Castlevania 64 is a generally bad game and a borderline embarrassment to the series. It’s clunky, silly and comes off as a third-rate Ocarina of Time clone.

This is the general opinion fans, and even longtime Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi, have on Castlevania on the N64. The game is shunned where Konami actually removed the game from the series canon and timeline. Ouch.

Is it that bad of a game? After all, with the benefit of hindsight, anything can be considered a masterpiece. Unfortunately, Castlevania on the N64 does not fit into that category, but it is not the absolute disaster fans make it out to be.

Castlevania on the N64 tries the adventure game format once again
Konami tried experimenting a little bit and decided to go with an adventure game. Instead of a linear platforming experience, Castlevania on the N64 takes a few feathers out of Legend of Zelda and the then-burgeoning survival horror genre. To be honest, it doesn’t really work.

For a series that has always been about platforming and having a very organized feel, the game just feels way too open and lifeless. It feels too much like a slow-paced dungeon crawler. There are parts of the game where there are just a few enemies and you running around. The courtyards around the castle and the wastelands surrounding it are barren. It does not feel like a Castlevania game at all. It feels empty and unfinished, rather than spooky.

The game gives the player a chance to choose their character. Reinhardt Schneider, who is a relative of the Belmonts and Carrie Fernandez, a teenage girl who wields magic. Schneider is just awkward to play as, as his whip only faces forward. Carrie’s magic is incredibly useful because it works more like a projectile. Regardless, the controls for both characters are still troublesome.

Castlevania on the N64 comes off very stiff in its controls, and jumping is easily one of the most difficult things to do in the game. Jumping was always weird in the 2D games, but now it comes off as an aspect that’s going against the player. It does not help the in-game camera is not friendly.

Castlevania is known for having a great library of songs. Castlevania on the N64 barely has any songs at all. They are mostly just atmospheric droning. Although the violin theme at the title screen is chilling.

Is there anything good about this game?
Does Castlevania on the N64 have any positives? Yes, actually. Castlevania on the N64 actually looks good for the time being. Characters aren’t a weird mix of polygons and textures are nice and smooth.

The game has some creativity behind it, both in the story and the strange enemy types. Castlevania on the N64 attempts to tell a grand story with references to the novel. There is a wide cast of characters, all of whom add to the story, as well. Granted, it boils down to “vampire hunter v. Dracula.” However, attempting to have a narrative told in an RPG format is bold.

Some of the strange enemy types include the infamous motorcycle riding skeletons and the chainsaw-wielding gardener. It still does not make the experience any better, but at least Konami tried to give the game a personality.

At the end of the day, Castlevania on the N64 is a failed experiment. It does not control well, gameplay is boring and it does not even feel like a Castlevania game. However, players can’t say Konami did not try and do something genuinely creative.