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The ‘Castlevania’ Series Brings Video Game Nostalgia to Netflix

The ‘Castlevania’ Series Brings Video Game Nostalgia to Netflix

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In darkness, a hero returns.

Castlevania, the animated series, is returning to the pop culture forefront next month with a July 7 Netflix release! Based off the classic 80s Konami video game series, the show will also follow Simon Belmont, a legacy vampire hunter, who travels to Dracula’s eponymous lair in hopes of staking the demon.

Castlevania started out on the NES in 1986, progressed through various consoles, and continues to be converted to emulators. The initial side-scrolling platformer seems to have laid the foundation for today’s Gothic/vampire game aesthetics, not to mention its wonderfully fun 8-bit soundtracks that transform from game to game.

I’m ridiculously excited about this adaptation. As someone who didn’t have the chance to play this on the NES, but who loves vampires and is intrigued by Gothic design, it’ll be a joy to see the screenplay that arises from such a groundbreaking and nostalgia-fueled series (the last game was released in 2014), not to mention the grandiose, regal design in a monster genre that has become increasingly sleeker and more modern.

I’m ridiculously excited about this adaptation. As someone who didn’t have the chance to play this on the NES, but who loves vampires and is intrigued by Gothic design, it’ll be a joy to see the screenplay that arises from such a groundbreaking and nostalgia-fueled series (the last game was released in 2014), not to mention the grandiose, regal design in a monster genre that has become increasingly sleeker and more modern.

The trailer pays homage to the show’s video game roots, opening on a lone NES console and red Castlevania cartridge, hooked up to an 80s style tube tv. The TV turns on to display a slightly faded white Netflix logo, followed by the familiar blue 8-bit letters that spell out Netflix titles, such as Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, and House of Cards. The block moves to Castlevania, and as the camera zooms in, the vintage TV screen gives way to a high-definition image of a red castle, a field of skeletons held aloft by spears, Simon grabbing his classic demon-hunting whip, Vampire Killer, and lots of fiery red and burnt orange hues as we’re treated to scenes of various violent deaths.

Even though we can’t play as Simon, we can still enjoy the thrill of the hunt! We want you to come livetweet Castlevania with us from the @BlackGirlGeeks Twitter account. Stay tuned to the @BlackGirlGeeks and @BlackGirlNerds accounts for official announcements.

In the meantime, quench your thirst by checking out the official synopsis and trailer below!

“Inspired by the classic video game series, Castlevania is a dark medieval fantasy following the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hand of Vlad Dracula Tepe himself. The animated series written by best-selling author and comic book icon Warren Ellis and executive produced by Warren Ellis, Kevin Kolde, Fred Seibert and Adi Shankar.”

You’ll recognize showrunner Warren Ellis from his work as a pretty prolific, award-winning graphic novelist. Ellis has produced such titles as Planetary, Iron Man: Extremis (the basis of the Iron Man 3 movie), and RED (adapted into a movie starring Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, and Karl Urban). Frederator Studios, the animation team behind the project, is the same company who animates such modern cartoon classics as Adventure Time, The Fairly OddParents, and My Life As A Teenage Robot.

Diondra Powers is a contributing writer and social media correspondent for Black Girl Nerds. She finds great joy in volunteering and exploring the world through a camera lens. In her spare time, she embarks on epic adventures that take many forms—from reading to climbing to Dungeons & Dragons. Find her on Twitter: @DiondraWrites


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