Castlevania - The New Generation (Europe)

To start, press Start to get past the title screen and language select (choose English or Japanese). You then pick one of two characters: John Morris with a long-range whip or Eric Lecarde with a long spear that can attack upward. Each stage is played in a linear fashion, moving from left to right while fighting monsters and avoiding traps. The goal is to reach the end of each level, defeat the boss, and progress through a story that pits you against Dracula's forces across Europe.

The core loop involves constant movement and whip attacks. Jumping on enemies can harm them but you take damage from direct contact. Sub-weapons like axes and holy water can be collected from candle holders by whipping them. You can hold two at a time (one sub-weapon and one special item) but only one sub-weapon can be active. Health refills and extra lives appear sparingly, so being careful with positioning and knowing when to use the special attack (A+B together) is important. The difficulty is high, typical of action platformers of the era, but checkpoints and infinite continues help.

New players should expect to die often and learn enemy patterns. Each stage has a unique gimmick such as collapsing stairs or rotating gears. Use the save state feature in the emulator to practice tricky sections. Try both characters to see which moveset fits your style. John's whip has more range but Eric's upward stab helps with flying enemies.