I know what it's like to replay your favourite retro games over and over again. I've played the first Shinobi game so many times now that I can do it without really thinking. I play it for nostalgia now more than anything, but it doesn't really pose any kind of challenge anymore.
That's where the ROM hack community comes into play, revamping our favourite games and giving us new adventures to sink our teeth into, which is a pretty fitting phrase for a game about vampires.
Castlevania 1: Fortified Army comes to us from Timaeus and boasts completely new level designs, new enemy and boss behaviours, infinite lives in every mode bar hard mode, a new soundtrack at a lower pitch, and quality of life features like keeping your subweapons and whip power when you K.O'd.
To add to the excitement, Timaeus has added in more breakable walls and blocks for you to discover, and the nice addition of less damage being taken once you get past Stage 4. The game looks darker and moodier to match the new, lower-pitched soundtrack, which is what you want from such a gothic game!
For those who still find it too easy, Timaeus has also added a Hard Mode patch that gives you increased damage from Stage 3 onwards, less heart candles, more enemies per stage, and fewer items that help you through the game. It's the version of Castlevania the pro Vampire Slayers always wanted.
Head to the project's page to find out more!
