Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo

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Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo
System(s): Super CD-ROM², Virtual Console (Wii)
Publisher: Konami, Limited Run Games (US)
Developer: Konami
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1993-10-29 ¥7,8007,800 KMCD3005 US (Limited Run Games) 202x JP ▼ 2008-04-22 800pts800 US ▼ 2010-03-15 900pts900 EU ▼ 2010-03-19 900pts900 AU ▼ 2010-03-19 900pts900

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Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (悪魔城ドラキュラX血の輪廻) is an action platform game for the Super CD-ROM² that is part of Konami's long-running Castlevania series. It is the only game in the series to see a release on a NEC platform. Later localisations and ports to the West would title the game as Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.

Due to the game's initial release in Japan, it was relatively unknown outside of its home country until the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night four years later on the PlayStation. A localised release for the TurboDuo was announced by Limited Run Games in June 2021.

Story

Rondo of Blood is set in 1792, nearly a century after the events of the original Castlevania, and continues the conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont Clan and Count Dracula, who has once again been resurrected, this time by the dark priest Shaft. Simon Belmont's direct descendant and heir to the "Vampire Killer" whip, Richter Belmont, must make his way through Dracula's castle and rescue four women who were kidnapped by Dracula to feed him, including Maria Renard (who becomes a playable character), Terra, Iris, and his beloved Annette, then defeat Dracula himself.

Gameplay

Ⅰ jumps, Ⅱ attack, ↑ + Ⅱ uses the subweapon,  SELECT  uses the item crash and  RUN  pauses the game. Unlike its predecessors, gameplay now uses a new item system, along the player to use more powerful attacks based on what item they have on hand. This was also the first game to employ the use of voice acting and cutscenes.

Playable characters

Rondo of Blood allows the player to control a non-Belmont as their playable character once the required conditions are met, a feature previously seen in the Nintendo Entertainment System title Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

px	Richter Belmont
	Standard Belmont-style character, uses the classic subweapons
px	Maria Renard
	Uses animals to attack with rather than the traditional subweapons.

Stages

	Level 0: Prologue - Path Through the Woods
	Level 1: Village Ruins
	Level 2: Entrance to Castlevania
	Level 2': The Lake Bridge
	Level 3: The Chapel
	Level 3': The Cemetery
	Level 4: The Inner Halls of Castlevania
	Level 4': The Mountain Range
	Level 5: The Ghost Ship
	Level 5': The Hidden Docks
	Level 6: The Guardians
	Level 7: Clocktower
	Level 8: Dracula

History

Legacy

Rondo of Blood would be followed up with a direct sequel, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the PlayStation in 1997, and later for the Sega Saturn in 1998. The game also opens with an abridged recreation of this game's final battle with Dracula.

Two remakes of the game were later made. The first, titled Castlevania: Dracula X, was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995, featuring a different art style, redesigned levels and certain features being cut (such as Maria as a playable character). The second, titled Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2007, which also includes a port the original Super CD-ROM² game and Symphony of the Night as bonus games. The Super CD-ROM² game has been fully localised for this collection, with the option to use English voice acting for cutscenes.

The original game would further see ports to other systems internationally, albeit untranslated for western markets. These include a release on the Wii's Virtual Console service for Japan in 2008 and for the west in 2010, and its inclusion on all regional models of the PC Engine Mini.

Richter Belmont would later become a playable fighter in the 2018 Nintendo Switch fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as an Echo Fighter of his ancestor Simon Belmont.

Magazine articles

Main article: Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Super CD-ROM², JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1			CD (JP)