Castlevania

The game

The climb through the castle

Your destination is the tower, reached through passages and stairways spanning six monstrous floors. Bats, fishmen, skeletons, and other creatures interrupt the journey, while a boss guards the end of each section. Those encounters give the adventure its rhythm: navigate the rooms, survive their inhabitants, then overcome a stronger opponent before advancing.

What the castle gives back

Whipping candles and defeating enemies can uncover supplies. Morning Star upgrades strengthen your whip in two stages, first adding a short chain and then a longer one. Other discoveries expand your attack options: a fast dagger, a slower but powerful axe, a fire bomb, and a returning boomerang. Double Shot and Triple Shot pickups allow successive throwing-weapon attacks.

This edition

The US NES edition

This guide covers the US Nintendo Entertainment System version, a single-player game using controller 1. Its original controls use the NES Control Pad and A, B, and Start buttons; Select has no assigned function.

Start here

1. Read your starting position

   Begin by locating the player strength meter and timer. You start with three lives. An empty strength meter costs a life, and letting the clock reach zero does too, so both damage and delay matter.

2. Build a supply of hearts

   Collect hearts as ammunition for your extra weapons. A small heart supplies one weapon charge; a large heart supplies five. They serve a different purpose from restoring Simon's strength, so watch your health separately.

3. Check your weapon display

   When you acquire an extra weapon, look at its on-screen indicator and try its attack in a clear stretch. Knowing what you currently carry makes the next encounter easier to approach deliberately.

Original controls

These are the original game's controls. For keyboard, controller and touch settings in this player, see Controls & help.

Control Pad

Left and Right move Simon and set his facing direction. Down crouches; use the directional controls to navigate stairways.

A Button

Jump. Combine A with Left or Right for a diagonal jump.

B Button

Crack the whip. You can also attack while crouching.

Up + B

Activate your equipped extra weapon.

Start

Begin the game or pause the action during play.

Playing tips

• Budget the watch separately

  The watch stops many enemies, but each use costs five hearts and some enemies are unaffected. Keep a reserve before relying on it to get through a crowded stretch.

• Investigate suspicious masonry

  Try a whip strike against promising background features when you need recovery. Hidden pork chops restore part of your strength, making a brief search worthwhile when the timer allows it.

• Finish the boss encounter properly

  After defeating a boss, collect its Magic Crystal before moving on. The crystal fully restores lost strength, giving you a fresh health reserve for the next section.