VAMPIRE KILLER CONTROLS F1- Pauses the game. F2 - Shows a map of the stage (the map item required). UP - Jump, Climb stairs. SPACE - Strike with your weapon. UP, DOWN - Activates the hourglass. UP+LEFT/RIGHT - Throw blessed water. DOWN,UP - Enter a portal in stage 12. STAGES Vampire Killer has 6 sections with each 3 stages. Every stage has a big key which will open the portal to the next stage. The most keys are hidden inside the weak bricks. Those walls can be broken with any weapon. After 3 stages you have to fight a boss demon. After Dracula, stage 18, the game will start all over again. The enemies are faster and bring your more damage. MERCHANTS There are several Merchants in Castlevania. Hit them several times with your weapon, after some strikes he will ask you to trade your hearts for an item. Wait about 15 seconds if you don't want to buy the item and the message will disappear. When he's orange he will give you some hearts or sometimes the merchant will steal a few of Simon's hearts. The bibles influence the price of the items. FREEZE THE ENEMIES Make sure you've got a hour glass before you enter the Bat's lair in stage 3. Defeat him, and don't touch the globe which appears after defeating the bat. After a while the boss music tune stops and will be replaced by the end of level tune. Wait 4 seconds, then press UP, DOWN to activated the hour glass, you'll notice that all the enemies are frozen. This cheat will end when you've lost a life or when you use the hour glass again. LEVEL SELECT Put the game master in slot 2 of your MSX. A menu will now appear at the titlescreen of Vampire Killer. You're now able to change your number of lives and change your starting stage. BOSS TIPS MASTER VAMPIRE BAT He has a simple attack pattern. Use the hourglass to freeze him for a while.  MEDUSA Mind the globe in this room, it will give you a little life boost.  THE MUMMIES Stay at the entrance of the room.  FRANKENSTEIN Stay away from the monster, throw blessed water on him if you have or throw your holy cross to him.  DEATH Make sure you've got the Hourglass before you enter Death's room, activate it when he floats above the middle platform and hit him.  COUNT DRACULA Make sure you've got the knifes before you enter Dracula's lair, you can buy them in level 18. Inside Dracula's room, stand on one of the blocks on the bottom of the screen, throw the knifes when he opens his cloak. After you've defeated him, the painting will start to live. Now go to the 3th platform and throw knifes on his crystal.  ITEMS Cross of Doom Destroys all the enemies in a room. Blue Ring Makes Simon invincible for a while. Blue Gem Makes Simon invisible for a while. Boots Wearer can walk faster. Wing Increases the height of a jump. Globe Restores some life. Elixir Restores all life. Red Bible Makes items more expensive. White Bible Makes items cheaper. Golden Shield Stops shots from enemies. Bronze Shield Halves the strength of enemy attacks. Map Shows a map of the stage by pressing F2. Hourglass Freezes the enemies for a while, consumes 5 hearts. Blessed Water Destructive water, consumes 5 hearts. Candle Marks the weak bricks. LOCATIONS OF THE BIG KEYS STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5 STAGE 6 STAGE 7 STAGE 8 STAGE 9 STAGE 10 STAGE 11 STAGE 12 STAGE 13 STAGE 14 STAGE 15 STAGE 16 STAGE 17 STAGE 18 STAGE TIPS STAGE 4 Go to the left from the start and hit the candle to receive a blue gem (invisible), go up and leave the other candles alone for a while, one of them contains a life gem. STAGE 5 The room with the moving platforms left from the big key can be difficult to pass. Enter the room and jump immediately on the first platform walk to the edge and jump on the other platform, you'll be able to pass the room without being hurt by the Medusa heads. STAGE 8 Fall into the gab near the portal to reach the big key. STAGE 11 It's important that you shatter the highest brick first, the big key is hidden beyond this one, and you can't reach it if you have shattered the wrong bricks. STAGE 12 This cave has different floors you can reach them by going through the portals (press down, up to enter them). Enter the portal in the 3th room then go to the left and enter the portal, walk one room to the right and enter the portal in this room, it will lead to the room with the big key and stage portal, The big key is hidden inside the brick next to the white dragon. Get the Gem inside the wall at the right of the room, jump on the block (don't break it!) and shatter the brick with the key. STAGE 16 This stage has several big keys. There's one just in front of the portal so pay no attention to the ones on the dangerous places. STAGE 17 The big key is located in the first room inside the bricks. First break the 2 bricks at the left side of the wall with the skeleton left from the big key, otherwise you can get stuck. Then get the big key and break the other brick. STAGE 18 It's important to buy the knifes if you don't have a proper weapon before you enter dracula's lair. This can be quite difficult but Drac is almost unbeatable without them. There's one red globe and an elixer in this stage, use them wisely.