As a young child (before I became the Castlevania nut that I am now), I was a bit perplexed by the huge appeal of the series. As I'd watch my brother tackle the swinging pendulums in Dracula's Curse, I'd question why he loved the game so much. It didn't look bad, but I just didn't understand what made it so exceptional. "It's just awesome," he'd assure me. Sure, the music was catchy and the graphics were solid, but what's so hot about walking to the right and whipping zombies? It wasn't until I got my hands on the rectangular controller that I understood. Like a televangelist slapping the forehead of a delirious worshipper and curing the individual of their ailment, I was immediately baptized by the power of Castlevania.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse returned the series to its roots by removing the RPG and adventure elements of II while adding enhancements which made the title legendary. The non-linear gameplay made the title incredibly unique for its time and doubled the replayability. Additionally, the alternate character system switched up the formula in a most pleasant way. Though the first title is an absolute classic, the slightly stiff controls can leave gamers feeling starchy. But the addition of very diverse characters in Dracula's Curse made the game that much more enchanting ("WOAH, I can walk on walls! WOAH, I can fly!"). Not only is the title amongst the best of the series, it's in the top tier of games on the NES and gaming as a whole. It's been OFLC-rated, so hopefully it'll be making its way to a Virtual Console near you sometime soon.
