Following the lead of the previous year's Japanese-only PC-Engine classic Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (Rondo of Blood,) Bloodlines is highly ambitious in attempting to create a sense of a bridge between the old CastleVania and the new. It even copies the Dracula X Chi no Rondo "boss that throws a ton of the bosses you've already beaten" formula, but it allows you to fall back on the trusty old password system. The game is even, but it fails to rank among the best games in the series for a number of reasons.