16-Bit Brawl: Castlevania Bloodlines vs. Dracula X
If you don't feel like reading, you can check out the video version here: https://youtu.be/Qxwcqy250a0?si=7bNS05zIOd2Rnavb
Welcome to 16-Bit Brawl, a series where we pit two Sega Genesis and Super NES games against one another to see which one comes out on top. This time, for the spooky season we’re going to take a look at some classic Konami action, comparing a pair of Castlevania games! Who had the better entry? Let’s find out.
What with it being October and all, it seemed like the perfect time to compare some Castlevania classics. Who doesn't want to play Castlevania during the Halloween season, right? Konami blessed the Genesis with just one Castlevania game, Bloodlines, where the Super NES got two, Super Castlevania IV and Castlevania: Dracula X. As Super Castlevania IV game out all the way back in 1991, we’re going to be pitting the second SNES game, Dracula X, against the sometimes divisive Genesis vampire killing simulator, Bloodlines.
So without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the competitors.
First, we have Castlevania: Bloodlines for Sega Genesis. Where Castlevania was almost entirely a strictly Nintendo affair since its inception, this brought the series to Sega fans for the first time, and boy did Konami come out swinging! Bloodlines is a technical marvel, with some real showstopping visual effects in several stages. It’s the origin point for a number of all-time classic Castlevania songs, and features two playable characters, each with fascinatingly different approaches to killing monsters. It’s definitely got its own personality, for better or worse, as well as its own set of detractors out there, but it’s still often regarded as one of the better classic Castlevania entries for a reason. This game rules.
Over on the Super NES, we have Castlevania: Dracula X. This is a weird one as it’s technically a port of the excellent Rondo of Blood for the PC Engine, which never came out in North America, but it’s actually really its own thing, sharing very little in terms of actual, tangible game design. It’s the second Castlevania game on the platform, following up the legendary Super Castlevania IV with an amazing new art direction and soundtrack, but also adhering to a rigidly traditional gameplay style. Its a looker, but does it have what it takes where it counts?
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at the combatants, let’s see how they fare.
Graphics (1 point)
Man, this is a tough category because both of these games are seriously impressive looking. They both have some incredibly cool environmental effects, like the reflection stage in Bloodlines and the crazy fires burning in the background in Dracula X. They’re both pretty well-animated too, which means this category is going to have to come down to art direction, and in that I have to give the nod to Dracula X.
The art direction in Bloodlines is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but Dracula X/Rondo of Blood is where the “house style” Castlevania stuck with through Symphony of the Night and beyond came from, and it’s phenomenal. The way the Medusa heads turn while they fly, the detail on the Bone Pillars, and let’s not forget Richter Belmont’s iconic blue outfit, it’s all just a few notches better than what’s on the Genesis. It’s a close call, but Dracula X gets the point.
Dracula X - 1
Bloodlines - 0
Sound (1 point)
And here we have ANOTHER incredibly close call. I’ve said it before, I personally tend to lean toward the Super NES’s sound as being more enjoyable, but when composers really take advantage of the Genesis’s strengths, that system can make some crazy good music. And Bloodlines is without a doubt one of those games. This is an all-time great soundtrack. Just killer track after killer track.
But, just like in the visuals department, I think Dracula X is just that much better. When it comes to original tunes, I think it’s a wash. Both games come hard with original songs that are undeniably awesome on all fronts. But both games also include new renditions of older Castlevania tunes, and this is where I think Dracula X takes the advantage the most. The SNES versions of Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears alone are among the best of all time. The Genesis versions of those same songs are solid, but they simply can’t compare. It’s another close call, but the Super NES has it once again.
Dracula X - 2
Bloodlines - 0
Gameplay (2 points)
Ahh, finally a category that's an easy call to make. Castlevania: Dracula X may have all the style in the world, but when it comes down to actually playing the game, there’s no question in my mind that Bloodlines is the superior experience. Take the stages I mentioned earlier in the graphics comparison for example. The flames in the background in Dracula X are amazing looking, but they're just window dressing.
The reflection in Bloodlines is actually woven into the gameplay. This is kind of a silly example, but Bloodlines is a much more creative game in terms of its overall design. It’s also got a lot more gameplay variety and replayability thanks to the two characters. Richter is without a doubt a cooler character than John Morris or Eric Lacarde, but when comparing these two games, both John and Eric are way more fun to control than Richter. Righter’s movements in Dracula X are far too rigid, and I say this as a fan of classic Simon Belmont NES controls. He walks too dang slow, and the damage knockback is absurd. Meanwhile, even just comparing the whip wielders, John Morris can whip in multiple directions! Richter can do a fun little backflip, but his other cool moves like the slide and uppercut aren’t in Dracula X, so he doesnt’ get credit for them here. Then you add in Eric and his cool spear, and it’s over.
Dracula X is still a solid game, and its presentation can carry its somewhat bland gameplay pretty far, but even though both games get frustratingly difficult toward the end, Bloodlines just plays better. The points go to Genesis.
Dracula X - 2
Bloodlines - 2
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Well folks, we have another tie, but where in the past I’ve been perfectly content to leave it at that, I can’t this time around. I love Dracula X. It’s a gorgeous game with a killer soundtrack, but I can’t in good conscience say that it’s overall as good as Bloodlines. Its presentation does’t match Bloodlines ambition, and so I’m going to break the tie here and award an extra bonus point to Bloodlines. The graphics and sound categories were both incredibly close, whereas Bloodlines kinda blows the gameplay category out of the water. Heck, Bloodlines even has better box art. It’s a special case to be sure, because sometimes two games are just as good as one another, but this is one of those instances where there’s a clear winner, point totals be damned.
Dracula X - 2
Bloodlines - 3
The winner is Castlevania: Bloodlines for Sega Genesis.
Well, there you have it. I have to admit that I went into this pretty biased. I’ve never been much of a fan of Bloodlines, and I’ve always loved Dracula X. But in the interest of fairness, I played both games back to back, stage by stage. I’d play one stage of Bloodlines, then one stage of Dracula X, then back to Bloodlines, and so on, and you know what I learned? Dracula X is almost all flash and no substance. It’s a perfectly fine game, but Bloodlines' ambition impressed the heck out of me. It took elements of Super Castlevania IV’s freedom of movement and meshed them with the rigid controls of the NES originals in a really smart way. It’s still a pain in the butt to play, and my nostalgic connection to Dracula X means that I personally go back to that one way more often, but I’ve learned to appreciate Bloodlines for what it is, and that is a better game than Dracula X.
And that’s it for this edition of 16-Bit Brawl. If you have a pair of games you’d like to see us pit against one another, or just genuinely disagree with my assessment here, let us know. See you next time!
