The performance in Dracula's Curse shows that our pal Dracula was a bit more morph-happy in his early years. The Dark Lord will await your entry into his throne area, and then he'll quickly take a vertical base from which he'll raise his staff into the air and cause two large flame pillars to rise up in random locations; their proximity will surely be meant to sandwich the hero between them. Somewhere in between (read: right where you stand), a third flame will quickly sprout up and potentially knock you back. In the meantime, Dracula will teleport to your position--in a more predictable illusion-based shift--to interfere in your flame-avoidance decision-making. After a few quick hits have been scored, Drac will stop playing around.

When I first witnessed the look and movement of this form, I originally dubbed it "Queen Medusa" (since it sort of resembles Medusa from as she appeared in Castlevania); this multi-faced horror is actually a collection of tortured souls, a membrane of evil within which Dracula is the middle face. It'll hover around the room in a set pattern, dripping deadly blood droplets while trying to force you to either side of the room, where it can induce multiple hits. It must be attacked from both sides, high and low, to destroy all of the faces (unless you're using Sypha's magic, which can rip through the creature). After knocking off all of its flesh, Dracula will give it one last-ditch effort in the form of the nightmare below.

Here we have one of Dracula's largest-ever transformations. The monstrosity's only weak spot is its head, but getting up to that point is easier typed than done. In order to reach the required height to score a direct hit, you'll have to ride on the platforms that conveniently break apart from the throne-room floor and begin circling the immediate area. Dracula, though, is not going to kneel back and take it: At any time, be it when you're riding on the platforms, Dracula will accurately blast from its forehead or hands long electric beams whose damage afflicted is devesating. All of your problems will be alleviated if you happen to have handy an axe, which you can from the lowest level jump and toss and certainly score a hit.