Konami bring one of their strongest franchises to the Gameboy Advance. Are KCEK
successful in bringing Akumajou Dracula to the GBA, or do they deliver a MOR game
similar to their previous two N64 outings? While I was initially concerned about
KCEK being responsible for the development of the GBA title instead of KCET, it
seems that the concern was unwarranted.
As with all Castlevania games, the story is important. A small synopsis is required
to give you a taste, but not enough to ruin the story. The game is based in 1830,
and starts of in an Austrian castle. Dracula has been resurrected by Lady Carmilla,
who wants to start a reign of chaos. The ceremony is interrupted by three characters
with the intention to stop Dracula - Nathan Grabes, Hugh Baldwin and Maurice Baldwin.
Before they are able to attack Dracula he destroys the floor beneath resulting
in Nathan and Hugh falling into the depths below. Maurice is left to the mercy
of Carmilla and Dracula. The game starts with you controlling Nathan, while
Hugh runs off to help his father. It's important to note that all the story
details and character conversations are in Japanese therefore some knowledge
is required to understand.
The game immediately feels recognizable, and accustomed Akumajou Dracula fans
will have no problem getting to grips with the game. This is classic Akumajou
Dracula. The game retains the exploring theme of SOTN, rather than the set path
of previous encounters. The individual areas are big with lots of areas to explore,
and secrets to find.
There is a map function at hand removing the worry of getting lost in the expansive
areas. Saving again is similar to SOTN in that there are various "portals"
allowing you to save, plus recover any health or magic. Level design is fun
and immaginative, and while some back tracking is required this never becomes
a chore.
As expected the RPG elements are not as extensive as SOTN. Your character develops
and levels up in a traditional RPG sense from gaining experience by killing
monsters. The new twist is through the "dss system". This new element
is implemented by collecting cards through out the game. The cards are split
into two sets - Action, and Attribute. The Action cards determine new abilities
that can be used, and Attribute determines the element used. The cards are combined
to create a special attack. Some of these attacks can only be used via a certain
button sequence.
An example of a dss skill is the combination of Mercury & Golem, which
results in a longer whip attack. The dss system adds a refreshing amount of
variation into the gameplay. Again, it's important to note that card descriptions
are in Japanese.
Graphically the game is extremely strong. I have read in several reviews that
the game has a similar feel to the Super Famicom outings, however I think it's
inspired by the look and feel of SOTN. All the characters and areas are drawn
well with parallax scrolling in use to add background depth.
While the graphics impressed me, the sound really surprised. Music has always
played an important part in creating the Castlevania atmosphere, and that trend
continues with COTM. KCET have created a lovely selection of tunes, which all
sound fabulous and help cement this Akumajou Dracula experience.
The import release is extremely rare, and currently out of stock in Japan therefore
expect to pay a premium, however the game is worth the investment. While the
packaging is Japanese heavy, after seeing the packaging of the US and UK release
I think the game will lose some of its charm in this respect. It's important
to note that the game is fully playable without any Japanese knowledge.
Overall Akumajou Dracula:COTM is a recommended game which should appeal to
all gamers.
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