Castlevania clone gives fans what Konami won't

Castlevania Lords of Shadow wasn't a bad game, but it still left some fans hankering for some oldschool 2D Dracula-killing action. And while the Xbox LIVE Castlevania Harmony of Despair delivered this to some degree, its re-purposed art assets fell well below the HD levels promised by the game's titular acronym.

Enter Komajou Densetsu II. It's a fan game. It's a shameless clone. And it looks awesome. KDII isn't all HD either, but the fan-made Castlevania title looks like it just may please fans more than any true Castlevania game in recent memory.


Above: Gameplay footage of Komajou Densetsu II (aka Touhouvania II)

Recently revealed at the Japanese manga convention Comiket, a demo version of KDII is available on the game's official site. It's in Japanese, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out which menu option does what. If you like what you see, the game is available through mail order, and a downloadable version is on the way.

Jan 4, 2011