One of the quirkier traits of being a gamer back in the late 1980s/early 1990s was a propensity for allegiance. Oh, I know even today people get weirdly territorial about which system they will go to war over, but back then it wasn’t just centered around the consoles, or even just the mascots/characters from the first party developers like Nintendo and Sega, but also toward the mascots of third party developers.
I think some of the reason for this was the Wild West newness of the medium, wherein assurances of quality were sparse and hurdles toward playing were significant. Most of us didn’t have $50 just lying around to blow on any old game. We had to find characters and series that worked and then would stick with them, almost as a defense mechanism. Devotion to a particular game series wasn’t just a personal choice; it was a practical way of living.
Back in those days, I fancied myself a pretty big Mega Man fan, and that fandom was rewarded with several quality games and many hours of enjoyment. I loved the rock-paper-scissors aspects to strategy, the cutesy robot designs, and the freedom to explore levels in whatever order I wanted.
My brother, on the other hand, was more of a Castlevania fan, embracing the slightly more mature themes and the options available in terms of switching characters, weapons and routes.
But whereas my appreciation for my entry point into Mega Man (Mega Man 2) has never waned or diminished, my willingness to extol the virtues of the rest of the series has fallen off some.
If you’ve played one Mega Man game, you’ve kinda played them all.
In sharp contrast, Castlevania games meander off of the established path. They experiment. They evolve. They take risks. And as a result, they make themselves more lastingly relevant.
Ask me today which series is the one I’d go to bat for, and without question it’s now Castlevania instead of Mega Man.
Why am I telling you all of this? I promise I’m coming around to the point of that intro, and it’s this:
- Castlevania: Rondo of Blood represents a crossroads for the series, wherein the previously stated evolution of the property hit its stride. This was arguably the last truly great “traditional” version of Castlevania (and in my opinion, the best of the entire bunch) before the series would fully embrace its exploratory dynamics. It’s the bridge, so to speak, between the old and the new, and it’s the best possible representation of the evolving nature of the series.
- You can probably expect to see a bunch of Castlevania games on this website as this series progresses because of that growth and diversity.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Genre: Side-scrolling platformer
Released: 1993
Platform: PC Engine Super CD
391/400 on GameFan
The creation of the Castlevania brand was really sort of genius, in retrospect, as Konami took previously established characters and lore who had entered the public domain and based a game around them. Your main character was armed with a whip, and he would fight his way through a castle full of classic movie/horror monsters like Medusa and Frankenstein on the way to a final showdown with the big bad himself, Dracula.
And that was the hook. But as Konami was charged with developing sequels to the original game — a certified hit on the NES — they sought to constantly tweak the formula. The game’s first direct sequel, Simon’s Quest, incorporated leveling-up dynamics, item collection, exploration, resting as a method of recovery, and other standard RPG tropes into its existing platforming action. The third game (Dracula’s Curse), which dumped a lot of those innovations to return to the roots of the original, still featured its own changes, which included multiple playable characters and branching paths. Various other games took their own spin on things as well (e.g. the Game Boy titles included a whip that could fire a projectile, while Super Castlevania IV gave the user the ability to whip in essentially any direction and manipulate the whip in new ways).
Such was the lay of the land when Rondo of Blood came along. An exclusive to Japan, this sequel was developed for the PC Engine Super CD, the equivalent of the Turbografx-16 Super CD in this country. For whatever reason, it wasn’t localized for America, so it became something of a cult classic, as people had to import it to play it. Eventually, it was ported to other systems/collections, to the point that it is now much easier to track down. So basically, there’s no excuse not to play it (anymore).
What made it so special? Well, Rondo of Blood represented a refinement of the original formula to perhaps the fullest extent possible. The next generation of console gaming (Playstation, N64) would provide forays into 3D platforming (Castlevania 64) and exploration-intensive platforming (Symphony of the Night) that each in their own way signified a shift in focus. This game was still “Classic-vania” in the truest sense, and it did that thing better than any previous attempt. Graphics and sound were as top notch as those things could be back in that era (which is an actual understatement when it comes to the soundtrack … these classic tunes re-imagined in THIS way represented an incredible achievement), while the “essence” of the original formula here is done well too. You whip monsters and try not to die. Difficulty notwithstanding, the basic gist here is what it needs to be.
What elevates the game play to match the advancements in sound and looks are a few fun control changes and the inclusion of a second playable character. On the former, additions like the “item break” and Richter’s capacity to leap backwards away from danger are incorporated well and keep the player alive in tough spots. But the addition of Maria and her general absurdity as a little girl who kills demons by throwing kittens at them is what gives the game a longevity. It’s seriously fun to experience the game two different ways, and as a result neither character gets old.
Speaking to that longevity, Rondo of Blood also incorporates alternate paths, which include multiple methods for clearing a given stage as well as shortcuts to different stages altogether. Obviously, this variety in stage design is appreciated as well. And what’s better is that in addition to every play-through feeling unique or special because of these differing paths, they are integrated seamlessly. It all feels very natural.
As stated before, Konami would follow up this game with Symphony of the Night, a game that was a direct sequel to this one in terms of story elements and its graphical design, though that game would dive fully into exploration-based platforming that would eventually be affectionately called “Metroid-vania.” One of the things to appreciate about Rondo is its exploration elements, which serve as a kind of primer for later “Metroid-vania” games … without ever straying too far from the original “Classic-vania” format. Its elegance in incorporating multiple paths (and characters) allowed for it to act as a proper bridge in this way.
Truly, it’s an enjoyable experience to play through the NES offerings, get lost in Rondo for awhile, and eventually move on to Symphony of the Night. A fulfilling history of Castlevania, nay, 2D platforming as a genre, unfolds (and you get to destroy Dracula a bunch of times too).
So what makes it worth playing today?
As a piece of a greater whole — that evolution of Castlevania and platforming in general — it’s an important historical stop along the timeline. But thankfully, it’s not JUST that. It’s a superior game in its own right, an intelligently designed platform actioner, designed to test one’s reflexes, knowledge, and mastery as only the best platformers tend to do.
Beyond all of that, come for the bitchin’, slap-tastic soundtrack, the bizarre Japanese-dubbed cut scenes, its relative obscurity as a game general audiences don’t know about, and its tight, tough game play.
THIS is Castlevania to me. And if you have to make the call to play only one or a small handful of games in this series, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood should be at the top of your list.
Dave’s Score: 10/10
Check out the whole Retro Gaming Essentials list here!
How to play
- Original hardware (PC Engine Super CD)
- Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP, Vita)
- Castlevania: Requiem (PS4)
- Wii Virtual Console
- Turbografx-16 Mini