VAMPIRE KILLER - The infernal machinery of Dracula !

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Since people with bad intentions have provoked the resurrection of the terrible Dracula, Transylvania is again dominated by diabolical powers with vampires as absolute masters. To stop the infernal chaos, Simon goes to the haunted castle. He's armed only with the leather whip that he has inherited from his father Christopher who had succeeded to send Dracula in the dead's world.

With Vampire Killer (Akumajyo Drakyula), Konami presents in 1986 his first game for MSX2, whose he uses all the resources with intelligence. Brilliant PSG musics for great backgrounds to enter in a strange world : the sinister castle of Dracula. If Castlevania is mainly an action game on other systems, Vampire Killer is a game with priority given to exploration of the different stages on the action itself, although this last one is present, especially in giant fights against the bosses. Actually, we are not far from a RPG and all the Konami genius lies in this way to pass round or away the MSX2 limitations by the development of an hybrid game outside the usual stereotypes.

This exploration is full with dangers, but will also allow to acquire hearts and many items : you can find them hidden in candlesticks, chests or walls or you can buy them from merchants.

Beside them, the hearts will be your exchange money when the merchant is red. Prices can vary following the stages and/or the owning of the white bible or the black bible. If the merchant is pink, he will give some hearts but he can also steal a few of them !

Particularity of the game: after 3 stages and the fight against a boss, you'll access to a higher level of the game but lose all the acquired items, with exception for the map. In other words, you'll be back with only your old leather whip and need to repeat your chase for items !

When you have lost all your lifes, the game is alas over for you. However, if you start Vampire Killer with GAME MASTER inserted in slot 2, you'll get the option to continue the game by pressing on F5. It will also be possible to modify the number of lifes and select the stage to begin the game.

Tip for an easier game: make sure you have the hourglass before encountering a boss (with exception for Dracula). Defeat him and don't take the big red crystal. Wait for the replacing of the boss music by the tune for the level end. After 4 seconds, activate the hourglass by pressing on UP + DOWN. The enemies will be frozen until you will lose a life or use again the hourglass (what's required for the fight against Dracula).

	The weapons		You need your leather whip to shoot on the candlesticks or the walls, but other main weapons can also be used for that. You can only have one main weapon in the following list of 5 weapons :
			Leather wip : it's your default weapon, you find it also back when you have lost the axe or the blue cross Chain whip : can be found on stages 0, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 18; is twice more powerful than the leather whip Sword : can be found on stages 1, 6, 8, 13, 17, 18; is very fast and allows 2 shoots Axe : can be found on stages 2, 4, 10, 11, 13, 14; is very powerful but slow and works as a boomerang that you need to take back Blue Cross : can be found on stages 3, 9, 12, 15, 17; is powerful but slow and works as a boomerang that you need to take back
			Besides your main weapon, secondary weapons will be very helpful.
			Holy Water : can be found on stages 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 17; is powerful but its using (UP + RIGHT or LEFT) costs 5 hearts Red Shield : can be found on stages 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 14, 15, 17; halves the strength of enemy attacks Gold Shield : can be found on stages 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 17; protects from enemy shoots Hourglass : can be found on stages 2 to 5, 8, 13, 15 to 17; freezes the enemies but its using (UP + DOWN) costs 5 hearts Map : can be found on stages 2, 4, 7, 8, 12 to 15, 17: allows to see a map of the stage by pressing on F2; can be used only three times
	The keys		The keys are absolutely required items to progress in the game.
			Yellow Key : allows to open a chest White Key : gives access to next stage or fight against boss (stages 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18) Picklock : can be found on stages 4, 8, 10 to 13, 15 to 18; allows to open three chests
	The other items		Other items will be useful, but avoid to take the black bible !
			Boots : can be found on stages 1, 2, 8, 9, 14, 17, 18; allow to move faster Wings : can be found on stages 1, 8, 16; allow to jump higher Sapphire Ring : can be found on stages 1 to 10, 13 to18; allows to be unvulnerable Blue Crystal : can be found on stages 2 to 4, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18; allows to be invisible Gold Cross : can be found on stages 2, 3, 9 to 12, 14, 17; allows to destroy all monsters currently on the screen Silver Cross : can be found on stages 1, 4 to 6, 10, 17; allows to make impossible the appearance of monsters
			Candle : can be found on stages 7, 11, 14; allows to see the walls that can be destroyed Black Bible : can be found on stages 1 to 3, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17; item to avoid, as it increases the price of the selled items White Bible : can be found on stages 2, 4, 10 to 13, 15, 17; decreases the price of the selled items Elixir : can be found on stages 2, 4, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18; restores fully your vitality Red Crystal : can be found under 2 forms; the big crystal is available after your victory on the boss (stages 3, 6, 9, 12, 15) and restores fully your vitality; the little crystal (stages 2, 4, 6, 13 to 16, 18) restores it partially Money Bag : can be found under 2 forms (white or blue) randomly when killing enemies or hidden in candlesticks or chests (stages 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18); improves your score
	The walkthrough		Here's a walthrough with the specific details for each of the 19 stages : enemies, items, tips to find the white keys and kill the bosses.
			On stage 0, you are in the park of the castle. Use your leather whip to strike the candlesticks and get hearts and the chain whip.
			On stage 1, ghouls are welcoming you on their way, panthers are ready to jump on you and bats are flying in your direction. - items hidden in candlesticks : sapphire ring, gold cross, black bible (to avoid !) - items hidden in chests : wings, boots, red shield - item proposed by a merchant : sword The white key is hidden in the hall of the bottom of this stage.
			On stage 2, you are in the cellar of this sinister castle. It is infested with bats, ghouls and fishmen. You need to destroy many walls ! - items hidden in candlesticks : blue crystal, sapphire ring, gold cross, red crystal, axe, black bible (to avoid !) - items hidden in chests : map, white bible, hourglass, boots - items proposed by merchants : holy water, elixir, gold shield. The white key is hidden in the extreme bottom on the right. To make it appear, it's better to use the axe or the holy water, as otherwise you need to be a good acrobat ! Don't fall in the water of the underground river, it should be your immediate death.
			Back to the ground for stage 3 with the same enemies as on stage 1. - items hidden in candlesticks : sapphire ring, money bag, blue crystal, chain whip, black bible (to avoid !) - items hidden in chests : gold shield, hourglass, sapphire ring, gold cross, red shield - item proposed by a merchant : blue cross The white key is hidden in the hall of the top of this stage. It gives access to the first boss : the Vampire Bat who throws fireballs. Recommended weapons : sword + hourglasss.
			With stage 4, we begin to explore the floors of the castle. Knights armed with spears are keeping the passage and medusa heads are running in your direction, without forgetting some bats. Be also careful with some candlesticks, they are hiding viscous slimes ! - items hidden in candlesticks : sapphire ring, blue crystal, silver cross, cred crystal - items hidden in chests : map, red shield, axe, hourglass, white bible - items proposed by merchants : picklock, elixir The white key is hidden in a wall on the left.
			Stage 5 is the first stage with mobile platforms. Avoid to fall in the void ! - item hidden in a candlestick : silver cross - items hidden in chests : sapphire ring, holy water, money bag - item proposed by a merchant : hourglass The white key is hidden in a wall on the top right.
			Stage 6 is protected by bone heads, medusa heads and a bone tower. Be careful when you must pass over 3 herses with spikes ! - items hidden in candlesticks : chain whip, silver cross, red crystal - items hidden in chests : sapphire ring, chain whip - items proposed by merchants : sword, elixir The white key is hidden near the entry of the stage. It gives access to the second boss : the Medusa and his dangerous tentacles. Recommended weapon : axe.
			On stage 7, you go even higher. Skeletons, fleamen and bats are making difficult your work. - items hidden in candlesticks : black bible (to avoid !), money bag, sapphire ring - items hidden in chests : black bible (to avoid !), map, gold shield, chain whip, red shield - items proposed by merchants : candle, red shield If you buy the candle, you will find easily the white key hidden in a wall on the right.
			On stage 8, you are on the top of the first tower and take the passage to the second tower. - items hidden in candlesticks : boots, chain whip, wings, black bible (to avoid !) - items hidden in chests : sapphire ring, picklock, map, boots, sword - items proposed by merchants : gold shield, hourglass The white key is in the second tower, just before the exit, and you need to fall in the void to take it !
			On stage 9, you are going to the third tower. - items hidden in candlesticks : blue crystal, boots, money bag, gold cross - items hidden in chests : sapphire ring, holy water, gold cross - item proposed by a merchant : blue cross The white key is in the third tower. It gives access to the third boss : the Mummies and their horrible wrappings. Recommended weapons : bluecross + hourglass.
			On stage 10, you are in the hidden part of the castle, where you find back the underground river and the fishmen. Be careful with the mobile platforms, jump and bend down at the good moment ! - items hidden in candlesticks : sapphire ring, silver cross, black bible (to avoid !), gold cross, blue crystal, money bag - items hidden in chests : chain whip, white bible, money bag, axe - items proposed by merchants : picklock, gold shield The white key is visible from the beginning, but you'll need to go a long way round before reaching it !
			On stage 11, you are in a strange universe, full with walls to be destroyed. Ghouls are wandering, eagles dump fleamen and the exit is kept by a bone dragon. - item hidden in a candlestick : chain whip - items hidden in chests : holy water, white bible, picklock, axe, red shield, gold cross - items proposed by merchants : candle, elixir The white key is hidden in the first block of walls to destroy.
			Stage 12 is a labyrinth in four parts monitored by bone dragons and linked by teleports (to use them, press on the DOWN and UP cursors at the good location). - item hidden in a candlestick : blue crystal - items hidden in chests : picklock, white bible, map, blue crystal, gold cross - item proposed by a merchant : blue cross The white key is hidden in the wall near the exit. It gives access to the 4th boss : Frankenstein and Igor, his especially fast monkey. Recommended weapons : blue cross + holy water.
			On stage 13, you are in the dreadful dungeons of Dracula. The death is here present at each moment, blood-sucked skeletons try to share their fate with you. - items hidden in candlesticks : black bible (to avoid !), red crystal, sapphire ring, chain whip - items hidden in chests : map, axe, white bible, money bag - items proposed by merchants : sword, picklock, hourglass, holy water The white key is hidden in a wall of the higher part of this stage.
			On stage 14, you are exploring the Dracula's laboratory that is seriously kept by knights armed with knights and blood-sucked skeletons. - items hidden in candlesticks : boots, red crystal, gold cross, money bag - items hidden in chests : sapphire ring, red shield, axe, map, red crystal - item proposed by a merchant : candle The white key is hidden in full middle of the stage.
			On stage 15, you are going up to the Dracula's office with the hope to find him there ! - items hidden in candlesticks : black bible (to avoid !), sapphire ring, red crystal - items hidden in chests : map, white bible, hourglass, red shield, picklock - items proposed by merchants : elixir, blue cross The white key is on a location that requires to be acrobat. It gives access to the 5th boss : the Death armed with his dangerous scythes. Recommended weapons : blue cross + hourglass.
			On stage 16, you are on the damaged passage that links the castle to the real retreat of Dracula in an external tower. Vampire bats will make difficult your life ! - items hidden in candlesticks : blue crystal bleu, wings - items hidden in chests : picklock, sapphire ring, hourglass, red crystal The white key can be found at three different locations. Easiest option is the key just before the exit.
			On stage 17, you are going to discover the infernal machine which is responsible of all the horrors encoutered in this castle. - items hidden in candlesticks : white bible, black bible (to avoid !), silver cross, money bag - items hidden in chests : red cross, map, white bible, blue cross, hourglass, money bag, gold shield, sapphire ring, boots, gold cross, picklock - items proposed by merchants : holy water, sword, elixir, red shield The white key can be found at two different locations. Only the key near the entry is accessible, but proceed with method, otherwise you'll be blocked !
			On stage 18, you come finally in the real retreat of Dracula ! - item hidden in a candlestick : chain whip - items hidden in chests : picklock, blue crystal, sapphire ring, boots, red crystal, money bag - items proposed by merchants : sword, elixir The white key is just on the top of the vertical ascension to the final level of the stage in horizontal mode. It gives access to the final boss, the Count Dracula.
			Actually, you need to fight twice against him : first under his human form who throws three fireballs when locating itself randomly; then under the Dracula's terrifying picture whose mouth is always giving birth to aggressive bats. Recommended weapons in both cases : sword + hourglasss. Note that his weak point is his head in the first battle, the diamond on his forehead in the second battle. As soon Dracula is defeated twice, the peace will come back and let's hope nobody will never more give back life to this diabolical monster.