Count Dracula, the terrible Transylvanian vampire king, is resurrected in 1792, a century after being defeated by the brave vampire hunter Simon Belmont. His demonic servant, Shaft, is dispatched to a neighboring village to murder men, kidnap women, and set fire to the town. Richter Belmont, a descendant of Simon, promises to release the women, including his fiancee Annette. He enters the castle with the Vampire Killer, a formidable whip he inherited from his ancestor, seeking to end the Dark Lord’s dominion.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is an action platformer like its predecessors in the series. Richter attempts to complete each stage by defeating destructive creatures with his whip and traditional sub-weapons (throwing axes, daggers, holy crosses, and so on). He may also use his sub-weapons to launch mighty “item crash” strikes. The game lacks the eight-directional whipping found in the last entry in the series, Super Castlevania IV. Like other Castlevania games, the levels include platforming difficulties that need superb timing and reactions. Richter will fight a formidable boss at the end of each stage.
The kidnapped women are concealed in the castle, and Richter must discover hidden entrances that may lead to alternate levels and bosses to find them. One of these remote locations allows you to play as Maria Renard, Annette’s sister. She is weaker than Richter, but she has more agility and talents, such as sliding and double jumping, allowing her to explore more options. She also has her unique special attacks and sub-weapons.
