Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku

From Sega Retro

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Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Konami
Developer:
Original system(s): PlayStation
Sound driver: SCSP (1 track)
Genre: Action[1]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥3,8003,800 T-9527G
Non-Sega versions

Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku (悪魔城ドラキュラX ~月下の夜想曲~) is an entry in the Castlevania series released for the Sega Saturn exclusively in Japan in 1998. Although the title translates closer to Castlevania: Nocturne in the Moonlight, most Western gamers know this game as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night — the official English title used for the original Sony PlayStation version, and all successive re-releases.

It is a direct sequel to Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM², and the second and final Castlevania game to be released on a Sega system, following Castlevania: Bloodlines.

Gameplay

Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku in an action RPG, on which you choose one of three characters: Alucard, the main character, Richter Belmont, previously unlockable in the PlayStation game, and Maria Renard, an exclusive playable character.

Upon choosing Alucard, the game starts at the final battle of the previous game of the series, with improved graphics and a cutscene. In this battle you control Richter Belmont rather than Alucard and if you are about to die, Maria Renard appears to save you. The other characters start straight to the main storyline.

All characters can pause the game ( START ), access a castle map ( START  then L), jump (B), use at least one button to attack (A), back dash (R) — Richter doesn't have a second attack button, nor can back dash — and use the special weapons found in candles (Up+A). Richter and Maria don't feature an options menu brought up by hitting  START  like Alucard, and thus cannot equip or use items other than the special weapons (enemies don't even drop anything but hearts and gold for them).

Holding Up when choosing Richter Belmont gives him different clothing. Idling for a few minutes at the title screen makes Shiina Hekiru (the voice actress who interprets Maria Renard and the fairy familiars) inform the current time of the Saturn's clock.

Playable characters

ADXGnY Alucard portrait.png
Alucard (アルカード)
Alucard, real name Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes (アドリアン ファーレンハイツ ツェペシュ), is the 400 years old son of Dracula with an human woman named Lisa (リサ). He is the only character that receives experience and use all items. A and C are used to attack/defend, X, Y and Z are used to Transform Into Mist (霧に変身), Transform Into Bat (コウモリに変身) and Transform Into Wolf (狼に変身), respectively; L uses consumable items. His spells are:
Move list
Name Command Description
Dark Metamorphosis (ダーク メタモルフォーゼ) LeftUpRightA/C Recovers HP when hitting, with physical attacks, enemies which shed blood
Hellfire (ヘルファイア) UpDownRightA/C Shoots three fireballs; holding Up upon casting shoots meteors
Summon Spirit (サモン スピリット) LeftRightUpDownA/C Summons a spirit that chases and hit enemies
Tetra Spirit (テトラ スピリット) hold Up 3sec, then RightDownA/C
Soul Steal (ソウル スチール) LeftRightDownLeftRightA/C Hits everything on screen, recovering HP at the same time
ADXGnY Richter portrait.png
Richter Belmont (リヒター ベルモンド)
Richter's secret outfit.
Richter is a 24 years old member of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters. He attacks with his family's legendary whip — the Vampire Killer, which can be fully extended or flailed in multiple directions (hold A and use the D-pad). His only functional buttons are: A for attacking, Y for Item Crash (using it with no special weapon endows his whip with fire) and B to jump. His moves set includes:
Move list
Name Command Description
Backflip (バック宙返り) BB
Sliding (スライディング) Down+B
Drop Kick (ドロップキック) Down+BB
Uppercut DownUpB
Tackle (タックル) UpDownRightA
ADXGnY Maria portrait.png
Maria Renard (マリア ラーネッド)
Maria is 17 years old and the younger sister of Richter's deceased girlfriend. Rather than wield a weapon she fires a magical shot (A — can be charged up), kicks (C) and invokes the "Four Symbols" (Chinese mythological creatures).

Her moves and summoning spell are:

Move list
Name Command Description
Guardians' Knuckle (ガーディアン ズナックル) DownRightA
Sliding (スライディング) Down+B
3-steps Jump (3段ジャンプ) BBB
Jump Kick (ジャンプキック) BB, hold Down-left/Down/Down-right, B
High Jump DownUpB
Drop Kick (ドロップキック) RightRightC
Move list
Name Command Description
Recall Suzaku (朱雀 召還) hold Up 2sec, RightDownA/C Owl familiar
Recall Genbu (玄武 召還) LeftUpRightA/C Recovers about 1/6 of life
Recall Byakko (白虎 召還) UpDownRightA/C Powerful flamethrower
Recall Seiryuu (青龍 召還) LeftRightDownLeftRightA/C Dragon controllable with the D-pad, plus invulnerability for its duration
Shiseijuu Shoukan (四聖獣 召還) UpRightDownLeft, hold Up 3sec, Down+A/C Invincibility for 40sec, also causing damage if touched

Versions

The Saturn version of this game contains various exclusive features including a new playable character (Maria Renard), new items, new enemies (sixteen lesser, a boss, plus Maria Renard if playing as Alucard), two new areas (Cursed Prison and Underground Garden) and a secret outfit for Richter Belmont. A third equippable hand is available to Alucard for equipping usable items such as healing items. A relic known as "God Speed boots" become available to Alucard halfway through the game and allow the player to move faster. Classic Castlevania music is remixed and a couple new tracks have also been recorded.

Unfortunately, the game was badly ported to the system. The PlayStation does not have a 2D graphics mode, instead relying on programmers to turn the 3D mode into a 2D one through the use of polygons and textures. The Saturn contains both 2D and 3D graphics modes, which can be used in conjunction with each other, however the developers of this game did not take advantage of it, forcing the Saturn to render it in the same method as the PlayStation.

The results of the bad port include, among other things, stretched graphics (The PS1 runs the game with a 256x224 screen resolution, while the Saturn goes for 352x240) and other distortions. There are longer loading times, and transparency effects in the Saturn version are also altered as the Saturn cannot handle alpha transparency while dealing with 3D polygons. It is believed that many of these issues could be fixed had the game been altered to play to the Saturn's strengths.

Production credits

Dracula X Nocturne in the Moonlight
  • Cast: Ryoutaroh Okiayu, Kiyoyuki Yanada, Chisa Yokoyama, Norio Wakamoto, Rica Fukami, Masaharu Satoh, Hekiru Shiina, Jyouji Yanami
  • Staff
    • Program: Nobushige Takaki, Yasuhiro Masuoka, Akihiro Shimiz, Hideto Imai
    • Support Program: Hiroaki Atsumi, Yoichi Hayama, Kazuo Taniguchi, Norihide Sugimoto
    • Design: Yoshichika Suzuki, Naoya Tanabe, Yasuko Muraoka, Hiroshi Miyata, Yuki Miyagi
  • Sound Staff
    • (Sound Direction): H.Suzuki
    • (Program): Y.Iwata
    • (Music): T.Ohsono
    • (Music/Sound Effect): J.Karashima
    • (Music): K.Okada
  • Product Design: Tsukasa Hiyoshi
  • Special Thanks: Masaki Tanaka, Atsushi Mishima, Nazha Kondo, Satoko Hayashi, Takahiro Nakayama, Toyohiro Yamada, Noriko Uchida, Sachiko Hara
  • Character Design & Illustration: Ayami Kojima
  • Ending Theme: "I Am The Wind"
    • Staff
      • Produced by: Rika Muranaka
      • Music written by: Rika Muranaka, Tony Haynes, Jeff Lorber
      • Arranged by: Rika Muranaka, Jeff Lorber
      • Recorded by: Jeff Lorber, Robert Chinelli, Eric Greedy At Jhl Studio, Larry Mah At Mad Hatter Recording Studio
      • Mixed by: Al Schmitt At Capitol Recording Studio
    • Musicians
      • (Lead Vocal/Back Chorus): Cynthia Harrell
      • (Keyboards): Jeff Lorber
      • (Keyboards): Rika Muranaka
      • (Bass): Nate Phillips
      • (Drums): John Robinson
      • (Guitar): Michael Tompson
      • (Sax): Gerald Albright
      • (Percussion): Louis Conte
  • Original Staff: Toru Hagihara, Kouji Iga, Gagensai.F, Kousuke Iwakura, Reika Bando, Toshiharu Furukawa, Kimihiro Morishita, Hiroto Yamaguchi, Nobuya Nakazato, Shinichiro Shimamura, Noriyoshi Sato, Kenichiro Imaizumi, Michiru Yamane, O.Kasai, Imohore Imai, Takayuki Fujii, Nishimura Oh.Ya.Zi., Kahori Yamane, Shogo Kumasaka, Yumiko Nozawa, Aoni Production, Arts Vision, 81 Produce, Sigma Seven, Dojinsha, Central Studio, Studio24
  • Producer: Hiroyuki Fukui
  • Director: Hiroshi Miyata
© 1997 1998 Konami All Rights Reserved.
  • Developed by: KCE Nagoya
Source:
In-game credits
ADXGnY Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
[2]
Staff
  • キャラクターデザイン&イラストレーション: 小島 文美
  • エンディングテーマ プロデュース: 村中 りか
  • エンディングテーマ ボーカル: シンシア=ハレル
Cast
  • アルカード: 置鮎 龍太郎
  • リヒター: 梁田 清之
  • マリア: 横山 智佐
  • 深見 梨加, 佐藤 正治, 椎名 へきる, 八奈見 乗児
  • ドラキュラ: 若本 規夫
Source:
JP manual
Adxgny sat jp manual.PDF
[3]

Magazine articles

Main article: Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-10: "1997-10 (1997-04-04)" (1997-03-21)
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Artwork

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
85 №25, p81
92 №79, p86-87
70 [4]
80 №498, p35
88 [5]
83 [6]
94 [7]
73 [8]
86 [9]
Sega Saturn
83
Based on
9 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Ação Games (BR)
95
[10]
Consoles News (FR) NTSC-J
85
[11]
Consoles + (FR) NTSC-J
92
[12]
Edge (UK) NTSC-J
70
[4]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
80
[13]
Gamers' Republic (US) NTSC-J
83
[14]
Joypad (FR) NTSC-J
80
[15]
MAN!AC (DE) NTSC-J
88
[16]
Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-J
79
[17]
neXt Level (DE) NTSC-J
80
[18]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
77
[19]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
81
[20]
Sega Magazin (DE) NTSC-J
83
[21]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) NTSC-J
94
[22]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
73
[23]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
86
[24]
Sega Saturn
83
Based on
16 reviews

Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku

Saturn, JP
ADXGnY Saturn JP Box Back.jpgADXGnY Saturn JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
AkumajouDraculaX Saturn JP Spinecard.jpg
Spinecard
AkumajouDraculaX Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc
Adxgny sat jp manual.PDF
Manual
AkumajouDraculaX Saturn JP Inlay.jpg
Inlay

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Saturn
CRC32
MD5
SHA-1
484,589,616 1998-04-27 CD-ROM(JP) T-9527G V1.400

Track list

1. Data track  
2. CD Warning message (special) (00:14) 
Japan 警告メッセージ
Vocals: Ryoutaroh Okiayu
Running time: 0:14

Extra content

This game has extra content which can be viewed when accessing the disc on a PC.

Saturn (JP) Extra files
Folder / File Type Size description
\OMAKE\24 Folder 20,939,592 It contains 15 extra images of truecolor.
\OMAKE\8 Folder 6,995,784 It contains 15 extra images of 256 colors.
\OMAKE\KAIHATSU.DOC TXT 11,310 Messages from the developers.
ABS.TXT TXT (Abstract) 31 About this game.
BIB.TXT TXT (Bibliographiced) 21 About original game
CPY.TXT TXT (Copyright) 56 Copyright


References



John Morris sprite Castlevania games for Sega systems
Sega Mega Drive
Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994) | Super Castlevania IV‎ (unreleased)
Sega 32X
Castlevania: The Bloodletting (unreleased)
Sega Saturn
Akumajou Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku (1998) | Castlevania: The Bloodletting (unreleased)
Sega Dreamcast
Castlevania Resurrection (unreleased)