Castlevania (series)
See also: Castlevania (homonymy)
Castlevania (悪魔城ドラキュラ, Akumajō Dracula ) is a Série of video game published by Konami, begun in 1986 and which exceeded the twenty episodes. The plays take again the topic of the confrontation of the good against the evil thanks to the myth of the Vampire S: the Belmont family faces every hundred years the lord of the evil Dracula, thanks to a magic Fouet and a rudimentary armament made up mainly of a Crucifix - Boomerang, of a Hache, a scraping-knife of jet, a watch and a flask of Eau bénite. This continuation of plays undoubtedly one of is respected, at the side of Mario, Zelda, Megaman and Metroid, that thanks to bands sounds of very good quality which reached their apogee with Akumajō Dracula X: Chi No Rondo (first episode on support CD-ROM) then Castlevania - Symphony Off The Night .
Differences of localization and translation
The original title of the saga, in Japan, is 悪魔城ドラキュラ, Akumajō Dracula , which means " literally; Démoniaque castle Dracula". At the time of the arrival of the first play in the USA, the translators had to choose a new title, more Western: while taking as a starting point the principal environment of the play, the castle (" castle"), and of the area of origin of the Dracula vampire, the Transylvania (" Transylvania"), they invented the title " Castlevania ".
Whereas the frankness carried the title Akumajō Dracula since nearly 15 years to Japan, the producer, Koji Igarashi, decides to adopt the name Castlevania as a new title, at the time of the exit of the play Castlevania: Harmony off Dissonance in 2002. Nevertheless, after the vehement protests of Japanese fans, the saga finds its original title in 2005, at the time of the exit of Castlevania: Dawn off Sorrow .
Certain nouns (more or less slightly) were also modified, or badly translated, at the time of the passage in occident:
- the surname Belmont, is Belmondo (ベルモンド, Berumondo ) in the original version. The Japanese name being probably a reference to the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, the American translators were undoubtedly sensitive to the cold to use the name of a famous person, and transformed it into Belmont.
- In the play Castlevania III: Dracula' S Curse , the original first name of the hero is Ralph C. Belmondo (ラルフ·C·ベルモンド, Rarufu C Berumondo ), while for an unknown reason, it became Trevor Belmont in the Western version.
- In the same play, the character named Sypha Fernandez normally (サイファ ・ ヴェルナンデス, Saifa Verunandesu ) is translated Sypha Belnades. If this difference is not significant at the beginning, it becomes it when downward of this character appears in the play Castlevania 64 : Carrie Fernandez (キャリー·ヴェルナンデス, Kyari Verunandesu ). However this time Ci, the original name is correctly translated in the version Western, but the players do not have Pu to connect the character of Carrie to his Sypha ancestor, because of these 2 various translations of the same name. Another downward of Sypha appears in Castlevania: Aria off Sorrow , this time under the name Yoko Belnades in occident (ヨーコ ・ ヴェルナンデス, Yoko Verunandesu ), which accentuates the inconsistency.
- In Castlevania II: Belmont' S Revenge , the son of the hero is called Soleiyu Belmont, whereas its name (ソレイュ, Soreiyu ) is simply the transcription of the French word Sun.
Certain modifications also were made to the scenarios plays:
- Super Castlevania IV is described in its American version like a continuation of Castlevania II: Simon' S Quest, whereas it is acted in fact of a remake of the original play, Castlevania .
The principle of play
The original principle of Castlevania is that of the plays of platform/action: the hero of the play crosses the Château of Dracula, filled of various monsters like zombie S, Chauve-souris, Squelette S or of the corbel X which the player can avoid or kill. The player must also avoid falling into the many traps strewn through the castle: holes, pits of stakes and other objects of Torture. This castle is broken up into several parts called levels. At the end of each level, the hero faces a monster much more resistant and intelligent that the others which once overcome releases the passage towards the following level. Sometimes the killed monsters bring to the hero a weapon, a heart or an object which the player in his search can use. The objects delivered by the boss are important for the remainder of the search. The final boss of the play is in general Dracula itself.Castlevania have the reputation to be difficult plays because they require a great dexterity with the Manette. In order to mitigate this problem, the saga took a turning in 1997 with the episode Castlevania - Symphony Of The Night which takes again the principle of play of Metroid, from where Castleroid name. From now on, the castle consists of only one great level, much more complex, in which the hero cannot go immediately everywhere. It should find certain objects at certain places, to go to other places which themselves make it possible to advance even more in the play. This style of play makes it possible each player to go at his rate/rhythm and is included in many episodes thereafter.
Inspirations of the saga
Dracula , the novel of Bram Stoker, is the primary source of the universe of Castlevania . The principle of the fight of a group of human (Belmonts) against Dracula the vampire, reignant in its castle, is directly resulting from the confrontation between the scientist/hunter from vampire Abraham Van Helsing and Dracula.
the religious iconography, like the cross, or the notion of the vampire being transformed into bat, of it are also drawn. The use of various weapons, however bénites, also refers to an aspect of the character of Van Helsing, scientist open to the irrational one: the weapons of the Belmont family, such as the whip, water bénite or the crosses, represent the alliance of technology with the supernatural one.
The history of Bram Stoker besides is completely integrated in the general scenario of the series, and the play Castlevania: the New Generation puts in scene John Morris, the son of Quincy Morris, which fought Dracula at the sides of Van Helsing in the novel of Stoker (it is known as besides in the handbook of the play that Quincy Morris was downward of the Belmont clan).
The appearance of Dracula in the plays is also inspired by various the film adaptation of the novel of Bram Stoker. The developers of the plays were strongly influenced by the services of Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, giving to ludic video Dracula the pace of an aristocrat, in costume and wraps.
The count Orlock makes besides an appearance in Castlevania: Symphony off the Night , as a secondary boss, under the name " Olrox".
List play composing the series
(The dates indicate the first exit of the play, mainly with the Japan).
Chronology of the saga
The basic principle of the Castlevania series is primarily inspired by the book of Bram Stoker, Dracula , is published in 1897. Although Dracula is supposed to return automatically every hundred years, several events recall it before this time throughout the saga. With the wire of the series, the history is detached from that of Bram Stoker and has its own intrigue.Note 1: several plays share the same chronological period, because they are remakes of the same play, although they comprise some differences between them. It is the case for:
-
1691 : Vampire Killer (MSX), Castlevania (BORN), Haunted Castle (Arcade), Super Castlevania IV (Super Nintendo), Castlevania (PC), Akumajō Dracula (SHARP X68000), Castlevania (Commodore64), Castlevania (Amiga) and Castlevania Chronicles (Playstation)
- 1792: Dracula X Chi No rondo (PC Engine), Castlevania Vampire' S KIS (Super Nintendo) and Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles (Portable Playstation)
Note 2: the history of certain plays was officially withdrawn from the chronology by Koji Igarashi in 2004, then responsible for the series, in order to consolidate its own vision of the scenario. Some of these choices are debatable and were criticized per many fans, because without being concerned with general coherence, Igarashi in particular refused to conceive that a woman can be of the Belmont family and the confusion of the chronology (this is why the play Castlevania Legends , whose heroin is Sonia Belmont, was withdrawn).
Chronology:
- 1095: Castlevania - Spangles Innocence
- 1470: LISA, woman of Dracula, are condemned to died by the Enquiry, are shown to be a witch.
- 1476: Castlevania 3 - Dracula' S Curse
- 1479: Castlevania - Curse off Darkness
- 1576: Castlevania The Adventure
- 1591 : Castlevania 2 - Belmont' S Revenge
- 1691: Castlevania
- 1693 : Castlevania 2 - Simon' S Quest
- 1748: Castlevania - Harmony off Dissonance
- 1792: Akumajō Dracula X - Chi No Rondo
- 1797: Castlevania - Symphony off The Night
- 1897: Quincy Morris beats the count Dracula. Event reported by Bram Stoker.
- 1914: Elizabeth Bathory, vampiress niece of Dracula, is implied in the beginning of the First World War.
- 1917: Castlevania - Bloodlines
- 1944: Castlevania - Portrait off Ruin
- 1999: Julius Belmont kills Dracula for good.
- 2035: Castlevania - Aria off Sorrow
- 2036: Castlevania - Dawn off Sorrow
External bonds
- the Clan Belmont
- the Library
- Castlevania File on Grospixels
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