Cv1/level1

This article is a heavy WIP.

Level Details

Game	Castlevania
Level sections	Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3
Level name	1
Previous level	None
Next level	Level 2

[Show/Hide] Stage 01

Simple

Recommended to newcomers

• Jumping into the gate as shown is faster. This is because as soon as Simon touches the castle entrance, the game automatically moves him at a slower speed, so you want to jump to preserve normal speed.
• How to deal with zombies.
• When to get the whip (don't get it off the first low candle).
• Dealing with zombies at the end.
• To deal with the triple zombie pattern, damage boost (gif)

Stopwatch Manipulation (Optimal)

Money Bag dropping from the first Zombie, advancing the item chart

• The optimal frame to jump into gate is the one shown in the video, where Simon turns around for a very brief moment before going into the castle.
• Aim to get the Stopwatch off the first zombie. Break the first candle to get the whip upgrade, then jump and whip the zombie on landing. Whipping to get the Stopwatch is a 1-frame window.
  • Pay attention if there's two or more zombies at the start, as the additional zombie will also generate a Money Bag if the Stopwatch drops and it'll advance the item chart to Slot 2 (this would be the Holy Water but it gets turned into a money bag due to the Important Item Rule). This needs to be taken into consideration later for a more optimal Level 3.
• If you successfully got the stopwatch already, go through the second wave of zombies as shown in the video to make it less likely to collect additional item drops (possibly add picture with visual cue for first jump)

If you don't have a Stopwatch by the second wave, use this strat:

• You should aim to get the stopwatch on these two zombies showcased. The exact timing of the whips to get the stopwatch depends on how much time has already been lost whipping previous zombies: the more time has been lost, the earlier your whip will have to be to get the stopwatch.
  • If the first zombie in this wave doesn't spawn, you should delay the whip on the second zombie by a lot.

Alternate Watch Manip Strats

• This watch manipulation is a lot more complex as the actions are different from pattern to pattern, but it can always avoid a second item drop from happening in this stage, and some people may find the timing a little less awkward on some of these patterns.
• In order, the patterns shown are the Space Zombies (one zombie, a space, one zombie), the Couple (two zombies), the Triplet (three zombies), the Triplet with heart drops, and the Solo pattern (one unusable zombie and no more trailing zombies).
  • On the Solo pattern, you will have to get the Stopwatch on the second wave. It is recommended to lose a few frames before the second wave with a stutter to help with the timing.
  • Remember that if you don't get the Stopwatch on the first wave, you will have to adjust the whip timing for second wave depending on exactly how many frames have been lost whipping these first zombies. Usually, the Space zombies will lose fewer frames and demand a later timing, while the Couple and Triplet will lose more and demand an earlier timing.

TAS Framerule

(Captcha's clip)

• It's stupid.

[Show/Hide] Stage 02

Easier Bat Boost

Recommended to newcomers

• Kmac buffer, don't retry pixel if watch manipulation failed.

Early Boost (Stopwatch)

• Easier buffer

Optimal Early Boost (Stopwatch)

• How to save a Framerule.

Backups

Manual Bat Boost

• (Waiting at the ledge)
• Mainly to be used as a backup if the Bat Boost failed.

[Show/Hide] Stage 03

Simple Stopwatch kill

Should this be recommended to newcomers or should this be categorized as an alternative strat/backup?

• Boss's pattern is dependent on how many frames have elapsed since the start of the screen.
• Get potion, clunk off the ledge.
• Get into position, let Bat go through Simon, activate Stopwatch, go ham.
• Orb Grab.
• This can also be used as a backup for the Crit strat.

Simple Crit

This could be recommended to newcomers alternatively

• Boss's pattern is dependent on how many frames have elapsed since the start of the screen.
• Clunk, get consistent pattern.
• Crit.
• As a backup, activate the stopwatch and kill the bat there. You need to press either up+B on the same frame, or B 1 frame after pressing up, to avoid climbing the step (Can point to the simple stopwatch kill, append a gif, or just show it in the video).

Advanced Crit (Optimal)

• Boss's pattern is dependent on how many frames have elapsed since the start of the screen.
• Whip cancel landing off ledge, possibly skip potion.

(LInk to video of 3-frame pattern)

• Slower, but but acceptable. Explanation.

(Link to video of 2-frame pattern)

• Explanation

(Link to video of 1-frame pattern)

• Explanation

(Link to video of 0-frame pattern (TASCrit))

• Explanation, point out that this is best pattern

(Link to video of clunk (Also TASCrit))

• Just to point out that a clunk gives you TASCrit)

(LInk to video of more patterns possibly? We just do the 2-frame movement for those anyway. Point this out in some way)

Backups

Rare Double Zombie pattern

(Link to video)

• For Stopwatch/Crit users
• Take the boost, jump clunk.

Late jump on TASCrit

(Link to video)

• Explanation

Axe strats

• Recommended to be used as a backup if the stopwatch manipulation failed in stage 02, though it can be used in alternative to the stopwatch kill if really struggling with the up+B press.
  • Keep in mind that not having the stopwatch for level 2 will make it slower and more difficult.
• Get potion.
• Position Simon in correct spot for Axe kill on boss.
• Orb grab

Truefalse's tutorial on Bat Crit

Can probably remove this once the page is done, this video is already in the Tutorials page anyway.

Boss

Critical hit glitch (optimal)

Tutorial by Truefalse