From: tsrken@voicenet.com ('tsr') NES-VN-USA How to play Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse Konami(r) --- It's a cursed world we live in (thanks to Drac!) The time is 100 years before Simon Belmont's birth. The moon burns red over- head and black clouds loom large on the horizon. All is still and quiet. Only the call of a distant crow stirs the cold night air. Suddenly, thunder roars out of the Morbid Mountains and into the village of Warakiya. Like the yell of an angry giant, the terrible sound shakes homes and shops as if they were sap- ling branches. But no one blinks an eye. The village is dead calm. For all the people have fled after receiving warnings from the Great Beyond that Count Dracula has assembled a mighty army of evil, and they're poised to march up from the Valley of Graveyards to bury mankind in a Tomb of Terror. Unfortunately, there's no corner on Earth that won't be gobbled up by this bloodthirsty legion of Swamp Dragons, Slasher Skeletons and Forces of the Undead. The last line of defense is you, Trevor Belmont - the forefather of Simon Belmont and the origin of the Belmont Warlord Chromosomes. But your chances are slimmer than Jim. In fact, the only real edge you have over this fang sharpened freak is your power to transform into three different partner spirits: Grant DaNasty, the ferocious Ghost Pirate. Sypha, the Mystic Warlord. And Alucard, Dracula's forgotten son. Each of these spirits will confront you as you fight through 17 possible levels of never-ending fright, including the Haunted Ship of Fools, the Clock Tower of Untimely Death and Curse Castle. You must also possess the strength to wield the mighty Battle Axe and Mystic Whip, which were given to you by the Poltergeist King. So go forth young Trevor into the cold black night, where death lurks around every corner and evil lingers on every stone. And remember, if your courage and cunning are any less than magnificent or if you fail to choose the correct Paths of Fate, you'll be banished to the world of the undead, and zombies will rule until the end of time. --- How to play in the graveyard The adventure revolves around tough-as-nails Trevor Belmont. As Trevor, you will find several locations throughout your journey where the road forks (sorry, no spoons) in two directions. On these Paths of Fate you must make a choice - Which way do you go, George? Which way do you go? The spirits and the enemies you encounter, and your fate itself, will be det- ermined by the path you choose. So try and remember your Cub Scout days and give it your best shot. You will encounter three different spirits throughout the game, each with special talents that can be used according to the situ- ation at hand. Each spirit is waiting for Trevor in a different place, so keep your eyes peeled at all times. When you finally meet a spirit, he will join you in your quest to crust the Count. (See below for details on how to transform into partner spirits.) Choosing a Level of Terror Depending on the Paths of Fate you choose, you will trudge through a variety of Terror Levels, including the Murky Marsh of Morbid Morons and the Sunken City of Poltergeists. To successfully clear a terror level, you must defeat that level's Ultimate Evil and then grasp the Ball of Light to replenish your Life Gauge. Remember, there are a total of 17 gruesome levels waiting to bury you alive! Trevor's Life Stock You're given three lives at the start of the game. When all three lives are vanquished by villains from the Great Beyond, the game is over, and Vampires will have free reign over the world. Note: This vanquishing will occur each time your Life Gauge dwindles to zero. Also, when you have transformed into a partner spirit, you both will share the same Life Gauge. Countdown to your Last Gasp There is a time limit for each Terror Level. If the time runs out before you finish a level, Trevor will lose one of his precious lives. Boosting your Power and your Confidence To boost your power, grab the item that appears after you have blown out a candle or lantern, or after you have defeated an evil enemy. --- How to stir up the dead Read through the complete message, then press the Start Button and the title screen with the words Opening and Password will appear. Use the Select Button to choose one of these messages, then press the Start button to enter your selection. If you are playing for the first time or want to start from the beginning of the game, select Opening. A screen will appear for you to enter your name. To enter your name use the Control Pad to line-up the cursor with the letters in your name. Press the A Button to enter each of the letters. Press the B Button to cancel a letter if you goof. You can also replace or change letters by moving the cursor to the Arrow Symbol on the Letter Sheet and then pressing the A Button to make your changes. Conclude the name entry stage by selecting "End" and pressing either the A Button or the Start Button. If you are continuing a previous game select Password. The name screen will appear for you to enter your name just as you did for the previous game. You must enter the identical name as the last time you played or the password won't work. When the password screen appears, enter the password that you received in the previous game. Now you're ready to begin playing from the beginning of the Terror Level where you last finished. (For more details, see Password Instructions below.) When the Game Ends When the game is over, you can continue your war against Drac by choosing Continue with the Select Button. This allows you to start the game again from the Terror Level where Trevor last perished. To end the game, choose Password with the Select Button. Next, press the Start Button and your password will appear. Be sure to write your password down for safekeeping. Turning the Spooky Sound Effects On and Off Press both the A and B buttons and the Start Button simultaneously when the title screen is displayed and the sound mode screen will appear. Here you can choose the eerie background music you want to listen to during your adventure. Press the Control Pad Up or Down to select your background music (press Down to go forward and Up to go backward). Press the B Button and your favorite tune will begin playing. You can turn the music off by pressing the A Button. When you are through making your selection, press the Start Button to return to the title screen. --- Meet your team of vampire hunters Trevor C. Belmont Trevor is the infamous forefather of Simon Belmont - the mighty warrior who pulverized Dracula in Castlevania(r) and again in Simon's Quest(r). Trevor has a number of oldie but goodie attack items that have been given to him by the Poltergeist King. These include the Mystic Whip, Battle Axe, Banshee Boom- erang, Dagger and Sacred Water. Trevor is also the master of special items, including a Pocket Watch, Invisibility Potion and the Rosary. "Spirit" Alucard As the son of Count Dracula, Alucard once tried to prevent Trevor from accom- plishing his mission. However, he reached a point where he could no longer abide by his father's evilness, and is now looking for a partner to help him put an end to his father's wicked plans. A resident of underground tunnels, Alucard attacks with a Ball of Destruction, which he can also fire in three directions (if he captures a special power booster). Alucard's primary strength, though, is his ability to turn himself into a bat. However, he can- not attack while he is airborne and will turn back into a human form if his wings are clipped by an evil enemy. "Spirit" Grant DaNasty Count Dracula used his sinister powers to turn this Pirate Captain into a ghost. And as one of Dracula's gruesome gang, he will attack you from the top of the Clock Tower of Untimely Death. However, if you can defeat this scound- rel, his spirit will join you. He's small, nimble and has a strong spring in his step, so he's able to jump up onto walls or ceilings and stick to them like glue. Grant's primary attack weapons are an axe and a dagger. Another of his weapons is his skill to scurry along hidden routes not accessible to Trevor. Unfortunately, both his body and his ego bruise easily. "Spirit" Sypha Belnades Sypha, the Mystic Warlord of Warakiya, is also a vampire hunter who walks quickly and carries a big stick. Rumors of his death were spread throughout Eastern Europe, but in truth he was captured by "Cyclops", the one-eyed Ultimate Evil. Sypha uses his Warakiya Staff to attack. Other attack favorites of his include flames, frozen crystals and lightning bolts. With these, he can destroy evil enemies before they get close to him. However, his skin is very thin and blisters easily when blasted by grotesque enemy attacks. To score BIG, Sypha must attack before his enemies find him. --- The Password Screen (a message from the great beyond) Press the Select Button to call forth the password screen. Use the Control Pad to move the cursor around the Password Sheet. Press the B button to select your password items (each time you press the B Button the cursor will move one place to the right). Enter your selection by pressing the A Button. When you have finished entering your password, press the Start Button. If you make a mistake, press the Select Button to return to the name entry screen and start over. --- How to control your Transylvania team Control Pad Press Left or Right to move characters to the left or the right. Press Up or Down to climb up or down stairs. A Button Press to jump. B Button Press to attack with your Main Weapon. Also press the Control Pad up and the B Button simultaneously to attack with a Warakiya War Item currently displayed in the Warakiya War Item Window. Start Button Press to begin the game and to pause the action during the game. Select Button Press to select Opening, Password and Continue. Also press to transform into a partner spirit. Guiding Grant Press and hold the Control Pad toward the wall you want Grant to cling to. Then press the Control Pad in the direction you want him to move and he will climb like crazy. NOTE: Depending on how hard you press the A Button, you can vary the height of Grant's leaps and bounds. Assisting Alucard Press the Control Pad down and the A Button simultaneously to transform Alu- card into a winged rodent...for those of you who aren't Biology Wizzes, that means a Bat. (Repeat this procedure to humanize him.) --- An overview of terror (a guide to your hunting grounds) Score If your score exceeds 20,000 points, you will get another life. From then on, you will gain a bonus life after every 50,000 points. Time When the time limit reaches zero, you will lost one of your lives. Warakiya War Window Warakiya War Items will appear in this window. Heart Gauge This will increase each time you capture a new heart. However, it will decrease each time you use one of your Warakiya War Items. Trevor's/Partner Spirit's Life Gauge Your life gauge decreases each time you bump into an evil enemy or are hit by an evil enemy's attack. When your Life Gauge runs out, you're history (or should I say "toast"?) Ultimate Evil's Life Gauge Each time you successfully attack an Ultimate Evil, his Life Gauge will decrease. When his gauge runs out, he is banished forever into the Land of Limbo Spirits. --- Adding to your team (sort of an out-of-body experience) At the start of the adventure your only player if Trevor C. Belmont. But as the game progresses, you will meet partner spirits who Trevor will be able to transform into at his will. The spirits who appear throughout the game will vary, depending on the Paths of Fate you choose. The partner spirit's appearance Spirits will appear out of thin air when you have successfully defeated the Ultimate Evil at the completion of a Terror Level. When a spirit enters, the message screen will appear and the name of the spirit joining the battle will be displayed. You can then choose whether or not you want this spirit for your teammate. You can only have one partner spirit at a time. If you already have a partner spirit and you meet a new spirit, you can choose either one and say "sayonara" to another. Choosing your friends wisely Press the Control Pad up or down to choose whether you want to form a team with a spirit. Then press the A button to enter your decision. --- Gifts from the poltergeist masters These items may appear when you knockout/blowout a candle or lantern, when you have clobbered certain evil enemies, or when you destroy certain walls. Note: The Pocket Watch, Invisibility Potion and Rosary will appear in the Warakiya War Item Window, and are used exactly like a Warakiya War Item. The Heart of Stone The number of hearts collected determines how many times you can use your Warakiya War Items and also how long Alucard can soar like a bat. The more hearts you possess, the better! Leg of Werewolf Capture these and restore slices of your Life Gauge. Bonus Bag Your score will increase when you grab one of these bags. The number of points varies according to the value of the bag's contents. 1-Up This gives you a bonus life (a big plus!). Double Trouble This item allows you to fire a Warakiya War Item twice in a row. Note: Sypha and Alucard cannot use this item. Triple Threat This allows you to fire a Warakiya War Item three times in a row. Note: Again, Sypha and Alucard cannot use this item. Pocket Watch This item stops all evil enemies dead in their tracks. Invisibility Potion This makes you invisible (and therefore invulnerable) for a limited period of time. Rosary This gives you the power to destroy all the evil enemies on the screen in the blink of an eye. --- Trevor C. Belmont's attack methods Trevor's Main Weapon Mystic Whip The Mystic Whip is Trevor's main weapon. It has three different power levels. By advancing a certain distance and capturing certain items, you can boost its power to a Chain Whip and then a L..o..n..g Chain Whip (ouch!). Trevor's Warakiya War Items These are weapons Trevor will find as he journeys down his Paths of Fate. You can only possess one at a time. When you obtain a Warakiya War Item, it will appear in the Warakiya War Item Window and replace the one you previously had. Battle Axe The Battle Axe flies through the air along an arc. This is a very powerful item. Dagger The Dagger flies straight and fast, but is not very powerful. Banshee Boomerang The Banshee Boomerang flies straight through the air with the greatest of ease. When it reaches the end of its path, it will come flying back. Though it moves slowly, the Banshee Boomerang is very powerful. (Banshee Fever.. Catch it!) Sacred Water The Sacred Water flies along an arc until it crashes into the floor, where it spills out and begins to burn, baby burn. --- Sypha Belnade's attack methods Sypha's Main Weapon Warakiya Staff Sypha uses his Warakiya Staff to attack enemies. The power of the staff can never be increased. Sypha's Warakiya War Items Flames The flames are very powerful as they annihilate everything in its path. Frozen Crystals This item lets you shoot frozen crystals in all directions to freeze your enemies for an instant. While your enemies are quick-frozen, climb in top of them and destroy them with a blow from the staff. Goodness Gracious Great Bolts of Lightning The lightning bolt shoots zapping balls in three directions. --- Grant DaNasty's attack methods Grant's Main Weapon Dagger Grant can use the dagger to stab his enemies or he can hurl it at them. When thrown, the dagger flies to the right and left. When Grant is stuck to the wall, he'll hurl it backwards, so be ready to duck, Chuck. Likewise, when Grant is stuck in the ceiling, he throws it down. Grant's Warakiya War Item Axe The axe is a very powerful weapon that can be used if Grant is lucky enough to find it. --- Alucard's attack methods Ball of Destruction At first, this weapon can only be fired in one direction. However, you can boost the firepower to shoot in two or three directions. (You can't fire a shot when you're at the top of the stairs.) Although Alucard cannot fire double or triple shots and has no special Wara- kiya War Items, he does have the power to transform into a bat and fly around. Each time he goes "batty" he uses up a certain number of heart marks while in flight. If the supply of hearts runs out while Alucard is a bat of if he's hit by an enemy attack, he will immediately turn back into his human form and fall to the ground with a thud. (This is definitely a "fly by night" attack method.) --- Count Dracula's cast of evil characters There are an unknown number of evil characters lying in wait in every part of this cursed adventure. Only a few of them have ever been seen by the human eye. The rest of the undead remain shrouded in a veil of mystery. A sample of these assorted evils include: Bad Bat Skeleton Dragon Frankenstein Pillar of Bones The Gates of Death