No, this is NOT an adaptation of the silent 1922 film, "Nosferatu," nor the
1979 remake (both excellent films, though). No, instead, take a BIG dash of
"Prince of Persia," a smaller dash of "Flashback: The Quest for Identity" and
a pinch of "Castlevania" and you have the Seta game, "Nosferatu." It seems
in the present-day (well, 1990, according to the game) a very Dracula-esque
vampire (named Vlad the Impaler, who was the real-life inspiration for Bram
Stoker's Dracula) has kidnapped Erin, the girlfriend of a guy named Kyle
(that's you) and dragged her into his spooky castle. Three guesses (the
first two don't count) what Kyle must do now... Pretty much the same setup
for virtually every Nintendo game ever...with a vampire spin.
Graphics [8/10]:
Very nice...the fluid movement with which Kyle leaps from ledge-to-ledge and
climbs up onto them is excellent for the time this game was released. The
game is setup like most SNES games, with a scrolling side view. However, the
"camera" is slightly cricked off to the left here, so you're looking at
things at just a touch of an angle, giving the game a slightly 3D-style
quality. Let me tell you, though, the opening cinema with Kyle triumphantly
galloping atop a horse along the countryside towards the castle at night is
worth the price of admission alone. That's some of the best animation I've
seen on the SNES...wow. In fact, the entire opening cinema is fantastic.
Music and Sound [7/10]:
Not the game's strongest suit, but still not bad. The game, however, would
have been better suited to a much creepier soundtrack. I found a lot of the
music too upbeat, especially when you're defeated...that music that plays
over the "Continue?" screen doesn't exactly evoke any feelings of loss or
terror for your enslaved love. Sound effects are good...no more. Some
decent echoing effects here and there. Nothing too impressive, but nothing
horrible, either.
Gameplay [7.5/10]:
Basically, if you've played "Prince of Persia," you've already played this
game. The setup of the levels, the controls...it's almost identical.
However, there's a whole new approach to it this time. The setting alone
makes it a completely different game. One big complaint I had was the fact
that here we are...stuck in an ancient castle with werewolves, gargoyles,
eerie arms that come out of the floor (yikes!), dead bodies dropping from
above (double yikes!), and Frankenstein's Monsters coming after us...was it
really the wisest choice to make Kyle's only defense his fists? It doesn't
really go with the territory. "Castlevania" = Whip. 'Makes sense. I don't
know...the idea of punching out a gargoyle just seems kind of silly to me.
Why not give him a sword or a torch or something? Minor complaint. Maybe
I'm nuts...
Challenge and Replay [7.5/10]:
Basically a big puzzle game with minor fighting touches. The majority of the
time is spent climbing, jumping, hitting levers to open doors, and, of
course, the occasional fight (some more frequent than others)...the very
backbone of any good action/adventure game. What more could you want? It's
quite a long game, however, so replay may occur only when you become
nostalgic. But, overall, I'd say you're probably going to have more fun than
you think you might.
Conclusion/Overall [8/10]:
This is a VERY overlooked game...and not deservedly so. It's no classic, but
it can really be a lot of fun if you're able to track down a copy (it's
become quite rare these days...not really widespread even when it was brand
new). Many of the game's elements seem too modern for the gothic story,
which can be annoying. Kyle himself is obviously wearing a hooded
sweatshirt. How many guys in hooded sweatshirts do you see galloping on
horse-top along countrysides these days? Perhaps Seta was trying to avoid
comparisons with the "Castlevania" series. Understood...I'll give them that.
But...it just doesn't work. However, if you were a fan of "Prince of
Persia" (or, like me, just a follower of almost anything containing vampires)
you can't really go wrong with this nice companion piece.
