Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

NES - USA - 1st edition.

Developer Konami Industry Publisher Konami Published 1989-12-22 Platforms NES Genres Beat 'em up, Platformer Themes Action, Horror, Vampires Series Castlevania Distribution Commercial

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is an action platformer by Konami released on the Famicom on 1989-12-22. Though the title numbers it the third game in the Castlevania series, it's actually the sixth Castlevania title released, and is a prequel to the first Castlevania. In this game, you play Trevor Belmont, ancestor of Simon Belmont. The game play functions very similarly to the original Castlevania, while adding new features to the engine including alternate playable characters and branching routes to the end.

Personal

Own?	I only have the US manual, catalog NES-VN-USA.
Won?	No.

Knowing that Castlevania games were well-liked by my friends, and having seen a lot of coverage of them in gaming magazines, I bought this game shortly after it came out. It was the very first Castlevania game I ever played and I found it to be particularly difficult; the furthest I got on my own was to the mummy bosses. This, I think, led to my dislike of the early Castlevania titles that are stage-based rather than the later titles which are adventure based (Metroidvanias).

I used to own this game, but I no longer do. I presume a friend borrowed it and never returned it, although I might have sold it. I have no interest in trying to beat it.

Review

5	4	5	7	4

Best Version: NES

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• The game has great graphics and sound for the NES, and the Japanese release even featured an additional chip in the cartridge which expanded in the capabilities of the audio and grgaphics.
• The addition of the three playable characters adds more depth replay to the game allowing the player to try to beat it with all four characters. I also like the cut-scenes with them.

Bad

• Getting hit knocks you back and often kills you, and it happens at an annoying rate.
• Trevor is extremely vulnerable on stairs, and there are a lot to have to walk up.
• I don't like how you can only have one secondary character with you at a time. Although it makes for an interesting mechanic, it doesn't work thematically.
• The medusa heads are obnoxiously difficult to deal with.
• The game keeps a tally of points, which have no bearing on the game.

Ugly

• Like the original, the game is just too damn difficult to the point where I don't feel like ever trying to get good at it. The game should have been easier and the hard mode you see the replay should have been replaced with the game they actually shipped.

Media

Box Art

• 

  The original box art has great lettering and a nice backdrop, and the theme nicely portrays the game, but the faces of the characters are really jacked up.

• 

  The North American box uses a fantastic painting by Tom duBois. Trevor looks like a bad ass, riding the clock gear to whip the skeleton, and Sypha and Grant also do their thing. Very masterfully painted. By-far my favorite.

• 

  The EU box uses the same art as the American release, but annoyingly crops off more of it.

Documentation

• 

  Manual - Japan.

• 

  Manual - USA.

• 

  Advertisement & contest.

Maps

• 

  1 - Warakiya Village.

• 

  Clock Tower of Untimely Death (Up).

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  Clock Tower of Untimely Death (Down).

• 

  3 - Mad Forest.

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  4-1 Murky Marsh of Morbid Morons.

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  4-2 - Haunted Ship of Fools.

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  5-1 - The Lost Son of Dracula.

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  5-2 - Tower of Terror.

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  6-1 - Causeway.

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  6-2 - Sunken City of Poltergeists.

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  6-3 - Underground Catacombs.

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  7-1 - Castle Courtyard.

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  7-2 - Cliffside Entrance.

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  8 - Main Hall.

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  9 - Inner Halls.

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  10 - Castle Keep.

Screenshots

• 

  The password screen.

Videos

Longplay.

Play Online

Famicom, NES (Europe), NES (USA)

Representation

Strong female character?	Pass	Though mistranslated as a man in the USA manual, the playable Sypha Belnades is a woman in the Japanese original. Other females include the medusa heads, harpies, and Echidna which are not strong.
Bechdel test?	Fail	Women never talk to each other.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	Based on the setting, it's safe to say assume that all of the characters are white.
Queer character?	Fail	There are no queer characters.

Titles

Language	Native	Transliteration	Translation
English	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Japanese	悪魔城伝説	Akumajo Densetsu	Devil's Castle Legend

Links