While SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV was a huge success, Konami didn’t just settle for Nintendo only releases. While CASTLEVANIA: RONDO OF BLOOD was only for Japan and released on the ill-fated TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine, CASTLEVANIA: BLOODLINES is a bit more familiar to Western CASTLEVANIA fans. Not only because it was released worldwide, but also because it was released for the Sega Genesis.
For those too young to remember the bit wars, there was no greater rivalry than Nintendo and Sega; and nothing purveyed the war quite like the Genesis vs. the SNES. Sega had finally managed to snag a CASTLEVANIA title, but was it a gem or did it prove that Nintendo was the reigning king of Konami’s vampire platformer?
If there is something to add to the SNES vs. Genesis debate, BLOODLINES proves that the Genesis‘ tech came nowhere close to beating the SNES. Art and music is all a matter of personal taste, but there’s no objective way somebody can say that BLOODLINES had technically superior sound and graphics compared to its SNES brethren. The pixel quality is lower, the look feels more outdated today, and the reuse of THEME OF SIMON BELMONT is painfully inferior compared to the original version that was made three years ago. However, it does process the frame rates much better (or “blast processing” as Sega’s marketing team once coined), compared to the horrendous frame rate drops that happened with CASTLEVANIA IV.
Still, there’s a Genesis charm to it that’s undeniable. Those funky, metallic sounds, those bright, vivid color schemes, and hair color so natural only your undertaker knows for sure. The true beauty about the old console wars was that it didn’t really matter who had the better specs. It was about how they used their specs to create a completely different look and feel to their games.
While it doesn’t have as many details as its SNES counterpart, BLOODLINES does have larger figures with bolder colorings. And while that might not seem like such a big deal, the enemies don’t blend into the background and it’s easier to see everything’s that going on. Not to mention that the sprites have some beautiful animation, from how the special weapons move about to the monster’s varied deaths.
Speaking of deaths, this is the first CASTLEVANIA to have it’s fair share of gore. This isn’t MORTAL KOMBAT, but it does have some blood and one particular gruesome boss death. On one hand, it doesn’t particularly add anything spectacular to the game. On the other hand, allowing for some gore does add to the overall atmosphere of the game. Not to mention that a lot of the more violent deaths are done creatively, the same way that the best Hammer Film Production gore wasn’t simply content to splash some blood and dismemberment and call it a day.
Michiru Yamane keeps the legacy of CASTLEVANIA’s outstanding soundtrack going with some memorable tunes (particularly stage 2′s THE SINKING OLD SANCTUARY). BLOODLINES isn’t in my top 3 CASTLEVANIA soundtracks, but there are some great songs and more importantly, it shows just how talented Yamane is, who’d later create the greatest CASTLEVANIA soundtrack of all time.
But graphics and music are nothing without a great game. Fortunately, BLOODLINES also continues a legacy of great sidescrolling action, while contributing some new innovations.
The most obvious change is that you have two different characters to select from, John Morris (using the standard whip) and Eric Lecarde (using a longer but slower lance). To be honest, it doesn’t make much of a difference one way or the other. At the end of the day, you can make it through the game just fine with either one.
What really sets this apart from previous CASTLEVANIA games is that it takes place throughout Europe, rather than simply Dracula’s mansion and surroundings. It might seem gimmicky, but the locations of Italy, France, and other countries give it a wider variety of designs and atmospheres.
Even the little innovations keep CASTLEVANIA: BLOODLINES interesting. Not only can you upgrade your whip/lance twice, but you can upgrade it a third time for a weapon and special weapon overcharge that lasts until you take damage. Plus, single candles mean there’s a special weapon, and dual candles mean there are hearts, which help you avoid grabbing unwanted special weapons.
It’s also worth mentioning that this is the easiest of the classic CASTLEVANIA games. It’s not always a walk in a park and there are certainly tricky spots here and there. But after plowing through a CASTLEVANIA marathon, BLOODLINES is a breeze in comparison.
In fact, it’s the toned down difficulty that makes it a blast to play. I love the other CASTLEVANIA games and enjoy a tough challenge, but it’s nice to have something to pop in and semi-casually play without tearing my hair out. It’s yet another outstanding effort from the franchise and a must buy if you can manage to find a cartridge or rom.
RELEASE DATE: March 17th, 1994 (North America)
PUBLISHER: Konami
DEVELOPER: Konami
ESRB: GA (General Audiences)
March 2, 2015 By Andrew Hudson