Trivia / Castlevania (1986)

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• Dummied Out: Several bonus item graphics — namely a pair of high-heels, cup of coffee, love letter, and a basket of small animals — go unused. Two other item graphics — a bible and an alternate cross — were reused in the MSX2 Vampire Killer. Additionally, the file selection theme from the original Disk System version remains unused in the NES conversion.
• Good Bad Bug: Screwing with the game's tile-based loading system lets Simon keep climbing stairs into both thin air and solid wall, letting speedrunners shortcut areas where Simon is otherwise zig-zagging back and forth up various floors of the castle (and most infamously, to keep climbing the stairs up Dracula's Keep; this is referenced in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night where the player can toggle a switch that opens a secret staircase into a hidden room at the same location).
• Inspiration for the Work: This game was inspired by numerous classic horror films. Simon wielding a whip was also inspired by Indiana Jones.
• What Could Have Been: Plenty to go around thanks to the Anniversary Collection:
  • Simon was originally named "Peter Dante," with Christopher Dante as his grandfather. This would have been a Shout-Out Theme Naming to both Peter Cushing, who portrayed Van Helsing in the Hammer Dracula films and to Dante Alighieri.
  • Diagonal whipping was planned, which wouldn't be implemented until Super Castlevania IV.
  • The porkchops would have increased Simon's speed rather than heal him. POW icons would have healed him instead.
  • Money bags were originally numbers that showed how many points the player would get.
  • The Invisibility Potion looked more like the Holy Water in the final game.
  • Simon was going to be able to transform into a werewolf with a "Transformation" item.
  • Simon was to use a "guardian spirit (bird)" to act as a familiar.
  • Bibles were going to be used in the game working similar to potions in the final game.
  • One subweapon was to be Excalibur, and worked similar to a more powerful rosario, dealing damage to bosses as well.
  • A pistol with silver bullets was another subweapon, which would have been effective against werewolves and in other occasions, but ammo was very limited.
  • The garlic and wooden stakes were to be used only in the final battle with Dracula, with the stake being the only thing that could kill Dracula. Both were Refitted for Sequel with Garlic summoning Gypsies and dealing light damage to enemies, while the Oak Stake was made to mainly being used to obtain Dracula's bodyparts and insta-kill any enemies in its path.
• Word of God: According to this commentary, Hitoshi Akamatsu said that the reason Dracula's head flies off after the first phase of the final boss is defeated is because he intended for the gargoyle-like monster that shows up to be an "incarnation of the curse of man" to foreshadow Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Furthermore, the castle's Clock Tower represents Dracula's heart, and the reason why only it collapses during the ending is for a Sequel Hook. Later games and materials instead state that the second phase is a transformation, although a similar entity that powers Dracula and his castle is eventually confronted in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and the Load-Bearing Boss aspect is changed so the entire castle crumbles anytime Dracula dies.

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