Tag Archives: whip

Konami, X68000

Akumajō Dracula, X68000

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The 1993 Sharp X68000 version of “Akumajō Dracula” is arguably the best version of the first Castlevania game available, with improved graphics and sound, and redesigned gameplay to accomodate new and more dramatic situations.

Also known as “Vampire Killer” in Europe; also known as “Castlevania” in North America; but known in its native Japan as “Akumajō Dracula“, this is an updated remake of the first game in the Castlevania series. And it is known for being two things: 1. REALLY GOOD, and 2. REALLY HARD!

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Konami, MSX

Vampire Killer, MSX

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Konami‘s “Akumajō Dracula” was first released in 1986 for the MSX2. It set the template for a series that is still going (relatively) strong to this day – the Castlevania series.

This MSX game was also the first game in the Castlevania series to be given an English language release, and it was released in 1987 in Europe under the title of “Vampire Killer“, which then changed to “Castlevania” when the North American NES version of this game was released on cartridge.

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Konami, Super Nintendo

Castlevania: Dracula X, Super Nintendo

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Castlevania: Dracula X on the Super Nintendo is a remake of the classic Castlevania: Rondo of Blood that was initially released for the PC Engine CD. It was first published by Konami in 1995.

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Arcade, Konami

Haunted Castle, Arcade

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Haunted Castle is an obscure Castlevania arcade game, developed by Konami and first released in 1988. Until recently, I’d never seen it before, and playing it now I have to say that it is pretty unsophisticated for a late Eighties arcade game, and it pales into insignificance compared to other Castlevania games, like Super Castlevania IV or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It’s also insanely difficult. Maybe unfairly so.

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FCI, Origin Systems, Pony Canyon, Super Nintendo

Ultima VII: The Black Gate, Super Nintendo

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The only version of Ultima VII: The Black Gate that is available for any system other than the PC is the Super Nintendo port, first released by FCI/Pony Canyon in 1994. It is a much simplified version of the game, but is still fun to play if you like old school RPGs.

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Factor 5, JVC, LucasArts, Super Nintendo

Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures, Super Nintendo

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Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures is a run-and-gun platform/action game developed by Factor 5 (the German team who made Super Turrican, among others), with the supervision of LucasArts, and published by JVC in 1994.

The game features sequences based on the first three Indiana Jones films; the first being Raiders of the Lost Ark obviously; the second being Temple of Doom (my favourite), and the third being The Last Crusade.

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Konami, PC Engine

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, PC Engine

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Also known as Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, Rondo of Blood is a famous entry in Konami‘s Castlevania series that was initially made exclusively for the PC Engine CD-ROM and first published in 1993.

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Atlus, Opera House, Super Nintendo

Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei, Super Nintendo

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Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei (aka Megami Tensei: The Old Testament), is an enhanced remake of the first two Megami Tensei games that were originally released on the Nintendo Famicom. It was published in Japan for the Super Famicom in 1995.

Like most of the early Megami Tensei games these two titles weren’t released in the West due to them having controversial content based on religious and occult themes. Thankfully, though, they were liked enough by gamers to be given fan translations into English, and this SNES re-release was first fan-translated in 2014. It has also been fan translated into Spanish.

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Atlus, Super Nintendo

Shin Megami Tensei If…, Super Nintendo

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Shin Megami Tensei If… is a spin-off from the main Shin Megami Tensei series that is smaller and more confined than previous games. It was developed and published by Atlus in 1994.

This time the story is set in a school where a bullied pupil tries to summon demons in the gym, to deal with his harassers, only to wind-up being possessed by them and threatening to destroy the world. You play a group of schoolkids who team-up to try to stop him.

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Atlus, Super Nintendo

Shin Megami Tensei II, Super Nintendo

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Shin Megami Tensei II is the direct sequel to Shin Megami Tensei and was first published in Japan in 1994 by Atlus.

While the basic gameplay is essentially the same as before, with tile-based movement and first-person combat sections, overhead city map sections, and magic, occult and religious themes, the developers deliberately chose not to connect this sequel directly to its predecessor, so story-wise it is somewhat different, being set in the far-flung future.

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