Castlevania: Dracula X
Books: How to Win at Super NES Games - Super NES Games Secrets
Conquering SNES Games
Duck tip
Count Dracula
Passwords
Leaping tip
Backwards leap
Heart points tip
Unlimited continues tip
Richter walkes backwards
Get items over and over
Walkthrough
Duck tip
Sent in by John Locke
On any enemy, duck and when you are hit, you won't fly back into a pit or
other object. This will not work if you are using your whip, or on a
spinning gear (clock tower). This is very useful when batteling Dracula
when he uses his huge 2 fire ball attacks.
Count Dracula
Sent in by John Locke
On his first form, stand on middle pillar and use the boomerang to hit
him. Be carful because he may appear on the same pillar that you are
on. When he "appears and he is on one of the pillars that you can see
duck facing the right of the screen, if he throws the 3 small fireballs
hit them with your whip to save your life, when he uses his 2 big fire
ball attack just duck! It's best to collect 99 hearts before battle and
do not use the item Crash on his first form. By the time you kick his
first forms butt you should have 80 some hearts left.
2nd form, it would be wise to attack on the far right pillars stand on
the low one the big pillar will protect you from flying into a pit. Defeat
his first form on the far left of the screen and don't jump when theres
a flash of light (during transformation) wait until his whole body can be
seen, use item crashes (button X) to kill him. If he has some life left hit
him anywhere with your whip. When he is finally dead (using my
password) you will see the good ending!!!!
Don't worry about the meat that's in Draculas Room, it is only a destraction.
Passwords
Sent in by John Locke
HW= holy water
A= axe
N= nothing
HW A N
N N HW You will have the Boomerang!
HW N A
HW= Holy Water, A= Axe, H= Heart, N= Nothing
N HW A
A A A Stage 2
A HW HW
HW N N
A A N Stage 3
N HW HW
A A A
N HW HW Stage 4
A H H
HW H F
F HW A Stage 5
HW H H
HW A A
HW N HW Stage 6
A HW N
HW HW HW
A N H Stage 7
N N A
Leaping tip
Look where you leap. One of the most annoying enemies in
the game are those that appear suddenly from the edge of
the screen. This includes the bats, ravens, and Medusa heads.
If you blindly leap to a platform or gear, these enemies may
suddenly appear and knock Richter below to his death. On
levels that are infested with flying Medusa heads, it's best to
wait and kill the next one that appears before making a jump.
Backwards leap
Master the backwards leap by quickly pressing the jump
button twice. While this technique initially appears to be
useless, it is essential for escaping certain enemy attacks.
Heart points tip
Conserve your heart points for the level's end boss. Bosses
that seem almost impossible to defeat are often made quick
work of by rapidly attacking them with a special weapon.
Using a special weapon on skeletons, bats, and Medusa heads
is extremely wasteful and could be better used in the most
desperate situations.
Unlimited continues tip
Take advantage of the unlimited continues and password
functions of the game. If you find yourself at the beginning
of a level with no extra lives, very few heart points, and a
special weapon that you don't like, it's best to kill yourself
off and restart the level. You now at least have some extra
lives and the entire level to collect heart points and a special
weapon before you take on the boss.
Richter walkes backwards
Richter can walk backwards. Press and hold the attack button
then pull in the opposite direction that Richter is facing. This
technique allows the player to move away from an enemy and
then immediately launch an attack.
Get items over and over
Climb up and down stairs to enter/exit certain screens. Items in
candles can be retrieved again and again by doing this. This is
especially helpful when trying to regain full health and collect
heart points just before a tough boss.
Walkthrough
Stage 1: Burning Town
This level is pretty straight forward enough. Here you'll meet the
usual skeletons and bats but nothing necessarily threatening. Beware
of the steps that flip over when you leap onto them. The giant beast
that pursues Richter cannot be defeated with weapons. Keep ahead of
it and at the end of this section it will automatically destroy itself.
There is some food hidden in the stairs right before you encounter
the first boss.
Boss: Keruberosu
The best weapon against this boss is the axe. The stage 1 boss attacks
with flames that travel along the ground. Keruberosu also attacks by
leaping quickly and pouncing on Richter. Be careful when it fires a
flame (you'll hear it even when not on the screen) as the boss will soon
afterwards pounce. Leap over the flame while attacking with the axe.
Keep launching the axes even when Keruberosu is not on the screen and
whip it when is moves on in. You will likely take some hits, but you
should have no problem outlasting it.
Stage 2: Gate and Entrance to Evil Castle
The first part of this stage can be tricky. Be careful of two areas on
the walkway to the castle (both shaped like a horizontally reversed
number seven) as both will collapse when Richter sets foot. Leap off
immediately. The next part is a bridge suspended by pillars. As soon as
you leap on, the bridge will start to crumble. Make haste as fast as you
possibly can. You may even have to leap to keep ahead of the destruction.
While sounding simple enough, the fishmen leap from below to hinder your
progress. If you take a single hit, you will be unable to recover and will
be knocked below to your death. When two fishmen appear, try to kill
them both with a single attack of the whip. Keep walking and ONLY
leap when you have to. Collecting the items from the candles is
risky and will more likely result in being knocked below. The rest of
this stage is less chaotic. Beware of the purple colored knights that
wield spears; they are quite troublesome. They can block some
projectiles such as the dagger and boomerang. These enemies also
have an attack that inflicts such great force that Richter will be
thrown way back. To avoid this attack, immediately perform
a backwards leap (jump button twice) when they start to rise the
spear above them and then towards their back. Note that they can
attack Richter above and below whatever platform he is standing
on by raising or lowering their spears. Again there is some food
hidden in the stairs leading toward the boss.
Boss: Myotia
The best weapon here is definitely the boomerang. Myotia first
appears in the form of a giant bat. Hitting it will turn it into its
second form, a mass of several small bats. The safest places to be
is on either platform located on each side of the playfield. Continually
launch boomerangs at the mass of bats. When they move toward
Richter, move to the highest platform of the two you are on, leap
over the bats, and make your way to the other pair of platforms
on the opposite side. When the mass of bats again form the giant
bat, try to attack it as quickly as possible to keep it from charging
at Richter. Take special care not to let the bats corner Richter on
either side of the screen as he will immediately suffer several hits
and likely parish. If you continue this process, you will likely take
some hits but should have no problems as long as you continually
attack with the boomerangs.
Stage 3: Great Hall
The goal of the first part of level 3 is to simply reach the top.
Plan your jumps carefully here as the Medusa heads are plentiful
and often appear without notice. You'll again encounter those
bothersome spear wielding knights and move on to an area that
has several moving platforms with a potential watery grave
below. Again, be aware of being knocked into the water by low
flying bats and the fishmen that unexpectedly pop up from below.
You'll first encounter the axeman in the next section. On the right
wall horizontal to the axeman you will find a hidden 1-up. The axeman
can block projectiles most of the time with his shield, so the whip is
the most effect against it. Note that when the axeman throws an axe it
comes back, so be prepared to whip, duck, or jump. Keep moving right
until you come to an area with several white pillars. THIS AREA HAS
SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE AND DETERMINES HOW THE GAME WILL END. If
you are knocked below, you will be sent to the alternative level 4. If
this is the case, you will not be able to save Annet or Maria. Be VERY
careful in this section, the Medusa heads are unrelenting. Take the axe
in one of the candles as it will be very useful in clearing the long
vertical line of enemies that attack with flames. If you keep moving
right without being knocked below, you will eventually find a key in
one of the candles just before the boss. Be warned that if you acquire
a special weapon, you will lose the key.
Boss: Dyurahan
Dyurahan would be much easier to defeat if you are equipped with
a special weapon such as the axe. If you chose to keep the key, this
battle is tougher than one may want it to be. The problem is that
Dyurahan keeps its sword lowered most of the time. You cannot get
too close to it or you will be damaged by the lowered sword. One of
the boss's attacks is to slash his sword forward, then leap with it
lowered. It's very difficult to anticipate this attack. A second to
attack to look for is when the boss lowers its sword to the ground
and spikes appear that move toward Richter. These spikes cannot
be leaped over, so the only choice is to outrun them or leap onto the
highest platforms. Another attack Dyurahan uses is a very quick
forward stab of the sword. Again, preparing for this is very tough.
The best advice I can give is not to get too greedy when it comes
to attacking the boss. Move in, attack it a few times, then back off.
This, of course, doesn't apply if you are using a special weapon where
getting in close isn't necessary in the first place. The boss also
has two more attacks that involves its head. Dyurahan will occasionally
throw it's head in the air. The head will rotate and hover above as
objects fall from above that can damage Richter. Simply standing
under one of the platforms will provide full protection against this
attack. The second attack of the head is to fly around and attack
Richter. It is easy to avoid but it's possible to lose track of it as
it can leave the screen and appear right below Richter without any
time to react. The result is some damage and the player will be
temporarily slowed down. Keep in mind that the best time to
ALWAYS attack Dyurahan is when he is performing one of his own
attacks, such as when the object are falling from above. In these
situations the boss is left vulnerable and is unable to attack with
his sword. Save the food located in the candle for when you really
need it. Patience and choosing the right time to attack definitely
will pay off here.
Stage 4: Dungeon
The first part of level 4 isn't that difficult to get through. Just
be aware of the rocky overhanging above that can hide enemies,
projectiles, and even some items in candles. It's easiest to leap
on and over the spiked platforms that drop below rather than run
under them. Keep moving left until you reach a section with platforms
suspended on a rope that is driven around by a gear. Ride these
platforms until you see a door on the left side. You can unlock
the door by using the key like you would use any special weapon
(up and attack). You now have saved Maria. However, you will
still need the key to unlock another door. The red skulls that fly
around this area are unrelenting in their attacks, so be prepared
for a lot of maneuvering. It's best to kill them as soon as possible
or you will be overwhelmed when three or more of them attack.
When you reach the top, keep proceeding left. The small Igor -like
enemies that leap around a lot are very quick and difficult to hit
with the whip. Once you make it to the next section you will see a
door located on a platform above. This will take you to the alternative
level 5 where you can rescue Annet. If you did not rescue Maria earlier,
you will not be able to unlock this door even if you still have the key.
Boss: Minotaurusu
If you chose not to rescue Annet, you will face Minotaurusu. This boss
is a piece of cake if you equip yourself with an axe. You can find an
axe in a candle just before you face the boss. Simply stand at left
edge of the lower platform and leap in the air while firing away
with the axes. If you are consistent with making contact (hitting
the boss and not his axe), Minotaurusu will never even come close
to Richter. Really, it's that simple.
Alternative Stage 4: Underground caverns/tomb
The is not a particularly tough stage to get through. You will mostly
walk in or above the muddy boiling water. Mudmen and flying bats
are the most common enemies here. When you leap or fall into the
boiling liquid, be careful not to stay idle for too long. Jump
periodically to keep from sinking below. The mudmen will rise
unexpectedly from below, so keep on your to toes to avoid cheap
hits. Later in the stage you will encounter a large red skeleton.
This skeleton is quite a formidable opponent and takes many hits
to kill off. Keep at a distance and attack it with whatever special
weapon you are equipped with. Beware of when he leaps as you will
have to be at a far distance to avoid being lunged at. You will next
face a skeledragon. As with all the skeledragons in the game, you
can tell when it will launch a fireball as it will first appear in its
back part and move towards the head. Axes always work best on
these creatures. Keep moving left and when you reach the area
where you can finally leap out of the boiling liquid, there is a
raised step on the floor that contains some food.
Boss: Cloaked sorcerer
This boss initially appears intimidating due to its multiple attacks.
The key is stay put on the ground and resist the temptation of leaping
on one of the platforms to attack the boss with brute force. The dagger
works very well here and can found in one of the candles just before
you encounter this boss. The first priority is to take out the red flames
that the sorcerer sends out. Not only do theses flames inflict damage
on Richter, but they inhibit his movements and slow him down
significantly as well. Next take out the skeletons that are formed by
the falling bones. When it appears safe, leap up from the ground and
attack the boss with the dagger. This must be done when it's flying
low and from a safe distance. The sorcerer will then fly to the opposite
side of the playfield that it was before. Continue the same process as
before by taking out the skeletons and flames before launching an
attack on the boss. When his energy is completely depleted, he will
take on his second form. In his second form, the boss will first attack
by launching several headstones at Richter. Duck, whip, or leap over them.
Also in this form, the sorcerer will fly aggressively at Richter. This is
why it is especially important to keep at a safe distance. Mudmen will
walk the floor and make the battle all the more difficult. With some
skillful maneuvering and letting the daggers do most of the work, you
should be able to make it through the battle. One of the tougher bosses
in the game.
Stage 5: Courtyard
The first part of this stage consists of ravens and Igors. While neither
are particularly powerful, both are very quick attackers and are tough
to hit with just the whip. The axe works extremely well here. When you
get to the section where there are platforms moving up and down, some
of the stone blocks on the walls that must be climbed to reach the
platforms will crumble when leaped on. To buy some time, you can leap
from block to block until you are ready to jump on one of the platforms.
You will encounter similar collapsing blocks later in the level. When
you reach the section with the tall green knights will huge swords,
clear away from them when they stop moving. These powerful enemies
will lunge forward and knock Richter back. The rest of this stage is
reasonably challenging, but offers no real surprises.
Boss: Lypuston
Lypuston is the level 5 boss. While very quick on its feet, its
attacks are very predictable. The key is to resist the urge to
move on in and use brute force to attack it. Instead, it's best to
keep your distance and let whatever special weapon you are
equipped with do the work. His ground attacks include a slide
attack and a fireball that he throws. Again, if you keep your
distance these attacks should be avoidable. His aerial attacks
are more formidable. Whenever Lypuston leaps onto the ceiling or
wall, it will dive down toward Richter. The key is to move toward
the wall opposite the one the boss is closest to. For example, if the
boss is on or near the left side wall, start moving toward the right
wall. Don't make the mistake of moving too close and cornering
yourself against either side. After all, the object here is to move
away from his dive attacks. Once Lypuston's energy is down to
1/4th, he will form into a ball and start bouncing quickly off the
walls. It's very likely that he will only touch down to the ground
once at each pass, so this attack is more avoidable than it looks.
With continual attacks with the boomerang or axe at safe distances,
this boss is weak compared to what lies ahead.
Alternative Stage 5: Waterway
The first part of this stage simply involves moving to the right and
avoid being knocked to your death by the blue skulls that rise up
from the water below. Also be on your guard against the fishmen
that unexpectedly leap up and dive towards Richter. You'll encounter
the same enemies in the next section as make your way below, to the
right, and up again. Wait for each platform to reach jumping position
and be aware of the spikes that protrude from some of the walls and
platforms. In the next section you will have to make haste to outrun
the rising water. If you wait too long to move up to the next platform,
Richter will suffer some damage from the water. The blue skulls,
skeledragons, and a red skeleton will attempt to slow your progress.
In one of the candles there is an invincibility potion. Take it and keep
moving immediately to the right. If you're fast enough, you can simply
jump towards the skeledragon while invincible and instantly kill it.
Once you reach the top, go to the left. In the next section there is a
flow of water that drains into the pool of water below. Use you whip
to hit the flow of water. The flowage will eventually stop and the pool
will drop below. Make your way below onto the lowest platform on
the left. On this platform keep moving left and will find Annet.
Make your way back up and to the left. Keep moving until you
encounter the first raven; there is a some hidden food on the step
that it was sitting on.
Boss: Serpent
The battle with this boss is pretty straight forward. On the platform
that Richter is standing on, the serpent will periodically wrap its
body around one end and move towards the other end. The way in
which it does this varies. The key is to avoid the parts of its body
that coil in FRONT of the platform, not the rear. This is easier said
then done since the serpent moves at such a great speed. Also note
that in the areas where it is safe to stand when the serpent is coiled
around the platform, you may have to move in the same direction as
the serpent to stay within that safe area. Another attack of the
serpent is to rise straight up vertically and launch flames at Richter.
The axe and dagger work well as counterattack weapons. Only the
head of the serpent is vulnerable to damage, so plan your attacks
quickly and carefully as the time to actually get in a hit or two is
very limited.
Stage 6: Clock Tower
The first part of level 6 is frustrating due to the unrelenting
dives of the ravens. Again, while these creature are relatively
weak, it's tough to attack them while climbing the stairs. Also
don't forget to hold up on the control pad when leaping on the
stairs. In too many situations did I forget to hold up on the pad
after leaping in the air and attacking an enemy. This unfortunately
lead to many unnecessary deaths. Next you will come to an area
with rock platforms that are scrolling downward. You can simply
leap up each platform and make your way towards the left where
you will reach the next section. If you choose to go right you can
collect some hearts and food. The third part of this level serves
up the familiar Castlevania scenario of leaping from gear to gear.
This is further hindered by the spear wielding knights and constant
bats flying from the edges of the screen that make this all the
more difficult. If possible, you are better off avoiding a confrontation
with the knights with the spears. In some cases however, this is
unavoidable. Continue to make your way up and to the right. You
will soon reach an area where you will have the make big leaps
of faith. Be careful of the Medusa heads that are flying around.
Whenever jumping from gear to gear, keep in mind that your leaps
are exaggerated. In some cases it's not even necessary to leap at
all but to merely walk off the gear to reach the next one. You will
next have to travel upwards from gear to gear. Medusa heads are
very plentiful here. Once you make your way to the top, go to the right.
In the section just before the boss, there is a 1-up hidden in the upper
right wall.
Boss: Giant skull or Grim Reaper
Depending on whether or not you successfully rescued Annet, the
level 6 boss will change! If you did not rescue her, you will fight a
giant skull. If Annet was saved, the Grim Reaper will appear instead.
Neither boss is easily defeated, although the Grim Reaper does seem
somewhat easier.
Giant skull- The giant skull flies around the screen with seemingly
no boundaries. The skull is difficult to attack in repeated succession
since each time it's damaged it will move to the other side of the
screen. The real threat here are the eyes that leave its head and
attack in a variety of ways. One attack of the eyeballs is to simply
fly around the screen and dart at Richter. This is more challenging
than it seems since the skull itself will occasionally dart at the
player. If you do not keep at the opposite end of the platform that
the skull is on, some of the combined attacks of the eyeballs and
skull are unavoidable. A simple rule is to stay away from each
platform edge to avoid being knocked below. Another attack of
the eyeballs involves them becoming balls of flame and rotating
in a circular motion. Again, it's best to keep a distance from the
edges since at times it is impossible to jump around the eyes.
The last attack is the most difficult to avoid of all. Both eyeballs
fly above and each sends down a lightning beam. If you are between
them, you will be damaged by both beams as they close in on Richter.
The best advice I can give is to get as far away from them as you can
when they start hovering above. If you're quick enough, you can run
under the eyeballs before they start emitting the beams to
prevent being trapped between the two eyes or the edges of the
platform. As with most of the bosses, the boomerang works best
here although the axe is also very effective.
The Grim Reaper attacks in a very simplistic manner, but that doesn't
necessarily make him easy to kill off. He attacks by flying around
the screen along with several indestructible sickles that chase
Richter. A simple rule that should always be followed is: if the
Grim Reaper is on the left side of the platform, quickly make your
way to the right side to avoid being doubled teamed by both him
and the sickles. Continue to blast him with boomerangs while
leaping over his sickles and he will eventually take his second
form. The Grim Reaper's second form is surprising weak. Simply
launch several boomerangs and/or whip him quickly. If you still
had around half of your energy just prior to his second form, you
can simply attack with brute force and you should have no problem
outlasting him.
Stage 7: Count Dracula
This stage doesn't offer any real challenges before the final encounter
with Dracula. This is a good place to collect hearts and equip the
special weapon of your choice.
Boss: Count Dracula
As in every Castlevania so far, Dracula is quite a piece of work.
There's also really no surprise in the way he attacks. Dracula
will appear and disappear above each pillar at random. The
pillars make for a difficult battle ground as it is very easy to
be knocked to your death below. Dracula's weak spot appears
to be just above his pendent but NOT directly at his head.
What makes the encounter with Dracula so tedious is that
it's difficult to achieve multiple attacks at a single time. The best
way to inflict the most damage is to attack Dracula when he is
close to either side of the screen with the boomerang. As the
boomerang is changing direction, it hovers at the edge of the
screen for a short time and can inflict multiple hits on Dracula.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Dracula appears and
disappears very quickly and in only a fraction of that time is
he vulnerable to damage. He also seems to appear at the extreme
edges of the screen, making it even more difficult to launch an
attack. Dracula's own attack comes in two different forms.
Most often he will launch three fireballs that travel horizontally.
This attack is not a particular threat as the fireballs can either
be whipped or leaped over. The second form of attack is much
more difficult to avoid. Two large fireballs are launched at a
very fast speed. These fireballs cannot be destroyed and are very
difficult to leap over given the speed they are traveling and how
far apart they are from each other. If you are on the lowest pillar,
it's best to simply duck if Dracula was on one of the higher pillars
when he launched the fireballs. Attacking and avoiding Dracula
requires a lot of patience and time depending on how lucky you are
in getting in good attacks. When his life bar is completely diminished,
the battle is not over. Dracula takes his second form as a HUGE winged
demon. Hopefully you still have many heart points at this point as the
boomerang can make quick work of his second form. If you do not have
any heart points left, defeating his second form will be extremely
difficult (especially if you have already taken a few hits). His main
attack is to fire flames at Richter. These attacks are pretty
scattered and are difficult to dodge at close range. The flames,
however, can be whipped. When the demon lowers himself, he is
preparing for his second form of attack. A blue projectile is launched
horizontally. It is difficult to judge whether or not this projectile
can be leaped over or simply ducked. This is especially true if the
demon has you cornered in one of the screen edges. This is why
it is VERY important to plan you last attack on Dracula's first form.
Wait until Dracula takes just one hit to finish off his first form.
Destroy him when he appears at one extreme side of play field.
If this is done, you will have plenty of room to attack the second
form and avoid his attacks. If you follow this, you should be able
to destroy Dracula's second form quickly by pummeling him with
boomerangs.