Mythological
Mythological creatures have
long since outlived their legends by hiding away for sometimes eons. When
Dracula comes along, it's always the perfect opportunity for them to come
out from their hiding and aid the Prince of Darkness in turning the world
into his own dark habitat, a place wherein they won't have to hide anymore.
These wooden
yet strangely organic owls were created by Hephaestus, the god of fire and
forging. Arabakis simply fly around, their individual sections rotating, and
endlessly rebound around an area until destroyed.
As a messenger from the realm
of death, the classic banshee's very appearance is to its witness a warning
of death; it spreads this message by occupying a specific area and wailing
about--an unpleasant experience for the victim. The series' representative
is the more sinister of its class, which uses its eardrum-shattering screams
to incapacitate and kill the subject; this is done by nearing the hero and
emitting a loud scream, which causes excessive damage if not death. Included
in this class is the Curse Diva, a curse-inducing demoness who assaults
the living by "singing its deadly song" or, as it translates to
the physical, a storm of blue flames.
Cerebros
is usually a boss, but multiple versions of the three-headed hound from
Hell show up in the Villa in the N64 games as guardians. The cerebroses
are fast and powerful, and their strength lies in their dual and trio attacks.
The stronger versions add more power and speed, while the leader of the
pack, the strongest Cerebros, can breathe heavy flames.
A Cockatrice was a beast
that had the body of a dragon and the head of a rooster; it would cause
the deaths of men simply by breathing on them. The 'Vania version fires
a beam out from its eyes diagonally downward, which causes a stone state
if the hero treads over it. The stronger version is called "Basilik,"
which is simply an alternate name for a Cockatrice.
Cyclopes
are huge one-eyed giants that are known to wield equally huge bludgeoning
items. They're slow, yes, but they possess unmatched power. The basic cyclopes
attempt to crush opponents with their clubs and such, and certain breeds can
fire beams from their mono-eyes. There are two advanced forms: First we have
the executioner types--huge lumbering hooded beasts that execute shoulder-charges
and slam their multi-bladed cleavers into the ground. And then there are the
red ogres--mighty horned devils that become enormously tough when enraged;
their hammer blows and shoulder-charges are devastating, and their
eye-beams explode on contact.
|
|
Alternate Names/Forms:
Executioner & Red Ogre |
Is this the Devil, Dracula's
master? Perhaps. Only the Guardians can challenge it for strongest lesser
enemy. To start, the Devil can transport to any part of the room at any time,
wherein it can set up its three attacks: (1) From its hand, it can emit several
waves of deadly steam through the air. (2) It can create a wave of fire that
treks along the ground until it hits a wall. (3) It'll trap itself within
a tornado-like shield of brimstone. While it only protects against projectiles,
the Devil will whip out an energy shield to defend itself after some attacks.
A Dryad is usually a nymph
that lives within a tree, so that would explain where this life-drained mound
of branches gets its power. From its openings, the nymph will send out its
own life-draining fumes, them emitted in slow-moving, three-way sets. Since
the tree itself is immobile, this foe isn't really much of a threat on its
own. Other Dryads take semi-human form; they quickly grow seeds and expel
them onto the hero's head, where they explode individually.
Gaaps
are said to the embodiment of the west's hatred. These skeletal gargoyles
express their ill feelings by aggressively charging about open spaces and
targeting their hated enemies with vicious tail-whips and devastating beam
attacks.
Gargoyles are
borne out of greusome-looking statues created by those gothic sculptors; they
unexpectedly spring to life. Most gargoyles remain airborne, flying through
the air in swooping patterns while expertly dodging your attacks and in turn
launching their own by flying in from unassailable angles. Some prefer to
stay grounded and showcase their high-jumping ability while spitting out two-directional
fireballs. Those from a third such group instead race behind the heroes and
execute quick yet powerful claw swipes. A particularly hideous form of gargoyle
can breathe flames as it hovers; these specially created brutes will willingly
sacrifice themselves by crashing down onto a hero or the nearby ground and
exploding.
|
|
Alternate
Names/Forms: Gremlin |
These ugly mischievous sprites
lurk across graveyards, scrounging for scraps to feed upon. If you strike
a goblin, it'll snap backwards and resistantly dive forward to counter--they'll
keep this up until defeated. The porcupine-like version curls itself into
a ball and speedily, repeatedly, rolls back and forth on certain platforms,
their needle-like exterior outstretched.
These pesky small
mischevious gnomes fly around with their torches lit, and they'll begin lighting
many small fires throughout the area; each small fire serves well to limit
the amount of moving space. The flames can be extinguished by striking them,
or they'll disappear after a short while; it won't matter, though, because
while you're carving an exit, the gremlins will be lighting more and more.
Ground-based gremlins instead pounce on the heroes with repeated high jumps.
|
|
Alternate
Names/Forms: Ukoback |
A harpy is a creature that
has the head of a woman and the body of a bird. Harpies try to frustrate
heroes by flying around in a circling patterns or hovering in out-of-reach
locations, slowly dissecting what's soon to be their prey. After measuring
a hero, it'll swoop down for the kill. Harpies can carry in their claws
daggers, which they throw forward and magically command to levitate, further
distracting the hero as they set up their swoop-attacks. Too, certain harpy
types have unique attributes: They can release forward walls of deadly feathers,
fire flaming arrows, and emit banshee-like screams. And yet others have
been known to act as transport for fleamen.
|
|
Alternate
Names/Forms: Harpy
Leader |
These small demonic creatures
are good at dodging attacks while planning their own. They'll hover at bay,
always at a fixed distance, long enough to pick out a weak spot and lunge
toward it. Their main
goal is to latch onto a hero and cause his her controls to become berserk;
for others, it's to throw sonic rings in theirdirection.
Individually, they're not much of a threat, but groups of them can quickly
pick a poor sucker apart.
|
|
Alternate Names/Forms:
Tiny Devil, Mini Devil & Gremlin |
The
Jersey Devil, like the Lochness Monster, is a legendary creature that many
claim to have encountered, typically swearing to its existence with none in
the way of physical evidence. For this we need only
consult the series' heroes,
who have encountered the Pinelands habitant during its apparent European
tour. A flying monster with a horse's head and a bat's body, the Jersey Devil
will suddenly swoop in and begin breathing flames for a prolonged period.
Jiang
Shi is a vampire, a blood-sucking menace who crossed the sea from the East.
As one of the elite minor enemies, Jiang Shi has for himself a habitat and
the full services of Dracula's monsters. His knowledge of the black arts allows
him to raise corpses, which serve as protection while he magically creates
up to four predatory projectiles (large blue spheres with hero-seeking capability).
Those who believe to have defeated him will regret hanging around for too
long after achieving "victory."
The Knight Vampires
are an elite form of vampire due to their lineage and deep bond with their
new lord; they're known for their cunning, speed, and savage cruelty. Knight
Vampires are quite defensive and can deflect most attacks. When given the
opportunity, they can unleash a series of sword-strikes, dash attacks, and
quick dives. Too, they can accurately toss out blue fireballs.
A Legion is a
collection of many tortured souls into a membrane wherein they're forced to
suffer for eternity (as in Dracula's third form from Dracula's Curse).
Since they can't escape their eternal damnation, they endlessly seek living
forces whose light beckons them; it's for this reason that contact with them
will transmit a temporary curse.
The manticore is a fearsome
monster featuring the body of a lion, the wings of a bat, and the tail of
a scorpion. Compared to the boss of the same name, this manticore type has
only two abilities: It can either stab down its tail, causing a poison state
upon contact, or it can spit out fireballs. An advanced form, Mushussu,
is believed to be a furious beast from ancient Babylonia.
These hideous
blights are spawned directly from the snakes that grow on Medusa's head. Medusa
Heads are tricky because they're small targets and they continue to pour in
in endless streams. Their pattern is to wavily fly through the air to make
climbing and platform-jumping a fearsome task. The advanced versions are yellow-colored,
and they're capable of inflicting a stone state upon the hero.
|
|
Alternate
Names/Forms: Flame
Medusa Head, Gorgon Head & Gold Medusa |
Vampires
are mostly bosses, but there will be instances where you'll run into a freshly
vampirized castle or village resident--mostly, they hang around in groups.
It's a given that they'll all chase you around, trying to grab you and dine
on your blood. In between those urge-filling measures, they can can dash,
jump super-acrobatically, swipe wildly and even summon smaller bats.
These fierce
bull-like beasts are half man, half raging horned-devil. Minotaurs will gather
themselves and fiercely charge forward with their horns. They'll also grab
onto nearby objects, including pillars and other heavy objects, and swing
them wildly. Others are Minotaurusu-like in that they command axes and breathe
mist; in some cases, they can execute diving axe stabs, or make flames or
debris rise up by crashing their axes into the ground.
|
|
Alternate
Names/Forms: Red
Minotaur |
Persephones are named
after the wife of Hades, the god of the underworld. In reality (or just
"Castlevania reality"), these servant demons are masters
of hand-to-hand combat, mainly the martial arts. Persphones will while
on the ground or while in the air
attack with spin kicks. The Count's demonic maids on occasion break out
their new vacuum cleaners, using which they'll suck in heroes and immobilize
them long enough to surprise with their fighting skill.
Recognized as harbingers
of death, the terrifying reapers are a corporeal manifestation of death,
itself. Armed with scythes, reapers appear from portals and attempt
to harvest souls by killing their victims with vicious swipes, executed
in single bursts or two-step combos. Reapers will from a distance rush
forward, unleashing an enflamed charge attack.
Usually
found at sea, unleashing their wrath upon [torturing] sea travelers, these
pesky foes, like Harpies, float through the air quickly and in circular motions.
They attempt to get underneath you and barrel into you from below, picking
you apart by coming in from unwhippable angles. The winged sirens can shed
pointy feathers and blast you with them.
Stolas is an
aged, wise owl from Hell. This long-legged foe is tough but not what you'd
call "quick" or "offensive-minded." Instead, it uses its
unique power to conjure other types of lesser enemies, like Skeleton Knights
and Red Minotaurs, to do its bidding. Other forms instead summon endless amounts
of Erinyses.
 |
|
|
 |
Triton is the ruler of the
water kingdom--or, as his father Poseidon might insist, the water kingdom
within Dracula's castle. Triton commands the sea life to carry about his
carriage toward mainly in the hero's direction; he then commands his trident
to hover within the water-filled area--this
by blowing into his horn--and thrust
itself at its victim.
|
|
|
|
The cave trolls will waste
no time in repeatedly diving toward heroes with their sharp teeth exposed.
They'll persist in this method of attack to keep them off kilter. If they
roam too far away, a cave troll will momentarily hover in the air and
then fire diagonally
downward from its eyes a deadly
laser blasts; other cave trolls rely more on their tongues, which they
use for two separate attacks: They'll elongate their tongues at a set
distance for a stabbing attack, sometimes following it up by twirlingly
leaping toward the hero. Both can channel energy and temporarily generate
around itself a damaging field. A third form of cave troll attacks with
punches and a ground-pounding shockwave. The more-cowardly small trolls
attack in groups; they jump onto enemies, attempting to pummel them. There's
an icy variant called frost monsters; they function similarly to cave
trolls, though their laser attacks can freeze targets.
|
|
Alternate
Names/Forms: Cave
Troll, Small Troll & Frost Monster |
Unicorns
are horned monsters that exhibit control over books and especially paper.
They can use a variety of reading material to carry out crippling attacks.
Mainly, they command multiple stabbing weapons to emerge from a book's pages
and then charge forward with the intent to impale. The advanced amdusciases
are horse-like monsters who have been labeled "the Arists of Hell."
They can call forth flesh-ripping whirlwinds as comprised of loose papers.
|
|
Alternate Names/Forms:
Amduscias |
Valkyries were Odin's shield-carrying
servants, and they soared over battlefields looking for combat. Dracula's
variety simply fly overhead, cagily, and lunge diagonally downward with
their lances outstretched. The stronger version is called Erinys, who represent
the goddess of revenge; these can sometimes emit at close range damaging
screams.
Vampire warriors show
signs of being recently turned and are unable to hide the fact that they're
a low-level form of bloodsucker, bent to the will of their Vampire Lord.
They from any location
attack with their short daggers,
swiping at or diving toward their target. True to their nature, they can
grab hold of the victim and suck its blood, draining its health.
These armor-plated
bull-like creatures were designed to be war-beasts. Huge and powerful, they're
always coming forward. In-close, they can breathe a heavy mist--their hot,
steamy breath can inflict a temporary stone state. Many hits to the head are
required to kill one of these. Other stronger versions are called Catobeplases;
they aren't any faster or physically stronger than those Gorgons--they're
just tougher to kill. Their stone breath gets a boost, too, as they can double
the amount of mist they breathe to form a succession of steam along the ground.
Depending on the game, the names flipflop.
These bat-like females are
always surrounded by five rings of energy; these often protect them by forcing
you to a distance. The rings are controlled psychically by the women, so
they'll seemingly thrust themselves in your direction all at once, retaining
a circle form, before circling back and returning to their original position.
These come in four power levels: Fallen Angel, Lilim, Lillith and Nightmare.
Insects and Fungus
Even the lowest forms of life
will become a dangerous obstacle on your path to the castle. These insects
and fungus will do nothing more than what's in their natural programming--to
consume resources and destroy other forms of life. Naturally, you'll become
their target.
These hard-shelled,
centipede-like creatures crawl methodically along the ground, impervious to
weak attacks. When approached, they'll lift themselves up onto their hind
legs and attempt to sting you with their deadly tentacles. This is the time
when you can kill it in one shot, as its unprotected underbelly is extremely
vulnerable to attack.
This large stout-legged
insect is as quick and slippery as it looks. As it wades back and forth over
a short distance, it studies your movement. If you are goaded into walking
about its range, it'll swipe foward with its spiny limbs, an assault that
will knock you far back.
The dragonfly
is another oversized insect whose very nature is to make life hell for what
it sees as a threat. This brand of dragonfly annoys by flying overhead in
an evasive manner and thwarting striking attempts by spitting down a burning
liquid. While considerable when encountered individually, the dragonflies'
true strength lies in larger numbers.
Whether
it be woods or caves, these eight-legged arachnids hide out in the crevices,
waiting to drop down onto unsuspecting intruders. Once a spider has lowered
to a desired point, it will spit out with accurately either smaller hatchlings
or large web formations. Some leave behind their rope-like spindles, on
which you can climb, while others merely network about oversized webs and
attempt to impede your progress. The Lords of Shadow assortment are
enormous arachnids that spit sticky webbing and lunge forward with their
fangs extended; they can be mounted and used as transport.
Giant worms are another of
those species that saw themselves mutated by the castle's dark influence.
The worms now become a more effective obstacle as they hug and crawl around
even the most sloped surfaces. The advanced forms are poison worms, and
while largely the same, they can bring forth a poison state through contact.
| . |
Killer
Bee / Bee Hive
|
. |
The killer
bees, large four-winged honey-producing insects, appear harmless as they hover
at a distance, but when you get close enough, they'll speedily soar toward
you with their stingers outstretched--this again and again. If you're stung,
a poison effect will follow, and it will gradually damage you more and more.
Heroes will now and then encounter a bee hive, which produce killer bees in
endless numbers (they're also highly prized among demons who seek them as
a delicacy).
These large pale insects
are tame compared to the Killer Bees. The King Moths slowly fly back and
forth high overhead, wherein they drop a poisonous powder downward in a
bundle. The substance is easy to dodge--it's only remotely effective when
other types of lesser enemies have your attention.
Maggots
are soft-bodied, worm-like larvae that are often found in decaying matter.
Those of their type can be found anywhere around the world of Castlevania
but most notably in the castle's prison area, where the rotting Forgotten
One is kept. That's where they find their greatest feast. Though they look
harmless, theirs is a considerable threat: They can form large obstructions
by cluttering together on platforms, and they can inflict curse status on
anyone who tries to cut through the crowd by lunging onto them. They can
be found in sizes large and small.
Some mutated
worms find home inside the comfort of a giant skull. As such, they subsist
on the floating skull and protect it by extending out from the openings and
waving around erratically while pulling themselves toward you. To stop the
threat, all three worms must be destroyed.
This giant snail-like creature
is a monstrous mollusk imbued with the castle's dark power. Its purpose
is to use its size to crowd the area and for its own sake inflict upon a
hero a poison state through contact. While tough to finish off, it can be
repelled through damage to its eyes, which recede when struck. A more evolved
form, the Giant Slug, has an equally large shell that protects it from attacks.
These slime
formations slosh along the ground until they sense a hero's proximity. They'll
then take a ghastly worm form to ascend upward and inflict damage; if not
destroyed, they'll retake slime form. They're somewhat predictable in that
you can see them coming, but they're more than proficient enough to make the
surrounding enemies a greater threat.
The erosive
and unkempt state of Castlevania means that any bacteria or fungus could pop
up at any time--the Myconids will certainly do just that. These mushrooms
will quickly, and repeatedly, sprout up from an infected locations and spread
poisonous dust all around.
The enormous
sand worms lurk in the ground and use such concealment in hope of snaring
its prey. When the sand worm pops out from the ground, it will jitter erratically
and suddenly lunge toward said prey. Of larger concern are the advanced poison
worms, which share this attribute but are afforded by nature another: They
can from their gullets spew a poisonous liquid over a very a large area; even
simple contact with one will yield a poison status.
This monstrous
spider is member to a freakish species whose subjects feature long limbs and
a skull-shaped body. Despite its appearance, a skull spider's behavior is
typical of the hero-stalling spider family: Mainly, the tough-"skinned"
spider treks along all available surfaces and clogs up narrow passages; more
alarming is that any contact with a skull spider will result in an immediate
poison state.
Slimes, those
slippery mounds of film, are generally weak, but they're effective in their
attack method. These little blobs, while on the ground or while using suction
to stick to surfaces, are perennially lunging themselves toward you, either
by coming in from difficult angles or by slipping under whip strokes. Larger
slimes may look more grotesque,
but they serve a similar purpose--to slowly slosh along the ground; larger
slimes can trap you in their gooey centers, making you ripe for a sharp-toothed
attack. Medium-sized slimes (sometimes called "tanjelly") are poisonous
to the touch and can form solid objects to slam into heroes.
|
|
Alternate
Names/Forms: Tiny
Slime & Tanjelly |
The Barsinisters, strange one-eyed
mud creatures, are habitants of the marshy areas surrounding Transylvania.
They pop up out of the mud, suddenly, to spit out fireballs before quickly
retreating back into the mud; as such, they serve as large obstacles for weary
mud-trekkers. While they're quicker than the all-encompassing mud men, they
lack any type of forward mobility.
The vice beetle
is an insect with crushingly powerful jaws. It, like the very similar spittle
bone, crawls along surfaces (platforms, walls and around even whole rooms)
and while in motion periodically spews out a poison mist over a fairly large
area. Because even the lowest concentration of the mist will poison all
the same, heroes may hesitate to get close, which is required if a vice
beetle is to be killed by normal means.
Back
