Hell yeah, nice game!!!
Looking forward to this one, love Castlevania series

Hands down, this is my favorite Castlevania out of the ones I played.

Looks great definitely downloading since i enjoyed Portrait Of Ruin and Super Castlevenia IV.

I wonder what the hold up was? Oh well at least it's finally coming.
Now my only question is... Where the hell is Rondo? Bloodlines wasn't bad either and am I the only one who thought the SNES Dracula X wasn't half bad? Sure it was nothing compared to the turbo CD version but it was still a good game.

I've never been able to play through this game "officially". Emulator's have crappy control schemes anyway- I'd much rather own this and beat this as it was meant to be played. Can't wait to see this along with the other three on my VC window.

So the townspeople asked the Belmonts to leave the country of Europe then? Ok so, all your countrys belong to us!!!one!

Will we win a trip to Dracula's Hometown like the boxart says? XD XD XD

How hard is this one compared to the 1st?

Hurray!! I will finally be able to download one of my all time favorite Castlevania (and NES) games! I never did win that trip to Dracula's hometown however...

The first one was much harder.

I'm eager to play this. I found the original to be positively orgasmic, so I'm desperate to get in on this one too. The sooner the better.

@ Angelic Lapras King

The first thing I said when I saw that box a couple of years back was "Who would want to go their anyways? With my luck Medusa Heads would probably knock me out of the castle".

Thank you Mike. I wondered the same thing. In that case, I won't be cowering away from this one!

Awesome! This one introduces Dreams of Triumph!

IMHO, i think this game is much harder than the original. There are a lot more levels, and the bosses are a lot harder as well.

@ Angelic Lapras King you know i never spoted that. I hope the VC version lets us win a trip to draculas town XD.

the different paths and finales are great. is like a more complete castlevania.

still waiting for castlevania bloodlines...............in my opinion, IT was the BEST castlevania.......better graphics then the snes version, better levels, with 2 characters to choose from, and darker orientation

Definitely the Castlevania I'm waiting for.

You remember correctly, Corbie. It's just a matter of time before we get another Castlevania Chronicles with Castlevania III. I have no doubt that the next one will be that game.

I mean, Dawn of Sorrow's extra mode was a tribute to the game, right down to character switching, having descendants of Belmont and Belnades, as well as Alucard (no analog of Grant, however), and of course the first theme you hear, "Beginning". Then, Portrait of Ruin kept the character switching. Lets not forget Trevor Belmont and friends show up as the Zombie Trio in Symphony of the Night, and once more elsewhere...

It's very, very obvious that the dude loves CVIII. But will it appear on Virtual Console soon? Well, it's certainly been a long time since I, II, and IV were released (Notice how III was skipped... >_>). Wow, we still don't even have Rondo of Blood here yet.

I'd like to point out CV4 was releast first on the VC. CV3 will probably come out just in time for Halloween.

That makes sense and I really hope it does. I'd be happy with any new Castlevania game by Halloween at this point.

I hope we get this on Halloween (next VC week)
I've heard some great things about this and over the past few months I've gotten really into the series for the first time.

My prediction all along has been that I seriously hope Castlevania 3 comes out on October 27... in time for Halloween; which I'm extremely excited for!!!!

Talk about BOGUS that Castlevania 3 didn't come out on Oct 27... and that Europe got it first... and on Halloween!!! Dude, this is a totally deep hole... to be in that is!!!

I just hope it comes out for early November... like next Monday on the 3rd!!!

Well, you did get Secret of Mana first.

I've got 500 points left, should I download this, or wait untill I have more points and get Super Castlevania IV?

Download all of them and maybe we'll get a Wiiware...

Wow, three games that I really want in one release! I'll especially get this one (since it's best in life), but looking forward to Devil's World and Ghosts 'n Goblin's too.

Very fun and less frustrating than number one.

I waited a lot for this release. I will get it when I finish Order of Ecclesia.
Ok, now we have to get only Rondo of Blood!

I'm probably being way too optimistic here, but what I'm wondering is if Nintendo kind enough to include the upgraded sound for this game that only the Japanese enjoyed with the original release thanks to a special chip in the cart? Can anyone confirm? For those who haven't heard the Japanese version of this game in action, it's truly amazing, sounds better than most of my Genesis games!

This game is pure class! I think I'm enjoying it even more than Castlevania 4. The music is just brilliant and the level design is spot on. Nice one Konami!

I downloaded this in the very early hours of Friday, I'm on stage 7 at the moment and, shockingly, I think I'm enjoying it more than Caslevania IV. The different characters and alternate paths really add to it.

@ timewarpgamer: Since we here in PAL terrotorries still have to put up with slower games and squashed screens, I don't think they're that bothered about stuff like this, however it was Konami's magical sound chip, not Nintendo's, so I imagine that ultimately it'd be up to them. I wouldn't hold out, though...

(waits patiently)

Glad it came out for Europe. And I hope it'll come out for America sometime soon too. From the truly epic Castlevania ideas/levels to one of the best OSTs to appear in a game still to date, the game is just one nearly everyone should play through, if not own. And with Virtual Console, you have that option for this long action/platformer with massive replay ability, but on the cheap.

Now I'm gonna have to go turn on my NES....

Castlevania IV is the best for me, don't think any Castlevnania game beats it. But this game is sure good fun!

I've got this on the NES and it's a good installment in the series. On the downside I think some of the graphics are a bit confusing at times and it can be hard to work out which parts of the screen you can walk on and which ones you can't. I also don't think the level design is as inspired as the original Castlevania. Still, there's some great levels, some great enemies and some truly brilliant graphical touches in places. Worth a flutter if you're a Castlevania fan but if you're after your first Castlevania experience, go for number 4 as that's just mind-blowingly good compared to the NES games.

Well judging from this Monday's releases with on my Megaman 3 and WiiWare's Brain Challenge...

Looks like we/me personally the most though... AM GOING TO WAIT ANOTHER FREAKING WEEK!!!!!!

But no biggie... next week... IF CASTLEVANIA 3 comes out on NOVEMBER 17TH... then it'll be one of those AWESOMELY PERFECT days... and with CASTLEVANIA JUDGEMENT coming out the next day on NOVEMBER 18TH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm in two minds about this... they may be saving Castlevania III for release WITH Castlevania Judgment. Or they may NOT be releasing Castlevania III yet BECAUSE of Castlevania Judgment. Personally though, I hope you guys get it next Monday.

Did they take the help me code out? That helped me a lot when I first starting playing it and I may need it to clear off all the rust when it comes out in the US.

I'm finding this game a bit too stretched out. Multiple paths and alternate characters. It would take forever to complete every place with every character. I think it just takes out the whole concept of the original Castlevania, with just one character and one, linear path. I don't know, that's just me.

I wish this game would come out already in the U.S. What the hell is taking Nintendo so long?

PLEASE!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... COME OUT TOMORROW ON NOVEMBE 24TH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seconded ^

I was hoping this would be the day. Disappointing!

Castlevania III: another AWESOME game in the great series. I've played almost all of 'em (except Curse of Darkness, Bloodlines, and the latest one)

Hooray!! Its finally here
Everything in the review is correct it's an excellent game

I can't wait to download this when I get home. In my opinion its definately in the top ten of best NES games ever.

About time! Gonna download this when I get home.

One of the 5 best NES games easily and has one of the best MIDI composed soundtracks ever made. And with multiple paths and a well balanced difficulty, it just keeps calling you back for more.

What else is there to say?

Hey people, I have never gotten a Castlevania game and I happen to have 500 points left from buying World of Goo

I am pretty sure I will get this, but will it still be good since I haven't played the other games in the series?

i was wondering the same thing mojo

at mojo25
of course! this game will rock your socks off

Ok, thanks

@mojo25

If you play this, and then Symphony of the Night, you have probably played the best games in the series. That shouldn't stop you from playing many of the other games, as they are amazing. And you might find another game you like even more, from Castlevania IV or Bloodlines or Rondo of Blood or etc. But of course, to get the full Castlevania experience, you'd pretty much have to own every console ever made aside from GameCube or Dreamcast. As its been on everything from the Amiga to the NES, Commodore to Genesis, Game Boy to the DS, the PC to PS2.

...on second thought, don't buy the ones on the PS2.

This is in my top 10 NES games.

Since I've gotten this, I've only been able to play two levels so far. Not that it's overly hard, it's just that everytime I go to play it, I end up just going back to the original Castlevania. I don't know why, I just aint feelin' this one. I suppose I'll give this one the time it deserves once I beat Castlevania 1, but until then, I'm liking the original a lot more.

...on second thought, don't buy the ones on the PS2.

Why not? They aren't that bad, especially compared to the N64 ones.

This game is sweet!!

This is probably the best thing you can get for 500 wii poinhts

I'm going to pick this up soon

Great game !!!!!! yes when i play the game

Okay, the second level is really pissing me off. Stupid Medusa Heads...

I downloaded this on the first day. Still as awesome as ever, of course. You'd be hard-pressed to find a reason not to get this.

Now, hopefully Rondo of Blood will find it's way here. As much of a hardcore Castlevania fan I am, unlike Castlevania III, I don't quite own the original release of that one yet, and I'm sure plenty of other people can say the same. I'd quite like playing it on the Wii, moreso than emulation and the PSP.

Oh, and in response to previous posts, I really enjoyed the PS2 games. They're rough around the edges, but they really do have their good points. Also, Castlevania 1 is good, but it's so simple compared to III. It takes far less effort than III to master, and it's also terribly easy if you just hold onto a particular subweapon for the whole game.

I have it on GBA since I found it for a mere $6 at the time, and I often challenge myself to beat the game while waiting for buses. Oftentimes, I accomplish that with time to spare. You know public transportation sucks when a Belmont can powerwalk though Dracula's castle and slay him before I can get on a bus.

Dracula's Curse gives you multiple paths, but keeps it linear and focused, while new enemies and level designs give you plenty of opportunities to switch characters. Given, Trevor is usually more adept throughout the majority of the game, but he IS a Belmont! Playing through all the paths, doing Alucard, Grant, or Sypha-only runs once you get them (Alucard being barely capable of killing a Medusa Head and being defenseless on stairs and Grant having the range of the titular character from The Legend of Kage, you'll be doing a lot of flying and climbing.). You can, of course, opt to keep things classic and go for a Trevor-only run. If you don't take anybody with you, you'll also get a different ending.

Sypha is great for beginners, since the medium-range attack is very fast and the spells are incredibly effective (fire is a good replacement for Trevor's whip, and ice turns enemies into easily-shattered jokes.) and end bosses quickly. Sypha almost makes Trevor seem obsolete. X_X).

They all have different playstyles though, and I'm personally fond of Grant. He shares a name with somebody I know **wink**, his climbing is addictive, tricky, and impressive to see, he has total control over his jump, he's a full-fledged knife-throwing pirate, and best of all, he looks just a little too much like a fleaman. XD

I could say so much more, but you know, there's a review at the top of the page and I'd rather not steal away too much attention from that **chuckle**. Being Castlevania, you already know the music is good and the game looks and plays great. There's nothing wrong with liking the first game over Dracula's Curse, but give it some time and you'll more than likely agree that it's truly a worthy sequel.

Wait until Block 9 or the 3rd level of Drac's castle! Its brutally hard

@Tony

I don't think I'll even be able to make it that far.

Don't have this emulation yet. I think start, select, A, B at the title screen gives you a music select.

This game is to hard i thought it would have better graphics to.

This game is very fun , but it's VERY HARD!!!!!!!!! ( oh yeah, I want a trip to Dracula's home town)

This game is too hard. I'm stuck on level 7 with the 3-part boss battle. The mummies drain at least 1/4 of my health, the hammer-bro is too fast to hit, and the gargoyle is impossible to dodge. I enjoyed the original Castlevania more than this garbage.

I would agree that this is probably the hardest or one of the hardest in the series. It feels much more difficult than Castlevania. Its actually so difficult that I have less fun playing this than the first one. It almost enters the same category as Super Ghouls and Ghosts in terms of difficulty overshadowing the good aspects. When that happens the game is just such a frustration that you don't even care to look at the thing anymore.

Still, if you haven't played it, its worth the $5 to see for yourself.

Agreed.

Wow. It's that hard? I'm sorry to hear that you guys are disappointed.

You guys should try Castlevania Chronicles, the non-remixed version (I forget its original name). It's damn near impossible.

I thought Rondo and Vampire's Kiss were tougher than this. Everybody's pining for Rondo of Blood (Dracula X) . . . I wonder if people will change their minds about how much they thought they wanted the thing when it actually comes out.

9/10

castlevania 3 is the only one i've played so far but im not getting number 2 i was laughing my head of at it when i watch it on Angry video game nerd (AVGN)

When it comes to Castlevania, my heart belongs to Symphony of the Night, and Bloodlines for the Genesis. Dracula looked so awesome in Symphony, and what a commanding presence.

After the long wait; when I get points for my birthday on march 15, I'm downloading this baby & its going to sit nicely on my Wii Menu forever along with Super Mario Bros 3... so I can play it and never remove it ever again! (Gladly stop reshuffling Castlevania games like crappy Castlevania 2 off my Wii Menu)!

Got trough to 3rd or 4th level in the casle before i had to use a continue. This game isn't that hard. Largest cause of death for me was the pitfalls when I started to playing. If you take your time you can pretty much eliminate the possibility of getting hit by an enemy when you're in the air.

Someone here had problems with the 3-staged boss. First when the mummys come go on to the leftside of you're screen on to a little platform. Crouch there and you can hit the first mummy on the head and most of the time destroy the projectiles they are shooting. If it seems that the projectile is comming from below of you to up and hitting you're feet just dodge it by jumping and then continue crouching and whailing on the first mummy. Then on to the second mummy just walk up to him and start whailing. He can walk almost to the center of the screen before he turns and starts to walk to rightside of the screen so beware to not stand in his way to get hit.

Then the hammer guy enters the battle. You have to hit him in the head. He pretty much has two attack if you're too far away he stands for awhile to start running at you and if you're too close to him he tries to hit you with his hammer. If he stop to charge for the running you're only option is to run to the closest platform and jump over him. If you can dodge the hammerstrike (which isn't that hard to do) you get a couple of free shot. Other good tactic is to get 1/4 screen away from him and turning, jumping and hitting him in the head. Also when you're getting ready to jump over him from the platform in the sides you sometimes have enough time to crouch, hit him and still jump over him without getting hit.

3rd and final boss the big gargoyle who looks tough, but in reality is a puppy. Basicly just walk up to him and start whailing him with you're whip. As soon as he jump into air run to the exact spot where he use to be and turn around and start whailing again. Repeat this and hes down for the count in 20-30 seconds. He might get to use his triple fireball attack once which is hard to dodge if you're busy whailing on him too close, but if you have enough health (probably takes 2-3 stripes) to survive the fireballs then just repeat the what I told you in the beginnig and he won't live for long.

Edit: Just to say last stage and last boss Dracula is joke when you have Alucard with you. Alucard's down+jump that turns you in to bat can get you past the last real obstacle room with breeze and on the Dracula's final form it saves you're ass from getting hit. I beat Dracula without even getting one hit and he had 3 forms.

Hardest boss in the game is 3rd last boss Grim Reaper's first form when he has 4 scythe coming towards you. Sometimes the scythes are pretty hard to spot from the background and sometimes when you get hit you fly into the corner and get bumrushed by big G and his 4 scythes.

Just...can't...BEAT IT!!!