Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

In 1897 Bram Stoker wrote a novel telling the story of Count Dracula. A movie based on this novel was released in 1992 which inspired games for multiple consoles, including the NES. Though the game is supposed to be based on the movie, the game truly bears very little relation with the story from the film. Bram Stoker’s Dracula mostly plays like a generic platformer with a horror theme (if you are looking for a version of the game that is truly based on the movie, check out the Sega Mega CD version).

The player controls who is supposed to be the hero of the movie, Jonathan Harker, as he traverses areas in Transylvania to reach Castle Dracula. Along the way, Harker will have to face numerous enemies that must be defeated if he is to reach Dracula himself. Each area has a daytime and a nighttime “chapter” to play through. Daytime is usually easier to play and nighttime is where most enemies show up to stop you. Harker has a dagger he can use to attack enemies but he may also find other weapons (like stones, torches, and axes) that he can use against them. These are important when the time comes to face the bosses at the end of each level. This game has good graphics and character animation but sound effects are unimpressive. Most characters have drab colours but they are well drawn. Controls do respond well and the music does have the right tone for the game. Gameplay, however, just falls short.