Vampire Killer

About

Vampire Killer is not just a simple action game. Unlike his NES counterpart, he introduces exploration mechanics: each level is a maze where you have to collect keys to open doors and progress. This choice of design gives the game a strategic dimension and adds a particular charm to the experience.

Released on MSX2 standard, Vampire Killer perfectly exploits the graphic capabilities of the machine with sumptuous decors, an oppressive atmosphere, and detailed sprites. The soundtrack, composed by Kinuyo Yamashita, remains engraved in the memory of the players, notably thanks to the legendary theme « Vampire Killer ».

Did you know that...

• • Vampire Killer came out on 30 October 1986, only one month after the Famicom Disk System version. It's the first Konami game developed specifically for MSX2, and one of the very first 1 Mbit MegaROM products for this machine.

  • This title, called (Akumajō Dracula) in Japan, shares his universe with Castlevania but was designed by a different team, directed by Akihiko Nagatawith Isao Akada, Katsuya Nagae and Harima programming.

  • The MSX2 had more colorful graphics (512 colors) than the Famicom, but did not manage horizontal scrolling. Konami therefore chose a progress "screen by screen", giving the game a more labyrinthic and strategic atmosphere.

  • Unlike NES version, MSX2 version does not have a "Continue" function : every defeat has to start again from the beginning, a detail that has made the reputation of its difficulty.

  • The game was classified at the time as "RPG Adventure" — not for his scenario, but because he introduced progress and equipment elements : shields, boots, feathers, potions, cards and even a business with a mysterious old woman hidden behind a wall.

  • This "old woman", in reality a neutral figure, could exchange hearts for objects... but Simon Belmont could also whip her to steal her property, a black and ironic detail often cited as a cult moment of the MSX2 version.

  • The economic system of the game varied according to the "morality" of the player: the "White Targets" increased the exchange value, while the "Black Targets" dropped it — a concept already recalling future karma systems in RPG.

  • The concept of "white key", indispensable to open the end door level, replaced the simple race at the finish: each floor of the castle became a puzzle to solve, halfway between exploration and puzzle.

  • One map was available via the F2 key, but can only be used three times per level: it displayed the player's position and the output, without revealing the key, reinforcing the tension and the feeling of wandering in the castle.

  • Some levels include: vicious traps For example, a white key placed in a gulf attracts the player to a dead end without returning. This kind of cruel but ingenious design has marked the fans of the MSX.

  • The game offered two distinct shields: the shield A, which absorbed physical attacks, and the shield B, which deviated the projectiles. An innovation still rare in the 1986 action games.

  • The music, adapted from the Famicom version, was recomposed for chip PSG AY-3-8910 of the MSX by Hideaki Shikama. It contains original pieces of which Walking on the Edge, exclusive at level 18.

  • The emblematic themes (Vampire Killer, Wicked Child, Stalker) have Unpublished changes : slower tempo, reinforced bass, echo effects, and sometimes whole cuts in the intro — giving this version a more disturbing atmosphere.

  • The level 18 (Calvert Tower), which ends the game, has a unique structure and music, not included in other versions of Castlevania.

  • On his way out, Vampire Killer served as a demo in Japanese stores to present the capabilities of the new Panasonic FS-A1 MSX2sold 29,800 ¥ — a concerted marketing coup between Panasonic and Konami.

  • Finally, despite its reputation, the MSX2 version has long remained confidential: the reissues on Project EGG and Virtual Console Wii U Never corrected the absence of the "Continue", maintaining its original difficulty.