Rogue’s Gallery Your guide to Super Castlevania IV’s superb bosses
MEDUSA
KORANOT
One of the series’ most iconic enemies – appearing in just about every game, and based on the Greek legend of Perseus. In a beta video it seems that this boss appeared slightly different to the final version.
Known as Big Stone in the Japanese manual, the golem boss is Ueno’s personal favourite. It first appeared in the Haunted Castle arcade game, and went on to feature regularly in the series.
PUWEYXIL
ORPHIC VIPERS
First seen in Super Castlevania IV. Known in Japan as Death Breath Head, the English name must be read backwards. It features a sprite-jointed tongue, impressive transparencies and real-time damage to the background.
Known in Japan as soutouryuu, meaning double-headed dragon, similar bosses also appeared in the earlier Castlevania III and Boku Dracula-Kun. It made a return in Dracula X on PC Engine and SNES.
THE MONSTER
ZAPF BAT
Although not named as such, this iconic boss is unmistakably based on the creature made by Dr Frankenstein, as featured in Mary Shelley’s eponymous novel. A series regular.
One of the game’s coolest bosses. Although giant bats have featured in just about every Castlevania game, only in Castlevania IV is one made out of possessed treasure!
AKMODAN II
SLOGRA
Another series veteran appearing in most CV games, except this time he’s been given a name in the US manual, reinforcing his Ancient Egyptian heritage.
A unique boss created specifically for the final section of Castlevania IV, and one of the toughest. Slogra resembles a zombified pterodactyl. It was later re-used for Symphony Of The Night and subsequent games.
GAIBON
DRACULA
Another unique end boss created specifically for this release that you fight directly before Dracula. As with Slogra, Gaibon was reused for Symphony Of The Night and subsequent games.
The main attraction. Having said that, the Japanese series name of Akumajo Dracula actually places more emphasis on the Count’s ‘demonic castle’, than the vampire himself.
» [SNES] It wouldn’t be Castlevania without some well cured meat hiding in the walls.
its direct predecessor. He continues, “CVIII is a great game though. If CVIII had [already been released] before we started CVIV, I would have followed that direction.” The two games definitely share some DNA though, notably the twinheaded water dragon boss and a cameo appearance by CVIII ’s Sypha Belnades (in statue form), just before entering Dracula’s castle. “Because the team was small,” explains Ueno, “everybody was involved in the design. Some ideas came from creative artists and others were from programmers’ experiments. The whip feature was really a big part of the game and it was experimented with and implemented by Yaipon. We drew maps on paper but I think we changed a lot as we iterated the game.” Yaipon, also known as Yaiman, was of course Mitsuru Yaida, who programmed the player’s character. He left Konami along with others to form Treasure, later programming Gunstar Heroes. Ueno, meanwhile, was in charge of boss programming, so we asked about their design and his overall favourite. “I came up with rough boss ideas first and then [additional] programmers came up with more detailed patterns as they implemented. We wanted to make earlier bosses relatively easy so that the players could figure out weak points and effective weapons without retrying too many times. For some bosses and traps we
» [SNES] Everything seems fine, until the red hands in the wall grab you and the enemy walks forwards.
32 | RETRO GAMER