(Originally posted on October, 2020)
If you grew up with the NES, Konami's Castlevania couldn't be avoided, whether you were ready to wield a whip or not. Simon Belmont even had his own flamboyant portrayal in the Saturday morning cartoons. Whenever attempting the series, only briefly could I endure the innumerable deaths required just to inch towards Dracula's lair. If massive eagles dropping off hard to hit hopping hunchbacks aren't frightening enough, the real scare comes from this textbook example of callous 8-bit platforming design. Decades later, I was surprised at how accessible Castlevania can still be, IF you play the easy mode featured in the Japanese cartridge reissue. Sure, enemies are toned down and no longer push you around mid-air, but us mere mortals will have to take it easy...just to have a fighting chance.
Delightfully engaging for 1986 software, limitations were ingeniously leveraged into strengths. The control is stiff, but the game often favors deliberation. Colors are few, yet contrast and compliment each other in a brilliant dance. The bright grey walls of Dracula's foyer seem to act as a giant spotlight for the vanguard of lavender ghouls and shadowy cats. The blood red hue of the dungeon is shaded in rich orange and purple, subtly luring one into further disorientation and isolation. The clash of orange, blue and green in stage 3 daringly suggests nature (the foliage) and man's ingenuity (stone slabs) WILL overtake the hopeless, midnight blues. The classic Kinuyo Yamashita soundtrack to be remixed for decades debuted here. The cool bass, steady drums and plucking lead of 'Vampire Killer' sends you into Stage 1 with confidence. Stage 3 brings a sense of heightened stakes as the urgency heard in 'Wicked Child' reveals the enormity of Dracula's haunt thanks to the moonlight.
Vanquishing each enemy is satisfying at the atomic level. Like performing a combo in a fighter, taking a skilled whip to a pesky bat or Medusa head offers a meta exercise in timing that can be applied to gaming as a whole. A handful of secondary weapons can determine victory. Holy water isn't merely a sacrament while battling Dracula's two awful forms. Jumps are tricky, but tend to work out if one fully commits, even if it means eating the awaiting enemy damage. Speaking of chewing, restorative meats are bafflingly hidden within the walls.
Even on easy, the clunky bosses can still bring out your own inner demon. Effectively reacting to teleportation or multiple projectiles is simply too much for the slow and unwieldly Simon to deal with. Other times, you'll find yourself engaged in a mindless battle of attrition, as outcomes often boil down to moments where the boss stands largely idle, as you desperately attack.
Still, don't let the slight rigor mortis during the bigger battles scare you away. I'll be going on even more, grander vampire quests within the excellent Castlevania Anniversary Collection. With enough practice, maybe I can one day return, equipped and experienced enough to beat a childhood nightmare, the fully fanged first edition.
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