Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

Audio track message

Additionally, there is a little message from Richter and Maria if you try to play the CD in an audio CD player (on the first track, anyway - the rest of the tracks are data and music.) You see, almost all PC Engine games contained a message stating that you shouldn't put this CD in a regular CD-player, because the data tracks could blow out your speakers (on really old CD players, data tracks sound like loud static.) These were normally read in a rather mundane and polite manner, so some games had fun with them. In this little bit, Maria warns Richter about this particular danger. When Richter questions how she knows this, he discovers that she was just reading off a piece of paper or something to that extent. As a quick note, Oniichan (what Maria calls Richter in the message) means "big brother" in Japanese, and is a pretty common term. It doesn't quite come out right in English.

Censored content

In the original release of the game, after defeating the werewolf boss, the werewolf would return to his human form completely nude. This was changed in the later releases of the game (PSP through Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles and Wii rerelease) that now a piece of loincloth has been added.

Japanese intro translation

The PC Engine Super CD-ROM version, only released in Japan, had a spoken intro in German. Here is its original text and a translation to English:

German:

In der guten alten Zeit lebten die Menschen noch ruhig und in Frieden.

Niemand glaubte, dass es in Zukunft zu einer Bedrohung kommen würde.

Auf der Schattenseite des Friedens und des Wachstums gab und gibt es aber auch immer das Böse.

Die Menschen beginnen, das Wachstum abzulehnen und bezeichnen den Frieden als Degeneration.

Wir haben uns hier versammelt, um die Mächte der Finsternis mit unserem verfluchten Blut zu rufen.

Wir wollen, dass sie die Welt regieren.

Wir erwarten lächelnd den Niedergang der Welt.

Nach einhundert Jahren ist der Böse wieder auferstanden.

Er kann sich in eine Fledermaus, einen Wolf und Nebel verwandeln.

Er liebt die Nacht.

Er schlürft das Blut von jungen Frauen und lebt ewig.

Der Burgherr des Teufelsschlosses. Der Herr des Bösen.

Graf Drakula ist auferstanden.

Translation:

During the good old times, men still lived in tranquillity and peace.

No one believed there would be a threat in the future.

On the dark side of peace and growth, however, there was and will always be evil.

Men begin to reject growth and call peace degeneration.

We are gathered here to call upon the forces of darkness through our cursed blood.

We wish for them to rule the world.

With a smile we await the downfall of the world.

After a hundred years the Evil One has risen again.

He can turn into a bat, a wolf and mist.

He loves the night.

He sips the blood of young women and lives eternally.

Lord of the devil's castle. Lord of evil.

Count Dracula has risen again.

Mini game

If you didn't insert a System Card before start playing, a little mini-game can be played.

References

Look closely at the beginning of Stage 4'. Way in the background, you'll see in a tiny figure with a billowing cape.

Secrets

Get a key and use the item crash. Richter will jump up and yell like he normally does, but will then fall to the ground with a question mark over his head, not knowing what the hell to do.

Title

The Rondo part of the title is written with Chinese characters (kanji) "輪廻" in the Japanese version. These are usually pronounced rinne; this word is a transliteration of the Chinese lunhui, which, in turn, is a translation of samsara, a Sanskrit word referring to the circle of reincarnations in Buddhism, as opposed to nirvana. A rondo, however, is a musical form in which the main theme repeats itself several times during the course of a movement. It can be therefore seen as the musical equivalent of the philosophical term.

Awards

• EGM
  • 1995 Buyer's Guide - Best Action Game (Japanese)

Additional information contributed by CaptainCanuck and Little Yoda