365//365: Day 340 – Castlevania (N64) [PP]

"How to nearly murder a great franchise in three steps."

The leap from 2D to 3D proved to be an overly daunting task for Konami. Castlevania on the Nintendo 64 was proof that even a highly talented company such as Konami could be linked to such a broken down mess of a video game. The graphics are marred with muddy textures and an over abundance of fog. Skeletons looked a bit off, but most other characters had a passable look, though none of them would win any beauty contests. What cripples Castlevania is a combination of an anemic audio presentation and controls in every area. With the audio, the effects didn’t quite have the power that they should, and the music, a staple to the Castlevania series, didn’t even exist. The controls were crippled by a camera that refused to give the player a perspective that would benefit them in any way, shape or form. You’ll find yourself making daring leaps of faith, mostly due to the fact that you cannot pan the camera around in the proper area. The somewhat stiff controls didn’t help matters much either. There’s really nothing going for Castlevania on the Nintendo 64, and it would take years for gamers to visit a 3D Castlevania title done with enough success that it was not only playable, but worth playing (Castlevania: Lament of Innocence on the PlayStation 2). Pass on this one, and pass on the equally cringe-worthy “remake” Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness.

The intimidation factor by this massive skeleton boss is negated by just how goofy he was made out to look.

Rating: 2.7