(All ratings are on a scale of 1-5, based on what was average for the time.)

   Dracula X... One of the holy grails of Turbo Grafx/PC-Engine gamers. Costing upwards of $150 most of the time, and widely heralded as the best game for the console.

Graphics - 4/5
   When you think of the 16-bit era, what do you think of when you picture the best graphics? Final Fantasy 3/6j? Maybe even something like Super Mario World or Donkey Kong Country? Well, Dracula X is another to add to the list of best 16-bit graphics. Despite being on a console with weaker graphics power than others, the graphics are absolutely great. In the gameplay area, all the sprites are detailed and colorful(or not depending on the needs for the enemy), and Richter's sprite is essentially a lower resolution version of his sprite in the Playstation and Saturn Castlevania games. And what would a CD game be without some FMV? Well, Dracula X has plenty, all anime style, that really adds to the game. Not the greatest detail, and it uses a lot of black backgrounds unfortunately. Still, it is a step above most Sega CD and other Turbo/PC-E CD games.

Music and Sound - 5/5
   Every Castlevania game from the very first has had some of my favorite video game music of all time. No exception here! A lot of the tunes seem to be redone versions of classics, and some even show up in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night directly.

Gameplay - 5/5
   The gameplay is the standard Castlevania style, nothing really new to speak of, but the saying "Don't fix it if it ain't broken" comes to mind. Like the other more recent titles of the series, there are multiple characters to play as, specifically Richter and Maria(once rescued). Richter is the par for a Belmont, but Maria is something else entirely. Maria uses doves as weapons, throwing them out similar to boomerangs, with the doves flying back to her. Her secondary weapons include odd animals such as cats, dragons, turtles(well, actually just the shell), and others. Both characters play drastically different, and have different movies for when they rescue the kidnapped girls, which greatly increases replay value. You will probably wind up wanting to go through it once with Richter, and once with Maria.

Story - 4/5
   When viewed alone, any Castlevania game can be seen as the usual fare, with no original story(and in fact recycled story from previous Castlevanias). When viewing the series as a whole, however, the story starts showing it's true depth. From the generational progression of the Belmonts, Dracula's henchmen, as well as the various third parties(ie. Maria, Alucard, etc.) the story starts getting much more complex and involved. Once you play one or two of the Castlevanias, you are going to have to play them all just to see what is going to happen(or has happened)!

Overall - 5/5
   So, is this game the best Turbo/PC-E game? Ya damn right it is. In many people's minds it is even superior to the much touted Playstation/Saturn Castlevania game, Symphony of the Night. Every Turbo owner owes it to themselves to get this game, even if just a CD-R of it. (For me to endorse piracy has never happened before, but this is one game I feel that everyone deserves the chance to play, but because of the steep price might not get the chance.)