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AKUMAJŌ DRACULA X : CHI NO RONDO
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悪魔城ドラキュラX 血の輪廻
©1986 1993 Konami
Release : 1993-10-29 (¥7800)
SuperCDRom² KMCD3005
Action / Platform game
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Konami only released a handful of games for the PC Engine system,
and Akumajō Dracula X is often considered as the most polished and
one of the best Castlevania game ever made. The player starts his long journey as
Ritcher Belmont, descendant of the Belmont bloodline
whose eternal destiny is to oppose the evil spirit of Dracula.
Our hero, like his ancestors did before him, is on a mission to rescue his
beloved Annette Renard from the hands of the Prince of Darkness and his minions.
As the player ventures deeper inside Dracula's
dreaded castle, the adventure quickly proves more challenging than anticipated,
with more villagers to rescue and terrible monsters to be feared
(and even play as the young Maria Renard
if he happens to be skilled enough to find her).
The game follows the tradition of its popular predecessors,
and Ritcher can
strike his enemies with his trademark Vampire Killer whip or secondary weapons such as daggers,
axes or crucifixes. However, and unlike other early
games in the series, although the
path to victory is for the most part linear, various stages are designed
with alternate routes and hidden secrets - Akumajō Dracula X
features seven huge areas to explore, but also includes countless alternate routes which
bring the grand total to twelve stages! Finally, thanks to the Super CDRom² format,
a long and full screen introduction sequence feeds the game story with
elegance and... German voice acting. Konami put the icing
on the cake by also giving players the ability to purchase clues and tactics
to beat bosses and the total percentage of game completed.
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Interestingly Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo is chronologically the tenth
episode of the Akumajō series which was released in Japan from 1986 to 1993
(this somehow explains where the 'X' from the title comes from). A spiritual remake
called Akumajō Dracula XX (aka
Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss in Europe and Castlevania: Dracula X in the US)
was released in 1995 for the Super Famicom and was based on the PC Engine
version tested here. This version is however far from being a true port, and both games
are very different. Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle
(aka Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles in the west) was finally released in 2007
for Sony's PSP and was a true remake of Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo with
3D polygonal graphics. It is interesting to notice that the original PC Engine
Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo is available in Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle
as an unlockable bonus. Another game worth mentioning is the excellent
Akumajō Dracula X Gekka no Yasōkyoku (aka CastleVania Symphony of the Night)
released for the Playstation in 1997 and the Saturn in 1998. It is a direct
sequel to Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo where the player takes control of
Alucard (son of Dracula) or Richter Belmont. This critically
acclaimed episode was also included as an unlockable bonus in
Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle. Symphony of the Night is definitively
the game that earned the series the popular moniker "Metroidvania", term used
to describe side-scrolling action games with non-linear exploration and mild RPG elements
(which is a rather curious name if you think about it, as this
genre was arguably around before 1986, the release date of Metroid...).
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Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo has an added bonus - if the game is played without
a Super System Card, a mini-game featuring a cute and super deformed version
of Ritcher Belmont loads instead. This short and colorful side-scrolling
game is called Akumajō Dracula Peke and was also included as an
unlockable bonus in Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle released in 2007
for Sony's PSP. The original PC Engine version has a text at the
end of this extra stage explaining that the game can only be played with a Super
System Card - the text was obviously removed from the PSP version.
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See Akumajō Dracula for the Super Famicom
system for more info about the Akumajō Dracula series.
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Game Staff (Copied from the end credits) :
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STAFF
Producer
Y. Yamada
Character Design
T. Furukawa
R. B
K. Yamada
Kuro!
Program
T. Hagihara
Gagensai
Shingo. T
Sound Staff
Akiropito
Jigokusha Nakamura
Sanoppi
Metaru Yuuki
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Voice Staff
Ryuichi
AKT
NOR
Saushirau
Babitto. K
Sanoppi
OPA
Guitar Solo
Furukawa Motoaki
Visual Staff
Akiropito
Sanoppi
Imohoreimai
Special Thanks
Oozawa Jimusho
AC Kurieito Kabushikigaisha
Sutajio . Oto No Marchenya
CoCo Sutajio
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Package Design
Inumari
M. Yoshuhashi
Director
T. Hagihara
Special Thanks
Asuty. S
Axelay Ueda
Elf Tateishi
Fururu
H. Kyomas
Iga
Jef Miura
Kawa
M. Suzuki
Nori.B Sato
Pokopen Itoh
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Ponce Yamamoto
Pop The Top Wada
S. Hayashi
To
Unico Satoh
Yada Bon
Yamazaki
Z.A.P
R. Gotoh
T. Hayasaka
©1986 1993 Konami
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G
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D
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S
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Japanese Guidebook
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Japanese Guidebook
(PC Engine Fan part 1)
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Japanese Guidebook
(PC Engine Fan part 2)
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Japanese Soundtrack
(also includes x68000 and
Megadrive versions)
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O
M
A
K
E
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Click on picture to enlarge |
S
E
C
R
E
T
S
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Kidnapped characters:
Four different characters are held captive in Dracula's castle and can be rescued.
Here is how to find them...
Maria - Annette's sister
Before you rush to her rescue, the first thing to do is to find the key. When the large
Behemoth charges Richter in Stage 2, run as fast as possible and hit the
fifth candle in the hallway (or the third one after Behemoth appears) - this is where
the key is. Collect the key and store it in your secondary weapon inventory (you read this well,
you can't use other secondary weapons when you carry the key). Carry on right, go down to the
underground lake, pass the fishmen and you will reach a door. Open it with the key to rescue
Maria (and to unlock her as a playable character!).
Annette - Richer's girlfriend
She is hidden deep within Dracula's castle, in the dreaded Clock Tower
(Stage 7). But you must first find a key - a door (with a large gear above it)
can be found at the top of the first clock tower's section located after the long collapsing
bridge. Hit the gear several times and pass through the door. There, kill the bird, collect
the key and store it in your secondary weapon inventory. Carry the key and take it to another
door located at the bottom of the third clock tower section, after the harpies - this
is where Annette is held captive.
Tera - villager
She is hidden in stage 3'. Just after defeating the large purple skull, you will
reach a room with a door. However, four boulders located right below that door can be broken
(as long as you hit them from the top down) and reveal a passageway (red wooden staircase
going down). Walk along that newly discovered path to rescue Tera.
Iris - villager
She is hidden in stage 4'. Fight your way through the level until you reach a
little frog statue (it is technically the second one, right after the fence). Hit it
(it will sink into the ground). Carry on exploring the level until you find another
frog statue. Hit it as well. Then retrace your steps back to the first wooden
suspension bridge - the center piece should now be open and give access to a cave, where Iris
is held captive.
Alternate routes:
Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo is packed with alternate routes and hidden levels. Here is a simple map:
Level select:
Start a new game and enter X-X!V''Q as your character name. When you start,
a new option called 'Stage Select' should now be available (picture on the right),
allowing you to play any level in the game, whether you have completed the
level you wish to play or not.
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LK
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Add your Pov here !
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P
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V
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Akumajō Dracula X is a work of ambition and great technical virtuosity.
Konami has achieved with tremendous care a superb harmony between
gameplay and breathtaking action. Akumajō Dracula X throws the player right
into the fray and Konami was fully conscious of the strength
of excess. Right after the opening sequence, a floating
Grim Reaper welcomes Ritcher as he rides at full
speed a horse carriage - all of this to set an incredible
atmospheric tone that will keep hassling the player throughout
the game. Graphics may look dated to some - but they are
detailed with striking visual aesthetic and the various animation
cycles are incredibly polished. Dracula X offers a lot
to see and one playthrough is often not enough to explore all
of its wonders - the story and alternating routes are the places
where Dracula X definitively shines.
Sadly, and you all probably already know that, due to
high demand (the actual game is not as rare as people may think),
Akumajō Dracula X still goes for well over $100 a piece...
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