"This game stood alone on a system that didn't give it's fans many gaming options."
GAMEPLAY ~
The controls in this game work surprising well. As known by all those who play the Vania titles, it's all the same. You whip, you gain gems (no hearts!), and your whip gets a power up. The thing that makes this this game different is the lack of any Belmont (thought you have the "Vampire Killer") and the ability to choose between two different characters. Each with their own unique abilities.
The girl can double-jump and the guy can "whip-swing" which isn't used much... thankfully... after Stupor Craplvania 4 I thought that move was dead and buried, but thankfully it's used much better and more easily controlled... in short doses.
This game runs on the basic side-scrolling engine in which each stage is broken down into two halves 1-4 fight that mini-boss, 5-9 is the big boss. The bosses difficulty obviously varies, but stay relatively easy. Overall, the controls are nice, the game isn't hard, just fun to pick up and play.
STORY ~
Dracula is dead, but during WW1 a mysterious woman (Elizabeth Batharoy) starts up a crazy cult which in turns attempts to conquer all of Europe and I guess eventually resurrect Dracula in their downtime... it's upto John Morris and Eric Lecarde to put an end to their craziness once and for all!
GRAPHICS ~
The basic background graphics seem to really stand out in this title. The character designs are kinda weak with Morris looking like a Neanderthal and Lecarde looking like some Valhalla reject. The enemies / bosses are big and smooth as are the characters you play.
Everything seems to run off a "Shinobi" type of engine which makes this game feel like all other Genesis titles. A shame too, because it's one of the best Genesis games I’ve played in a long time. I will mention the two rooms that really stood out. Mirror-strike-through room and upside-down room. Both cool and original, and even to this day haven't been trumped!
SOUND ~
I enjoyed a few of the featured tracks but most just fade into the background. The SFX were cool, but again Genesis titles all have the same FX. The one track that stood out was "The Sinking Old Sanctuary" which was later re-used in the GBA game Circle of the Moon. An since I recently completed that game I was in awe at it's origins! Very cool.
REPLAYABILITY ~
This game had alot to go back and do, yeah there is a score counter, but many people just ignore that and play the game. There is two different characters to complete the game with plus "expert" mode which makes playing the game harder. Which many may undertake because the game was kinda simple. In all for the basic Vania player, worth playing it over to see if anything is changed a second time around. I think the biggest downfall I had with this game was the "password" system. Never accurate!
OVERALL ~
This game stood alone on a system that didn't give it's fans many gaming options. It was a simple side-scrolling Vania titles that I think would benefit from a GBA run if given the chance. It has potential to reach a younger and broader market. So if you are in the mood to play a great Castlevania title, turn on your Genesis Emulator and load up a ROM of Bloodlines! It's good fun!