Topic: Who came up with the name "Castlevania"?

[K.K. Drunkinski]

I don't know who came up with the name, but I'll assume that it was someone in the west (likely on the localization team). Considering that most of the religious stuff was being played down during the 90s, I guess someone didn't like the Japanese name nor did they like the English translation of the name (Devil's/Demon Castle Dracula). Might have kept people from buying the game because of the title. So, they probably thought: the takes place in a castle. the castle is in Transylvania. How about Castlevania?

This is what I've always thought was the obvious reason a name change happened. Keep in mind, when Castlevania first appeared on the NES in the 1980s, not only was the name changed, but the Holy Water was officially referred to in the US manual as a "Fire Bomb," and the Cross sub-weapon was only called a "Boomerang" to keep out any religious connotations. Have no idea who the individual was in the company that came up with "Castlevania" though. But hey, it's a catchy sounding name for Drac's castle, and it worked.

[zangetsu468]

I assumed the name came from Castle and Transylvania being merged. In English it's catchier than Haunted Castle or Demon Castle Dracula, it works, who am I to stop a good thing 

[X]

Definitely not I 

[K.K. Drunkinski]

Quote from IGA:
"The name Akumajyou Dracula is very well known. However, when we developed for overseas, we decided to make the title consistent. At that time, we took "castle" and "Transylvania" and combined them to make a new word. It was a name that we thought the overseas would accept rather well. In addition, the word "Dracula" limits the final boss to Dracula. "

http://www.chapelofresonance.com/articles/iga.html

[Morning star]

These guys are full of it, K.K. Their names may be on the product, but they had nothing to do with the concept. They were given the script for this game by a government think tank in the west and told to produce it. That was the price Japan and Nintendo had to pay in order to share in the western market. Also what happens when you lose a war to a super power... The same is the case with the legend of zelda and MANY other titles. They developed the name Castlevania first. The Japanese title is the generic version they had to release it in Japan first in order to keep up the illusion that this was all done in Japan. Clearly it was not. And the anime style art and more Japanese looking character in Rondo of blood proves that. (Not released in the USA)

Don't believe me? The same is true of the legend of zelda guys . Again, the Japanese version was given the generic sounding name. Why? Because the game was developed for the west, by the west. Japan was forced to go along with it. The name of the legend of zelda in Japan? The hyrule fantasy..  :/ yeah i know... great name, lol. If the developer was channeling the legend of f Scott fitzgeralds wife zelda, like he said, why not give the game the same name in Japan? Yep.. It's true. Also, zelda Fitzgerald was a notorious whore and what the ruling elite envision the present day modern woman to be. She was a template for "progress" in women's rights :/ Making zelda a proper princess in the game was done for ironic effect.

I make up nothing. I just tell the truth so people can post derp shit and make tinfoil hat references. Don't ask me how i know this stuff. I will not list any names. I don't wish to get anybody in trouble. But aside from knowing it myself (how i knew to bring it up with certain people) i have had very reliable and connected individuals varify that these are facts. (It's tied into mockingbird) But almost every video you have ever seen where people identified 'certain symbolism' cough, COUGH, was 100% true and in most cases.. they didn't even see all of it. Only the parts they are educated enough about are the articles that are brought to light.

[Ratty]

Quote from IGA:
"The name Akumajyou Dracula is very well known. However, when we developed for overseas, we decided to make the title consistent. At that time, we took "castle" and "Transylvania" and combined them to make a new word. It was a name that we thought the overseas would accept rather well. In addition, the word "Dracula" limits the final boss to Dracula. "

http://www.chapelofresonance.com/articles/iga.html

Oh cool. That implies that it was the Japanese team rather than a localization team. Though if true it means they decided (or were not allowed) to stay consistent in the name for the MSX and Arcade variants.

These guys are full of it, K.K. Their names may be on the product, but they had nothing to do with the concept. They were given the script for this game by a government think tank in the west and told to produce it. That was the price Japan and Nintendo had to pay in order to share in the western market. Also what happens when you lose a war to a super power... The same is the case with the legend of zelda and MANY other titles. They developed the name Castlevania first. The Japanese title is the generic version they had to release it in Japan first in order to keep up the illusion that this was all done in Japan. Clearly it was not. And the anime style art and more Japanese looking character in Rondo of blood proves that. (Not released in the USA)

Don't believe me? The same is true of the legend of zelda guys . Again, the Japanese version was given the generic sounding name. Why? Because the game was developed for the west, by the west. Japan was forced to go along with it. The name of the legend of zelda in Japan? The hyrule fantasy..  :/ yeah i know... great name, lol. If the developer was channeling the legend of f Scott fitzgeralds wife zelda, like he said, why not give the game the same name in Japan? Yep.. It's true. Also, zelda Fitzgerald was a notorious whore and what the ruling elite envision the present day modern woman to be. She was a template for "progress" in women's rights :/ Making zelda a proper princess in the game was done for ironic effect.

I make up nothing. I just tell the truth so people can post derp shit and make tinfoil hat references. Don't ask me how i know this stuff. I will not list any names. I don't wish to get anybody in trouble. But aside from knowing it myself (how i knew to bring it up with certain people) i have had very reliable and connected individuals varify that these are facts. (It's tied into mockingbird) But almost every video you have ever seen where people identified 'certain symbolism' cough, COUGH, was 100% true and in most cases.. they didn't even see all of it. Only the parts they are educated enough about are the articles that are brought to light.

Uhhhh...

....

What possible motivation would a "western think tank" (and the American government, apparently) have in enriching Japanese video game companies? Yes, Castlevania and Zelda are both heavily influenced by western fantasy media, but such media was very popular in Japan at the time. And western style fantasy remains more or less popular worldwide. Wouldn't it have been simpler to just, you know, invest in American video game companies? Most of which would have been in piss poor shape post 1983 crash and could have been bought relatively easily and inexpensively?

That's like saying Kill Bill and every shitty Steven Seagal movie was written and financed by secret Chinese and/or Japanese groups who wanted to keep martial arts popular in America for reasons.

[K.K. Drunkinski]

Man, don't even try to talk sense into conspiracy theorists. No matter what you say, they will always fall back on "that's what they WANT you to think." Just smile and nod...

[zangetsu468]

I won't deride conspiracy theorists because I wholeheartedly support alternative media. However, excuse me for pointing this out, our conspiratorial member, but your allegations have no context whatsoever in the propagation of some kind of mass consciousness shift via naming of video games... When Castlevania and Zelda came out, gaming as we know it was in its infancy, and very few people actually played games or owned consoles. It's not like today where millions are gaming and connecting online every day. Furthermore Miyamoto admitted to naming Zelda after Zelda Fitzgerald. Even if she is all those things, the knowledge isn't esoteric because it's publicly known. I think being more articulate with why you believe there's such importance to cover up this information may help, but at this point my friend, be careful as you're discrediting your own ideas.

[Morning star]

From the movie young Frankenstein 1974. This pic proves nothing. Just something that some people may not have known.

 I could post links to all the information you would ever need that proves what i said is true, but it would take days and i am not patient enough to break through the mind control, while educating and fighting over every single point along the way.

Just keep playing your video games guys.. 

I won't deride conspiracy theorists because I wholeheartedly support alternative media. However, excuse me for pointing this out, our conspiratorial member, but your allegations have no context whatsoever in the propagation of some kind of mass consciousness shift via naming of video games... When Castlevania and Zelda came out, gaming as we know it was in its infancy, and very few people actually played games or owned consoles. It's not like today where millions are gaming and connecting online every day. Furthermore Miyamoto admitted to naming Zelda after Zelda Fitzgerald. Even if she is all those things, the knowledge isn't esoteric because it's publicly known. I think being more articulate with why you believe there's such importance to cover up this information may help, but at this point my friend, be careful as you're discrediting your own ideas.

So your not against alternative media, just everything that they report on a daily basis. You think your being sneaky. Everybody that reads your post can see that your just calling me dumb. You can be as articulate as you wish, but for educated people its translated the same way. Yes i am aware that Miyamoto admits naming after Zelda Fitzgerald. How do you think i knew to mention that?!?! Your not very smart and you don't comprehend what you read. Let me slow things down so you can keep up. Miyamoto was telling a lie. It was not his idea, not his story. Get it?? There is a difference between opinions and facts. Opinions belong to the uneducated. Facts belong to those who have done research. Tossing around a few big words does not impress anybody that's not a brainwashed slave. You made no point. You said said i was wrong because.... You said so, and used some big words, lmao!!

[LuxKiller65]

Without Morning star's posts ( ):
Thanks for the link which seems to make it clear that Castlevania comes from Konami Japan. It was indeed just Transylvania + Castle. And regarding the censorship thing, it's funny that Vampire Killer made it to Europe, although that was obviously not on Nintendo's consoles. I wonder if they used Vampire Killer because they hadn't come up with the name yet or they didn't want to mix up the NES/GB games with the MSX port, or maybe just because a different team at Konami worked on it. Now that I think of it, Vampire Killer would have suited the series pretty good too. Vampire Killer 2: Simon's Quest. Or Vampire Killer: Symphony of the Night.



Now with Morning star's posts ( ):
No need to whine that people are going to laugh at you or something like this. You are free to give us your information/point of view, or to keep it to yourself. Thanks for sharing by the way. But as zangetsu said, it seems hard to believe that government(s)/lobbies and other think tanks had full power over and lots of interest in video games in the 80s - really? I mean are you trying to say that the "hidden" Hollywood system can also be applied to the video gaming entertainment industry? I could believe it for NOW, given the importance, budgets involved, and people who play them (young, old, women, basically everybody). Now video games mean something, but back then? Wasn't it something very new, unknown to the masses, something like collecting baseball cards?

You seem to hint at brainwashing, mind control and programming slaves, and you mention Zelda as a Monarch mind-controlled presidential sex slave or something along those lines, right? I have a hard time connecting this to the localisation of a (then) unknown video game in the USA/Europe.

And I don't follow you with the John Morris screenshot... apart for the fact that it's the name of the guy in Bloodlines/New Generation/Vampire Killer (lots of names for the same game lol)... and that it's a classic horror movie...? *thoughtful* but it's pretty interesting for sure, and if you could share more...

[zangetsu468]

Morning Star, nobody is calling you dumb or stupid. There's a big difference between this and ideas being discredited. Then again an educated person in the true sense would realise this. The fact you took that statement so personally speaks volumes about you, pardon me for saying but truly educated people do not lose themselves in ego amongst debating ideas, because those people are collected and succinct in the way they articulate themselves.

I'm actually interested in your ideas, but not your holier than thou attitude which is basically saying "hey everyone I've got this secret, but I'm the only one who's smart enough to know"
Knowing x information does not put x person above other people, this is egotistical..

Please, at least if you make allegations then have the resources to back them up.

[Ratty]

Let's all drop name calling and other insults please. We're all here to enjoy ourselves and celebrate this series we love. So I don't want to warn anyone or be forced to lock the thread.

[Morning star]

I'm actually interested in your ideas, but not your holier than thou attitude which is basically saying "hey everyone I've got this secret, but I'm the only one who's smart enough to know"
Knowing x information does not put x person above other people, this is egotistical..

Please, at least if you make allegations then have the resources to back them up.

I dont think i am better than anybody. Really. If it reads that way, i am sorry for that. Really. I just get a little wound up. This is an easy topic to talk about as long as your making fun of it, but when you have the facts and try to get people to listen.. It gets very frustrating.

About a comment you made. I don't know these things because i am (or think i am) smarter than other people. I know this stuff because i got very sick and had a lot of time on my hands for many years. First a DVT blood clot and Pancreatitis a few years after that. The lack of a life gives you time to learn things that other people just don't have time for. Jobs and social interaction really get in the way and restrict this kind of independent research for most people.

However, my misfortune can become the gain of others. I offer this information to people for free. I actually know enough about all this to write a book. I don't care if people never mention my name again. This isn't for cred of any kind. I want people to know this information that i spent the last five years researching. It's very detailed, almost all of it is documented and it's precise. This is not like the beliefs of every confused kid that gets on YouTube and posts a video on spirituality or some crap like that, lol. These are hard facts based in reality.

Super hard, set in stone proof is very hard to come up with at a moments notice. A lot of the documentation and leaked info gets removed within weeks of it being posted. Although the faces, names, dates and times do tend to vanish. The names of operations, links between events and dates tend to remain easily found. Certain people and their affiliations with specific groups also play a central role in exposing the truth.

You want proof.. Let me go back through some resources and see if I can find enough to link things together. I will see what i can still find again. It's hard to remember names, dates, and affiliations, both political and social for every significant figure and event event that's taken place between now and the late seventeen hundreds. You end up knowing much, but not being able to remember enough to prove it. Like i said, i wasn't looking to write a book. Plenty of people have already done that.

[Morning star]

You are free to give us your information/point of view, or to keep it to yourself. Thanks for sharing by the way. But as zangetsu said, it seems hard to believe that government(s)/lobbies and other think tanks had full power over and lots of interest in video games in the 80s - really? I mean are you trying to say that the "hidden" Hollywood system can also be applied to the video gaming entertainment industry? I could believe it for NOW, given the importance, budgets involved, and people who play them (young, old, women, basically everybody). Now video games mean something, but back then? Wasn't it something very new, unknown to the masses

It will take time to dig up actual hard proof. I don't know how much I can still find. Some of this was word of mouth from people that were close to high ranking operations. But in the meantime I can offer people this information to look at.

Did you know Bram Stoker was an illuminati member? To be specific, he was a member of the hermetic order of the golden dawn. The theological group that is responsible for the modern incarnation of the illuminati religion. The Thule society was a direct offshoot of this group. Helena Blavatsky founding member and member of the golden dawn was responsible  (through this religion) for producing the rough draft that would become Nazi doctrine. Gerald Gardner is responsible for the rebirth of the modern neopaganism movement. It's called Wicca. Many of his rituals were written by Aleister Crowley. Aleister Crowley, a documented satanist , tutored L Ron Hubbard. Hubbard founded the church of Scientology. That leads us to operation Mockingird and control of ALL media sources for use as propaganda tools and brainwashing systems. This includes the upcoming video game industry. Scientology is part of the system put in place to control the celebrities. Also developers and producers etc.. Anybody with power, influence or wealth. Even pro athletes. If you agree to the terms and try to back out, you end up dead like Michael Jackson and countless other victims.

I could go on, but this should be enough for the people who don't know yet.

New video game.. http://youtu.be/VGEEZvpmXwk

[Abnormal Freak]

This thread has turned gleefully nutty. I like it.