Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ?) is a 1993 Castlevania game released in Japan on the Sharp X68000 home computer. It is a remake of the original Akumajō Dracula (Castlevania). Due to the X68000 not being released outside of Japan, this game never saw an international release. The X68000 version was later re-released on Sharp X68000 Z, bundled with Quarth as part of the Akumajō Dracula/Quarth Deluxe Pack, and released on May 30, 2024 in Japan.
Castlevania Chronicles is the PlayStation re-release of the X68000 game. Released in 2001, this version featured rendered cutscenes and improved graphics. It was released in Japan as Castlevania Chronicle Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城年代記 悪魔城ドラキュラ Kyassurubania Kuronikuru Akumajō Dorakyura?).
Plot
Since the game is a remake of the original Castlevania, the storyline is the same as the original Akumajō Dracula. Simon Belmont has to set out to defeat the evil Count Dracula, who has been terrorizing the land.
Character gallery
- Main article: Castlevania Chronicles/Gallery
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image | Name | Information |
  (original/arranged) |
(Simon Belmondo) |
The protagonist and playable character of Castlevania.
|
  (original/arranged) |
The main antagonist and final boss of the game. He has returned to the Earth to plague mankind.
| |
Gameplay
The Sharp X68000 version is a remake of the original Akumajō Dracula (Castlevania) with redesigned stages and added items taken from games released after the original. Roughly half the stages were directly remade from the original game, with the exclusive stages mostly taking elements from other games. The order of most of the remade levels were also rearranged (e.g.: what was Block 2 in the original game is now Block 4; what was Block 4 is now Block 2, etc.).
In regard to music, the game offers three different options to choose from. While the musical score is similar for all three of them, their instrumentations greatly differ from each other. Options given are the internal Yamaha YM2151 FM synth of the unit, Roland LA synthesis (MT-32, CM-32L, CM-64), and Roland GS wavetable MIDI (SC-55, SC-33, SC-155, CM-300, CM-500).
This release is notable for its high difficulty level. According to Hideo Ueda, director of the original X68000 release, this was deliberate, as the game was mainly intended toward players who were really good at games.[1]
The PlayStation re-release, Castlevania Chronicles, features two game modes: "Original Mode" and "Arrange Mode". While the former emulates the X68000 version (save for translating the name on the title to "Castlevania"), the latter adds new rendered cutscenes with character designs by Ayami Kojima (of Symphony of the Night fame), a new sprite for the main character and Dracula, and a new musical score in electronic style (these two latter features cannot be changed).
The 'Options' menu of this version also features a new 'Arrange Option', where it's possible to change a few aspects of the Arrange Mode game for more balanced gameplay. These include:
- Game Level: Ability to choose between three different difficulty settings: Easy, Normal and Hard.
- Max Players: Ability to choose the number of lives the player starts with, either 1, 3 or 5.
- Time Limit: Ability to turn the time limit counter on or off (the latter option which removes the extra points given to the player for the remaining time on the counter at the end of a level).
Stages
Regional differences
- The American and European versions contain an interview with Koji Igarashi (IGA) and a gallery featuring artwork by Ayami Kojima from Castlevania Chronicles and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The latter images were already featured in the Sega Saturn version of Symphony of the Night. The gallery is unlocked by clearing stages in 'Arrange Mode'. The artwork of the Succubus was censored, since her chest in the original was exposed.
- In the US and European versions of Chronicles, the game can be saved at Stage 24, the battle with Dracula.[2]
- Some enemies, such as Red Skeletons and Peeping Eyes, do not award points in the original Japanese release. This was modified in the international releases, and the later Japanese PSN release has been altered in order to match these features.
- The player's whip and sub-weapons have different hit-boxes between various versions.
- Due to porting issues, the sub-weapons will not break fake walls and ice walls in the US and European versions.
- On Stage 05 (Block 2-2), a candle is added in the US and European versions. This candle can be seen in the Japanese version, but only if the player backtracks to the candle.
- The screen size of the international releases have been slightly altered, and the current unloaded areas on the top of the screen will sometimes show a strange purplish line. This also results in the spawning points for the Medusa Heads on Stages 10 and 13 (Blocks 4-1 and 5-1) to move to a higher point.
- The international releases used a modified background for the falling bridge section of Stage 16 (Block 6-1).
- On Stage 23 (Block 8-2), a Giant Bat is missing in the original Japanese release. This appears to be the result of a coding error, as the original X68000 version of the stage has the bat properly in position.
- On Stage 24 (Block 8-3), at the exit of the first screen a Persephone will always spawn in front of a column in the Japanese release. This specific Persephone will not spawn in the following international releases.
- On the US and European versions, you have to press down L1+R1+X buttons on the 'Original Mode' option in the main menu to reach the sound hardware selection screen.
- In the US and European versions, the Japanese voices of the French Dolls in Stage 17 have been completely removed.
Gallery
- Main article: Castlevania Chronicles/Gallery
Trivia
- On Stage 9, a Count Orlok lookalike from the film Nosferatu appears in the background, frozen in a block of ice.
- On Stage 11 (Block 4), a giant statue of the Greek goddess Athena cries tears of blood, a reference to "Bloody Tears", the piece that plays during this stage.
- On Stage 114 (fifth play through on Block 6-3), a cartoon image of Simon Belmont will appear smoking a cigarette accompanied by Japanese text in one of the background mirrors. The text translates to "Here's Fake Simon!".[1][2]
- The programming behind mirrors found on Block 6-3 is that the reflection is actually background layer 3. This can be seen in an emulator by disabling onscreen layers, allowing to see the full reflection of the mirrors. This also includes the graffiti of Simon, regardless of how many playthroughs the player has accumulated by that point.
- On Stage 21 (Block 7), the last section has a giant painting in the background of a field with mountains. For the original X68000 game, the painting will reflect one of the four seasons, depending what the computer's internal clock date is set at. During March through May, the background will show spring; from June through August, the background will show summer; during September through November, the background is in autumn; from December through February, the background will show winter. For Castlevania Chronicles, since the PlayStation doesn't have an internal clock, an "Extra Option" menu can be accessed where the player can set the date. When the game is turned off, however, the date information will not save.
- The clock during the fight against the Wolf Woman is also affected by the X68000's clock, adjusting to whatever time it is. Again, the PlayStation version must have the "Extra Option" feature enabled with the time properly set.
- The loading background music that plays when the X68000 version is loading off of the floppy disks was later featured as the sole background music of Stage 4 in Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth.
- The original X68000 version contains two image files named "omake1.PIC" and "omake2.PIC". "omake1.PIC" displays artwork for the Flame Knight and Skull Knight, while "omake2.PIC" displays artwork for the Peeping Eye and Fish Man.
- This is the first game in the series to show Dracula holding a wine glass with blood.
Related products
Related guides
- NTT Pub Castlevania Chronicle: Akumajō Dracula Official Guide - Japanese official guide.
Related games
- Castlevania - This game is the official remake of the original Castlevania game.
Related music albums
- Akumajō Dracula X - Soundtrack that contains some tracks from the X68000 game.
- MIDI Power –X68000 Collection– ver.3.0 - Contains the Original Soundtrack for the original X68000 version of this game.
- Castlevania Chronicle: Akumajō Dracula Original Soundtrack - Contains the original soundtrack for the PlayStation version and three versions of each original song.
- Akumajō Dracula Best Music Collections BOX - Contains music from this game on Disk 8 (arranged).
- Music from Akumajo Dracula Kuro - Contains music from this game on Disk 8 (original), 9 (midi), and 10 (arranged)
References
- ↑ Akumajou Dracula x68000 – 1993 Developer Interview at shmuplations.
- ↑ Akumajo Nendaiki/Castlevania Chronicle FAQ at GameFAQs.
External links
- Akumajō Dracula X68000 User's Manual at the Castlevania Realm
- Castlevania Chronicles at The Cutting Room Floor
- Castlevania Dungeon
- Castlevania Realm
- GameFAQs
- Unofficial arrangements (remixes) of Castlevania Chronicles' soundtrack at OverClocked ReMix
| Castlevania Chronicles |
|---|
| Characters |
| Simon Belmont · Dracula · Pied Piper |
| Bosses |
| Giant Bat · Skull Dragon · Wizard · Medusa · Wolf Woman · Doppelganger · Grim Reaper |
| Areas |
| The Monastery · The Underground Aqueduct · The Courtyard · The Red-Brick Cathedral The Clock Tower · The Floating Corridor · The Torture Chamber · Count Dracula's Tower |
| Music |
| Akumajō Dracula X · MIDI Power –X68000 Collection– ver.3.0 · Castlevania Chronicle: Akumajō Dracula Original Soundtrack · Akumajō Dracula Best Music Collections BOX |
| Guides |
| NTT Pub Castlevania Chronicle: Akumajō Dracula Official Guide |
| Archives |
| Bestiary · Inventory |