Castlevania III: My First Quest

In the early 90's, I lived in a world of Lego bricks and Nerf blasters, Super Soakers and Saturday morning cartoons. Life was good. Then, one fateful day, I was given my first video game system. With my Dad's help, we put a small TV in my room and I began my life-long journey as a gamer. The first NES game I remember playing was possibly one of the most difficult games I ever had in my NES collection. Konami's 1990 nightmare: Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse. I didn't care that it was the third in line or know that it would live in infamy as a soul crushing example of NES-Hard for decades to come. No, all I cared about was killing Dracula. Even at a young age, I loved Halloween and all the classic movie monsters. You know, Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman....absolute legends in my eyes. Now, I got to step into the role of the vampire slayer and defeat the creatures of the night.

Castlevania III feels special from the moment it starts. The simulated scrolling of movie film slowly brings in the image of Castle Dracula. As the gothic 8-bit serenade drifts through the air, lightning stikes..thunder claps..and the logo screen appears. Just remembering it still gives me the nostalgic warmth I love so much. The style and ambiance oozes from the screen as the game begins. A man kneels before the weathered cross of a ruined church as more lightning splits the sky. Organ music tolls the beginning of your quest. The vampire slayer stands, strikes a pose and the adventure begins. Castlevania III is the third part of the NES Castlevania Trilogy (Castlevania, Simon's Quest, and Dracula's Curse) It is the bar by which all other NES adventure games are measured and is half of the creation of the now widely recognized metroidvania game style. Metroidvania games are set apart by non-linear gameplay and item/ability gated sections of their respective maps. It's not uncommon to find a path or door early in these games that isn't accessible to you until you find an item or upgrade much later in the game, making you remember the map and backtrack to those old locations that are now playable. It's a frustrating and wonderful style of game that rewards thoughtful exploration and thorough knowledge of where you've been before. Castlevania III isn't as open as later titles in the series would be, but the seeds of this great concept are plain to see in this early adventure.

Castlevania III Opening

You play as Trevor Belmont, a member of the Belmont family, sworn over generations to return and defeat Dracula whenever he reappears. The Belmont family utilizes a legendary whip called the Vampire Killer to confront Dracula's dark minions. Castlevania III replaced it's prequals linear progression with branching paths that all eventually lead to Castle Dracula. You have the ability to choose whether or not you want to complete some maps, though the rewards at the end of some of these maps are substantial, including the three companion characters that can accompany Trevor in his journey. Sipha, a young sorceress; Grant, a nimble pirate; and Alucard, the half vampire son of Dracula can each lend their unique abilities to Trevor as his quest progresses. Only one can be your companion at a time, so choose your partner wisely. Sypha has potent magical abilities, Grant can crawl on ceilings and fit into small openings, and Alucard can shoot ranged attacks and transform into a bat for easier movement within the levels.

The difficulty of the early Casltlevania games is well known and referenced often. From the heavy and slow movement of Trevor, to the brutal knockback anytime you take damage. Castlevania is not a game for aggressive gameplay. Instead, planning your moves and timing your attacks are key. Knowing the range of the Vampire Killer whip and utilizing the various secondary weapons with care are the only ways to achieve victory. For my younger self, these were concepts I just couldn't grasp yet. With my child-patience and hyper-aggressive style of play, I was doomed from the start. But that didn't slow me down. Through brute force, I beat level 1's village, the Clocktower and the Forest. The Ghost Ship was my frequent graveyard. After my defeats began to mount, I moved on to other adventures. Ones more suited for my maturity and age. But my desire to win over my first quest never subsided. I attempted Castlevania III many more times as I grew up. As my main console evolved throught he SNES, Gamecube and Wii, to the PS2, PS3 and PS4, my NES collection with Castlevania III sat in a box...quietly reminding me "never forget...you never beat me...." Until I finally decided to return to my childhood, now nearly 40 years old.

Dracula's Final Form

I took a deep breath and resigned myself to taking up the legendary whip once again. Now with years of experience and the patience and calculating of a middle-aged gamer (admitting how old I've gotten hurts). I slowly pushed through the first levels, my thumbs remembering quickly all the trials and lessons I learned when I was younger. With the expectation of imminent defeat waiting behind every door and at the top of every staircase I fought on. Making slow, but steady progress into levels I'd never reached before. I finally recruited Alucard as my partner and tried to not get arrogant as I kept moving foward. I held my breath as I climbed the final stairs of the tower. There I stood, looking at the looming figure of Dracula sitting on his throne. There were no pleasantries or Dracula monologues. It was straight into the fight. I dodged jets of fire from the floor as the Vampire Killer cut through the air, striking home on the vampire king's head. Suddenly, Dracula, with his first stage defeated, turned into a grotesque creature of blood and flesh that floated around the room. Dodging raining drops of blood, I chipped away at this new form. Until, finally, I had reached his final form. A great beast (looking nothing like any vampire I'd seen before in the movies) began shooting beams of energy at me as I moved around on floating blocks...earning precious hits with my whip. Lost in the moment, fully immersed in the battle that had alluded me my whole life, I finally landed the killing blow. I had done it. Conquered my first quest. The game that had followed me for over 30 years was finally beaten. As the ending text scrolled by, I couldn't help but get emotional. The incredible feeling of a battle hard fought and finally won was indescribable. Moments like these are why I'm proud to be a gamer.

So, if you have patience, persistence, and a willingness to die....a lot.....before you achieve a well deserved victory, check out Castlevania III on the NES. Or, if you have a game you loved as a child but never finished, it's never too late to take up an old quest and finally put that notch in your belt. It's never too late to complete an unfinished journey...so, as always, game on.

Check out my product reviews for some good options for exploring these retro gems.