While the whole Castlevania series is known for its high difficulty (or, at
least, it *was* known for that, back in the early-to-mid-90's), Castlevania:
The Adventure for the original Game Boy seemed especially notorious as being a
source of frustration for players. It's also similarly notorious for being one
of the poorest entries in the series, so it was little surprise to me that I
could find no walkthroughs or FAQs for the game online. Perhaps against my
better judgment, I was rather fond of CV Adventure, and figured, if no one else
would write a guide for it, I might as well share my own knowledge with the
gaming community. Hopefully, my guide will provide you with everything you need
to know to beat this oft-overlooked entry of Castlevania's long history.
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The Story
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The year is 1476. Count Vlad Tepes Dracula, lord of all vampires, is wreaking
havoc on the country of Romania with his legions of undead and unholy
creatures. The Romanian people are powerless to stop the great vampire and all
seems lost, until Trevor Belmont--from the infamous Belmont Clan of
warriors--rises to the challenge of defeating the count. Armed with the
legendary family heirloom, the Vampire Killer whip--a most holy of weapons,
capable of destroying evil--Trevor sets forth on his quest. Eventually
acquiring the aid of the former pirate, Grant Danasty; the great sorcerer--and
Trevor's future wife--Sypha Belnades; and the son of the vampire himself,
Alucard, Trevor is able to eliminate the count and rescue Romania. But this
would not be the last encounter between the Belmonts and the vampire...
100 years later, in 1576, Dracula rises from the grave, his reign of terror
beginning anew. Luckily, the Belmonts were prepared, passing the Vampire Killer
and the knowledge of its use down through the generations. It is now up to
Christopher Belmont, descendant of Trevor, to destroy the count. And, unlike
his forefather, he must do it alone...
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Guide Version History
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v1.0 - September 13th, 1999 - Original release.
v1.1 - February 13th, 2001 - Added the "Increased Difficulty" information to
the Secrets section; updated some of the enemy names; added "pass-through
trick" strategy for the Giants in <4-13>; miscellaneous, minor changes.
v2.0 - January 8, 2010 - In celebration of the release of Castlevania: The
Adventure Rebirth, I decided to overhaul the guide: rewrote large chunks of the
Walkthrough section; removed the mini-maps due to them displaying incorrectly
on some sites; added brief room descriptions after the room numbers, for
quicker reference; finally completed the Items list; added details to the
Controls section; added search codes; removed the Enemies and Secrets sections,
since the Walkthrough section already covered them in greater detail; added
Story section; other minor alterations.
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Table of Contents and Search Codes
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+Control Pad Up - Makes Christopher climb upward when he is hanging on a rope.
+Control Pad Down - Makes Christopher duck when he's on the ground; makes
Christopher climb downward when he's on a rope.
Select - No use.
Start - Used to start game or pause a game in progress.
Button B - Attack in front of you with your whip. This can be used while
jumping. To whip at the height of your jump, press A and then B immediately
after.
Button A - Jump straight up. Press A while holding Left or Right to jump left
or right (you can also disembark from ropes by doing this). (See Jumping
Techniques below for more information about making difficult jumps.)
[CVA1J] -Jumping Techniques-
It will be necessary to perfect your jumping skills in order to have any hope
of beating this game. When making jumps, attempt to get as close to the edge of
the platform you're standing on before you jump to the next one; try making it
that the toe of Christopher's back foot is at the very, very edge of the
platform (his front foot will be hanging in mid-air) before you jump, as some
pits simply can't be cleared otherwise.
You don't have enough time to do that with falling platforms, though, as they
will plummet off the screen before you can position yourself properly. When
navigating falling platforms, it is best to leap onto them, move slightly in
the direction you need to go as the platform is falling, then jump again. If
you just jump again immediately as soon as you land on a falling platform, you
often won't be close enough to the next platform to properly clear the jump.
Master these techniques if you want to have any hope of beating the game!
Throughout Castlevania: The Adventure, you'll see many candles hanging from
walls or just floating out in the middle of nowhere. If you destroy these with
your whip or fireballs, they will drop useful items. Simply move Christopher
into these items, and he will pick them up automatically. He's a short list of
items you can obtain from the candles, and descriptions of what they do:
Coin - Adds 50 points to your score. Get a high enough score and you'll be
rewarded with an extra life.
Heart - Restores two bars of your health.
Flashing Heart - Restores all of your health.
Crystal Ball - Upgrades the Vampire Killer whip (your weapon) by one level. The
whip has three power levels: the standard leather whip that you start out with,
a chain whip that's longer and does more damage, and a fireball-shooting chain
whip that allows you to attack enemies that are a great distance away. You will
need to collect crystal balls often, since taking damage from any enemy attack
will reduce your whip's power by one level (sad, but true).
Flashing Crystal Ball - Summons the boss of that stage. You might think you
should avoid these, but you can't beat the stage if you don't! Thankfully, the
candles that contain them are in plain view, in rooms you can't actually leave,
so you can't miss them.
Cross - Makes you invulnerable to all enemy attacks for a few seconds, allowing
you to walk right through your foes and their various implements of death
without taking any damage. Christopher will flash rapidly during the duration
of this invulnerability.
1-up - Rare. Pick one up to gain a precious extra life.
In this section, you'll find strategies to beat every stage in the game, as
well as how to beat every enemy, every boss, and how to find the secret areas
lying within each level.
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[CVA3S1] STAGE 1 - The Forest
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<1-1> (horizontal pathway leading to the right, with trees in the background,
and mudmen & creepers)
Your journey starts in the woods outside of dracula's castle. When you start
out, DON'T HIT THE FIRST CANDLE YOU SEE; if you don't hit it, a 1-up will
appear in a candle later in the stage. Head forward, and watch the top of the
screen for anything falling down toward you. It's mud, and, when it hits the
ground, it forms into a mudman. Mudmen are very slow and only take one hit from
any whip or a fireball to destroy them. If one does fall down, stop and let it
hit the ground, then duck and hit it with your whip. Continue looking out for
those until you get to the next room.
The next enemy you'll see is a little guy I call a "creeper". If you hit it
with a powered-up chain whip, you'll destroy it. But, if you hit it with a
leather whip or a fireball from a full-powered whip, it will fly backwards then
jump back at you, so watch out. Fight off these guys, and head up to the next
room.
<1-2> (horizontal pathway leading to the left, with rolling eyeballs)
Here, you'll meet a new foe: the rolling eyeball. These things are pretty quick
and are hard to jump over, and if you get past one, another one is never far
behind. One hit from your whip will destroy them, though. Keep heading left,
whipping the candles along the way. Right before the rope up to the next room
will be two more candles. If you didn't hit the candle at the very beginning of
the game, a 1-up will be in this first candle here. The next one will have a
cross in it, which will make you invulnerable for a short period. Go up to the
next room.
<1-3> (horizontal pathway leading to the right, with trees in the background,
creepers on the ground, and eagles flying in)
Even though you should be invulnerable now, don't get careless. Head right and
deal with the creepers. But, listen out for a distinct squeaking sound. If you
hear one, look at the top of the screen for a new enemy, the eagle. It will fly
to the left, over top of you, until it reaches the end of the screen, then it
will swoop down toward you and attack. If you see one, stop moving, turn
around, wait for it to swoop down to your level and whip it when it flies down
low enough; don't jump or duck or anything, just stand your ground and attack.
Timing is critical in this game since Christopher cracks his whip somewhat
slowly; pressing B at the moment the eagle starts swooping downward should make
your attack connect with it.
Sometimes, shortly after defeating the second creeper, an eagle will fly
directly into your face. Don't duck or jump; stand tall and whip it before it
collides with you.
Keep heading right and go up to the next room.
<1-4> (single screen, leading upward, with eyeballs dropping in)
Climb to the top of the rope, jump off to the left and hit the candle to get a
cross to protect you from the rolling eyeballs. Head up to the next room.
<1-5> (single screen, leading upward, with eyeballs dropping in)
Go right and make sure to hit the second candle. It has another cross in it,
which will see you through to the next room.
<1-6> (horizontal pathway leading left, with tombstones and dead trees in the
background, and creepers)
[CVA3S1S] <STAGE 1 SECRET ROOM> Keep climbing up the rope; when you reach the
ceiling, keep pressing Up, and you'll climb right through it, leading you into
a secret room. This room houses four candles, each with valuable items in them,
including another 1-up. Collect all the prizes, and climb back down the rope
into the previous room.
Once back on the main path, hop off the rope and head left. There aren't many
enemies in this room, just a few creepers. They can, sometimes, be difficult to
distinguish from the background, though, so be careful.
<1-7> (long horizontal pathway leading right, with mudmen, eagles, falling
platforms, thin block platforms, and bats)
If you have a fully-powered, fireball-shooting whip, you can knock out both of
the candles at the beginning of the room with fireballs; the one closest to you
holds a whip upgrade, while the other holds yet another 1-up. If you don't have
a fully powered whip, you can't get the 1-up, but you can still get the whip
upgrade by jumping down and whipping it in mid-air along the way (this can be
done by leaping and then pressing B just below the maximum height of your jump).
The next area is dangerous. It's a long stretch where mudmen (those things that
dropped down on you at the beginning of the level) and eagles attack. Watch the
top of the screen for them, and dispose of them as mentioned before.
Next, you'll climb up and have to make your way over a wide pit by hopping
across a series of platforms. Be careful: these distinctive-looking platforms
are falling platforms, and will drop as soon as you land on them, so jump to
the next platform as quickly as possible. (Refer to [CVA1J] Jumping Techniques
for information on how to make tricky jumps like these throughout the game.)
The next section deals with thin blocks you must hop across. It also deals with
a new foe, the bat. Bats have an erratic flight pattern which makes them
difficult to hit. Do your best to dispose of the bats before jumping across the
blocks, as they will likely knock you down to the ground below if you don't. Be
patient while making the jumps: if you fall, you'll have to walk back to the
left and start over. There are items in the candles below the blocks, but
ignore them, as the bats will cause too much trouble if you stick around any
longer than you need to.
Keep going right and hit the candle. An orb will fall out of it. Pick it up to
fight the first boss.
[CVA3S1B] <STAGE 1 BOSS>
The boss will slowly lumber toward you from the left. It may be slow, but it's
very strong, and has a spear that can hit you both when you're on the ground,
and when you're on platforms slightly above the ground. Fireballs simply bounce
off this enemy, so, you'll have to attack it directly. Try to just barely get
in attacking distance of the thing, hit it once or twice, then retreat quickly
before it counterattacks. When it corners you on the right side of the screen,
use the platforms to jump over it and attack from the other side. When it's
defeated, you'll go on to Stage 2.
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[CVA3S2] STAGE 2 - The Caves
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<2-1> (horizontal pathway heading right, with bats, Punaguchis and Zeldos)
When you start out, you'll see several bats hanging from the ceiling, guarding
a candle. That candle contains a cross, but it's not usually a good idea to go
for it; when you go to the right, the bats will swoop down to attack, making it
difficult to obtain the cross without getting hurt. It's best to just run past
them, since even though you'll probably take damage, you'd probably take even
more damage if you tried to fight them. Still, if a bat insists bugging you and
won't get out of your hair, kill it. The same goes for the next set of bats up
ahead.
Next, you'll meet a new enemy called a "Punaguchi". Punaguchis are some of the
deadliest enemies in the game. They spit out large, fast moving fireballs that
bounce around the room until they go off the screen and, even then, they might
still come back from off-screen. Punaguchis can also take alot of punishment:
you'll have to hit them four times with fireballs or the leather whip, or about
two times with a chain whip to kill them. Dodge or, if possible, destroy their
fireballs and attack the Punaguchis. After you destroy the second one, head
toward the next area, but stop before you drop down. An off-screen Punaguchi
will shoot a fireball down toward you. Once the fireball leaves the screen,
drop down to next area.
You now have two choices: keep heading right and fight a new enemy called a
"Zeldo", or go up the rope and fight a Punaguchi. I usually opt for the
Punaguchi since it's easier to kill, and the candles behind it contain some
health items, while the Zeldo is tougher, and the candles he guards only have
some coins in them. But, if you decide to go and fight the Zeldo, here's how to
defeat it: these guys throw fast little hooks at you which fly out, turn around
and return to him. You'll know when he's about to attack when he stops walking.
If he's standing and he throws one, duck under it, then, when it turns around,
jump over it on it's return trip; if he ducks and throws, do the opposite;
jump, then duck. Be careful, as these hooks take out two bars of health with
each hit. Zeldos can also take alot of damage: 3 to 5 hits are neccessary to
take them down.
No matter which path you take, you'll eventually end up going down to the next
room.
<2-2> (single screen, leading downward, with a Punaguchi and a falling platform)
This room has another deadly Punaguchi in it. Destroy it, and head left onto
the falling platform. When it falls, wait until it's low enough--until it's
about level with the ground below--then quickly jump to the right onto solid
ground. Go down to...
<2-3> (single screen, leading downward, with a large pit with falling platforms
suspended over it)
This area has another set of falling platforms in it, with a candle suspended
above one of them. If you need the item inside the candle--a crystal ball--you
can get it by hitting the candle, while still on the solid ground on the right
side of the room, then very quickly jumping across the falling platforms before
the item drops. You might just be better off ignoring the candle entirely,
though. Either way, leap onto each platform, but do not jump immediately when
you land; keep moving left for a very brief moment before jumping to the next
platform. When you make it across, go down.
<2-4> (single screen, leading downward, guarded by two Punaguchis)
Two Punaguchis reside here. Deal with them as normal, and go down to the next
room.
<2-5> (long bridge heading right, with rolling eyeballs)
This area can be difficult if you're not careful. It consists of a long stretch
of bridges will rolling eyeballs moving across them. Now, this, normally,
wouldn't be much of a problem, except for the fact that the eyes are highly
explosive; if you destroy one, they'll leave a large hole in the bridge. To
deal with the eyes, destroy the ones that come from behind, and jump over the
ones heading toward you from the right (if you destroy them, the holes they'll
leave in the bridge will be difficult, sometimes impossible, to jump over); if
you see an eyeball appear to your right, immediately stop moving, wait for it
to come to you, then jump over it. This is important since, if you keep heading
right when an eyeball appears to your right, sometimes a second eyeball will
appear directly behind the first, and it will be impossible to jump over both
without taking damage. Be careful, though, as the eyes are tough to jump over
sometimes, due to their size. Timing is everything.
When you're back on solid ground, attack the eyes as usual (since the
explosions only affect the bridges), and head down to the next room.
<2-6> (single screen, leading downward, with three falling platforms in the
center)
This room has three falling platforms that bridge a gap over to a small ledge
with a candle on it. Getting to this candle is the absolute definition of a
pixel-perfect jump: inch towards the left end of the ledge you start out on
until two pixels of Christopher's back foot are hanging out in mid-air, then
carefully hop across the falling platforms. If you make it (and don't feel bad
if you don't; it's extremely hard to do), a 1-up awaits you in the candle.
Whether you make it to the candle or not, hop down to the floor below, where
you'll find two ropes leading downward: one on your left, and one on your right.
If you take the left rope (which will let you take another shot at the 1-up you
might have just missed. Read on), it will lead down to a room with a couple of
bats in it, some candles with coins in them, and two more ropes: taking the
left rope will just drop you into the same exact room, complete with a fresh
pair of bats; taking the right rope will lead to a room with a Punaguchi, four
candles (two with coins; two with hearts, or sometimes one with a heart and one
with a crystal ball), and another rope. Take that rope up to another room with
four more candles (two with coins, one with a heart, and one with a cross),
rolling eyes, and another rope leading up. If you take that rope, you'll end up
back in 2-5, the bridge room. You can then climb back down to 2-6 and try to
snag that 1-up again (if you didn't destroy the candle earlier, that is). If
you miss the 1-up yet again, you can keep going down that left rope and
retrying until you get it...but I really don't think it's worth all the trouble.
Eventually, you'll realize that the right rope is the only way to proceed. Head
down there to delve further into the level.
<2-7> (single screen, leading downward, with bats)
The next room has two bats in it, two candles, and two ropes. Get rid of the
bats, and go down and get the items in the candles: the left one has a coin,
the right one houses a cross. After that, climb down the left rope; the right
rope will just drop you back into the same room--this time, the right way is
not the right way.
<2-8> (single screen, leading downward, with a large "staircase" and rolling
eyes)
[CVA3S2S] <STAGE 2 SECRET ROOM> With your newfound invulnerability, stand on
the big stair in the middle of the room (two steps down from the top), and wait
for an eye to roll over to you. Destroy the eyeball when it lands on the center
stair. The explosion it causes will break the floor open (if the explosion
doesn't create a big enough hole, just wait for another eye to roll in and try
it again). There's an invisible rope in this hole; fall down into the hole and
you'll grab onto it, then use it to climb down into the room below. Here,
you'll find a bevy of prizes (a 1-up, a crystal ball, a flashing heart, and a
coin), and another rope. Hop onto it after collecting the goodies, and climb
down into the room below.
If you skip the secret area (for some reason), just head down to the next room.
Both the normal and secret paths lead to...
<2-9> (single screen, leading downward, with a Punaguchi)
A small room with a single Punaguchi in it. Hop down and destroy it, then climb
down to the next room.
<2-10> (single screen, leading downward, with nothing in it)
Even though this empty room looks suspicious, I haven't found anything of value
in it. Go down to...
<2-11> (horizontal pathway leading right, with two Zeldos)
This room has two Zeldos. Dispose of the first one, and get the item inside the
first candle. Get the item out of the second candle as well. When you see the
next candle, don't hit it yet. Get rid of the second Zeldo and safely collect
the remaining items.
With the Zeldos out of the way, you'll find a long rope at the end of the room,
leading both upwards and downwards; climbing upward will just put you back in
the same room, with the Zeldos alive again. Climb down instead and get ready to
fight!
[CVA3S2B] <STAGE 2 BOSS>
This "boss" actually consists of a bunch of small, extremely fast enemies that
jump out at you from holes in the wall. They only take one hit to defeat, but,
if one slips past you, the whole situation can easily get out of control, as
they will quickly and maniacally leap around the room. Although, at most, only
two of them can be out and about at one time, having just one of them bounding
around the room is bad enough. Your best bet is to kill them before they even
have a chance to hop out of the holes.
You can see these enemies peeking their heads out from the holes before they
jump into the room. When they're peeking, you may want to pause the game so
you'll have time to decide where you want to position yourself before they
lunge. They are also still vulnerable to your attacks in this "peeking" state,
and the enemies that appear in the holes in the center, left and lower-right of
the screen can be destroyed before they even climb out. But, with the ones that
appear in the hole at the top of the screen, you must wait until *after* they
jump out before you can strike.
There are two strategies for fighting these critters: without fireballs, and
with fireballs.
Without Fireballs - You'll want to stay in the center of the room as much as
possible if you're fighting without fireballs. You can't stay in the center for
the entire battle--you'll have to move towards the holes in order to destroy
the creatures when they peek out--but try to move back to the center
immediately after every creature you defeat. That way, you'll have an equal
distance to walk to reach every part of the room, instead of having to risk
walking the entire length of the screen when an enemy appears in a hole on the
opposite side of the room.
To attack the enemies that appear in all the holes except for the topmost one,
quickly move towards the hole they're in when they peek out and whip them
(you'll have to jump to attack the ones in the left and center holes). To
attack enemies that appear in the hole at the top of the room, stand a few
steps to the left of the hole in the lower-right corner of the room, face left,
and attack when the baddie jumps down to ground level.
With Fireballs - If you have fireballs (you lucky devil, you), position
yourself a few steps to the left of the hole in the lower-right corner of the
screen, and stay there for the entire battle. From this spot, simply kneel down
and whip to kill the enemies that appear in the hole on the right, jump and
shoot fireballs to kill the enemies that appear in the center and left holes,
and then wait for the ones that appear in the hole at the top of the screen to
jump down to your level before striking it. If you screw up and lose your
fireballs, don't panic: just revert to the "Without Fireballs" strategy and
keep going.
After you demolish twenty of these suckers, it's off to Stage 3...unfortunately.
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[CVA3S3] STAGE 3 - Gauntlet of Spikes
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Congratulations: you've reached the stage that makes most people never finish
this game. I sometimes wonder if this was an early version of the Tower of
Execution from Castlevania 64, since it sort of looks like a tower, and it's
definitely easy to get executed here if you're not careful. This stage only
consists of 3 rooms, but the first one is so big, I've divided it into three
sub-sections: <3-1 A>, <3-1 B> and <3-1 C>.
<3-1 A> (horizontal pathway leading right, with spiked crushing ceiling)
You start out in a room with spikes lining the ceiling (and if this looks
intimidating, that's because it is). Hop up the set of brick stairs. When you
reach the third, topmost stair, you'll see two candles in front of you,
suspended high above the ground below. The candle closest to you, you can hit
from there, and it contains a coin. As for the one further away, this has a
1-up in it. You can easily knock it out with fireballs, but whatever you do,
don't try to jump to get it while on the top stair; doing so will spear your
head on the spikes above, killing you instantly. If you don't have fireballs,
you can still obtain this 1-up, but it'll be a bit trickier. Read on!
Leap down from the stairs and head right--and don't slow down; the ceiling and
floor are being drawn towards each other, and you'll be squished between them
if you don't keep moving. You'll eventually happen upon a gigantic screw--the
mechanism that's pulling the ceiling and floor together. You can destroy it
with your whip (4 hits with a chain whip; 8 hits with a leather whip or
fireballs, which gives you barely enough time to dismantle the thing before the
spikes grace your skull), and the ceiling and floor will slowly revert to their
original positions. If you want to try to grab that 1-up out of the candle that
you might have missed earlier, quickly head back to the left before the floor
descends again, then hop up and smack the candle before it moves out of the
range of your jump. Just be mindful of the spikes, and the fact that this will
make the screw reappear once you start moving to the right again.
Heading right past the first screw, the ceiling and floor will soon start
moving in on each other again. Continue going right until you see a small
indentation in the spikes in the ceiling. Crouch underneath this indentation,
and the spikes will descend until they almost touch your head, then they will
start ascending again. When they move far enough out of the way, quickly
proceed to the right and destroy the second screw. The ceiling will go back up
again and stop.
As you proceed to the right, you'll come upon a candle. IGNORE IT, and the one
after it, too; the ceiling will start caving in again at this point, and if you
dawdle even for a moment in this section, you're dead for sure. Keep moving
right, then crouch beneath the highest indentation in the ceiling. Wait for the
ceiling to retract, and when the path is clear again, move forward quickly and
destroy the next screw before the ceiling comes down again.
With that screw destroyed, the ceiling will go up again, and this time, it will
stay there. You're free to hit the next two candles you come upon; although it
looks dangerous to jump up and hit the second one, it's harmless. After that,
jump across the falling platforms, leap to slightly higher ground on the right,
then jump left and grab onto that first rope you see. You might want to start
climbing up it as quickly as possible...
<3-1 B> (long, vertical pathway, automatically scrolling upward, with spikes
moving up from below)
This is just about the toughest area in the game: you will have to climb your
way to the top of a tall shaft, making many perilous jumps along the way, as a
bed of instant-killing spikes continually rises up from the bottom of the
screen. If that doesn't sound "fun" enough for you, if you die at any point
during this climb, you'll be sent back down to the bottom, and have to start
again all the way at the beginning of this section. (You really should refer to
[CVA1J] Jumping Techniques for tips on making difficult jumps before attempting
this area.)
If you've been following this guide up until now, you should already be on and
climbing up that left rope at this point; if not, get to higher ground and then
hop on it as quick as you can! Keep climbing it up until the spikes touch the
end of that rope, then hop over to the rope to your right. Start climbing up
that one immediately. You'll eventually see a ledge appear to your left. On it,
you'll see an enemy--I just call it a "worm"--crawling around. If you're quick,
you can climb up and hop off the rope, onto that ledge, before the worm reaches
you. Immediately kneel down and attack it (and be prepared to jump over it or
attack it again if it rolls back your way).
Once the first worm is disposed of, make your way up the rope on the left side
of the screen. You'll see another ledge with a worm on it to your right, but
you likely won't be able to get onto the platform before the worm crosses the
distance to "greet" you; best to wait on the rope until the creature starts
heading back to the right, then jump onto the ledge it occupies. Attack it
(again, leaping over its rolling body if you have to), then climb up to the
rope on the right side of the room.
Climb that rope up all the way to the ceiling, then jump to the left across the
falling platforms. When you make it to solid ground, two ropes will be
overhead; jump up to the rope on the right. Climb it all the way up, then leap
off and grab onto the rope to your left. Climb up that, and you'll eventually
see some flat ground to your right. Immediately leap onto it as soon as
possible. A worm will confront you there. Quickly take care of it, then get up
to that rope on the right. Keep climbing up, and you'll eventually see a ledge
to your left, but there's quite a sizable gap between it and the rope you're
on. Continue climbing upward until the spikes are just about to touch the
bottom of the rope you're on, then make a flying leap to the left. You should
just barely clear the gap and land safely, but you've got no time to lose.
Immediately move left towards the rope in front of you. The moment you think
you're in range to leap onto said rope, do so--the spikes are coming!
Go up, and you'll come upon an area with a few steps leading upward, over to a
couple of ropes on the right. Inhabiting two of these steps are worms, both of
which you'll have to attack and clear out of your path (note: it is possible to
whip the first worm in mid-air as you're leaping off of the rope). Unless you
have a chain whip to kill them instantly, it's very difficult to not take
damage from the worms' rolling attacks. If you get hit, just shrug it off, and
stay focused on whipping these suckers out of your way. Once taken care of, hop
up onto the highest stair, then leap onto the rightmost rope and start
climbing. I can't give you the exact timing for this next part, but when you
think you're high up enough to jump over to the rope on your left without
falling, do so, then leap off that rope onto the stone floor on the left side
of the room. From there, jump onto the leftmost rope and start climbing.
As you ascend, you will see another thin ledge on your right, with another worm
on it. Ignore it, and keep climbing past it. You'll eventually come upon a pair
of very thin blocks and a pair of falling platforms to your right. When you've
climbed up sufficiently, hop off the rope onto the first thin block. Just like
with the thin blocks in the first stage, inch forward until the toe of your
back foot is right at the edge, make sure the screen has scrolled up
sufficiently so you won't hit your head, then leap to the next block. Repeat
the process to get onto the first falling platform, then quickly hop across
them and onto the rope on the right side of the room. If you fall at any point
during this series of jumps, you're likely sunk.
After you climb up a ways, you'll come upon another part that's a bit nasty.
There will be another of those thin blocks to the left, then to the left of
that, a ledge with a worm on it. Climb up the rope far enough until you think
you can leap safely to the thin block, make sure that the worm is moving away
from you, and then leap; due to issues with hit detection, the worm can still
damage you, even when you're standing on the thin block next to it, so make
sure the worm's moving away from you before you jump onto the block. If you've
got a chain whip, just destroy the worm; if you've got a leather whip, you'll
have to strike the worm, quickly leap back onto the rope you just leapt off of
in order to dodge its rolling attack, then jump back onto the block again. With
the worm out of the way, make your way over to the rope on the left side of the
room and start climbing it.
Climb to the top of the rope, jump off onto the thin block to your right,
then--when the screen has scrolled up sufficiently so you won't bump your
head--hop across the three falling platforms, and climb up the next rope you
see. Climb to the top of that rope, hop to the left across three more falling
platforms, then climb up to the next rope. Climb that up as far as you can,
then leap off onto the thin blocks to your right, again being mindful of not
hitting your head on the top of the screen or the ceiling as you jump. Grab
onto the rightmost rope you see, and head up.
Congratulations! You've reached a checkpoint; you'll come back to life here if
you die. But the pain isn't over yet. Oh, not even close...
<3-1 C> (long, horizontal pathway, leading left, with a spiked wall chasing you
from the right)
Now you're in a race against time: an unstoppable wall of spikes is heading
toward you from the right, and a single touch means death. You'll need to move
quickly, but try to keep a cool head.
Starting on the rightmost rope, climb to the ceiling, leap over to the rope on
your left, then climb up and jump off to the left, over to solid ground.
There's a candle below you that contains a crystal ball, which you can obtain
safely if you're extremely quick--and it would come in handy for quickly
disposing of the worms in this section--but it's not recommended (especially if
you just exited <3-1 B> since, strangely, the spiked wall seems to show up
quicker that way; it takes longer to show up if you die in <3-1 C> and are
brought back to life here). In general, it's in your best interests to ignore
all the candles in this section, as they'll slow you down too greatly if you go
for them.
Head left, whipping the worm you come across (even if you don't have a chain
whip, it will roll away harmlessly), then drop down to the ledge below into a
vertically zig-zagging area. Make your way right as fast as possible, then drop
down to the bottom floor. Once you land, immediately turn around, duck, and
attack the worm stationed there before it gets you. Keep moving left, hop onto
the rope you see (be mindful of the gap in the floor. It's not a pixel-perfect
jump, but it's big enough to leap into by accident), climb up, and keep going
left.
After hopping off the rope, you'll encounter another worm. If you only have the
basic leather whip, attack it, then try to jump over its rolling attack; if you
screw up the jump and take a hit, just keep going! There's another zig-zag spot
here. Do just as before: drop down to the ledge below, immediately head right,
drop down to ground level, then immediately face left, kneel down, attack the
worm, and keep going. You'll soon come upon two falling platforms. Hop across
those and onto the nearby rope. Climb the rope until you're a little over
halfway up, then leap across the next falling platform.
On solid ground again, you'll see a worm on a ledge above you. Jump and whip
the creature--if you have a chain whip, this will be no problem, but if you
have the basic whip, you're pretty much required to take damage at this part,
as the worm's rolling attack is basically unavoidable. Climb up the ledges head
left. You'll see another zig-zag section below. Don't let the sight of the worm
slow you down--drop down to the middle level immediately, and you'll land
safely behind it. Turn around, duck, and whip its backside (yes, you heard me
right). Once the path is cleared, quickly drop down to the lowest level and go
left.
Once you reach the edge of the ground you're on, you'll see a candle above your
head; it contains a crystal ball, but again, it's not highly recommended that
you try to collect it. Focus on jumping onto that rope instead. Climb up the
rope until you're nearly to the top, then hop off to the left onto the next
rope; repeat the process again to get to the last rope, then climb up until
you're level with the ledge to your left, and hop off onto it. From there,
simply hold Left to drop down to the next-highest ledge, then jump again the
split-second you hit the ground, onto the next rope you see. Climb up it until
you're level with the ledge to your left, then hop off onto it. Clear the worm
out of your way.
Now, this next part seems unassuming enough, but in reality, these next two
jumps are the hardest jumps in the entire game. The first rule for beating this
section: SLOW DOWN A LITTLE. It may seem crazy to do that with the spikes
coming after you, but if you rush, you'll just end up dunking yourself in the
abyss below. As usual with all the toughest jumps in this game, inch forward
until the toe of Christopher's back foot is at the very edge of the ledge
you're standing on, then hop to the thin block to your left; if you're still
alive (excellent work, by the way), repeat the procedure to reach the next thin
block. Hop onto the rope from there (this takes significantly less skill than
the preceding jumps). As usual, climb the rope nearly to the top, then leap to
the next one; repeat until you're on the leftmost rope. Climb up until you're
just slightly above the thin block to your left, then hop off the rope, onto
the block. Hop over to the next thin block, From there, simply hold (hold,
don't tap!) Left and fall harmlessly down to the next thin block, then make a
short hop to the next block. From there, make a few simple jumps across the
three falling platforms, and you'll be back on solid ground...but it's *still*
not over!
Keep going left, eliminating the mudman you come across. You'll see another
zig-zag section below, a bit wider than the previous ones. As always, hop down
to the middle level, head right, drop down to the ground level (if you look
carefully, there's a candle buried inside the wall over to the right. It
contains a coin if you fireball it. What's that all about?), turn left, and
deal with any worms and mudmen blocking your path. If you've got a leather
whip, the worm(s) may keep bouncing around and hitting you repeatedly. Just
take the damage and keep moving. Climb up the rope you see on the left.
You have now, officially, gotten past all of the spikes and bottomless pits in
Stage 3. Unless you do something incredibly stupid like take tiny steps towards
a rope suspended above nothing and fall into the oblivion below (which is
possible), there are no more instant-kill hazards in this level. Take that sigh
of relief, my friend--you've earned it.
<3-2> (single screen, with a long rope, and a thick wall taking up most of the
screen)
[CVA3S3S] <STAGE 3 SECRET ROOM> When you've climbed the rope a little over
halfway to the top of the screen, jump over to the right. If you're at the
correct height, you should go into the wall (if you miss, you'll just bounce
off the wall and cling onto the rope again, so don't be scared of trying). Keep
walking right, and you'll wander into a secret room with three candles,
containing a flashing heart, a 1-up, and a crystal ball. From there, take the
rope up to the room above.
Whether you skip the secret or not doesn't matter; the next room is the same,
regardless of which path you take.
[CVA3S3B] <STAGE 3 BOSS>
Climb up the rope and jump off to the right. Keep going right, and you'll
eventually end up in a big room with a lone candle in it. Hit the candle and
grab the flashing orb. A humanoid, bat-like monster will suddenly drop down in
front of you.
Seemingly as a consolation for getting through such a maddeningly difficult
stage, this boss battle is quite simple: just stay on the lowest floor of the
room, step out of the way if the thing is about to land on your head, then
attack when it's low enough to the ground.
The only thing you have to watch out for is if the creature flies into the air
and hovers in one place with its feet sticking out in front of it. If it does
this, it is about to lunge towards the floor: if it's on the left side of the
room, facing towards the middle, get directly underneath it to avoid the
attack; if it's on the left side of the screen, facing left, move to the right
side of the screen to avoid it; if it's on the right side of the room, facing
the middle, stay on the far left of the room to dodge it; if it's on the right
side of the room, facing right...well, what are you doing over there? Get back
down on the floor! You can strike it with your whip when it lunges low enough,
but it's a bit tricky and dangerous. Use caution.
This creature is very flimsy, and even with the leather whip, it will die after
only a few hits. Once it's taken care of, the final leg of your journey
begins...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[CVA3S4] STAGE 4 - Into The Castle
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
<4-1> (long, horizontal pathway leading right, with suits of armor in the
background, knights, Zeldo, and armored giant)
This level is the end of the line for all players: either you beat the game, or
lose all of your lives. Don't lose faith--the hour of victory is almost upon
you!
You start out in a long hallway, lined with suits of armor. Don't be fooled by
the seemingly inanimate nature of these armors, as they are quite alive and
ready to stir up trouble. As you wander down the hallway, they'll periodically
step out from the background (you can tell when an armor has become active,
since it will darken, accompanied by a small rumbling sound) and begin moving
towards you, their spears at the ready. Aside from the element of surprise,
they're not terribly dangerous, and two hits from the leather whip or from
fireballs, or one hit from the chain whip will destroy one.
Once you move past the hallway of knight armor, you'll face a Zeldo, positioned
on a ledge slightly above you. No matter if it aims high or low, duck to avoid
its hook, then stand up and whip at its feet when the coast is clear.
With the Zeldo out of the way, the only thing that stands between you and the
next room is...the boss of the first stage! Beat it just as you did before,
whipping it from as far away as you can. It seems to take fewer hits to kill
than last time, though, thankfully. Just make sure you destroy it quickly--if
it pushes you too far to the left, another one will appear after right after
you defeat it; if it pushes you *really* far to the left, the Zeldo will come
back to life, and then you'll be in serious trouble. If the big baddie keeps
repeatedly coming back and you can't seem to destroy it fast enough, try this
trick: walk up to it, face away from it, and then let it damage you. You should
fly backwards, right through the monster, and then you'll have a moment of
invulnerability to run past the thing.
However you get it done, get past the big monster and take the rope up to the
next room.
<4-2> (cramped hallway, leading left, with Punaguchis)
Stop climbing as soon as you enter this room: a Punaguchi will immediately open
fire on you. If its fireball comes out of its mouth at an upward angle, quickly
climb down to the previous room, as it will be impossible to avoid taking
damage. Climb back up into this room to reset the Punaguchi. If it still spits
at an upward angle, keep climbing down and up the rope, repeating the process
as often as necessary until it spits out at a fireball at downward angle. With
this trajectory, if you stay on the lower portion of the rope, the fireball
will simply bounce around above your head a few times before leaving. Once the
coast is clear, climb up, destroy or evade the inevitable follow-up fireball,
then move in and destroy the creature as soon as possible.
There are three more Punaguchis after the first one: the second shows up a few
steps after the first; the third and fourth are stationed a little ways beyond
the two remaining candles in the hall, so when you see a candle, get ready for
a Punaguchi fireball to follow shortly thereafter. Proceed slowly through here,
because you never know when a Punaguchi's fireball may come blazing your way
from off-screen. Dispose of the fire-breathing nasties, and head up to the next
room.
<4-3> (horizontal pathway leading right, with two Punaguchis, and a rope
stationed near a falling platform)
Like the previous room, a Punaguchi will open fire as soon as you enter; unlike
the previous room, you can leap off the rope and intercept the fireball before
it has a chance to strike you. You can then attempt to jump and kill the
Punaguchi (which will take multiple jumps), but you can also try a sneakier
approach: stand a a little ways from the Punaguchi and wait for it to spit a
second fireball (if you attempt to rush forward before it spits its second
fireball, you'll likely take damage). Destroy or dodge this second fireball,
then simply walk underneath the creature and get behind it. Punaguchis can't
turn around, so it won't be able to do an about-face and continue attacking.
You can then whip it from behind in relative safety, or just ignore it
altogether.
Go right a little ways, you'll see a rope with a falling platform next to it,
and a candle underneath said platform, suspended above a bottomless pit. You
can inch up to the bottomless pit and destroy the candle to collect the item
inside, but it's not terribly recommended since A) the candle only contains a
measly coin, and B) there's another Punaguchi up above you, whose fireballs
might rebound into you while you're trying to get the coin. It's best to ignore
it, and just hop onto the rope.
Now on the rope (watch out for Punaguchi fireballs from above!), you're
presented with two choices: you can either go right, across the falling
platform and up the next rope to exit the room; or go left and see what awaits
you in the upper path. I usually skip going left--despite the fact there's a
heart and a crystal ball in the candles up there, I often get hit by the
Punaguchi's fireballs when I go for them, and end up losing the health and whip
power I just gained. It is possible to get by unscathed, though, if you're
feeling especially brave.
If you choose to go right and leave the room, climb the rope all the way to the
top, hop off onto the falling platform, walk to the right across it very
slightly as it's falling, then jump to the right, onto solid ground; you should
just barely clear the gap. Climb up to the next room.
<4-4> (single screen, leading upward, with spiked floor & ceiling, one spiked
platform shifting horizontally, and one spiked platform shifting vertically)
This place looks like another section of Stage 3: the floors, ceilings, and
part of one of the walls covered with spikes that are fatal to the touch. Even
the undersides of the floating platforms in the room have spikes on them
(though they're just for looks, as opposed to actually being a threat).
One of the floating platforms will move horizontally towards you, stopping just
to the left of the rope you're on, then shift over to the left side of the
room, before coming back again. Observe the pattern until you memorize the
timing of the platform, climb up the rope until you're just slightly above the
platform's height, then hop off onto it when it gets close. A second later,
another platform--moving vertically--will sink downward, to your left. Once
it's low enough, immediately hop down onto it. The horizontally-moving platform
you just jumped off of will shift back to the left, heading right for you, but
don't panic--strangely, it will pass right through you, like it's not even
there.
Now here's where it gets tricky: the platform you're on will suddenly surge
towards the ceiling, and you will be impaled on the spikes above if you don't
vacate the platform in time. Scoot to the left edge of the platform before it
starts moving upward, then jump over to the solid ground on the left when it's
shifting up. The timing of this jump is very important: do it too soon, and
you'll leap into the spiked wall on your left; do it too late and you'll just
hop up into the spiked ceiling. To some degree, you can gauge when to jump by
looking at the four spikes sticking out of the wall to your left--when the
platform has risen up ever-so-slightly above the second spike from the bottom,
that's when you leap--but with how fast the platform moves, it's hard to do
this. You'll just have to use your best judgment.
When your feet are planted on safe, flat, non-impaling ground again, leap onto
the rope (watch out for the spikes above!) and climb it up to the next room.
<4-5> (single screen, leading upward, with the ceiling and floor completely
comprised of spikes, and three spiked platforms moving up and down)
This room is similar to the last one: spikes above, spikes below, and three
platforms perpetually moving up and down in sequence. You'll need to hop across
these platforms to get through here, but also like in the previous room, if you
stay on these platforms for too long, you'll be smashed against the spikes
above.
Climb to the top of the rope you're on. As the platform closest to you is
dropping down, leap off the rope, onto the platform. If you take note of the
background, you'll see three pairs of swords affixed to the wall, shaped like
X's--the two on the bottom are actually a good way to gauge when to leap for
the next platform: wait until the platform rises to the tips of the crossed
swords, then jump to the next platform; use that same timing to work all the
way to the rope on the right side of the room. BE CAREFUL on the last platform,
though; if you nudge Christopher too close to the spikes standing under the
rope, he's toast.
Use the rope to head up to the next room.
<4-6> (single screen, leading upward, with the ceiling and floor completely
comprised of spikes, and three spiked platforms moving up and down)
This room is a mirror image of the previous, and the same strategy applies: use
the single X-shaped pair of swords in the background at the BOTTOM of the
screen to gauge when to jump, and watch your feet when leaping for the rope on
the left side of the room.
<4-7> (hallway heading right, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and
Zeldos on the ground)
You've reached a checkpoint, so, if you die after you reach this area, you
won't have to repeat those spike rooms again, luckily.
When you enter this room, don't climb up the rope just yet: a Zeldo takes a
shot at you, and will slice you with its hook if you're too far up the rope.
Wait until the coast is clear, then climb up, leap off onto the ground (be
prepared for another hook to come your way), and eliminate the bad guy.
Near that first Zeldo, there will be two candles grouped somewhat near each
other. Go a little ways to the right, and you'll come upon a third candle.
Don't jump for it just yet: another Zeldo is waiting for you, and will nail you
with a hook if you're too hasty to grab the goods. Defeat the horrible
hook-thrower, then you may safely collect the item from the candle.
With the Zeldos gone, proceed up to the next room.
<4-8> (single screen, leading upward, with thin platforms suspended over
spikes, and a Punaguchi on the left)
This room is deceptively deadly, comprised of three small, stationary platforms
suspended above a spike floor, with a Punaguchi at the left side of the room.
Although it seems a simple matter to just make the few short hops to the left
and kill the Punaguchi, it is surprisingly easy to get knocked backwards by an
errant fireball, right into the bed of spikes below. My only recommendation is
to destroy the fireballs as soon as possible, and move quickly when the room is
clear. When you get all the way to the left, you can either kill the
fireball-spitter, or simply leap over it to grab onto the rope above its head;
you'll probably take a hit or two by doing this--and you run a risk of being
hit backwards onto the spikes if it spits a fireball at just the wrong
moment--but you might find it a superior alternative to sticking around to
fight.
Climb up the rope on the left, up to...
<4-9> (single screen, leading upward, with a Zeldo)
Watch out! Upon entering this room, there will be a Zeldo to your right, who
will immediately throw a hook at you. The only way to avoid it is to hop off
the rope onto the nearby floor as soon as possible, duck under the hook, then
jump when it curves back towards you; any hesitation in getting off the rope
will likely result in you taking damage.
[CVA3S4S] <STAGE 4 SECRET ROOM> With the Zeldo gone, hop onto the rope on the
right side of the room, but don't climb up to the next room yet. Climb about
halfway up it, then jump off left. You should land on an invisible platform.
Walk left until you're standing just about right beneath the : mark in the
timer at the top of the screen, and jump. Christopher should grab onto an
invisible rope. Climb up through the ceiling into the secret room above, then
jump off to the left, whipping the candles on the way down; the candles contain
a 1-up, a flashing heart, and a crystal ball--all items you'll definitely need.
Once they are all collected, climb back down into the room with the Zeldo. Jump
off the rope, onto the invisible ledge (if you climb the invisible rope down
too far, you'll fall into the path of the Zeldo again), then just hold Right
until you latch onto the (visible) rope on the right side of the room. Climb up
to the next area.
<4-10> (single screen, leading upward, with stationary spikes on the walls and
floor, and moving spikes extending from the walls)
This is another spike-lined room that you must navigate, like the ones you
encountered earlier in the level. The difference is, this time, there are no
floating platforms. The spikes themselves extend horizontally from the walls,
and you must use them as ledges to climb up to the top of the room. Standing on
the shaft of the spikes does no damage to you--only the tips hurt. Luckily,
while they're still damaging, they don't kill you instantly. Every other spike
in the room is still instant death, though (stupid double standards), so be
careful.
When you first enter the room, stay on the rope and observe the pattern that
the spikes shoot out at. All total, four of them extend from the walls--three
from the left, one from the right--all with an equal delay between extensions,
with the top one positioned slightly higher than the others; once extended,
they then all retract simultaneously. Once you think you've got the pattern
down, wait until the lowest one extends, and hop onto it, then leap up onto the
others as they move outward. It's best to keep a bit of distance from the
spikes so you'll have time to react to them extending.
Once you're on the fourth, highest spike, you can reach the lone candle at the
top of the room (there's a crystal ball inside, in case you're wondering), but
it is not advised; the spikes will soon retract, and will simply dump you onto
the insta-killing spikes on the floor if you don't get to solid ground as soon
as possible. Head right, and leap onto the topmost horizontal spike in the
wall. BE CAREFUL, because if you touch this spike from the side, it will kill
you; the top of it is entirely safe, though--even the tip--and you can land on
any part of the top without being hurt.
Get to the rope at the top of the room, and climb up to the next.
<4-11> (single screen, leading up, around, and down, with stationary spikes on
the walls, and moving spikes extending from the walls)
This room is similar to the previous, but unlike the last room, you'll get a
spike in the face if you wait around on the rope too long. Get onto the ground
quickly, and wait for a spike to come your way.
The first and second spikes come out from the left wall, the third and fourth
ones come out from the right wall, and the fifth and last one shoots out from
the left wall. Each spike extends more quickly than the last, and the delays
between the spikes get increasingly shorter, so you will have to jump more and
more quickly as you move up the room. Don't be surprised if you take a few hits
here, since it's tough to avoid getting stabbed until you've done this room a
few times. And don't forget that the non-moving spikes are still instant-kill!
Once you get to the top, nab the heart out of the candle, then get down that
rope to the next room.
<4-12> (single screen, leading downward, with stationary spikes on the walls,
and moving spikes extending from the walls)
This room has two long spikes that shoot out and retract simultaneously, and
very quickly: the top one shoots out towards you, from the right wall; the
bottom one shoots out away from you, from the left wall. When the spikes are
extending, wait until the top one gets close to you, then hop onto it (I'd
recommend jumping to it before it extends fully. Speed is important here). Once
on top of the spike, keep holding Right; when they retract, you should fall
harmlessly to the right. Keep holding Right, and you should fall down to the
lowest level, just in time to avoid their next extension. (You can stop holding
Right now, by the way.)
Grab onto the rope, climb down to the room below.
<4-13> (long, tall hallway, leading left, with armored giants)
This is the last enemy-populated area before the ultimate confrontation with
Dracula himself. Unfortunately, just getting to him will be a pain: three (yes,
three) copies of the Stage 1 boss await you in this massive hallway. Even
worse, if you die here, you'll have to re-do the last six rooms all over again!
Try not to think about it too hard...
As with your encounter at the beginning of this stage, attack the creatures
from as far away as your weapon will allow, and try to do kill them fast, since
if you back up too much, you'll risk scrolling another one onto the screen
after you kill one.
Also, as before, if you don't think you'll be able to take kill them all (and
you've got enough health to take a few hits, and don't mind losing any whip
upgrades you might somehow still have), use the "pass-through trick": face away
from them, let them hit you in the back, get thrown backwards through them,
then run past them while you're invulnerable. There are several hearts strewn
throughout candles in the room, so unless you were extremely low on health when
you entered this area, you should be able to survive.
Once you're done screwing around with those oversized fools, make your way down
that rope on the left side of the hall: you've got a vampire to slay!
<4-14> (single screen, leading downward, with a falling platform and a row of
three candles)
You'll see a ledge below the one you're standing on, with three candles above
it. These candles are your absolute last chance to power up before the final
battle, so try not to miss them. Drop onto the falling platform to your right.
Stand on it until it drops *just* below the level of the ledge with the
candles, then jump to the left; if you timed it right, a flashing heart, a
crystal ball, and a coin are yours for the taking.
Drop to the bottom level and climb down the rope. The final battle awaits.
[CVA3S4B] <STAGE 4 BOSS>
Do you think the level designers had an unhealthy obsession with insta-kill
spikes? Even here, in the very last room of the game, the floor is lined with
them. Why must they haunt you?
From the platform you start out on, fall off to the left or right, then jump
up, smack the candle, and grab the flashing crystal ball inside. The vampire
lord appears before you, on a ledge to your left. He attacks by shooting out
little fireball-like things from his body, first in an X formation, then in a
cross-shaped formation, then the X formation again, then the cross again, then
the X once more before teleporting somewhere else in the room.
When Dracula first appears on that platform to the left, get to the very left
edge--as far as you can manage--of the platform you're on, duck down to avoid
the X shot, then jump up and hit him when he fires out the cross shot
(Christopher won't jump high enough to get hit by the cross shot), then duck
under the X shot again. Continue attacking during the cross shots and ducking
the X shots until he warps to the right side of the room. Use the same strategy
as before, this time while ducking on the extreme right edge of the platform
you're on. After he fires out the third X shot, he'll warp to the top of the
room. Don't try to hit him there. From the platform you were standing on, drop
down to the lower ledge to the left, directly above the spikes. All of his
shots will miss you. Then, he'll warp down to where the candle was earlier. Hop
over to the small platform in the lowest-left corner of the room and scoot over
to the left side of it, and all his shots should miss you (as long as you're
pretty close to the left edge of that platform). Then, he'll warp back to where
he was when the battle started, and his entire pattern will start over. Before
his teleport animation finishes, quickly move back to the platform the candle
was originally on (don't hit your head on Dracula when you jump up there!), and
repeat the strategy until he's defeated.
Once you whittle away his health bar down to nothing, the count will erupt into
a series of fiery explosions...but he rarely gives up that easily. Now the TRUE
final battle begins!
[CVA3S4B2] <FINAL BOSS>
When Dracula's first form is defeated, he'll transform into a giant bat which
flies back and forth very quickly across the top of the screen. Climb up onto
that platform on the left that Dracula's first form initially appeared on
(right below that wall decoration that looks like a Star of David). This will
be your base of attack. When the bat is flying toward you and is almost in the
middle of the screen, jump up and crack your whip. The bat should fly into your
attack, and if your timing's right, you'll drop out of its way before it
smashes into you; if it's coming at you and you wait too long to do your jump
attack, the bat will hit you while you're in mid-jump. If you're brave, you can
also try hitting it again as it flies away from you, but it's difficult to pull
off, and you risk jumping right up into the bat.
Every once in a while, the big bat will pause and spit out three smaller bats.
These bats are quite deadly, so I suggest you try to kill them if they're near
you.
If you get knocked off the platform at any point, just work your way back up to
it as soon as you can, and resume your attack. Stay calm, have patience, and
when the timing is right, jump and attack. Keep this up, and eventually,
Dracula will go down and stay down.
You've won. The vampire is slain, and peace has returned to Romania...for now.
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[CVA4] Accessing Hard Mode
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Want more? Crazy enough to think the game was too easy? Well, once the credits
finish rolling and the big THE END sign shows up, hit the A button. You'll be
whisked back to the beginning of the game, only this time, you'll be playing in
hard mode! This doesn't seem to change the game experience much, as the only
difference I could notice is that you take more damage each time an enemy
strikes you. Still, if you need a stiffer challenge, this is where to look.
(Thanks to Logan Blades for reminding me to mention this mode.)
---
Thus ends what still appears to be one of the only online guides for the
often-loathed Castlevania: The Adventure. I hope I was able to help you
overcome any and all challenges you've faced during your quest. If you're still
having trouble, you will prevail with additional practice. Good luck to you,
and thanks for reading.
Copyright 1999-2010 MEGAMUR
Authors, web site owners, etc., may NOT use my material without my permission.
All Castlevania-related characters/games/etc. are property of Konami.
