Castlevania
悪魔城ドラキュラ
- Year
- 1986
- Developer
- Konami
- Publisher
- Konami
- Platform
- FC / NES
- Hardware
- Family Computer (8-bit)
- Genre
- Action Platformer
- Players
- 1 player
- Controls
- D-pad + A (jump) / B (whip)
- Series
- Castlevania series
Gameplay Screenshots
About This Game
The first Castlevania drops Simon Belmont at the gates of Dracula's castle with a leather whip, six stages of platforming, and no continues to speak of. Every step is deliberate: Simon commits to his jumps, cannot change direction in mid-air, and gets knocked backwards by damage - which turns each staircase into a genuine test.
The sub-weapons (dagger, axe, holy water, boomerang, stopwatch) cost hearts to throw down, and hearts are dropped by candles and enemies, so resource management is built into combat. The music - Vampire Killer, Wicked Child, Out of Time - is some of the most arranged NES music ever written, and the Frankenstein, Medusa and Death fights still set the standard for boss design in the series.
- Deliberate, committal movement that makes every jump matter
- Five sub-weapons powered by hearts collected from candles
- Six stages culminating in a two-form Dracula fight
- One of the most celebrated early Konami soundtracks
Version History
- Famicom Disk System (Japan)1986-09-26
Original Japanese disk release with an extra sound channel.
- NES US version1987-05
Cartridge release - the version on this page.
- Castlevania Anniversary Collection2019
Konami's official collection includes both regional versions.
Tips & Strategy
Holy water beats everything
Thrown holy water creates a damaging flame pool. It locks down enemies and bosses, including Dracula's first form, more reliably than any other sub-weapon.
Learn to whip on the stairs
You can attack while climbing. Whip the moment an enemy crests a staircase rather than waiting at the top - it prevents the knockback that throws you down the whole thing.
Axe for the Medusa heads
The axe arcs upward, which is exactly the height the Medusa heads fly at. It is the only sub-weapon that reliably clears them.
Do not rush the clock tower
The last two stages are vertical gauntlets. Clear each screen from a stable position instead of pushing forward; falling costs more time than playing safe.
Download Resources
Resource packs for this game are provided through the button below.
⬇ Coming soon