If you'd like to support our preservation efforts (and this wasn't cheap), please consider donating or supporting us on Patreon. Thank you!
Vampire Killer (MSX2)
|
|
| Vampire Killer |
|---|
|
Also known as: Akumajou Dracula (JP)
|
Vampire Killer was Konami's first game for the MSX2 home computer (the successor to the original MSX). It's an alternate take on the original Castlevania and follows the same basic premise as its NES counterpart, but with a different weapon/item system and an added emphasis on seeking out treasure chests and acquiring keys to clear each stage.
Cheat Menu
By loading Vampire Killer with a Game Master cartridge inserted in the second slot, you can access a cheat menu just before starting the game that allows you to skip to any stage and adjust the starting number of lives.
Regional Differences
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Like most Konami games released on the MSX, Vampire Killer has a region detection code that will change the game's language and settings depending on the hardware it's running on. In this case, it will change only the title screen, displaying the Akumajou Dracula title when running on a Japanese computer, and Vampire Killer when it's on a European computer.
Since the MSX2 Dracula contains its export counterpart Vampire Killer in its programming, this has led to the popular belief that Vampire Killer predated Castlevania... which is partially true in a sense. The Famicom Disk System version of Dracula was released a month before its MSX2 counterpart in Japan and both games appear to have been developed in tandem due to their close release dates, but the Disk System version had no such region switch. Vampire Killer wasn't officially released in Europe until 1987 (as evident by the copyright date on the box and manual), the same year Castlevania was released on the NES in North America.
It is worth noting that Konami later released a third version of Akumajou Dracula for the arcades titled Haunted Castle outside Japan, showing that Konami experimented with different overseas titles for the series before settling with Castlevania. The title Vampire Killer would later be used for the Japanese version of Castlevania Bloodlines.
Games > Games by content > Games with hidden level selects
Games > Games by content > Games with regional differences
Games > Games by developer > Games developed by Konami
Games > Games by platform > MSX2 games
Games > Games by publisher > Games published by Konami
Games > Games by release date > Games released in 1986
Games > Games by series > Castlevania series
