SNES Action Platformer 1995

Castlevania: Dracula X

Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo · Updated June 2025

Konami's 1995 SNES adaptation of Rondo of Blood — Castlevania: Dracula X is a re-imagining rather than a direct port, with redesigned stages, Richter Belmont as protagonist, the whip-combat and sub-weapon system of the classic Castlevania formula, and the rescue of Annette across eight stages of 16-bit gothic horror.

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💡 Castlevania: Dracula X — Key Facts

→ Castlevania: Dracula X was developed by Konami and published by Konami
→ Released in 1995 on SNES
→ Genre: Action, Platformer
→ We rate it 8.4/10 — highly recommended
→ Konami's 1995 SNES adaptation of Rondo of Blood — Castlevania: Dracula X is a re-imagining rather than a direct port, with redesigned stages, Richter Belmont as protagonist, the whip-combat and sub-weapon system of the classic Castlevania formula, and the rescue of Annette across eight stages of 16-bit gothic horror.

Overview

Richter Belmont arrived in the West through this version. Rondo of Blood stayed in Japan on the PC Engine. Dracula X SNES was what Western players received instead.

Inferior to the original, technically. The Western Castlevania experience for Richter’s story until 2007.

The Redesign

Dracula X isn’t a port of Rondo of Blood — it’s a parallel version. Konami took the story (Richter rescues Annette from Dracula) and built a SNES game around it, redesigning stages rather than converting the PC Engine originals.

The result: different stages, fewer of them, without Maria as a playable second character. The SNES hardware produced different visual and audio presentation than the PC Engine’s CD-ROM capabilities. Rondo of Blood has orchestrated audio from CD; Dracula X SNES has SNES chip music arrangements of Castlevania compositions. Bloody Tears translated well. The visual comparison is less favorable.

Richter

The classic Castlevania combat upgraded for 1992-era movement. Richter’s back dash allowed repositioning against enemy attacks — the static walk-and-whip of earlier Belmonts supplemented with a defensive maneuver that changed the rhythm of encounters.

Sub-weapons remained: holy water pools burning on the floor, axes arcing overhead, the cross returning like a boomerang, the stopwatch freezing nearby enemies. Hearts collected from candles powered these; choosing which sub-weapon to carry into a difficult section was part of stage preparation.

The Routes

At certain points, the path splits. One way leads forward; another leads to a different stage sequence that includes Maria, Richter’s captive cousin. The route choice affects the ending — without Maria, without Annette fully rescued, the best ending is unavailable.

The branching gives multiple playthroughs different content. The first run discovers what exists; subsequent runs optimize for rescues and the ending they earned.

Our Review

8.4

Excellent / 10

🎮

Gameplay

★★★★★

🎨

Graphics

★★★★★

🎵

Audio

★★★★★

🔄

Replay

★★★★★

Gameplay

Dracula X is a side-scrolling action-platformer where Richter Belmont fights through eight stages to defeat Dracula and rescue Annette. The classic Castlevania mechanics: morning star whip with upgrades (leather, chain, morning star), sub-weapons (holy water, axe, cross, stopwatch) powered by hearts collected from candles. Richter has a back dash ability and more acrobatic movement than earlier Belmonts. Stage design is linear with branching paths at certain points — alternate routes lead to different stages and affect whether Maria (Richter's cousin) can be rescued. Multiple endings depend on which characters are saved. The game is a redesign of the PC Engine Rondo of Blood, not a direct port.

Graphics

Dracula X's SNES visuals deliver gothic Castlevania aesthetics — detailed sprite work for enemies, mid-bosses, and bosses, varied stage environments from burning villages to clock towers. The SNES hardware provides more color than NES predecessors.

Audio

Dracula X features arrangements of Castlevania series music — Bloody Tears, Cross Your Heart, and other series compositions remixed for the SNES. The Castlevania musical tradition continues in 16-bit form.

Replayability

Branching stage paths leading to different levels, rescue objectives for Annette and Maria, multiple endings, and sub-weapon combinations provide replay motivation. Finding the optimal route to the best ending requires knowledge of branching points.

Historical Significance

Castlevania: Dracula X (1995 SNES) was Western audiences' only official access to the Rondo of Blood story and Richter Belmont until Dracula X Chronicles (PSP, 2007) and Castlevania Anniversary Collection (2019) made the PC Engine original available. Rondo of Blood itself remained Japan/PC Engine-exclusive. Dracula X on SNES, despite being a redesigned parallel version, became the definitive Western experience of Richter's story. Richter subsequently appeared in Symphony of the Night (1997) as a playable character after the main campaign.

✅ Pros

+ Richter Belmont's acrobatic combat upgrades classic Belmont feel
+ Branching stage paths create multiple routing options
+ SNES arrangements of classic Castlevania music
+ Western audiences' only Richter/Rondo story access until 2007
+ Multiple endings based on rescue success

❌ Cons

- Considered inferior to PC Engine Rondo of Blood on which it's based
- Some stages cut or simplified vs Rondo of Blood
- No Maria as playable character (available in Rondo of Blood)
- Shorter than some expected given difficulty reputation

Also Known As

Dracula X SNESCastlevania Dracula XAkumajou Dracula XX

Castlevania: Dracula X FAQ

How does Castlevania Dracula X differ from Rondo of Blood?

Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES, 1995) is a redesigned parallel version of Rondo of Blood (PC Engine, 1993) — not a direct port. Rondo of Blood has more stages, Maria Renard as a fully playable second character, more detailed sprite work using the PC Engine's CD-ROM capabilities, and is widely considered superior. Dracula X SNES redesigned the stages, cut some content, removed Maria as a playable character (she appears as a rescuable NPC only), and adapted the visual and audio presentation for SNES hardware. The story is the same: Richter Belmont rescuing Annette from Dracula. Western players who couldn't access the PC Engine original experienced Richter's story exclusively through the SNES Dracula X until the PSP Dracula X Chronicles (2007) included an enhanced port of the PC Engine original.

Who is Richter Belmont?

Richter Belmont is the Belmont clan vampire hunter of the 1792 timeline — a descendant of Simon Belmont and ancestor of later Belmonts. His debut was in Rondo of Blood (1993) where he rescues Annette from Dracula with assistance from Maria Renard. Richter later appears in Symphony of the Night (1997) as the opening playable character and then as an antagonist / rescuable figure for Alucard. His combat style is more acrobatic than earlier Belmonts — a back dash allows repositioning during combat, and his sub-weapon use is more dynamic. Richter became a recurring character across Castlevania's timeline entries and appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable fighter.

What are the branching paths in Dracula X?

Castlevania: Dracula X features branching stage paths at certain points in the game. After some stages, players face a choice of route that leads to different subsequent stages — taking different paths through the castle reveals different stage sequences. The branching affects more than scenery: certain routes make it possible to rescue Maria (Richter's cousin) who is held captive along a specific path. Rescuing Maria and Annette is required for the best ending. Players who take only one route through the game see one set of stages and may miss rescuable characters. A complete playthrough requires knowing which route leads to which rescues and planning accordingly.

Is Castlevania Dracula X available on modern platforms?

Castlevania Dracula X (SNES) is available in Castlevania Anniversary Collection (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC, 2019) alongside Castlevania 1-3, Belmont's Revenge (GB), Adventure (GB), Bloodlines (Genesis), and Super Castlevania IV. This is the recommended modern access point. Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles (PSP, 2007) included both an enhanced 2.5D version of Rondo of Blood and the original PC Engine Rondo of Blood as an unlockable — that collection is available as a digital PSP Classic on PlayStation Store. The SNES Dracula X specifically appears in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.