Previously Published on Classic Game Room
The switch from 2D to 3D was a difficult one for many franchises and developers. Series like Mario, Zelda, and Final Fantasy made the jump and produced not only spectacular but innovative titles. Other franchises didn’t fare so well. Castlevania was generally considered one of them, until the 2010 release of Lords of Shadow. Castlevania 64 was Konami’s first attempt at bringing the franchise to the third dimension. While it is no secret many people dislike this 3D entry, is the game really worth completely skipping?
Like almost every other Castlevania title, Dracula has been resurrected and a vampire hunter has to put a stop to his evil vampire-y plans. Reinhardt Schneider, a descendent of the Belmont clan, and Carrie Fernandez, a girl gifted with magical powers, step forward to infiltrate Dracula’s castle to vanquish the Lord of Darkness himself. The story is one-hundred percent Castlevania, which fans of the Castlevania lore will definitely appreciate
Castlevania 64′s gameplay is like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time combined, but bad. The title has a heavy focus on both platforming and combat, each with their issues. Platforming is troublesome due to clunky controls. It’s easy to jump right off cliffs, and the camera doesn’t help either as you have little to no control of it. Camera movement can obscure platforms and randomly swing, running you right off the edge.
As mentioned before, there are two characters. On the platforming side they’re identical, but each have their own form of combat. Reinhardt, who wields a whip and a dagger, specializes in close quarters combat… Or he would if the lock-on system actually worked. Locking-on to targets not only locks the player in place, leaving them vulnerable, but also randomly targets units. Carrie on the other hand focuses mainly on long ranged magic attacks with chakrams as short ranged weapons. Her magic automatically heat seeks towards enemies, avoiding the lock-on issue. But the inability to choose a target effectively is still a problem. The camera is an issue here as well, getting stuck on walls and obscuring foes.
What makes Castlevania 64 interesting is that it mixes combat and platforming at the same time, which many 3D titles shy away from. Unfortunately this also combines the issues that plague both aspects, as well as creates all new problems. Running by enemies will shift the camera to focus on them, which is a formula for disaster when traversing small platforms. Using the lock-on button centers the camera, but often, if an enemy is near, you will lock-on to it instead. So on time sensitive platforms where every second counts, it’s impossible to properly line-up your jump if an enemy is nearby.
Unlike many of today’s Castlevanias, Castlevania 64 plays like the early titles in the series with linear progression. While the game is mostly ‘go from point A to B’, often you will be tasked with finding keys, blowing up walls, and solving simple puzzles to progress. It may take you awhile to complete the main quest, but once you clear it once you’ll be able to beat the title in a few hours. And if you can put up with the controls and camera, there is some incentive for that second play-through. Mainly the fact that you can play through as the other character, which has a handful of different stages and cut-scenes.
Visually, it’s a Nintendo 64 title. But as of its 1999 release, it was still a mixed bag. While there are some visually impressive areas for its time, there are just as many areas with massive blurry textures. Some areas are plagued with significant slow down and for extended periods of time. Even the music is just simply not of Castlevania quality.
Castlevania 64 is playable, but not exactly stellar title in the series. Those who enjoy the Castlevania lore might like the title, but at the price of fighting the controls and camera. With Lords of Shadow’s good reception, there are better places to get a 3D Castlevania fix. But if you want to see where 3D Castlevanias originated or its combination of platforming and combat in a 3D environment, Castlevania 64 is easy to find for an affordable price.
