Date Released
Developed By
Published By
December 8th, 2001
KCET
Konami
Playable Hero
Stage Number
Game Size
Simon Belmont
8 Stages (24 blocks)
329MB
Original Platform
PlayStation 
Platforms Ported To

  

PlayStation 3 (PlayStation Network) | Sony PSP (PlayStation Network)



    Alternate Incarnations
  Japan
Release Date: May 24th, 2001
- The Japanese version is titled Castlevania Chronicle: Akumajou Dracula, which translates to Castlevania Chronicle: Demon Castle Dracula.

Europe
Release Date: November 9th, 2001
- The European version, like the North American version, is an end-of-year release.
 

    Re-Release Information
 

2008:
   PS3 and PSP
   Developed By: Konami | Published By: SCEA
   Release Date:
December 18th, 2008
Chronicles is re-released digitally on the PlayStation Network as a "PSOne Classics" entry. It's available as a download for play on both the PS3 and the PSP.

 

    The Manual's Synopsis
 

Transylvania - a small, peaceful country in the heart of medieval Europe.

The people of Transylvania whisper the legend of Dracula to their children at bedtime, only half-believing it to be true. "The forces of good keep a watchful eye over the land, protecting all who live here. But even during the constant vigil, the forces of evil manage to prevail once every century. Each time this happens, human beings with evil hearts begin to chant unspeakable prayers. This is Dracula, the Prince of Darkness, resurrected upon the face of the Earth. And each time he is manifested, his powers grow stronger." Once, long ago, Dracula was indeed revived in this manner. However, his ambitions to plunge the world into darkness and build a kingdom of evil were crushed by the hero Christopher Belmont.

Following Dracula's demise at the hands of Christopher Belmont, the Transylvanian countryside slept peacefully for 100 years. Then one Easter night, the townspeople were celebrating the joyous holiday with a splendid carnival. But, in the ruins of the old monastery on the edge of town, the followers of darkness were holding a Black Mass to revive the evil Count and give him eternal life. They poured a sacrifice of human blood over his remains. As they did so, an ominous thundercloud enveloped the town. Suddenly, a single bolt of lightning pierced the monastery. In that instant, Dracula, the Prince of Darkness, returned to this world to begin a new reign of terror.

But all was not lost. The successor to the Belmont family bloodline, a young man by the name of Simon, was determined to rid the land of this terrible evil. Taking the mysterious whip left to him by his father, he ventured into Dracula's castle to face the Count - alone

 

   Objective / Overview
 

In addition to its GBA exploits, the team at KCET, and Koji Igarashi specifically, was eager to bring the Japan-exclusive titles out of the vaults and introduce them to the fans that may have missed the titles' original campaigns. It starts with Castlevania Chronicles, which is a remake and repackaging of Akumajou Dracula X68000, a game originally released for the Sharp X68000 computer system back in 1993.

Chronicles has available two modes: (1) The Regular Mode, which contains the actual X68000 game ported perfectly, with the same intro and ending sequences, the same character and level graphics, and such. And (2), as its main draw, there's the Arranged Mode, which is the superficial remake featuring spiced-up ending and intro sequences, updated sprite designs for Simon Belmont and Dracula, and some new graphical effects, and a few minor changes in terms of candelabra placement. It's also the proverbial "easy mode" (at least for the first five levels), whereas the original game is more difficult throughout. The objective, in either mode, remains the same: You must guide Simon Belmont through eight stages of horror, in classic series fashion, to reach the castle keep, where Count Dracula awaits for a duel to the death.

As a bonus, Chronicles has its own art gallery that you can unlock by clearing stages in either mode, and it includes work from Akumajou Dracula X68000 and KCET's previous Symphony of the Night. Also included on the CD is an interview with the game's director, Koji Igarashi, who hints as to what the next remake could be.

 

   Version Differences
 

Japanese Version
- As the start of a trend, this is the second Japanese game to recognize the Americanized title Castlevania. As such, it for this purpose has added to it the subtitle of Akumajou Dracula to establish the game in a series with the former title.
- It has no mechanical, musical or graphical changes--there's only the ever-present "Simon Belmondo" name deviation.
-
The Japanese version does not contain the art gallery that you would otherwise unlock and stock by completing the game's stages.

 

   Soundtrack and Credits
 

Soundtrack

1. Black Mass 8. Wicked Child 15. You Goddamned Bathead
2. Something Loopy 9. Bloody Tears 16. All Clear
3. The Bat Head 10. Tower of Gears 17. Mother Earth
4. Vampire Killer 11. Moon Fight 18. Ending Movie
5. Creatures of the Depth 12. The Tower of Dolls 19. Player Miss
6. Stage Clear 13. Etude for the Killer 20. Death
7. Thrashard in the Cave 14. Theme of Simon 20. Unnamed Track

Links
Music Files: MP3 and MIDI
Soundtrack Release: Official Soundtrack, Dracula X Collection
and
Castlevania Best Music Collections Box
Game Credits: Available

 

   Character List
 

Lesser Enemies

Skeleton Zombie Vampire Bat
Fishman Knight Medusa Head
Hunchback Skeledragon Red Skeleton
Ghost Eagle Raven
Leopard Pillar of Bones Axe Knight
Mad Frog Floating Eye Bone Scimitar
Wall Widow Water Blob Gargoyle
Mud Woman Stain-Glass Ghost Small Toys
Crossbow Knight Frankenstein Anaconda
Centipod Exploding Skeleton Zombie Maid
Ice Skeleton Two-Headed Beast Spider Skeleton
Mace Knight Wyrm Sword Knight
Flame Knight    

Bosses

Phantom Bat Skeleton Dragon Ice Lord
Medusa She-Wolf Doppelganger
The Grim Reaper    

Dracula Forms

Dracula Dracula's Ghost

Supporting Cast

Horn-Playing Druid