{{sys|wii u vc}}{{jp|2014|April 16}}{{na|2014|June 26}}{{eu|2014|September 4}}{{au|2014|September 4}}
|genre=[[Action-adventure]]
|systems=[[NES]], [[Wii VC]], [[Nintendo 3DS VC]], [[Wii U VC]]
|ratings={{ESRB|E}}
|ratings={{ESRB|E}}
|genre=[[Action]], [[Platform]]
|modes=[[Single player]]
|preceded by=[[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest]]
|preceded by=[[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest]]
|followed by=[[Super Castlevania IV]]
|followed by=[[Super Castlevania IV]]
|series=Castlevania
|series=Castlevania
}}
}}
'''Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse''', released in Japan as {{nihongo|Akumajou Dorakula Densetsu|悪魔城伝説||lit. Devil Castle Dracula Legend}}, is an action-adventure platform game developed and published by [[Konami]] for the [[NES]]. It was released in Japan in [[1989]], and in North America in [[1990]], and in Europe by [[Palcom]] in [[1992]]. It was later released on the [[Virtual Console]] for the [[Wii]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], and [[Wii U]].
'''Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse''' (often referred to simply as ''Dracula's Curse'' and called '''Demon Castle Legends''' in Japan), was the third Castlevania game released by [[Konami]] for the [[NES|Nintendo Entertainment System]]. While the [[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest|previous game]] was radically different than the [[Castlevania|first game]], this one was very much like the original.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is the third installment in the Castlevania video game series. While the [[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest|previous game]] contained more open world exploration, this game returns to the more linear side-scrolling formula established by [[Castlevania|the original]]. It is a prequel to the original Castlevania, set a few centuries before the events of the original game. The game's protagonist is Trevor C. Belmont, an ancestor of the original hero Simon Belmont.
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The game is chronologically the first game after ''[[Castlevania: Lament of Innocence|Lament of Innocence]]''. Trevor may be accompanied by Alcuard, the son of Dracula, Sypha Belnades, a witch captured by Dracula, and Grant DaNasty, ghost of a pirate killed by Dracula. The game departs from the original by offering multiple paths to get from the beginning of the game to Dracula's castle. The routes vary significantly in difficulty, allowing the player to choose how hard the game is as they play.
The game stars Trevor Belmont and chronologically is the first game after ''[[Castlevania: Lament of Innocence|Lament of Innocence]]''. Trevor will be accompanied by Alcuard, the son of Dracula, Sypha Belnades, a witch captured by Dracula, and Grant DaNasty, ghost of a pirate killed by Dracula. The gameplay is significantly different than the original as there are multiple paths to get from the start to Dracula's castle. The routes vary significantly in difficulty, allowing the player to choose how hard the game is as they play.
== Story ==
{| {{prettytable|notwide=1}}
! In-game introduction <br>(official localization) !! Translation from Japanese <br>(by Vice, 2003)
|-
| During 15th Century Europe, there lived a person named Dracula. <br><br> He practiced sorcery in order to create a bad world filled with evil.
| 15th Century Europe. In this dark age, an evil person named Vlad Tepes lived in Transylvania. <br><br> Having reached the limits of his power, he revived dark gods, and used their power to terrorize the nation of Wallachia.
|-
| He began taking over the Continent of Europe, changing countries from good to bad. <br><br> The good people of Europe tried to fight off Dracula, but none was able to survive.
| Driven insane by his own greed, he planned to take over all of Europe. <br><br> The Holy Church called out to arms and sent an army to stop Tepes, or as he called himself, Dracula, but none of them returned alive...
|-
| Finally, the Belmont family was summoned to battle Dracula's vile forces. <br><br> The Belmont family has a long history of fighting evil.
| Seeing that their efforts were futile, the Church decided to hand the task of slaying Dracula to the Belmond family,... <br><br> ...known "vampire hunters" for many generations.
|-
| The townspeople became afraid of the Belmonts super-human power and asked them to leave the country. <br><br> Fortunately the people found a mighty Belmont, called Trevor.
| ...But they were feared because of their power. They vanished and have not been heard of since. <br><br> The Pope never gave up, and at last found one young man: Ralph Belmond.
|-
| The curse of Dracula has begun. The fate of Europe lies with Trevor.
| 100 years before Simon Belmond, Dracula and mankind's battle begins...
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, released in Japan as Akumajou Dorakula Densetsu (悪魔城伝説,Akumajou Dorakula Densetsu? lit. Devil Castle Dracula Legend), is an action-adventure platform game developed and published by Konami for the NES. It was released in Japan in 1989, and in North America in 1990, and in Europe by Palcom in 1992. It was later released on the Virtual Console for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is the third installment in the Castlevania video game series. While the previous game contained more open world exploration, this game returns to the more linear side-scrolling formula established by the original. It is a prequel to the original Castlevania, set a few centuries before the events of the original game. The game's protagonist is Trevor C. Belmont, an ancestor of the original hero Simon Belmont.
The game is chronologically the first game after Lament of Innocence. Trevor may be accompanied by Alcuard, the son of Dracula, Sypha Belnades, a witch captured by Dracula, and Grant DaNasty, ghost of a pirate killed by Dracula. The game departs from the original by offering multiple paths to get from the beginning of the game to Dracula's castle. The routes vary significantly in difficulty, allowing the player to choose how hard the game is as they play.
