Haunted Castle (video game)

Last updated
Haunted Castle
Haunted Castle flyer.jpg
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Designer(s) Masaaki Kukino [1]
Composer(s) Kenichi Matsubara [2]
Masahiro Ikariko
"T"
Series Castlevania
Platform(s) Arcade, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release
  • JP: February 22, 1988 [3]
  • NA: December 26, 1987 [4]
  • EU: December 26, 1987 [5]
Genre(s) Action, platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Haunted Castle [lower-alpha 1] is a 1987 action-platform game developed and released by Konami for arcades. It is the second arcade game in the Castlevania franchise, following Vs. Castlevania , an arcade port of the original 1986 NES video game released in North America. Unlike the previous arcade title in the franchise, Haunted Castle is not a direct port of an existing console game, but a newly-developed arcade game running on custom JAMMA-based board.

Contents

A full remake, Haunted Castle Revisited, was released in 2024 as part of the Castlevania Dominus Collection compilation.

The game has the player controlling Simon Belmont, who embarks on a journey to save his wife Selena from the clutches of Dracula.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot ARC Haunted Castle (Akumajo Dracula).png
Gameplay screenshot

Haunted Castle is a platform game with six stages, which are played through in a linear progression. The player controls the main character Simon Belmont, whose primary weapon is a whip. He must fight various enemies which consist partially of skeletons, zombies, mermen, and hunchbacks. By destroying certain enemies, he can upgrade his primary weapon first to a more powerful spiked morning star, then to a sword. In addition, various "sub-weapons" can be obtained which provide different means of attack which consist of bombs (powerful ground attack), boomerangs (straight attack), stopwatches (freezes enemies), crosses (powerful straight attack), and torches (continuous ground attack). Hearts are collected to use the sub-weapons. The player can only carry one sub-weapon at a time.

Each of Haunted Castle's six levels conclude with a boss fight. Like in other games of the series, these bosses are generally taken from horror literature or legend, and include Medusa, Frankenstein's monster, and Dracula himself.

Multiple board versions exist, all of which have varying levels of difficulty. Version M is considered the most challenging, Version K and Version J are regarded as being easier to play. [7]

Development

Audio

The soundtrack was composed in part by Kenichi Matsubara, who previously worked on the soundtrack of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest . There are several music tracks in Haunted Castle that have been reused in other Castlevania games. "Bloody Tears", first heard in the previously released Castlevania II, is used as the theme for Stage 3. Another arcade piece, the Stage 1 theme "Cross Your Heart", was reused in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin under the title "Crucifix Held Close" and as an unlockable song in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles . It is part of the "Akumajo Dracula Medley" that appears in Konami's Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 (originally appearing in the Japanese arcade and PlayStation 2 music game series Keyboardmania), along with "Bloody Tears". "Clockwork's Beat", which plays during Stage 5, was remixed in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow under the name "Underground Melodies" (actually the name of Haunted Castle's Stage 4 theme). Finally, "Don't Wait Until Night", played during Stage 6, which borrows hints of "The Silence of Daylight" (the town music from Castlevania II),[ citation needed ], was remixed in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for Julius' theme "Heart of Fire", though this particular song is actually a medley of the Haunted Castle tune and "Heart of Fire" from Stage 5 of the original Castlevania .

Releases

A PlayStation 2 port of Haunted Castle was released by game publisher Hamster in May 2006 as part of the Oretachi Gēsen Zoku series. This port was only released in Japan. [8]

In September 2017, Hamster released the game for the PlayStation 4 as part of their Arcade Archives line of digital releases. [9] This version includes the option to play the Japanese, North American and European versions of the game. [10] Haunted Castle is also included in Konami's Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection, released digitally on April 19, 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam). [11] Unlike the stand-alone Arcade Archive release, this version varies depending on the region. [12]

Haunted Castle is included in the Castlevania Dominus Collection, released in August 2024 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam). The collection includes a reimagining by M2, Haunted Castle Revisited, which features updated graphics and sound, rebalanced difficulty, and many other changes. [13]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Haunted Castle on their April 1, 1988, issue as being the sixth most popular arcade game at the time. [16]

Time Extension placed Haunted Castle last on its list of ranked Castlevania games. It was described that "It starts off well enough; the sprites are nice and large (a fact that makes it hard to avoid danger) and there are some amazing tunes here. However, the brutal difficulty level is clearly designed to suck in coins, and the controls feel stiff and awkward. [...] Outside of saying you've played it, there's little reason to seek this one out. It's dreadful." [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ, Akumajō Dorakyura, Demon Castle Dracula) [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Castlevania</i> Video game series

Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise created by Konami. The series is largely set in the castle of Count Dracula, the main antagonist of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters.

<i>Castlevania: Symphony of the Night</i> 1997 video game

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 1997 action role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was directed and produced by Toru Hagihara, with Koji Igarashi acting as assistant director. It is a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, taking place four years later. It features Dracula's dhampir son Alucard as the protagonist, rising from his slumber to explore Dracula's castle which resurfaced after Richter Belmont vanished. Its design marks a break from previous entries in the series, re-introducing the exploration, nonlinear level design, and role-playing elements first experimented with in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest.

<i>Kid Dracula</i> (1993 video game) 1993 video game

Kid Dracula is a 1993 action-platform game developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy. It is a spinoff of the Castlevania series, as well as a remake and sequel to the 1990 Famicom game Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun.

<i>Castlevania: Rondo of Blood</i> 1993 video game

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, originally released in Japan as Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, is a 1993 action-platform game developed by Konami for the PC Engine's Super CD-ROM² System directed by Toru Hagihara. Part of the Castlevania series, protagonist Richter Belmont goes to save his lover Annette, who was abducted by Dracula. It was first released exclusively in Japan on October 29, 1993. A direct sequel, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, was released worldwide in 1997.

<i>Castlevania II: Simons Quest</i> 1987 video game

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is a 1987 action role-playing game developed and published by Konami. It was originally released in Japan in 1987 for the Famicom Disk System, and in North America in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second Castlevania game released for the NES, following the original Castlevania (1986). Set seven years after the events of the first installment, the player once again assumes the role of vampire hunter Simon Belmont, who is on a journey to undo a curse placed on him by Dracula at the end of their previous encounter. Dracula's body was split into five parts, which Simon must find and bring to the ruins of Castle Dracula in order to defeat him. The game deviates from the traditional platforming of its predecessor, incorporating role-playing and open world elements.

<i>Castlevania: Circle of the Moon</i> 2001 video game

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, titled Castlevania in PAL regions, is a 2001 action role-playing game developed and published by Konami as a launch title for the Game Boy Advance. Part of the Castlevania video game series, the game follows a vampire hunter named Nathan Graves as he attempts to rescue his mentor from the clutches of Dracula. The events of its plot were retconned by former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi, a move which was met with some criticism.

<i>Vampire Killer</i> 1986 video game

Vampire Killer, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a 1986 platform game developed and published by Konami for the MSX2. It is a parallel version of the original Castlevania, which debuted a month earlier for the Famicom Disk System under the same Japanese title. However, the MSX2 version was localized first in Europe and was published without the Castlevania branding that the franchise would start using abroad in 1987 when the NES version was released in North America. It was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console on December 17, 2014, in Japan.

<i>Castlevania III: Draculas Curse</i> 1989 video game

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is a 1989 action-platform game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan in 1989, and in North America in 1990, and in Europe by Palcom in 1992. It was later released on the Virtual Console for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U.

<i>Castlevania</i> (1999 video game) 1999 video game

Castlevania, also referred to as Castlevania 64, is a 1999 action-adventure game developed by Konami's Kobe branch for the Nintendo 64. An expanded version of the game, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, was released later in the same year.

<i>Castlevania Legends</i> 1997 video game

Castlevania Legends is a 1997 action-platform game developed and released by Konami for the Game Boy. The third Castlevania game released for the system, the story follows Sonia Belmont, a vampire hunter battling the first incarnation of Count Dracula. The game was conceived as a prequel to all other games in the Castlevania series; however, it later became recognized as non-canon.

<i>Super Castlevania IV</i> 1991 video game

Super Castlevania IV is a 1991 action-platform game developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been re-released multiple times, including for the Super NES Classic Edition.

<i>Castlevania: Dracula X</i> 1995 video game

Castlevania: Dracula X, titled Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss in Europe and Akumajou Dracula XX in Japan, is a 1995 action-platform game developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second Castlevania installment to be released for the Super NES. It is a remake of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which was previously released in Japan on the PC Engine Super CD-ROM2 in 1993. While the plot is similar to Rondo of Blood and it uses many of that game's graphics, it features new levels and altered gameplay elements, rather than being a direct port because of the limits of the Super NES cartridge format and exclusivity agreements with PC Engine maker NEC. It was released on July 21, 1995 in Japan, in September 1995 in North America, February 22, 1996 in Europe, and on June 22, 1996, in Australia. The game received mixed reviews, with journalists considering it inferior to Rondo of Blood and criticizing its high difficulty.

<i>Castlevania Chronicles</i> PlayStation video game

Castlevania Chronicles is an action-platform game video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo for the PlayStation. Released in 2001, it includes two distinct game modes: Original Mode and Arrange Mode. Original Mode is a direct port of the 1993 game Akumajō Dracula for the X68000 home computer. This version of Akumajō Dracula is itself a remake of the original Castlevania, which was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. Players control Simon Belmont, a vampire hunter who has entered Dracula's castle to defeat him and save Transylvania.

Akumajō Dracula is the Japanese name for the Castlevania video game series, as it is known worldwide. In Japan, several games within the series share the Akumajō Dracula name:

<i>Castlevania Judgment</i> 2008 video game

Castlevania Judgment is a 2008 fighting game developed by Eighting and published by Konami for the Wii. The game is based on the Castlevania series of games, and is the series' first fighting game.

<i>Castlevania: The Arcade</i> 2009 video game

Castlevania: The Arcade, released in Japan as Akumajō Dracula: The Arcade, is an arcade game, part of the Castlevania franchise by Konami. The game was announced on July 23, 2008. The game was released in Japan on October 2, 2009. A European release was announced for 2009 but only appeared at test locations in 2008.

<i>Castlevania: Harmony of Despair</i> 2010 video game

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a multiplayer-focused platform-adventure game in the Castlevania series, featuring an ensemble cast of characters from the 2-D Metroidvania era of games, developed and published by Konami for Xbox 360 in August 2010, and for PlayStation 3 in 2011.

<i>Castlevania</i> (1986 video game) 1986 video game

Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a 1986 action-platform game developed and published by Konami. It was originally released in Japan for the Famicom Disk System in September 1986, before being ported to cartridge format and released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in March 1987 and in Europe in 1988. It was also re-issued for the Family Computer in cartridge format in 1993. It is the first installment in the Castlevania series.

<i>Kid Dracula</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun is a platform video game released by Konami in Japan for the Famicom on October 19, 1990. It is considered a parody of the Castlevania series. A version for mobile phones was released on 30 June 2006 in Japan.

References

  1. ↑ Szczepaniak, John (4 August 2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. Vol. 1. SMG Szczepaniak. pp. 231–232, 235, 242–245. ISBN   978-0992926021.
  2. ↑ Konami Game Music Collection Vol.1 (Media notes). King Records Co., Ltd. 1988. Archived from the original on 2009-06-13. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
  3. ↑ "Haunted Castle - Official Konami page (JP)" (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Haunted Castle - Official Konami page (EN)" . Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Haunted Castle - Official Konami page (EU)" . Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  6. ↑ Konami (2010-08-04). Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. Konami. Japanese: 歴代の「悪魔城ドラキュラ」シリーズから選ばれた登場キャラクターを操作して、仲間たちと悪魔城に乗り込み、宿敵ドラキュラ伯爵に立ち向かおう。 English translation: Take control of past protagonists from the Castlevania series to brave the Demon Castle alongside friends and defeat the ancient enemy Count Dracula.
  7. ↑ https://castlevaniadungeon.net/games/hcfaq.txt
  8. ↑ "Haunted Castle". The Castlevania Dungeon. Archived from the original on 18 July 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "PS4『アーケードアーカイブス 悪魔城ドラキュラ』12月1日配信決定！" (in Japanese). Famitsu. 25 November 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Latest | Official PlayStation™Store US". Archived from the original on 2016-05-12. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  11. ↑ "The Absolute Worst Castlevania Is Coming To Arcade Archives On Switch". Nintendo Life. March 31, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Anniversary Collection Arcade Classics". Archived from the original on 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  13. ↑ McFerran, Damien (August 30, 2024). "Review: Haunted Castle Revisited (Switch)". Time Extension. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  14. ↑ Miki, Koji (May 1988). "Super Soft Corner: 特集 AOU アミューズメント・エキスポ レポート - '88AOU出展ビデオゲームを完全レポート — 悪魔城ドラキュラ（コナミ）". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 71. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 270.
  15. ↑ ザ・ベストゲーム2 - アーケードビデオゲーム26年の歴史: ゲーメスト大賞11年史 (in Japanese). Vol. 5 (4th ed.). Shinseisha. 17 January 1998. pp. 22–23. ISBN   9784881994290.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  16. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 329. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 April 1988. p. 25.
  17. ↑ McFerran, Damien (2 January 2023). "Best Castlevania Games - Every Castlevania Game Ranked". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.