<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
,	O
known	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
is	O
a	O
platform	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Konami	O
for	O
the	O
Family	B-Device
Computer	I-Device
Disk	I-Device
System	I-Device
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
September	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
format	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
in	O
May	O
1987	O
and	O
in	O
Europe	O
in	O
1988	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
re-issued	O
for	O
the	O
Family	O
Computer	O
in	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
format	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
Konami	O
's	O
Castlevania	B-Application
video	O
game	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
control	O
Simon	O
Belmont	O
,	O
descendant	O
of	O
a	O
legendary	O
vampire	O
hunter	O
,	O
who	O
enters	O
the	O
castle	O
of	O
Count	O
Dracula	B-Application
to	O
destroy	O
him	O
when	O
he	O
suddenly	O
reappears	O
100	O
years	O
after	O
Simon	O
's	O
ancestor	O
vanquished	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
in	O
tandem	O
with	O
the	O
MSX2	B-Operating_System
game	O
Vampire	B-Application
Killer	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
a	O
month	O
later	O
and	O
uses	O
the	O
same	O
characters	O
and	O
setting	O
,	O
but	O
features	O
different	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Castlevania	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Simon	I-Application
's	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
,	O
and	O
a	O
prequel	O
,	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dracula	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
,	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
were	O
also	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
NES	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	B-Application
Castlevania	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
1991	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
and	O
follows	O
the	O
same	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
remake	O
for	O
the	O
Sharp	B-Device
X68000	I-Device
home	O
computer	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1993	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
later	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
as	O
Castlevania	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
was	O
positively	O
received	O
and	O
financially	O
successful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
considered	O
an	O
NES	B-Application
classic	I-Application
by	O
PC	O
World	O
,	O
while	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
and	O
Game	O
Informer	O
ranked	O
it	O
in	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
best	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
uses	O
platform	O
gameplay	O
and	O
is	O
divided	O
into	O
six	O
blocks	O
of	O
three	O
stages	O
each	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
18	O
stages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simon	O
can	O
move	O
,	O
jump	O
,	O
crouch	O
,	O
climb	O
stairs	O
and	O
use	O
a	O
magic	O
whip	O
(	O
known	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Vampire	B-Application
Killer	I-Application
"	O
)	O
as	O
his	O
primary	O
combat	O
weapon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
fights	O
a	O
boss	O
character	O
,	O
usually	O
themed	O
after	O
a	O
classic	O
horror	O
movie	O
monster	O
such	O
as	O
Frankenstein	B-Application
's	I-Application
monster	I-Application
or	O
the	O
Grim	O
Reaper	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
each	O
block	O
,	O
and	O
must	O
win	O
the	O
battle	O
and	O
pick	O
up	O
a	O
red	O
orb	O
that	O
restores	O
all	O
health	O
before	O
time	O
runs	O
out	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
advance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ultimate	O
goal	O
is	O
to	O
defeat	O
Count	O
Dracula	B-Application
himself	O
and	O
the	O
Curse	O
of	O
Man	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
Stage	O
18	O
,	O
triggering	O
the	O
collapse	O
of	O
Dracula	B-Application
's	O
castle	O
and	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
restart	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
an	O
increased	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
was	O
directed	O
by	O
Hitoshi	O
Akamatsu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
admirer	O
of	O
cinema	O
,	O
Akamatsu	O
approached	O
projects	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
film	O
director	O
's	O
eye	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
said	O
the	O
visuals	O
and	O
music	O
for	O
Castlevania	B-Application
were	O
"	O
made	O
by	O
people	O
who	O
consciously	O
wanted	O
to	O
do	O
something	O
cinematic.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Castlevania	B-Application
,	O
he	O
wanted	O
players	O
to	O
feel	O
like	O
they	O
were	O
in	O
a	O
classic	O
horror	O
film	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
originally	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Family	B-Device
Computer	I-Device
Disk	I-Device
System	I-Device
in	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
its	O
success	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
format	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
Castlevania	B-Application
in	O
1987	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
1988	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
and	O
re-released	O
in	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
format	O
for	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Famicom	O
under	O
its	O
original	O
title	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
international	O
name	O
of	O
Castlevania	B-Application
was	O
the	O
result	O
of	O
Konami	O
of	O
America	O
senior	O
vice	O
president	O
Emil	O
Heidkamp	O
's	O
discomfort	O
with	O
the	O
religious	O
connotations	O
of	O
the	O
title	O
Akumajō	B-Application
Dracula	I-Application
,	O
which	O
he	O
believed	O
translated	O
as	O
"	O
Dracula	B-Application
Satanic	O
Castle	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
major	O
platform	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
NES	O
and	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
an	O
unofficial	O
second	O
wave	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
NES	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
release	O
coincided	O
with	O
the	O
90th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
Bram	O
Stoker	O
's	O
Dracula	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player-character	O
Simon	O
was	O
originally	O
named	O
Peter	O
Dante	O
,	O
a	O
vampire	B-Application
killer	I-Application
who	O
was	O
a	O
grandson	O
of	O
Christopher	O
Dante	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
whip	O
attacks	O
were	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
multiple	O
directions	O
,	O
an	O
idea	O
later	O
seen	O
in	O
Super	B-Application
Castlevania	I-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
game	O
also	O
titled	O
Akumajō	B-Application
Dracula	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
for	O
the	O
MSX2	B-Operating_System
simultaneously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
a	O
month	O
after	O
the	O
Disk	B-Device
System	I-Device
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Vampire	B-Application
Killer	I-Application
where	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MSX2	B-Operating_System
version	O
featured	O
different	O
areas	O
and	O
new	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
has	O
been	O
ported	O
to	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
consoles	I-Device
,	O
handheld	B-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
,	O
home	B-Device
computer	I-Device
systems	I-Device
and	O
mobile	O
phones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
ROM	B-Protocol
cartridge	I-Protocol
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Family	O
Computer	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	O
,	O
Konami	O
released	O
the	O
first	O
three	O
NES	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
as	O
Konami	O
Collector	O
's	O
Series	O
:	O
Castlevania	B-Application
&	O
Contra	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Castlevania	B-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Classic	B-Device
NES	I-Device
Series	I-Device
published	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
game	O
was	O
included	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
30	O
games	O
featured	O
on	O
the	O
2016	O
NES	B-Application
Classic	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
included	O
in	O
Castlevania	B-Application
Anniversary	O
Collection	O
,	O
a	O
compilation	O
released	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Konami	O
's	O
50th	O
anniversary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
contrasts	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
which	O
used	O
the	O
Famicom	B-Device
Disk	I-Device
System	I-Device
version	O
in	O
all	O
of	O
its	O
Japanese	O
rereleases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
original	O
release	O
,	O
Castlevania	B-Application
has	O
received	O
a	O
generally	O
positive	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
rated	O
the	O
22nd	O
best	O
game	O
made	O
on	O
a	O
Nintendo	O
System	O
in	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Powers	I-Application
Top	O
200	O
Games	O
list	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2008	O
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
listed	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
14th-best	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
ranked	O
it	O
19th	O
on	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
NES	O
games	O
;	O
the	O
second	O
and	O
third	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
were	O
ranked	O
25th	O
and	O
fifth	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameZone	O
ranked	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
eighth-best	O
Castlevania	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robert	O
Workman	O
(	O
an	O
editor	O
for	O
GameZone	O
)	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
aged	O
well	O
and	O
was	O
a	O
great	O
value	O
on	O
the	O
Wii	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGNs	O
Lucas	O
M	O
.	O
Thomas	O
noted	O
the	O
relative	O
realism	O
of	O
Castlevanias	B-Application
weapons	O
versus	O
"	O
glowing	O
flowers	O
that	O
let	O
you	O
throw	O
bouncing	O
fireballs.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combination	O
of	O
these	O
elements	O
and	O
others	O
caused	O
him	O
to	O
credit	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
unique	O
and	O
wonderful	O
"	O
game	O
and	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
made	O
an	O
impact	O
on	O
later	O
Castlevania	B-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
his	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
version	O
,	O
IGNs	O
Mark	O
Birnbaum	O
personally	O
enjoyed	O
its	O
difficulty	O
and	O
design	O
but	O
noted	O
that	O
people	O
who	O
were	O
quick	O
to	O
become	O
frustrated	O
would	O
enjoy	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
sequel	O
Super	B-Application
Castlevania	I-Application
IV	I-Application
better	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informers	O
Tim	O
Turi	O
claimed	O
that	O
the	O
original	O
Castlevania	B-Application
made	O
the	O
series	O
a	O
"	O
legend	O
"	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
the	O
"	O
essential	O
Castlevania	B-Application
experience.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
wrote	O
a	O
piece	O
that	O
discussed	O
the	O
idea	O
that	O
this	O
game	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
other	O
early	O
Castlevania	B-Application
titles	O
were	O
overshadowed	O
by	O
the	O
1997	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Symphony	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
,	O
which	O
it	O
considered	O
the	O
best	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
cited	O
this	O
game	O
's	O
absence	O
from	O
IGN	O
's	O
top	O
100	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
absence	O
of	O
the	O
second	O
and	O
third	O
Castlevanias	B-Application
from	O
Game	O
Informers	O
'	O
top	O
100	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
 '	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
praised	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
for	O
allowing	O
players	O
unfamiliar	O
with	O
these	O
games	O
to	O
experience	O
them	O
more	O
easily	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
felt	O
it	O
odd	O
that	O
Castlevania	B-Application
had	O
so	O
many	O
titles	O
before	O
its	O
25th	O
anniversary	O
,	O
yet	O
only	O
released	O
one	O
title	O
during	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Classic	B-Device
NES	I-Device
Series	I-Device
re-release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
mixed	O
to	O
positive	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
