The developer of Castlemania stated :
“This ROM hack is inspired by the early Castlevania series and attempts to channel the spirit of ‘NES difficulty’,” says . “It’s designed to be a throwback hack of sorts – with instant-death blocks, secrets, and familiar enemies to fans of the franchise.”
The levels take from the Super Mario when it comes to layout and most enemies, while the backgrounds and music take inspiration from classic Castlevania locations. Some Mario enemies have also been given Castlevania makeovers and some enemies from Castlevania appear, along with some sections of the levels being designed to call back to classic Castlevania levels.
“Some sections offer tighter platforming than others without feeling cheap or unfair to the player. Most importantly – each level has a clear path forward, with the player never wondering where to go or what to do next. Fans of the Castlevania series know of its difficult nature and shouldn’t be surprised by any obstacles within the hack. To channel the concept of ‘NES difficulty’, this hack will not save until you complete all six levels, and GAME OVER will result in the player having to start over.”
After fan feedback, LetsTalkGames ended up adding an easy mode as well.
“It was decided the download file will also include an ‘EASY VERSION’ which will allow the player to save their progress after every level is cleared. This also lets the player CONTINUE after Game Over.”
Those interested in playing can check out the romhack here.
