About

<h2>Overview</h2><figure data-align="right" data-img-src="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3693/325703-ss_07.27.2008_03.53.12am.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-325703" data-size="small" data-ratio="0.90041493775934" data-width="482" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 482px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:90.0%" href="https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/3693/325703-ss_07.27.2008_03.53.12am.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-325703"><img alt=" Sonia Belmont, the game's main protagonist" src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/0/3693/325703-ss_07.27.2008_03.53.12am.jpg" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/0/3693/325703-ss_07.27.2008_03.53.12am.jpg 482w, https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_medium/0/3693/325703-ss_07.27.2008_03.53.12am.jpg 480w, https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/0/3693/325703-ss_07.27.2008_03.53.12am.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" data-width="320"></a><figcaption> Sonia Belmont, the game's main protagonist</figcaption></figure><p>Castlevania Legends (known in Japan as <em>Akumajou Dracula: Dark Night Prelude</em>, the former sub-title loosely translated to "Devil's Castle Dracula") is a 2D horror-fantasy action platformer developed by <a href="/konami-computer-entertainment-nagoya-co-ltd/3010-3908/" data-ref-id="3010-3908">KCE Nagoya</a> and published by <a href="/konami-corporation/3010-87/" data-ref-id="3010-87">Konami</a> for the <a href="/game-boy/3045-3/" data-ref-id="3045-3">Game Boy</a> in Japan (on November 27, 1997), North America (on March 11, 1998), and Europe (in 1998).</p><p>A spiritual successor to <a href="/castlevania-ii-belmonts-revenge/3030-16921/" data-ref-id="3030-16921">Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge</a>, Legends is a non-canonical prelude to the <a href="/castlevania/3025-86/" data-ref-id="3025-86">Castlevania</a> series. Set in the year 1450, players control <a href="/sonia-belmont/3005-74/" data-ref-id="3005-74">Sonia Belmont</a> (the mother of <a href="/trevor-belmont/3005-33/" data-ref-id="3005-33">Trevor Belmont</a> from <a href="/castlevania-iii-draculas-curse/3030-19328/" data-ref-id="3030-19328">Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse</a>), as she becomes the first in the Belmont line of <a href="/vampire-hunter/3015-3832/" data-ref-id="3015-3832">vampire hunters</a> to hunt down the evil <a href="/dracula/3005-348/" data-ref-id="3005-348">Count Dracula</a> (with help from Dracula's deserted son, <a href="/alucard/3005-646/" data-ref-id="3005-646">Alucard</a>).</p><h2>Gameplay</h2><p>Castlevania Legends packs in many more game mechanics than either of its predecessors did, perhaps combined. Along with the upgradeable whip and rope slide featured in <a href="/castlevania-ii-belmonts-revenge/3030-16921/" data-ref-id="3030-16921">Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge</a>, Sonia is offered the following abilities:</p><p><strong>Burning Mode</strong> - pressing both buttons renders Sonia invincible for a short period of time, and gives her the ability to do double damage. This ability is limited to once per life on a given stage and is governed by a countdown meter.</p><p><strong>Crouching Walk</strong> - Sonia can pass through low barriers by walking forward as she crouches. This is the same ability Simon Belmont has in <a href="/super-castlevania-iv/3030-11443/" data-ref-id="3030-11443">Castlevania IV</a> for the <a href="/super-nintendo-entertainment-system/3045-9/" data-ref-id="3045-9">Super NES</a>.</p><p><strong>Soul Weapons</strong> - Sonia can use five different magical attacks, which take the place of the traditional sub-weapons in Castlevania lore and the mere two sub-weapons from Belmont's Revenge. Instead, the Axe, Holy Water, Cross Boomerang, Dagger, and Time Stopper are special collectibles that you need to find in order to get the "real" ending.</p><p><strong>Air Control</strong> - Unlike the 8-bit Belmonts featured in games prior, Sonia has some amount of air control while jumping. There's not quite enough to allow her to easily jump onto a platform directly over her head (though it may be possible with precision timing), but it does offer the player enough to avoid some enemy contact or prevent overshooting a jump.</p><p>Castlevania Legends also offers vertically-scrolling areas, where the majority--if not all--of the previous two games achieved vertical progression screen-by-screen.</p><p>The level design is mostly linear but has some path divergences where you can find the aforementioned special collectibles, one-ups, et cetera. These divergences are more than single-screen hidden areas, such that you'll veer off the beaten path for a short distance, though not enough to get you lost. There are also trap areas triggered by striking certain candles, landing you into a pit of respawning zombies that you must continue to slay until they're all gone, at which point you're returned to the room above.</p>