When Netflix originally announced a four-episode season ofan animatedCastlevaniaseries, fans were cautiously excited. However, with two additional seasons under its belt, the series has not only earned a reputation as a quality show, but as a capable and respectful adaptation of the source material. Many would agree one of the series' greatest strengths is its ability to sympathize with some of its more sinister characters, like Dracula. He starts the series having fallen in love with a human woman that makes him want to understand mankind, but turns to murderous rage when she is killed under the false guise of witchcraft.
It’s emotionally affecting in a way the games aren’t, but uses the games as a foundation and expands upon them in surprising ways. It also handles references and Easter eggs from the games with refreshing restraint. The first season ofCastlevaniaalmost feels like the result of someone fusing the DNA of series likeAvatar: The Last AirbenderandGame of Thrones. It’s beautifully animated with jaw-dropping action sequences, but also has a high amount of gore and sexual content at times. Netflix tends to follow up on its successes, so with the hope of seeing additional game adaptations that don’t shy away from adult content, here are a few mostly dormant game series that should receivetheCastlevaniatreatment.
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Brave Fencer Musashi (1998)
Fans of theZeldaseries would do well to check outBrave Fencer Musashion the original PlayStation. The game combinedZelda’sDNA with games likeMega Man,following the hack and slash dungeon-crawling antics ofsamurai hero Musashiwho could also copy his enemies' abilities. After being summoned to the Allucaneet Kingdom (almost all of the town and kingdom names are puns in the game) Musashi must go on a journey to rescue Princess Fillet who’s been kidnapped by the Thirstquencher Empire. to obtain the power he needs to accomplish this task, Musashi will need the legendary sword Lumina and the power of the legendary five scrolls.
The aspects of the game that Netflix should keep are the story and the tone.Brave Fencer Musashihas a great sense of adventure while not taking itself too seriously. Musashi is made fun of upon being summoned from his homeworld for being much shorter than everyone expects, kind of likeEdward Elric inFullmetal Alchemist.The game plays this up for comic effect, having Musashi lift boulders and giant robots at least 4 times his size and throwing them off of cliffs. The show should keep this intact, making Musashi lightning fast but comically undersized in contrast to enemies.
Add in some flashy swordplay, make use of Lumina’s copying ability to add variety to the fights, and delve into Musashi’s relationships with the townsfolk. The game lends itself perfectly to a television structure. Give one episode, for the intro sequence of the game where Musashi is summoned and the princess is kidnapped, one for each scroll Musashi finds, one to fight the final enemies of the series, and one for the characters to say goodbye and wrap up any loose ends. That’s eight episodes, the perfect length for a limited series.
Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Legendsis kind of like playing a delightful Saturday morning cartoon, until it goes allEvangelionat the end at least. The Bonne family, a wacky group of thieves is also a real hoot and adds an element of chaos to the proceedings. Where Netflix could really benefit fromadapting this seriesis not to limit themselves to oneMega Man.
By taking some of the best elements of eachMega Manseries and introducing them in unexpected ways, Netflix could create something that feels fresh and keeps longtime fans on their toes. They could also take a semi-anthology approach, makingMega Mana steady character but each season taking place in a different point in time and following the style of a particular series (ieMega Man Legends, OriginalMega Man,Mega Man X, thenMega Man Zero). That would Rock, Man (get it?!).
Ape Escape
Maybe not quite the series to turn into as gritty of a show asCastlevania, butApe Escapecould more pointedly aimat a comedic tone. Keep the apes as goofy looking as they do on the box art and keep everything over the top. Make it like an old-fashioned anime in terms of the anime and over the top voice acting, but knowingly so. The plot should be suitably ridiculous, and of course, be friendly to the apes to avoid the wrath of PETA.
Silent Hill
It’s hard to think that aSilent Hillshow wouldn’t do well on Netflix given the success of shows likeThe Haunting of Hill House.Lean hard intothe horror elementsand keep to the personal traumas of characters manifesting in horrifying ways. That’s essentially the essence ofSilent Hill.
Netflix could also opt to make this a slow burn of a show, using the first few episodes to flesh out the characters and building upon the sense of dread until going all out the last couple of installments. Heck, they could even get meta with the casting and tap Guillermo Del Toro as well as Norman Reedus if they want to spiritually take up the mantle of Konami’s canceledPT.
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eveis a delightfully weird taleabout a real-world detective who has to battle other-worldly forces. It’s easily the most able to lend itself to aStranger Thingskind of oddity with its monsters, and would certainly be a workplace conversation starter if executed correctly. Netflix should stick to the first game for their first outing with the series and make sure to embrace the weirdness as much as possible.
Klonoa
Klonoais a bit of a lesser-known platforming mascot, but he’s adorable and spunky, like a cuter and slower version ofSonic the Hedgehog. Anyone who’s ever taken the time to play some of the games in the series will know that the plots often revolve around dreams and are pretty kid-friendly for the most part.
The PS2 game in the series,Klonoa:Lunetea’s Veilhas fully voiced cutscenes and is essentially a small season of television in its own right. Netflix could take that base and keep it kid-friendly, but up the darkness of the villains to make it feel dangerous enough for adults to enjoy as well.
