Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

Template:Short description Template:Main other{{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | child = | subbox = | bodyclass = ib-video-game hproduct {{#ifeq:|yes|collapsible {{#if:|{{{state}}}|autocollapse}}}} | templatestyles = Infobox video game/styles.css | aboveclass = fn | italic title =

| above = Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

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| caption = {{#if:Dracula x (j) front.jpg|Japanese cover art|Japanese cover art}}

| label2 = DeveloperTemplate:Pluralize from text | data2 = Konami

| label3 = PublisherTemplate:Pluralize from text | data3 = Konami

| label4 = DirectorTemplate:Pluralize from text | data4 = Toru Hagihara

| label5 = ProducerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data5 = Yoshiaki Yamada

| label6 = DesignerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data6 = Template:If first display both

| label7 = ProgrammerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data7 = Template:If first display both

| label8 = ArtistTemplate:Pluralize from text | data8 = Toshiharu Furukawa
Reika Bando
Koji Yamada

| label9 = WriterTemplate:Pluralize from text | data9 = Template:If first display both

| label10 = ComposerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data10 = Akira Souji
Keizo Nakamura
Tomoko Sano
Mikio Saito

| label11 = Series | data11 = Castlevania

| label12 = Engine | data12 = Template:If first display both

| label13 = PlatformTemplate:Pluralize from text | data13 = PC Engine Super CD-ROM²

| label14 = Release | data14 = Template:Vgrelease

| label15 = GenreTemplate:Pluralize from text | data15 = Action, platform

| label16 = ModeTemplate:Pluralize from text | data16 = Single-player

| label17 = Arcade system | data17 = Template:If first display both

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Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, originally released in Japan as Template:Nihongo foot is a 1993 action-platform game developed by Konami and released for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² System directed by Toru Hagihara. Part of the Castlevania series, protagonist Richter Belmont goes to save his lover Annette, who was abducted by Dracula. It was first released exclusively in Japan on October 29, 1993. A direct sequel, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, was released worldwide in 1997.

The game was remade for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Castlevania: Dracula X in 1995, and the PlayStation Portable as Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles in 2007. In 2008, the original game was released for the Wii's Virtual Console service in Japan and for the North American and PAL regions in 2010. In 2018, the game was included along with Symphony of the Night within the Castlevania Requiem collection for the PlayStation 4. The title is also playable on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini. In 2021, Limited Run Games announced an English release for the TurboDuo, but it has not yet been released.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Gameplay

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The goal is to guide the player character Richter Belmont through nine stages,<ref name="Wii Rondo"/> with four alternate routes,<ref name="retrospective IGN"/> as he searches for his kidnapped beloved Annette and ultimately confronts Dracula in his castle.<ref name="GameSpy preview"/> Richter makes use of a whip as his main weapon and one of six sub-weapons: an axe, a dagger, a bible, a pocket watch, a cross, and holy water.<ref name="IGN Guide P.9">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While exploring the castle, Richter can rescue four maidens, including his distant relative<ref name="RoB Guide">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Maria Renard who then becomes a playable character.<ref name="IGN Guide P.5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="1UP preview"/> She attacks using her doves and one of six sub-weapons: a white tiger kitten, dragon whelp, baby phoenix, turtle, egg or musical notes.<ref name="IGN Guide P.9"/> The first four of these sub-weapons are based upon the four symbols of Chinese mythology.<ref name="Four Guardians">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She is additionally more agile, can perform a double jump, and can deal twice the amount of damage that Richter does in each normal attack. However, she takes much more damage each time she is hit. Maria is also capable of doing a special attack called a “Guardian Knuckle”, resulting in a ghostly projection that causes heavy damage to enemies.

Rondo of Blood incorporates elements from the earlier Castlevania games that typically featured linear gameplay and a member of the Belmont clan as the protagonist, and the later entries which emphasized untimed exploration of the environment.<ref name="IGN Wii">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rondo of Blood makes use of untimed stages with a clear beginning, but more than one ending to some levels. This will have an effect on the subsequent environment, monsters, and boss monster that the player character encounters at the end of the level.<ref name="IGN Wii"/> Items such as money, hearts, and food can be found scattered throughout the areas.<ref name="DXC items">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rondo of Blood also has the Item Crash ability reused in subsequent Castlevania titles, which allows a sub-weapon to be used in a super attack.<ref name="1UP preview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its direct sequel, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, reuses many of the monsters.<ref name="IGN Wii"/> A secret minigame, Akumajyo Dracula Peke, can be played if the system is missing the required Super System Card; it appears as a hidden unlockable in all re-releases of the game.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Plot

Taking place in 1792, Rondo of Blood is set in the fictional universe of the Castlevania series. The story centers around the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont Clan and the immortal vampire Dracula, who has once again been resurrected. The protagonist is 19-year-old Richter Belmont (Jin Horikawa / David Vincent), heir to the whip "Vampire Killer" and Simon Belmont's direct descendant.<ref name="manual"/> He comes to the castle after his beloved Annette (Atsuko Honda / Jessica Straus) is kidnapped by Dracula's servant, Shaft (Jin Horikawa / Tony Oliver), as bait for a trap.<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> Richter makes his way through Dracula's castle, defeating his minions, including the spirit of Death, a headless knight, and a minotaur, all of whom attempt to stop Richter. Along the way, Richter can free various women kidnapped by Dracula's servants to feed him, including his distant relative<ref name="RoB Guide"/> Maria Renard (Yōko Teppōzuka / Michelle Ruff), an orphaned 12-year-old who insists on joining him;<ref name="manual">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> Terra (Hiromi Murata / Karen Strassman), a nun that mistakes him for a manifestation of God;<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> Iris (Akie Yasuda / Karen Strassman), the daughter of the village doctor;<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> and finally Annette.<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> After vanquishing Shaft,Template:Efn Richter confronts Dracula (Hiroya Ishimaru / Patrick Seitz) and defeats him before exposing him to sunlight, causing him to vanish.<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> Dracula's castle then collapses into the sea as Richter escapes on horseback.

Development

Rondo of Blood is the tenth installment of the Castlevania video game series (hence the Japanese title).<ref name="Wii Rondo">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Produced by Konami, Rondo of Blood originally saw only a Japanese release on the PC Engine on October 29, 1993.<ref name="retrospective IGN"/><ref name="Rondo">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A port was later released on the Wii for the Japanese Virtual Console on April 22, 2008. As an import, it became available in North America on March 15, 2010, and in the PAL region (Europe and Australia) on March 19, 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Audio

Rondo of Blood makes use of Red Book Audio along with the onboard soundchip, allowing for better musical quality.<ref name="NLifeVCcvrob"/><ref name="Gamespot History">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Keizo Nakamura, Akira Souji, Tomoko Sano, and Mikio Saito composed the soundtrack of Rondo of Blood.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref><ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> The songs from Rondo of Blood, "Overture", "Beginning" and "Opus 13", appeared on a pre-order bonus CD for the 2006 Nintendo DS game Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Konami Style published the two-disc soundtrack of the remake of the game, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, on November 8, 2007.<ref name="DXC soundtrack">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The songs "Vampire Killer", "Beginning", "Cemetery", and "Divine Bloodlines" were rearranged. It also included a bonus track of an English-language version of "Nocturne" from Symphony of the Night.<ref name="DXC soundtrack"/> The Dracula X Chronicles includes an option which allows players to choose songs from Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night to play in the background.<ref name="GameSpy preview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These songs are found in the form of records hidden within the game.<ref name="DXC items"/>

Remakes and re-releases

Castlevania: Dracula X

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Castlevania: Dracula XTemplate:Efn was developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.<ref name="retrospective IGN"/> While the plot is similar to Rondo of Blood and uses many of that game's graphics, it features all-new levels and altered gameplay elements instead of being a straight port due to the limitations of the cartridge format and PC Engine exclusivity obligations.<ref name="retrospective IGN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Gamespot History"/><ref name="RoB DracX">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was released on July 21, 1995 in Japan, September 1995 in the US, February 22, 1996 in Europe,<ref name="DraculaX">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and on June 22, 1996 in Australia.Template:Citation needed

Dracula X was also released as a Wii U Virtual Console download in Japan on April 23, 2014, in North America on October 2, 2014, and the PAL regions on November 13, 2014. It was released again for New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console download in North America on December 29, 2016, and in Europe and Australia on January 26, 2017. The game was included in the Castlevania Advance Collection, released on September 23, 2021, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Castlevania: The Dracula X ChroniclesTemplate:Efn is a 2.5D remake of Rondo of Blood for the PlayStation Portable.<ref name="1UP preview"/> Gameplay in the remake remains largely unchanged from Rondo of Blood.<ref name="GamePro">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Ports of the original PC Engine game (with both Japanese and English voices) and its sequel, Symphony of the Night can be unlocked through gameplay.<ref name="Game Zone"/> Symphony of the Night now includes the option to play as Maria (by using a secret name code after beating the game as Alucard), as well as redone scripts, sound effects, and new voice acting. It also has the option to play with the original Japanese voices, which is unchanged in this port.<ref name="EG review">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Dracula X Chronicles was released in North America on October 23, 2007, in Japan on November 8, 2007, in Europe on February 15, 2008, and in Australia & New Zealand on April 9, 2008.<ref name="PSP dates">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2008, the North American edition was re-released as part of the "Greatest Hits" label while the Japanese edition was re-released on July 15, 2010, under the "Best Selection" label.<ref name="PSP dates"/> The game was added to the PlayStation Network in Europe in June 2014, as a PSP-only release (the game is already compatible with the PS Vita).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Castlevania Requiem

Rondo of Blood is included within the Castlevania Requiem compilation for PlayStation 4, along with its sequel, Symphony of the Night. Both titles are based on the retranslated versions featured in The Dracula X Chronicles, though only the PC Engine version of Rondo of Blood is included. The compilation was released on October 26, 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Reception

Template:Video game reviews Template:Expand section According to Famitsu, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood sold over 14,436 copies in its first week and 19,616 copies in its first month on the market in Japan.<ref name="GDL">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine ranked the game first in popularity in its January 1994 issue, and it received a 26.0/30 score in a readers' poll conducted by PC Engine Fan.<ref name="MBM139">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="PSMjpv42">Template:Cite book</ref> Rondo of Blood received generally favorable reviews from critics.<ref name="GPCEadxcnr"/><ref name="GameFanDX"/><ref name="VGSPCEcv">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

GameProTemplate:'s Matthew Taylor said that "Declaring Dracula X to be the greatest Castlevania of all time would be a slap at Castlevania IV for the SNES, but earmarking X as one of the ten best side-scrollers of all time is a no-brainer".<ref name="GamePro58">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Electronic Gaming Monthly said it "can easily be the best CD title yet", and argued that the only negative aspect was the game not being released in the United States. They later awarded the game Best Japanese Action Game of 1994.<ref name="EGM55">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="1995VGBG">Template:Cite book</ref>

Nintendo LifeTemplate:'s Corbie Dillard praised the game's level design, soundtrack, graphics, and difficulty level.<ref name="NLifeVCcvrob"/> IGN awarded the Virtual Console release its "Editors' Choice", describing it as enjoyable and "worth the wait".<ref name="IGNVCcvrob"/>

In other media

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Following the release of the final season of the original Castlevania animated series on May 13, 2021, that was based on Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Netflix announced a follow-up series which is to be set in France during the French Revolution in 1792 with Richter Belmont and Maria Renard in the lead roles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At 2022's Netflix's Geeked Week virtual event, the series was revealed to be titled Castlevania: Nocturne alongside a teaser trailer featuring Richter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first season was released on September 28, 2023,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while the second season premiered on January 16, 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

References

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