Collection essentials #117: Castlevania Bloodlines

Castlevania is back!! I’ve already talked about a few Castlevania games on this blog, so this post is gonna be a little short since I don’t need to explain the whole thing. This game doesn’t mess with the basic formula of the series, and you’ve got top-notch Genesis-quality graphics and music this time.

This game has two playable characters, John Morris and Eric. John plays more like one of the previous Castlevania main characters, while Eric wields a spear instead that he can thrust in eight directions. John can only swing his whip upwards when he’s jumping for some odd reason, and he’s definitely an inferior character to Eric. He can swing on things with his whip sometimes, but this isn’t as useful as being able to attack enemies coming from anywhere.

Bloodlines doesn’t have the character-switching system or the branching paths to the same extent as Castlevania III did. One could argue that’s a step backwards and a flaw, but this game is so good that I don’t mind. The main complaint I have is that it’s too short, and by the time it ends I’m still wanting more. And I think it would have been better for John to have had some kind of attack or ability to make him more even with Eric. Playing as two different characters adds some replay value, yes, and there’s even sections of levels that only one of the characters can reach. But this game definitely could have used an additional level or two, in my opinion. It’s still one of my favorite Castlevania games, and an absolute essential.

This game is available on modern platforms as part of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. And what’s cool is that you can play the Japanese version of the game too, which is easier than the American release. Go play it!