Walkthrough - Guide for Castlevania: The Adventure

The CastleVania Adventure Walkthrough
by "MEGAMUR" Best
Originally Written on September 13, 1999
Last Revision: February 13, 2001

  One of the most difficult CastleVania games I've played is "CastleVania: The
Adventure" for the Game Boy. While the whole CastleVania series is known for
it's high difficulty (and sometimes frustration) factor, this game seemed to
stand out as being very intolerable. That's why I thought people needed my
help. While I may not be an expert at the game, in my all-time best game of
"CastleVania: The Adventure", I managed to finish it within 40 minutes, losing
only one life and having ten extra lives at the end (I'd say that was pretty
good). And, I pretty much know every trick and tactic neccessary to beat the
game. That's why I wrote this walkthrough. It has very comprehensive,
step-by-step instructions and strategies, so be prepared to read alot! Let's
get started!

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Table of Contents
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Section 1- Controls
Section 2- Items
Section 3- Enemies
Section 4- CastleVania: The Walkthrough
  STAGE 1
  STAGE 2
  STAGE 3
  STAGE 4
Section 5- SECRETS!
Section 6- Conclusion

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Section 1- Controls
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  Just in case you aren't familiar with it, here's the all-too-simple control
scheme of CastleVania Adventure:

+Control Pad-
   Left- Walk left.
   Right- Walk right.
   Up- Climb ropes.
   Down- Duck.

Button A- Jump up. Press left or right and A together to jump left or right.

Button B- Attack in front of you with your whip. This can be used while
jumping. To whip at the height of your jump, press A+B simultaneously.

Select- No use.

Start- Used to start game or pause.

No sweat, huh?

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Section 2- Items
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  Throughout CastleVania Adventure, you'll see many candles hanging from walls.
Hit these with your whip or fireballs to destroy them, and make an item pop
out! He's a short list of items you can obtain from candles, and what they do:

Coin- Gives you extra bonus points.

Heart- Restores some lost health.

Flashing Heart- Restores all of your health!

Crystal Ball- Whip upgrade. Pick one up when you have the basic leather
"Mystical Whip" to gain a chain "Vampire Killer" whip, which is significantly
stronger. Pick up another when you have the chain whip to make your whip shoot
out fireballs when you attack with it! You'll need Crystal Balls often because
you lose one level of whip upgrades every time you are hit.

Flashing Crystal Ball- Summons the boss of that stage. Sorry, but you have to
fight bosses in order to finish the game!

1-up- Rare. Pick one up to gain a precious extra life!

All items take effect the moment you pick them up. Pick them up by walking or
jumping through them. Simple!

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Section 3- Enemies
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  During your journey, you'll encounter many fiendish fiends who are just
itching to make our hero's life miserable. Here's a list of them, and a short
description of each:

Mudman- The first enemy you'll encounter. They drip down from the sky and
ceilings as large blobs, splat down on the floor, form into living mud people,
and shamble toward you. Mudmen are very slow and weak, and should give you
little trouble.

Creeper- Short little guys that run around pretty fast and jump high. They are
a bit more powerful than Mudmen, and can be difficult to see at times. Still,
they aren't very common, and shouldn't hassle you all that much.

Rolling Eyeball- Giant eyes that roll toward you at a reasonably speedy rate.
These disgusting things can be quite a problem at times. While they are very
weak, they are quick and large, which makes them very difficult to avoid. The
resulting explosion from killing one of these can destroy certain floors (hint,
hint!).

Eagle- Quite a pain. They fly onto the screen at high speeds, only to swoop
down unexpectantly and ram you. While very fast, it takes very little to kill
them. Thank heaven for small favors.

Bat- And you thought the Eagles were bad! Bats flutter around you in an
unpredictable pattern, making them difficult to hit, but even more difficult to
avoid! They can't take very much abuse, though. If several of them surround
you, you're in BIG trouble.

Spitter- Also known as "Punaguchi", these are probably the most deadly and
annoying enemies you'll encounter during this game. Why? Because they spit out
large, extremely fast fireballs that bounce off of walls, floors, and ceilings,
that's why! The fireballs can be destroyed with one hit, but actually managing
to hit them without getting yourself killed is easier said than done. Plus, the
fireballs have poor hit detection, which means that they don't even have to
touch you sometimes to hit you! And, when they do hit you (which they will),
they keep on going, and can bounce right back, and hit you over and over again!
Spitters also take a good amount of punishment before going down. You'll learn
to hate these things.

Nightstalker- Also known as "Zeldo", these are probably the second worst
enemies in the game! They move slowly, but take extreme amounts of punishment,
and throw fast-moving hooks that curve and fly back toward the creature when
they go a certain distance. Keep on your toes around these things!

Worm- Located in stage 3 only, Worms will have you falling onto spikes over and
over again. They squirm slowly across the ground, but are hard to jump over due
to their size. If you hit them with anything less than a chain whip (like a
leather whip or fireballs), they'll roll into a ball and roll away at high
speeds. But, if they run into a wall during this time, they'll bounce off and
come rolling right back at you! Not taking damage when this occurs is
difficult, and if you do get hit, there's a good chance you'll get flung right
off the platform you're standing on...to an untimely doom! Be careful!

Knight- Located at the beginning of stage 4 only, they seem like harmless suits
of armor at first...until they step out and attack with their spears! While
they're reasonably mobile and take a good amount of damage, it's the element of
surprise that really make Knights deadly. You never know when they'll become
active and attack!

Giant- The boss of stage 1, as well as a normal enemy in stage 4 (yeesh...),
the Giant is not a creature you want to play with. It's gigantic spear can hit
both high and low with surprising range, and it's thick armor makes it
difficult to damage, as well as fireball-resistant! While utterly slow, it
won't be long before the Giant corners you....

Moles- The boss...well, bosses of stage 2. They launch themselves out of holes
in the wall with great speed. While extremely weak, they are very fast and
small, which makes it as difficult to hit them as to avoid them. Plus, you've
got to kill twenty of them! A max. power whip will greatly improve your chances
of survival.

Bat Knight- Stage 3's boss, the Bat Knight, is a relatively weak creature with
a predictable attack pattern. If you have a chain whip, you can make short work
of this thing. A well-deserved easy boss battle for beating stage 3!

Count Dracula- Stage 4's boss. The big kahuna. Not only is he the mastermind
behind all of this madness, he's also the toughest enemy in the game! Nothing
can prepare you for this, your final battle...except maybe this walkthrough!

Thorough strategies for fending off these creatures can be found throughout
section 4, "CastleVania: The Walkthrough".

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Section 4- CastleVania: The Walkthrough
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  Here's all those comprehensive, step-by-step instructions I was talking about
earlier. In this section, you'll find strategies to beat every stage in the
game, as well as how to beat every enemy, every boss, and find the secret areas
lying within each level! Enjoy!


STAGE 1

Mini-map:
                  _________________________
1-7              |_________________________| BOSS
1-6              |_____|
1-5                 |__|
1-4         ________|__|
1-3        |___________|
1-2  ______|____|
1-1 |___________|

1-1
  Your journey starts in the woods outside of the castle, but that doesn't mean
things will be any easier out here than inside the castle. When you start out,
don't hit the first candle. If you don't hit it, a 1-up will appear in a candle
later in the stage. Head forward, and watch the top of the screen for anything
falling down toward you. It's mud, and, when it hits the ground, it forms into
a mudman. Mudmen are very slow and only take one hit from any whip or a
fireball to destroy them. If one does fall down, stop and let it hit the
ground, then duck and hit it with your whip. Continue looking out for those
until you get to the next room. The next enemy you'll see is a little guy I
call a "creeper". If you hit it with a powered-up chain whip, you'll destroy
it. But, if you hit it with a leather whip or a fireball from a full-powered
whip, it will fly backwards then jump back at you. Watch out! Fight off these
guys, and head up to the next room.

1-2
  Next, you'll meet a new foe, the rolling eyeball. These things are pretty
quick and are hard to jump over, and, if you get past one, another one is sure
to be on it's way! One hit will destroy them, though. Keep heading left,
whipping the candles along the way. Right before the rope up to the next room
will be two more candles. If you didn't hit the first candle at the beginning
of the game like I told you to, a 1-up will be in the first one! The next one
will have a cross in it, which will make you invincible for a short period. Go
up to the next room.

1-3
  Even though you should be invincible now, don't get careless. Head right and
deal with the creepers. But, listen out for a squeeking sound. If you hear one,
look at the top of the screen for a new enemy, the eagle. It will fly to the
left, over top of you, until it reaches the end of the screen, then it will
swoop down toward you and attack! If you see one, wait for it to swoop down to
your level and whip it, while standing still, when it flies down low enough.
Timing is critical in this game since Christopher (the hero of this game) whips
a bit slower than his ancestors. Whipping right when the eagle starts swooping
downward should nail it. Keep heading right and go up to the next room.

1-4
  Climb to the top of the rope, jump off to the left and hit the candle to get
a cross to protect you from the rolling eyeballs. Head up to the next room.

1-5
  Go right and make sure to hit the second candle. It has another cross in it
which will see you through to the next room.

1-6 (SECRET!)
  Keep climbing up the rope, when you reach the ceiling, keep climbing. You'll
go through it, and find a secret room housing four candles, each with valuable
items in them, including another 1-up! Collect all the prizes, and climb back
down the rope. Then, go left. There aren't many enemies in this room, just a
few creepers. They can, sometimes, be difficult to distinguish from the
background, though, so be careful.

1-7
  If you have a fully-powered, fireball-shooting whip, you can knock out both
of the candles at the beginning of the room with fireballs. The one closest to
you holds a whip upgrade, while the other holds yet another 1-up! If you don't
have a fully powered whip, you can't get the 1-up, but you can still get the
whip upgrade by jumping down and whipping it on the way. The next area is
dangerous. It's a long stretch where mudmen (those things that dropped down on
you at the beginning of the level) and eagles attack. Watch the top of the
screen for them, and dispose of them as mentioned before. Next, you'll climb up
and have to jump over a wide pit using a series of platforms. Be careful. These
platforms fall as soon as you land on them, so jump to the next platform as
quickly as possible. Here's an important tip that will be necessary for beating
this game. When making jumps, try to get as close to the edge of the platform
you're standing on before you jump. Try making it that only one foot is on the
platform before you jump. But, don't do that when dealing with falling
platforms. You don't have enough time to reach the edge of the platform before
it plummets off the screen! The next section deals with thin blocks you must
hop across. It also deals with a new foe, the bat. Bats have an erratic flight
pattern which makes them difficult to hit. Dispose of them before jumping
across the blocks. Be patient while making the jumps. If you fall, you'll have
to walk back to the left and start over. There are items in the candles below
the blocks, but ignore them. Making it across the blocks is more important.
Keep going right and hit the candle. An orb will fall out of it. Pick it up to
fight the boss.

STAGE 1 BOSS
  The boss with slowly lumber toward you from the left. It may be slow, but
it's very strong, and has a spear that can hit you both high and low. Fireballs
simply bounce off it, so, you'll have to attack it directly. Try to just barely
get in attacking distance of the thing. Hit it once or twice, then retreat
quickly before it attacks. When it corners you on the right side of the screen,
use the platforms to jump over it and attack from the other side. When it's
defeated, you'll go on to stage 2.

STAGE 2

Mini-map:
     _________________
2-1 |_________________|
2-2                |__|
2-3                |__|
2-4                |__|________________________
2-5                |___________________________|
2-6                                         |__|
2-7                                         |__|
2-8                                         |__|
2-9                                         |__|
2-10                                        |__|__
2-11                                        |_____|
BOSS                                           |__|

2-1
  When you start out, you'll see several bats hanging from the ceiling guarding
a candle. That candle contains a cross, but, it's not usually a good idea to
get it. When you go to the right, the bats will swoop down to attack. Try
running past them. You'll probably take damage, but you'd probably take even
more damage if you tried to fight them. But, if a bat keeps bugging you and
won't get out of your way, kill it. The same goes for the next set of bats up
ahead. Next, you'll meet a new enemy that I call a "spitter". Spitters are some
of the deadliest enemies in the game. They spit out large, fast moving
fireballs that bounce around the room until they go off the screen and, even
then, they might still come back. They can also take alot of punishment! You'll
have to hit them four times with fireballs or the leather whip, or about two
times with a chain whip. Dodge or, if possible, destroy their fireballs and
attack them. After you destroy the second one, head toward the next area, but
stop before you drop down. An off-screen spitter will shoot a fireball down
toward you. Once the fireball leaves the screen, drop down to next area. You
now have two choices. Keep heading right and fight a new enemy I call a
"nightstalker", or go up the rope and fight a spitter. I usually opt for the
spitter since it's easier to kill, and the candles behind it contain some
health items, while the nightstalker is tougher to kill, and the candles he
guards only have some coins in them. But, if you decide to go and fight the
nightstalker, here's how to defeat it. These guys throw fast little hooks at
you which fly out, turn around and return to him. You'll know when he's about
to attack when he stops walking. If he's standing and he throws one, duck under
it, then, when it turns around, jump over it on it's return trip. If he ducks
and throws, do the opposite; jump, then duck. Be careful. These hooks take out
two bars of health with each hit. Nightstalkers can also take alot of hits. 3
to 5 hits are neccessary to take them down. But, no matter with path you take,
you'll eventually end up going down to the next room.

2-2
  This room has another deadly spitter in it. Destroy it, and head left onto
the falling platform. When it falls, wait until it's low enough, then, jump to
the right. Go down to....

2-3
  This area has another set of falling platforms in it with a candle suspended
above one. Ignore the candle. If you hit it, it will slow you down, and cause
you to miss your jump. When you make it across, go down.

2-4
  Two spitters reside here. Deal with them as normal, and go down to the next
room.

2-5
  This area can be difficult if you're not careful. It consists of a long
stretch of bridges will rolling eyeballs rolling across them. Now, this,
normally, wouldn't be much of a problem, except for the fact that the eyes are
highly explosive. If you destroy one, they'll leave a large hole in the bridge.
To deal with the eyes, jump over the ones heading toward you, and attack the
ones that come from behind. Be careful, though. The eyes are difficult to jump
over sometimes. Timing is everything. When you're back on solid ground, attack
them as usual, and head down to the next room.

2-6
  This room has three falling platforms that bridge a gap over to a small ledge
with a candle on it. Hop across the ledges, trying to get as close to the edge
of the platform as possible before jumping again. If you make it, a 1-up awaits
you in the candle. If not, head down the rope on the right side of the room.
Don't go down the left one. It will just lead you to a series of rooms that
eventually loop back to that room. The right way is the right way.

2-7
  The next room has to bats in it, two candles, and two ropes. Get rid of the
bats, and go down and get the items in the candles. The left one has a coin,
the right one houses a cross. Take the left rope. The right rope will just drop
you back down into the same room. This time, the right way is not the right
way.

2-8 (SECRET!)
  With your newfound invincibility, stand on the big stair in the middle of the
room, and wait for an eye to roll over to you. Destroy the eyeball when it
lands on the center stair. The explosion it causes will break a hole in the
floor. There's an invisible rope in it. Fall down into the hole and grab onto
it. Climb down into the room below and collect the prizes! Then, climb down
into the room below. If you skip the secret area (for some reason), just head
down to the next room. Both paths lead to...

2-9
  A small room with a single spitter in it. Go down and destroy it, then go
down to the next room.

2-10
  Even though this empty room looks suspicous, I haven't found anything of
value in it. Go down to...

2-11
  This room has two nightstalkers. Dispose of the first one, and get the item
inside the first candle. Get the item out of the second candle as well. When
you see the next candle, don't hit it yet. Get rid of the second nightstalker
and safely collect the remaining items. Climb down to the next room and get
ready to fight!

STAGE 2 BOSS
  This "boss" actually consists of a bunch of small, extremely fast enemies
that jump out at you from holes in the wall. Fireballs will really help in this
battle. But, if you don't have them, you can still beat these things. They only
take one hit to defeat, but, if one slips past you, the whole situation can get
out of control! You can see these enemies before they jump out, and you may
want to pause to see where they are so you can plan out where to attack from.
The enemies that appear in the holes in the center, left and lower-right of the
screen can be destroyed before they even pop out. But, the ones that appear in
the hole at the top of the screen must be destroyed *after* they pop out. To
attack the others, simply go up to the hole they're in and whip them. To attack
the one at the top of the room, stand a bit to the left of the hole on the
lower-right corner of the room. Face toward it, and attack when it jumps down
to you. If you have fireballs, stay in that spot for the entire battle. That
way, you can easily attack the creatures in the holes in the center of the
screen, the top of it, and the right side, and shoot the creature on the left
side. If you don't have fireballs, stay in the center of the screen and move
into position to attack when one appears. Kill twenty of them, and it's off to
stage 3. Yippee....

STAGE 3

Mini-map:
        _____
BOSS   |_____|
3-2    |__|_____________________
3-1 C  |____________________  _ |
3-1 B                       |   |
                            |   |
                            |   |
                            |   |
                            |   |
                            |   |
                            |   |
                            |   |
       _____________________| _ |
3-1 A |_________________________|

3-1 A
  I sometimes wonder if this was an early version of the "Tower of Execution"
from CastleVania 64? It looks like a tower, and it's easy to get executed in if
you're not careful. Anyway, this stage only consists of 3 rooms, but the first
one is so big, I've divided it into three sections. You start out in a room
with spikes lining the top of it. It looks frightening, and it is! Climb up the
set of brick stairs. When you reach the end of the top one, you'll see two
candles in front of you. The first one you can hit from there. As for the one
further away, you'll have to knock it out with fireballs. Don't jump to it.
You'll spear your head on the intso-killing spikes if you do. If you have the
fireballs and you can knock it out, a 1-up will be yours! Go right, and don't
slow down, because the ceiling's caving in! Keep heading right, and you'll see
a giant screw. Destroy it, and the ceiling will go back up to where it
belongs...then, it'll come back down again! Keep going right, then look for an
indent in the ceiling. Duck down inside of it. The spikes will start coming
down on your head...then retract again. Quickly, go right and destroy the
second screw. The ceiling will go back up again and stop. But, as soon as you
go right, it'll come back down again! Don't dawdle, or you'll be crushed! Keep
going right until you see another section where the spiked ceiling is indented.
Duck there, and wait for the ceiling to retract. When the path is clear again,
move quickly and destroy the next screw before the ceiling comes down again!
When you destroy that screw, the ceiling will go up again, and stay there. You
can hit the next two candles you see. Although it looks dangerous to jump up
and hit the second one, it's safe. Jump across some falling platforms, grab on
to that first rope you see and hold on tight, because you're in for a wild
ride!

3-1 B
  You thought spikes coming down from the ceiling was bad? Now, they're coming
up from below! This is just about the toughest area in the game because of all
of the nasty jumps. Plus, if you die on the way to the top, you'll have to
start all the way at the beginning of this section! Get ready! First, head
upward and jump right over to the other rope. Wait to do this until the spikes
touch the very end of the rope you're on. Climb up that rope and jump over to
the ledge on the left. On it, you'll meet an enemy I just call a "worm". If you
hit one with your chain whip, you'll destroy it, but, if you hit one with your
leather whip or fireballs, it will roll away from you, and, if it hits a wall,
it'll come rolling back at high speeds! Hit it again to destroy it, or jump
over it. Head left up to the next rope. Climb up it, go right and deal with
another worm, then go up the next rope. Climb it up as high as you can, then,
jump to the left across the falling platforms. When you make it across, jump up
to the rope on the right. Climb it as high as you can, then, jump to the rope
to the left. Climb it up, go right, dealing with any worms that might be in the
way, then climb up the next rope. This next jump's tricky. Climb the rope up
until the spikes touch the very bottom of the rope you're on, then, jump over
to the left. You should just barely clear the gap. Quickly, head left to the
next rope. You'll have to jump to it, because the spikes will get you before
you reach the rope if you just stay on the ground. Climb up quickly, head
right, and deal with the worms. Go all the way to the right, then jump up to
the next rope. Climb that up until the spikes touch the end of it, or until you
can't climb any higher, then jump left over to the next rope. Jump left off the
rope to a ledge, then up to the next rope. Keep going up. Don't jump over to
the ledge on the right. Keep climbing up. Climb as high as you can, then, jump
to the thin block to the right. Then, jump over to the next block, and up the
falling platforms. I used to have trouble with this area. I used to jump before
the screen scrolled up enough. Then, I would jump, hit my head on the ceiling,
and fall to an untimely death. Don't make the same mistake. There are several
sections where you must jump from block to block like this one, so make sure
that the screen has scrolled up a good amount before you jump. Also, remember
to take your time with the thin blocks. Don't rush, or you'll end up dead. Go
to the very edge of the blocks before you jump. Once you've cleared that area,
climb up the rope on the right. Go up it until you think you're high up enough
to make the jump, then jump left to the thin block. Once again, I urge you to
take your time with the thin blocks. Even though it doesn't look like a long
distance from that thin block to that ledge over to the left, if you jump
without being prepared, it's all over. Jump left over to the platform and deal
with the worm. Go up the rope on the left. Climb up as high as you can, then,
jump right from block to block. Once again, make sure the screen has scrolled
up enough. Keep going. Climb up the rope on the right. Climb it as high as you
can, then hop across the three falling platforms to the left. Once you've
cleared them, hop up to the next rope. Climb up as high as possible (like
usual) and hop across the three thin blocks to the right. Once you clear them,
go right, then, take the rope up. Congratulations! You've made it to the
continue point! But, don't think it's over yet. You've got one more area to go!

3-1 C
  Unlike the last area which required you to have much skill to overcome the
dangers, this area's a race against time! A giant wall of spikes is heading
toward you from the right. Move quickly, but stay calm! Jump left over to solid
ground using the ropes you start on. A word of note. Ignore the candles!
Getting them will simply slow you down. You'll come to zigzag sections that
require you to go left, down, right, down and left again. When you fall down to
a lower level, quickly turn in the opposite direction. There's also sections
where you must jump from rope to rope. Climb almost all the way to the top of
the ropes before jumping to the next ones. Take your time jumping from block to
block, make sure to dispose of the worms and mudmen in your way, and use all of
the jumping strategies you've learned up to now, and you'll eventually make it
to the next room! You've almost completed stage 3!

3-2 (SECRET!)
  Climbing up the rope from area 3-1 C, about halfway up it, jump over to the
right. You should go through the wall and into the secret area (with prizes you
deserve in it!). Then, take the rope up to the room above. If you skip the
secret and keep climbing up, either way, you'll end up going to the same room
as if you went through the secret room.

STAGE 3 BOSS
  Climb up and jump off to the right. Head right, go into the big room, hit the
candle, and grab the orb. Get ready to fight! A bat monster will appear. If you
have a fully-powered whip, you can make easy work of it. The boss will fly
about the room and, every once in a while, will land on the ground. That's your
point of attack. When you hit it, it will fly back up. It then becomes
unpredictable. It will either float back down to ground level, land on the
ledge on the left side of the room, or attack. If it starts to float back down,
just get out of the way. If it stands on the ledge on the upper-left corner of
the screen, just wait for it to come back down. If it hovers in the air and
stays still, it will swoop down to attack. Stand under it, and it will swoop
down to the opposite side of the room. Keep attacking it when it comes to your
level, and it'll be gone in no time. Now, it's on to the final leg of your
journey, stage 4....

STAGE 4

Mini-map:
                       __                               __
4-11                  |__|           | 4-12     _______|__|
4-10                  |__|           | 4-13    |__________|
4-9                   |__|           | 4-14    |__|
4-8                 __|__|           | BOSS    |__|
4-7                |_____|           |
4-6                |__|              |
4-5                |__|              |
4-4             ___|__|              |
4-3            |______|___           |
4-2  __________|__________|          |
4-1 |_____________________|          |

4-1
  This level is the end of the line for all players. Either you finish the
game, or lose all of your lives. But, don't lose faith. Victory is almost
yours! You start out in a long hallway with suits of knight armor in the
background. Be careful. These are actually real knights! As you wander down the
hallway, they'll walk out, and attack with their spears. You can notice when
they appear if one of the suits of knight armor darken and you hear a small
rumbling noise. They can be dangerous just because they have the element of
surprise. Two hits from the leather whip or from fireballs, or one hit from the
chain whip will destroy it. Once you clear the hallway of knight armor, you'll
face a nightstalker. Duck to avoid it's hook, then attack it from a lower
platform. Once you get past him, the only thing that stands between you and the
next room is... the boss of level one! Beat it just as you did before. It seems
weaker than last time, though (thankfully). Just make sure you kill it quickly.
If you go too far to the left and kill it, you may scroll another one onto the
screen! After it's defeated, go up to the next room.

4-2
  This room consists of a long hallway with four spitters in it. Take your time
here, because you never know when a spitter's fireball make just come blazing
your way! Dispose of them, and head up to the next room.

4-3
  This room has two more spitters in it. The first one you meet is attached to
the ceiling. Destroy it, or walk past it. Go right a little ways, and go up the
rope. You now have two choices. You can either go right and exit the room, or
go left and see what awaits you in the upper path. I usually skip going left.
Even though there's a crystal in the candle over there that powers up your
whip, I usually end up getting hit by the spitter's fireballs, and lose it,
anyway. And, besides, you'll eventually have to head right, anyway. Climb up
the rope as high as you can, jump right over to the falling platform (the
candle underneath it doesn't really have anything of value), then, jump right
again over to the other ledge. You should just barely make it. Climb up to the
next room.

4-4
  This looks like another section of stage 3! Not only are the floors,
ceilings, and walls covered with spikes that are fatal to the touch, but even
the underside of the floating platforms have spikes on them! This room is
tricky. Climb up to the top of the rope. Wait until the two platforms are
situated so that the horizontally-moving (left to right) platform is close to
you, and the vertically-moving (up and down) platform is at the bottom of the
screen. Jump left to the horizontally-moving platform. Ride it left until it's
directly above the vertically-moving platform, then jump straight up.You only
have one shot at this, so try to do it right the first time! You should fall
down onto the vertically-moving platform. It will then take you up to the
higher area where you can jump off to the left, land on the ledge and exit the
room. But, don't jump too late, or the platform will plow you right up into the
spiked ceiling! Don't jump to early, either, or the spikes on the left wall
will nail ya'! Go up to the next room.

4-5
  This room is similar to the last one. There are three platforms that
constantly move up and down. As usual, climb to the top of the rope, and jump
off right to the platform when it's low enough. Then, jump to the next platform
when it, and the platform you're on, lines up. Continue doing this, jump to the
rope on the right side of the room, and climb it up to the next room.

4-6
  This room is identical to the last one, except that you have to go left this
time. Use the same strategy as you used in the last room, and climb up to the
next one.

4-7
  This room is a continue point, so, if you die after you reach this area, you
won't have to go throught those spike rooms again! This room consists of a
hallway with two nightstalkers in it. Dispose of the first one as normal and
collect the item in the first candle. When you see the second candle, don't
jump up to get it, or you'll get hit by the second nightstalker's hook. Defeat
it, then collect the item in the second candle. Go up to the next room.

4-8
  I have a knack for dying stupidly in this room (and that's why I lost that
one life in that great game of this I played that I told you about at the
beginning of this walkthrough). This room has three small platforms suspended
above a spike floor with a spitter at the left side of the room. Be careful
when navigating these platforms. I didn't used to be, and the spitter's
fireballs hit me, and knocked me into the spikes below. Don't make the same
mistake! Carefully cross the room and either kill the spitter, or simply jump
over it, grab onto the rope above it, and climb to the room above.

4-9 (SECRET!)
  You enter this room with a nightstalker to the right. He'll immediately throw
a hook at you, which you can try to avoid by quickly jumping to solid ground,
ducking under it, and then jumping over it when it comes back, or just sit
there and take a hit (which is okay because a secret room is nearby!). Kill the
thing and climb up the rope on the right side of the room. Don't climb up to
the next room yet, though. Climb about halfway up it, then jump off left. You
should land on an invisible ledge. Then, search for an invisible rope. When you
find it, climb up to the room above. Then, jump off to the left and hit the
candles on the way down. Believe me, you'll need every item in this room! Climb
back down, go right onto the rope, and climb up to the next room.

4-10
  It's hard not to take a hit in this room. This room consists of another area
you must navigate that is covered with spikes. But, this time, the spikes shoot
out at you, and you must use them as ledges to climb up so you can get to the
next room! When you first enter the room, stay on the rope and examine the
pattern that the spikes shoot out at. Once you think you've got it down, use
them to climb up to the exit. While the spikes that shoot out *do* hurt alot,
they don't kill you instantly, but, all of the other spikes in the room do!
Also, the candle at the top of the room contains a whip power-up crystal, but,
it's not worth risking your life for it. Head up to the next room.

4-11
  This room can cause you to lose a lot of energy units. It's similar to the
last room, but it throws you right into the fray! Unlike the last room where
you could hang around and watch the spikes' patterns, if you do that in this
one, you'll get speared! The first one shoots out to the right, as well as the
second one. The third one shoots out to the left, then the next one shoots out
to the right, then the last one shoots out to the left, but the last three
spikes shoot out increasingly faster! Don't expect to get out of this one
unscathed! When you reach the top, hop left over to the rope, and head down to
the next room.

4-12
  This room has two spikes that shoot out simultaneously. The top one shoots
out to the left, the other one shoots out to the right. They both also do so
very quickly. When both of the spikes are extended, hop over to the top one,
walk right, and don't stop. When they retract, you should fall to the right.
Keep going right, and you should fall down just in time to avoid them. Climb
down to the room below.

4-13
  This is the last stretch of your quest before the final confrontation with
Dracula himself. And, just getting to him will be tough! Remember at the
beginning of this level with the boss of stage 1 at the end of the first room,
and how I said you could scroll another one onto the screen if you're not
careful? Well, it's the same thing all over again...times 3! You'll have to
fight three of these beasts in a row, without taking any breaks and with only a
few health items to help you out. And, thanks to room 4-11, you probably only
have a leather whip now. You have two choices here. If your health is very low,
you'll have to fight these things and hope you live, but, if you're in good
shape (and you don't mind losing whatever whip you may have), you can use a
little trick to sneak past them. Let one come very close to you and face away
from it. When it attacks you, you'll get hit backwards into it and be
invincible for almost a second. In that time, run past it. This will allow you
to get past them all and only take three hits! Whatever way you do it, you'll
eventually have to head to...

4-14
  This is the absolute *LAST* chance you'll get to power up before your final
battle, so don't miss it! Land on the falling platform on the right side of the
room, and jump left as the platform falls so you'll land on the ledge with the
three candles on it. Here, you'll find a health item, a whip power-up, and a
coin. Take all of the items and head down to the room below.

STAGE 4 BOSS
  Drop down carefully, hit the candle, and grab the orb. Dracula appears....
The room you fight in consists of 12 platforms, but you'll only need to use 7.
You'll start the battle on the ledge that the candle was above. Dracula will
appear on a platform to the left of it. Dracula attacks by shooting out little
things that come out in an "X" formation, then, he shoots them out in in a
semi-cross formation (minus shooting one below him) then shoots them out in an
"X" formation again, then the cross formation again, then the "X" formation
once more before teleporting somewhere else in the room. When Drac appears on
that platform to the left, get to the very left edge of the platform you're on,
duck down to avoid the "X" shot, then jump up and hit him when he fires out the
cross shot, then duck under the "X" shot again. Continue until he warps to the
right side of the room. Use the same strategy while standing on the right edge
of the platform. When he fires out the third "X" shot, he'll warp to the top of
the room. Don't try to hit him there. From where you were before he warped,
drop down to the lower ledge on the right, then jump over to the ledge in the
lowest-right corner of the screen. Go near the right edge of the platform. All
of his shots will miss you. Then, he'll warp down to where you started. Stay on
that ledge and all his shots should miss you (as long as you're pretty close to
the right edge of that platform). Then, he'll warp back to where he was when
the battle started, and repeat the entire process. Keep repeating your strategy
until he's defeated. Congratulations! You beat Drac and won the game!.... Yeah,
right.

FINAL BOSS
  When Dracula's first form is defeated, he'll transform into a giant bat which
flies back and forth very quickly across the top of the screen. Climb up onto
that platform that Dracula appeared on when you first started the first battle.
This will be your base of attack. Jump up and hit the bat when he flies toward
you. Keep in mind that Christopher is a bit on the slow side, and the bat's a
bit on the quick side, so attack earlier than you normally would. For instance,
jump up and attack when the bat's flying toward you and is almost in the middle
of the screen. If you're too slow, the bat will hit you. If you're brave, you
can try hitting it again as it flies away from you, but you risk jumping right
into the bat. Every once in a while, the bat will pause and spit out four
smaller bats. These bats are quite damaging, so I suggest you try to kill them
if they're near you. Destroy them by standing or ducking and whipping them when
they're in range. If you managed to keep your chain whip all the way until now,
it will make the battle much easier. If you keep up this strategy, stay calm,
have patience and have excellent timing, you'll finally beat Drac! Now, just
sit back, watch the credits, let your heart rate return to normal, and just be
proud of yourself. You did it. And Translyvania is safe once again...until
Dracula returns, and you, once again, will be called into action for the next
CastleVania Adventure!

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Section 5- SECRETS!
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  CastleVania Adventure doesn't have much in the realm of secrets, but there
are still a few things of interest which I believe should fall into this
section. Here they are:

Secret Rooms- These are all listed in section 4, "CastleVania: The
Walkthrough", but, just in case you missed them, or are too lazy to go
searching for them, here they are again:

  Stage 1- After heading up through the previous two single-screened,
eyeball-filled rooms, you'll come to a graveyard area to your left with a
Creeper in it. Some people note this area by a tree stump nearby. Keep climbing
up the rope on the right side of the room until you go right through the
ceiling! Bountiful amounts of items await you!

  Stage 2- At one point in stage 2, you'll cross a long bridge that's covered
with rolling eyeballs. Go down from that room, and take the right rope down in
the next room, then the left rope in the next room. You'll end up in a room
consisting of large stairs, and eyeballs dropping in from the left side of the
screen. Destroy one of the eyeballs on the giant stair in the middle of the
room. The explosion will create a hole with an invisible rope in it. Climb down
the rope to fetch your prizes!

  Stage 3- After narrowly escaping the moving spiked wall near the end of the
stage, you'll climb up into the next room, which is a stone shaft that leads up
to the boss of the stage. Climb about halfway up the shaft and jump to your
right through the wall. Goodies!

  Stage 4- Near the end of the stage before the first room with the spikes that
shoot out from the walls, you'll enter a mostly empty room with one
Nightstalker in it. Defeat the creature, and climb up the rope on the right
side of the room. Climb up the rope a little bit, and jump left onto an
invisible platform. Somewhere on that platform is an invisible rope that allows
you to climb through the ceiling into a treasure trove of items!

Increased Difficulty- Need more CastleVania Adventure? Played through and said,
"Was that supposed to be a challenge?!"? Well, this is for you! Beat the game
once, and leave the power on after the credits roll. When "THE END" appears,
press start, and you'll begin on "Stage 5" (which is really stage 1) with your
previous power-ups, lives and score. You can play through the game like normal,
but, now, enemies are tougher than before. Still not hard enough? Every time
you beat the game, it becomes more difficult! See if you can beat it on your
fourth consecutive time through! You won't get any secret endings for doing
this, though (as far as I know, anyway).
(Special thanks goes to Logan Blades [[email protected]] for making me take
note of this!)

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Section 6- Conclusion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Welp, that just about wraps up just about the only existing walkthrough for
"CastleVania: The Adventure". I hope you found it to be informative and
helpful. Please note, though; While my strategies are good, they're not
fool-proof. I suggest you try making some strategies of your own that fit your
own style if mine don't work for you. Well, good luck, and thanks for reading!

Questions? Comments? Stuff I forgot? Write to: [email protected]

(PS. If you send an e-mail concerning this walkthrough, please try to put the
word "castlevania" somewhere in the subject line)

Copyright 1999-2001 Randall "MEGAMUR" Best

Authors, web site owners, etc., may NOT use my material without my permission.

All CastleVania-related characters/games/etc. are property of Konami Inc.