
Maria Mode is a gameplay mode featured in several Castlevania games, in which the player can play as Maria Renard.
Game specific information[]
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood[]
Maria becomes playable as soon as Richter (the starting player character) releases her from her cell. The Key located at Stage 2's corridor – where the Behemoth is first encountered – must be picked up from one of the candles and used at the cell found at the underground area immediately after the corridor. After saving her from Shaft and activating a cutscene, Maria can be selected upon a Game Over or within the main menu of the game.
Many players consider that playing as Maria makes the game much easier than playing as Richter. She has her own set of sub-weapons – based on the Four Symbols from Chinese mythology – each with their own item crashes. She is slightly shorter than Richter, which allows her to dodge certain attacks easier. Her main weapon is summoning doves to attack her enemies and she can throw two of them at a time. She can also slide and roll in order to move faster and dodge attacks. Her special ability, called Guardian Knuckle (performed by pressing ↓ ↑ ↘ + II when facing right), deals quite a large amount of damage if used correctly. Finally, she can double jump, which is very useful for dodging enemies and their attacks, and also to reach certain platforms. However, she has far less health than Richter.
Maria has her own ending, a cutesy and slightly shorter version of Richter's ending. She has her own Game Over screen as well, made of colored letters and flowers.
When she is defeated, she falls down, hits the ground and lies for a brief moment before fading out of existence.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Saturn)[]
- Main article: Maria Renard/Symphony of the Night/Saturn
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin[]
- See: Richter Mode
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles[]
In The Dracula X Chronicles, Maria still plays the same as in the original Rondo of Blood version, without any major gameplay changes added. However, some cutscenes were specifically rewritten to take into account her presence, instead of reusing the original game's dialogues to her (with a notable example being her confrontation with Dracula).
Since The Dracula X Chronicles is a remake and not an exact port, many of the enemies' behaviors and placements have been slightly changed, overall making this game easier than the original. As a consequence to this, Maria's sub-weapons can often defeat enemies more easily. Their Item Crashes have received a graphical overhaul as well (particularly the Dragon, which instead of repeatedly lashing its body across the screen like in the original game, it now flies about the screen for a brief moment while dealing damage to everything in it).
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles: Symphony of the Night (PSP)[]
- Main article: Maria Renard/Symphony of the Night/DXC
Move list[]
Weapons[]
Item Data: Weapons (edit) | ||||||||
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Image | Name - Game Type - Users Description |
Attributes / Consume | Statistics / Sell | Found | Notes | |||
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Find: Starts out with |
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Sequence: ↑, ↓→ + II |
Sub-weapons[]
Item Data: Sub-Weapons (edit) | ||||||||
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Image | Name - Game Type - Users Description |
Attributes / Consume | Statistics / Sell | Found | Notes | |||
![]() ![]() (RoB/DXC) |
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Charges at the enemy. Effective against enemies on the ground. | Consume: 3 Hearts (20 by using her Item Crash) |
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Covers the player in a turtle's shell, leaving them slow but invincible. | Consume: 3 Hearts (10 by using her Item Crash) |
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Sends a powerful dragon flying forward to attack enemies. | Consume: 5 Hearts (50 by using her Item Crash) |
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Two light-hitting red birds fly upwards at an angle to attack foes. | Consume: 1 Hearts (20 by using her Item Crash) |
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Release a chick when dropped that flies away through the enemy. | Consume: 3 Hearts (5 by using her Item Crash) |
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Though relatively weak, Maria can use her singing voice as a weapon. | Consume: 3 Hearts (10 by using her Item Crash) |
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Special (edit) | ||||||||
![]() ![]() (RoB/DXC) |
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Opens normally sealed doors, but disappears after one use. Maria can also use keys by commanding her doves to carry it. | Consume: none |
Find: 2. Entrance, 7. Clocktower |
Dialogue[]
Dialogue Data: Maria Mode (edit) | ||
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Image / Participants | Game / Location / Title Details Transcript(s) (click Expand to view when necessary) | |
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood / 3'. Cemetery / Saving Tera When: After saving Tera with Maria (In the Caves, Tera senses someone while praying and turns) Tera: Who's there? Oh... Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood / 4'. Mountains / Saving Iris When: After saving Iris with Maria (Iris senses someone and turns) Iris: Oh, what's this? Come to save me? Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood / 7. Clock Tower / Saving Annette When: After saving Annette with Maria (Maria calls Annette) Maria: Annette! Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood / 8. Count Dracula / Ending When: After defeating Dracula with Maria (Dracula is on his knees) Dracula: Once again, the blood of Belmont has defeated me... Perhaps this, too, is part of my fate. Video: Japanese version: |
Dialogue Data: Maria Mode (edit) | ||
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Image / Participants | Game / Location / Title Details Transcript(s) (click Expand to view when necessary) | |
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 3'. Cemetery / Saving Tera Background Music: Demo Scene 01 When: After saving Tera with Maria (A nun senses someone while praying and turns) Maria: Are you okay? You're saved now! Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 4'. Mountains / Saving Iris Background Music: Demo Scene 01 When: After saving Iris with Maria (A young maiden senses someone and turns) ???: ?! Who's there? Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 6. Guardian / Undying Melody Background Music: Former room When: Before the battle with several bosses (Maria avoids Shaft's attack) Maria: !! What are you doing?! I know you! You're the bad man! Video: | ||
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 7. Clock Tower / Vampire Annette Background Music: Demo Scene 03 When: If Annette is not saved (Maria sees Annette is on her knees) Maria: !! Annette! Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 7. Clock Tower / Saving Annette Background Music: Demo Scene 01 When: As saving Annette (Annette hears Maria is calling her and turns) Maria: Annette! Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 8. Count Dracula / The Brink of Death Background Music: Demo Scene 02 When: Final battle with Dracula (Maria enters Dracula's Throne Room) Dracula: Are you lost, little one? Video: | ||
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 8. Count Dracula / Bad Ending When: After defeating Dracula (without rescuing maidens) (Dracula is on his knees) Maria: All right, Mr. Bad Man, ready to die? Video: Japanese version: | ||
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles / 8. Count Dracula / Good Ending When: After defeating Dracula (with all maidens are rescued) (Dracula is on his knees) Dracula: Completely impossible! Beaten by a little girl! Video: |