It's been a few years since I've last played this game.
I would play it again for this review, but... considering how difficult this game can get... yeah, I'm working with my memory for this one, folks.
So, when I played Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse back in 2019, via the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, I specifically remember playing the Japanese version, because it's easier.
There's no bullshit enemy damage outputs in later stages, Grant has a better default weapon and while the HELP ME code doesn't work anymore, the checkpoints in the final stages compensate for it.
In spite of that, Castlevania III (or Akumajou Densetsu, as it's known in Japan) is still a really hard game. So hard that I remember just not having much fun by the end of it, even with the difficulty being easier in the Japanese version.
There are a good amount of things I do like about this game though.
One of which is that you get multiple playable characters that you recruit as you go along. While it's unfortunate that I can only select one partner at a time, all three rock in their own ways.
Grant (in the Japanese version, at least) has a throwing dagger as his default weapon, and that's awesome for taking down threats at a distance! He also can cling onto walls, even upside down! And he has fluid mid-air control, unlike Trevor. I don't understand why they'd limit that to just him, but I digress.
I only played as Grant in my playthrough, but from what I've seen, Sypha and Alucard looked to be fun in their own right, especially since Sypha has a lot of magic at her disposal and Alucard can temporarily fly in his bat form.
There's multiple pathways you can choose after you beat a stage, as you can go to either one stage or another, giving the game more replay value.
And the stages are just very varied in general, with great background and an awesome soundtrack, especially in the Japanese Version, with the VRC6 sound chip that it had, adding more instruments to the mix!
But even with all of that stuff going for it, Castlevania III just became too hard by the end, and in a way that Castlevania I, I don't think ever reached.
Approach with caution.
I would play it again for this review, but... considering how difficult this game can get... yeah, I'm working with my memory for this one, folks.
So, when I played Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse back in 2019, via the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, I specifically remember playing the Japanese version, because it's easier.
There's no bullshit enemy damage outputs in later stages, Grant has a better default weapon and while the HELP ME code doesn't work anymore, the checkpoints in the final stages compensate for it.
In spite of that, Castlevania III (or Akumajou Densetsu, as it's known in Japan) is still a really hard game. So hard that I remember just not having much fun by the end of it, even with the difficulty being easier in the Japanese version.
There are a good amount of things I do like about this game though.
One of which is that you get multiple playable characters that you recruit as you go along. While it's unfortunate that I can only select one partner at a time, all three rock in their own ways.
Grant (in the Japanese version, at least) has a throwing dagger as his default weapon, and that's awesome for taking down threats at a distance! He also can cling onto walls, even upside down! And he has fluid mid-air control, unlike Trevor. I don't understand why they'd limit that to just him, but I digress.
I only played as Grant in my playthrough, but from what I've seen, Sypha and Alucard looked to be fun in their own right, especially since Sypha has a lot of magic at her disposal and Alucard can temporarily fly in his bat form.
There's multiple pathways you can choose after you beat a stage, as you can go to either one stage or another, giving the game more replay value.
And the stages are just very varied in general, with great background and an awesome soundtrack, especially in the Japanese Version, with the VRC6 sound chip that it had, adding more instruments to the mix!
But even with all of that stuff going for it, Castlevania III just became too hard by the end, and in a way that Castlevania I, I don't think ever reached.
Approach with caution.