Bram Stoker's Dracula (Sega CD)
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We continue our month-long journey through spooky 8- and 16-bit games with Bram Stoker's Dracula, which many magazines deemed the first "next generation" game for the Sega CD. Did this full-motion video/action hybrid deliver the goods, or was this yet another Dracula game that sucked? We dig through old issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Sega Visions and Mean Machines Sega for the answers.
(NOTE: Although we occasionally cut for length, no other edits are made to the reviews. Defunct Games does not change any of the wording, grammar or punctuation use. Keep in mind that our score is the average of all critics at the time, not just the sample that is reprinted on this page. For more details and answers to common questions, we encourage you to read the Review Crew FAQ. There you'll find information on review guidelines, how we convert scores, magazine covers and more.)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #54
"Is this the next generation? Hard to tell. The full screen cinemas are totally blurry, and difficult to tell what they are. I like the concept of this game a lot, but the actual game needs work. The rendered backgrounds are fantastic, and the screen transfers are unbelievable. The endless supply of bats and birds (both nearly impossible to hit) don't give the title justice. It just isn't as fun as I had hoped." -Ed Semrad
(6 out of 10)
MEAN MACHINES SEGA #10
"Despite a few inherent flaws, this video pinball is a blast to play! Beautiful graphic presentation and sophisticated music kept me enthralled for hours. Lots of secret bonuses and bonus rounds enhance play. For ALL ages!" -Sushi X
(51% out of 100%)
GAMEPRO (February 1994)
"Despite the potential for a gruesomely good time, you're really sticking your neck out with this monotonous game. Bram Stoker's timeless novel deserves a great treatment, but, unfortunately, this isn't it. The CD game only makes you hungry for a nice stake. Slow, repetitive gameplay and disappointing graphics make the CD version the worst of '93's Dracula games." -Lance Boyle
(2.5 out of 5)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #54
"Two pinball games from the same company for the same system? While this version is definitely better with a lot more features and animations it still is pinball. Great sounds and bonus founds add to the game play." -Ed
(5 out of 10)
SEGA VISIONS #17
"Bram Stoker's Dracula from Sony Imagesoft for the Sega CD is graphically spectacular. This long-awaited one-player title gives you plenty of great cut scenes from the movie of the same name and, in the later stages of the game, some of the best background rotation to land on the Sega CD. If you like linear punch-and-kick action, you'll love this game because that's largely what the game gives you."
(2 out of 5)
REVIEW CREW AVERAGE: 49% -
It's important to remember the context when talking about Bram Stoker's Dracula. While Sony Imagesoft (which would later become 989 Studios) published the game on other 16-bit platforms, it was the Sega CD version that everybody was talking about. Die Hard Game Fan, Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro and so many other magazines devoted months of coverage to what was admittedly a very cool looking game. The end result? Disaster.
If it's not clear from these reviews, Bram Stoker's Dracula was a horrible game filled with some of the worst side-scrolling action on any system. Sega Visions sums it up perfectly: "If you like linear punch-and-kick action, you'll love this game because that's largely what the game gives you."
Other critics were right to point out the ridiculousness of the game. Sushi-X got a big laugh out of "punching birds and bats," which is completely at odds with the tone of the film. And pretty much everybody agreed that the full-screen cinemas were ugly and hard to make out. With all these complaints, it's easy to see why Bram Stoker's Dracula only averaged a score of 49%.
ON THE NEXT REVIEW CREW:
Next week we look at three Castlevania games, starting with Dracula's Curse on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Were critics excited about the first appearance of Alucard, or was everybody sick and tired of Castlevania? Find out on Monday when the Review Crew tackles Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.
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