Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
By Will Bartos
Monday. Dec 03, 12:01 AM
Richter Belmont finally hits the U.S.

Almost 15 years ago, a Castlevania came out in Japan that trumped all the ones before it. It had a Belmont by the name of Richter, and he had to rescue his girlfriend and three other girls from the clutches of the recently resurrected Dracula. Akumajo Dracula X: Chi No Rondo was never released outside of Japan on its home system, the PCEngine Duo (Turbo Duo in the states), but it would be known by connoisseurs and collectors by its more common name, Dracula X.

Several years and some sequels later, Koji Igarashi at Konami decided to resurrect the unknown game and give it some updates. Gone were the two-dimensional sprites and CD track music. The whole game was remade in three dimensions while keeping the same two-dimensional gameplay. Using the same moniker as its PlayStation 1 cousin, it was dubbed The Dracula X Chronicles.

First, the good news: Konami took their time remastering the game. The original animated introduction has been rendered in 3D, and looks even better. It also retains the original German language voice. The graphics look nice, the soundtrack is awesome, and it all still feels like traditional Castlevania. People used to the newer games on the GBA and DS may feel a little lost, but followers of the older games will feel right at home. Boss introductions, giant monsters, and rescues of the maidens are all done as 3D cinema scenes, adding more depth to the story. Players also have the ability to change the voice acting between Japanese and English, which affects more than just the remake.

When these guys say Chronicles, they mean it. While the remake is certainly nice to pick up, two extras have been added to the game. The original Chi No Rondo is in the game, complete with animated intros and voice acting, giving you a taste of what the game was like before it was remade. The other gem is the full version of Symphony of the Night, which is an even bigger surprise. Turns out we got the full JAPANESE version of the game, which includes the two familiars that weren’t in the original U.S. PlayStation release. The voice acting and the script have been redone as well. Men aren’t miserable little piles of secrets anymore, and father and son don’t sound like they have colds when they speak. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the extra levels introduced on the Sega Saturn, but you can’t have everything, and I heard the levels weren’t all that great anyway. To play them, though, you have to FIND them in the regular game, and then they become unlocked.

Now the bad news: I have played the original version of the game (before unlocking the one in this game), and have found the remake to be quite a bit easier. Patterns are much easier to discern than before, particularly on the bosses. Also, I think the PSP decided to talk to the original Game Boy, as Richter seems to have those molasses boots that plagued Christopher all those many years ago. He’s still faster than that, but the odd animation style of Richter, combined with the lack of a run, makes the game feel slower than it should. I also nitpick on the voice acting, particularly in Symphony of the Night: Richter and Alucard sound a little younger than I feel they should be, and Maria sounds more a little more ditzy than regal. It’s hard to match the voices that the Japanese use, though, so it’s not that big of a deal.

The Dracula X Chronicles is really for serious collectors or people that want a copy of Symphony of the Night on the go. The main game itself is good, although a bit easy, and the extras add a bit of replay value. People used to the exploration-style games may find this one a bit archaic for their tastes, but Castlevania nuts will have to own it.

Will Bartos

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