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Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (悪魔城ドラキュラ黙示録外伝 LEGEND OF CORNELL Demon Castle Dracula Apocalypse Gaiden: Legend of Cornell?) is a 3D action-platformer game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. It is part of the Castlevania series and it was first released in North America on November 30th, 1999.

The game is both an expanded and remastered version of Castlevania, which was released earlier that same year on the same system. As such, it includes additional levels, characters, and gameplay modes that were left out from the previous game, presumably due to time constraints.

Plot[]

Set in the year 1844, the game stars the man-beast Cornell in his quest to prevent his adopted younger 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 Nintendo 64) are also featured in Legacy of Darkness. They can be unlocked by rescuing children in Henry's quest.

Character gallery[]

Main article: Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness/Gallery
Characters
Protagonists and Allies
Image Name Information
CastlevaniaCornell
Cornell
The Wolfman known as the "Blue Crescent Moon". His little sister, Ada, is kidnapped by Dracula's servants.
Reinhardtschneider
Reinhardt Schneider
Heir to the Vampire Killer whip.
Carrie Fernandez
Carrie Fernandez
Heir to the powers of the Fernandez (Belnades) clan.
Henryoldrey
Henry Oldrey
Saved by Cornell as a boy, after eight years, he became a Holy Knight to the Church.
Ada1
Ada
Cornell's sister who has been kidnapped.
Antagonists
Actrise-bust
Actrise
A witch impressed by Cornell's powers who seeks eternal beauty.
Dracula Legacy of Darkness
Gilles de Rais
An imposter in the guise of Dracula to mislead intruders.
Lod-offart27
Ortega
Cornell's friend and deadly rival.
Cv64-offart20
Renon
A devil salesman. It appears as if he is aiding the heroes...
Adult Malus
Dracula
The true Dark Lord who desires Cornell's powers.


Differences from Castlevania (N64)[]

Legacy of Darkness was a continuation of Konami's first attempt (Castlevania, 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 (N64), 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 (N64), 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 to play in a higher resolution. However, this mode is plagued by frame rate problems that make it difficult to enjoy.[citation needed] Legacy of Darkness also features many minor bonuses such as an alternate costume for Cornell and new alternate costumes for Carrie and Reinhardt.

Trivia[]

  • The year when Cornell's adventure takes place, 1844, coincides with the date William Miller, an American Christian preacher, had predicted that Judgment Day would happen. Furthermore, the Japanese subtitle for both Nintendo 64 games –Castlevania and Legacy of Darkness– is Mokushiroku (黙示録), which refers to the Apocalypse or Judgment Day. It's possible, that Takeo Yakushiji, the game's writer, borrowed inspiration from this event.

See also[]

Related products[]

External links[]

Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
Characters
Protagonist

CornellHenry Oldrey

Supporting cast

AdaMary OldreyEdwardDianaBessFlorenceAnthonyClark

Antagonists

ActriseGilles de RaisDeathOrtegaRenonJ. A. OldreyDracula

Bosses

Sea MonsterGiant SkeletonDragonHarpyQueen AlgenieMedusaCrystal Laser of DoomGiant Werewolf

Areas
Foggy LakeForest of SilenceCastle WallVillaOuter WallArt TowerTower of RuinsDuel TowerTower of ExecutionTower of SorceryRoom of ClocksClock TowerCastle Keep
Guides

Famitsu64plus GuidePrima's Unauthorized Strategy Guide

Archives

BestiaryInventory

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