3-17-1994		3-18-1994
	3-20-1994		-

In times past, it was the Belmont's that would end the vampire lord Dracula's reign of evil. However, when Richter Belmont tainted the holy vampire-killing whip by succumbing to evil intent, there was a period which allowed the forces of evil to have somewhat free reign.
Some self-proclaimed vampire killers still out there, still fought the forces of evil. It was Quincy Morris who managed to put the Dark Lord to rest in 1897...he was a descendant of the Belmont bloodline, after all.
But then World War I broke out. It was a massacre, that forever would scar mankind. With the casualties numbering somewhere in the thousands, it was a ripe opportunity to draw upon the deadened atmosphere and resurrect Count Dracula once more. Even if it was eighty years too early, the hightened evil in the world proved to allow him to come forth. This is what his niece, Elizabeth Bartley, did (and according to legend, she was the catalyst to the whole 'misunderstanding'). Quincy Morris had since passed, but in his stead arose two noble activists: his own son, John Morris, and the still-mourning Spaniard, Eric Lecarde. This is the story of a new generation of vampire hunters, still entwined by the cursed bloodline. Still defending the world from the evil hordes of Count Dracula

Castlevania Bloodlines was the sole release for the series on the Sega system. And other than a bad system, this was indeed a fantastic addition to the series all the way around.
One of the nicest things, at least for me, was the different enviroments you travel through. It is not just a singular castle you make your way through. You rather travel all over Europe after Elizabeth Bartley, trying to stop her from resurecting her Uncle. Truly the different stages, such as The Leaning Tower of Pisa, are fresh, and brilliant.
Another thing is certainly graphics. Though they are not as detailed or fantastic as Castlevania IV, they are bold, bright, and still amazingly beautiful. The characters seem a bit smaller in comparrison to other titles, but that works well with the overly large bosses to make them more menacing.
In a not so traditional manner, you can play as one of two characters. The first is John Morris, heir to the cursed Belmont bloodline in all but name. He is your standard Castlevania Vampire Killer weilder. Though he can go with the best of them, his attacking ability with the whip is limited to left or right. That being said, he can use his whip to swing across from teh ceilings.
The second is Eric Lacarde. He uses a menacing spear, that though attacks slower, can attack in almost any range but down. And he can use this spear to pole-vault to high out of reach places. Both are easy enough to use, and share everything else in common. So despite the two different characters, there is little difference in the game for both.
Sub-Weapons have been greatly improved in Bloodlines as well. Rather than a cross-like boomerang you throw out, you have a sharp edged one tht flies more in a rotating style truer to a boomerang. Holy Water no longer just hits the ground, it streams flames across a long area in front of you. And wow is that a huge axe in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? Obviously the game has finally gotten the Subs right, and the gameplay is made easier with them. They also have special attacks that consume a larger amount of gems (Bloodlines replacement of hearts). Not only were these really awesome to see, but they were definitely great for battling bosses and harder foes.
Some people would say graphically it was inferior to the recent games before it...Castlevania IV, but they are missing so many different things if they do. Certainly the destructable enemies/enviroments were something new, as well as the smoothly rotating Tower of Pisa. And who could possibly forget the fragmented last level? Rather than a boring straight runthrough, it is a quivering, unreal experience of going through four sliced sections of the screen. Collapsing bridges, crumbling bosses, skeltons with helmets and machine guns...all just add to the explosive feeling of the game. In a word fantastic.
For those more familiar with the recent scoring of Castlevania by Michiru Yamane, Bloodlines was her first contribution to the series. This right here tells you the score is epic and fantastic. A little rough from the Sega system, but fantastic none the less. Scores like Iron Blue Intention are some of the highest regarded in the series.
And difficulty...this is in my opinion the hardest castlevania released to date. Without codes, or passwords, I have still to be able to reach the top of Pisa Tower without having to begin again! This can be due to the longer than usual levels, as well as a good handfull of sub-bosses on more than one level. But man the challenge is fantastic, and makes the end so much more worth it.
Certainly Bloodlines is worthy of the title of Castlevania. It is a great experience, even now that almost 20 years has passed since its release. If you want a great title in the series, this is certainly one you would want to get a hold of.