Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)

The trilogy closer and arguably the best NES Castlevania. Dracula's Curse (1989) returned to the action-platformer roots of the original while adding branching paths and three companion characters — Grant DaNasty, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard.

Set a generation before Simon Belmont's quest, players control Trevor Belmont through some of the most challenging and visually impressive stages on the NES. The soundtrack, composed by a team including the legendary Hirokazu Tanaka, is considered one of the console's finest.

One of the scarcer NES Castlevania titles on the European secondhand market. The PAL version is particularly hard to find complete. Prices have climbed steadily as collectors recognise it as one of the system's best action games.