Kid Dracula is a charming and inventive platformer for the original Game Boy. Like most platformers of its era, Kid D is light on story and heavy on challenge. Luckily, there’s a password system and a fun life collecting bonus game between levels.

While Kid D doesn’t present itself as a Castlevania game, the pedigree is clear. This is Konami on the brink of greatness, a mere two years before Symphony of the Night graced our shores. Many of the same game play mechanics are on display, from charge hits to bat transformations and inverse gravity.

Kid D is quite a bit shorter than SOTN though, clocking in at a Mario esque 8 levels. They’re enjoyable affairs, filled with classic 8 bit platforming tropes. Those playing the original cartridge will be glad for the password system. I died many, many times.

Braving the levels leads to a series of enjoyable boss battles. The sprites are large and detailed, and the crisp game boy graphics will remind players of Mario 2 or the Wario games.
The sound is also up to snuff, with catchy 8 bit tiffs that brought me back to games like Contra and R-Type. Fans of game boy chiptunes will be pleased.

Neither too short to be enjoyable nor too long to beat in a day, Kid Dracula straddles the line between classic and kitsch with aplomb. I rate it a solid 73/100. If you’re into classic platformers like Castlevania and Wario, Kid Dracula is a must play.