The original Castlevania for the Nintendo Entertainment system, released in 1987, was a terrific, taut thriller of a game. It had a wild cast of horror's favorite monsters: mummies, Frankenstein's Monster, the hunchback Igor, bats, and of course, vampires. You play the role of Simon Belmont, the legendary vampire slayer, equipped with his trusty whip known as the Vampire Killer.

            This is certainly one of the true classic games for the NES; one of many great titles made during that era by acclaimed game studio Konami. What makes it so classic is its atmosphere of Count Dracula's infamous castle and its frightening inhabitants. Simon Belmont is also an awesome protagonist, who fearless plunges into the castle, as epitomized by the brief opening cinematic.

            It may not be the longest game, but it is notoriously known to have an intense difficulty. Even after twenty plus years from its original release on the system, the game is still quite a challenge, but definitely not at all a chore - it is fun! Also, it is worth noting that after some effort and a few attempts, you'll feel at one with Mr. Belmont and his whip, as you too will fearlessly venture through the castles' evil halls.

            Of course, with "challenge" comes some frustration. Some of the enemies' patterns are often tough to master (i.e. Medusa heads and the hunchbacks that crawl and jump wildly). Definitively, the biggest hindrance in the game is when Simon gets hit. He gets blown backwards or forwards depending on what side you were struck, and this too often can lead to your premature death. You could be in perfect health, but fail to time an upsweep of a Medusa head while standing moderately close to a pit, and it's over. Though, there are special weapons that can help deter this problem like the stopwatch, and they can often prove critical to success.

            With those critiques aside, Castlevania is a fantastic game. It was surely one of the early, more epic games for the then-youthful NES, and also one of its enduring classics.

-Kurt L.

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