Release Date: March 17, 1994
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Sorry for not posting anything recently. You know, life and such.
I touched on this subject once before with my review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist for the Genesis, but it’s worth repeating again.
Nintendo revived the video game market in the mid-to-late 80s. But while the NES was getting all the love from consumers for its games, it was its licensing program that saved the industry. And while that program was good at protecting video gaming, it was doubly good at restricting third-party publishers to their benefit.
Short version: third party publishers like Konami couldn’t flood the market with games. They also couldn’t develop games for other consoles, and any IPs released on the NES were practically held as exclusive to Nintendo. Since they ruled the roost during the 3rd generation, Konami et al didn’t complain too much.
This began to change with the 4th generation of video game systems. By 1991, economic pressure from the Federal Trade Commission began to erode Nintendo’s near-monopoly. In addition, SEGA’s Genesis console began to take market share away from the NES. The 16-bit Genesis was more powerful than the 8-bit NES, causing some stalwart NES developers to consider developing for its rival. The result was that by the time Nintendo unleashed their 16-bit competitor, the Super NES, third-party developers had more leeway in who they were going to develop for.
While some developers like Williams decided to develop for both the SNES and the Genesis simultaneously, the Konami’s of the world tread a bit lightly. The result was exclusive ports of venerated NES series.
I covered The Hyperstone Heist in another article. Today, I will cover Castlevania: Bloodlines.
The game was developed exclusively for the Genesis soon after Castlevania: Dracula X started development for the SNES. Due to censorship in Eurpoe and Australia, the title was changed in PAL regions to Castlevania: The New Generation. While intended as a side story to the main Castlevania lore, its roots were still steeped in the mainline story.
Both Dracula X and Bloodlines have a common forebear: The PC-Engine CD classic Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, known as Castlevania: Rondo of Blood stateside. This Japanese exclusive is a gem that was never ported to the North American equivalent, the TurboGrafx-16 CD, and was not seen stateside until a near-faithful PSP release of Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. The Japanese title is revered by many fans of the series. NEC, the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16’s owner, did not have the rights to publish the game stateside. But Konami, the rightsholder here, sought to weave two separate tales from the Japanese classic.
The SNES’s Dracula X went the route of the poor man’s remake, trying to recreate many of Chi no Rondo’s set pieces and levels to lesser effect. While still a good game, its ties to the original rendered it a cheap knockoff. Bloodlines on the Genesis, however, was spared the comparison. Seen as more of a side story, it gained a following of its own and stands today as a fun entry in the series.
The story of Bloodlines is set in Transylvania in 1917. A witch named Elizabeth Bartley has resurrected and plans to resurrect Count Dracula once again. It falls on the latest person of the Belmont lineage, John Morris, to prevent this from happening. Together with friend Eric Lecarde, he travels across postwar Europe to the Palace of Versailles in France, seeking to stop Bartley’s plans once and for all. Yes, for the first time, there is no Belmont around to fix things.
Both Bloodlines and Dracula X ditched the upgraded 8-way attack system that Konami used in Super Castlevania IV. In its place is the straight-ahead attack style the original NES games had. While not as satisfying as the SNES title, it does bring back the old NES difficulty. And believe you me, Bloodlines is PUNISHING!
All qualms aside, this is O.G. Castlevania gameplay to the fullest. The inputs are spot-on, giving you enough control to manage the deathtraps that await. The Genesis sound chip usually grates me, but this soundtrack is excellent. It was penned by Michiru Yamane, who would gain greater fame as the composer of the soundtrack for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the PlayStation.
The biggest bump in quality for the Genesis was in its graphics. Castlevania: Bloodlines pulls out every trick in SEGA’s 16-bit console. Some of the special effects and the extra articulation in some bosses take the Genesis to its limit. Konami really put out all the stops here. For all of the hoopla surrounding SNES’s “Mode 7” trickery, Bloodlines showed that the Genesis could keep up when coaxed by a developer who knows what it’s doing. For reference, just look at the water effects in the Atlantis level.
Does it still hold up? Hell yea! Castlevania: Bloodlines is a damn good game. The lack of 8-way attacks was a downer after playing Super Castlevania IV, but old-school fans will feel right at home here. And though this Genesis title doesn’t sound as sweet as the SNES, the soundtrack is still top-notch for the console.
Sadly, this game hasn’t seen a re-release. Nintendo hasn’t graced this title in any of its Virtual Consoles, even though Rondo of Blood made it. For purists, the used market has you covered. For those not interested in buying carts and old systems, there is emulation. Either way, Castlevania: Bloodlines is a worthy entry in the Castlevania lore and worth a playthrough.
Good: Old-school Castlevania gameplay; graphics push Genesis to its limits; great soundtrack
Bad: No 8-way attacking; No Belmonts
Final score: 9/10
