Platform: Sega Genesis
Size: 16 Meg
Players: 1 Difficulty: Hard
Since this game is a Konami game, I had very high expectations for it, but I was also wary. Konami has a reputation for almost flawless home platform video games, but has been known to produce a horrible flop now and then (e.g. the Genesis version of T.M.N.T. Tournament Fighters). Being an old NES owner and a fan of the old Castlevania series, I had a definite idea of what this game should be. Konami threw me a serious curveball.
If you've never played the old NES version, the plot is fairly simple; you're a Vampire hunter and you're out to get Dracula. You track him across lands far and wide, and along the way destroy countless hordes of his dark minions. Pretty standard fare, but a lot more imaginative than some games I've played.
The first thing I said to myself when I popped this game in was "it looks and sounds just like the old Nintendo!" I was almost dazed by the 8-bit feel of the game. The sound effect made by moving the cursor in the options screen sounded exactly like the old NES sound effect, which both pleased me in a nostalgic way, but disappointed me in terms of what I expected.
Never judging the book by its cover, I started the game up, and was presented with two choices of characters to play: the old whip-wielding standby of the NES games, and a spear-brandishing new character. I chose the spear guy, partly because he looked cooler, and mostly because of his abilities to super jump and spin his spear like a shield. (The whip-guy could use his whip to grab ceilings and swing from them) A map screen appeared, nicely done, telling me where I was. Then a graphic of an old house scrolled down, with my spear fellow standing in front of it. The music played sounded like some rather corny tunes from Splatterhouse. It wasn't looking good for Bloodlines.
The actual game play seems to mirror the old NES almost exactly, and at first I was none too happy about this, but I soon grew accustomed to it. Your character runs, jumps, attacks, and has special weapon attacks, just like the old NES. Graphically the characters are very small, and not very 16-bit looking. There isn't a whole lot of animation, and the bodies aren't rendered spectacularly. One thing I found particularly cheesy was the way that different parts of the body are not connected; that is, there is nothing between the leg and the hip. The background shows right through. The sound effects are pretty close to old NES quality but obviously a bit better. Music is not very clean; it has a hissy quality which just isn't what we've come to expect in this day and age of 16-bit games. Overall, this game doesn't look or sound much different than its old Nintendo counterparts. But this is actually its strength, believe it or not.
Once you get past the first part of the first level, which plays EXACTLY like the NES version, you get to the boss, and you get a small peekof what is new to this game. The first boss is this fire-breathing hellhound, whose wail breaks the panes of a series of huge windows in the background. It almost takes you by surprise because the first part of the game is so lackluster. All of the bosses from that point on are very nicely done, very well rendered, and most of them interact well with the backgrounds, which become better and better as you progress. In the second level, the Greek shrine to Atlantis, you get several graphic treats, such as a huge statue head of a godess who blocks your way. The only way to pass is to attack it, and it breaks off and allows you passage. There is a lot of interaction with water in this stage, water rises and falls, hindering your progress, and generally making your life difficult. The levels are very well done, and make excellent use of different obstacles, like the water in the Greece stage and a falling level in Stage 3, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Some things are a bit out of place (why are there mummies in the Leaning Tower of Pisa?) but hey, you're fighting the undead. Don't argue, just kill.
The game is very difficult. Konami utilized the standard old "health meter" and your opponents make mincemeat of your meter very quickly. Luckily, you can power up your weapon along the way, and the special weapons quite often help you vanquish your foes. You only get two continues, which are quick to disappear, especially if you play on the harder levels. A password system is utilized, but it's one of those bizarre symbol-on-a-grid types which makes a quick jotting of a password out of the question. It's a small gripe, but one which Konami could easily have fixed. Other than that, I have no real complaints. The options allow you to set your starting number of lives, difficulty level, and control configuration, as well as allowing a sound test.
Overall, this game is a mixed bag. Some will not like it because it just doesn't live up to the standards set by some very good 16-bit adventure games. Some will love it because it reminds them of the old NES classic. I am in the latter group, but I must emphasize that this game is bigger and better than it really appears. I think Konami programmed it intentionally to get better and more impressive as it goes on (and more difficult). The boss of the third level, for example, spins around in a circle, and the background uses 3-D rotation effects, which make you dizzy by the time you finally kill the sucker. This game wasn't what I expected, and I'm actually kind of glad- it was a pleasant surprise, and a nice job by Konami. If you're looking for a glitzy looking and groundbreaking audio/visual game, you've come to the wrong place. But if you want a challenge, and a well- designed game with solid gameplay, this is your game.
This review is Copyright 1994 by Dan Magaha for Game Bytes Magazine. All rights reserved.