Castlevania: Bloodlines was developed and published by Konami, released for the Genesis in 1994 as the only mainline Castlevania game to appear on a Sega console during the series’ original run. Set in 1917 against the backdrop of World War I, players choose between whip-wielding vampire hunter John Morris or spear-fighting Eric Lecarde as they travel across Europe hunting Elizabeth Bartley, a descendant of Dracula’s line seeking to resurrect her ancestor. It retains the series’ traditional side-scrolling, stage-based structure and punishing platforming while giving each of its two characters a distinct playstyle, and its stages draw on real European landmarks reimagined as gothic horror set pieces, including a memorably unsettling stretch inside a giant mechanical tower. Praised for its atmosphere, soundtrack, and faithfulness to classic Castlevania design despite being developed outside Konami’s usual handheld and Nintendo-focused teams, Bloodlines is widely regarded as one of the best Castlevania games never released on a Nintendo system.