Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness

Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness was developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. It is part of the Castlevania series, and was first released in North America on November 30, 1999. Its Japanese title is Demon Castle Dracula Apocalypse Gaiden: Legend of Cornell (悪魔城ドラキュラ黙示録外伝 Akumajō Dracula Mokushiroku Gaiden: Legend of Cornell).

Storyline
Set in the year 1844, the game stars the man-beast Cornell in his quest to prevent his adoptive sister, Ada, from being used as a sacrifice to resurrect Count Dracula. The game opens as Cornell arrives at his village, which has been burned to the ground by Dracula's minions. He finds Ada's pendant in a doorway and follows her scent to Dracula's castle.

During the course of the game, Cornell comes upon a grand estate owned by the Oldrey family: J.A. Oldrey, the master of the Villa, Mary, his wife, and Henry, their son. Gilles de Rais and Actrise have turned Oldrey into a vampire. At Mary's request, Cornell guides Henry to safety. Later in life, Henry returns to Castlevania to save kidnapped children.

Throughout the game, Cornell encounters his rival and fellow man-beast, Ortega. Ortega has allied himself with Dracula to finally best Cornell in combat. They eventually battle near the end of the game, just before Cornell defeats Dracula and saves his sister. (Although he only accomplishes the latter by sacrificing his man-wolf powers.) Unbeknownst to the hero, acquiring this power was the true aim of the dark forces, as it was the perfect sacrifice (not Ada, as Cornell had assumed) to resurrect Dracula at his full power.

The quests for Carrie Fernandez and Reinhardt Schneider (from the original Castlevania for the N64) are also featured in Legacy of Darkness. They can be unlocked by rescuing children in Henry's quest.

Characters
Heroes: Villains: Supporting cast:
 * Cornell
 * Henry Oldrey
 * Carrie Fernandez
 * Reinhardt Schneider
 * Actrise
 * Death
 * Malus / Dracula
 * Fernandez warrior
 * Ortega
 * Gilles de Rais
 * Renon
 * Ada
 * The Ferryman
 * J.A. Oldrey
 * Mary Oldrey
 * Charles Vincent
 * Rosa
 * Lizard Man
 * The kidnapped children:
 * 1) Anthony
 * 2) Bess
 * 3) Clark
 * 4) Florence
 * 5) Edward
 * 6) Diana

Note: The storylines from Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness have been retroactively removed from the official Castlevania timeline.

Differences from Castlevania 64
Legacy of Darkness was a continuation of Konami's first attempt (Castlevania 64, also published in 1999) to create a 3D Castlevania. It is officially referred to as a "Special Edition" of the original game, and more fully realizes the game designers' vision. For example, Cornell was present in early development media and press information for Castlevania 64, but was ultimately removed before the game's release.

At first Legacy of Darkness may appear entirely the same to a casual observer due to aesthetic similarities to the first game. However, Legacy's primary focus is on a new story (a prequel to Carrie and Reinhardt's adventures) in which Cornell explores new levels. Most of the old levels included in Cornell and Henry's quests (such as the Forest of Silence) have been so drastically redesigned that they are essentially "new" despite the use of familiar textures from the original game. Old levels that have not been drastically changed (such as the Villa) are often navigated in a new or novel manner and feature different puzzles. Carrie and Reinhardt's quests are a secondary focus, and can only be unlocked after completing both Cornell and Henry's quests. Carrie and Reinhardt's quests lack the voice acting and original level designs present in Castlevania 64, instead adopting the new designs. Their quests also feature new bosses.

In Legacy control of the game's characters, camera, and frame-rate were streamlined to create a more intuitive gameplay experience. The game also supports the Nintendo 64's Expansion Pak add-on, which allows for an option in which textures are displayed in a higher resolution. However, this mode is plagued by frame rate problems that make it difficult to enjoy. Legacy of Darkness also features many minor bonuses such as an alternate costume for Cornell and new alternate costumes for Carrie and Reinhardt.