Article
Written By
Carlo Contrino
Castlevania 64 (N64)
In 1999 Castlevania made its long awaited (and somewhat feared) translation from 2D to 3D on the N64. Some would have you believe that Konami drove a stake into the heart of this classic series, but this is far from the case.
It is the mid Nineteenth century the irrepressible Count Dracula has arisen once again in order to bring death and destruction to the world of the living. In true Castlevania style it is up to two youthful Vampire slayers to enter his diabolical castle and slay the fiend in his tomb.
Konami thankfully choose to stick to the wining formula of Gothic locales such as graveyards, mansions and ruins which have defined the series, this alongside the reappearance of levels such as the torture chambers and the clock tower keep the gorgeous gothic feel. For many, nothing screams Castlevania more than jumping through the moving cogs of the clock tower as Medusa heads seek to knock you to your doom.
Fans of the series, will also be happy to see the reappearance of game stalwarts such as the humble skeleton and Frankenstein’s monster (who has rather unfairly chosen to tool up with a brand new chainsaw!) but also newer bad guys such as the Vampiric servants of the dark lord who run spider like through the halls of the castle and infect you with their foul curse.
The control system is simple- there are no combos, just a simple two button attack system (C right for sword, B- whip/fireball) with an easy shoulder button lock on. Despite this the battles are intense, varied and rewarding. Platform jumping and traversing is also a large part of the game and one which the control for the most part deals with well.
The main criticism is the camera. Despite being controllable you never really feel it is completely helpful. In some places you get a fixed camera when you have to make difficult jumps. On these occasions it can make the easiest jumps near impossible as the strange angles means you can’t judge distance. A good example of this is on the first level, The Forest of Silence, where a simple jump across a poison river (no swimming, water= instant death) becomes an annoyance of biblical proportions.
Graphics are solid and workmanlike, but have a few moments where they fall short with certain sections containing heavy fog. In other parts, such as the boss battles, you can really see what the N64 can do. For Example, when Death summons a fish like demon the beautiful pentagram along with the textures and design of the creature really draws you into this intense fight.
Sounds and music are somewhat understated, the fact that track vampire killer is absent is a real over sight. However, the music can be evocative of earlier games, for instance the Clock tower and stairs leading to Dracula have the gothic and organ inspired tunes which are rich and add immensely to the atmosphere.
For me Castlevania 64, suffers a bad press because of camera angles and graphical shortcomings. A lot of this is down to it being the first attempt at bringing the series to 3D. Although not a full success it is still solid and enjoyable. I always remember moments of the game fondly such as the Hammer Horror inspired vampires of the Mansion, or the chase through the labyrinth after Mallus. Overall this is fun to play, even though the camera work and the puzzles leave a lot to be desired. This is definitely worthy of adding to any N64 collection and is not just for die hard Castevania fans.
