Overview and Gameplay
Simon Belmont enters Dracula’s castle armed with a mystical whip and a supply of limited-use subweapons. This influential NES action platformer spans 18 stages arranged into six larger areas, each ending with a boss such as Medusa, Death, or Dracula.
Simon advances through hazardous halls, towers, and underground passages while breaking candles for hearts, weapon upgrades, and items. Deliberate jumps, enemy knockback, strict timing, and demanding late stages define its challenge. After the ending, a harder second quest begins with more dangerous enemy arrangements.
Controls And Mechanics
- Directions: Walk, crouch, and climb staircases.
- A: Jump with a committed arc.
- B: Attack with the whip.
- Secondary weapons include the dagger, axe, fire bomb, boomerang, and watch. They consume hearts, and Simon can carry only one type at a time.
- Whip upgrades increase its power and reach, while Double and Triple Shot items allow more secondary weapons on screen.
- This is a single-player game with no multiplayer mode.
Version Notes
This is the initial North American PRG0 revision. It is known for possible lockups in crowded scenes, especially around stage 15 and the Death battle. The later PRG1 revision corrected this issue.
Release And Credits
- North American release: 1987
- Developer: Konami Industry Co., Ltd.
- Publisher: Konami, Inc.
- Original version: Akumajō Dracula for the Japanese Family Computer Disk System, released in 1986.
