Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness

is a 3D action-platformer game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. It is part of the Castlevania series and it was first released in North America on November 30th, 1999.
The game is both an expanded and remastered version of Castlevania, which was released earlier that same year on the same system. As such, it includes additional levels, characters, and gameplay modes that were left out from the previous game, presumably due to time constraints.
==Plot==
Set in the year 1844, the game stars the man-beast Cornell in his quest to prevent his adopted younger sister, Ada, from being used as a sacrifice to resurrect Count Dracula. The game opens as Cornell arrives at his village, which has been burned to the ground by Dracula's minions. He finds Ada's pendant in a doorway and follows her scent to Dracula's castle.
During the course of the game, Cornell comes upon a grand estate owned by the Oldrey family: J.A. Oldrey, the master of the Villa, Mary, his wife, and Henry, their son. Gilles de Rais and Actrise have turned Oldrey into a vampire. At Mary's request, Cornell guides Henry to safety. Later in life, Henry returns to Castlevania to save kidnapped children.
Throughout the game, Cornell encounters his rival and fellow man-beast, Ortega. Ortega has allied himself with Dracula to finally best Cornell in combat. They eventually battle near the end of the game, just before Cornell defeats Dracula and saves his sister. (Although he only accomplishes the latter by sacrificing his man-wolf powers.) Unbeknownst to the hero, acquiring this power was the true aim of the dark forces, as it was the perfect sacrifice (not Ada, as Cornell had assumed) to resurrect Dracula at his full power.
The quests for Carrie Fernandez and Reinhardt Schneider (from the original Castlevania for the Nintendo 64) are also featured in Legacy of Darkness. They can be unlocked by rescuing children in Henry's quest.
==Character gallery==
==Differences from Castlevania (N64)==
Legacy of Darkness was a continuation of Konami's first attempt (Castlevania (N64), also published in 1999) to create a 3D Castlevania. It is officially referred to as a "Special Edition" of the original game, and more fully realizes the game designers' vision. For example, Cornell was present in early development media and press information for Castlevania 64, but was ultimately removed before the game's release.
At first, Legacy of Darkness may appear entirely the same to a casual observer due to aesthetic similarities to the first game; however, its primary focus is on a new story (a prequel to Reinhardt and Carrie's adventures) in which Cornell explores new levels. Most of the old levels included in Cornell and Henry's quests (such as the Forest of Silence) have been so drastically redesigned that they are essentially "new" despite the use of familiar textures from the original game. Old levels that have not been drastically changed (such as the Villa) are often navigated in a new or novel manner and feature different puzzles. Reinhardt and Carrie's quests are a secondary focus, and can only be unlocked after completing both Cornell and Henry's quests. Reinhardt and Carrie's quests lack the voice acting and original level designs present in Castlevania 64, instead adopting the new designs. Their quests also feature new bosses.
In Legacy of Darkness, control of the game's characters, camera, and frame-rate were streamlined to create a more intuitive gameplay experience. The game also supports the Nintendo 64's Expansion Pak add-on, which allows for an option to play on a higher resolution (although this mode is also plagued with frame rate issues). Legacy of Darkness also features many minor bonuses such as an alternate costume for Cornell and new alternate costumes for Reinhardt and Carrie.
==Trivia==
*The year when Cornell's adventure takes place, 1844, coincides with the date William Miller, an American Christian preacher, had predicted that Judgment Day would happen. Furthermore, the Japanese subtitle for both Nintendo 64 games, Castlevania and Legacy of Darkness, is Mokushiroku (黙示録), which refers to the Apocalypse or Judgment Day. It is possible, that Takeo Yakushiji, the game's writer, borrowed inspiration from this event.
==See also==
*Legacy of Darkness Bestiary
*Legacy of Darkness Inventory
===Related products===
*Castlevania (N64) - Legacy of Darkness is considered to be a rearrangement (a "director's cut" of sorts) and prequel to Castlevania.
*Prima's Legacy of Darkness Official Strategy Guide - US official strategy guide.
*Famitsu64plus Akumajo Dracula Mokushiroku Gaiden Guide - Japanese strategy guide.
*Music from Akumajo Dracula Kuro - Contains the original soundtrack for this game on Disk 8.
==External links==
*
*Castlevania Realm
*GameFAQs
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