Akumajou Special: Boku Dracula-kun – Review

1. With the rising success of the Castlevania series, Konami decided to make a spin off game, featuring Alucard, one of the playable characters from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Though, this is no Symphony Of The Night and don't let it fool you into thinking so. Instead, it's just a nice, relaxing game, a change of pace you could say. It's definitely a kiddy game, with cutesy enemies and backgrounds, heck, Alucard looks like he's 9. Though, it IS a Castlevania game after all, a special one at that.
   
   So, with his own mission this time and his father no where to be found, Alucard decides to have his own adventure, but how's it all add up? Does it match the past Castlevania games? Is the action good and the challenge present like with the other Castlevania games? Does Boku Dracula-Kun add up and hold a candle, making it worth playing, let alone worth owning? Let's find out...
   
   Story: Well, the story's not much, really. Galamoth, (Yes, the same Galamoth from Symphony Of The Night.) has challenged Alucard to a fight, after he wakes up from his deep sleep. Not letting a challenge like this go by, he sets out to take down Galamoth and grabs his father's cape and rushes off into Castlevania to begin his adventure, to go after Galamoth and fight off his army as well. And that's it. Yup, story ends there, I'm afraid.
   
   The story could've been better and all, I mean, Castlevania's Story was like this, but that was 4 years ago and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest had improved with the story, same with Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Come on, Konami, you could've made it more interesting, but oh well, this IS a side story game after all. Can't expect much.
   
   Rate: 6/10.
   
   Controls: I have to say, I liked the controls this time around for a Castlevania game. Alucard doesn't move like Simon or Trevor did and instead moves more like Mega Man, with surprising quickness and a very good jump. Hell, he's even easy to get use to and when he gets hit, he's not sent flying. Not to mention when you input a command, it's executed, no questions asked, so doing anything with Alucard is not that hard at all. I couldn't ask for more here, but it's kind of sad that a parody game of Castlevania gets better controls than a real game. Ah well, at least the future games were MUCH better with controls, especially with Richter.
   
   Over all, I liked how the controls worked. Nice, crisp, solid movements, easy to dodge enemy attacks and to move around and execute commands and a more flexible character to play as. Can't go wrong here and you'll have no trouble with Alucard. Just over all great. I couldn't ask for more.
   
   Rate: 10/10.
   
   Graphics: Hmm, well, the graphics are pretty good, but they look a little plain, actually. Where as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse had taken Castlevania's Graphics and improved them, adding even more detail, Boku Dracula-Kun kind of downgrades on the graphics. Don't get me wrong, they're good, but they could've been better. I think Konami was aiming for a more cartoon feel to the game than a detailed one and they were successful, but not fully in my eyes. The enemies look goofy, silly and cute, exactly what you'd expect with a kiddy game and nothing's scary at all, really, which is to be expected and all. I thought they looked good and I had no complaints there, since I saw a few familiar faces from past Castlevania games turned from a scary decaying wreck into a cuddly little creature, which was cool.
   
   As far as the backgrounds and areas go, they're good, but you'll only see a few Castlevania areas in this game. The rest are...well...different, to say the least. I'll talk more about them in the Game Play area, but for how they added up...could've been better. Everything blends together really well, that's not a problem, just wish there was more to everything, so it wouldn't look so plain, but oh well, it's cartoony, I can't complain, since it's not THAT bad and they're far from being horrid.
   
   Now as for Alucard, he looks great...well, as great as a 9 year old boy on a sugar rush can look. I didn't really like how Alucard looks here, compared to Symphony Of The Night or Aria Of Sorrow, but it's ok, since he is young here. The animations for him, let alone the enemies in the game are great and Alucard has a ton for his sprite, especially for all his attacks, putting Simon and Trevor to shame. Over all, the graphics are fair at best, being cartoony and all, but the animation and character sprites for enemies are great and you'll enjoy it, but if you're coming from playing another Castlevania game, heh, it's definitely a rude awakening.
   
   Rate: 7/10.
   
   Sound/Music: Er...I can't say much here. I didn't really care for the music in the game that much, except for the first stage, which was a remix of ''Beginning'', from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and that song ROCKED. The rest, to say the least, is more of a cartoonish, funny type music to it and nowhere is there fearful, scary music that Castlevania is known for. Again, remember, it's a kiddy game and Konami is trying not to scare the kids here. The music didn't fail to fit the game at all and Konami did good with it, but again, I just didn't care for it. I'm more use to the old music, but I'm not letting that judge this unfairly.
   
   As for the sound, it was good. From what sound effects there were and present in the game, they were good. I have no complaints here, as the sound effects fit very well and it's nothing that'll make you rip your ears off and hit the Mute Button. Over all, good music for a parody game and a really kick ass remix of Beginning, with some good sound effects and Konami once again comes through to please the audience with a good soundtrack to a game for kids.
   
   Rate: 10/10.
   
   Game Play: Ah, now the fun part. The difference and very wacky approach to Boku Dracula-Kun that makes this game so much different than the other Castlevania games is that it doesn't make sense...at all. But, it's actually rather really funny at parts, even if everything is virtually not possible to have taken place. I really liked the gameplay and each stage had me going ''What the hell is going to happen next?'' with a smile on my face. Though the first stage is the only Castlevania part to the game, the rest of the game features an Amusement Park Roller Coaster Ride, going through New York City and the Subway, Egypt and even appearing on a Game Show, featuring the Statue Of Liberty as the host. (I am not making this up. Isn't it supposed to be, what, possibly the 11th-15th century? New York City's around AND there's a Subway? See what I mean?)
   
   It's just some really, really, wacky things that make you wonder what was going through the minds over at Konami when they made this, but the game still plays great through all the stages and the challenge is definitely there. I'd say this is probably the easiest Castlevania game ever, but not too easy. The nice feature to this game is after every stage, Alucard gets a new technique, such as it being able to become a Bat or fire out a different type of the Ball Of Destruction attack. He has some really good attacks at his disposal and you'll soon see the farther you get into the game.
   
   As for the main bad guys that follow Galamoth...oh man, you can expect to fight a giant cute Ghost, a giant Pyramid Head and a Giant Chicken, plus some other really stupid, yet cute and funny enemies. The whole game is a joke, but it's a great parody joke and you'll have a ball with the game as you play it. Not to mention, after each stage, you get to play some really insane minigames, featuring putting Swords in a barrel that a Skeleton is in, gambling and whatnot, all while trying to get a few extra lives and TRUST ME, you'll have a TON of lives in this game. As far as replay value goes, there is none, like how the past Castlevania games go, except Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which had a ton of replay value. But, once you beat this, you'll probably just laugh, turn your Famicom off and walk away.
   
   Over all, the gameplay is great and very fun to go through, seeing all the various screwed up areas and enemies Alucard must go through and fight to stop Galamoth and bring peace to the world, all while having a fun time and trying to be more like his father. (Just a slight note: In this game, Alucard looked up to his father, but by the end of the game, he realized what his father was like and started to go against him.) For a Castlevania game, this game does not fail to deliver great gameplay like the past games and gives you yet another task to save the world, even if you are playing as the ''bad guy''.
   
   Rate: 10/10.
   
   Over All: So, there you have it. Konami has produced a parody to Castlevania, featuring Alucard as the star and that's how it shaped up to be and not too shabby, either. I personally liked the game, even if Galamoth was a pain in the neck to beat. The game did add up and had a ton of Castlevania stuff in it, just minus the scary and gothic feel to it, replacing it with cute and silly enemies and a sub par plot that could've had more to it. So, with a fairly straight forward story, great controls for a Castlevania game, ok graphics that have a cartoon feel to them, good music and sound with a remix of Beginning and some really great gameplay that'll have you questioning Konami's Sanity, what more could you ask for? It's a great game to add to your collection, especially if you're a Castlevania fan and even more so if you're a fan of Alucard.
   
   Now, if I had to say rent or buy this, definitely buy it. I doubt you can rent this, since it was never released in America, so try eBay or some import store, as I doubt it's going for much, but if you can find it, get it. It'd make a great addition to your game collection, even if it does look really kiddy and all. But, do this only if you're a true Castlevania fan, as I don't really recommend it to anyone else, unless you like really kiddy animish games and all. But, hell, if you love Alucard and the games he's in, this is one of them and be sure to get it. Just be sure you know some Japanese or you're going to be stuck at the Game Show part with the Statue Of Liberty for a good while. (VERY basic Japanese will get you by, but be warned. That and the minigames after the stages also have Japanese in them, so look out.)
   
   Final Rate: 9/10.
2. Rating: 
   9

Submit a review and let your voice be heard.