PixlBit

Konami is the only company with the gall to remake an N64 game on the N64.

Castlevania: Legacy Darkness may be the first and only remake where the original title appears on the same system. Though it may seem a bit strange to label this game a remake of the first Castlevania on the Nintendo 64, nothing else fits the circumstances. It isn't the same game with a couple bonus features and characters, so Director's Cut doesn't work. Neither do Special Edition or any other type of Edition, as there isn't a single feature to define it from the previous title. Instead, everything about the game, from the level designs to the physics to the graphics, has been altered, tweaked, or improved in some way. The result is an enjoyable, atmospheric adventure, though it isn't without a couple snags.

Upon booting up the game, it didn't make a good first impression. Gone was the spooky castle atop the hill on a storming night with foreboding music, replaced by a silent, simple still shot of the structure with the game's title in front of it. After the pressing of start and selecting a save file, I was greeted with the character select screen, this time with four choices but only one available to start off. Carrie and Reinhardt are now locked, requiring completing the game with the two newcomers, Henry the knight and Cornell the wolf-man.

Cornell's adventure began by plopping me on a boat that had just arrived on the island of Dracula's castle, with this ship level being an all new stage. Cornell has two main attacks to fight enemies, a close-range claw attack and a punch that produces a blue wave, providing a bit more reach. After exploring the boat, defeating enemies along the way, I found my way down to the docks, where a battle with a giant sea creature commenced. Upon defeating it, I found myself in the forest area that made for the first level of the original game. Except it didn't seem familiar at all.

The forest stage has been entirely redone. Although it has a couple of the same basic elements, such as platforming segments to cross a deadly river and finding switches to open gates, the layout of the stage has been overhauled, with thinner, more winding paths and slightly more detail in the surroundings such as trees. To my disappointment, there was no longer a tree that gets struck by lightning, or a certain scene where a skeleton begins to stand up. Unfortunately, many of the atmospheric details I mentioned in the last entry are not present in this version, but at least the game is improved where it counts.

The forest isn't the only stage which has been completely redesigned. Many of the game's stages now have differing layouts and other tweaks, as well as redone graphics and music which do a better job conveying the setting. Some are largely the same other than graphics, but have changes where they matter most. Although the physics and control haven't changed much, the levels now feel like they are designed around the slipperiness of jumping, resulting in far less cheap losses. There is also a new lock-on feature that functions similar to a less smooth version of Zelda's Z-targeting, which makes enemy encounters a bit easier to deal with.

Like in the original, enemies sometimes drop a powerup item that can twice increase the strength and range of your character's primary attack. Adding onto this, special weapons, such as crosses, holy water, etc., can now be twice leveled up as well by picking up the same weapon as the one currently carried. This made me think twice before scooping up another weapon which I thought might better suit the situation, as it would have to start over from level one.

Once the game is completed with Cornell, Henry's storyline becomes selectable. His adventure differs from the other three, in that his goal is not to defeat the ultimate evil at the castle but instead rescue the seven children who are being held captive. The searchable areas include the first five stages of the game, which are already opened up to make traversing between them easier. Henry is equipped with a revolver and a sword, with the sword being stronger due to its limited range. It seems a little goofy for a knight to have a gun, but I'm probably overthinking it. Though his adventure might seem like a nice change of pace, the time limit of the quest will likely mean replaying it a few times before discovering a couple of the more well-hidden kids. Each child found will unlock a character or costume; pray to find Carrie and Reinhardt instead of their costumes.

Carrie and Reinhardt play as they did in the original game, and they each have one or two levels which are specific to them. Both will start out in the forest stage, which makes the boat the only Cornell-specific level. Their storylines are largely identical to the original title, with some slightly better but still very basic dialogue.

Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness delivers what the original title set out to accomplish. This likely angered those who purchased the first game, as they probably felt a bit ripped off for buying what was essentially an unfinished product. Even so, enough of the game has been changed up for it to still be worthwhile for those who experienced the original. Despite its lingering issues, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is a markedly improved game that is worth a look from fans of Castlevania or adventure games.