History Videogame / CastlevaniaBloodlines

* DeathDealer: A more literal example than most, in that {{Death}} uses tarot cards during his first phase.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
** Although the reference is pretty obvious, the BigBad is called Elizabeth ''Bartley'', not UsefulNotes/ElizabethBathory... in the English versions. In the original Japanese, her surname is clearly an attempt at a phonetic rendering of "Bathory", バートリー or "Baatorii".
** Drolta Tzuentes is called Drotia Tzuentes in the European manual, which is closer to Dorottya Szentes, a servant of Bathory, and the Japanese spelling of her first name ドロテア is indeed prononced "Dorotea", making the intent clear.
** The European manual also gives the name "Kincy Morris" to Quincy Morris and "Belmond Family" to the House of Belmont, likely due to it being written/pronounced as "Berumondo" in Japanese.

* {{Bishonen}}: Eric Lecarde, especially in the Japanese version.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: In the Japanese version, Eric has a {{bishonen}} look, while in the American and European versions (except on the boxart), Eric's face was changed to [[RatedMForManly look more barbarian-like]]. Also, instead of Boomerang Crosses, it's a Bladed Boomerang, and there's no hearts, just [[PowerCrystal crystals]].

* BladeOnAStick: Appropriately vague, since Lecarde's weapon could become a spear, an axe-head spear, ''or'' a trident.

* WhipItGood: Morris steps in to keep this a ''Castlevania'' game.

* CrusadingWidower: Eric Lecarde was driven to vengeance following his fiancee Lucy Seward's[[note]]or Gwendolyn [[DubNameChange as she is called in the American Manual[[/note]]]] vampirization by Elizabeth Bartley.

* BlindIdiotTranslation: For once, ''both'' sides of the Pacific got this. ** Eric's spear is supposed to be the [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse Alucard]] Spear, but the game instead calls it the [[RougeAnglesOfSatin Alcarde]] Spear (or "[[TakeAThirdOption Witches]] Spear" in the European manual). Subsequent games corrected it.

* BlindIdiotTranslation: For once, ''both'' sides of the Pacific got this. Eric's spear is supposed to be the [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse Alucard]] Spear, but the game instead calls it the [[RougeAnglesOfSatin Alcarde]] Spear (or "[[TakeAThirdOption Witches]] Spear" in the European manual). Subsequent games corrected it. Additionally, Eric's last name is spelled in English as "Lecarde", but is spelled in Japanese as リカード (pronounced as "Rikaado"). This implies that his name is supposed to be "Ricardo," but that name is normally spelled in kana as リカルド ("Rikarudo"), as the "R" in Spanish (as Eric is a Spaniard) is more pronounced than in English. Then the female villains also got their names garbled in the English translation despite that their Japanese names indicate they're supposed to be {{Historical Domain Character}}s, thus making them seem like [[{{Expy}} Expies]] of those figures instead. "Bathory" in particular becomes the completely different real name "Bartley".

* BlindIdiotTranslation: For once, ''both'' sides of the Pacific got this. Eric's spear is supposed to be the [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse Alucard]] Spear, but the game instead calls it the [[RougeAnglesOfSatin Alcarde]] Spear (or "[[TakeAThirdOption Witches]] Spear" in the European manual). Subsequent games corrected it. Additionally, Eric's last name is spelled in English as "Lecarde", but is spelled in Japanese as リカード (pronounced as "Rikaado"). This implies that his name is supposed to be "Ricardo," but that name is normally spelled in kana as リカルド ("Rikarudo"), as the "R" in Spanish (as Eric is a Spaniard) is more pronounced than in English. Then the female villains also got their names garbled in the English translation despite that their Japanese names indicate they're supposed to be HistoricalDomainCharacters, thus making them seem like {{Expy Expies}} of those figures instead. "Bathory" in particular becomes the completely different real name "Bartley".

* BlindIdiotTranslation: For once, ''both'' sides of the Pacific got this. Eric's spear is supposed to be the [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse Alucard]] Spear, but the game instead calls it the [[RougeAnglesOfSatin Alcarde]] Spear (or "[[TakeAThirdOption Witches]] Spear" in the European manual). Subsequent games corrected it. Additionally, Eric's last name is spelled in English as "Lecarde", but is spelled in Japanese as リカード (pronounced as "Rikaado"). This implies that his name is supposed to be "Ricardo," but that name is normally spelled in kana as リカルド ("Rikarudo"), as the "R" in Spanish (as Eric is a Spaniard) is more pronounced than in English.

** Also, Drolta Tzuentes was based on on Bathory's real-life servant, Dorottya Szentes.

** Although the reference is pretty obvious, the BigBad is called Elizabeth '''Bartley''', not UsefulNotes/ElizabethBathory.
** Drolta Tzuentes is called Drotia Tzuentes in the European manual, which is closer to Dorottya Szentes, a servant of Bathory.
** The European manual also gives the name "Kincy Morris" to Quincy Morris and "Belmond Family" to House of Belmont.

* CrusadingWidower: Eric Lecarde was driven to vengeance following his fiancee Gwendolyn's vampirization by Elizabeth Bartley.[[note]]Gwendolyn is only named in the American manual, and is specified to be Eric's fiancee in the European and Japanese manuals.[[/note]]

Strangely, compared to contemporary console ''Castlevania'' games, ''Bloodlines'' [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes suffered from a dearth of ports/rereleases]] until 2019, when SEGA announced the [[http://genesismini.sega.com/ SEGA Genesis Mini]], with ''Bloodlines'' being one of the first titles to be revealed, and when Konami announced ''Bloodlines'' as part of ''Castlevania Anniversary Collection''. This game is also one of the included games in Nintendo Switch Online's library of Sega Genesis games.

* CrusadingWidower: Eric Lecarde was driven to vengeance following his fiancee Gwendolin's vampirization by Elizabeth Bartley.[[note]]Gwendolin is only named in the American manual, and is specified to be Eric's fiance in the European and Japanese manuals.[[/note]]

Strangely, compared to contemporary console ''Castlevania'' games, ''Bloodlines'' [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes suffered from a dearth of ports/rereleases]] until 2019, when SEGA announced the [[http://genesismini.sega.com/ SEGA Genesis Mini]], with ''Bloodlines'' being one of the first titles to be revealed, and when Konami announced ''Bloodlines'' as part of ''Castlevania Anniversary Collection''.

* AllThereInTheManual: The plot is explained in the game's manual.

It's the early 20th century, and [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the first World War]] has begun. The conflict has been orchestrated by the vampire Elizabeth Bartley so she can use the countless souls of the fallen to [[HereWeGoAgain raise Dracula from the dead]]. With no Belmonts in sight, the duty falls on John Morris — son of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Quincy Morris]] — and Eric Lecarde — inheritor of the Alucard Spear — to stop Elizabeth from resurrecting Dracula once again. Their journey takes the duo all across Europe and not just Transylvania, leading to the game having some unique level locations for a ''Castlevania'' title.

* BlackKnight: Armor Battler/Drolta's Mecha Knight plays with this trope. It has the appearance down, and is implied to act as something of a bodyguard for Drolta, but is subverted in that it really isn't that powerful, nor does it have any big reveal behind it, but In-Universe it was considered strong/important enough to guard the ruins of Dracula's castle and the final hallway before the BossRush on the last level. On a humorous note, during the first boss fight, [[TheDeterminator its continuous attempts to try and find ways to kill the player after more and more of its limbs keep getting knocked off]] [[ShoutOut heavily invokes]] [[Film/MontyPythonandTheHolyGrail a certain famous Black Knight]].

* ClockworkCreature: A few of the enemies and bosses might be this, like the beetle enemy in the munitions factory level, and the Armor Battler/Drolta's Mecha Knight. Gear Steamer could count as a very literal example of this trope.
* CrusadingWidower: Depending on what language your manual is in, Eric became a vampire hunter following the death of his girlfriend, fiancee, or simply ''the love of his life''.

* TheDragon: Drolta Tzuentes, who is actually the second-to-last boss after John/Eric defeated Dracula's first form, despite what the American manual says.

It's the early 20th century, and [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the first World War]] has begun. The conflict has been orchestrated by the vampire Elizabeth Bartley so she can use the countless souls of the fallen to [[HereWeGoAgain raise Dracula from the dead]]. With no Belmonts in sight, the duty falls on John Morris — son of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Quincey Morris]] — and Eric Lecarde — inheritor of the Alucard Spear — to stop Elizabeth from resurrecting Dracula once again. Their journey takes the duo all across Europe and not just Transylvania, leading to the game having some unique level locations for a ''Castlevania'' title.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: In the Japanese and European versions, Eric has a {{bishonen}} look, while in the American version, Eric's face was changed to [[RatedMForManly look more barbarian-like]]. Also, instead of Boomerang Crosses, it's a Bladed Boomerang, and there's no hearts, just [[PowerCrystal crystals]]

* {{Bishonen}}: Eric Lecarde in the Japanese and European version.

* BlindIdiotTranslation: For once, ''both'' sides of the Pacific got this. Eric's last name is spelled in English as "Lecarde", but is spelled in Japanese kana as リカード (pronounced as "Rikaado"). This implies that his name is supposed to be "Ricardo," but that name is normally spelled in kana as リカルド ("Rikarudo"), as the "R" in Spanish (as Eric is a Spaniard) is more pronounced than in English.

* DubNameChange:
** Johnny to John, though it's not too different compared to other examples.
** Eric's spear became the Alcarde Spear due to a mistranslation. You can imagine the EpilepticTrees this caused.

* GoroawaseNumber: The number 573 (ko-na-mi) is used to activate an EasterEgg via the option menu. [[spoiler: Setting the BGM to 05 and SE to 073 before exiting activates [[CallBack remixed music from the NES ''Castlevania'' trilogy]] after collecting enough power-ups.]]
* HappyDance: If you die during the [[spoiler: Gear Steamer (the Stage 4 boss)]] battle, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments it will celebrate by spinning around and raising its hands in joy]].

* HeroicLineage: ''Bloodlines'' is the first Castlevania game where protagonists don't bear the Belmont surname, though the Morrises are still somehow related to the Belmonts. Much later, ''Judgement'' also said Eric Lecarde is also somehow related to the Belmonts. In his own right, John is also the son of Quincey Morris, one of the heroes of Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (though his name is spelled Quincy in the game, and he didn't have a son in the novel) and in turn John had a son named Jonathan who appears in ''Portrait of Ruin''.

** Less obvious is Drolta Tzuentes, whose name is meant to be that of Dorottya Szentes.
** Eric's last name is alternately spelled as either Lecarde or Ricardo.

* [[HijackedByGanon HijackedByDracula]]: [[spoiler:Dracula turns out to be behind this plot, and he is the game's final boss]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: How in the '''hell''' did [[{{Gorn}} this]] get a GA rating under Sega's rating system?

* BloodierAndGorier: Out of all the Classicvanias, this one had the most blood in it by far. Though, coming from a Sega Genesis game, this is [[VideoGame/{{Splatterhouse}} hardly]] [[VideoGame/MortalKombat surprising]]. Yet somehow it got an "all audiences" rating.

It's the early 20th century, and [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the first World War]] has begun. The conflict has been orchestrated by the vampire Elizabeth Bartley so she can use the countless souls of the fallen to [[HereWeGoAgain raise Dracula from the dead]]. With no Belmonts in sight, the duty falls on John Morris — son of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Quincey Morris]] — and Eric Lecarde — inheritor of the Alucard Spear — to stop Elizabeth from resurrecting Dracula once again.

The game's storyline continues in 2006's ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin]]''.

Strangely, compared to contemporary console ''Castlevania'' games, ''Bloodlines'' [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes suffered from a dearth of ports/rereleases]]...until 2019, when SEGA announced the [[http://genesismini.sega.com/ SEGA Genesis Mini]], with ''Bloodlines'' being one of the first titles to be revealed, and when Konami announced ''Bloodlines'' as part of ''Castlevania Anniversary Collection''.

* AllThereInTheManual: The plot.

* {{Hunk}}: John Morris

* SuperDrowningSkills: A little relaxed by this series' standards; falling into water doesn't kill you unless you fall off the screen; it simply causes you to take heavy damage. If you have low enough health however, it will kill you.

* HeroicLineage: ''Bloodlines'' is the first Castlevania game where protagonists don't bear the Belmont surname, though the Morrises are still somehow related to the Belmonts. Much later, ''Judgement'' also said Eric Lecarde is also somehow related to the Belmonts. In his own right, John is also the son of Quincey Morris, one of the heroes of Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (though the name is spelled Quincy, and he didn't have a son in the novel) and in turn he had a son named Jonathan who appears in ''Portrait of Ruin''.