Nosferatu (video game)
{{About|the 1994 video game|the 2003 first-person shooter|Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi}}
{{Short description|1994 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Nosferatu
|image = Nosferatusfc.jpg
|caption = Japanese cover art by Jun Suemi
|developer = SETA Corporation
|publisher = SETA Corporation
|composer = Masanao Akahori
|artist = {{unbulleted list|Kōji Isoda|Kōzō Igarashi|Shingo Aoyama}}
|programmer = {{unbulleted list|T. Nakamura|Hiroki Azumada|Yoshihiro Ando|Tetsuo Mochizuki}}
|platforms = Super NES
|released = {{vgrelease|JP|October 7, 1994|NA|July 1995}}{{cite magazine |date=May 1995 |title=Planet SNES |url=https://archive.org/stream/GamefanVolume3Issue05May1995#page/n43 |magazine=GameFan |publisher=DieHard Gamer's Club |volume=3 |issue=5 |page=45 }}
|modes = Single-player
}}
{{nihongo|Nosferatu|ノスフェラトゥ|Nosuferatu|lead=yes}} is a horror-themed action platform game developed and published by SETA Corporation for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan on October 7, 1994, and in North America in October 1995.
The player controls a young man known as Kyle, who rides to the vampire Nosferatu's castle in order to defeat him and save his beloved girlfriend Erin from his clutches.
Plot
The game follows the story of a young man named Kyle who has his girlfriend Erin sequestered with the vampire Nosferatu (in the opening cutscene of the Japanese version, he is also referred to as Count Dracula); he has the objective of obtaining their blood. Kyle then goes up to the castle where Nosferatu lurks with the intent to rescue Erin, but getting there, he discovers that the huge place is full of traps and violent creatures. The game starts with Kyle being trapped in the dungeon of the castle, and the player must escape from there and walk through the castle until they reach the tower where Erin and Nosferatu are.
Gameplay
File:NosferatuStage2Bosses.png
The game is played like Prince of Persia, however the player fights with his bare fists. Despite that, they can use many unique moves and special combos with attacking. He fights various monsters such as Frankenstein's monsters, zombies, gargoyles, ghosts, and robots. There are 7 bosses in the game they are the Werewolf, 2 Apemen, Ghoul, A Mud Elemental, Rock Golem and Count Dracula Himself as the final boss. There are three types of crystals used in the game in addition to an hourglass. Finding an hourglass extends the in-game time. Each crystal has its own abilities: red crystals give players a power-up at every three crystals, green crystals recover the health of the player while the blue crystal extends the player's health bar.
{{clear}}
Development and release
Nosferatu was programmed by T. Nakamura, Hiroki Azumada, Yoshihiro Ando and Tetsuo Mochizuki. Kōji Isoda, Kōzō Igarashi and Shingo Aoyama served as graphic designers. Opus Corp handled the audio for the game, with Masanao Akahori composing the music, and Jun Enoki creating the sound effects.{{cite video game |title=Nosferatu |developer=SETA Corporation |date=October 1995 |platform=Super NES |scene=Credits }} Nosferatu was released by SETA Corporation on October 7, 1994, in Japan.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=17638 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914024009/http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=17638 |script-title=ja:ノスフェラトゥ まとめ [スーパーファミコン] |language=ja |magazine=Famitsu |publisher=Kadokawa Dwango Corporation |archive-date=September 14, 2016 |accessdate=September 14, 2016 |url-status=live }} This was followed by its North American release in October 1995.{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/snes_games.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030929033324/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/snes_games.pdf |title=Super NES Games |publisher=Nintendo of America |accessdate=September 14, 2016 |archive-date=September 29, 2003 |url-status=dead }}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| Allgame = 3/5{{cite web|last=Weiss|first=Brett Alan|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14330&tab=review|title=Nosferatu (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) - Review|work=AllGame|publisher=All Media Network|date=1998|access-date=2025-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117201012/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14330&tab=review|archive-date=2014-11-17|url-status=dead}}
| CVG = 72/100{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/computer-and-video-games-magazine/Computer%20and%20Video%20Games%20159/page/n89/mode/1up|title=CVG Reviews: Supershorts|magazine=Computer and Video Games|issue=159|publisher=EMAP|date=February 1995|page=90}}
| GI = 6.75/10{{cite magazine|last1=McNamara|first1=Andrew|last2=Reiner|first2=Andrew|last3=Petzoldt|first3=Rick|url=https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-26-june-1995/page/n35/mode/1up|title=Super NES Reviews: Nosferatu|magazine=Game Informer|issue=26|publisher=Sunrise Publications|date=June 1995|page=34}} ([http://www.gameinformer.com/jun95/nosfer.html Transcription] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971120013610/http://www.gameinformer.com/jun95/nosfer.html|date=1997-11-20}}).
| JP = 91%{{cite magazine|last=Prézeau|first=Olivier|url=https://archive.org/details/joypad-037-decembre-1994/page/n167/mode/1up|title=Super Famicom Import (Version Japonaise): Nosferatu|magazine={{ill|Joypad (magazine)|lt=Joypad|fr|Joypad (magazine)}}|issue=37|publisher=Hachette Disney Presse|date=December 1994|page=168|language=fr}}
| MF = 82%{{cite magazine|last=Noak|first=Philipp|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AMegaFun_DE_1994-12.pdf&page=94|title=Test Super Nintendo: Nosferatu (Import Game)|magazine={{ill|Mega Fun|lt=Mega Fun|de|Mega Fun}}|issue=27|publisher=Computec|date=December 1994|page=94|language=de}}
| ONM = 79/100{{cite magazine|last1=McVittie|first1=Andy|last2=Bufton|first2=Paul|url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-magazine-system-uk-28-january-1995/page/n43/mode/2up|title=Review - Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Nosferatu|magazine=Nintendo Magazine System|issue=28|publisher=EMAP|date=January 1995|pages=44–45}}
| SP = 75%{{cite magazine|last=Mott|first=Tony|url=https://archive.org/details/super-play-18/page/27/mode/1up|title=Import Review: Nosferatu|magazine=Super Play|issue=27|publisher=Future Publishing|date=January 1995|pages=46–47}}
| TOT = 70/100{{cite magazine|last1=Bilson|first1=Josse|last2=Atkins|first2=Sean|url=https://archive.org/details/total-40-april-1995/page/56/mode/2up|title=Total! SNES Review: Nosferatu|magazine=Total!|issue=49|publisher=Future Publishing|date=January 1996|pages=56–57}}
| rev1 = Computer+Videogiochi
| rev2 = Super Gamer
| rev2Score = 78/100{{cite magazine|last1=Butt|first1=Damian|last2=McDermott|first2=Andy|url=https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-10/page/48/mode/1up|title=Super NES Review: Nosferatu|magazine=Super Gamer|issue=10|publisher=Paragon Publishing|date=January 1995|page=48}}
| rev3 = Última Generación
}}
{{Expand section|date=April 2025}}
According to Famitsu, Nosferatu (video game)|Nosferatu sold 8,383 copies in its first week on the market and 16,608 copies during its lifetime in Japan.{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|title=Game Search|website=Game Data Library|access-date=2025-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250403083918/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|archive-date=2025-04-03|url-status=live}} The game received a 21.2/30 score in a readers' poll conducted by Super Famicom Magazine.{{cite book|chapter=超絶 大技林 '98年春版|title={{ill|PlayStation Magazine (Japan)|lt=PlayStation Magazine|ja|PlayStation Magazine}}|type=special|language=ja|volume=42|publisher=Tokuma Shoten Intermedia|date=April 15, 1998|page=349}} It also received generally favorable reviews from critics.{{cite magazine|last1=Halverson|first1=Dave|author-link1=Dave Halverson|last2=Des Barres|first2=Nicholas Dean|last3=Rickards|first3=Kelly|title=Viewpoint: Nosferatu (SNES); Planet SNES Review: Nosferatu|magazine=GameFan|volume=3|issue=6|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=June 1995|pages=[https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_3_Issue_06/page/n15/mode/1up 16], [https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_3_Issue_06/page/n47/mode/2up 50–51]}}
GamePro{{'}}s Mike Weigand judged the game to be a frustratingly difficult but still worthwhile cinematic platformer. He elaborated that the game is frustrating due to the sometimes slow character movements and lack of any password or save function, and that the strong atmosphere and slow-paced, strategic approach are its strong points.{{cite magazine|last=Weigand|first=Mike|url=https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-72-july-1995_202408/page/16/mode/1up|title=ProReview – Super NES: Nosferatu|magazine=GamePro|issue=72|publisher=IDG|date=July 1995|page=58}} Electronic Gaming Monthly{{'}}s four editors found the graphics and sound to be impressive, but they all complained about frustrations resulting from poor responsiveness in the controls. They all also said that the game was something of a disappointment in light of how long it had spent in development and how heavily hyped it had been.{{cite magazine|last1=Semrad|first1=Ed|last2=Carpenter|first2=Danyon|last3=Manuel|first3=Al|last4=Williams|first4=Ken|url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-73-august-1995/page/35/mode/1up|title=Review Crew: Nosferatu (Super NES)|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=73|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=August 1995|page=35}} AllGame{{'}}s Brett Alan Weiss praised the graphics and audio, making the game "imbued with cinematic style and flair", but criticized its controls. He also derided the game's combat, which he considered "redundant and largely unexciting".
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References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{MobyGames|id=/snes/nosferatu}}
- [http://superfamicom.org/info/nosferatu/ Nosferatu] at superfamicom.org
- [http://www.super-famicom.jp/data/no/no_0003.html Nosferatu] at super-famicom.jp {{in lang|ja}}
Category:Dark fantasy video games
Category:SETA Corporation games
Category:Side-scrolling video games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System-only games
Category:Video games about vampires
Category:Video games developed in Japan