Werebeasts and Animals
I:
Mutated Animals
Through heinous experimentations
of evil in a Castlevania lab or by the insidious nature of the castle's dark
influence, certain mammals and sea life have mutated into human-like forms,
more vicious and undaunted than they could ever be in their usual form. For
some, advanced fighting skill comes naturally.
The Arachnes
are the two-dimensional answer to Castlevania 64's spider women. You
would think that with excess limbs that they'd be quick, but they prefer to
only patrol a short distance. Perhaps that's a setup for their attack--that
is, to spit a web onto the hero that cripples his mobility.
These plentiful
recurring foes are based on The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
As such, they populate rivers and streams inside, beneath and outside the
castle, and they pop out from the water unexpectedly. They're adaptable to
this element, too, and will begin lurking about before spitting fireballs,
poisonous streams of water or deadly mist before retreating back into the
water.
It's the Castlevania
version of Robin Hood, I suppose. These sly foxes will rest in corners and
other difficult areas with their bows and arrows ready for bear. When the
hero draws near, they'll fire an arrow through the air--where it lands, they
do not care. The advanced versions
are called Fox Hunters, and they're more efficient than the archers. These
cool customers can quickly fire an arrow forward, reach back for another one,
and fire again within seconds. Both versions' strength is amplified when paired
with other archers or with airborne lesser enemies.
This is obviously some
sort of take on Freddy Kruger of A Nightmare On Elmstreet fame. These
mutated wolverines, with their sharp claws outstretched, move quickly and
suddenly lunge forward for an even speedier assault. This makes the other
lesser enemies around them, mainly skeletons, more of a threat as a result.
Hyenas, mutated
carnivorous mammals, are a combination of a Bone Musket and a Fox Archer/Hunter.
They'll stay in their crouched position and load up their rifles. When you
get close, they'll temporarily change colors to signal a blast. After firing,
they must reload, which gives you more than enough time to counterattack.
These advanced
fishmen lie in wait in dank caverns. When you get close, they'll begin jumping
to and fro while chucking daggers diagonally downward, two at a time, each
at a different range. While the creature may seem intimidating, your best
chance for success is to stay close to it.
These mutated
lizards are especially trained in combat with a sword. They come in three
power levels. From left to right, they are:
This half man,
half moth is a mysterious if not only "rumored" to actually exist.
It surely does, and when it makes its presence known after tracking down the
strongest of light sources, it will fly around and jump about while dropping
down from overhead a poisonous powder.
As if a regular
bears aren't tough enough, these mutated mammals can crush a few skulls. Slow
but powerful, they'll lumber in hope of getting close enough to unleash a
fierce claw-swipe that'll send you flying far back. If you stay at a distance,
you'll have a fighting chance. The
stronger versions are mutated polar bears, and, though tougher to defeat,
they use the same type of offense. A rare form of were-bear, the abomidable
snowman iteself, prefers to avoid any form of combat for the sake of its own
"unseen" legend.
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Alternate
Names/Forms: Yeti |
Were-cats come
in two different power levels: The medium-leveled were-panthers and the stronger
were-jaguars. As mutated members of the wildcat family, they'll cleverly bounce
around in place and, at timed intervals, speedily dash forward with right
hooks. Their strength is amplified when grouped together with other lesser
enemies.
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Alternate
Names/Forms: Weretiger |
It seems as though
there are no animals that Dracula's forces haven't experimented upon. As another
mutated were-beast, this sledgehammer-wielding foe will unrelentingly dash
forward, crashing said weapon into the ground; every time it does this, debris
from the ground will fly forward; you'll have to dodge each piece accordingly
before the next barrage comes your way.
There are those humans who
voluntarily or involuntary shapeshift into werewolves under the influence
of a full moon. Without conscience, these Lypuston subservients accost their
prey with slide kicks, quick jabs, and flaming projectiles. The lesser versions
are only capable of executing high jumps to surprise an incoming hero.
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Alternate
Names/Forms: Wolfman |
II:
Animal Kingdom
The onslaught of evil certainly
isn't relegated to the undead. Through their predatory and territorial nature,
animals become a natural danger en route to the castle. Birds, lizards and
the other wildlife don't have special powers, but their natural abilities
are enough for a formidable attack.
This war-ready
demon bull has already begun rotting, but it's not ready to leave this plane
just yet. Instead, it'll drag its exposed skeletal frame and chase you down
slowly, and it'll use its horns to plow down anything--hero or enemy--in its
path. It'll eventually do itself in by falling into a pit or by unwittingly
ramming itself into a wall.
Buer is a strange
five-legged lion. By extending its legs outward in all directions, it can
form a large circle and roll. Buer will utilize this ability by rolling across
the surfaces and, especially, down the slopes of the maze-like structures
of the castle, blocking the way forward and damaging heroes. Stronger versions
of this enemy, which are referred to as "cunning demons," are called
Bael.
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Alternate
Names/Forms: Decarabia |
Chronomage
is something you'd expect to see rushing its way through Wonderland. This
strange castle habitant will instead play time games with you. Its
only purpose is to prevent your entrance into a certain castle area by immediately
turning back time upon sight--to force you back one room. Only those who
can stop time can eliminate it.
This odd-looking
fowl is perhaps trying to land the top spot in the most-cowardly-Castlevania-enemy-ever
category. At the sight of a hero, it'll drop to the ground and immediately
retreat in the opposite direction. If it has any special abilities, it probably
won't live long enough for you to find out.
These large birds
of prey serve one purpose: They fly in from above to serve as transportation
for the hunchbacks, fleamen and gremlins, which they'll try to drop onto your
head. Later in the series, they lost this job to the Harpies.
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Alternate
Names/Forms: Altair |
While not the
most powerful enemy you'll ever face, they're mostly programmed to be a hindrance.
Leeches prefer to hang around the swamps and marshland, and they'll gather
into marsh pits and lunge themselves high into the air to impede your progress
so that you'll sink and burn.
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Leopards
and Panthers
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These members
of the cat family are the ideal choice to guard the entranceways to the castle.
The sight of intruders will cause them to spring up and give chase, jumping
high overhead to misdirect your whip strokes. Advanced forms have the magical
ability to turn themselves into sludge, tread along the floor, and reform
suddenly.
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Alternate
Names/Forms: Black Leopard |
You'd be mad
if you were mutated, too. These cold-blooded mutants, having reached this
state from the castle's dark influence, populate the mud pits of the surrounding
marsh land, waiting to dine on any pests that draw near--or, in this case,
a hero. They'll dive out from the mud, sometimes with repeated jumps, and
lash their poisonous tongues in hopes of filling that need.
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Alternate Names/Forms:
Toad |
It's just your
basic nocturnal bird of prey. Owls prefer to stay out of sight, hiding behind
trees and bushes while peeking out, waiting for their prey to come hopping
along. When something is in their sights, they'll suddenly emerge and swoop
down with their claws outstretched.
These birds of
prey are synonymous with death. They lie in wait atop trees or castle structures;
when you come near, they begin swooping about in all directions, parrying
at a distance, before darting in your general direction. Birds become more
of a nuisance when encountered in large flocks.
Rycuda is a monstrous
bird that wields lightning. Mainly, like the ravens and crows from games past,
it will parry at a distance and fly (or attempt to fly) to out-of-reach places
from where it can generate electricity and fire down, diagonally, a highly
damaging bolt of lightning.
These long
limbless crawling reptiles are mostly to be found traveling in packs, slowly
maneuvering forward, either nested somewhere along the surface or hanging
from a ceiling structure. Some packs can drop down single snakes that pile
up and crawl along the ground to muddle up a walkway.
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Alternate Names/Forms:
Viper Swarm & Poison Worm |
Bats are the
most numerous and enduring foes throughout this series. The normal pattern
of these small flying mammals is to fly in from off-screen in a waving flight-path,
at timed intervals. Other times, they cling to surfaces and wait for you to
come near before lunging in your direction.
These flesh-eating
birds are also half human. They'll attempt to fly in from unwhippable angles
and puncture your flesh with the spears that they carry in their claws; without
a spear, they can use their claws instead. The more rare version can land
on the ground and take a human form for a more upfront assault. As a part-time
job, they're also known to act as transportation for hunchbacks and the like.
Wargs are large
snowy mountain wolves that guard the halls of Castlevania. Intruders will
be greeted by sharp-toothed jaws lunging toward them. The stronger versions
are called Fire Wargs, and they add the ability to breathe flames. Wargs are
sometimes mounted by guardian armor to become Warg Riders.
III:
Sea Life
There's no question that you'll
sooner or later have to traverse lakes, rivers or other large pools of water;
it's in these dangerous waters where you'll have to storm through the none-too-hospitable
sea life. As with regular animals, they'll use their instinctive nature to
protect their habitat while looking to make a warm dinner out of you. Some
sea creatures have even adapted to life on land.
These slithery
eels make a living out of circumventing platforms and castle rooms, much like
the brainless Balls of Destruction. The only difference is that these use
their natural electrical property, flashing it on and off. Contact with them
during an electric flash will cause more damage, especially within water.
These brainless
urchins spend their short, pointless lives stuck to a surface, which they
circle forever. Their spiky exterior will prove harmful, and they're just
about invincible to boot--attacking them is pointless. In the end, they serve
their purpose well: To slow down your progress and make platform-jumping a
nightmare.
These jellyfish
creatures flop around through the air, looking ever so frail. When damaged,
they'll break apart and release their many poisonous seeds in either direction.
The smaller seeds are otherwise just as harmful as the whole pod. The larger
balloon pods always remain stationary as they hover, and they instead break
into several smaller balloon pods.
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Alternate Names/Forms:
Balloon & Big Balloon |
Attacking in
groups, these slow-moving octopi gather up into large gaps to prevent your
progression. To fend off the enemy, they spray oil in all directions to further
shield themselves. This attack is more prevalent when many of them emit oil
at the same time.
These are best
described as an underwater version of Bone Pillars. Rather than fireballs,
each of the scaly fish heads instead spit out rays that cause small sonic
waves through the water. These are surprisingly more deadly than their bone-headed
counterparts.
This demonic sea creature comes
directly from the oceans of the underworld. Its most notable attribute is
its size, which it uses to crowd the immediate area as it floats through the
air, its long tentacles flailing about. Because forneus is large in size,
it's also a big target, and it isn't much of a threat unless it's paired with
a few aggressive minor enemies.
These piranha-like
voracious creatures patrol small pools of water within the depths of Castlevania.
They simply swim back and forth within their habitat--when you enter into
their sight, they'll begin propelling themselves short distances to ram you,
causing serious damage.
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Alternate Names/Forms:
Spearfish |
Needles are mutated sea urchins
that float around the castle's more watery areas, each forming a large, spiky
obstacle. Many of them together magnify this enemy type's usefulness by really
clogging up the narrow underwater passages.
These look and
act similarly to the Bloobers from Super Mario Bros. These squid-like
creatures use their suction ability to latch onto ceilings and rebound off
of them to float through the air, where they'll begin bobbing up and down.
It takes many shots to kill one, and this is difficult to accomplish because
they'll escape anything other than consecutive whip slashes.
A sky fish is an animal
that escapes from its natural habitat. It flies through the air so quickly
that it's nearly invisible--only a residual flash will be seen. The only
way to see such an enemy, no less destroy it, is to find a way to slow down
time.
Many water leapers inhabit
the watery depths of the castle's courtyard area, and they instantly make
swimming a no-no. If you walk on platforms above them, they'll dive out
of the water, sometimes in large numbers, to prevent your progression.
Once you've been conditioned to this attack, some leapers will instead
dive into the air, where they'll hover in place, turn in your direction,
and blast forward.
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