Nosferatu (SNES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Seta's 1995 action-platformer for the Super Nintendo, Nosferatu.

Played through on the hard setting. I also included a few extras at the end of the video:
Regular game over screen 56:07
Game over screen after eight deaths 56:23
The bad ending 56:39
Easy level ending 57:16
Normal level ending 57:45

When the moon is dyed in blood, a bat departs from a forbidden castle into the night. Having changed from its human form to seek its next victim, his name is whispered in fear. Nosferatu, creature of night.

That intro sequence doesn't hold anything back, does it? What a way to kick off a horror game, and one for the SNES, no less! More impressive yet is how, against all odds, the game actually manages to live up to the expectations set by that opening.

Coming out near the end of 1995, Nosferatu was a fairly late SNES release that, like so many others at the time, came and went with little fanfare. What a damn shame that was, too, because Seta was punching way, waaaay above their weight when they put this gem together.

Nosferatu is a novel chimera of a game, marrying the deliberate controls and rotoscoped animation of a cinematic platformer (think    • Prince of Persia (NES) Playthrough   or    • Out of this World (SNES) Playthrough   ) with the action of a combo-heavy beat 'em up, and it's all handsomely tied together by its Castlevania-inspired visuals and gothic vibes.

It's a tough game, but it plays well, and it offers plenty to sink your teeth into (har har). The game has four distinct endings, most of the stages have multiple paths and secret rooms to find, and the silky smooth combat has a welcome bit of depth to it thanks to the inclusion of timed hits and combos that level up as you get stronger.

And the presentation, it has to be said, is top-notch stuff. Between the fluidity of the animation, the quality and detail of the art, and the excellent soundtrack, Nosferatu's graphics, music, and atmosphere pose a credible challenge to the SNES's big boys of horror. It can stand next to Super Castlevania IV and Demon's Crest with its head held high.

If you haven't played Nosferatu, you're missing out.

(Fun piece of trivia: the credits list one "K. Igarashi" as a graphics designer. Coincidence? Yup, it is - thanks for the info, @LPetal86! - but a fun one, nonetheless.)

(Another fun piece of trivia: the super dramatic intro theme is an unlicensed almost-cover of the main theme from Christine, a movie based on a Stephen King novel about a killer car. Check it out!    • Christine (1983) Theme  )
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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