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6. Art
Vampire Killer is a game that focuses on communicating a sensation of adrenaline and tension to the player, hence the overall medieval and terror atmosphere and mood of all the game levels. All the game is set in Dracula's castle and its surroundings, so it mostly uses a muted color palette for the sprites and enemies to create a fitting atmosphere for a medieval castle filled with monsters. We can also often find backgrounds that show walls and ruins in poor states, which also adds to the feeling of traversing an old building that has been up for many generations, as the story tells.
----------------------------- Dracula's Castle entrance -----------------------------
---------------- Dracula's laboratory ----------------
Each stage of the game, representing a part of the castle, is filled with monsters, and the bosses are some classics like, mummies, Medusa, bats, Frankenstein, etc. The grotesque looks of the surroundings and the enemies, as well as the imposing appearance of Dracula, the final boss, create a nice, gloomy, and tense atmosphere for the game. The constant assault of enemies on the player also adds a sense of action.
--------------- Dracula final boss fight ---------------
Game package
This is the cover and the back cover of the original vampire killer/Castlevania game released for the Famicon System in Japan.
This one is the European version of the game released for the MSX-2 computer.
The game also included a user manual explaining all the controls and in game elements.
Characters
These are some of the original characters concept art and descriptions. In the illustrations we can see the initial designs for Simon Belmont, Dracula, The Trading Merchant and all the enemies from the different stages of the game.
This one is concept art for a later port of the Castlevania game to the Sega Megadrive where we can see an alternative design for Simon Belmont and Dracula.
Enemies
Items
Simon Belmont
Castle gates
These scenarios are only shown once at the very start of the game, right after the title screen. We are in front of Dracula's castle's gates, staring at the building in the distance, just before entering and starting the adventure. The scene makes good use of a grayscale color palette that transmits the gloomy and scary sensation old horror films gave. The contrast with the red of the gates and the character is a good method to guide the eyes to where the action is happening. We can also see the wall is broken, and there are some bats flying in the background, which also adds to the game's vibe.
Castle entrance Contrary to the vision from outside, the castle's entrance uses vivid and bright colors and shows the dense woods surrounding it. We can see some Roman or Greek sculptures, along with some columns that hold a flame. This seems to make reference to ancient times and makes the entrance of the main character look more epic and important. At the end of the stage 0, we can see the giant wall that is the entrance to the castle.
Stage 2
This stage resembles a crypt, given the look of the tiles that compound the walls and floor. We can also see the castle's foundations in the background, along with some windows. The floor and walls are made to resemble sand, rocks, or clay, and they show clear wear and tear over time. The background walls are also decaying, and the enemies of the stage all seem to be made of the same material as the walls and ground, and even some of them are made out of bone. All together, the warm, muted colors gives the feeling of being in a crypt guarded by monsters.
This stage's tile set:
Medusa boss fight stage
This is the last room you encounter after traversing all the levels of stage 2 so it continues to have a similar aesthetic. Although it's similar, we can notice that the walls aren't decaying, and it seems more well conserved, so it gives the sensation that it has been sealed for a long time. The room's composition guides the player's eyes towards the center, where Medusa's head stands on a pedestal. The contrast between the background windows, Medusa's vibrant color, and the dull environment, makes the player continuously fix attention on the boss.
