Castlevania Chronicles
Encyclopedia
Castlevania Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a platform video game
developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and released for the PlayStation video game console in 2001. It is an enhanced remake of the Japan
-exclusive that was originally released for the Sharp X68000
home computer
in 1993.
The old version is sometimes unofficially dubbed as "Akumajō Dracula X68000" and "Castlevania X68000" to differentiate it from other games in the series also referred to as simply Akumajō Dracula in Japan, and is included in unaltered form in Castlevania Chronicles, marking the first North American and European release of the game. Castlevania Chronicles was made available for download via the PlayStation Network as a PSOne Classic on December 18, 2008.
, with a completely new engine designed to take advantage of the Sharp X68000 hardware. The entire game is completely updated, including familiar stages that have been redesigned, as well as brand new stages altogether. It contains all of the special items and sub-weapons from the original game, as well as an exclusive rare item known as the laurel, which refills six health blocks for 10 hearts. This game is also notable for its high difficulty level.
Like the original Castlevania game, hidden items worth points and hidden 1-ups will appear throughout the game if the player ducks or stands in particular portions of a level. Another notable feature is the multiple loops after the game is completed. Previous Castlevania games had increased difficulty for the game's second playthrough. An increased amount of damage taken from enemies in earlier levels as well as new enemy placement and attack patterns were just a few things to make the second playthrough more difficult. This game, however, has as many as six additional playthroughs with each one becoming much more difficult than the last. There are even cases of special Easter eggs; on the sixth playthrough on stage 18 (block 6-3), a cartoon image of Simon will appear in a set of mirrors smoking a cigarette accompanied by Japanese text in one of the background areas saying "Here's Fake Simon!".
The PlayStation re-release, Castlevania Chronicles, expanded much more to the X68000 game. This includes a brand new rendered intro and ending, with new character designs by Ayami Kojima
(of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
fame), a new sprite design for Simon Belmont and Dracula, improved graphical effects, enhanced music and sound effects, and a more balanced and adjustable difficulty level. Players can choose to play this "Arrange Mode" version of the game with all of the new features intact, or play the "Original Mode" version as it was originally presented on the Sharp X68000.
Completing portions of the "Arrange Mode" also unlocks special features including an art gallery as well as a "Time Attack Mode". Exclusive to the U.S. and European versions of Chronicles, the art gallery features artwork by Ayami Kojima for Chronicles and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
. The latter game images were already featured in the Sega Saturn version of Symphony (the art of the Succubus is censored, since her chest in the original was topless). The "Time Attack Mode" allows the player to race through any stage, complete with a time meter, to beat their best time.
Also exclusive to the U.S. and European versions of Chronicles is an interview with Koji "IGA" Igarashi
.
, who has been terrorizing the area.
In the year 1691, the evil Count Dracula has risen once again after a century of rest to terrorize the people of Transylvania
. Simon Belmont picks up the Vampire Killer
whip and sets out to Castlevania
to destroy the Lord of Darkness and restore peace to Europe.
The introduction to both versions of this remake retell the story of Dracula's resurrection in 1691. Followers of Dracula perform a ritual to revive him at the start of the game.
" from Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
, and "Theme of Simon Belmont" from Super Castlevania IV
. Before each game, the player is given a choice between three different sound modules: the X68000's FM Synthesizer
, MIDI Roland LA
(MT-32
, CM-32L, CM-64) and MIDI Roland GS
(SC-55
, SC-33, SC-155, CM-300, CM-500). While the soundtrack will remain the same throughout the game regardless of which sound module is chosen, the instrumentation may vary and some songs will be arranged slightly differently.
Sōta Fujimori, staff composer for the Konami Corporation in Japan, performed all new arrangements of the soundtrack for Castlevania Chronicles "Arrange Mode". While many songs remain very similar to their Akumajo Dracula (X68000) counterparts, except with studio recorded live synth and other live instrumentation, a handful of songs are given a techno feel. Some of these songs include: "Vampire Killer", which now contains pieces of "Prologue" and "Stalker" from Castlevania; "Thrashard in the Cave", which is more ambient than its original version; and "Wicked Child". In the Japanese Chronicles, unlike the US and European versions, the sound hardware selection screen automatically appears before starting a game on "Original Mode" just as it did in Akumajō Dracula (X68000). A code must be entered to reach it in either mode in the U.S. and European versions, while the Japanese version only requires one to be entered in "Arrange Mode".
.
During regular gameplay, there are a few noticeable changes between the Japanese release and the U.S./European release of Chronicles. The marionette
s on stage 17 cry out "Yamete!" ("Stop!" in Japanese) and "Omae wa dare?" ("Who are you?", in Japanese) when attacked in Akumajō Dracula (X68000) and the Japanese Chronicles. For localization purposes, they are silent other than when they are destroyed in the U.S. and European versions. Audio-wise, the Japanese version of Chronicles had slowdown issues with the music playback. These were fixed for the U.S. and European releases. Lastly, exclusive to "Arrange Mode" on the U.S. and European versions, the player can save the game at stage 24 (the battle with Dracula).
rated the PlayStation release 7.8, saying it did not quite measure up with later titles, but was "still a lot of fun". Gamespot
gave that same release a 6.1, saying it lacked replay value and was graphically outdated.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and released for the PlayStation video game console in 2001. It is an enhanced remake of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
-exclusive that was originally released for the Sharp X68000
Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
in 1993.
The old version is sometimes unofficially dubbed as "Akumajō Dracula X68000" and "Castlevania X68000" to differentiate it from other games in the series also referred to as simply Akumajō Dracula in Japan, and is included in unaltered form in Castlevania Chronicles, marking the first North American and European release of the game. Castlevania Chronicles was made available for download via the PlayStation Network as a PSOne Classic on December 18, 2008.
Gameplay
Castlevania Chronicle is a game based on CastlevaniaCastlevania (video game)
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a console video game developed and published by Konami for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in September 1986. A year later, in May 1987 it was ported to cartridge format and released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System followed by a...
, with a completely new engine designed to take advantage of the Sharp X68000 hardware. The entire game is completely updated, including familiar stages that have been redesigned, as well as brand new stages altogether. It contains all of the special items and sub-weapons from the original game, as well as an exclusive rare item known as the laurel, which refills six health blocks for 10 hearts. This game is also notable for its high difficulty level.
Like the original Castlevania game, hidden items worth points and hidden 1-ups will appear throughout the game if the player ducks or stands in particular portions of a level. Another notable feature is the multiple loops after the game is completed. Previous Castlevania games had increased difficulty for the game's second playthrough. An increased amount of damage taken from enemies in earlier levels as well as new enemy placement and attack patterns were just a few things to make the second playthrough more difficult. This game, however, has as many as six additional playthroughs with each one becoming much more difficult than the last. There are even cases of special Easter eggs; on the sixth playthrough on stage 18 (block 6-3), a cartoon image of Simon will appear in a set of mirrors smoking a cigarette accompanied by Japanese text in one of the background areas saying "Here's Fake Simon!".
The PlayStation re-release, Castlevania Chronicles, expanded much more to the X68000 game. This includes a brand new rendered intro and ending, with new character designs by Ayami Kojima
Ayami Kojima
is a Japanese game and concept artist who is best known for her work on the Castlevania series of video games with Konami. She is self-taught and enjoys reading shōnen manga...
(of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997. It is the 14th installment of the Castlevania series, the first installment released for the PlayStation, and a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.Symphony of the...
fame), a new sprite design for Simon Belmont and Dracula, improved graphical effects, enhanced music and sound effects, and a more balanced and adjustable difficulty level. Players can choose to play this "Arrange Mode" version of the game with all of the new features intact, or play the "Original Mode" version as it was originally presented on the Sharp X68000.
Completing portions of the "Arrange Mode" also unlocks special features including an art gallery as well as a "Time Attack Mode". Exclusive to the U.S. and European versions of Chronicles, the art gallery features artwork by Ayami Kojima for Chronicles and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997. It is the 14th installment of the Castlevania series, the first installment released for the PlayStation, and a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.Symphony of the...
. The latter game images were already featured in the Sega Saturn version of Symphony (the art of the Succubus is censored, since her chest in the original was topless). The "Time Attack Mode" allows the player to race through any stage, complete with a time meter, to beat their best time.
Also exclusive to the U.S. and European versions of Chronicles is an interview with Koji "IGA" Igarashi
Koji Igarashi
, also known simply by the nickname IGA, is a Konami employee and one of the producers of the Castlevania video game series. He is best known as the assistant director of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, his first major involvement in the Castlevania series , also known simply by the nickname...
.
Plot
The storyline for both Akumajō Dracula (X68000) and Castlevania Chronicles is the same as the original Akumajō Dracula game. Simon Belmont has to set out to defeat the evil Count DraculaDracula (Castlevania)
, whose real name is Mathias Cronqvist , is a fictional character from the multi-platform Castlevania video game series...
, who has been terrorizing the area.
In the year 1691, the evil Count Dracula has risen once again after a century of rest to terrorize the people of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. Simon Belmont picks up the Vampire Killer
Vampire Killer
Vampire Killer, known as in Japan, is a platform-adventure game produced by Konami and released in for the MSX2 computer platform in Japan, Europe, and Brazil. It was never released in North America. It was in development around the same time as the Nintendo Entertainment System game...
whip and sets out to Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
to destroy the Lord of Darkness and restore peace to Europe.
The introduction to both versions of this remake retell the story of Dracula's resurrection in 1691. Followers of Dracula perform a ritual to revive him at the start of the game.
Audio
The music for the X68000 game contains a variety of new arrangements of familiar tunes from the series as well as brand new compositions altogether. The familiar songs include: "Vampire Killer" and "Wicked Child" from the original Castlevania, "Bloody TearsBloody Tears
Bloody tears may refer to:*Haemolacria, the medical condition where tears contain blood.*Bloody Tears, a Castlevania song.*Bloody Tears, a song by rap group Army of the Pharaohs....
" from Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure role-playing platform game produced by Konami. It was originally released for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan 1987 and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in 1988. It is the second Castlevania...
, and "Theme of Simon Belmont" from Super Castlevania IV
Super Castlevania IV
Super Castlevania IV, known as in Japan, is a platform game developed and published by Konami and the first Castlevania game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was originally released in 1991 and later re-released on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console in 2006...
. Before each game, the player is given a choice between three different sound modules: the X68000's FM Synthesizer
Yamaha YM2151
The YM2151, aka OPM is an eight-channel four-operator sound chip. It was Yamaha's first single-chip FM synthesis implementation, created originally for the Yamaha DX series of keyboards....
, MIDI Roland LA
Linear Arithmetic synthesis
Linear Arithmetic synthesis, or LA synthesis, is a term that was invented by the Roland Corporation when they released their ground-breaking D-50 synthesizer in 1987.- Overview :...
(MT-32
Roland MT-32
The Roland MT-32 Multi-Timbre Sound Module is a MIDI synthesizer module first released in 1987 by Roland Corporation. Along with its compatible modules, it established an early de-facto standard in computer music and was the first product in Roland's ミュージくん line of Desktop Music System packages...
, CM-32L, CM-64) and MIDI Roland GS
Roland GS
Roland GS, or just GS, sometimes expanded as General Standard or General Sound, is an extension of General MIDI specification. It requires that all GS-compatible equipment must meet a certain set of features and it documents interpretations of some MIDI commands and bytes sequences, thus defining...
(SC-55
Roland SC-55
The Roland SC-55 is a GS MIDI synthesizer sound module released in 1991 by Roland. The SC-55 was the first sound module to incorporate the new General MIDI standard....
, SC-33, SC-155, CM-300, CM-500). While the soundtrack will remain the same throughout the game regardless of which sound module is chosen, the instrumentation may vary and some songs will be arranged slightly differently.
Sōta Fujimori, staff composer for the Konami Corporation in Japan, performed all new arrangements of the soundtrack for Castlevania Chronicles "Arrange Mode". While many songs remain very similar to their Akumajo Dracula (X68000) counterparts, except with studio recorded live synth and other live instrumentation, a handful of songs are given a techno feel. Some of these songs include: "Vampire Killer", which now contains pieces of "Prologue" and "Stalker" from Castlevania; "Thrashard in the Cave", which is more ambient than its original version; and "Wicked Child". In the Japanese Chronicles, unlike the US and European versions, the sound hardware selection screen automatically appears before starting a game on "Original Mode" just as it did in Akumajō Dracula (X68000). A code must be entered to reach it in either mode in the U.S. and European versions, while the Japanese version only requires one to be entered in "Arrange Mode".
Development
While the "Original Mode" presented on Chronicles is otherwise identical to the X68000 game, there are a few limitations since it is emulated on different hardware. One noticeable difference is the brief loading times that now appear before boss fights and stages. The other drawback is the lack of an internal clock on the PlayStation. The original game utilized the X68000’s internal time and date settings; the time on the clock tower during the boss fight on stage 15 would reflect the X68000’s current time and the color scheme used on the painting in stage 21 would reflect one of the four seasons according to the computer's current date. On the PlayStation game, each time the system is turned on, the time and date have to be manually adjusted only after a hidden "Extra Option" menu is accessed by inputting an altered version of the Konami CodeKonami Code
The Konami Code, known in Japan as the , is a cheat code that appears in many Konami video games, although the code also appears in some non-Konami games...
.
During regular gameplay, there are a few noticeable changes between the Japanese release and the U.S./European release of Chronicles. The marionette
Marionette
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
s on stage 17 cry out "Yamete!" ("Stop!" in Japanese) and "Omae wa dare?" ("Who are you?", in Japanese) when attacked in Akumajō Dracula (X68000) and the Japanese Chronicles. For localization purposes, they are silent other than when they are destroyed in the U.S. and European versions. Audio-wise, the Japanese version of Chronicles had slowdown issues with the music playback. These were fixed for the U.S. and European releases. Lastly, exclusive to "Arrange Mode" on the U.S. and European versions, the player can save the game at stage 24 (the battle with Dracula).
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the PlayStation release 7.8, saying it did not quite measure up with later titles, but was "still a lot of fun". Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave that same release a 6.1, saying it lacked replay value and was graphically outdated.