Overview
- Also Known As
- Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo
- Number of Players
- 1 (Single Player)
- Genre
- Release Date
TurboGrafx-16
- 29th Oct 1993
Wii (Wii Shop)
- 15th Mar 2010, 900 points
- 19th Mar 2010, 900 points
- 22nd Apr 2008, 800 points
- Series
- Tags
Reviews
Review Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
The PC Engine classic finally arrives on the Virtual Console
The Castlevania titles have seen releases on a variety of game consoles over the years, but it's this PC Engine release that's garnered a lot of attention and focus among diehard game fans and collectors over the years. Since the game was only released in Japan, gamers who wanted to play...
Screenshots 8
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood News
Round Table Let's Talk About Castlevania
25 years of memories
This week has been Castlevania features week. We’ve picked our top ten games from the series, reviewed an awful novelisation of Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest, and provided some tips for wannabe Dracula hunters. One thing that has become clear amongst the team is that this series is packed full of memories and nostalgia, as...
Feature Castlevania - The Terrifying Ten
Our favourite Dracula quests
As the dreaded night of Halloween continues to loom ever closer, we are now turning our attention to the Castlevania franchise, which recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. All of this week there'll be features looking at the series, as we join the hunt to take Dracula down once and for all. In previous features we've...
Nintendo Download 19th March 2010 (Europe)
More Hanabi Festival, plenty of DSiWare and one lonely WiiWare game
Several people were disappointed Nintendo of Europe didn't start off the latest Hanabi Festival with a certain vampire-slaying game last week, but there's no need to complain any more - It's out now! It brings with it a rather tedious little NES import, which might also mean this is...
Nintendo Download 15th March 2010 (North America)
Gladiators, vampires, shooting, dinos, zoos and golf this week
Fans of the classics will be pleased to see the TG-16 CD entry in the Castlevania series as well as a new take on the Punch-Out formula and a surprise target shooter on Wii, whilst the DSi gets a range of sim-style games: zoo, dino and gangster and a golf game for good measure. WiiWare:...
News 5th Hanabi Festival Inbound
Featuring the mighty Castlevania Rondo of Blood!
While we speculated on the return of the Hanabi Festival recently, Nintendo were busy putting the finishing touches to the fifth instalment of their import spectacular, due to launch this Friday. Kicking off with the fantastic Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and taking in IronClad, Milon's S
News Hanabi Festival 5 to Happen Soon?
Nintendo of Europe's site seems to suggest so
A handful of new import titles were recently given ratings by the OFLC, leading many to believe that Europe and Australia would be on their way to the fifth Hanabi Festival, and thus another nice batch of import Virtual Console games. Nintendo of Europe has now practically confirmed that this will be...
News Castlevania: Rondo of Blood ESRB Rated
The wait is almost over.
We just recently saw the release of Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth in North America and now news has just leaked out that Castlevania: Rondo of Blood has just been ESRB Rated. Honestly, it can't get much better than this for Castlevania fans, and it would seem that Hudson's release of the game can now not be too far...
News Konami Readying Castlevania Collection For Wii?
Listen to them - the children of the net. What rumours they make
This is probably one to file under “rumour” for the time being but we’ve gotten wind from an anonymous source that Konami is currently working away on a Castlevania collection, which apparently will be released on the Wii and Sony PSP this year. Details are predictably sketchy...
News Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Getting Long Overdue Western Release
The OFLC delivers the goods once again.
It is because of today's daily OFLC update that we know two more import titles making their way to a Virtual Console near you sometime in the future. And one of them is none other than one of the best Castlevania titles ever crafted. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood was released on Virtual Console way back in April...
About The Game
It is the year 1792, and Dracula is revived by the Dark Priest Shaft.
After building up his dark forces, he sets out to destroy the village inhabited by 19-year-old Richter Belmont, heir to the Vampire Killer whip. Moreover, Dracula's minions kidnap Richter's 17-year-old girlfriend named Annette, Annette's younger sister (a 12-year-old vampire huntress named Maria Renard), and two other local villagers; a nun known as Tera, and Iris, the daughter of the village doctor. Wielding the whip of his ancestors, Richter heads off toward Castlevania.
Comments 56
Thanks to an OFLC rating, we should expect the game at any time. And to think that some people thought we would never see this game.
I'm expecting this to be one of our very few TurboGrafx-16 titles next year.
Ditto that SSBF1999. It's cool for me because I can't really think of many others I'd want anyway. Great to see this game page back up too!
"Thanks to an OFLC rating, we should expect the game at any time."
Tell that to the people waiting for games like Beetle Adventure Racing, Aerofighters Assault, Earthbound, Dr. Mario etc. that had been rated ages ago.
@KeeperBvK: Not by the OFLC!
Dr. Mario hasn't been rated by anything, has it?
@KeeperBvK: Sometimes, a game takes a long time to be released once they get an rating. By any time, I don't mean just weeks from now, I mean it could happen next Monday, next year, or even be our last game ever for the Virtual Console.
Can't wait for this. $9 for a legendary $100+ game like this is just too awesome.
Akumajou Dracula X Chi no Rondo is a decent PC-Engine game. I love Richter's backflip move, and Maria makes the game a lot easier, imo. The soundtrack is well composed (as is as the SNES game Castlevania: Dracula X/Vampire's Kiss/Akumajou Dracula XX, imo), the parallax scrolling is dazzling, and the anime cutscenes are awesome. It can be quite hard at times (as Richter). I loved the fact that you could continue from a save file, and all the replay value. I once completed this game 100%.
EDIT
Now that I think of it, I haven't noticed Dr. Mario not being available. It's a good puzzler (but not as good as Columns, imo), and busting out those virus enemies is fun.
Glad to see this rated again. Dr. Mario was ESRB rated a long time ago but probably got removed thanks to the excellent wiiware one.
This game looks amazing and the soundtrack is incredible. Divine bloodlines is such a good song.
True dat, Tony. The Turbo Duo and SNES versions of it, anyway.
@ Drake: Dr. Mario had been rated by the ESRB ages ago, but they removed it after DSiWare emerged and the portable Dr Mario was conceived.
Oh, well. There's always the NES, Game Boy, SNES, and Nintendo 64 versions of Dr. Mario. Now which one to play?
@KeeperBvK
I think they removed it long before the DSiWare version. Probably long before the WiiWare version too.
The few encounters you face with Death is epic!
But, I don't want to spoil anything. So, I won't spoil anything, in case no one has played this game.
I won't get this unless it is english translated.
@JJ
In that case you won't be getting it. All the import games on VC arn't translated.
@JJ - you'll be missing out on a true classic, then. But, if you won't get it, then I won't force you.
Also, I love the scene where Richter encounters Maria for the first time. It's cute.
This is the best Castlevania game of the 16-bit generation, a masterpiece comparable only to its sequel - Symphony of the Night. I don't understand why Konami is holding back. They should flood the VC with Castlevania, Gradius, Contra, Parodius, etc. Give us the games!
The PC-Engine was an 8-bit console, with 16-bit qualities. But yeah, I agree, it is the best Castlevania game. Symphony of the Night is all right.
I'm interested to see how good Parodius and TwinBee are, considering I like SNES Gradius III and Detana! TwinBee (on VC). Oh, and Contra Hard Corps, seeing as to how much I like Contra III: The Alien Wars. Oh, and Castlevania Bloodlines/A New Generation. :3
If this is coming out they better release Bloodlines. Sure its a short game but its a lot of fun.
By the way, is Castlevania Bloodlines/A New Generation that great? I've been interested in that game for years!
I actually have this game for the Turbografx, though I don't own the console myself. Its just in my Castlevania collection along with Bloodlines (I've never owned a genesis) which I'd also love to see on the Virtual Console.
While Rondo is definitely a great game, I think I much prefer Super Castlevania IV on the SNES because of stuff like the eight-way whip controls, the moonwalking, and the fact that it didn't lead the series down the Medroidvania path (I know Rondo isn't, but its direct sequel, SotN was, which is what I mean with my comment).
My personal favorite Castlevania of all time has to be Legacy of Darkness, though. I loved that despite it being 3D, it still had more in common with the classic Castlevanias (1-Rondo/Dracula X) than the 2D RPG Metroidvanias that started with SotN. I also thought it had the best told story. Unlike Symphony which is oddly applauded for its story despite it being just two character portraits having conversations that don't really connect with anything else, Legacy had great characters like Malus, Ortega, and Actrise, and a great twist that connects Cornell's game with Reinhardt and Carrie's instead of just "here's the castle again, except upside down," or "yeah just play as Richter just cuz."
Item Crash FTW!!!! This is the first game from the series to utilize the Item Crash.
Although, the anime cutscenes are the best thing about this game, other than the epic soundtrack.
This game is one of the few I've played that has a Bible (no joke) act as a subweapon.
Nice. Looking forward to playing it for the first time.
I didn't notice this myself the first time, but it's amazing how Richter looks like Ryu from the Street Fighter games.
I think the fans are mostly responsible for this game coming to EU and NA. Our voices have been heard.
what does " imo mean" ?
@734 - in my opinion.
If it's one thing I don't know, is why there are only thirteen songs in the Sound Test, when the game's got more than that many songs.
Anyway, gotta love saving over passwords.
Pass unless it's on a similar difficulty level as SCIV.
Edit: Actually, I might get this game. If it's the hardest of the non-Metroidvanias though, it'll be a long time 'till this is sittin' on my Wii.
I cannot wait for this to come out. I have been waiting my whole life to get my hands on this. I should pick-up the ReBirth too.
I read somewhere that this game was really hard. Not sure if if this game is for me. It'll probably be forever and a day until we get this game since the VC releases everywhere are slowing down pretty badly.
This is gonna be awesome! I love all the castlevania games
Is Richter as agile as he is in SotN with all his various attacks and special moves?
You call Richter agile?!
@Bass X0 no. He plays pretty much the same as Simon did in his first game=) Though, he has "item crash" and the backflip =)
He has all of the attacks of SOTN. Can jump up stairs. Backflip. Item crash.
@outrun2sp. yea, but no high-jump, whip-swing-thingy, slide, slide-jump-attack and runing.
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
Hells yeah. Immediate download for me. About time Konami!
I Want it so bad, kind a weird that nintendo says they will release it last friday in europe and now it hits the american Vc. You got really lucky. Hope we're getting it this friday.
@Roebuck77: Like the Jabberwocky reference
anyone get this yet? how much japanese is in it or did they translate some of it (as hudson was rumoured to have done)
I keep hearing how great this is but I do still have Dracula X on SNES is it worth getting this. How much of a difference is there. Just curious.
@Roebuck/John - I take it you both saw the 3D movie Alice in Wonderland. I thought it was a good movie.
@fxtek76 I had Dracula X as well and there's a huge difference in everything from level design to story.
I need it now. This game is a masterpiece!!
this is a class game but its very hard,the snes version is good aswell, much easier than this version,hopefully we will see the snes version on the VC soon.
Maria is so cute and she is much easier to play with! ^^
...Although her defense needs to build up...
Don't be afraid of the price tag and all the "moonspeak" in this.
Rondo of Blood and Super Castlevania IV are the 2D Castlevania games you want to own.
I love how the cover looks like Richter is giving Dracula the finger!
This game is great but, man, I hate the fact Richter can't whip in eight direction like Simon. Super Castlevania 4 is better, but this one is good, too.
Just grabbed this a week ago, great game but I do prefer the feel of Super Castlevania IV. The music is superior in the SNES game and the 8-direction whip would have been a big plus here.
Such a great game, can't wait to play it on Switch. ^_^
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