For specific gameplay instructions (controls, etc), please consult the game manual. This section deals with basic game mechanics and background information that should help you find your way in Castlevania's complex castles.

Points of Reference
Throughout the guide I refer to areas based on what castle they are in, as well as what area they are in. The areas were my own breakdown of the castle as a whole, which I made when I first started making my maps. I know that the maps aren't going to be ready when the guide first comes out (I have to send them in to be done - I have no graphical skills), so I will list the in-game areas that are included in each of the sections that I made. Note that both castles have the exact same area breakdown.

Castle A - Area 1 and Castle B - Area 3
These two areas correspond to the top left parts of both castles. The Entrance, Corridor of Marble, Room of Illusion, Wailing Way and the Shrine of the Apostates makes up these small areas.

Castle A - Area 2 and Castle B - Area 2
Both these areas are the top right portions of both castles. The areas comprised are the Castle Tower, Chapel of Dissonance, Sky Walkway, Aqueduct of Dragons, and the Clock Tower.

Castle A - Area 3 and Castle B - Area 1
These areas comprise the whole bottom of the castles. The comprised areas are the Luminous Caverns and the Skeleton Cave.

Doing Battle
Against tougher opponents, such as bosses, you will need to spend most of your time avoiding their attacks. The game has some handy dash moves that are bound to the shoulder buttons. Use them to quickly dodge attacks. You can also jump/double jump to safety, as well as crouching or running back. Any means that keeps you from being hit is a good thing.

Attacking should usually only be done when it is safe to do so. Usually you will want to get some attacks in between dodges and is actually my preferred method of doing battle. Feel free to use secondary weapons to deal damage while dodging, or cast spells to avoid blows (you are temporarily invulnerable when casting spells). Most importantly, learn the ins and outs of all the spells and your attack methods.

Merchants
There are several rooms spread across the castle. Usually when you get there you find empty rooms. The merchants there will only appear on special conditions. You need either an odd numbered level, even numbered amount of hearts or a special item to get them to appear. You need to be level 50 to open the merchant near to where you fight the final battle. The final merchants sell awesome and rare gear.

Finding Items
Most enemies in the game drop between zero and two items. Whether they drop items or not is dependant on your luck. Upgrade your luck to make them drop more things. By equipping the Rare Ring, you can enhance your chances of getting a rare drop, the second item that a monster usually drops. Remember that camping a monster to get drops can be a long and boring task.

Getting More Powerful
To get more powerful, you should find as many Life Jars and Health Containers as you can. Equip the most powerful weapons and armor too. The only other thing that you can do it gain levels - a long and arduous task, especially at high levels (at level 45 and higher the experience gained from most monsters seems to drop - maybe it was just me). Make a game out of leveling - find a monster that you want to check for drops and then keep killing them until you get the drop then go to the next one. Doing so will keep you more interested in the game.

Teleporting
There are two sets of teleporters in the game. The first four that you find are fixed portals, meaning that they can only transport to a set destination. These will bring you between the first four sections of the castles. The second set are the 'cycle' teleporters. By pressing down in front of one of the gates you will teleport to the next portal in the cycle. By pressing up you will open the gate to the other castle.

To activate the cycle teleporters, you must first visit them in either castle. Most of them will require you to break a wall in one of the castles, or will require the Lure Key to open the shimmering door. Make a point of opening all these warp points, as they will make your search for items much faster later on in the game.

Connected Castles
The two castles are connected in key places. What happens in one sometimes also happens in the other - especially true when the layout changes in one! For example, destroying a wall in one castle may destroy a permanent wall in the other castle! This is apparent when using the hammer to destroy the Bronze Guarder in Castle B - Area 2! Just explore both castles and don't be surprised, if you inadvertently open passages in the other one while doing so!

Secrets
Other than all the items and spells that you can find, there are a few extra things in the game.

Boss Rush Mode
Beat the game in any way to unlock this mini-game. You will be put into a series of rooms containing the bosses from the game. The amount of bosses depends on the difficulty you select. Harder difficulties are unlocked by beating the easier modes.

Using Simon Belmont
Unlock Boss Rush Mode and play it once. Reset the machine and during the Konami title screen, press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A. Then start up Boss Rush Mode to play with the original vampire slayer! Simon is much slower and doesn't have the fancy moves that the others have. He does hit MUCH harder though, so he isn't that bad of a choice to use.

Sound Test
Listen to the game's music by getting the best ending.

Play as Maxim
Get the best ending in the game. Start a new game and choose your name as MAXIM. You will play as Maxim! He is much quicker than Juste, but is more limited. He cannot equip any items at all, and is limited to his star boomerang. He can pick up Heart Containers and Life Jars though. He has a meaner dash and can triple jump. He has immediate access to the whole game, with the road barred only by obstacles that he can't get around. Theoretically you can get him to the end of the game in under an hour - easily. (He doesn't need keys, and can skip large portions of the game because of it. Now all I need is a way to play as Simon and my life will be complete (sort of)!

Maxim has to go around the whole castle to unlock Dracula's chambers and then must proceed there to kill the guy. It just takes some detours to get to the end.

Walkthrough

  The Search for Lydie Begins

  The first part of the game leads you to collect four relics, vanquish two bosses and collect the first of the spellbooks, perhaps the sole book that you will ever need. You should spend some time getting used to the controls, especially the pair of dashes. These dashes are incredibly useful moves that can be used to run, dodge attacks, or even charge into a jump or attack. Getting used to the basic game mechanics is the first important thing to do. You will be amassing more moves as you progress in the game, so expect to expand upon your knowledge.

Watch the intro and talk to Maxim. Go to the right and jump over the large suit of armor. As you walk past it, it will get to its feet. Run to the right and enter the castle before the drawbridge closes. Head to the right and smash the statue to lower a ramp. Climb aboard and head to the right. Ignore the first upwards passage and go to the next room. The Zombies in the next room will charge at you in a never-ending wave. Kill them as they come to you. Go up the passage and kill the Skeletons there. They toss their bones at you, just smash them as they come at you, or duck under them to avoid them. Proceed to the right to get the first relic, the Soul Orb. The purpose of the relic is to display how much damage an enemy has taken from one of your attacks. Go to the left and drop down into the Zombie room. Go to the left and then jump up into the next room.

Pick up the Leather Armor and put it on. Remember to always equip new things when you find them! Go to the left, killing the Bats as you go. Bats aren't very tough to beat, you can easily just ignore them by ducking when they fly at you. Go up to the next large room. The Armor Knights will block any blows aimed at them when they are spinning their spears. Proceed to the next room. Head left to the save room.

Leave the save room and go to the right to enter the Marble Corridor. Kill the Bone Soldiers by dodging to the left when they are swinging their swords - giving you ample time to counterattack. Go to the right to have a chat with Death. Leave the room by going to the right. Pick up the map and go to the upper left. Jump onto the broken platform and go to the left. Push the crate to the right until it falls. Push it to the left and use it to get to the ledge. Climb the stairs and enter the next room. Pick up the Heart Container and Ice Spellbook. Walk back to the room where you got the map.

This time exit on the upper right side of the room. Go down and head two rooms to the right. The Fleamen that you fight on the way are just mobile gnats - learn their patterns and you will be able to kill or avoid them with ease. You'll be in a dark room. Proceed to the right and the first boss will appear, the Giant Bat. It will fly around throwing fireballs at you. Jump up and hit it three times to make it split into little bats. It will reform elsewhere. Sometimes when you hit it, it will start spinning and will charge into the floor. While it is there you can strike at it many times. Do so and kill it. Grab the health gem that it drops and proceed to the right. Take the first passage down to find the Fairy Journal. This relic tells you the name of any monsters that you hit. Go to the right and enter the next area.

Go through the upper right door and pick up the Monster Tome, a relic that lets you see the stats on any monster that you have fought before. It is the last of the basic relics that you will find in the game. Kill the Large Ghost and the proceed to the left. Avoid the Ghosts as they appear and fly at you. The Rock Armors can be easily defeated by being close to them - they will launch their rocks above their heads! Walk along the bottom of the room and proceed to the left. Drop down into the room below. Head to the right to enter the Shrine of the Apostates. Fall down and be prepared for some new enemies - the Lizard Men. They will lunge at you, so be prepared to dodge back to avoid them. It will take a few strikes to kill them. Go to the left and fall down to the next room. Go to the left to enter a large room. The Bone Pillars here will present you with a new problem - long range projectiles. The top head fires small bolts, while the lower one uses a flame thrower. Just jump on the top one and spin your whip. Go to the upper left exit and then go through it. In the next hallway just fall down and head to the right to find a save room.

Leave the save room and head left to find Maxim. Talk to him for a while and then head to the left. The second boss, the Living Armor, is as easy to kill as the first boss. Just pound on it until it gets ready to strike at you. Dodge back and then wait for him to go upright again. Repeat the process until he is dead. Pick up the Lizard Tail in the next room, a relic that will let you slide through narrow passages. Destroy the barrier by jumping on the switch. Return to the Entrance's save room (use your map for directions).

Head right until you return to the room where you encountered Death. Go one room to the right and drop down. Go to the left to enter the Room of Illusion. There is a Life Jar there. Go to the right and enter the vertical chamber. Go to the right and enter the square chamber. Here you'll encounter some Medusa Heads. Just avoid them, as they are almost worthless to kill. Use the ledges to climb down and enter a cool looking room with a wavy background. Go to the left and slide under the wall to find a warp point and a Heart Container. Entering the warp will bring you to the next area.

For those of you that explored a bit more of the castle, there were a few things to find. The Fire Book could be obtained with the Lizard's Tail, and a pair of weapon mods, the Energy Circle and Red Stone were also to be had. Amongst these rare finds, there are also several Heart Containers and Life Jars. While I know it is not possible to completely clear this area now, you can still get most of the stuff. There are a few items that need other relics to reach, as well as blocked corridors to other areas.

If you explore the whole area, you are likely to fight a pair of other enemies that were not discussed above. The White Dragon is a series of bones that is anchored to a wall. It thrashes about, making it very hard to hit. Its projectiles are easy to avoid. The Victory Armor is a much more difficult enemy! It has a charge attack, a fire attack and throws its sword at you. Dodging back to avoid all three is a good idea! This enemy is at a much higher level than your usual opponents, but with some dodging skill, you should still be able to take them down. Behind them you will usually find worthwhile rewards.

    The End of the Rainbow

The warp actually takes you to the second castle. Juste notices the aura right away. The monsters here are noticeably harder than the last area, and will lead to some amount of frustration. Remember that you can always return to the first area through the warp, and should do so once you have obtained the Sylph Feather. With it you can collect a few more of the secret items.

This area is much larger than the last one - it spans the entire bottom of the castle! Once again, it is not possible to explore everything without all the relics and special items. Just try to explore any open areas on the map to find extra items. The first merchant can be found here - they buy gems and sell protective equipment and healing items. Stock up on anything that you need at them - merchants are really rare in the game.

Leave the warp chamber and kill the Skeleton Ribs in the following hall. They toss their bones straight at you, making them easy to destroy. Do just that and head to the right. Climb up the stairs and go to the left. Fight the Skeleton Blazes and go to the left - do not go down unless you want to fight a powerful Feather Demon. The Skeleton Blazes will walk up to you and will strike you with a dagger. If you hit them, they will jump over you - keep hitting them to kill them (if they are never on the ground, they can't hit you). In the larger chamber, go to the lower right corner of the room. You will have to kill Skeleton Flails to get there though. These beasts hold large poles behind them - touching them deals a lot of damage. Just stay back and hit them when they turn their backs to you. If you get too close to their faces, they'll swing the thing at you, blocking all blows. When you fall down into the small room, go left for a Heart Container and to the right to find a save room. If you choose to fight the Feather Demon, be prepared to learn to dodge multiple projectiles. Weave your way through them by dodging and ducking, and hit it when you get close enough to do so.

Return to the vertical chamber and go right this time. Go down the first hole in the ground and proceed to the top right corner of the square room. Push the Gate Guarder off the right side to watch it roll into a boulder. Both shatter, revealing a room containing a merchant. Buy a couple of potions and return to the last hallway. Go to the right. The Peeping Eyes are easy opponents - just jump and strike them when they get close to you. The Bomber Armors are a bit more difficult - stay close to them and do not attack them, if they are getting ready to throw a bomb! Doing so will cause it to explode on you! Go to the right and go down the last hole in the ground. Go all the way to the left to get a Chair, or just jump down the next hole. You'll fight Ectoplasms in the next long corridor. These enemies will curse you, if you touch them. Curse slows you down by a lot, making it much harder to maneuver in battle. Go down the hole in the ground. Go all the way down in the vertical hallway to find the chamber where Juste places all the collectibles that he finds.

Go back up the shaft and head to the left. Keep going to the left to enter the Skeleton Cave. Fall down the first shaft and enter the next large room. Inside you will find Skeleton Spiders. Each time you hit one of them, it will walk backwards. Hit it often enough and it will crumble. Go to the left room and fight the Skeleton Spears there. These monsters just have a long reach - dodging and counterattacking is the way to beat them. There is a Side Table in the room, and a Stuffed Stag in the next one. To get to that next room you will have to knock down a big skull - just hit is from the left side a few times to make it role down. Use it as a stepping stone and continue on to the next room. The next room introduces the Skeleton Ape. These enemies are defenseless once they toss their rocks - just duck them and finish the thrower off. Knock down the skull here to make a ramp. Collect the Stuffed Stag and proceed to the left.

Slide under the pendulum in the next room and talk to evil Maxim. Proceed to the left and climb up the stairs. The Red Skeletons turn into mush when hit, and can never die. Just walk over them once they are on the ground. There is a save room on the other side of this room. Go to the left from the save room and you will get to fight the next boss, the Skull Knight. The Skull Knight has three stages. The first is easy to beat - pound on him until his sword sparkles, then run back to evade the lunge. Just don't get caught in a corner! Once you hit him enough, he'll fall to the ground. He'll get back off the ground and will lose his sword. This time he'll pulse for a bit before charging. Jump onto the ledges to avoid the charge attacks and hit him once he finishes them. He'll lose his shield after a few blows. His third attack form is a laser beam. He'll jump around a bit and then will stand still. A beam of energy will flash across the screen. Duck under it and whip him until it ends, then get prepared to move. After a few more strikes, it dies. Go to the left and grab the Sylph Feather, a relic that lets you double jump!

Return to the save spot. You can use your newfound power to explore more of the area now. Return to Juste's room. Go up the vertical corridor and go to the right to enter the Luminous Caverns. The Axe Armor within tosses out a returning axe. It can be destroyed, like any other projectiles, so killing them is a joke. Head right to leave the room. Go through the next room too. You will have to kill Witches in the next corridor - they fly around and cast ice spells at you. Use fire attacks to kill them really quickly. The Man-eaters are easy enough to defeat. Stand by their base, let them spit their projectiles and then slam them in the head a few time to kill them. Continue to the right to find a save room.

Go to the right. In this large chamber you will fight Bone Throwers. They toss bouncy bones onto the floor and they move very fast. They can be destroyed, or avoided really easily though. There is a Sage Statue in the room. You want to exit the room via the lower exit. In the next hall there are two new enemies - the Scarecrow (let them bounce to you and then hit them) and the Slimes. The Slimes turn into Tiny Slimes when damaged, so deal with them quickly. Head to the right to find the Golem. The Golem is a tough boss. At the start of the battle he has two attacks. The first is his punch attack, which is really easy to dodge. The second is his jump attack - he jumps up and down, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling. Take advantage of the time between his attacks to pummel him into the ground. Of course, he has a second stage as well! Once his head crumbles, get ready fro a lava spewing attack. The lava hits right in front of him and then flies out to strike pretty far away. Just stay away from him when he spews the stuff, and you should have an easy kill. After the battle head to the right and hit the switch in the next room. The floor will rise - just avoid the spiky platforms and you will be fine. Head to the left and enter the room to get the Yellow Stone and Strange Mirror. Return to the last save room.

Go to the left and fall down a floor. Go to the left and fall down again. Go to the left and fall down for a third time. Go to the right and around a circle to find the second warp point. On the way you will fight the ice-using Sirens - fire works wonders on them.

There are not many important things to find in this area - yet. Just run around and collect all the extra little things later on, when you have the ability to search every nook and cranny. If you do wander around now, you will encounter a pair of new enemies that aren't found elsewhere - the Big Skeleton is just a large skeleton with an overhand chop, and the Flying Bone is a spear-wielding flying skeleton. The latter enemy will chuck its spears at you, so be prepared to avoid them!

    Return to Reality

  This area is the second part of the first castle. The enemies here are a bit harder than before, and the area is also quite big. Be prepared to explore a lot for few benefits other than the joy of exploring. Your sole purpose here is to find the next warp chamber.

Go to the right to enter the Sky Walkway. You will encounter Maxim again and much to Juste's confusion, he seems to be his normal self again. Enter the large chamber on your right. The Balloons within blow up when dead, spraying poisonous spores around. Spin your whip to disperse them. Climb to the top and exit on the right side. The exit is guarded by a Big Balloon - these creatures burst into regular Balloons when killed. In the next large chamber your goal is the bottom right exit. The new enemies here are the Bone Archers. Avoid their arrows by either jumping or ducking and just whip them a few times to put them out of their misery. Enter the save room. Go straight up and exit the large chamber by the upper right exit.

The next boss, the Devil resides there. This foe hits very hard, so just try to stay away from him at all times. Do not let him hit you in any way with his body, because he will curse you. He has three attacks to use against you - a fire punch (just stay a way when he is on the ground), a fire laser from a standing position (duck or jump the bolt) and a laser beam when flying (it sweeps back towards him, so being on the other side or far away makes you immune to it). The mere fact of trying to stay away from him and counterattacking will ensure your victory. If not, level up a couple of times and try it again (a couple of levels may make all the needed difference). Go to the right to enter the Clock Tower.

The first enemies here are the Harpies. These beasts are incredibly powerful flying monsters. They will dive at you and will throw feathers around. Both pack a wallop, and can be hard to avoid, since they can attack you from off-screen. Kill them if you can, or simply avoid them. Go straight across and deal with the Disc Armor. These suits of armor toss out razor blades, and then pull them back in. Jump the blade and kill them when they are vulnerable. The next room hosts a Ruler Sword Lvl 2, a really big sword with a bunch of swords spinning around it. Kill the central sword with magic, or be prepared to start dodging a lot. This is a keen example of what will happen in a lot of the remaining game - a lot of old enemies have been upgraded. They usually get a new attack, but nothing too spectacular - I am not even going to mention that there are upgraded monsters around, unless they are really nasty. Exit to the right and climb up the vertical shaft. Skip the first passage to the right and go into the second to find a save room. The shaft contains Gold Medusae, flying creatures that will petrify you, if they touch you. Go up the shaft one more floor. Pass through the glowing gate to fight the Max Slimer. This boss is easy. Every time that you hit it, you make it sprout Tiny Slimes. Try to kill them as they come out. Just keep hitting it until it jumps to the ceiling. Clean the floor of the little ones and then run underneath it to make it fall. Keep smashing it until it dead. Return to the save room after the battle - it is not yet time to pass through the room (unless you are rushing through the game).

Go down the shaft one floor this time and go to the right. Go to the right again to enter a large chamber. Exit on the bottom right side, and get prepared to kill the invulnerable Guardian Armor! Just keep hitting its feet until it backpedals into a set of gears. It gets grounded up, and you get four pieces of armor - it is a win-win situation (yeah right...)! Return to the save spot after putting it on.

Return to the first Clock Tower vertical hall. Go down to the bottom floor and go right. Jump down the hole to get a map and then go back to the left. Return to the Sky Walkway save room. From the save point, go down the first hole on the left. Beat up the floating sword and go to the left. Fall down into a dark room. Inch forward and jump forwards when there is no more floor underneath you. It takes timing, but hitting the spikes is not that grievous. There are two such hallways, and it doesn't take much effort to cross them. At the end you'll enter the Aqueduct of Dragons. Go down the small hallway to get to the interesting areas. Alternately put on the Night Goggles to see a bit better in the dark - I can't remember where I found them though...

The Fishmen in the first area will suck in some air and will slide towards you. Either kill them before they can do this, or just jump over them. Fall down to the next floor at the end of the room. The Mermen in the next room will roll at you, if given the chance. Go to the right and go up when given the chance. There is a save room just to the left. Save your game, there is a boss nearby. Go back down the hole and go to the right. Kill the enemies until you come to a set of guillotine-like blades. Slide under the lot of them to find the Blue Stone. Return to the save spot and then go all the way to the right to fight the Giant Merman. Take the axe into the fight, if you can and equip the Ice Book. This boss is a veritable joke. His attacks include a wave that can be jumped over, a roll attack that can also be jumped and he will summon a pair of Fishmen or a quartet of Mermen. Get rid of them with the Ice Axe spell. It is very likely that you will be able to get through this battle without even getting hit - the boss is that slow.

The room right after the Giant Merman contains both a Life Jar and a Heart Container. Go into the next hallway and go up. The first passage will bring you to another Heart Container, while the top exit will bring you to the Clock Tower. Hit the switch and go to the right. The Specter there is a tough opponent - these are not animates swords, but rather phantoms using them. Hitting the sword does nothing, so you will have to fight the one holding it. Go to the right, then up the vertical hallway to the top. Go to the left, up again and to the right over the spikes to return to known territory. Now return to the Clock Tower save room. Go back up to the Max Slimer's room and go to the right. Climb up the hallway and go in the first passage on the left to find the orange Stone, and the second passage to find Death. He reveals much information and then departs. Use the warp to get to the next area.

I know that I could have used a little different approach to this area. I dragged you the wring way to force you to get the Guardian Armor's armor! I kept dying in the Aqueduct of Dragons, so I decided to switch it around. The better protection is well worth the backtracking!

There is one unique creature in the area that wasn't covered anywhere else - the Boomerang Armor. These creatures are large versions of the regular armors, but toss large boomerangs that cannot be ducked. Just jump over them. It is found at the bottom of the Aqueduct of Dragons.

    Two Castles?

Keep Death's words in mind as you explore the upper right portion of the castle for the second time. Most of the area will be familiar to you - only the contents have changed. As always, I expect you to explore off the beaten path, but I will direct you to all the important items. At this point in time, you will be able to look up the maps for both castles.

From the warp chamber descend the stairs and enter the room where you fought the Max Slimer in the other castle. You should head to the save point. Save and get ready to re-explore a familiar area. The Fleaman Armors are just stronger Fleamen, don't mind them at all.

From the save point go to the hallway beneath it. Go into the lower of the two passages on the right. Use the hammer to destroy the Bronze Guarder. Explore beyond there, if you want to, else just return to the save room. This must be done to get access to the area in the other castle.

From the save point go to the left and then left again at the bottom of the hallway. You will have to fight the Peeping Big in the next room. Hit it when its eye is open, otherwise it is invulnerable. It has two attacks - a bouncing attack and a tail swat, both of which are really easy to avoid. Do so and head to the left after the battle. You'll get to pick up a Life Jar at the beginning of the next room, as well as fight the Arabakis. These flying creatures are easy enough to kill, so I won't say anything about them. Go to the vertical hallway to the left. Go through the bottom door and head to the right across the pendulums. Jump down and then go all the way to the left. Fall down and go into the next passage on the left. Follow it until you come to a big screw. Hit it a few times to lower a platform above. Return to the pendulum room and head left to the pit. Fall down to get the Crushing Stone. You can now break some walls!

Now head to the room where you fought the Devil in the other castle. You'll have to fight Legion there. This huge ball of flesh must be taken apart before you can kill it. Use magic spells on it to break it up, and then get ready to deal with the core. The core has a trio of tentacles that wave about. When they become still, get away from them! They are about to fire laser beams! Dodge them and strike back between blasts. Head left into the large area and then through the lower right door to find the Sky Walkway save room. You can smash the right wall with the Crushing Stone to get the Heart of Vlad!

Leave the save room and go to the top left exit (in the left wall, not top). Cross the next room to find a small room with a breakable wall. Break it and go to the left. Grab the Life Jar and enter the next room. Talk to Maxim and get ready for another boss battle. The Shadow has four different forms. His cloud form is invulnerable to all attacks. His panther form charges back and forth, his scimitar form flies around and his butterfly form sprinkles dust on you. Hit him while avoiding his attacks and you should be able to take him down.

Now return to the warp point that started this section. Use it to get to the next part of the game.

If you explored the Chapel of Dissonance, you will have fought the easy Spriggan. The Aqueduct of Dragons contains Melty Zombies and Bone Liquids, both of which are easy opponents. The Skeleton Mirrors on the way down there are strong versions of Bone Soldiers.

    Return to Reality 2

From this point onwards you will be traveling between the castles a bit more often. You can also begin collecting the various remains of Dracula. The Heart of Vlad should also be on your person. This part starts you off in Castle A - Area 2 and ends in Castle A - Area 3.

Go to the closest save point and go into the hall beneath it. Go through the lower of the two right doors. By destroying the wall with the Bronze Guarder in the other castle, you have opened up the passage here. Go right down it and fall all the way down into the hole. Save your game, if you want and then head into the large chamber. You have to slide really fast to beat the ball to the end. Unlike in the other castle, the obstacles here are more numerous. You will have to jump over spiky pits and slide through Bone Pillars to beat the ball to the end. The reward for doing so is great - the Lucky Cat collectible, a Heart Container, Life Jar and the Bolt Book. Now return to the spiky pits. From the leftmost one slide through the wall to find a secret passage. Follow the passage to find the Fang of Vlad. Return to the Clock Tower save point (the northern one).

The next place to revisit is the Sky Walkway save room, then the hall where you fought Shadow in the other castle. You will find Maxim and he'll give you the MK's Bracelet. This item lets you enter the Castle Tower. Return to the main Sky Walkway chamber and go through the left hole in the ceiling. Proceed all the way up to the end of the Chapel of Dissonance. Equip you new bracelet and walk through the sealed door. Climb the stairs and enter the warp room. Go through the door on the left and battle the Pazuzu. The demon is easy to kill. The Bolt Boomerang spell does wonders on it! Just avoid his projectiles and kill the Tiny Devils that he summons to keep yourself safe. Just hit him while doing so. Death steals Lydie from you in the next chamber. Go left from there, down and right to make it to the Castle Tower save room.

Go to the right. Kill the Poison Lizards (they only poison you) and jump down when given the chance. Navigate the platforms to go down to the next room. Go to the right in the long corridor and drop down into the elevator room, when you can. Go to the left to find a save point. Go all the way to the right to find the Minotaur. The Minotaur can kill you in three hits, if he swings his morning star at you. Just avoid it and counterattack between swings. Hit him really fast to force him back, or you will get cornered. To the right you will get the Steel Tip, an attack power enhancing weapon mod. Head down the elevator and exit on the bottom to go to Castle A - Area 3.

Go to the right and fall down. To the left you will fight your first Gorgon - whip them from afar to avoid their stone breath attack. Continue to the left to find a locked floor opening, a Chandelier and a save room. Go all the way to the right and follow the passage down to the second elevator room. Go to the bottom of the room and enter the next room. Follow the passage to the left to get some treasure, or simply jump down to continue your quest. The Master Lizards in the hallway are upgraded Lizard Men. If you do go to the left area, make sure that you visit the merchant to upgrade your armor.

Go down to Juste's room and place any collectibles that you have found. I had 20 of them at this point, so the room looked rather snazzy! Go back up to the junction and head left to the Skeleton Cave. In the first large room go down and to the left. You will have to fight an Arthro Skeleton - chase them into the wall and slay them there. Break the wall for further use and then go to the Skeleton Cave save room. On the way you will have to solve a crate puzzle before being able to go on. Push the bottom crate to the left, jump on it and onto the upper platform. Push the upper one off to the right side and then push the left one into the pit on the left. Push the other block on top of it, but leave it still on the other block so you can use it as a stepping stone. Grab the Heart Container and continue on to the left. The second crate puzzle is a little more difficult. Push the bottom crate to the left, but leave enough room for you to get on the right side of it - otherwise you won't be able to move the other crate when it is on it! Drop the second crate onto the first and push the second one to the left. Push the bottom crate once the top one is off of it and then push the top one off the left side of the ledge. Push it off to the left again and then to the left wall. Use it to climb to the exit and a Life Jar. The next room contains Skeleton Glasses, very brittle enemies.

Go to the left from the save spot to fight a boss. Legion returns, but this time its shell does not have to be removed. Instead all you have to do is smash him repeatedly to make the shell open, and then pummel the insides. It is a really easy fight. Just get rid of any curses, lest you die from lack of mobility. Go to the left to pick up a special charm. Return to the last square room and exit from the top this time. Go to the left a couple of screens to find the third crate puzzle. If you go to the right, you will have the chance of fighting Mimics - they simply do everything that you do. The third crate puzzle is not that hard either. Push the left crate to the left and make it fall twice. Then push it to the right so that it covers most of the hole, but will still let you get on to the left side so that you can push crates off of it. Most of the hole should be covered. Push the middle crate to the right. Drop it onto the first crate. Push it to the right, but not so far that the third will fall flush onto it - you will need to get up on the left side of it to push the third crate off of it. Drop the third crate onto the stack and push it off the right side of it. Push the second crate to the left so that you can get into the crack between the first and last crates. Push the third crate to the right and use it to climb up to the top of the room. Make sure that you grab the Floodgate Key from the top left corner of the room. Go up and smash the wall there (you have to do it to gain access to the last area in Castle B).

Return to Juste's room and proceed to the right in the corridor this time. The first creatures here are the Sylphs, a magic-using flying creature. You can easily kill them before they get their spells off. Tiny Devils return here as a regular enemy too. Upgraded Witches, Pixies are also in the region. Your first goal is to get to the save room. Go to the right and explore the large room. Destroy the wall in the top left corner to reveal a warp point. Access it so that you can use it later and return to the large room. Go down now and to the left. Fall down and collect the Hint Card 1 that is to the left. Head right and walk into the large room. Walk around and use the only other exit. Kill all the Sylphs in the next room and go to the lower left exit. Use the Floodgate Key to drain the western hallways. Return to the save point.

Head to the right and down again. Go to the right and enter the boss chamber to fight Talos. Talos is a large armored skeleton that has a gimp foot - destroy the foot and he dies. He swings at you with his fist, or simply pulls out a sword and slashes at you. Dodge back when necessary and the fight is pretty easy. Go to the right and collect both the Life Jar and the Heart Container. You can't do anything else here yet, so simply go back to the save spot.

From there go to the left, down, left, down, left, down, right, right, up, and left to find Death. Death has two stages in the battle. In the first stage he throws his scythe at you, calls down bolts and simple swipes at you. Dart in to attack when it is safe, and you should drop him rather quickly. The fight is not over once he dies the first time! He come back as a big snake. Do not attack him head on! Instead just jump on his back and hit his head until he drops you. Repeat this process until he is finally dead (until the next game in the series). Go to the left to get the Griffin's Wing. Press and hold down and then hit up to launch yourself upwards!

Return to where you fought Talos. Launch yourself up the first hole in the ceiling to get a Heart Container. Go up the second to get to a passage leading to the left. Kill the Hammer-Hammer and grab the Skull Key. Return to the last save point. Save and then head to the Chapel of Dissonance's strange looking room. In one of the alcoves you can find the Eye of Vlad. Grab it and then use the Castle Tower warp point to go to Castle B.

    May the Collecting Begin!

With Death gone for now, and all but a couple of the major items found, you can now wander the castle almost freely. The sections of the castle are still split (for now), but the Skull Key should open a few of the locked doors. In about an hour from now, both castles should be at almost 100% completion, and you should begin your search for the remains of Dracula, well the ones that you don't have already!

You may or may not find strange monsters named Rare Ghost and O. These monsters drop really nice equipment when killed. The Pike Master in Castle B - Area 3 drops nice equipment too. The merchants that are spread around in the game only appear once certain condition are met. The two in the Castle Treasury areas will appear all the time, but some require your heart totals to be an even number, some require you to have an odd level, and the last two by the final chambers need you to be level 50. There are some merchants that I wasn't able to access...

You will have to travel far and wide to get into the last area of this chapter. Return to the second Castle Tower save point. Go to the right and kill the Minotaur in the boss chamber. He is a joke. Collect the Wind Book and the Life Jar from the next room. Go down the elevator room and enter the next hall. Use the Skull Key to unlock the left door. Enter the last area.

The Simon Wraiths that greet you are strong adversaries. Stay away from them and you should be fine. Go to left a couple of rooms and you will have to kill Owls. Just thwack them while they are in the air - you'll be fine. Keep going to the left to find a pair of collectibles and the Crush Boots. These boots will let you smash through some ceilings when doing a high jump. Grab them and return to the large chamber near the entrance.

Go down and follow the passage to the right. Fall down again and go to the left. You will have to fight some Jp BonePillars. These are simple foes, so don't fret over them. Keep going to the lower left until you get to a square room. Go to the left, fall down and then go to the save room on the right. Go to the left to fight the Cyclops, the local boss monster. He is really powerful! His hits deal more damage than most other monsters in the game. Get ready to do some fast dodging, because this guy moves really fast. When he readies his club move back really fast! When he pulses he is ready to charge at you - use the platforms to avoid him. Keep up your dodging and the Cyclops will die rather fast.

Keep going to the left until you get to the castle entrance. Jump up into the hole in the ceiling and then high jump through the glowing blocks there. Grab the Ancient Urn and the Rib of Vlad from the next room. Now go to the Entrance save spot. The Clear Bones on the way become vulnerable when they put their heads on to attack. Go to the right from the save spot and up to the next floor when you can. Go to the left to find a pair of rooms - one contains the Lure Key, the other a warp zone. Return to the save spot and head to the right now.

Head to the Marble Corridor save room. There is a Pike Master in one of the corridors to the right, if you want to beat it up. Keep going to the right to return to the Castle Tower. The Lure Key that you found will open the doors before a lot of the warp zones in the castle. Use it to explore most of the second castle.

When you are ready, return to the first castle and go to the very top warp zone. Leave to the right and use a crush jump to get up to the next level. Pick up the Candlestick and the Life Jar. Destroy the candelabra on the left to open up a passage elsewhere. Hop into the warp zone and go to the Luminous Cavern save room. Go to the left from it and go up as soon as you can. Go to the right and enter the Aqueduct of Dragons. When you get to the first horizontal corridor, go to the left and beat up the Boomerang Armor. Jump through the top part of the wall to find the Nail of Vlad, the fifth of the six of remains.

The last of the remains is in Castle A - Area 1. Go to the top elevator shaft in Area 2 and use the top of the doors leading to Area 1. Pass through the first room and go to the alcove in the top right corner. Use a high jump or double jump to get up into it, where Vlad's Ring is floating. Now you should have all the relics in the game. Let's do a quick check...

• Vlad's Ring: Upper right corner of Castle A - Area 1.
• Fang of Vlad: Lower right corner of Castle A - Area 2 - in the ball puzzle room, through a secret passage.
• Nail of Vlad: Found in the lowest corridor in Castle A - Area 2 - through a hidden passage.
• Eye of Vlad: Found in the weird shaped room in the Chapel of Dissonance in Castle A - Area 2 - the Griffin's Wing is needed to get it.
• Heart of Vlad: In Castle B - Area 2 - break the right wall in the Sky Walkway Save room.
• Rib of Vlad: In Castle B - Area 3 - go to the far left entrance to the castle and use the crush jump to get to the top. You will find the Rib up there.
• Summoning Tome: This book is hidden in Castle B - Area 1. Use a high jump in the Skeleton Caves save room to find it.

When you have found these items, head to the Castle Tower, where there was a barred hole in the floor. Use the nearby save room.

    The Final Battle(s)

  There are three different endings to the game. I am not going to say what they are, but only how they are gotten. The first ending is gotten for defeating Maxim in Castle A. The second and third endings require the remains of Dracula to open the hatch leading to the final battle. Defeat Maxim in the second castle for the second ending. The third ending can be unlocked by beating Maxim while wearing a pair of items the entire fight - the MK and JB Bracelets. Once you beat the game you will unlock a mode called Boss Rush - I will cover that mini-game in the basics section of the guide.

Maxim in both castles will fight you in the same way. He uses some of the items that you can, but in different ways. He punches with the fist, stabs with the dagger and tosses the boomerang. All three are easy to avoid, as are his jump kick attacks. Sometimes during the battle he will split into two - his copy is invincible, but will disappear, if you hit the real one often enough. The only difficult attack to evade is his summon spell. The only ways to avoid it is to spin your whip to block all the projectiles, or to hit Maxim while he is casting it. Use your healing potions here, but you should remember that you need to save some for future battles.

If you want to get the best ending, head to the save room in the second castle. Save your game in the bottom of the three Castle Tower save rooms. Grab your favorite secondary weapon and buy more potions and other such things from the merchants. Equip the two Bracelets and head down to fight Maxim in the second castle. If you manage to defeat Maxim with these items equipped, he will summon Dracula. Maxim is a lot easier when fought in the second castle, as the designers didn't want him to knock you around before the real final battle.

Dracula's first form, the Wraith is a pushover. He teleports around the room and attacks when he appears. He either tosses out three fireballs, or a series of large spheres. You are best off hitting him in the head when he first appears, and right after he makes his attack. Dodge his projectiles by jumping or ducking and you should be fine. Of course, this is not the last battle! Get ready for the second form of Dracula...

The second form is a big blob of the parts that you found. He waves around a tentacle that does little damage to you. The attack to look out for is the powerful laser beam that he emits. When you see a faint trail of it on the screen, just duck under it and wait for it to subside. You can just attack him however you want the entire fight, it is not that difficult, even though the laser has a chance of killing you in one shot!

Enjoy all the endings! In order to get 200% you have to beat Maxim in both castles and explore every last room! Have fun in further trips through the game!

  Spells

Spells in Harmony of Dissonance are handled a bit differently than in past games. In the newest instalment, you have to collect five spellbooks. The spellbooks are in out of the way places, and are used to enhance Juste's secondary weapons. Try to learn what each combination does, as some are very powerful against certain enemies! I am only including my favourite spells here.

It is possible to upgrade your weapons through equipped accessories. The upgraded versions can only be used when no books are equipped. Using them drains a lot of hearts.

Ice Book
Found in Castle A - Area 1. It is found in the regular course of the first section of the walkthrough.

Ice Axe
Using these items in combination makes a huge icicle fall on the enemy, causing a lot of damage.

Waves of Ice
Using the holy book with the power of ice, you make waves of ice flow from you along the ground in both directions.

Fire Book
In the top middle part of Castle A - Area 1, double jump into an alcove to find this book.

Fire Dragons
Using the axe you can create a pair of fire dragons that flash across the screen, dealing major damage!

Bolt Book
At the end of the rolling ball puzzle in the lower right section of Castle A - Area 2. You must have broken down a wall in second area of Castle B, or you won't be able to enter the area.

Shocker
Using the axe and this book you can flash the entire screen for a huge amount of damage.

Fist of the Heavens
Using the fist and this book, Juste punches with the force of a thunderclap and actually jolts anything in front of him.

Energy Shield
With the holy book, Just can create a shield in front of him that deals major damage to anything in the way. It dissipates only after taking a lot of hits.

Wind Book
In Castle B - Area 2, defeat the Minotaur in the Castle Tower. This book is one of the spoils.

Twirling Axes
With the axe imbued with wind you create a spiral of axes around you, acting as a long range attack and shield.

Summoning Tome
Found in Castle B - Area 1 in the Skeleton Cave. Do a crush jump while in the save room to find it. All the spells are really powerful, and I don't want to reveal too much! Have fun discovering what each does!

    Relics

The majority of the relics in the game are quest-vital. They must be collected to unlock sections and are thus as important as keys. Some relics are simple enhancements, and I will mention them only in passing here - I will explain how to collect them at the start of the walkthrough.

Soul Orb
This item reveals how much damage a monster has taken from being hit. It is found during the first bit of the walkthrough.

Fairy Journal
This relic tells you the name of any monster that you are fighting. It is found during the first bit of the walkthrough.

Monster Tome
This relic lets you keep a record of the stats of any enemy that you kill. It is found during the course of the walkthrough.

Lizard Tail
You get this relic from beating the Living Armor in Castle A - Area 1. It lets you slide under obstacles.

Sylph Feather
Defeat the Skull Knight in Castle B - Area 1 to find this item. It lets you double jump.

Heart of Vlad
With the Crushing Stone in hand, go to the save room in the Sky Walkway in Castle B - Area 2. Break the right wall to find this item. It makes you immune to petrification, while equipped.

Fang of Vlad
Find the secret passage in the large chamber in the lower right section of Castle A - Area 2. You need to slide to the left from the spike pits to find the passage. The door to the area must be broken through by smashing the wall in the same place in the other castle - the Bronze Guarder is the key here. Doing so will get you the defence-increasing relic.

Griffin's Wing
You get this item after defeating Death in the Luminous Caverns in Castle A - Area 3. It allows you to launch yourself upwards. Couple with a pair of special boots, you can break holes in the ceiling!

Eye of Vlad
Use the Griffin's Wing to get into one of the alcoves in the strange-looking room in the Chapel of Dissonance in Castle A - Area 2.

Rib of Vlad
This item grants immunity to poison. It is found in Castle B - Area 3, in the small area above the very entrance to the castle. Use a high jump, then a crush jump to get up to the top.

Nail of Vlad
This relic increases Juste's strength when equipped. It is found in the lowest part of Castle A - Area 2. You'll have to jump through a hidden passage high on the blocking wall in the hallway.

Vlad's Ring
Found in the upper right corner of Castle A - Area 1. The Sylph Feather is needed to get the item. It increases Juste' luck score while it is equipped.

    Keys

Keys are used to open the doors between different areas in the game. By locking some doors, the creators of the game limited your movement to certain areas of the castle. Just pass by these doors and come back to them when you have the proper key.

Floodgate Key
This first key is found after clearing the third crate puzzle in the Skeleton Cave in Castle A - Area 3. It is used to activate a machine in the Luminous Caverns in the same area.

Skull Key
Found in the upper rafters in the Luminous Caverns after killing Talos in Castle A - Area 3. You need the Griffin's Wing to get up to it. It is used to open the door between the top two areas of the castles.

Lure Key
The Lure Key is found in the upper left corner of Castle B - Area 3. It is used to unlock all the locked teleporter rooms in the castles.0

    Weapon Mods

Weapon mods are simple items that Juste can equip to his whip. When equipped these items add elemental properties, or special attacks. They aren't mission critical, but are always nice to have.

Castle A - Area 1

Red Stone
This item will add the power of fire to each strike of your whip. It is found in the upper left corner of the room to the right of where you fought the Giant Bat.

Energy Circle
This item lets you hold in the attack button to twirl your whip. You must defeat a Victory Armour in the lower right corner of the whole area to find it.

Platinum Tip
Found later in the game when you can do a high jump, or have the Lure Key. It is found in the top left corner of the area.

Castle A - Area 2

Blue Stone
From the Aqueduct of Dragons save room, go right, down and right to find a long walkway. Slide under the guillotine blades to find this stone. It enables you to imbue your whip with the power of ice.

orange Stone
From the Max Slimer's room in the Clock Tower go to the right, up and then left to wrest this item from a pair of Feather Demons. When equipped, Juste's enemies will feel the strength of the wind behind every lash of the whip.

Steel Tip
This is the spoils for defeating the Minotaur in the Castle Tower - it is well worth the effort!

Castle B - Area 1

Yellow Stone
This stone imbues your weapon with lightning. Use it to strike creatures with a weakness to lightning! It is found in far right side of the area, after killing the Golem.

Bullet Tip
Once equipped, Juste's whip fires projectiles while at full health. It is found in the bottom of the Skeleton Caves, but only once you have destroyed the wall in Castle A - Area 3.

Castle B - Area 2

Crushing Stone
With this mod you can charge your weapon, allowing you to break certain walls! It is found in the Clock Tower area, but you have to descend to the Aqueducts to activate a lowering mechanism in the room below. The room containing the stone is the pit in the pendulum room...

    Collectibles

This is a neat little feature in this game. By collecting 31 items you can customize a room that Juste takes ownership of. It is a fun process trying to find all these items! There is nothing to be gained from this except the joy of decorating!

Chandelier
Found in Castle A - Area 3. It is just outside the third save room.

Tall Clock
Found at the top of the vertical hallway to the left of the Clock Tower save room in Castle B - Area 2.

Bookshelf
Found in the Skeleton Cave in Castle A - Area 3. Drop down from the first large room and head right. Climb the vertical hallway to find this item.

Old Radio
This item is found two rooms to the left of the save point in the Sky Walkway, Castle B - Area 2.

Silver Dishes
Two rooms below the first save room in the Luminous Caverbs, in Castle B - Area 1.

Antique Table
At the bottom of a corridor below the save room in the Clock Tower, in Castle A - Area 2.

Chair
The Chair is found in the hallway above the first merchant in the game, in Castle B - Area 1.

Rocking Chair
This item is found two rooms to the left of the save point in the Sky Walkway, Castle B - Area 2.

Silk Curtain
Found in the corridor that is just and above and to the right of where the first warp room is in Castle A - Area 1. It is found in Castle B - Area 3.

Ancient Urn
Use a high jump to get into the area above the very entrance to the castle in Castle B - Area 3. You need the Crush Boots to get it.

Wizard's Urn
Found in Castle B - Area 1 in the Skeleton Cave. Do a crush jump while in the save room to find it.

Pretty Vase
This item is found in the long vertical hallway between Areas 1 and 3 of Castle B. To get at it from the top requires the Griffin's Wing, while from below the Crushing Stone will do.

Side Table
Once you enter the Skeleton Cave in Castle B, go down and then immediately to the left to find this item. It is guarded by some Skeleton Spears.

Teacup
Found in the treasury area in Castle A - Area 3. It is in the top left of the save point there.

Teapot
Found in the treasury area in Castle A - Area 3. It is in the top left of the save point there.

Wine Glass
Found in the upper rooms of the Castle Tower. You need to use a crush jump right in the entrance to find it. It can only be found in Castle B - Area 2.

Hero Statue
Found in the weird shaped room in the Chapel of Dissonance, in Castle B - Area 2.

Smiling Statue
Found one room to the left of where the Candleholder is found. It is in the first part of Castle B - Area 3.

Sage Statue
In the room to the right of the first save room in the Luminous Caverns, in Castle B - Area 1.

Lucky Cat
At the end of the rolling ball puzzle in the lower right section of the area. You must have broken down a wall in second area of Castle B, or you won't be able to enter the area.

Phonograph
Found in Castle A - Area 3, in the Skeleton Cave. It is in the first large chamber in the area - look for it in an alcove along the ceiling.

Racoon Figure
Found in a small room off of the really large lower right room in Castle B - Area 2. To get to the area you have to smash a Bronze Guarded with a large hammer (hit the switch when the thing gets close) making it smash a far wall. Pass through the gap and go down the vertical hallway. Enter a large chamber at the bottom. Hitting the switch makes a large ball roll around a course - to get some extra equipment you have to beat it. The easiest way to do so is to keep sliding all the way to the end, jumping when necessary. It is not necessary to do this, as the Racoon Figure is in a room that is just off the main room.

Stuffed Stag
This collectible is one room to the left of the Side Table, in Castle B - Area 1.

Candleholder
Found in the first part of Castle B - Area 3. It is in a room two chambers to the left of the L-shaped room.

Candlestick
Found in the upper rooms of the Castle Tower. You need to use a crush jump right in the entrance to find it. Can only be found in Castle A - Area 2.

Silver Trinket
This item is found in the Sky Walkway in Castle A - Area 2. From the first save room, go left into the large room. Go through the right of the two holes in the ceiling. Both of the Trinkets are in this area.

Gold Trinket
This item is found in the Sky Walkway in Castle A - Area 2. From the first save room, go left into the large room. Go through the right of the two holes in the ceiling. Both of the Trinkets are in this area.

Strange Mirror
Take the strange lift after killing the Golem in the Luminous Caverns, in Castle B - Area 1. Go to the left at the top to find it.

Castle Drawing
Found in the Castle Tower in Castle A - Area 2. From the save point go to the right, down and right until you find it.

King-size Bed
From the Sky Walkway save room go to the left and then up through the right hole in the ceiling. This item is in the top reaches of the room.

Closet
This item is in the treasury area of Castle A - Area 3. It is in the left large area, but on the right side of it. It is just to the left of the large circular area where the final battle takes place.

    Heart Containers

Heart containers increase Juste's maximum heart capacity by three. Hearts are used to fire secondary weapons and spells. These items are not necessary, but are nice to collect. I am not guaranteeing that they are all listed here, just the ones that I remembered to put in!

Castle A - Area 1

Heart Container #1
From the Entrance's save room go right and up at the first opportunity. The Heart Container is right there on the ground.

Heart Container #2
In the room with the Ice Book.

Heart Container #3
In an upper right alcove in the chamber that is two rooms east of where you fight the Giant Bat.

Heart Container #4
From where you got the Monster Tome, go left and then through the door just below it. Go two rooms to the right to find the container.

Heart Container #5
Right next to where you find the first warp point.

Heart Container #6
In the large room in the top right corner of the area. You need the Sylph Feather to be able to reach the container.

Castle A - Area 2

Heart Container #1
Go to the Chapel of Dissonance. It is in the weird shaped room, in a ceiling alcove. To get to the Chapel head to the upper left exit from the large chamber to the left of the first save room in the area. Keep going up from there.

Heart Container #2
From the Aqueducts of Dragons save room, go down one room and all the way to the left.

Heart Container #3
Both Heart Container #3 and Life Jar #4 are found in the room to the right of where you fight the Giant Merman in the Aqueduct of Dragons.

Heart Container #4
From the last container go to the right into the vertical hallway. Climb up until you can go to the left. Follow the series of rooms to the end to get this Heart Container.

Heart Container #5
At the end of the rolling ball puzzle in the lower right section of the area. You must have broken down a wall in second area of Castle B, or you won't be able to enter the area.

Heart Container #6
At the top part of the hallway after beating Pazuzu.

Castle A - Area 3

Heart Container #1
In the hallway above the place where the first merchant was in the second castle.

Heart Container #2
In the Skeleton Caves after beating the first crate puzzle.

Heart Container #3
Found at the top of the large room to the right of the save point in the Luminous Caverns.

Heart Container #4
Found to the right of where you fight Talos in the Luminous Caverns.

Heart Container #5
Found to the right of where you fight Talos in the Luminous Caverns. You have to launch yourself up the first hole in the ceiling to get it.

Castle B - Area 1

Heart Container #1
Two rooms to the left of the first save room in the area.

Heart Container #2
This Heart Container is in the vertical hallway that is just below the room that Juste claimed as his own.

Heart Container #3
From the first save room in the Luminous Caverns go to the left and fall down two floors. Then head right to grab this container.

Heart Container #4
This item is found a couple of rooms to the right of the uppermost save spot. You need to come from the top, or have the Griffin's Wing to get to it.

Castle B - Area 2

Heart Container #1
From the Clock Tower save room, go left, down, right and right again to find a square room. Hit the gear to unblock the road and then proceed to the right to get a Heart Container.

Heart Container #2
From the Sky Walkway save room go to the left and then up through the right hole in the ceiling. The Heart Container is in the top reaches of the room.

Heart Container #3
This container is in the room where the warp chamber was in the other castle, under Shadow's room.

Heart Container #4
Found in the weird shaped room in the Chapel of Dissonance.

Heart Container #5
Found in the upper rooms of the Castle Tower. You need to use a crush jump right in the entrance to find it.

Castle B - Area 3

Heart Container #1
Found two rooms below the southern entrance to the area. You will have to walk through a bunch of passages to get to it.

Heart Container #2
Found just after killing the Cyclops in the Shrine of the Apostates.

Heart Container #3
Found in the same room where the Soul Orb was found at the beginning of the game.

    Life Jars

Life jars add a small amount of health to Juste's maximum reserve. These are really nice to find, as they will increase your chances of survival! I am not guaranteeing that they are all listed here, just the ones that I remembered to put in!

Castle A - Area 1

Life Jar #1
Found in the top right corner of the area, after beating a Victory Armour.

Life Jar #2
Found in the lower right corner of the area. Need the Lizard Tail.

Life Jar #3
Found in the long corridor above the Living Armor's chamber.

Life Jar #4
Found in the corridor above the first warp point.

Castle A - Area 2

Life Jar #1
Enter the first vertical chamber in the area and go down to find the jar.

Life Jar #2
At the top of the same room as Heart Container #1.

Life Jar #3
From the first vertical hall of the Clock Tower, climb to the second highest level. Go to the right and then up at the first opportunity to find the jar.

Life Jar #4
Both Heart Container #3 and Life Jar #4 are found in the room to the right of where you fight the Giant Merman in the Aqueduct of Dragons.

Life Jar #5
At the end of the rolling ball puzzle in the lower right section of the area. You must have broken down a wall in second area of Castle B, or you won't be able to enter the area.

Life Jar #6
At the top part of the hallway after beating Pazuzu.

Life Jar #7
Found in the upper reaches of the Castle Tower when you can use the crush jump.

Castle A - Area 3

Life Jar #1
Found just to the left of the save point in the treasury area.

Life Jar #2
Found after beating the second crate puzzle in the Skeleton Caves.

Life Jar #3
Found in the room to the right of where you fight Talos in the Luminous Caverns.

Life Jar #4
Found in the long vertical hallway in the upper left portion of the area.

Life Jar #5
Found in a hidden room above the Skeleton Caves save room. You need to use a high jump to access it.

Castle B - Area 1

Life Jar #1
Found in the corridor just above the first warp chamber. It is guarded by a Feather Demon.

Life Jar #2
From the Skull Knight's room head right to the square chamber. Double jump up to the roof and then keep going right to find this Life Jar. You will have to kill a Big Skeleton on the way.

Life Jar #3
From the first save spot in the Luminous Caverns go down two floors to find the a square room. Go through the lower left exit and into a puzzle room. Push the crate to the right, then left, then right and then to the left again to push it onto a panel. Go to the left to collect the Life Jar.

Castle B - Area 2

Life Jar #1
The jar is in the room just below the warp point that got you into the area.

Life Jar #2
This jar is one room to the left of where you fight Peeping Big.

Life Jar #3
One room to the right of where you fight the Shadow in the Sky Walkway. The Crushing Stone is needed to get it as well, as well as get to the Shadow.

Life Jar #4
From the save room in the Aqueduct of Dragons go right, down and all the way to the right to get this jar.

Life Jar #5
In the weird room in the Chapel of Dissonance. Use the Griffin's Wing to launch yourself into the hard to reach alcove.

Life Jar #6
In the room after the weak Minotaur in the Castle Tower.

Life Jar #7
In the lowest corridor in the area, go to the left and kill the White Dragon. Jump up into the hidden passageway there to find the jar.

Castle B - Area 3

Life Jar #1
In the small room off the L-shaped room near the southern entrance to the area.

Life Jar #2
In the room where the first warp was at the beginning of the game.

Life Jar #3
In the room where you found the Ice Book at the beginning of the game.

    Rare Items

This is my miscellaneous item section. Everything from cool accessories and maps are found here!

Castle Map 1
This map details the whole area, with the exception of a few corridors. It is found in one of the upper chambers in Castle A - Area 1.

Castle Map 2
Buy this map from the first merchant in Castle B - Area 1

Castle Map 3
Found in a pit in the pendulum room in Castle A - Area 2.

JB's Bracelet
Juste starts the game with this item equipped.

MK's Bracelet
Given to Juste to open the door to the Castle Tower area. You get it in Castle A - Area 2, exactly where you fought Shadow in Castle B.

Rare Ring
Found in the Skeleton Cave in Castle A - Area 3. Enter the caves and go to the right to find some Mimics - use them to open the doors to get this wonderful, item-getting ring!

Crush Boots
These boots allow you to smash through some ceiling when doing a high jump. You find it in the first part of Castle B - Area 3.

Magical Armor
Cuts the cost of casting spells while worn. This great suit of armor is found in the area above the castle entrance. You need to use a crush jump to access this item.

Sun/Moon Armor
These suits of armor are found in the warp rooms near where you fight the final battle. Each suit is better in one of the castles - just check the stats.