Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - Thoughts
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse was released at the end of 1989 on December 22, 1990, in Japan and almost a year later in the United States. Castlevania III, unsurprisingly, is the third game in the Castlevania series of games. However, the game is actually a prequel, taking place before the original Castlevania.
Trevor Belmont is the protagonist in this game and is the great great great great (great?) granddaddy of Simon Belmont. I don’t know the exact lineage but there are about 200 years between the two.
Dracula’s Curse was praised for its return to “classic” Castlevania style as opposed to Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. It was also praised for the introduction of the new allies; Grant Danasty, Sypha Belnades and Alucard. The game has been listed on many “best of all time” lists.
What I liked
CINEMA!
Dracula’s Curse leans into cinematic presentation more than any of the other NES titles. The opening introduction and story (yes, the story of the game is actually presented in-game) is displayed on top of a film reel. Various lightning bolts illuminate the logo. Trevor is first seen praying at an altar with a huge cross above him. He then whips around while epic music is playing and heads forward bravely into the danger that awaits him.
At the time, cinematic storytelling like this was atypical for NES games much less Castlevania games. It really puts the player into the mood of inhabiting the character of Trevor Belmont.
There is also a longer outro for the game. If you’ve found all of the various playable characters, you get a short description of what the characters will go on to do in the near future. Example, Grant Danasty is going to start rebuilding the destroyed areas of Wallachia.
There still isn’t a ton of story stuff in here, but for an NES game, it might as well be a novel.
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Branching Pathways
Another first for Castlevania, Dracula’s Curse lets you choose the path you want to take. After finishing an area, sometimes you are given the option of two paths. Each path ultimately leads you to the same conclusion (defeating Dracula) but choosing poorly could mean not picking up some of the playable characters in the game. Or, depending on your strengths, some paths could be more difficult than others.
I appreciated this level of choice. I am glad the development team took Castlevania back to its roots after the horrid Simon’s Quest and then added on branching pathways. It’s a good evolution of the series without rocking the boat too much.
Playable Characters
Yet another first for Castlevania! Man, Dracula’s Curse was really innovative. As Trevor navigates the scary spooky Wallachia, he can rescue a few companions: Grant Danasty (yeah, da nasty. Not Dynasty, DANASTY. Pretty funny.), a roguish pirate, Sypha Belnades, a sorceress and Alucard, Dracula’s son.
Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses. Grant is fast and can jump higher than Trevor and can climb walls. Sypha can cast spells but isn’t a great melee fighter. And Alucard can shoot fireballs and turn into a bat.
At any point, Trevor can call upon his companions and the player now controls them instead of Mr. Belmont. There are certain areas in which characters are better suited, which makes switching characters actually important instead of just a neat feature.
What I didn’t like
The Clock Tower
I have never enjoyed Clock Tower levels in Castlevania. It seems to be somewhat of a staple in these games though. Castlevania and Super Castlevania IV had a Clock Tower level as do several of the Metroidvania games including Harmony of Dissonance. The primary problem in the NES games with the Clock Tower level is that falling almost always means certain death. And when you have to balance on a gear while floating Medusa Heads are swarming toward you, it makes for a pretty frustrating experience. A challenge is good but these kinds of levels border on unfair.
Overall Thoughts
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse in my opinion is the best of the original trilogy of Castlevania games. It has new innovations such as swapping characters and branching pathways to give player’s choice. The gameplay is similar to the others, so nothing has really changed there. The game has a cinematic flair to it (as much as it can being a NES title), yet another innovation in the formula. There is some frustration in the game with the Clock Tower and Medusa Heads, but overall, I had a great time playing this one.
Where Can I Play This?
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse can be played today by purchasing the Castlevania Anniversary Collection (physically or digitally) and is available for all modern consoles.