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       C   A   S   T   L   E   V   A   N   I   A             I   I   I
                       *D R A C U L A ' S   C U R S E*
********************************CHARACTER FAQ**********************************
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A complete and comprehensive Character FAQ for Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
                  [Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)]


                                                ------------------------------
                                               | By Colin Moriarty (CMoriarty)
                                               | E-Mail:   [email protected]
                                               | Date:           June 02, 2002
                                               | Version:         FINAL (Only)
                                                ------------------------------

This FAQ, and all 22 other of my FAQ/Walkthroughs, are now dedicated to the
over 6,000 innocent people killed in the World Trade Center and Pentagon
terrorist attacks in New York City, New York, and Washington, D.C., on
September 11, 2001. To all of the innocent working people, and FDNY Firemen, as
well as other emergency workers, you will always be remembered. We won't stop
until we bring these criminals to justice, your deaths were NOT IN VAIN! God
Bless America, death to all terrorists of all races everywhere.

          ------------------------------------------------------
       -> http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/4280.html <-
          ------------------------------------------------------

PLEASE NOTE: This document was created using Microsoft Word with a 7" width,
and is best viewed using either your browser (preferably MSIE 5.0 or higher),
and a screen setting of 800x600 pixels or more. If the guide seems jumbled up
and not quite right looking, it's not the guide, but your screen and computer
settings. If you do experience this problem, you probably have your screen
settings on 640x480 pixels or less, which is rare but hey, it could be you.
Sorry about whatever problems this may cause.

IGN.com is now allowed to host all of my FAQs. Although the disclaimer says only
GameFAQs can use my FAQs, IGN.com is now a legal host of all of my work.


T A B L E     O F     C O N T E N T S...
---------     ---     ---------------

I.)........... | Legal Disclaimer
II.).......... | Versions of the Guide
III.)......... | Introduction
IV.).......... | Base Character Stats
V.)........... | Trevor Belmont
VI.).......... | Grant DaNasty
VII.)......... | Sypha Belnades
VIII.)........ | Alucard Tepes
IX.).......... | In Closing
X.)........... | About the Author

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     S E C T I O N   O N E   ( I )   -   L E G A L   D I S C L A I M E R
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===============================================================================

This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is copyrighted (c) 2002 to Colin Moriarty, and is
the intellectual property of Colin Moriarty. This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is only
to be found on GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com). If you are reading and/or
found this file ANYWHERE else but GameFAQs, please contact the author, Colin
Moriarty, immidiately, at [email protected]. This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is
protected under International Copyright Laws, and it is prohibited to take any
piece of this document and reproduce it in anyway without the written consent
of the author, Colin Moriarty. Any website or other medium found to have this
document without permission will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the
law.

Please don't e-mail me and ask to have this document on your webpage. It's too
frustrating for me to keep track of all of the webpages that have my
document(s) on their page, especially the smaller, domain-less fan sites.
GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) is the only, and I repeat, THE ONLY webpage allowed
to have this document on his website, GameFAQs.com. CJayC, owner and operator
of GameFAQs is the only person allowed to use this document on a webpage, so
please, I repeat once more, no e-mails regarding using this document on your
webpage. If you do e-mail me about it, your e-mail will be promptly erased and
ignored.

You ARE allowed to download this off of GameFAQs and keep it on your computer's
harddrive for personal use, as long as the document is not edited or otherwise
distributed except for personal use. You can even print out the entire FAQ or
portions therein to share with a friend who also needs help in the game. Just
please don't distribute it as your own, sell it for profit, et cetera. Well,
you guys get the idea.

Onward.

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            S E C T I O N   T W O   ( II )   -   V E R S I O N S
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===============================================================================

Being that this guide is version FINAL (Only), it means this is the only
version of the guide that will ever be released. Unless something ABSOLUTELY
needs to be added, deleted, or changed, I won't touch this document after its
release...

Version Information:

Version: FINAL (Only)
Date: June 02, 2002
Percent Complete: 100%
Version Entails: In-depth information on the four playable characters in the
game, et cetera. Everything you could possibly need.
Still To Come: Nothing... this is the first, only, and final release of the
guide, so enjoy it! =)

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     S E C T I O N   T H R E E   ( III )   -   I N T R O D U C T I O N
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===============================================================================

Welcome one, welcome all, to my Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse Character FAQ,
for  this classic NES game. For my 23rd FAQ on GameFAQs, I figured I'd do
something for this awesome game, that'll never die in the hearts of Castlevania
fans around the world. Many consider it the best traditional Castlevania game
in the series, and for good reason... the gameplay takes from the original, and
expands on it, making the game more in-depth, harder, and longer. It's a
beautiful thing!

The point of this FAQ is to clarify not only the strengths and weaknesses of
each of the four characters in the game, but to additionally give you insight
to each character, and if you'd like to take a certain character with you,
leaving another behind. The FAQ's purpose is evident... so I hope you find it
helpful.

-Colin Moriarty (CMoriarty) [[email protected]]

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S E C T I O N   F O U R   ( IV )   -   B A S E   C H A R A C T E R   S T A T S
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===============================================================================

This initial section of the Character FAQ is to give you, the reader, a grid of
stats to look at, to give you the basic strengths and weaknesses of each
character. It's very easy to read... read it simply as you would a regular ole
chart. Each character gets a rating in each category of 1, 2, 3, and 4. Two
characters can't share one number, so each number must be used. 1 represents
the strongest in an area, 2 the next strongest, and so on.

Note: The overall category at the end of the grid/chart represents the total
number of points a character recieved, and then his overall rank. The rank is
determined by the -least- amount of points earned.

----------------------------------------------------
| C A T E G O R Y | Trevor | Grant | Sypha | Alucard |
----------------------------------------------------
| Overall Strength| 1      | 3     | 4     | 2       |
----------------------------------------------------
| Overall Defense | 1      | 3     | 4     | 2       |
----------------------------------------------------
| Special Weapon  | 1      | 3     | 2     | 4       |
|       Use       |        |       |       |         |
----------------------------------------------------
| Mobility and    | 4      | 1     | 3     | 2       |
|       Movement  |        |       |       |         |
----------------------------------------------------
| Jumping         | 4      | 1     | 2     | 3       |
----------------------------------------------------
| OVERALL POINTS  | 11     | 11    | 15    | 15      |
----------------------------------------------------
| OVERALL         | 1      | 2     | 4     | 3       |
----------------------------------------------------

Note: Tie goes to the runner. =)

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     S E C T I O N   F I V E   ( V )   -   T R E V O R   B E L M O N T
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===============================================================================

Trevor Belmont is the best overall character to use in the game, and is your
base character, meaning that you'll not only start every game with him, but
that you will also have him at your disposal for the entire length of the game,
regardless of which path you chose to take ultimately.

As the earlier Belmont in the NES Castlevania series, Trevor's ancestors
spawned the mighty Simon Belmont, who battled valiantly in Castlevania and
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. As was Simon's main weapon, Trevor's main weapon
is also the whip, which the Belmont family dubbed The Vampire Killer. The
strength of the Vampire Killer, as well as its length and reach, can be
upgraded twice from its base strength, by picking up whip upgrades littered
throughout the lands of Warakiya and within and around Dracula's evil castle.
Trevor, as does all of the clan of the Belmonts, can also use special weapons
galore, called Warakiya weapons in Castlevania III. The Dagger, Axe, Holy
Water, Stop Watch and Boomerang are all at Trevor's disposal. But let's take a
closer look.

-NAME: Trevor Belmont
-FROM: Warakiya Village
-OCCUPATION: Vampire Hunter
-PRIMARY WEAPON: Whip (The Vampire Killer)
-OTHER WEAPON(S): Dagger, Axe, Holy Water, Stop Watch, Boomerang
-STRENGTH: Best (1)
-DEFENSE: Best (1)
-SPECIAL WEAPON USE: Best (1)
-MOBILITY AND MOVEMENT: Worst (4)
-JUMPING: Worst (4)
-OVERALL: Best (1)

Trevor is the character any normal Castlevania III player is going to want to
use for either a majority of the game or for the whole game. His strengths far
outweight his weaknesses, and he has the most range with his weapons, as well
as the most versatility. In addition, he can take the most damage from enemies,
making the other three characters in the game true novelty characters compared
to the ultimate and superior Trevor Belmont. Think long and hard before you
pass up using Trevor Belmont, especially if it's your first play through the
game. Leave the other characters for the experienced players, and those who
want a real challenge. If you're new to the game, or to the series, Trevor is
definitely your character of choice by far.

STRENGTHS
---------

+ Most attack power
+ Best defense power
+ Most versatility in weaponry
+ Longest attack range

WEAKNESSES
----------

- Hard to control Trevor midair
- Weakest jump
- Worst movement and mobility (slow)
- Makes the other characters look so much weaker than they actually are

OVERALL
-------

For the regular ole Castlevania III player, who has no or little experience in
the game. When most people realize how strong Trevor is in comparison to the
other three characters in the game, they'll most likely sway towards using
Trevor. It's not that the other characters are necessarily weak, but that
Trevor is inherently strong, and with good reason. He's a Belmont. =)

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       S E C T I O N   S I X   ( VI )   -   G R A N T   D A N A S T Y
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===============================================================================

Grant DaNasty (also known in some circles as Dynasty) is a mysterious
character. You first meet him in Dracula's clocktower, and fight him in a boss
battle, as an evil and possessed demon. When you slay him, finally, you find
out that he's only Grant DaNasty, a pirate/treasure hunter who was possessed by
Dracula and turned into an ugly, green monster when he was caught exploring the
Transylvanian region, and brought in to protect the clock tower.

Naturally, it's your option to take Grant with you, and since he's always the
first character you come across (as you -have- to come to the clock tower to
proceed in the game), it's always in lue of you to take him with you. He's not
the strongest or most useful special character in the game, but some people
might prefer some of his special skills. He can only use his hand dagger, which
is weak and has little range, and the only special weapon he can use is the
throwing dagger. However, Grant's strength is in his incredible jumping
ability, as well as the fact that he has Ninja Gaiden-like abilities... he can
actually grip onto walls and ceilings, and SCALE them. There are some items in
the game that can only be gotten by Grant's special abilities, so keep that in
mind.

-NAME: Grant DaNasty
-FROM: Unknown (speculation: pirate ship, port town)
-OCCUPATION: Pirate/Treasure Hunter
-PRIMARY WEAPON: Dagger
-OTHER WEAPON(S): Dagger (different from his primary weapon)
-STRENGTH: Below Average (3)
-DEFENSE: Below Average (3)
-SPECIAL WEAPON USE: Below Average (3)
-MOBILITY AND MOVEMENT: Best (1)
-JUMPING: Best (1)
-OVERALL: Average (2)

All in all, Grant has his strengths and his weaknesses, but the run-of-the-mill
Castlevania III player is going to pick him up and then immidiately discard him
once he or she sees a "cooler" character, like Sypha or Alucard. Grant is worth
a try, and you should try him out to see if you really like him right after you
acquire him, in the Clock Tower. This is a place where you can try out and let
him show off his inherent skills more than anywhere in the game, and see if
he's really worth your time or not. More importantly, see if he matches your
playing style, because his control is loose... too loose for some.

STRENGTHS
---------

+ Ability to grapple to walls and ceilings
+ Only player able to change directions of a jump while airborne
+ Farthest jumping ability
+ Fastest moving character/agile

WEAKNESSES
----------

- Fairly weak offensively
- Fairly weak defensively
- Terrible attack range
- Low weapon versatility

OVERALL
-------

Grant may seem kind of useless, and well, he kind of is. But if you're looking
for a good challenge, or the character Castlevania III players choose least to
play as, give Grant a try.  He's really not too bad-a character, and his
quickness, agility, jumping prowess, and ability to grapple has its advantages
for your trip throught Transylvania.

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    S E C T I O N   S E V E N   ( VII )   -   S Y P H A   B E L N A D E S
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===============================================================================

To clear up ANY controversy, before I even start to write Sypha's section of
this FAQ, Sypha is NOT, and I repeat is NOT a woman. He is a man. Straight out
male, pure and simple. Not only does the game itself call him a man ("Take HIM
with you?") but the only evidence to back up the Sypha could be a woman is his
woman-like appearance. Fact of the matter is, Konami designed him as a man, and
a man he is. Now that I've gotten that out of my system. Oh, and although the
game does call him Syfa, it's a simple case of poor translation. Everyone
agrees that it's actually spelt Sypha.

In anycase, Sypha was on his own quest to fight Dracula when he was caught by
one of Dracula's henchman, the Hammer Cyclops, and made into a statue. When
Trevor fights and defeats this Hammer Cyclops (if you choose to take a certain
path that is...), Sypha is freed and he offers to go with you on your quest.
While it's up to you if you want to take him with you or not, keep in mind
Sypha's entire game can be made or broken by what he has equipped. His staff is
more of a novelty item than a weapon... having him equipped with a magical
spell and plenty of hearts at all times is most certainly a must. He can't
throw himself around in a physical battle like the other three characters in
the game can.

-NAME: Sypha Belnades
-FROM: Unknown (speculation: the netherworld)
-OCCUPATION: Magician
-PRIMARY WEAPON: Staff
-OTHER WEAPON(S): Magic Spells: Fire, Ice, Lightning
-STRENGTH: Worst (4)
-DEFENSE: Worst (4)
-SPECIAL WEAPON USE: Average (2)
-MOBILITY AND MOVEMENT: Below Average (3)
-JUMPING: Average (2)
-OVERALL: Worst (4)

From the stats above, it seems Sypha is the worst overall character... and
there's no denying or avoiding that he truly is. His weakness really does lie
in the fact that he is a sitting duck if you don't have a magic spell equipped
on him. Without one, you'll be using his wooden staff to be fending off
Dracula's minions. But don't sleep on my man Sypha... he's still got his
advantages, including UBER strong spells, and some average movement and jumping
abilities.

STRENGTHS
---------

+ Powerful spells

WEAKNESSES
----------

- Very weak offensively
- Very weak defensively
- Weak attack range
- Slow movement/lacks agility
- Poor jumping ability

OVERALL
-------

As you can see from reading above, Sypha is all around weak, and probably the
weakest character in the game by far. While I only suggest that experienced
Castlevania III players attempt to really use Sypha with regularity, most new
players to the game will insist on using him because he's cool looking, and he
can use spells. But heed my warnings; try Grant and Alucard before you really
give Sypha a try. Otherwise, he's going to seem weak and useless, when he has
an enormous amount of ability, if you just give him to an experienced player
who won't get him killed in two seconds.

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    S E C T I O N   E I G H T   ( VIII )   -   A L U C A R D   T E P E S
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===============================================================================

Alucard... oh Alucard... you are an underachiever. Alucard, for those of you
who don't know, is Dracula's son. His blood, however, is half vampire, half
human, as his mother was a human being who Dracula fell in love with. Alucard,
if you examine the name, is Dracula spelt backwards.

Dracula and Alucard worked as a team, until Alucard realized that Dracula was
hurting people for no reason. Alucard decides to escape the grip of his
controlling father, and find someone who can help him overthrow his evil
father. When you fight Alucard, you might think you're fighting Dracula... they
fight similarly, and look nearly identical. However, after you defeat him,
he'll identify himself as Alucard, Dracula's son, and tell you he was testing
you. With his special abilities and marginal attack power, Alucard is worth
fighting with and bringing with you, although his control is stiff and he can
be difficult to get used to. Not only can Alucard fight from the greatest
distance with use of his fireball attack, but he can turn into a bat and fly
great distances in the air in his bat form... making him invaluable at certain,
more difficult and frustrating junctures in the game.

-NAME: Alucard Tepes
-FROM: Underworld
-OCCUPATION: Dracula's son
-PRIMARY WEAPON: Fireballs
-OTHER WEAPON(S): None
-STRENGTH: Average (2)
-DEFENSE: Average (2)
-SPECIAL WEAPON USE: Worst (4)
-MOBILITY AND MOVEMENT: Average (2)
-JUMPING: Below Average (3)
-OVERALL: Below Average (3)

By looking at the stats above, and then seeing who Alucard is, you'd probably
think to yourself... "wow, isn't this guy supposed to be the son of Dracula? He
should be a BIT stronger than he is... and certainly stronger than a human,
like Trevor Belmont." And you're right, but of course, you're using logic, and
logic has never held up in the world of videogames, with rare exceptions, now
has it? However, he has a strong command on the second spot in both offense and
defense, the ability to turn into a bat, and a long-distance attack that can
piss off any enemy... and it surely does.

STRENGTHS
---------

+ Average strength
+ Average defense
+ Long-distance attack
+ Able to turn into a bat

WEAKNESSES
----------

- Slow moving/no agility
- Poor jumping ability

OVERALL
-------

From above, you can see that Alucard is so average and run-of-the-mill that
there isn't any weaknesses or strengths to speak of with him, hardly. He's just
kind of "there" although he should be stronger... he is the friggin' son of
Count Dracula, I don't care if he's half human or not! Oh well, he's badass
nasty in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on the Playstation, isn't he? So I
guess that makes up for it. Oh, and play that friggin' game if you haven't...
it's SO GOOD... even better than this killer game. VAMPIRE KILLER GAME! Mwa-ha
ha...

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        S E C T I O N   N I N E   ( IX )   -   I N   C L O S I N G
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===============================================================================

Well my friends, it's time to close this guide out! =) I hope you found it very
helpful... I very much enjoyed writing it. It was fun, as is the game, and I'm
sure that it was/is/will be enjoyable for you as well. And hey, if you have
game related questions, comments, suggestions - whatever, e-mail them my way,
[email protected]. And make sure to put Castlevania III Character FAQ (or
whatever game you're writing in on, I have twenty-two other guides), in the
header as the topic, so I know what the hell you're talking about. =) Take it
easy.

I'd like to take this chance to thank a friend of mine, Devin Morgan, a fellow
FAQ writer on GameFAQs, for just being a good guy, a good friend, and someone I
can talk to about everything. Thanks Dev. Also, thanks goes out to Adrenaline,
'cause she's so damn cute.

A big thank you can also go out to my best friend, someone whose practically a
second brother to me, Graham... thanks bro, you're the man, there's nothing
else I really have to say about you. ^_~


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    S E C T I O N   T E N   ( X )   -   A B O U T   T H E   A U T H O R
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===============================================================================

[accurate as of June 02, 2002]

I'm a 17 year old, a senior in high school. I live on Long Island, in New York,
about half an hour from New York City. I play ice hockey, I worked at a deli,
until recently, when I quit (^_^) and I love videogames, especially RPGs. My
favorite series for videogames include the Final Fantasy series (excluding
VIII), the Dragon Warrior/Quest series, the Mega Man series, and the Tales
series. I aspire to go to Northeastern University in the fall of 2002 to study
History and Archaeology.

THANKS FOR READING!

This walkthrough is copyright (c) 2002 to Colin Moriarty (CMoriarty), e-mail
[email protected]. All rights reserved. Completely unofficial - Castlevania
and all related items copyrighted 1990 to Konami Japan/US, all rights reserved!

http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/4280.html

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