Continuing with their commitment to quality and innovation, Konami released the seminal 8-bit action game Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse to frenzied player anticipation in 1990. Widely considered to be one of the best NES games ever, as well as one of the top games in the Castlevania series, Dracula's Curse introduced players to Trevor Belmont and his quest to vanquish Dracula 100 years before his descendent Simon. Though the series returns to its action roots in part III, an entirely new game design awaits players with branching stage paths and multiple playable characters. The audiovisual portions of the NES series also reach their pinnacle in Dracula's Curse with complex background graphics and a deep, diverse score. Games from this era simply do not get any better than Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

For the first time in the series, the storyline takes players back in time to confront Count Dracula before the time of Simon Belmont. Dracula has been conquering country after country in fifteenth century Europe, and the people have called upon Trevor Belmont to put an end to his reign of terror. You play the role of Trevor Belmont in Castlevania III, who wields the sacred vampire-killer whip and holy sub-weapons just like his descendents. Play mechanics follow the same formula that the previous two games established: cumbersome play control, difficult enemy encounters and a plethora of challenging boss battles. Candles still yield hearts, Medusa Heads are still annoying and turkey dinners are still hidden inside walls all over Transylvania. The game is structured similarly to the first Castlevania with linear levels that end with a boss battle. After clearing a level, however, you are presented with a choice of paths that lead to different stages. There are a total of fifteen stages in Castlevania III, though you cannot see all of them in a single playthrough due to the branching system. From towns, swamps and forests all the way to ghost ships and Castlevania itself, the stages are all well-constructed and visually diverse. Some routes are more interesting (and frustrating) than others, but there is always peril and a healthy challenge no matter which stage you select.

Though Trevor's quest will take him all across the Transylvanian countryside, he won't have to brave the dangers alone, as he can recruit any of three additional "spirit partners" throughout the game. The first is Grant DaNasty, a sprightly pirate warrior who possess incredible acrobatic abilities. He can change direction in mid-jump(!), jump 3 blocks high(!!) and even climb on walls and ceilings(!!!), though his attack power is weak and his range limited. Later on, Trevor will come across Sypha Belnades, a female wizard skilled in the use of deadly magic. Though she is physically weak and possesses little stamina, her powerful magic spells are incredibly useful against distant enemies and bosses. Finally there is Adrian Fahrenheight Tepes, also know as the vampire Alucard, renegade son of Count Dracula. Alucard is a powerful fighter with high stamina, and he can transform into a bat to fly across treacherous terrain. Trevor can only travel with one companion at a time, so you must wisely choose between them. Coupled with the branching stage system, these spirit partners bring a completely new level of depth and replayability to the Castlevania universe. Dracula's Curse offers the potential for a new play experience each time the game is started, a feat which most other games in the series cannot boast.

Castlevania III is not a stunning game by todays standards, but Konami was able to implement a number of visual improvements that push it ahead of its two younger brothers. Though Trevor shares the same design, color palette and animation as Simon, the stage backgrounds have received a considerable amount of attention. From the town of Warakiya with its residential housing (is that a TV antenna I see?) and complex stained-glass windows to the skull-filled walls of the Underground Catacombs, Castlevania III is brimming with previously unseen details in every stage. Toss in the best Clock Tower stage yet (two of 'em), and you've got a great-looking 8-bit title. Animation on spirit partners is par for the course, though seeing Grant change direction in mid-jump is certainly a welcome sight, as is witnessing Alucard transform into a bat. Bosses have received a considerable upgrade from Simon's Quest, as Trevor will face off against a horde of large and detailed demons that were quite impressive back in their time, including Skeleton Warriors, Death and even Frankenstein! Their variety suffers a bit though (the same group of Cyclops, Mummies and Gargoyles crops up too often to count), most likely due to the limitations of cartridge sizes in 1990. Still, Castlevania III is a great-looking title for its time that should hold up fairly well for veteran players.

Excellent soundtracks are expected in Castlevania games, but Castlevania III goes above and beyond by delivering the best collection of music ever heard in an NES game. There are well over 20 complete songs comprising the most complex, diverse and atmospheric NES soundtrack of all time, as well as contributing some of the most outstanding Castlevania arrangements in series history. There are complex harpsichord pieces (Clockwork), thunderous pseudo-rock tracks (Mad Forest, Steam) and tumultuous multi-piece arrangements that exceed my capacity to describe them (Riddle). The insidious Demon Seed announces your arrival in the bowels of the Castle with its thumping bassline, while the driving strings of Pressure compel you to escape the approaching doom at the bottom of the screen. A faithful rendition of Vampire Killer (labeled Deja Vu) even appears in Castlevania III to accompany your trek through the familiar Entrance. Finally, there is the mind-boggling Overture, a brooding new-age synthesizer composition that perfectly captures the feel of a cool night walking the ramparts of Dracula's castle. I'd love to hear this awesome track rearranged and expanded on a future Castlevania soundtrack (on the PlayStation2, perhaps). All told this is an incredible soundtrack that stands as the high point of musical achievement on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Konami was able to bring new game design ideas and incremental improvements to each game in the original Castlevania trilogy, something that no other saga can claim with a straight face. Though it shares structural and audiovisual similarities with both Castlevania and Simon's Quest, Dracula's Curse takes the saga to a new level of depth and playability with its branching path system and multiple spirit partners. The potential for discovery exists on every playthrough, and the added presence of the spirit partners allows for extra challenge and diversity. Though it is still one of the more difficult games ever produced, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is a true classic that no fan of Castlevania should do without.