Kid Dracula on the Game Boy is the superior version. While we had to wait for the Famicom release to get localized to the West, the Game Boy version however, had no such issue. I'll try to keep this brief since this is mostly similar to the Famicom version, but I will go over some details that I haven't talked about in my review of the Famicom original later on
The game has eight levels, some new and some returning that have been shrunken down to fit on the tiny screen. Since this is on a less powerful console like the Famicom, each level has different sections, and every time you end that section, Dracula has this adorable animation where he covers his face with his face and makes a scary face before moving on to the next. I also found the difficulty to be much more reasonable with the levels designed around Kid Dracula's powers in mind, unlike the Famicom version, where its difficulty can feel cheap at times. I also found the levels have a bit more variety compared to its predecessor. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the levels in the Famicom original, but half of it feels generic like the desert or ice level
Garamoth has returned and it's up to Kid Dracula to stop him once again, but he seems to have forgotten most of his spells. That's where Death comes in, adding just a little bit more personality for Kid Dracula. Throughout his adventure, Death will give you some tips and precious heirlooms from his father, Count Dracula to help him out
Now let's talk about the one thing I didn't cover in my Famicom review, and that is the minigames. In between levels, there is a set of minigames you can choose to gain more extra lives that'll help you out on your adventure with a few minigames returning; but what was added to the Game Boy version is being able to earn more coins by playing roulette. I rarely used the roulette minigame, but it's cool just to have a bit more options
Kid Dracula on the Game Boy is a more refined reimagining and sequel of its predecessor. While it's cool we were finally able to experience the Famicom original in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, the Game Boy version is just the better game. I don't recommend buying the original cartridge since this is one out of the two Castlevania Game Boy games that are outrageously overpriced. I mean we're talking around $300-$600 easy for a loose cartridge here. So I highly recommend emulating it via the mGBA emulator, which was where I played it for this review. Hopefully this gets rereleased someday because I believe this to be another hidden gem in the series alongside Belmont's Revenge
Ok that was not brief at all
The game has eight levels, some new and some returning that have been shrunken down to fit on the tiny screen. Since this is on a less powerful console like the Famicom, each level has different sections, and every time you end that section, Dracula has this adorable animation where he covers his face with his face and makes a scary face before moving on to the next. I also found the difficulty to be much more reasonable with the levels designed around Kid Dracula's powers in mind, unlike the Famicom version, where its difficulty can feel cheap at times. I also found the levels have a bit more variety compared to its predecessor. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the levels in the Famicom original, but half of it feels generic like the desert or ice level
Garamoth has returned and it's up to Kid Dracula to stop him once again, but he seems to have forgotten most of his spells. That's where Death comes in, adding just a little bit more personality for Kid Dracula. Throughout his adventure, Death will give you some tips and precious heirlooms from his father, Count Dracula to help him out
Now let's talk about the one thing I didn't cover in my Famicom review, and that is the minigames. In between levels, there is a set of minigames you can choose to gain more extra lives that'll help you out on your adventure with a few minigames returning; but what was added to the Game Boy version is being able to earn more coins by playing roulette. I rarely used the roulette minigame, but it's cool just to have a bit more options
Kid Dracula on the Game Boy is a more refined reimagining and sequel of its predecessor. While it's cool we were finally able to experience the Famicom original in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, the Game Boy version is just the better game. I don't recommend buying the original cartridge since this is one out of the two Castlevania Game Boy games that are outrageously overpriced. I mean we're talking around $300-$600 easy for a loose cartridge here. So I highly recommend emulating it via the mGBA emulator, which was where I played it for this review. Hopefully this gets rereleased someday because I believe this to be another hidden gem in the series alongside Belmont's Revenge
Ok that was not brief at all