do not relate to each other.

Accordingly, we do not control Ralph to. Belmondo, because he was in the 15th century, and for Trevora to. Belmont from the 16th century. By the way, the surname “Belmont” appeared in Castlevania II, but because of my inattention, I missed it. And in the original Castlevania, we ourselves are in the castle.

But not only Ralph was changed to Trevora. Sifa Velnames changed the surname to Belnandes. And in the manual, the word “spirit” is assigned to the name of each character in quotation marks, which means “spirit”, except for alarm. “Spirit” by Alucard, “Spirit” Grant of Danai (yes, just such a spelling) and “Spirit” of Sifa Belnandes. No, well, logical. If they lived in the 15th century, then after 100 years only a spirit will remain from them, although Alucard … But this is already a fan’s nonsense.

And yet. Trevor Belmont is the grandfather of Simon Belmont, which is in principle logical, but in the manual of the first part (of course, Japanese, but in the west in the second part it was written that the first was Simon, but not the essence) that Simon’s grandfather is Christopher Belmont. Now let’s see. “Trevor K. Belmont ”, where“ K."Perhaps means" Christopher ".

After all this, I have only one question – why the fuck, and most importantly – why? Why was it so to confuse the players of that time who wanted to understand the Laura of the game and even somehow recognized something from Japanese sources. Why Akamatsu-san?

And yes, in the intro clouds now do not diverge. Fuck.

But still, she was also loved and highlighted, multi -page guides were written, passing. There was a big advertisement. And now it is put in tops of the best games on nes. And by “her” I mean exactly Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Even the IGN put this game in 5th place from the top 100 best games on NES. And in principle, I agree, if you take in general and Akumajou Densetsu and Castlevania III, but if separately, then … well, to taste and color as they say.

And as past parts, the game was reprinted many times. And in Konami Collector’s Series: Castlevania & Contra, and Castlevania Anniversary Collection, and Virtual Console on Wii, Wii U and 3DS. Moreover, in Castlevania Anniversary Collection, you can play in Akumajou Densetsu and Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, which is very wonderful. And I advise you to first enjoy Akumajou Densetsu, and then try to go through the complicated Castlevania III.

But again, not only reprints alone, the original game is one. In 2006, a port was released on mobile phones. Although I did not find the image of the game and video of the gameplay, but the screenshots show that the game as a whole is not very different from the original – Akumajou Densetsu. It was her, because the port came only in Japan and as part of Konami Masterpiece Series. Of the differences, only the fact that a slight mode was added to the game by analogy with the re -release on the Akumajou Dracula cartridges on Famicom.

A series about the adventures of Dracula, more precisely about its intrigues, was already quite popular by the 90s, especially in the Land of the Rising Sun. Yes, many series of games from Konami were already known then, and Konami herself made parodies on them. Take the same series of shmapov Parodius. And the Dracula series was no exception.

The Dracula series, despite not particularly large sales, compared to other Konami titles, was loved by players, so it would be stupid to throw this series into the abyss of oblivion, and even more so not to include it in thematic games, where the main characters of the Konami games were present. Some prefabricated hodgers. And I’m not talking about parodious. And about the series Konami Wai Wai World ("Konami Noise World" Per. Ang; "Noisy world by horses" per. Rus.).

WAI WAI World was only in Japan in January 1988. A certain evil Varuda began to attack the world by horses. With Dr. Sinamon (from the game Tweenbee) is associated with horsemen of Men and says bad news – Varuda abducted all the heroes of Konya. Upon returning to the laboratory of Dr. Sinamon, Konami Maina is provided by his assistant to Lady, an Android, created by the doctor. Now the horses of Men and Konami should free all the heroes of Konami and defeat the evil Varud!

This is the plot of this game, which is needed in order for us to start looking for references … that is, characters from Konami games, and went through the levels we know. Everything is teeming with references here. Take the same doctor Sinamon who appeared on Tweenbee. Or a penguin that teleports us to different levels – is very similar to a penguin from Antarctic Adventure.

Game is a regular platformer. Not very complicated, but with research elements. We are available 6 levels to choose from. Each of the levels refers us to a certain game from Konami. The Goonies, Gonbare Goemon, Getsafumaden, King Kong and Akumajou Dracula. And here there is an island of Easter, which most likely refers to Gradius.

So, in order to save the character, you need to find the key in his level and find his cell. It looks like something, yes? (Hello from Vampire Killer) Pull the cage and free the character from the shackles, and you can play for it. Each character has its own characteristics and additional. weapon. So, for example, Getsafumaden Getsfumaden Getsaa can break certain blocks. So without it we will not be able to go to Easter Island, because at the beginning of the level a barrier from gray blocks interferes with us. Well and so on.

It is important for us that Simona Belmondo can be freed from the Dracula Castle in Transylvania. Teleporting to this level, you can immediately see familiar creatures – bats, zombies and … mucus? (Hello again, Vampire Killer). After walking a little in the cemetery in front of the castle, the heroes go into the castle itself. And no, we do not immediately fall into the main hall. He will be later.

In the castle itself we will meet skeletons, flying eyes, skulls, armor, spearmen, as well as Dracula himself in the main lobby in front of the room where Simon is imprisoned. But for starters we need a key, and it is in the basement of the castle. The key protects … a two -legged one -eyed toad a rebirth? And the theme of this boss is the theme of the battle with the curse of people from Akumajou Dracula.

Simon Belmont Theme (Vampire Killer)

Boss Battle Castlevania (2nd Form Dracula)

We defeated the frog, return back to the hall, kill Dracula there, and free Simon. Now Belmondo is under our control. Vampire hunter hits the same, as in the original game – a whip. But in the place when he strikes, does not stop. Anyway, the management here is smoother, and easier. They can be controlled in the air, when getting damage, Belmondo does not throw back. By the way, in the secret room you can get a cross with which Simon will rush like in Akumajou Dracula. Only hearts are not spent.

When you choose a character, the game sounds from the game from the game from which he arrived. Simon is Vampire Killer, which Chuutu, Changed. Since Simona Belmondo can be saved at the very beginning of the game, then they can try to go through the whole game. And honestly, it’s funny to watch how Simon wanders around a modern metropolis or ancient Japan. And you can go down to hell with him. In general, where he just won’t go. And the game is funny. If you like Konami characters, I advise you to look. It may like it.

The second, and the last, crossover game of the characters Konami – Wai Wai World 2. SOS!! Paseri Jou ("Noise World 2. SOS!! Parsley Castle ”per. Ang.; “The noisy world 2. SOS!! Parsley Castle ”per. Rus.) came out three years later in January 1991. And again only in Japan. And this game is much better and more interesting than the previous. According to the plot, a certain villain abducts the princess of the world with Konami. Dr. Sinamon sends his Android Ricley to a rescue operation. And the bastard is in space, in a certain mysterious castle. But we understand what kind of lock it is. Is it true?

But the path to the lock of the rickel will go not one. You can choose three characters to his partners, among which there is a goomon, Getsu Fuma, UPA from the game Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa, Bill Raiser from the Contra series and our Simon Belmondo series. This time the game is all linear, and pass certain levels to save the characters, and later play for them – no need to. Before the game, the player will give four sets of three heroes. Simon in this game is the same as in the first WAI WAI World, only does not know how to rush with crosses.

In addition to Simon from Akumajou Dracula, the level itself came – the Dracula Castle, to which you first need to fly on the Vic Viper ship from Gradius through the space and jump over the highway, like Frogger from the same name. Then we get into the castle, and … Akumajou Dracula fans will be happy.

First we find ourselves in the castle’s courtyards, which are similar to the first block from Akumajou Densetsu. Then we go down to the catacombs. And all this to the music that begins as Stalker, and then the familiar Vampire Killer goes. Further, the heroes rise along the tower covered with stained glass frescoes, similar from Akumajou Densetsu, to the bridge, which will also crumble. Well, in the end, the main hall of the castle, at the end of which 3 coffins are waiting for us. More precisely 4. The 4th will be a boss. And the second segment of the path we will go under Bloody Tears. The music here is not just brazenly from past games, it is well rewritten to the style of this game.

World 9-2 (Stalker \ Vampire Killer)

World 9-2 (Bloody Tears)

World 9-2 (Boss Battle \ Dracula 2nd Form)

Yes, I wrote above that the game is much better than the first part. There are not only platform segments from different games, but also a scroll-player from Gradius and Tweenbee. And if you don’t know that you are playing in WAI WAI World 2, you might think that these are new parts of Gradius and Tweenbee. There is even a separate world with riddles. In short, I advise you to play and go through it. Get a lot of pleasure if you are a fan of old games from Konami. It’s a pity that she came out only in Japan. But this is understandable. Outside the country of the rising sun, no one knew about Gonbare Goemon and Getsufumaden. And sorry. A pity ..

The last adventure of the Dracula on the Famicom console, or rather the advent of the son of Dracula, was released again exclusively for Japan in October 1990. And this adventure is not an alucard, as you might think, but the other son is a kid Dracula ("Kid Dracula" Ang. per.; “Boku Dracula-Kun” per. Yap. tran.). Only the Japanese in 1990 on Famicom were able to play Akumajou Special: Boku Dracula-Kun ("Demon Castle Special: Kid Dracula" Per. Ang; “Special demonic castle: baby Dracula” per. Rus.).

After a long 10.000 summer sleep finally wakes up the king of demons-baby Dracula. The first thing he decided to drink a can of fresh blood … tomato juice and watch your favorite program on TV. One of the “faithful” minions, a flying mouse, prevented him from viewing his viewing. The mouse attacked its former owner, but the boy easily threw off the servant. Dracula’s kid demanded an explanation.

The bat told the mouse that when the kid was sleeping peacefully in his coffin, the authorities adopted the authorities – Galotil – Galot. At the same moment, a galamot was broadcast on TV. He said that the boy was sleeping for too long, so he is not needed anymore, like the ruler of the Dark Forces. Kid, Overnev from such impudence, is enough the old cloak of his father and decides to find a new self -proclaimed king of the demon and return his throne.

This game is very different from the original Dracula trilogy. But this is understandable. For the most part it is a parody and branch from the original series of games. Therefore, to hope for a horror atmosphere, worked out locations, a complex gameplay (although sometimes this game gives a light) and music for centuries – it is not necessary. Everything is simple and to taste. And most importantly, it is clear. Kid Dracula (I better call it) more like the games of that time made in famous franchises with a small budget. On Kyattō Ninden Teyandee ("Samurai Pizza Cat" per. Ang.; “Cats Pizza-Sammurai” per. Rus.), Felix The Cat ("Cat Felix" per. Rus.), even on the same Wai Wai World.

We control the offspring of Dracula – a kid Dracula (yes, he does not have a normal name). Compared to Belmonds and ordinary people, the kid is very mobile. In the jump we control, jumps far, and it is easier to control. Of the attacks in the arsenal, only the fire ball (Fireball; normal; fire), but this is only in the beginning. After each level (except the last 4), the baby receives a new skill:

Bomb Attack (Bomb; Bomb) – shells that cause damage over a large area when they are in contact with an obstacle.

Almost every of these skills at least once, but comes in handy during the trip. Somewhere it will be necessary to fly on a narrow passage, some bosses do not kill without a certain skill, and in one place you need to jump to the ceiling to go through without any troubles. But often, after receiving homing shells (and this is after the first level), other abilities, except for extreme necessity, you will not use and will not be.

And the journey at the Dracunychus is still satisfied with the long and saturated. For 9 levels, the kid and I will visit the Dracula Castle with his main hall, a clock tower and a throne room. And at some factory in the sky. And in the metropolis. And in the desert with the pyramids. On the ship. And even in space. That is, we were not deprived of a variety of locations. Like a variety of enemies.

Each location has unique enemies, some of which were the slaves of the baby Dracula. Zombari, bats, frakentsteins with bows, knights speakers, and even jiangs are present here, whom they wanted to add in Dracula II. And these are enemies only from the first location. And the farther to the forest, the more partisans. Much. Snowmen, dummies, sinking swimmers, UFOs … King Kongi? Japanese deities? Robo-Cherepachi … not well, it is not so surprised. Spider-Man!? Well … it’s at least not ku-club Clax … oh ty.

And here we are moving into a variety of bosses with a variety of ordinary enemies. And the first boss to get up by our path, and even the castle took the campaign, this is the representative of the Ku-Kluks clan. And even with a swastika on the head. And there there will be a chicken, a robot, a dragon, the head of the Sphinx. Yes, there is even a statue of freedom as a boss. More precisely, as a leading quiz, where we must correctly answer three questions faster than a chicken and that one with a cap on the head. They came to recoup.

In general, Kid Dracula has a lot of mini-games, and all of them occur after passing the level. First we will be given to play in Amidakuzdi – a Japanese lottery, where we choose which mini -to -game we will pass. Slot Mashin, guess the color of panties from the dancers in a cabaret, try not to kill (or kill, I still did not understand) the skeleton in a bucket or another lottery with balls. In each game there is only one prize – life. But the host of all this disgrace is not generous, and for participation in the game he requires coins that are knocked out of enemies at the level. They are knocked out only by an enhanced attack. He makes a new hairstyle for himself a campaign for these coins every time.

Well, and, accordingly, the King of the Demons, the Galamot himself, will also fight with us. Two times. The first time we will meet him after Egypt, when we go up the pipe, and let this segment be cursed. These platforms sucked out of me everything that could, especially when the missiles still appear. Yes, the metro in the metropolis was not as exhausting as this crap! In any case, the first time we will easily overcome it.

But the second time he will be the final boss. But first you need to go through the last level with 2 boss files. At a time. And Galamota too at a time. That is. The entire level, with three bosses at a time. Now I believe that this game is part of the Dracula series. If at the beginning of the game it will seem to you that the game is easy enough to pass without tension, then at the end separate segments you will hate.

But, having defeated Galamot, the baby Dracula becomes the new Lord of Demons. All the boys of the kid are happy with the return of the old ruler, but this, of course, after he broke some of them to shreds, but this is not the essence. The main thing is that now they are all his friends and can take a photo as a keepsake.

This game would not be part of the Dracula series if not for memorable music. Of course, the compositions are not so worked out as in other games of the series, but these are spin-offs, and for spin-off tracks to sound even good. In the first level, the Dracula Castle, the processed theme of Beginning will play. And it is processed under the mood of the game. Now the motives do not urge to go on a dangerous journey to defeat the next universal evil. No. This is a groovy, cheerful composition that immediately makes it clear that nothing serious and sinister is in the future.

By music in the game you can understand that for the baby Dracula is nothing more than a game. How, in principle, for the player. Simple (almost), unobtrusive game that you will be happy. In the second level, the music is airy and inspiring that to match the local scenery in the form of an endless sky and clouds. Yes, even here the name of these tracks gives more childhood and frivolity what is happening. Water Cha Chak from the third, underwater level. Or EVERYTHING FALLS Down OUCH OUCH, which plays at the fourth, in a snowy level, where the entire surface is slippery, and you can easily fall from the ledge. Although some tracks are repeated, but this is even imperceptible, since they are well inscribed in the events taking place.

Go Go at the Castle (Stage 1)

Hop and STEP ABOVE Clouds (Stage 2)

Water Cha Cha (Stage 3)

EVERYTHING FALLS Down OUCH OUCH OUCH (Stage 4)

Robot Battle (Stage 9)

Well, local graphics – it is simple, not much worked out. But it is clear that this is the stylistic of the game. The springs themselves are large and detailed (by cartoon). In the first level there are even moving mechanisms and swinging pendulums from Akumajou Densetsu. The game itself has 3 sections where we are moving at high speed. Some bosses consist of composite springs. And at the last level, and in the screensaver, there is a parallax effect. So the developers could make the game worked out to the smallest detail. But why is it? She looks good and even stylistically highlighted, especially against the background of the rest. But she is not just a spin-off, but a parody of a franchise.

Players and the press restrained the game on the release. Famitsu gave the game 25 out of 40 points, which is 1 point worse than Dracula II: Norou no Fuiin. For the game of parody, and even more so for spin-offs, this is pretty good. The game came to the west very late – in 2019 at Castlevania Anniversary Collection, both in its original form and in translated. By the way, in translated form the game was called Kid Dracula, and the swastika of the dude in the cap was removed. But otherwise, everything remained unchanged. Also, the game in 2006 was ported to mobile phones only in Japan.

In fact, Western players much earlier learned about the existence of the kid Dracula, but not on NES, but on the portable Game Boy, in continuation or even remake of this game. But we will talk about this next time.

Konami gave the last chance to the father of the Hitoshi Akamatsu series. Akamatsu-san took this chance in full. Akumajou Densetsu, and Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse remains with many of the most favorite game of the series and a favorite game on the Famicom/Nes platform. It is very different against the background of such games of competitors and not only competitors, but also other Konami games – elaborate and scale. It can be seen that Hitoshi put his whole soul into his work. The players liked the game. And the press was delighted. Sales were large, but not so large as to satisfy Konami bosses.

Even then, Konami was chasing profit. She was interested in loud titles that could bring big income. They had the rights to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and this franchise was a dairy cow for bosses Konami. Many developers were thrown at profitable projects, preventing him from ending their own. Castlevania was lucky that she became one of the first Konami franchises to bring good income.

But, what about Hitoshi Akamatsu? Did the Konami leadership closed the franchise and prevented Akamatsu to engage in it? Well, she left her franchise. I brought money, and there were a lot of fans. But the father of the whole series will no longer have to register in any developed on Castlevania. After Akumajou Densetsu, Hitoshi Akamatsu developed his last game – Jarinko Chie Bakudan Musume No Shiawase Sagashi, which was not only in Japan and successfully wound up. Therefore, the authorities removed him from the development of games and lowered him to the employee in one of the Konami shopping centers, and after that he quit.

At that time, Konami went a lot of those who did not develop hits and games with many-millionaires sales. Someone remained in the gaming industry, going to other companies like SNK, Squer Soft, Namco, but someone never touched the game craft again. Hitoshi Akamatsu just from the last. Nothing is heard about him. There is no information on the Internet, and game journalists cannot find it and the addresses of his residence. Not even a normal photo. So where is he, what he does, and is he alive is unknown. But he left the video game industry on a high note.

Well, what about Castlevania? The series was declining? Of course not. In the future, the series blossomed, and all thanks to talented developers who could improve the Akumajou Dracula formula. And one game could even imagine the main feature of Akumajou Densetsu from a different angle. Even one of the now popular genres will be called in honor of the games of the series – and this is all thanks to the godfather of the series, which will be a producer in the future. But these are the events of the future II act of the history of the Castlevania series.