When Konami released Castlevania into the world, in late 1986, they probably had no idea what they had created. For years it was viewed as a Nintendo Entertainment System game – disregarding the arcade and computer versions. As far as consoles went, yes, it was a Nintendo NES exclusive franchise, for years this stood true. Sega would have to wait till later in the life of their Sega Genesis to get a version of Castlevania (Bloodlines for those wondering). Well, thanks to fans, the Sega Master System (precursor to the Genesis) is getting a version of the first Castlevania.
Other than Castlevania, I cannot think of a vampire hunter that uses a whip for their weapon of choice. Most use wooden stakes, holy water, and crosses. The latter two do make an appearance in Castlevania, as secondary weapons. Maybe Konami got the idea to use a whip from the Indiana Jones movies? Come to think of it, the whip is a severely underrated weapon in gaming.
Castlevania for the SMS is not solely based on the NES version, nor the arcade. It is based on the Castlevania Chronicles version, released in 1993 on the Sharp X68000 (few even know what that is) and then on the Sony PlayStation in 2001 (the version most will recognize).
That means the graphics are better than the 8-Bit NES one, featuring more detail, especially in the backgrounds. I am all for it, honestly. I am not interested in a straight port – if I wanted that, I would just play the original.
I like where they are talking about taking this port. The developer behind this has stated they may include some Symphony of the Night elements here. That would be interesting, I wonder what elements they could be hinting at?
The embedded video above shows a lot of content already and a great framework for more to come.
Are you excited about Castlevania for the Sega Master System? What is your favorite demake title?
▶️ 3Speak
