Normally, you can only start the first playing as Alucard. However, you will first play the prologue "Final Stage" as Richter, and then enter the actual play as Alucard.
After beating the game once in good ending, you can enter one of the following strings as the name of save file, in order to activate one of the special game modes:
X-X!V''Q: Enables "Luck mode" where you start with 99 LCK and extremely low in other stats, and a Lapis Lazuli equipped.
AXEARMOR: Start the game with an Axe Lord Armor in your inventory.
RICHTER (PSX only): Start the game in Richter mode.
MARIA (Dracula X Chronicles only): Start the game in Maria mode.
GTI-CLUB (Sega Saturn only): Start the game with $250,000.
If you are playing Sega Saturn version, you can use any available secret code, and choose any character from the beginning. Also, hold while choosing Richter to use his alternate outfit, as shown above.
Maps
Map Guide:
Dark Blue: Area covered in shop item "Castle Map"
Light Blue: Area not covered in shop item "Castle Map"
Red: Save Room
Yellow: Warp Room
Green: Boss Room
Red Wall: Breakable Wall
Normal castle map (PSX)
Reverse castle map (PSX)
Normal castle map (SS)
Reverse castle map (SS)
Warp Rooms
There are five (six in SS version) warp rooms in each castle. Each room is distinguished by an animal motif at the background. Each time you use a warp room, it will send you to the next available room in the following order:
Entrance / Reverse Entrance (Horse)
Abandoned Mine / Cave (Snake)
Outer Wall / Reverse Outer Wall (Scorpion)
Castle Keep / Reverse Keep (Lion)
Olrox's Quarters / Death Wing's Lair (Demon)
(SS only) Underground Garden / Hell Garden (Bear)
Notice that, the warp room at the Entrance is available at the beginning, however you must reach there via another warp room in order to unlock the blocking wall.
while choosing Richter to use his alternate outfit, as shown above.
