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Offline LuxKiller65

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Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« on: July 24, 2016, 07:35:12 AM »
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So I found this screenshot from a demo/sample disk of Castlevania for the X68000. I'm not sure if the disk contains the full game, a demo with one or more levels or maybe even a time-limited demo. One thing is sure, this screen is not in the final game, so there are good chances the disk itself has in-game differences.



The screen reads:

1993年 夏
X68000待望の1作
「悪魔城ドラキュラ」 が
ついに復活する。

If you can help to translate this accurately, or if you know more about this sample... please post here! ;D
I read the text as "Summer 1993 -- The long-awaited 1st episode of Castlevania for the X68000 is going to be reborn".

For general information, the release date of the game according to MobyGames is 23 July 1993. Matches what the screenshot says (Summer 1993).
« Last Edit: July 24, 2016, 07:39:55 AM by LuxKiller65 »

Offline Nagumo

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2016, 01:19:14 PM »
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The translation seems accurate to me. Could you provide more context about where you found this?

Offline LuxKiller65

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2016, 08:30:55 PM »
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It's hard to see, but you can notice the reflection of the guy taking the picture in front of the TV screen. This is the disk he was playing:



I own this but it's stored away (so I can't take pics at the moment), and I have no X68000 to test it. The date/version tag on the label has been left empty, so unless something appears on the screen, I guess the only way to find more would be to copy the content of the disk ann compare it file by file to the retail... disks. Well see, now that I think of it, the retail game has two disks, so this is definitely not the complete game. ;D
« Last Edit: July 24, 2016, 08:33:10 PM by LuxKiller65 »

Offline Nagumo

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2016, 12:40:50 PM »
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Unfortunately, I can't help with any of this. But if you find anything interesting please report your findings.  :)

Offline LuxKiller65

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2016, 01:07:26 AM »
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No problem and thanks for your input.

I will need an X68000 or at least a 5.25" floppy drive to get the content out of the disk and run it on an emulator. This is in my plans, but might take a while.

A few notes, mostly to myself at this point:

1- The interview inside the Rondo of Blood guidebook confirms that the MD, PCE and X68000 episodes were being developed at the same time. Maybe not in the same exact building, this I have no way to tell.

2- The label of the X68000 demo disk (let me call it this way for now) matches the label of the MD beta cart that everybody knows. Same grey background, same Konami logo, same "SAMPLE" strip, same white rounded spot for the "Title" and for the "Code/Ver./Date". Same "Sample Product" written in Japanese inside a red circle too.

(I found a better picture of my disk!)

3- The "Code/Ver./Date" spot is blank. Nothing has been written there. Yet, the content must be different, as there is at least a screenshot to prove it (the teaser written in Japanese). This could mean the game was finished, or almost, and the disk includes only one or a few levels. If we are to look at the demo disc of Rondo of Blood, it could follow the same logic indeed, with only a single playable level. Both have a teaser. Is the PCE teaser screen at the beginning or the end of the demo? (I totally forgot.)

(Pretty accurate: X68000 screen says Summer '93, and the game came out in July (I couldn't find the exact day). PCE screen says Autumn '93, and the game came out on 23 October. :))

4- Alternatively, it could be an auto-demo where the game loops like a video and shows someone playing. Something like this exists for at least one X68000 game (Undeadline).

5- If I could access the disk files and check their dates, I could tell a lot more about all of this. Right now, I'm stuck with a never-seen-before teaser screen that tells me that the content of the disk is beta and/or demo, which is enough to warrant the purchase of an X68000. Please send me one for free. ;D
« Last Edit: July 27, 2016, 01:32:57 AM by LuxKiller65 »

Offline Shiroi Koumori

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2016, 01:20:16 AM »
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I hope you get your hands on an X68000 so that you can get to the bottom of this.

Offline Nagumo

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2016, 05:32:03 AM »
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1- The interview inside the Rondo of Blood guidebook confirms that the MD, PCE and X68000 episodes were being developed at the same time. Maybe not in the same exact building, this I have no way to tell.

Not that it matters, but I know a little bit more about this. The MD and PCE games were definitely developed by the Tokyo branch (the NES games, as well as the MSX and AC versions were developed in Kobe). According to the director of the SFC/SNES game there were at least two different units in Tokyo. The one he worked at was responisble for the SFC and MD version. Rondo came from a different unit. Most likely the X68000 game was developed there as well since some of the staff gets a special thanks in the credits of Rondo. Also, comparing staff credits I concluded the Dracula Densetsu games and Kid Dracula were mostly likely developed there as well, but I disgress.   

Offline LuxKiller65

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2016, 06:40:38 AM »
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So who knows, maybe this is why Rondo and X68000 had a demo made with similar teasers. I can imagine this promotional/marketing thing being something both teams would be aware of, maybe even requested by the same person(s) as a means to get the game out to magazines and selected shops.

With the little visual information I have, I say the Rondo demo is 'better', with the teaser written in front of a moving background and all. You can feel the Rondo team had some great talents in it!

But all of this is mostly speculation, and I need to see the X68000 demo running before I can say more.

Offline LuxKiller65

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Re: Castlevania (X68000) demo/sample screenshot
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2019, 06:19:41 PM »
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So in this newly-released magazine titled "Ultimate 90s Retro Gaming Collection" (click here) there's a long article about Super Castlevania IV which includes an interview with main programmer and director Masahiro Ueno. A few things I remember from it:

- He confirms the MD game was developed in the same place at the same time. He says he gave his input to the MD team about the game they were developing, but doesn't give any details.

- He sorts of confirm the PCE game was developed at the same time but somewhere else, since he says he had no idea what that team was doing. He actually says "the PCE game was done by another group".

- More interestingly, he says that work on CV4 started almost as early as CV3, and while he can't recall exactly when, he says this must have been early 1989. He says at the time they were working with SFC spec sheets since the console was still being developed.

- Therefore, he confirms the CV3 game was being developed at the same location. He says the twin dragon boss and the statue of Sypha before entering Dracula's castle are direct references to CV3.

- He says he wanted more time to polish the game, and one regret he has is not including different paths... something that CV3 does (and the PCE game too, but he didn't know back then).

- He briefly comments the "Fight Through a Room" video (click here). He says it looks like a very early beta (no joke), and that the lizard thing was changed to Medusa to "improve gameplay".

- That's all I can remember.

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