Games on the X68000 run the gamut of near perfect arcade
ports to original titles that rock harder than similar titles on
other platforms. Games such as Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Final
Fight, Rygar and Street Fighter II: Champion Edition are
just a few of the arcade ports. Original titles such as
Aquales, Buster, Geograph Seal and Knight Arms show the
X68000 is not just an early Neo Geo style system.
This thing was built for gaming as it features a 3D goggle
port, two MSX controller plugs, RGB in/out and TV/
Monitor capabilities. Sharp built this thing for a myriad of
end user setups and uses.
It is one thing to talk about hardware and how great it was
in the right hands or how cool it could have been. It is
another to show you.
Akumajou Dracula is basically another take on the or iginal Castlevania that 8-Bit Nintendo fans may remember
playing. What is awesome about this title though is that
Konami went back and redid everything from enemies to
level graphics and made a whole new game out of it, much
like they did with Super Castlevani IV on the Super
Nintendo.
The bosses are unique and quite different than what we saw
in other versions of this game. The detail level is off the
charts for many of them such as the water level’s flying
bone dragon (pictured above). That thing is huge and
animates fluidly (not to mention is scary as all get out when
you aren’t expecting it).
Another boss that is a stand out in this version of
Castlevania rests at the top of the clock tower level. This
hunchback creature literally takes chunks off of the
building and hurls them at you. When that proves to be a
failing attempt, he takes a clock hand off of the giant clock
in the background and starts using that to impale, or beat
the hell out of, Simon.
Now levels featured painted murals hanging on the walls,
extremely detailed amenities such as dilapidated columns
and windows that featured cracks and breaks. While there
is a lot of cookie cutter art copy/paste going on (normal for
all games really) there are a lot of things that only appear
once for one scene and are quickly forgotten as you play.
Such as the tree in the opening area that is struck by
lightening and breaks in half, falling over as Simon walks
by. Little details like that make this version stand out.
Ports:
There is a Playstation port of Akumajou Dracula that did
reach North America called Castlevania Chronicles. It is
not as detailed and has some missing in level enemies (such
as the archer statues in the garden level)