Master of Darkness (Master System) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
257A playthrough of Sega's 1992 gothic-horror themed platformer for the Sega Master System, Master of Darkness.
This recording is of the PAL-exclusive version for the Sega Master System. The game was released on the Game Gear in the US under the name "Vampire: Master of Darkness," and in Japan as "In the Wake of Vampire."
Master of Darkness is one of my favorite Master System platformers. It closely resembles Konami's NES Castlevania games in several ways, but it would be a huge mistake to dismiss is as a mere clone.
There's no denying the "inspiration" here, given the sub-weapon system, the basis for the plot being Bram Stoker's Dracula, the similarities in enemy design, and the eerily similar stage backdrops, but what it does it does extraordinarily well.
This time you play as parapsychologist Dr. Ferdinand Social, a man seeking to solve the mysteries behind the Jack the Ripper killings that gripped London in the 1880s. He soon discovers that Dracula has been using Jack as a mere puppet for hours own larger designs, and so Dr. Social treks across Europe intending to stop the titular Master of Darkness.
The gameplay is indeed quite close to Castlevania. but Dr. Social controls far more easily and naturally than the 8-bit Belmont clan ever did. He can upgrade his weapons to swords, hammers, and axes as he fights through the enemy hordes, and even gets limited use items like bombs, boomerang, and stakes to tackle stronger enemies.
Some of the stages offer a few multiple path sections, and many test your platformer jumping skills, and your ability to skillfully death will several swarming enemies at once.
There are a number of graphical and stage design elements that have been borrowed (mainly from Castlevania 3 and Rondo of Blood), like swinging pendulum, stained glass windows, possessed paintings and chairs, and even a boss fought in front of a tower's clock face. It's pretty brazen.
But the game still has a feel of its own. The levels are more cramped and claustrophobic, and enemy placement is even more devious than the Konami titles in many cases. Dr. Social's large sprite make him an easier target, but the improved agility more than even the odds, and the game plays at a seemingly faster pace with little downtime between tricky spots.
If you only played on Sega platforms and had to have a Castlevania game, this was your only legit option until Bloodlines came about on the Genesis, but Master of Darkness plays well enough that it's almost a moot point. Add in some nicely done cinematics, fantastic graphics that stylishly pushed the hardware, a killer soundtrack, and a stiff challenge, and you've got a game that NES owners would have been jealous of. If they had ever heard of it.
For 8-bit Sega fans, creepy horror gaming just doesn't get any better.
_
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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