Graphically, the game is beautiful, with exquisitely-coloured, smoothly-scrolling backdrops and huge sprites moving around the screen. Levels are not timed, and some have more than one ending the route you take determines which boss battle you get at the end of that particular stage and the monsters and environment you make your way through to get there. Rondo of Blood has a number of alternate routes through the game but is a mostly linear experience. Maria is also more agile than Richter and has a double jump (which is very useful). Maria’s secondary weapons include a white tiger kitten, a dragon whelp, a baby phoenix turtle, an egg, or musical notes, which are all rather weird. Maria’s main attack is with a flock of doves (yes: birds!) and this attack is useful because the doves that fly out can do double damage if they hit an enemy on the way out, then on the way back to her. While battling the forces of darkness and exploring Dracula’s castle Richter can rescue four women, one of whom is his relative, Maria Renard, who then becomes a playable character. These secondary weapons can also be used as an ‘Item Crash’ ability which allows the main characters to use them in an occasional ‘super attack’.

Richter’s main weapon is his chain whip, and he also can choose between six different secondary weapons, such as an axe, a dagger, holy water, a grimoire, a pocket watch, and a cross (although he can only hold one of these at a time – picking up another will drop the previously held weapon). In it you guide the main character, Richter Belmont, through nine different stages as he searches for his girlfriend, Annette, and to ultimately confront and defeat Dracula in his castle. Also know as Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, Rondo of Blood is a famous entry in Konami‘s Castlevania series that was initially made exclusively for the PC Engine CD-ROM and first published in 1993.

Rondo of blood pc wrapper version