Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is a 1993 action-platformer developed and published by Konami. It was originally released as an exclusive for the TurboGrafx-16, but was re-released in 2008 on the Wii Virtual Console, and in 2019 on PlayStation 4 as part of the Castlevania Requiem collection alongside Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
The game went on to receive extremely positive reviews upon its release, seen as a worthy entry into the Castlevania series. However, its exclusivity to Japan was a huge disappointment to many, a problem only rectified with its 2019 re-release.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Premise
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood follows a similar gameplay premise to previous games in the series. It is played as a side-scroller, taking players through nine stages, each of which has four possible alternate routes to provide a ton of replayability to the game. With seven weapons to choose from, players must fight their way through Dracula’s castle against his minions, including several boss fights. Each level has items scattered throughout to help you along the way including money and extra hearts.
Hidden throughout Dracula’s castle are four maidens, who you rescue throughout the adventure. One of these is Maria Renard, who becomes a playable character after she is rescued. She comes with a moveset of her own, with additional weapons to change things up from playing as Richter Belmont. Maria takes far more damage than Richter when hit, but inflicts more damage and is much quicker to move around during combat. You can switch between these two whenever you’d like, too, so you can replay levels as different characters for a fresh experience.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Main Characters
The plot of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood carries on from previous titles, continuing the story of the Belmont family of vampire hunters. This time around, the focus is on the young Richter Belmont, as he struggles against the immortal vampire Dracula, like so many in his family before him.
- Richter Belmont: Richter Belmont is a 19-year-old vampire hunter and the descendant of Simon Belmont. He’s the protagonist of the game, attempting to live up to his family legacy by confronting Dracula to save his love, Annette.
- Dracula: Dracula has been resurrected, continuing the war between himself and the Belmont Clan’s vampire hunters. He kidnaps Annette, prompting action from Richter Belmont.
- Annette: Annette is the love of Richter Belmont. She has been kidnapped by Dracula, kicking off the game’s plot.
- Maria Renard: Maria Renard is a distant relative of Richter Belmont, as well as a maiden in Dracula’s castle. After being rescued by Richter, she becomes a playable character in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Titles in the Series
As a franchise, Castlevania has stood the test of time ever since its 1986 debut. The Dracula-based series has evolved beyond the video game medium, with several comic books and TV series’ adding to the complex lore.
From its debut right until the late 2000s, the series had consistent video game output. Throughout the 2010s, a shift in direction from Konami towards mobile gaming meant that mainline entries were few and far between, and it has now been a second since we’ve seen a fully-fledged Castlevania game.
We’re not expecting the series to go anywhere, though. It remains an iconic IP with a ton of name value. If Konami decided to follow through with a full sequel, the audience would surely be there for the ride. Rumors as recently as 2021 have suggested this may be the case, although nothing has yet to come to fruition.
The History of Castlevania
- Castlevania (1986)
- Vampire Killer (1986)
- Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (1987)
- Haunted Castle (1988)
- Castlevania: The Adventure (1989)
- Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (1989)
- Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (1991)
- Super Castlevania IV (1991)
- Akumajō Dracula (1993)
- Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993)
- Kid Dracula (1993)
- Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994)
- Castlevania: Dracula X (1995)
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
- Castlevania Legends (1997)
- Castlevania (1999)
- Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (1999)
- Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001)
- Castlevania Chronicles (2001)
- Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002)
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003)
- Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003)
- Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)
- Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (2005)
- Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2006)
- Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (2007)
- Castlevania: Order of Shadows (2007)
- Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008)
- Castlevania Judgment (2008)
- Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (2009)
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010)
- Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night (2010)
- Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (2010)
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (2013)
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (2014)
- Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls (2019)
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Cheat Codes
The original game didn’t exactly feature a massive amount of cheat codes. In fact, there’s only one to speak of, which you can see below:
Cheat Code | Cheat Code Effect |
---|---|
X-X!V”Q | Enter this code as your name to be able to select any stage in the game. |
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Gecko Cheats
While only one cheat code might be disappointing, there is another way to cheat on one specific version of the game. If you play the Wii Virtual Console version of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood on the Dolphin Emulator, you can enter what are known as Gecko cheats. Again, this is for the one specific version of the game, but if you happen to be playing this particular version, you can use these cheats below:
Cheat Code | Cheat Code Effect |
---|---|
4A000000 90000000 10A7103C 00000000 E0000000 80008000 | One-hit kill all bosses. |
2A150D80 FFEF0010 48000000 90A6DD60 DE000000 90009340 100012B8 00000000 E0000000 80008000 | Drains boss HP to zero when holding Z. |
2A150D80 FFEF0010 48000000 90A6DD60 DE000000 90009340 10000094 00000099 E0000000 80008000 | Gives you infinite heart while holding Z. |
2A150D80 FFEF0010 48000000 90A6DD60 DE000000 90009340 10000098 0000005C E0000000 80008000 | Gives you infinite HP while holding Z. |
48000000 90A6DD60 DE000000 90009340 1000008D 00000099 E0000000 80008000 | Gives you infinite lives. |
48000000 90A6DD60 DE000000 90009340 10001460 00000001 E0000000 80008000 | Gives you invincibility. |
48000000 90A6DD60 DE000000 90009340 12000096 00009999 E0000000 80008000 | Gives you max credit. |
28213740 FEFF0100 42000000 90000000 22A70BB4 00000000 00A70BB4 000000FB E0000000 80008000 | Gives you Moon Jump (makes you jump much higher). |
48000000 90A6DD60 DE000000 90009340 1000009F 00000001 E0000000 80008000 | Allows you to play as Maria. |
28213740 00000400 4A000000 90000000 12A6FE1C 00005C5C E0000000 80008000 | Allows you to press B to refill your health. |
28213740 00000400 4A000000 90000000 12A6FE18 00009999 E0000000 80008000 | Allows you to press B to refill your hearts. |
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Cheat Code FAQs
How Do I Select Levels in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood?
To select any level without having to first unlock it, set your in-game name as “X-X!V”Q.” This will allow you to select any level in the game to play.
Does Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Have Achievements?
Yes! While they were not present in the original release, the game’s appearance in the Castlevania Requiem collection added a series of trophies related to Rondo of Blood. We’ve put together a list of achievements relevant to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which can be found below:
Achievement | Achievement Description |
---|---|
The Young Huntress | Rescue Maria Renard. |
Prayers Answered | Rescue Tera. |
Just What the Doctor Ordered | Rescue Iris. |
Nothing But Annette | Rescue Annette. |
Intercepted! | Catch the Magic Crystal from a boss before it hits the ground. |
Whip it Good | Defeat 15 enemies with Richter’s extended whip. |
Come no more | Test the Ferryman’s patience. |
Vampire Killer | Complete any stage with a “No Damage Bonus”. |
You don’t belong in this world! | Defeat Dracula as Richter. |
The Full Belmonty | Complete 100% of the game. |
Not to be Underestimated | Defeat Dracula as Maria. |
Do Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Cheat Codes Work on Any Platform?
No. While the base game level select cheat should work on any version of the game, the Gecko cheats can only be activated via the Dolphin Emulator on the Wii Virtual Console version of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.