Developer Retro Reloaded has released a public demo for Mega Castlevania 4, a fan project aiming to port the Super Nintendo title, Super Castlevania IV, to the Sega Mega Drive. The project is a collaborative effort by a team that includes Retro Reloaded, GameDevBoss, and Segamer.
Demonstrated Features and Development
The project is creating an “alternative Mega Drive timeline” for the game. The ROM of the demo has been made available for public testing and has been successfully tested working using RetroArch (I tried MiSTer but got a black screen).
The playable demo highlights the successful inclusion of several key features from the original 1991 title:
- Multi-Directional Whip: The game allows players to use Simon Belmont’s Vampire Killer whip in eight directions.
- Audio: The rendition of “Simon’s Theme” on the Mega Drive’s sound chip is included.
- Controls: The game uses a three-button configuration, offering distinct controls for jumping, using the whip, and deploying the sub-weapon.
Technical Challenges and Historical Context
The fan project takes on a challenge that was once considered by a professional studio. The development studio Factor 5 had previously considered and pitched a port of Super Castlevania IV to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, with plans to replicate the SNES’s signature Mode 7 effects entirely in software.
Super Castlevania IV was considered a showcase of the Super Nintendo’s hardware capabilities at the time of its release. A major component of this was the use of Mode 7 visual effects, which created memorable sequences like a spinning tunnel and a smoothly-rotating room.
The demo’s current status reflects the complexity of adapting the game to different hardware:
- Mode 7 Implementation: It is currently unknown how the developers will implement these signature Mode 7 effects on the Mega Drive hardware.
- Gameplay Polish: The current jumping system is noted to feel a little bit different.
- Missing Mechanics: The ability to use the whip to latch onto rings and swing across areas, a feature of the SNES original, is not yet present in the demo.
- Unfinished Bosses: Bosses and certain enemies have not been fully programmed, allowing players to defeat some easily in the current demo.
Overall playing this demo is a fun time, and we look forward to seeing exactly how far this goes. You can download the demo and judge it for yourself here.