It only took Konami fifteen years to bring one of the best Castlevania games ever made to the States, but good things come to those who wait!
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (what is with these long complicated names?) is a complete remake of Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo, or Rondo of Blood in English, released for the PC Turbo Engine so many years ago, and whose ending you witness at the very beginning of Symphony of the Night. The game is a great deal of fun, and the graphics have been completely re-hauled, delivering up the game in beautiful 2.5d graphics. What the new paint job can’t hide, however, is the slightly dated game play and the difficulty level.
CX tells the story of Richter Belmont, who must journey into Dracula’s castle to rescue four women, one of whom is his lover. The girls were kidnapped for Dracula’s use by Shaft, the same dark priest who resurrected him. The game can be completed without locating any of the women, but you don’t see the ending unless all of them have been saved. The journey through to Dracula will take you through 13 stages, 4 of which are hidden. CX is on the cusp of being a full-blown exploration and discovery game, much like it’s younger sibling Symphony of the Night, but just misses the mark in that it lacks the requisite large single playing zone and locating weapons or skills to unlock new areas of play.
Those unfamiliar with the earlier games might be surprised by the difficulty level. CX is unforgiving, though not broken in any sense. You’re only given two lives and a small health bar which even the smallest of enemies can knock lower by a quarter. For a vampire hunter, Richter is surprisingly weak. Thankfully, the game gives the player unlimited continues. This harsh treatment at the hands of the game means that memorization and excellent hand-eye coordination are going to a requirement to reach the ending. If a game is looking for the next chapter in the current series (Aria of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, etc…) this isn’t it. The difficulty is a turn off at the beginning and again at the end. The first hour or two with the game, I got frustrated on more than one occasion. However, once I adjusted myself to the difficulty, and began to notice the patterns of enemies, it got easier. Bosses will take multiple tries, though. You’ve been warned.
Since this is really just an old game in new clothes, Konami has included some extras. Rescuing Maria let’s the gamer play the game as her (and you can’t get a 100% completion without beating it as her.) Every girl saved also gives the ability to break certain walls behind which music tracks from the game are unlocked. You can also unlock the original PC Engine version of Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. Since the gameplay is a little short, it usually takes, with all the deaths and continues, roughly three hours to get to Dracula. Beating Dracula, however, will occupy the fourth and fifth hours.
If you’re a Castlevania fan, you owe it to yourself to pick up CX, not just to complete you collection, but because it is an excellent game all by itself. Throw in the fact that you’re getting a portable version of arguably the greatest Castlevania game ever made… Why are you here? If you have a PSP you should already be playing it!
