(the above video does not portray my views on the matter at hand, it is just material used for demonstrating how well done the music is, and all credit to that video goes to the owner)
Throughout gaming history, the Castlevania series has proven to be one of the most difficult series of all time. Through its metamorphism from 2D platformer, to 2D platformer/RPG, to its 3D incarnations, each game provided a high scale of difficulty. Sometimes due to the camera (Castlevania 64), often times due to the knock back into a pit from being hit (Most 2D Castlevania titles). But have you ever played a Castlevania title that was difficult due to a snails pace of movement? The Castlevania Adventure on the Nintendo Game Boy is that title.
I know the limitations of the Game Boy, and it was rare to ever see a game push the hardware significantly. Often times, they were simple looking, with simple functions. The Castlevania Adventure however, slowed the pace of the game down so much, that it becomes a literal chore to make any progression throughout the game. Maybe it was because the Game Boy could not handle certain details scrolling by so fast. But if that’s the case, Super Mario Land should have never been possible. It’s a major flaw in the game that not only slows the game down considerably, but creates other problems.
Even though you can power up your whip to shoot out fireballs, one hit and you lose that ability.
One of those problems being platform jumping portions. You have absolutely zero room for error. If you don’t jump while moving at the right position at the right time, you fall. Level one begins the frustration build up, as there’s a portion near the end boss that requires pinpoint accuracy on nearly a dozen jumps in a row. Falling during the first portions of it won’t result in a death though, just the umpteenth time to retry the portion. All the while, there’s a bat that will fly by and try to knock you off. Frustrating as all hell, especially when you consider this game suffers from the same issue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did – respawning enemies. You beat that bat, you accidentally fall and walk back, you have to deal with it again. The Game Boy is already the size of a football, so you’ll want to punt the damn thing across the room after several tries.
The next thing you’ll notice is the lack of a Castlevania feel. The simplicity of the graphics is not the major issue here, but more along the lines of the enemies you face. Giant rolling eyeballs that come rolling down where you climb up ropes, Mousers from TMNT, upside down alien plant heads that look like fists with eyeballs…hell, you fight what looks like a robot shooting out a spear on a rope. No matter what stage you are in, you don’t ever feel like you’re playing a Castlevania game. Not only that, but you have no sub weapons at all. You can get hearts, but they work as health. You can upgrade your whip from leather to chain to chain that shoots fireballs. One hit and you downgrade.
Devil robots? Is this Castlevania or something out of Kabuki Quantum Fighter?
The Castlevania Adventure has a very simple look – about below average compared to the average Game Boy title. Stages lack details, enemies are limited, nothing special at all. It’s hard to even tell when the game slows down from too much going on at once since the game plays like its been rolled around in molasses and then dumped in tar.
About the only thing that really salvages this game from absolute obscurity is the music. True to form, it impresses on every level, regardless of how short the game is (four levels, but good luck seeing anything past the second stage consistently) and the lack of overall variation. It’s got the undeniable Castlevania mood written all over it, but it doesn’t help make the game feel like a Castlevania title at all. If the game were made better, the feeling of the soundtrack would carry over seamlessly. Heck, the sound effects come off as proper Castlevania type sounds, but again, the feel, pace and somewhat the look of the game destroys any chance of the audio setting the proper mood.
Later in the game, you face off against what looks like clenched fists with eyes that shoot out fireballs.
More or less, the Castlevania franchise really did not translate well onto the original Game Boy. The lack of thrills, lack of speed and the lack of any visual authenticity really hit The Castlevania Adventure hard. While the audio is a stand out success for the system, and a worthy Castlevania soundtrack overall, it’s not enough to offset every shortcoming and flaw that’s present. Click the video up top to experience the best part of The Castlevania Adventure – the awesome music.
Rating: 4.9
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