Vampire Killer

Vampire Killer is a vampire-hunting game developed and published by Konami, released on October 30, 1986 for the MSX home computer. It is part of the Castlevania series, though it is not a straight conversion of the first Castlevania game: instead of pushing ever rightward through Dracula’s castle, the player explores rooms, hunts for keys and opens locked doors before the way to the next area finally gives.

The castle is a colder, stranger place here than elsewhere in the series, and it is remembered for its dungeon-crawling structure, its repeated candle burns in search of hearts and sub-weapons, and a hero who can simply fall victim to the dark. Grim, unforgiving, and built for those who like their fortresses hostile.