The Japanese version of Castlevania III, superior to the western release in many respects. Legendary soundtrack, multiple paths, multiple characters. An absolute masterpiece.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player12+
Description
Castlevania sequel featuring three Belmont warriors with distinct abilities battling Dracula and allies. Published by Konami, released in the USA in 1990. Trevor, Grant and Sypha with distinct weapons and powers, non-linear multi-path, high-quality bosses and monumental music by Hirokazu Ando. Absolute NES masterpiece, American version of Castlevania III.
Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
An absolute peak of chiptune, the entry deploys a score of stunning richness, magnified in Japan by the VRC6 sound chip. Heroic themes, anxious melodies and nervy rhythms compose a gothic fresco of unequalled breadth on NES. This musical mastery makes it an absolute benchmark of the console.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Switching between four heroes with distinct abilities — a powerful jump, wall-climbing, magic — multiplies your options across branching routes. The whip demands precise positioning, and the difficulty stays steep but fair. The peak of the 8-bit trilogy, this gothic journey retains a demanding level design and a variety that command admiration.
The North American NTSC NES 'Dracula's Curse', set apart from the Japanese version by swapping the VRC6 chip for the MMC5, which audibly reshapes the soundtrack. On the console's flagship market, the US cart was far more widespread than the PAL, placing value on clean CIB in an intact cardboard box and graded sealed. Desirability stays strong thanks to the trilogy's 8-bit peak status and durable demand from 8-bit action fans.
Memorable bosses
Vaster and more formidable, this odyssey lets you pick companions and paths, multiplying varied guardians across alternate routes. The doppelgänger that mirrors your blows, a fiercer returning Death and a Dracula of successive forms punctuate a steep difficulty. Enhanced by an upgraded sound chip, the Japanese version lends these fights a rare heroic intensity.
Is Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse still worth playing in 2026?
Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse, whose Japanese release Akumajou Densetsu features the sublime VRC6 chip absent in the West, is one of the NES's absolute peaks. Three playable companions with distinct abilities, multiple branching paths through the castle, level design of rare precision and a legendary score by Hidenori Maezawa and Jun Funahashi build a 2D action classic. The difficulty is brisk but fair, the pacing exemplary. For demanding platforming fans and Konami heritage lovers, still an absolute must on the console today.
