MSX Vampire Killer-skinned Castlevania (left) VS original Castlevania for NES (right)

[@RedLP5000S]

I like both versions. They each have their own unique qualities. I like how the MSX uses actual crosses for Simon's sub weapon.

[@nesking3115]

The music sounds absolutely amazing,it sounds even better than the actual “Vampire Killer “..

[@kya6568]

The best part of it is that you can enjoy it on a real MSX with an SCC cartridge. The soundtrack is arranged by Jan van Valburg, a guy, who started on the MSX, and now is a tech. director at Activision.

[@volteco2]

I am speechless... You are a professional Vampire Killer!!!

[@kya6568]

You are flattering me. Professional vampire killers run through Castlevania in about 11 minutes. :)

[@Hwi1son]

Awesome video. (I could pick this whole thing apart, NES wins in certain areas, MSX skin wins in others. I love it)

[@VexaS1n]

This is perfection dude! Great hack, gameplay and music!

[@GordonBraicks]

I never played VK on a NES but on a MSX. I find it superior in every way. Very impressive because it's 'nephew' the C64 was given a horrible port.

[@AntonioKantek]

This is truly amazing. Perfect horizontal scroll on MSX2 !!!

[@kya6568]

That's not real MSX unfortunately. It's a NES game with an MSX skin overlaid via an emulator.

[@ruminator3570]

The music sounds like something that would be fitting for The Legendary Ax on Turbo Graphx.

[@DesertRainReads]

Great rom hack, while there were details that were better in the original version, the reskinned one looks fantastic in it's own right too. Also, the new soundtrack is solid too. Loved seeing this, good playthrough. Thanks for uploading.

[@angelriverasantana7755]

Mesen packs are a blessing.

[@ruminator3570]

20 years ago or so at the genesis of the hacking phenomenon they would have said this was not possible. God bless you guys.

[@markula_4040]

30 seconds in and I realized I don't need the comparisons because I know the NES version by heart.

[@batonrougetombo]

So basically the same... except for 100 foot self portrait in vampire killer and coffin in castlevania at the final boss. Why such a drastic change there I wonder? I had no idea

[@kya6568]

The portrait was there in the original MSX version for a purpose. It was the Dracula's second form. You may watch whatever Vampire Killer walkthrough and see for yourself. When they were transferring the game to NES, I believe, they found no way to cram this portrait into a 128 Kbytes FDS disk. That is why they changed the Dracula's final form (for good, imho) and threw away that portrait.

[@bee2feather]

@@kya6568 could it be the other way around? MSX couldn't handle sprites that big as the Dracula final form, so they simply changed it to a background image with moving bats? See, even the penultimate form doesn't feature the cape on MSX, which also is a relatively big sprite. I only guess here.

[@kya6568]

I can't give you a proof now, but I've read somewhere, that Vampire Killer was the initial version, and Castlevania used its assets (converted from MSX to Famicom). Besides, NES and MSX have quite similar sprite limitations (4 four-colored sprites 16*16 sprites per scanline for MSX; 8 four-colored 8*16 sprites per scanline for NES).

[@TheGenericStranger]

@@kya6568 Actually, the Famicom Disk System version is the first game in the series, and it was ported over to the MSX one month later with changes. In Europe, the MSX version was localized first and then the FDS/NES cart was localized after. This is why there is confusion, but the FDS/NES one is the original first game in the series.

[@kya6568]

@@TheGenericStranger You are right, the FDS version was definitely _released_ earlier than the MSX version. But a month difference is too small even for japanese overtime working developers to produce a complete game, so both of the versions should have been developed in parallel. And we don't know when the development was started for each of those versions. Gameplaywise the MSX version is more advanced, so it could've been in development longer.

[@SingleMomInYourArea]

i like how the msx mod looks more

[@agmakpro]

I had the MSX version and it lacks scrolling, it seems the one in your video is a modified version???

[@kya6568]

The version in the video is the NES/Famicom version (with scrolling and linear levels) with graphics from the MSX version skinned over.

[@qwertyvito]

The MSX2 version is quite different. Not only about the visuals, but some levels are longer, bosses are more challenging compared to the Nes version.

[@OPP03]

This left version should've been Castlevania for the FDS.

[@dmcmusiclover2995]

The music sounds like a Famicom Disk System or an arcade.

[@mortenera2294]

What's next, porting Simon's Quest to the MSX?

[@TheBanishedWind]

Nope, Simon's Quest as an actual Metroidvania

[@jdaywork2693]

Very cool! Is it possible to get the MSX game onto an NES cart? With all the options the MSX game has that is?

[@kya6568]

As far as I know, there is no way to do that for two reasons: 1. MSX2 has an RGB palette of 512 colors like PCEngine or Megadrive. NES just does not have the colors to render the picture. 2. MSX2 in SCREEN5 mode can set any pixel to any color (16 simultaneously of 512 total). NES can only use 4 colors in a 16x16 block of adjacent pixels. So the closest real console that could run this would be a PC Engine. But that requires A LOT of effort.

[@fthprodphoto-video5357]

KYA the msx version does not seem to show many colors though, I actually prefer the color palette of the nes game too

[@jdaywork2693]

​​@@kya6568 Thank you for your detailed answer! I'd love. To see a repolished remake of VK. One that could smooth out the bumps of the MSX version. It would probably work best built from scratch? This remake is still very neat none the less!

[@kya6568]

@@jdaywork2693 Built from scratch by a professional, you are right.

[@ashkirby8896]

Is is some amazing work!😄🤩😎👌 Question, did you use the N163 and Sunsoft 5B for the soundtrack and sound effects of your Vampire Killer skinned hack of Castlevania for the NES to make it sound like the SCC hack of Vampire Killer?

[@kya6568]

To be precise, this is not a hack. It's a resource pack for a special emulator. So the soundrack is in plain ogg (recorded from an MSX emulator with SCC, i suppose).

[@ashkirby8896]

Ah, so it’s not playing on a real NES emulator.🤔🧐 Thought I bet someone could make a NES/Famicom hack of the game using the Vampire Killer MSX color palette, and transcribe the Konami SCC hack music over to the Namco 163(since it’s a wavetable sound chip like the SCC) and the Sunsoft 5B(since it’s the same sound chip as the AY/YM sound used on the MSX), while having the 2A03 playing the sound effects from the original FDS/NES Castlevania game(like shown in this demo)!😄🤩😏😎

[@AleksLazar]

Awesome!

[@xenxander]

i had always wished that finding all the treasures would 'do' something in the game. but it's just gloating and points. This MSX doesn't have knock back when hit. that makes damage boosts not a thing.

[@primusvsunicron1]

Right is the FamiCom Disk System not the Nintendo Entertainment System

[@kya6568]

You are right, strictly speaking it's not NES. But neither it's FDS. This exact version is a cart for a plain Famicom, released by Konami in 1993. It features an easy mode which helped me greatly to perform a no death run.

[@igal123456789]

Vampire killer on msx haven't a scrolling! Have you make an hack for adding a scrool?

[@maximilianprivrat]

The soundtrack arranged for SCC by Jan Van Valburg LINK doesn't work anymore... Have you th e new one?

[@kya6568]

No, I don't have a link, unfortunately. Try googling for it.

[@jaimedeoliveiraandrade5542]

The best game nes.

[@nonexistentmatter5445]

Is there any place I can find the music?

[@kya6568]

downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/castlevania-vampire-killer-scc

[@clixyxd7426]

Yeah some good some bad, i mean the color is nice, but some choices bother me and throw the look off. like the bricks. going from smooth bricks to the sandstone ones throws off the whole vibe of the game. also the first stage boss why did you change the background? i like the original there. i do like how you cleaned up some things, like the candles, cross and random stuff. all in all pretty nice i just dont like the choices of bricks on the platorm or in the backround, also should have left the purple pink color.

[@kya6568]

It's not me, it's (almost) all Konami. I've compared their MSX game (Vampire Killer) and their NES game (Castlevania). In reality each stage of Vampire Killer is at least twice as large as Castlevania's. I've left for comparison only the rooms present in both games. The bat boss room is indeed one of the few examples where (in my opinion) the NES version is better.

[@TylerVanCleve]

Pink Simon Supremacy

[@coolbasketball7351]

This is like Simon’s quest should have this is Denis woods This VAMPIRE KILLER

[@iamthomaschoo]

i thought vampire killer on msx didn't have scrolling levels?

[@kya6568]

Indeed, it didn't. That bothered me since the age of 8 :) That's the purpose of this mod - to skin MSX Vampire Killer graphics over NES Castlevania levels.

[@iamthomaschoo]

@@kya6568 oh it's a ROM hack for nes castlevania

[@kya6568]

@@iamthomaschoo Rather it's an emulator mod. The ROM itself is altered just a bit - to play an updated music in ogg format.

[@CJHElectro]

It's actually completely different on msx you have to collect keys to get to the bosses and most of them are well hidden.

[@caseystrange]

Is this an NES rom hack reskin?

[@kya6568]

It's a reskin of an original NES rom. The only thing hacked is the music playback routine in order to play the music in ogg format.

[@久保田勉-f5x]

人を大切しろ!愛新持栄隊総館超久保田勉ゲーム新大臣!安全自殺対策大臣!地方活性化大臣!規制緩和大臣!会社改革大臣!仕事対策大臣!平和維持!

[@GREENSEINTO]

dracula dice el de la derecha

[@greyson_x]

Where can I download this version?

[@kya6568]

The link is in the description. The pack itself is here: yadi.sk/d/72dQN9jXbs8i4g, but you also need Mesen NES emulator and the originial ROM.

[@robbiewalker2831]

@@kya6568 I'd like to see a version of Mobile SD Castlevania that has specific setups of Vampire Killer. The Trees, Wallpaper, Curtins, Brick Floor, Cavern Moss and separate Boss Room from Stage 1, The Castle Walls from Stage 3, The Floor Tiles of the Cavern and Garden Pillars from Stage 4, the Dungeon and Dracula having his Bram Stoker Dracula Portrait (the one with the moustache) in the Boss Room in Stage 5.

[@elrincondelukas]

Hello. I suscribe your channel. like

[@orlandomendes3616]

msx has better graphics, but I prefer the nes game play.

[@nesking3115]

I own both ,I do prefer the NES version ..

[@orlandomendes3616]

@@nesking3115 I have both as well, I do prefer the NES version as I said, but MSX man.... THE GRAPHICS.... is GREAT!

[@nesking3115]

orlando mendes ..Yes the MSX2 version does have better background detail ,although it does not have screen scoring as the NES /Famicom had ..The music in some areas is superior on “Vampire Killer “as well ..

[@orlandomendes3616]

@@nesking3115 by the way... great job dude!

[@BenJabituya]

MSX2 has more detailed graphics.

[@bmw320540750]

msx has a little bit better graphics, nes better ending and more details through game play

[@kya6568]

Actually the real msx game (Vampire Killer) has a totally different gameplay (non-linear levels, you have to find keys in order to progress). I took just the graphics from that game and skinned them over the original nes game.

[@bostonbakedbeanz7957]

@@kya6568 ILL HAVE TO GIVE BOTH A TRY,THANKS

[@Mar-tea-Spectral]

grafically i preffer nes

[@PLAN50]

Left is NOT the MSX version. That version did not scroll but jump screen to screen. FAKE!!!!

[@kerryvanskonsol792]

MSX version is too bright background, so Nes even better than MSX