Castlevania Reviews - Vampire Killer

Vampire Killer: The first home version of what was
to become the Castlevania series

The first Castlevania game, released in 1986 for the MSX Home Computer. Yeah, I never had one either, but I've got the ROM. And it's actually a LEGAL ROM! Download it from the Dungeon. Well, I actually can't relate a whole lot about Vampire Killer. It's hard as balls and it doesn't help that I'm playing it with the directional keys and space bar here on the G3 since there is no joystick in my possession. I've gotten a brief taste of it and went on with my more interesting Castlevania's. However, I can tell you 10 of the weird little differences in it and Castlevania.

1. There is only one whip upgrade, it takes you from a Leather Whip to a Chain Whip. It has no Morning Star spiked ball on the tip, but I suspect it's passing for the Vampire Killer.

2. Going up stairs is a BITCH! You have to press up to jump, and when you try to go up stairs you end up jumping half the time.

3. The rooms loop themselves, and instead of one continuing screen for any length of time, each room is small and the next is a whole new screen. If you continue through them, it just takes you back to where you started.

4. There be merchants in them there walls! You can find merchants hidden behind walls. They sell things I suppose, but whenever I encounter them I just whip on them and they keep giving me hearts. Joy.

5. Where the hell are these items from? Vampire Killer has boots which supposedly make you jump high, although nothing happened when I had them, shields kind of like Dracula's Rib in CV 2 ( those I like ), and the sub-weapons are weird, like the throwing axes are the Axe Knight variety, that return to you like a boomerang. They can be used unlimited times until you fail to return catch. Whenever you use a sub-weapon, it takes the place of the whip.

6. The Vampire Killer ( duh ) tune in this one sounds a little different from the one in Castlevania. Listen to how it trails off at the end of a key note.

7. The zombies are even more endless than those in Castlevania 1, and they have e-vil little purple faces of deaaaath. Fear them, brave hunter.

8. Bats will always suck. That's not a difference, they just suck and deserve mention of their suckiness.

9. You must find keys to open little doors and gain items in Vampire Killer before continuing on to a new area. The little doors are like blue windows on the platforms, you'll run into several.

10. Simon takes a hit pretty well in this one, regular enemies actually don't do huge amounts of damage, but that still doesn't make it any less difficult overall. And there are NO continues! What is it with video games being made as frustrating as possible in the 80's?

Well there ya 'ave it. Vampire Killer. Ya wanna play it, go download it, 'cause it's free and even legal, though that's always just a technicality. Now if you actually own the MSX Computer and cartridge of this game, then scan pictures of that box and send me!