Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse NES

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse is Konami’s prequel (released in Japan Dec. 1989, North America Sept. 1990), set a century before the original Castlevania and starring Trevor Belmont, an ancestor of series hero Simon Belmont. Along the way Trevor can recruit one of three companions at a time — the sorceress Sypha Belnades, pirate-acrobat Grant Danasty, or Dracula’s own son Alucard — swapping between them rather than keeping a permanent party.

Each companion changes traversal and combat options significantly, from Grant’s wall-climbing to Alucard’s fireballs and bat transformation, and the game branches into multiple paths and endings depending on which companion Trevor carries at the end. That partner-swapping structure and non-linear route selection made it one of the most mechanically ambitious entries in the NES-era series.