History VideoGame / Castlevania64

Most players think the games hit the PolygonCeiling really hard, especially in light of the recent release of the critical darling, ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''. [[WordOfGod Koji Igarashi]], himself, effectively struck them from his official canon at the same time he disowned ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLegends'', but he seems to have warmed up to them significantly in later years -- they were both included in the more recent publications of the ''[=CV=]'' timelines (though [[BroadStrokes minus the descriptions]]), and ''Legacy of Darkness'' star Cornell has roles in both ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment Judgment]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow Lords of Shadow]]''.

''Castlevania 64'' (Japanese: ''Akumajō Dorakyura Mokushiroku'', "Demon Castle Dracula Apocalypse") was the [[VideoGame3DLeap first 3D entry]] in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' franchise, one that was later given an UpdatedRerelease known as ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLegacyOfDarkness'', which both included a prequel sequence, somewhat expanded and remixed levels, and improved upon the controls.

Actually, this game's proper name is merely ''[[RecycledTitle Castlevania]]''; [[SuperTitle64Advance the "64" is only added]] to differentiate it from [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaI the oft-remade adventure of Simon Belmont]]. For clarity's sake, however, we'll stick with tacking on the "64" moniker.

* AndNowYouMustMarryMe: Malus forces a marriage proposal upon Carrie [[spoiler: in the bad ending]], making the young witch very uncomfortable with how sudden it it. Eventually at his insistence she concedes to think about it when they're older. [[spoiler:Malus smirks that a [[DealWithTheDevil binding contract]] has now been made.]]

* LateArrivalSpoiler: [[spoiler:Malus is actually reborn Dracula, the one you fight in the Castle Keep is just an impostor.]]

* DealWithTheDevil: Buy too much stuff from Renon and you'll have to fight him later when he comes to collect his "payment".

* DifficultySpike: The nitro/mandragora escort business; before it, you are happily [[WhipItGood whipping]] or [[MagicMissile magic missiling]] enemies on your path, but now you have to ''carefully'' move a dangerous item along a hazardous path.

* Expy: Charlie Vincent, an elderly, knowledgeable and a bit too proud Vampire Hunter is, in this game, an expy of Abraham Van Helsing, the character in Bram Stoker's Dracula novel, the elderly professor who holds all the knowledge about Dracula and the supernatural that the heroes need to defeat the Count. Likewise, Charlie's knowledge serves to prevent Reinhardt and Carrie from being deceived by Dracula in the good ending.

* ShoutOut: Renon is a very obvious shout out to actor Creator/JeanReno, Carrie's name is in all likelihood a reference to the Stephen King novel "Carrie" about a young girl with telekinetic powers and Charlie Vincent is a homage to both Abraham Van Helsing from the original Dracula novel by Bram Stoken and to actor Vincent Price, who was renowned for his roles in horror movies. Finally, the Gardener is not only an obvious reference to Frankenstein, but his chainsaw-for-a-hand gimmick is a nod to Ash Williams from Evil Dead.

** Skeletons on motorcycles...in the 19th century (the earliest prototypes were created in 1885, but even that is later than this game takes place). And some of them have a buddy in a sidecar wielding a machinegun!

* ShoutOut: Renon is a very obvious shout out to actor Jean Reno, Carrie's name is in all likelihood a reference to the Stephen King novel "Carrie" about a young girl with telekinetic powers and Charlie Vincent is a homage to both Abraham Van Helsing from the original Dracula novel by Bram Stoken and to actor Vincent Price, who was renowned for his roles in horror movies. Finally, the Gardener is not only an obvious reference to Frankenstein, but his chainsaw-for-a-hand gimmick is a nod to Ash Williams from Evil Dead.

* ThemeTuneCameo: In the intro to the game, Malus plays a haunting song on his violin. The song is actually a DarkReprise of "Opposing Bloodlines" from ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Rondo of Blood]]'', with a slower tempo.

* DisappointedByTheMotive: Actrise tells [[KidHero Carrie Fernandez,]] right before their fight, about the [[OffingTheOffspring time she slew her own child in attempt to gain immortality,]] Carrie quickly responds by calling it pathetic in contrast to her(Carrie's) stepmother making a sacrifice to save her stepchild's life.

** Skeletons on motorcycles...in the 19th century (the earliest prototypes were created in 1885, but even that is later than this game takes place). And some of them have a buddy in a sidecar wielding a machinegun! [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C0xI41RtaU And this is lampshaded by]] WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd.

->''"Whatever awaits, I have no regrets."''
-->-- '''Carrie Fernandez'''

''Castlevania 64'' (Japanese: ''Akumajō Dorakyura Mokushiroku'', "Demon Castle Dracula Apocalypse") was the [[VideoGame3DLeap first 3D entry]] in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' franchise, one that was later given an UpdatedRerelease known as ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLegacyOfDarkness''.

Most players think they hit the PolygonCeiling really hard, especially in light of the recent release of the critical darling, ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''. [[WordOfGod Koji Igarashi]], himself, effectively struck them from his official canon at the same time he disowned ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLegends'', but he seems to have warmed up to them significantly in later years -- they were both included in the more recent publications of the ''[=CV=]'' timelines (though [[BroadStrokes minus the descriptions]]), and ''Legacy of Darkness'' star Cornell has roles in both ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment Judgment]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow Lords of Shadow]]''.

Most players think they hit the PolygonCeiling really hard, especially in light of the recent release of the critical darling, ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''. [[WordOfGod Koji Igarashi]], himself, effectively struck them from the official canon at the same time he disowned ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLegends'', but he seems to have warmed up to them significantly in later years -- they were both included in the more recent publications of the ''[=CV=]'' timelines (though [[BroadStrokes minus the descriptions]]), and ''Legacy of Darkness'' star Cornell has roles in both ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment Judgment]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow Lords of Shadow]]''.