Bram Stoker's Dracula (Mega-CD)

From Sega Retro

For other games with the same name, see Bram Stoker's Dracula.

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Dracula MCD title.png

Bram Stoker's Dracula
System(s): Sega Mega-CD
Publisher: Sony Imagesoft
Developer:
Distributor: Tec Toy (BR)
Licensor: Columbia Pictures
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega-CD
US
$59.9559.95[2] T-93065
Videogame Rating Council: MA-13
Sega Mega-CD
BR
063050

Bram Stoker's Dracula is a Sega Mega-CD full-motion video action platform game developed by Psygnosis and published by Sony Imagesoft. Based on the 1992 horror film Bram Stoker's Dracula, it was released exclusively in the United States in November 1993[1] and is most notable for representing its stage backgrounds with a stream of pre-rendered, scrolling full-motion video and for its Mortal Kombat-like digitized character sprites.

Story

Dracula has cast a curse on Mina Murray. Jonathan Harker must journey to Castle Dracula and drive a stake through the heart of its vampire lord to save her from an eternal fate as a vampiress.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up played as Jonathan Harker. Harker can move around with Left and Right and duck with Down. The screen follows him as he moves right but cannot scroll back left. He can jump straight into the air with C alone or forward a set distance when coupled with Left or Right. His motion cannot be controlled while in midair.

Harker can punch and kick enemies. Punches are performed with B; he can punch while crouching with Down+B and do a two-hit combo punch by pressing B twice in quick succession. He does a low kick with C and a high kick with Right+C (or Left+C if facing toward the left). He can also do a jumping kick with Up+C, which can be used to attack enemies coming from above, and a roundhouse kick with B+C.

Harker has a health bar that goes down whenever he takes damage from an enemy. His health is carried over to the next stage. If he loses all of his health, he loses a life, though the player can revive him immediately and in place by pressing  START  if there are extra lives remaining. If the player runs out of lives, the game ends, though it can be continued from the beginning of the stage if there are continues remaining. The game has no password or save system.

Stages are largely linear and involve progressing to the end and beating up enemies along the way. There are occasionally small platforming challenges, such as chasms that must be jumped across or flying objects that must be avoided. Some stages feature branching paths. For example, the player can avoid the library section in the second stage by pressing Up-right while walking under a silver orb, which causes the view to pivot to another path. Most of the stages end in a fight with Dracula, who takes various forms.

Items

Items sometimes drop from the sky as a reward for defeating a string of enemies. Walk over to collect.

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Items.png
Harker
Gives the player an extra life.
Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Items.png
Book
Gives the player an extra continue.
Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Items.png
Chalice
Fully replenishes Harker's health.
Garlic
Grants Harker temporarily invulnerability.

Stages

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  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 1-1.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 1-2.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 1-3.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 1-4.png

Journey to Castle Dracula

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Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 2-3.png

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 2-4.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 2-1.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 2-2.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 2-3.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 2-4.png

The Search for Dracula

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 3-1.png

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 3-2.png

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  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 3-1.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 3-2.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 3-3.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 3-4.png

Into the Dungeons

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  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 4-1.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 4-2.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 4-3.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 4-4.png

The Grounds of Hillingham House

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 5-1.png

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Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 5-3.png

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  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 5-1.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 5-2.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 5-3.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 5-4.png

Arrival at Carfax Abbey

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 6-1.png

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 6-2.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 6-1.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 6-2.png

The Chase to the Castle
This stage is played on horseback and departs from the others in both gameplay and art style. In the first segment, use Left and Right to dodge stalactites, stalagmites, and bats in the cave. In the second segment, Harker is pursuing Dracula. AAAAA speeds up, B jumps, and C fires a gun.

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-1.png

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-2.png

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-3.png

Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-4.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-1.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-2.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-3.png

  • Bram Stoker's Dracula CD, Stage 7-4.png

The Final Confrontation

Versions

There are two versions of this game. The first version was released as a stand alone title, while the second version came as part of the Mary Shelley's Frankenstein / Bram Stoker's Dracula bundle. Content-wise, these versions are identical; however, the bundled version seems to be much less prone to in-game freezing, a serious problem in an over hour-long game lacking a save feature. A planned European version[3] failed to see release.

Production credits

  • Producer: Rich Robinson
  • Assistant Producer: Nathan Rose
Sony Electronic Publishing Company
  • Olaf Olafsson
  • Lester Greenman
  • Peter Dille
  • Jeff Benjamin
Columbia Pictures Merchandising
  • Lester Borden
  • Susan Christison
  • Cathy Vivaro
American Zoetrope
  • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Fred Fuchs
  • Roman Coppola
  • Producer: Nik Wild
  • Third Party Liason: Ian Grieve
  • Programming Team: Paul Frewin, Gavin Dodd, David Berrisford, Dominic Mallinson, Stuart Sargaison, Chris Wylie
  • Art Team Leader: Neil Thompson
  • 3D Modelling: Neil Thompson, Lee Carus-Westcott
  • Bitmap Graphics: Lee Carus-Westcott, Mike Waterworth, Chris Moore, Neal Sutton, Neil Thompson, Louise Smith
  • Music and Effects Coordination: Phil Morris
  • CD Music: Steve Hilliker
  • Sampling and SFX: Mike Clarke, Tim Wright
  • Original Visual Concept: Jim Bowers, Neil Thompson
  • Original Document: Nik Wild
  • Original Game Design: Tony Parkes
  • Costumes: Nicky Carus-Wescott
  • Characters:
    • Van Hesling: Jeff Bramfitt
    • Harker: Lee Carus-Westcott
    • Dracula: Lee Carus-Westcott
    • Brides: Nicky Carus-Westcott
    • Renfield: Neil Thompson
Additional Development
  • Programming: David Berrisford, Michael Anthony, Mark Andrew Kelly
  • Artwork: Lee Carus-Westcott, Lousie Smith, Graham Potts
  • In Game Music: Mike Clarke
  • Design and Gameplay Direction: Hammer and Tongs
Source:
In-game credits
Bram Stoker's Dracula MCD credits.pdf
[4]

Magazine articles

Main article: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Mega-CD)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #45: "April 1993" (1993-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #14: "August/September 1993" (1993-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #15: "October/November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #145: "December 1993" (1993-11-15)
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Print advert in Consoles + (FR) #25: "Novembre 1993" (1993-1x-xx)
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
13 №7, p60/61
Sega Mega-CD
13
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
53
[5]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
60
[2]
Mega (UK) PAL
49
[6]
Mega (UK) PAL
25
[7]
Mega Action (UK) NTSC-U
70
[8]
Mega Force (FR)
74
[9]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
51
[10]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
45
[11]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
41
[12]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
76
[13]
Sega Zone (UK) PAL
28
[14]
Todo Sega (ES)
84
[15]
Video Games (DE) PAL
18
[16]
VideoGames (US) NTSC-U
70
[17]
Sega Mega-CD
53
Based on
14 reviews

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Mega-CD)

Mega-CD, US
BramStokersDracula MCD US Box Back.jpgBramStokersDracula MCD US Box Front.jpg
Cover
BramStokersDracula MCD US Disc.jpg
Disc
Dracula mcd us manual.pdf
Manual
BramStokersDracula MCD US RegCard.pdf
Reg Card
Mega-CD, BR
BramStokersDracula MCD BR Box Back.jpgBramStokersDracula MCD BR Box Spine.jpgBramStokersDracula MCD BR Box Front.jpg
Cover
BramStokersDracula MCD US Disc.jpg
Disc

Technical information

Main article: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Mega-CD)/Technical information.

References


Bram Stoker's Dracula (Mega-CD)

Dracula MCD title.png

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