Castlevania: The Adventure (GB)

The first Castlevania game released on a handheld system, and I'm guessing not the best of them. But you never know, I could be wrong.

So far it's a lot like the NES Castlevania. I'm playing as a Belmont (Christopher in this case), I have a whip, I wreck lights to steal the stuff hidden within, and I can't steer myself in the air during a jump.

I don't remember being able to launch fireballs from my whip in the NES game though. Which is a shame because a whip that fires bullets is a pretty damn handy thing to have in the fortress of the evil undead.

Also, this looks a lot nicer than the NES game, but it moves like ass. This is not a slick game.

This is actually the first candle to drop a heart. The rest of them so far all dropped coins or whip power ups.

Wait, did that heart just... did I just get health from a heart pick up? In a Castlevania game?

No stairs so far, only a rope. Another big difference with the other Castlevania games so far. I guess they felt like trying something new.


LATER.

Well fuck, it's a flying enemy. Perhaps one day I'll find a Castlevania game without these bastards diving at my head, but today is not that day.

It doesn't help that I took damage earlier and lost my fireball whip attack. Now I'm stuck attacking from close range again.

Just go away and leave me alone, you damn birds. Aw c'mon, please!

I'm a vampire slayer, I don't give a shit about birds. Seriously, I'm not after you, I'm happy enough to just walk on by and leave you alone.

Well this could be... tricky. I need to get past the eyeballs falling from that hole in the ceiling, and climb that rope... up into the hole in the ceiling.

I just hope that cross is some kind of invulnerability power up or a screen clearing super attack. I doubt it's going to be a special weapon, considering how I'm using hearts for health instead of ammo in this.



LATER.

Ok, what the fuck? How did I not make that jump, the gap is as wide as he is!

Now I have to make it back to the jump. Past the birds.

I need to go to flying enemy training or something and study how to defeat these foul feathered fucks, because if there's an easy trick to killing them, then I'm too dumb to figure it out.

And this time he makes the jump! And then the platforms drop underneath me, like I needed the extra challenge.

I really hope this isn't another jumping bit.

Yeah, it's another jumping bit. But there's only seven bricks to jump across. I can do that!



33 SECONDS LATER.

I'm still struggling a bit with brick #1.

The trouble is that even if I kill the bat, climbing back up moves the screen across a bit, meaning the bat can respawn off screen.

Fine you night dwelling, blood sucking, echo locating son of a bitch. You win this round.

But I've got lives, I'll be back.

Well. Back to the jumping then.


TWO MINUTES AND EIGHT SECONDS LATER.

I think I've figured it. I've got to get right to the edge before I jump, so that I'm barely hanging on by a couple of pixels.

No... no no no no NO!


75 SECONDS LATER.

Did it! I just hope that the next set of platforms are just optional.



LATER.

Son of a bitch. Back to the start of the platforms then I guess.

And then I get stomped by the boss.

CONTINUE 

  YES 

NO

Well, I don't really want to keep playing to be honest. But it'd be nice to at least complete at least one stage before I give up on it, so I'll go with 'yes'.

Hey, it's the very start of the game again! Well fuck that then.


It looks like Castlevania, and controls like Castlevania, but I found it nowhere near as entertaining. Next game.

1986 - Castlevania (NES)
1986 - Vampire Killer (MSX2)
1987 - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES)
1988 - Haunted Castle (Arcade)
1989 - Castlevania: The Adventure (Game Boy)
1990 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
1991 - Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (Game Boy)
1991 - Super Castlevania IV (SNES)
1993 - Akumajō Dracula / Castlevania Chronicles (X68000)
1993 - Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo / Rondo of Blood (TurboGrafx-CD)
1994 - Castlevania: The New Generation / Castlevania: Bloodlines (Genesis/Mega Drive)
1995 - Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss / Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES)
1997 - Castlevania Legends (Game Boy)