Master of Systems #4: Vampire - Master of Darkness
Published By: Sanritsu Denki, Sega
System: Sega Master System
Release Date: 1992
Genre: Adventure Platform
Players: 1
Other Platforms: Sega Game Gear
Emulator Used: Kega Fusion 3.51
Starman: If someone comes up with a great idea there will always be imitators. Street Fighter had Mortal Kombat, Mario had Sonic and Castlevania was also subject to clones. That being said, none of these clones were really any good; then I discovered Master of Darkness.
Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of the game, most of us didn’t. Released when the Sega Master System was well and truly replaced by the Genesis, Master of Darkness is surprisingly a quality game that in my opinion is actually better than a few of the earlier Castlevania games (like anything found on the Game Boy).
Kin Corn Karn: It is really funny how the video game market works. Long after systems "die", you can still find places that will continue to beat the dead horse. The Sega Master System is one of the top ones, with countries continuing to make games for the system well into the 90s. Most times you get absolute crap, but occasionally you find a hidden treasure. Such as Master of Darkness, a title released in late in the SMS life, 1992. At first glance you will think this game is just a Castlevania clone. But give it a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised.
You play the role of psychologist Dr. Social. Every full moon, bodies are found murdered, drained of blood. The killings are being blamed on Jack the Ripper, but Dr. Social ain't buying it. Using the power of the board to guide him, he sets off to once for all end the rash of full moon killings plaguing London.
Graphics
Starman: On par with some Genesis games, really. Victorian London is indeed a dark place, sometimes a little too dark. Just when you think you’re safe to proceed and enemy will swoop at you from the shadows; intentional or not it did get a little annoying to suffer so many cheap hits.
Each level does give you some variety in terms of locale, but I found it to be rather bland and uninspired save for the House of Wax Dolls stage.
Kin Corn Karn: As stated before, this game is a Castlevania clone. That being said, I will not refer to the obvious similarities between the two after this point.
The graphics are very sharp. The sprites are small, but do have some nice detail to them. Each weapon you use can be clearly seen, which is nice considering how small they are. Enemies follow the same pattern, small with good detail. All the sprites are darkly colored, fitting nicely with the feel of the game.
Backgrounds are nicely done. Very dark and gritty, these really give the impression you are in late 1800s London. From dirty streets to the wax museum, they are all very detailed. My only complaint is that they are sometimes too dark, not allowing you to see bats coming at you. I took a few hits from then just because of not seeing them.
Sound
Starman: It’s nothing spectacular and the one main theme annoyed the hell out of me.
Kin Corn Karn: The music in this game was some of the best I have heard on the master system. Not heavy with electronic sounded chimes and beeps, it is darker with a more intense overtone. A very nice fit.
The effects are good, and work well. The only thing I didn't like was the constant beeping in level two when you get stuck in the rooms where you have to defeat all monsters to move on. Like in Friday the 13th, this sound will irritate the shit out of you. It may only be for a minute, but it is one hell of a long minute, and occurs more than once. Whoever thought that constant high-pitched beeping is good in a game is a fucking retard.
Controls
Starman: Fucking fucker’s fucked when it comes to navigating fucking staircases. All of the controls are tight except for climbing up or down stairs, sort of like playing lawn darts you just hope to hit that sweet spot (the head of one of your siblings). The rest of the control was just fine, but when a bulk of the game involves you moving up and down flights of stairs you’re not going to want to keep playing after smashing your controller.
Kin Corn Karn: Two button setup, one to jump, one to attack. Press up and attack to use your secondary weapon. Hey, wait a minute. This control scheme seems familiar. But where? I am Sure it will come to me later.
The control is nice and responsive. The only thing that was off was trying to get the good doctor to walk down the stairs. It takes you a few tries to get the right position, which can lead to being hit if you are trying to avoid enemies.
Gameplay
Starman: Psychologists, apparently the unsung heroes of the 1800s. You play one Dr. Social in his quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious murders that take place every full moon, blamed on Jack the Ripper. In reality, it’s Dracula who is up to no good and all of this is revealed by cut-scenes between every level.
If you have played any of the Castlevania games you’re going to be right at home with Master of Darkness. Instead of a whip, you have a few choices for melee weapons - knife, cane, axe and my personal favorite the rapier. Each weapon has a different range and works better against some enemies while others require more hits. Sub-weapons are also included (in limited supply) and fuck yeah; you can throw a stake at enemies. Simon Belmont threw crosses and shit; Social wasn’t a doctor because he was a complete fucking moron. Once again, each of these weapons is more effective against certain enemies.
While finding healing in Castlevania was basically a quest for the holy fucking grail, Master of Darkness is a little more forgiving. All of the items you seek are in randomly placed masks (I don’t know why the same damn mask was hanging all over London) and are common enough to keep you in full health through the game.
Master of Darkness is not all that difficult, but there are many instances of unavoidable hits that really take away from the enjoyment; especially if you end up dying, you are sent all the way back to the beginning of the level. There are set patterns to the enemies but be careful, leave a screen and then try to back track and the enemies will be there again.
Kin Corn Karn: You set out in the night to defeat evil. At first, you are only armed with a knife, but this can soon be remedied by hitting the masks that float in the air. Do so, and you will receive an item. New weapons include a hammer, sword, and an axe. You can also get secondary weapons, including a gun, bombs, boomerangs, and finally a stake. These do have limited uses so don't waste them. Masks also drop gems and health. Gems will be either small for points, or big to destroy all enemies on screen.
The game is a platformer, with both horizontal and vertical scrolling. You fight your way through various monsters, fighting the boss at the end of the third level in every stage. Levels and monsters are not that bad, but they do tend to work in sync. This can lead to times where you have to take hits because you have two on either side of you. Stupid fucking cheap hits. Boss battles are actually quite hard. The third boss was a real pain in the ass for me.
While you will not find anything new here, the game itself is really solid. It can get really challenging in the later levels, so be prepared for some frustration. Also, when you die you go all the way back to the beginning of the level. Another thing I really hate in games.
Replay Value
Starman: It’s low on replay, really. A once through and that should be more than enough. I might pick it up again much later, but once I attempt to traverse the first set if stairs I will remember why I had to get a new controller.
Kin Corn Karn: While it is a good game, there is nothing to go back for when you beat it. It is good, but I didn't find a lot to make me want to come back.
Final World
Starman: Since Castlevania wasn’t found on any Sega system until 1994 with Castlevania: Bloodlines, Master of Darkness was a decent fix for owners of an SMS or Game Gear. Still, it didn’t quite capture the Castlevania vibe and as a stand-alone game there were many frustrating points (fucking stairs). 3 out of 5.
Kin Corn Karn: If you look at this game without the obvious comparison, you will like it a lot more. It is very solid, and gives you a good challenge. A nice little surprise from a system that was on life support. 4 out of 5.
Final Score:
Trivia: The company Sanritsu Denki who developed Master of Darkness only released a handful of games, the most popular being Out Run.
System: Sega Master System
Release Date: 1992
Genre: Adventure Platform
Players: 1
Other Platforms: Sega Game Gear
Emulator Used: Kega Fusion 3.51
Starman: If someone comes up with a great idea there will always be imitators. Street Fighter had Mortal Kombat, Mario had Sonic and Castlevania was also subject to clones. That being said, none of these clones were really any good; then I discovered Master of Darkness.
Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of the game, most of us didn’t. Released when the Sega Master System was well and truly replaced by the Genesis, Master of Darkness is surprisingly a quality game that in my opinion is actually better than a few of the earlier Castlevania games (like anything found on the Game Boy).
Kin Corn Karn: It is really funny how the video game market works. Long after systems "die", you can still find places that will continue to beat the dead horse. The Sega Master System is one of the top ones, with countries continuing to make games for the system well into the 90s. Most times you get absolute crap, but occasionally you find a hidden treasure. Such as Master of Darkness, a title released in late in the SMS life, 1992. At first glance you will think this game is just a Castlevania clone. But give it a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised.
You play the role of psychologist Dr. Social. Every full moon, bodies are found murdered, drained of blood. The killings are being blamed on Jack the Ripper, but Dr. Social ain't buying it. Using the power of the board to guide him, he sets off to once for all end the rash of full moon killings plaguing London.
Graphics
Starman: On par with some Genesis games, really. Victorian London is indeed a dark place, sometimes a little too dark. Just when you think you’re safe to proceed and enemy will swoop at you from the shadows; intentional or not it did get a little annoying to suffer so many cheap hits.
Each level does give you some variety in terms of locale, but I found it to be rather bland and uninspired save for the House of Wax Dolls stage.
Kin Corn Karn: As stated before, this game is a Castlevania clone. That being said, I will not refer to the obvious similarities between the two after this point.
The graphics are very sharp. The sprites are small, but do have some nice detail to them. Each weapon you use can be clearly seen, which is nice considering how small they are. Enemies follow the same pattern, small with good detail. All the sprites are darkly colored, fitting nicely with the feel of the game.
Backgrounds are nicely done. Very dark and gritty, these really give the impression you are in late 1800s London. From dirty streets to the wax museum, they are all very detailed. My only complaint is that they are sometimes too dark, not allowing you to see bats coming at you. I took a few hits from then just because of not seeing them.
Sound
Starman: It’s nothing spectacular and the one main theme annoyed the hell out of me.
Kin Corn Karn: The music in this game was some of the best I have heard on the master system. Not heavy with electronic sounded chimes and beeps, it is darker with a more intense overtone. A very nice fit.
The effects are good, and work well. The only thing I didn't like was the constant beeping in level two when you get stuck in the rooms where you have to defeat all monsters to move on. Like in Friday the 13th, this sound will irritate the shit out of you. It may only be for a minute, but it is one hell of a long minute, and occurs more than once. Whoever thought that constant high-pitched beeping is good in a game is a fucking retard.
Controls
Starman: Fucking fucker’s fucked when it comes to navigating fucking staircases. All of the controls are tight except for climbing up or down stairs, sort of like playing lawn darts you just hope to hit that sweet spot (the head of one of your siblings). The rest of the control was just fine, but when a bulk of the game involves you moving up and down flights of stairs you’re not going to want to keep playing after smashing your controller.
Kin Corn Karn: Two button setup, one to jump, one to attack. Press up and attack to use your secondary weapon. Hey, wait a minute. This control scheme seems familiar. But where? I am Sure it will come to me later.
The control is nice and responsive. The only thing that was off was trying to get the good doctor to walk down the stairs. It takes you a few tries to get the right position, which can lead to being hit if you are trying to avoid enemies.
Gameplay
Starman: Psychologists, apparently the unsung heroes of the 1800s. You play one Dr. Social in his quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious murders that take place every full moon, blamed on Jack the Ripper. In reality, it’s Dracula who is up to no good and all of this is revealed by cut-scenes between every level.
If you have played any of the Castlevania games you’re going to be right at home with Master of Darkness. Instead of a whip, you have a few choices for melee weapons - knife, cane, axe and my personal favorite the rapier. Each weapon has a different range and works better against some enemies while others require more hits. Sub-weapons are also included (in limited supply) and fuck yeah; you can throw a stake at enemies. Simon Belmont threw crosses and shit; Social wasn’t a doctor because he was a complete fucking moron. Once again, each of these weapons is more effective against certain enemies.
While finding healing in Castlevania was basically a quest for the holy fucking grail, Master of Darkness is a little more forgiving. All of the items you seek are in randomly placed masks (I don’t know why the same damn mask was hanging all over London) and are common enough to keep you in full health through the game.
Master of Darkness is not all that difficult, but there are many instances of unavoidable hits that really take away from the enjoyment; especially if you end up dying, you are sent all the way back to the beginning of the level. There are set patterns to the enemies but be careful, leave a screen and then try to back track and the enemies will be there again.
Kin Corn Karn: You set out in the night to defeat evil. At first, you are only armed with a knife, but this can soon be remedied by hitting the masks that float in the air. Do so, and you will receive an item. New weapons include a hammer, sword, and an axe. You can also get secondary weapons, including a gun, bombs, boomerangs, and finally a stake. These do have limited uses so don't waste them. Masks also drop gems and health. Gems will be either small for points, or big to destroy all enemies on screen.
The game is a platformer, with both horizontal and vertical scrolling. You fight your way through various monsters, fighting the boss at the end of the third level in every stage. Levels and monsters are not that bad, but they do tend to work in sync. This can lead to times where you have to take hits because you have two on either side of you. Stupid fucking cheap hits. Boss battles are actually quite hard. The third boss was a real pain in the ass for me.
While you will not find anything new here, the game itself is really solid. It can get really challenging in the later levels, so be prepared for some frustration. Also, when you die you go all the way back to the beginning of the level. Another thing I really hate in games.
Replay Value
Starman: It’s low on replay, really. A once through and that should be more than enough. I might pick it up again much later, but once I attempt to traverse the first set if stairs I will remember why I had to get a new controller.
Kin Corn Karn: While it is a good game, there is nothing to go back for when you beat it. It is good, but I didn't find a lot to make me want to come back.
Final World
Starman: Since Castlevania wasn’t found on any Sega system until 1994 with Castlevania: Bloodlines, Master of Darkness was a decent fix for owners of an SMS or Game Gear. Still, it didn’t quite capture the Castlevania vibe and as a stand-alone game there were many frustrating points (fucking stairs). 3 out of 5.
Kin Corn Karn: If you look at this game without the obvious comparison, you will like it a lot more. It is very solid, and gives you a good challenge. A nice little surprise from a system that was on life support. 4 out of 5.
Final Score:
Trivia: The company Sanritsu Denki who developed Master of Darkness only released a handful of games, the most popular being Out Run.