But all of these semi-familiar places were created using a broader colour palette than the NES could ever dream of. Tattered red curtains still hang by tall windows as purple-hued zombies rush across the same floor, mermen still leap out of the waters below, and much to my hair-pulling frustration, that bit with the floating medusas and the tiny platforms still rears its ugly head.

In spite of these fundamental changes to Castlevania, many areas still clearly echo their Nintendo-branded counterparts.

I already know what to do even if I don't quite know how I'm going to do it on a new stage.The limited-use maps scattered around most stages offer further help: a quick tap of F2 reveals not only an overview of the whole level's basic floor plan but also Simon's current location and even a big red arrow marking the exit door.Įven in a game where capital-D Death might literally be waiting around the corner and I can walk through some stages backwards, I always know what I'm supposed to be doing and to a certain extent where I'm heading. Knowing something is hidden and I have to search and think my way through a world filled with traps and monsters to find it, is… quite exciting, actually. In spite of all my complaining, in practice these key-hunting searches aren't quite as confusing or unpleasant as they may sound. (Image credit: Konami) (opens in new tab)

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