Castlevania: Bloodlines is Konami's Castlevania game for the Sega Genesis, released in North America on 17 March 1994, a day before Japan. Its two heroes play differently: John Morris can swing on his whip, while Eric Lecarde uses his spear to vault up to higher routes. The game was Michiru Yamane's first Castlevania soundtrack, written under the influence of Bach.
The game went by three names. In Japan it was called Vampire Killer (バンパイアキラー), a title unrelated to the Japanese series name Akumajō Dracula. In Europe it became Castlevania: The New Generation: blood was removed from the graphics, and the word 'blood' was dropped from the title as well. Difficulty also varies by region: North American Normal is harder than the Japanese original, and Japan's Expert mode is unlocked with the Konami Code.
In Japan the game sold poorly, with Famitsu recording only 9,354 copies. It has since returned in the 2019 Castlevania Anniversary Collection, on the Sega Genesis Mini and on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, where it was among the first Genesis titles on the service.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Castlevania: Bloodlines | Genesis | Mar 17, 1994 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | バンパイアキラーBanpaia Kirā | Genesis | Mar 18, 1994 | Konami | 1 |
| EU | Castlevania: The New GenerationCensored PAL version | Genesis | Mar 20, 1994 | Konami | 1 |
| WW | Castlevania Anniversary CollectionSteam | Windows | May 16, 2019 | Konami | 3 |
| WW | Castlevania Anniversary Collection | PlayStation 4 | May 16, 2019 | Konami | 4 |
| WW | Castlevania Anniversary CollectionDigital compilation of eight classic Castlevania games | Switch | May 16, 2019 | Konami | 5 |
| WW | Castlevania Anniversary Collection | Xbox One | May 16, 2019 | Konami | 4 |
| WW | Castlevania: BloodlinesBuilt into the Sega Genesis Mini / Mega Drive Mini | Other | Sep 19, 2019 | — | 1 |
| WW | Castlevania: BloodlinesNintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, among the first Genesis titles on the service | Switch | Oct 25, 2021 | — | 1 |
Also known as: バンパイアキラー JP1Banpaia Kirā JP1Vampire Killer JP2Castlevania: The New Generation EU1
Box art by region
NA Castlevania: Bloodlines 
EU Castlevania: The New Generation 
JP バンパイアキラー
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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TitleJPEU
Japan released the game as Vampire Killer (バンパイアキラー) and Europe as Castlevania: The New Generation; the European rename came together with the blood censorship.2
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CensorshipEU
The European version recolors zombies from pink with red blood to blue-green with green blood, removes hanging corpses and dripping blood, turns the blood fountain in Stage 5 into an ordinary fountain and cuts the crow-eaten corpse outside the castle.2
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DifficultyJPEUNA
Japan's Normal mode is roughly equal to American Easy, and Japan's hidden Expert mode (unlocked with the Konami Code) matches American Normal. The North American release was made harder, while Europe kept the Japanese balance.2
Where to play legally today
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Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
Castlevania: Bloodlines (SEGA Mega Drive - Nintendo Switch Online)
Mega Drive version
Checked: 2026-10-136ec.nintendo.com
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Nintendo eShop Purchase
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
Genesis version inside the compilation
Checked: 2026-10-135nintendo.com
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PlayStation Store Purchase
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
Genesis version inside the compilation (PS4, playable on PS5)
Checked: 2026-10-137store.playstation.com
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Steam Purchase
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
Genesis version inside the compilation
Checked: 2026-10-133store.steampowered.com
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Microsoft Store (Xbox) Purchase
Reception
Reviews were generally positive, with about 82% on GameRankings, and GamesRadar named it the 8th best Genesis game. Sales in Japan were low, though: Famitsu records only 9,354 copies.1
In lists
Sources
- 1en.wikipedia.org
- 2tcrf.net
- 3store.steampowered.com
- 4konami.com
- 5nintendo.com
- 6ec.nintendo.com
- 7store.playstation.com
- 8xbox.com
- 9ja.wikipedia.org
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
Spotted a mistake? Write to atlas@old-games.net.