Manual Story Description

In earlier times, peace and prosperity reigned across the land, and no-one thought to question their good fortune or fear for the future...

     Then, in the middle of the 19th century, a dark shadow spread across Wallachia, Transylvania, home to many a vampire legend. The spirits of the depraved and corrupt had roused the king of evil from his enforced sleep of 100 years...

     Shapeshifting into a bat, a wolf, or coils of mist, he stalked the land...

     Seeking the dark and shunning the light, he cursed the gods as he hunted...

     Damned to eternal life, he sucked the blood of one young maiden after another...

     Count Dracula, Lord of Darkness and Master of the Castle of Death, had arisen again...

     The peace and prosperity of the people utterly destroyed, a black cloud of despair spread over the land. Evil beings roamed through the towns, and those who refused to pledge allegiance to Dracula died horrible deaths.

     It was then that two warriors came forth, called by fate to hunt down the Lord of Darkness and deliver the people from his evil...

Objective/Overview

It was inevitable the our famed series would have to one day earn its 3D stripes, and in 1999, the honor fell upon Konami Computer Entertainment of Kobe (KCEK), a division of the main company. Thus, Castlevania 64 is the first series' title to enter into the world of three dimensions. Though there were many promises made as to the quality of the finished product, only few were delivered upon. Regardless, what remains is a rather unique take on Castlevania-style gameplay in its first 3D venture.

At your disposal are two characters, two Belmont-derived heroes whose missions are yours to clear. They are Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez, who command their own tools of destruction but utilize all of the same magical items. You can take control of either hero and guide him or her through nine of the twelve stages, which come in two types: Those that offer straightforward room-to-room action, and others that feature free-roaming areas whose puzzles must be solved through exploration. Though they cover most of the same terrain, both characters' missions have exclusive two areas that branch out from stages three and five. Therein, you must deal with each character's main instigator, sporadic and erratic boss appearances, and finally the game's major villain.

Castlevania 64's gameplay runs on a day-to-night timer, which determines good or bad endings depending upon how long it takes to complete a respective mission. This works to supply a sense of replayability, but that may or may not be a good thing. In addition to the regular mode, there's also an easy mode that can only be played up until stage five; otherwise, clearing the game in the regular mode under a certain condition unlocks a "hard" but complete mode.

Japanese/European Differences

The Japanese version doesn't have any changes in mechanics or story, but Carrie's last name is different: That is, her name is "Belnades," which creates a direct connection between the Fernandez family and Sypha Belnades from the earlier Dracula's Curse. Also, in effect, the enemy known in the U.S. version as "Carrie's Cousin," described as a recent castle invader, is actually meant to be Sypha herself, resurrected by Actrise in a further attempt at mind games.

The European version is simply titled "Castlevania," which seems to be a series' trend throughout the continent. Because Europe is usually the last to see the release of video games, select titles never see the light of day in some European countries. For this reason, Konami of Europe has seen fit to leave off the subtitles and present the latest series' games as simply "Castlevania."

Soundtrack and Credits

Soundtrack
Opening and Ending Themes: 1 - Introduction | 2 - Setting | 3 - Necronomicon | 4 - Prologue | 5 - Carrie's Good Ending | 6 - Bad Ending | 7 - Schneider's Good Ending | 8 - Credits
Stage Themes: 1 - The Watchtower | 2 - Annex - Silent Madness | 3 - Maze Garden | 4 - Invisible Sorrow | 5 - Sinking Feeling | 6 - Dungeon | 7 - Encounters | 8 - Specimen | 9 - Deadly Ambition | 10 - Mystic Tower | 11 - Toothed Wheel | 12 - Stairway to the Clouds | 13 - Castle Escape
Battle Themes: 1 - Shudder | 2 - First Struggle | 3 - Second Struggle | 4 - Dance of Illusions | 5 - Concert of Another Dimension
Miscellaneous Themes: 1 - Intrusion | 2 - Hamlet People | 3 - Rose | 4 - Mysterious Coffin | 5 - Lamented Rose | 6 - Malus Reappears | 7 Sypha | 8 - Actrise | 9 - Planetarium | 10 - Unexpected Encounter | 11 - Moment of Silence | 12 - Melodies of Castlevania | 13 - A Night of Peace and Quiet

Links
Music Files: MP3 and MIDI
Soundtrack Release: Japanese Soundtrack, European Soundtrack and Castlevania Best Music Collections Box
Game Credits: Available

Other Characters

Lesser Enemies: Skeleton, Exploding Skeleton, Motorcycle Skeleton, Ghost, Lizard Man, Werewolf, Hellhounds, Skull Head, Blood Skeleton, Medusa Head, Spider Woman, Bloodborn, Frankenstein Gardener, Hell Knight, Pillar of Bones, Bone Heads, Knight, Machine Gun Guard, Cerebros, Minor Vampire, Vampire Bat, Stain-Glass Knight and Ice Monster.
Bosses: Giant Ape Skeleton, Guardian Skeledragons, Vampires, Rosa, Carrie's cousin, Demon Bull, Were-Leopard, Werewolf, Were-Bull, Were-Tiger, The Grim Reaper, Renon, Actrise and Vampire Charlie Vincent
Dracula Forms: Dracula and Drago
Supporting Cast: Dracula's Servant, Charlie Vincent, Rosa, Renon, Malus, Actrise and Mutated Lizard Man

Character Lists

Lesser Enemies | Bosses | Dracula Forms | Supporting Cast

Limitations: Both heroes are similarly attributed in terms of speed and jumping ability, but the difference lay in the available weaponry, the use of said weaponry, and overall attack power. Of the two characters, Reinhardt is decidedly superior in terms of strength and durability, but his whip attacks are all short-ranged; though the whip can be powered up two levels, there's no telling difference between each form and no real way to know his current power-level. The short sword isn't all that useful, either, because enemies aren't going to just stand there while you hack away; it works well against bats and Medusa heads, yes, but their appearances are limited. The sub-weapons have a limited homing ability, which while not entirely reliable cures range deficiency somewhat. The sliding attack, while quick in execution, is hardly worth the trouble because of its lack of accuracy. If you're going to choose Reinhardt, it should be strictly for traditional purposes.

Limitations: Carrie is the weaker of the two, in attack power and endurance, but her weaponry is clearly superior in terms of speed and usefulness. At her command is the homing ball, which can be powered up two levels, and using it she can battle enemies while stationary or while on the move without much worthy because the attack will find its mark; additionally, she can charge up the attack before release for a larger, more impactful blast. Her in-close attack, the ring smash, is a good move to use in fending off enemy clusters and coming out unscathed. Using the steel-bladed rings, also, Carrie can execute a diving slide that speedily slices through all enemies in its path. Her sub-weapon use is parallel to that of Reinhardt's, so there's no advantage here. In the end: Carrie has an easier time of things, and her play-experience is more enjoyable, which is all you need to know.