Castlevania: Dracula X

aka: Akumajo Dracula XX, Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss
Moby ID: 6598
SNES Specs
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Description official descriptions

In Transylvania, people lived in fear of the evil Count Dracula. The ultimate embodiment of evil, Dracula swept his dark hand over the land, making the people mere sheep for his thirst for blood. But when a young woman named Sonia Belmont came forth to confront him, he made a horrible mistake: he underestimated her. Thus, the battle between Dracula and the Belmont family began.

Now, in the late 18th century, the battle still rages on...

Dracula has been resurrected by a cult of black magic to cast his shadow of fear and terror over the land once again. But now, Dracula takes his fight to those the Belmonts are close to. He kidnaps two girls, Annette and Maria Renard, to bring forth the latest Belmont, so that he may destroy the bloodline for good.

Richter Belmont, Annette's lover, has no choice now, but to take up the legendary Vampire Killer and follow his destiny: to battle Dracula and save Annette and Maria.

Spellings

  • 悪魔城ドラキュラXX - Japanese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (SNES version)

17 People (13 developers, 4 thanks)

Director
Programmer
Lead Programmer
Lead Character Design
  • Namachuw
Character Design
Sound Design
Special Thanks
Producer
Illustration by

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 70% (based on 19 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 49 ratings with 4 reviews)

Clearly a step back

The Good
The graphics looks very nice, and so do the cut scenes. The levels are quite unique, each one looks different and has its own atmosphere. There are different endings and different ways to go through the game, which increases the replayability. The music is good... kind of. I'll come back to that later.

The Bad
The controls suck: Once you jump, you loose all control over your character. You can't upgrade your whip. You can't swing it in different directions. You have to use a two-button combination to you your secondary weapon. I guess the eight buttons on the SNES controller weren't enough. The music tracks themself are great, but they don't fit in. You feel like being on a 16-bit rock concert. Nothing is left of the eerie atmosphere the music of Castlevania I or IV created. The difficulty is hard to insane. Some levels clearly have not been playtested enough. There are certain situations where you are bound to get hurt, which never should be the case in a platformer.

The Bottom Line
Apart from the graphics (and maybe the music), everything or worse than in Castelvania IV. Why did they take out all the good stuff that made Castlevania IV a little bit better than the NES tiles? I recommend Castlevania I, III and IV over this one. Castlevania Bloodlines too. And especially Rondo of Blood, whose retarded brother this game is.

SNES · by Katharian Berg (17) · 2010

Hard to find...but worth it.

The Good
Back in the day not everybody could afford import prices let alone a system AND an expensive peripheral. So what did those of us with only a SNES get when Konami dropped Drac X on American shores? Well Konami's SNES-tified version of Chi No Rondo is its own game entirely. Is it bereft of some of the special things that made Chi No Rondo an amazing game? Sure...but Konami streamlined the massive CD based adventure for a standard 16mbit cart and the outcome is just phenomenal.

The production quality of this game is quite good. The menus and corresponding sound effects are all excellent...and then the game begins! Gone are some of the more labyrinthine levels and in their place we received some good ole' fashioned platforming, familiar enemies, and that classic Castlevania love-it-or-hate-it challenge.

Let me be the first to say it this game is difficult. I found the precious little cart at a place in Mass. and since then its been at home in my SNES. Level 1 will get you familiarized with the basic controls (no more 8 directional whipping) and rhythm of the game. Level 2 will take a run through or two to beat (the spear guards are annoying...and there is a dearth of them). Level 3 is unique in that if you fall during the pillar-jump you get sent to an alternate level 4'...but if you pass the pillars safely you are met with a rather simply boss fight and you get access to the regular Level 4. Both of which are difficult the latter has two mid bosses and then you fight Shaft...the former has you duking it out with a minotaur...and from there the game gets dicey.

If you're playing it on an actual SNES (shame on you if you're not) have fun because Konami isn't exactly generous...you only get 2 lives at the outset of your adventure. Hidden within the walls are roasts, extra lives, hearts and sweet power-ups! The power-ups in this game are awesome and the ability to item-crash is pretty badass. With the push of a button let loose a barrage of crosses or a phalanx of axes...or slow time and beat the snot out of annoying bosses like Death. Drac X on SNES is certainly a challenge and a fun one at that.

The Bad
Well what did you expect to see here....Of course I will take this time to bitch about the lack of jump control and yeah...maybe it is annoying that Red Skulls make it a pain in the ass sometimes...

The Bottom Line
This game is tremendous on the SNES. It is nothing like the PC-Engine SuperCD game...minor superficial resemblances aside. Konami brought us a heaping plate of kick-ass with this game. It is challenging and boasts a difficult learning curve...but didn't Castlevania or Castlevania III? This game wasn't appreciated when it came out but that is what makes it an excellent find for any collector or enthusiast. It could cost you upwards of $60 bucks...but if you're a fan do yourself a favor and snag it. (Hey at least it doesn't cost $150....cough you PC-Engine masochists!).

SNES · by Stefan K (5) · 2009

What did SNES gamers do to deserve this?

The Good
It was a while before we had a sequel made for Super Castlevania IV. On SNES, anyways. The special effects are pretty neat, and music is really, really good. Crank it up, if you can. I found passwords on the 'Net for this game, so that's also good to use as a way to just listen to the music. Also, a nice, anime-influenced opening is done (though no animation, just slides and fades).

The Bad
No play control, really cheap hits, no Maria, low-res graphics, boring, too hard, and Dracula is beyond hard! This is not the way to translate a game. Also, most of the game is chopped, never to played again!

The Bottom Line
Oh, sorry Konami! For bugging you to make a translation of this game for the American gamers who don't have PC Engines! We didn't know you hated us and decided to punish us for asking for a real Castlevania game!

Anyways, stay away and ignore this game. I cranked out my PC Engine version just to wipe the taste away (okay, I found both games in the same box, but still . . .). This game is that bad. Get the Castlevanias on GBA if you want a real game, but not Symphony of the Night.

SNES · by Fake Spam (85) · 2007

[ View all 4 player reviews ]

Trivia

Dracula X

Even though this game is called Dracula X and stars Richter Belmont, it is NOT exactly the same game that appeared on the PC Engine Duo in Japan. Rather, this game is loosely based on it, henceforth why Richter stars in it and why the look is partially similar.

Version differences

In the European and US version of the game christian symbols and the Grim Reaper's death animation were changed. In the European version blood was also recoloured from red to white.

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Related Sites +

  • The Castlevania Dungeon
    A hosted fan "shrine" site devoted to all the games of the Castlevania series, including the SNES game Castlevania: Dracula X. Content includes game info/descriptions, plot summaries, various kinds of media (images, MP3s, etc.) and links to other Castlevania-related sites.
  • Video review of the Castlevania series (WARNING: Language)
    The Angry Video Game Nerd, James Rolfe, reviews games in the Castlevania series. In part 3, he reviews Super Castlevania IV and Castlevania: Dracula X, both on SNES as well as Castlevania on Nintendo 64. He mentions Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness but does not review it.

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 6598
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Satoshi Kunsai.

New Nintendo 3DS added by Charly2.0. Wii U added by Michael Cassidy.

Additional contributors: PCGamer77, LepricahnsGold, Patrick Bregger, Rik Hideto.

Game added June 6, 2002. Last modified March 3, 2024.