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, also known as , is a video game series created and developed by Konami, centered on the Belmonts, a clan of vampire hunters, and their fight with ''Dracula''. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release for the Family Computer Disk System (FDS), followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30. Although the MSX 2 port (localized in Europe and Brazil as ''Vampire Killer'') was released first outside of Japan, the series did not receive wide attention outside of Japan until the FDS version was ported to cartridge format for the Nintendo Entertainment System and localized for North American and European releases of ''Castlevania'' in 1987 and 1988, respectively.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Castlevania (1986) NES release dates )〕 The series soon became one of Konami's flagship series. The ''Castlevania'' titles have been released on various platforms, from early systems including the Nintendo Entertainment System to modern consoles. It has also been released for Pocket PCs emulators and mobile phones. ==Games== The very first console title, ''Castlevania'', released for the NES in 1986 by Konami, was a typical platform game in which the player takes the role of Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont clan, a family of vampire hunters. He travels to Dracula's demonic castle, Castlevania and fights his way through the castle destroying Dracula himself and the castle. Belmont's main weapon is a whip called "Vampire Killer", while the secondary weapons are powered by Hearts, collected by attacking candles and killing monsters. Secondary weapons available are Daggers, Holy Water (Fire Bomb), Flying Axe, Stop Watch and the Cross (Boomerang). Hidden items such as power-ups and food (health replenishment) items are also found by attacking walls within the levels, a feature inspired by Nintendo's ''Super Mario Bros.'' with countless hidden items across the game's levels. ''Vampire Killer'', released in 1986 for the MSX computer, took a departure from the traditional platform gameplay of ''Castlevania'', instead introducing an open-ended form of gameplay.〔Jeremy Parish, (Famicom 25th, Part 17: Live from The Nippon edition ), 1UP.com, August 1, 2008〕 The game's non-linear design had a similar structure to ''Metroid'' released that same year.〔Kurt Kalata and William Cain, (Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (1988) ), Castlevania Dungeon, accessed 2011-02-27〕 ''Castlevania II: Simon's Quest'', released in 1987, featured non-linear gameplay more open-ended than that of ''Vampire Killer'' and ''Metroid'', with several exclusive elements such as a world map the player was free to explore and revisit.〔Jeremy Parish, (Metroidvania Chronicles II: Simon's Quest ), 1UP.com, June 28, 2006〕 The player could also purchase supplies, equipment and weapon upgrades in several different towns, making it more like an action role-playing game. It also introduced a persistent world with its own day-night cycle that affects when certain NPCs appear in certain locations and offered three possible endings depending on the time it took to complete the game. ''Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse'', released for the NES in 1989, while having more in common with the original NES ''Castlevania'', added new features, including non-linear elements such as alternate branching paths with different stages and alternate endings depending on the player's choices, as well as multiple player characters. A major turning point in the gameplay mechanics of the series was ''Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'', released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and later for the Sega Saturn in 1998. Expanding on the open-ended style of gameplay previously used in ''Castlevania II: Simon's Quest'',〔 ''Symphony of the Night's'' style of gameplay has been termed "Metroidvania" due to its similarities with the non-linear and exploration-focused side-scrolling games of the ''Metroid'' series.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=The Top 25 Videogame Franchises )〕 It also used role-playing video game elements, such as collectible weapons, armor and hidden orbs. Many subsequent ''Castlevania'' games have since followed this template. Ayami Kojima's art was introduced in ''Symphony of the Night'', and has been featured in a few other titles. Years later, the first two Castlevania games for the Nintendo DS returned to the anime style used in the original ''Castlevania: Rondo of Blood'', among other titles, in hopes of broadening the player demographic by not discouraging slightly younger Nintendo DS owners to be put off by Kojima's art.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Whip Smart: Konami's Koji Igarashi On Mastering Castlevania )〕 ''Dawn of Sorrow'' was the first game to do this, and the second DS release ''Portrait of Ruin'' followed with the same style.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Updated Hands-On )〕 The first games in the series to employ 3D graphics were ''Castlevania'' and ''Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness'' for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. In 2003, the next 3D ''Castlevania'' title featured combat-oriented hack and slash gameplay that drew comparisons to the 2001 title ''Devil May Cry'', though ''Lament of Innocence'' introduced several unique features to set itself apart from Capcom's title.〔Kurt Kalata and William Cain, (''Castlevania: Lament of Innocence'' (2003) ), Castlevania Dungeon, accessed 2011-02-27〕 The game has also drawn comparisons to the 2002 release ''Rygar: The Legendary Adventure'' and 2005's ''God of War'', both of which used similar chained-blade weapons, while the latter also used similarly flashy and smooth attacks that could change direction in the middle of a combo.〔(God of War (PS2) ), 1UP.com, accessed 2011-02-27〕 In 2007, Koji Igarashi stated that, if ''The Dracula X Chronicles'' did well, the series may return to the more traditional style of the original games. Trivia about the series has also been mentioned in the ''Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Castlevania」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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