The early days of the wildly popular Nintendo Entertainment System gave rise to some of the most beloved franchises in video game history. All-time greats like Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Metroid and Final Fantasy all called the NES their home, as well as Konami's horror-themed Castlevania. The classic game placed players in the shoes of Simon Belmont, the most recent hero in a long lineage of vampire slayers called upon to defeat Count Dracula. The game is downright quaint by today's standards, with none of the scare tactics or gory graphics employed by modern games. Still, it's a fine game that paved the way for the excellent Castlevania games Konami still produces on a regular basis.

Castlevania is an action game characterized by six harrowing stages of unforgiving play mechanics, monstrously difficult boss battles and some of the best music to ever grace the Nintendo Entertainment System. Though it is not actually the first game in the series (Vampire Killer for the MSX home computer earns that distinction), the original Castlevania for the Nintendo Entertainment System introduced many young players to the Belmont clan and their eternal feud with Count Dracula. This title laid the familiar groundwork that is still adhered to today, from whipping candles for hearts (huh?) to turkey dinners hidden in the castle walls (double huh?). With competent graphics, great music, challenging gameplay and a killer theme, it's no wonder Castlevania became a staple of many NES gamers' diet.

Many hallmarks of the series (both good and bad) made their debut in Castlevania, such as the Clock Tower and Entrance Hall stages, the upgradable vampire-killer whip and the aneurism-inducing antics of Medusa Heads and Igors. The now-familiar set of sub-weapons (dagger, cross, holy water, axe, watch) function much the same today as they did back in 1987. Gamers who grew up with Castlevania are well aware of its notoriously poor play mechanics; guiding Simon through the castle safely is one of the most difficult tasks that any game has imposed on players. Simon jumps at a set height and distance, and these parameters cannot be changed in mid-air. Although his whipping speed is decent, it's extremely difficult to strike moving objects with any accuracy. As a result the game is fiendishly difficult for even the most accomplished of game players.

Castlevania is decorated in the most basic of 8-bit graphics, though they are certainly not poor compared with other games of the time. Colors are bright and vibrant, which seems oddly fitting within the pseudo-campy confines of Dracula's castle. Often-repeated features are on display everywhere in this game, most notably the staircase that ascends to Dracula's throne room. Stage bosses are disappointingly small (even Dracula) and absolutely pale in comparison to the gigantic bosses of the newer games (Galamoth, anyone?). Animation is similarly unimpressive, though Simon's whipping motion can only be described as iconic at this point. What is impressive, even now, is the musical score in this fifteen-year-old game. While there are only a handful of stage background songs, their composition quality is outstanding and they shame many newer games in the series (Harmony of Dissonance especially).

The famous Vampire Killer track heads up a roster of appealing arrangements that are every part as integral as the graphics in establishing the tone of the game. From the mysterious Stalker (Stage 2) to the methodical Heart of Fire (Stage 5), Castlevania definitely sets the stage for an outstanding series of game soundtracks from the very beginning. And let's not forget that Stage 3's Wicked Child is one of the most competent and underrated arrangements Castlevania has ever seen. How Konami could squeeze such complex music (some tracks have four instruments in them) out of the primitive NES sound hardware is anyone's guess. I hesitate to refer to music in an 8-bit NES game as "awesome", but Castlevania's soundtrack still exceeds the limitations of the format to deliver an awesome listening experience.

Unlike the recent games in the series, the original Castlevania is one of the most difficult and frustrating video games ever produced. The afore-mentioned play mechanics, coupled with downright cheap enemy tactics, will doom most players to failure before the half-way point of the game. Though the first stage (The Entrance) doesn't pose much of a problem, the difficulty increases significantly in Stage 2 (Main Hall) which sees you trying to dodge zig-zagging Medusa Heads while jumping across a gamut of moving platforms. Any hit will send Simon reeling backwards, so actions centered around narrow or moving platforms are a recipe for disaster. Stage 3's Crumbling Tower doesn't offer a moments' respite either, with its constant barrage of dive-bombing Ravens and high-jumping Igors. The boss fight against the Mummies isn't too bad, but it's a chore just to reach them. No Game Genie codes are going to get you through this one!

The insanity reaches a fevered pitch in Stage 4 (Underground Caverns), which features not only more Igors, moving platforms and tough-as-nails Bone Dragons, but a boss fight against Frankenstein and his invincible Igor assistant. The unwieldy play mechanics really began affect the playability of the game in this stage, and that hopping, bullet-spitting Igor just isn't fair. This stage alone sent many players off the deep end, taking a host of broken joypads with them. The game continues to elevate in difficulty from here, and only pin-point precision and nerves of steel will get you past Death (he was actually hard in those days) and finally Dracula himself. Unlimited continues don't really help, as you must start back at the beginning of a stage after losing all your lives. They just don't make 'em like this anymore, boys and girls.

While I'm happy to see how much the visuals and play mechanics have improved over the years, I still have a special place in my heart for the original Castlevania. It would be tough to go back to this game if you didn't play it when it first debuted, so I don't recommend it for players who've only known the recent games in the series. Despite some rough edges, it is still a solid foundation for a great series and offers an incredible challenge for seasoned gamers. Dracula may be timeless, but so is Castlevania.