A new ROM hack from LetsTalkGames blends Super Mario with Castlevania, taking the platforming action of the former and mixing it up with the music, visuals and rock-hard difficulty of the latter.
"This ROM hack is inspired by the early Castlevania series and attempts to channel the spirit of ‘NES difficulty'," says the developer of Castlemania. "It’s designed to be a throwback hack of sorts – with instant-death blocks, secrets, and familiar enemies to fans of the franchise."
While the levels look like they're straight out of the Super Mario series in terms of layout and enemies, the backgrounds take inspiration from classic Castlevania locations, and the music is taken from various games in Konami's series.
"Some sections offer tighter platforming than others without feeling cheap or unfair to the player," says LetsTalkGames. "Most importantly – each level has a clear path forward, with the player never wondering where to go or what to do next. Fans of the Castlevania series know of its difficult nature and shouldn’t be surprised by any obstacles within the hack. To channel the concept of ‘NES difficulty’, this hack will not save until you complete all six levels, and GAME OVER will result in the player having to start over."
The game is so tricky that LetsTalkGames had to include an easy mode following player feedback. "It was decided the download file will also include an ‘EASY VERSION’ which will allow the player to save their progress after every level is cleared. This also lets the player CONTINUE after Game Over."
You can download the patch here.