Just beat Dracula! (Super Castlevania IV AND Dracula X!!!)

[Moo Cow]

I beat this when I was ten, but I played it all day long in front of the TV, and it took a couple of months (I'd lose my passwords and start all over)

[aaronpetrosky]

My fav all time Castlevania.

I beat him without the stairs trick but it was hard. I went through the entire game to get to him so I was pretty bulked up.

I think it would be even harder to use the code right before him and then don't use the stairs trick.

[cyberfluxor]

I actually stumbled across this game the other day but it was for $8 loose. Wasn't up to forking that much out to grab it. I ended up getting other games anyhow that cost a nifty amount in my wallet. I hope to stumble across a Castlevania game for the SNES in the near future that's in a comfortable spending limit.

[Steven]

I actually stumbled across this game the other day but it was for $8 loose. Wasn't up to forking that much out to grab it. I ended up getting other games anyhow that cost a nifty amount in my wallet. I hope to stumble across a Castlevania game for the SNES in the near future that's in a comfortable spending limit.

$8 for it loose is a great price my man. That was my ideal price for it, for months, yet it always commanded 11+... I would have snatched it for 8 myself if I were you. Alas, the vendor traded me CV IV for two SNES games... two extras I had... FZero re-release and Bubsy. HA! I love that silly old vendor.

BTW, 2 months ago I posted a WTB: CV IV for $8 shipped, and lots of people laughed saying good luck.

It's hard to find this game, along with Contra, Mario Kart, Super Metroid for $8 or under. They go from 10-18 it seems.

[Ed Oscuro]

Heh heh heh, Dracula XX...my favorite thing is to be happily jumping about the platforms during the final boss battle, then do a backflip onto another pillar...and then slide off

[Steven]

Whoa I beat Dracula X tonight! Right after I finished SCV IV I popped in Dracula X and for about a month it's been sitting in my Super Nintendo. I kept dying at the Cloak Boss in Level 4' and quit the game back earlier this month. But words of encouragement from folks online I decided to stick with DX. I just didn't like its cumbersome controls, the lack of whip versatility, the jumping style, everything just felt bland-ish coming off SCV IV which was AMAZING.

So one night I turned it back on and beat the Cloak boss. He is the one with two forms, and can really piss one off to the point of quitting.

Then I trudged on and the game grew on me.

I later found out about the best ending, so I redid stage 3 and fought the headless knight.

I was on my way to the best ending.

Til I met Grim Reaper. Oh my God does stage 6 infuriate like no other. Annoying spearmen, medusa heads, bats, rotating wheels.... it's SO easy to punch the wall (I ended up losing my cool at one point and I punched the door next to me yelling FUUUUUUUUUUU*K!!!!!!!)

It took me countless tries to defeat Reaper. It took me many tries JUST to get to his ass.

Whenever I played angry, I got nowhere.

So tonight, feeling oddly calm, I turned the game on at 9:40 PM and at 10:40 PM -- one hour later -- the deed was done.

The key was getting to Death on the 1st try, that way you have the cross. I also racked on 50+ crosses, so I chucked them relentlessly... and I *PERFECTED* him! He never touched me!

Feeling super high and confident, I proceeded to kick Dracula's behind within the next 10 minutes. I got to his lair on the 1st try, having my cross and 77 of them!

He barely took off half my energy.

WOW HE WAS EASY. I played and lost to him in the previous days a TON but tonight I just had my mojo going. Thanks to the guy who recommended the steps to stay on... it definitely helps/works.

Overall, I'd give Dracula X a 7.5

It's a shame the cart alone goes for 50+ on average. A DP member sold me DX for 40 flat a month or 2 ago. Gracias amigo

Good times.

As for beating the game twice more to see the normal and bad endings... eh, I dunno. I'm kinda glad "it's over." I'll probably come back one day, but for now, it's time to move on to the next game. I'm thinking SMW... since I never really played it, much less beat it before.

Yes I know... I'm late to the party but hey... I bet you wish you could play SMW like it was your 1st time again don't cha?

[CosmicMonkey]

Yes I know... I'm late to the party but hey... I bet you wish you could play SMW like it was your 1st time again don't cha?

Indeed I do chap. If only they could remove all memories of SMW, M64, ALttP and OoT I'd be a happy man.

Anyway, well done on beating the Castlevanias. I'm still working on Bloodlines.

[Steven]

Yes I know... I'm late to the party but hey... I bet you wish you could play SMW like it was your 1st time again don't cha?

Indeed I do chap. If only they could remove all memories of SMW, M64, ALttP and OoT I'd be a happy man.

Anyway, well done on beating the Castlevanias. I'm still working on Bloodlines.

cool man, I'm still working on GETTING a copy of Bloodlines. What is a good price for it, complete?

[Aussie2B]

The "endings" of Dracula X aren't so much endings in that the only difference between them are what still picture you see in the background when the credits roll. There's Richter alone (having saved no one), Richter with Maria, and Richter with both girls (the happiest ending). I'd say it's worth it to play through it twice to save both of them and to save neither because there are different paths to take, and one boss will change depending on what you do. But getting the Maria-only ending... meh, kinda pointless. The game doesn't play any differently, so you may as well just look up the ending picture online.

As for Super Mario World, it wasn't all that long ago when I played it all the way through for the first time. :)

[Richter Belmount]

I agree on the first form. It's all about this little spot right here:


For the second form, just sit here and spam the axe:


Took me a couple of plays before I figured it all out, but it really wasn't that bad. It wasn't quite the cakewalk of Rondo, but what is?

Yep, that's exactly it. Even if you don't have an axe, the second form can be beaten easily with the cross or just the whip if you're fast with your attacks, dodge whatever you can (short of leaping off the platform), and have enough life to eat a few attacks before he kicks the bucket (which shouldn't be a problem if you hide out on the lower platform for the first form). I like using the cross myself, since it makes the first form even easier.

OHHH i remember that level in the version level so fucking easy!!! (many is its from the long repetition i did from playing the rom then got the snes version than eventually pc engine version)

[Dire 51]

It's a shame the cart alone goes for 50+ on average.

You're not kidding. I was trying to get Dracula X back for the longest time, only to be continually shot down by the ridiculously high prices on eBay. Even posting a couple of "WTB: Dracula X" threads here got me nowhere... no responses or anything.

But I finally lucked out at the end of last month when I scored a $30 BIN on eBay for Akumajo Dracula XX (cart only). I snapped it up in a second... sure beat the hell out of paying $50+ for a cart only U.S. release. Plus XX is uncensored, so I think I made out pretty good. Been playing it several times a week ever since it arrived in the mail.

[Dire 51]

It's a shame the cart alone goes for 50+ on average.

You're not kidding. I was trying to get Dracula X back for the longest time, only to be continually shot down by the ridiculously high prices on eBay. Even posting a couple of "WTB: Dracula X" threads here got me nowhere... no responses or anything.

But I finally lucked out at the end of last month when I scored a $30 BIN on eBay for Akumajo Dracula XX (cart only). I snapped it up in a second... sure beat the hell out of paying $50+ for a cart only U.S. release. Plus XX is uncensored, so I think I made out pretty good. Been playing it several times a week ever since it arrived in the mail.

[o2william]

Congrats. Now go try to beat Castlevania Chronicles... and not on Arrange mode, either. I'm still stuck on Frankenstein's Monster's level (I think, it's been a while since I last played it).

[Steven]

It's a shame the cart alone goes for 50+ on average.

You're not kidding. I was trying to get Dracula X back for the longest time, only to be continually shot down by the ridiculously high prices on eBay. Even posting a couple of "WTB: Dracula X" threads here got me nowhere... no responses or anything.

But I finally lucked out at the end of last month when I scored a $30 BIN on eBay for Akumajo Dracula XX (cart only). I snapped it up in a second... sure beat the hell out of paying $50+ for a cart only U.S. release. Plus XX is uncensored, so I think I made out pretty good. Been playing it several times a week ever since it arrived in the mail.

Yeah I remember you posting a while back about trying to get Dracula X but that the search continued. I was lucky to find a nice saint here on DP who sold it for 40 shipped.

How are you progressing in the game and what are your thoughts on it so far?

[ckendal]

cool man, I'm still working on GETTING a copy of Bloodlines. What is a good price for it, complete?

I know a place where you can get a sealed one for $17 + shipping.. just PM me

[Ed Oscuro]

So one night I turned it back on and beat the Cloak boss. He is the one with two forms, and can really piss one off to the point of quitting.

Shaft/"Annet" ? The one with the eyeball orbs that float around, right?

As for Bloodlines...I passed up a chance to get a sealed one a year ago for $10 + shipping. Non-cardboard release, too.

[Dire 51]

Yeah I remember you posting a while back about trying to get Dracula X but that the search continued. I was lucky to find a nice saint here on DP who sold it for 40 shipped.

How are you progressing in the game and what are your thoughts on it so far?

Finished it the day I received it in the mail. That shouldn't come as a surprise, though... I had the U.S. version for about eight years and had finished it numerous times during that time period, exploring the entire game and getting all three endings in the process. When I started playing this copy, it was like the last time I played it had been a few days prior.

I still like it quite a bit, but it's reminding me... I'm wishing I still had my copy of Chi no Rondo. I'll get it back someday (and another Duo to run it on), I'm sure. But as far as the SNES game goes, I'm still enjoying it quite a bit. It may be a bit cheap as far as enemies go, but it's fun - and that's what really counts, I think.

[Steven]

Yeah I remember you posting a while back about trying to get Dracula X but that the search continued. I was lucky to find a nice saint here on DP who sold it for 40 shipped.

How are you progressing in the game and what are your thoughts on it so far?

Finished it the day I received it in the mail. That shouldn't come as a surprise, though... I had the U.S. version for about eight years and had finished it numerous times during that time period, exploring the entire game and getting all three endings in the process. When I started playing this copy, it was like the last time I played it had been a few days prior.

I still like it quite a bit, but it's reminding me... I'm wishing I still had my copy of Chi no Rondo. I'll get it back someday (and another Duo to run it on), I'm sure. But as far as the SNES game goes, I'm still enjoying it quite a bit. It may be a bit cheap as far as enemies go, but it's fun - and that's what really counts, I think.

Was there any alterations from the SFC to the US version other than little cosmetic details -- for instance I hear in the SFC version that the water is red (blood) in one stage, while the US version it's just water. Damn censors

I really liked the first encounter with the giant red skeleton. He was like the Abobo of Dracula X.

Oh how disappointed I was that he only appears once. I thought he was a very cool foe who should have appeared more than once, sort of like Andore in the Final Fight games. I *hated* the spear men, and the giant sword carrying knights. Those bastards were EVIL

[Dire 51]

Was there any alterations from the SFC to the US version other than little cosmetic details -- for instance I hear in the SFC version that the water is red (blood) in one stage, while the US version it's just water. Damn censors

Only changes I can think of, besides all the text and logo being in Japanese would be the blood added. Richter does give off a shower of blood when he dies, and Death is decapitated with a resulting blood spray a la Chi no Rondo.

Which stage has the water you've heard about? I don't recall seeing any blood water.

I really liked the first encounter with the giant red skeleton. He was like the Abobo of Dracula X.

Oh how disappointed I was that he only appears once. I thought he was a very cool foe who should have appeared more than once, sort of like Andore in the Final Fight games. I *hated* the spear men, and the giant sword carrying knights. Those bastards were EVIL

Yeah, the... can't recall that skeleton's name, but it also appears in Chi no Rondo and SotN. I don't recall if it appears more than once in Rondo (I think it does), but I'm pretty sure it shows up a few times in SotN.

[Steven]

Which stage has the water you've heard about? I don't recall seeing any blood water.

Naw I probably mixed it up. Instead of blood water it must have been just blood. If I find otherwise I'll let ya know.