Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

Castlevania III returned to the first game's action formula after Simon's Quest's RPG detour, but with multiplied ambition. Trevor Belmont could recruit three companions — Grant the pirate, Sypha the mage, Alucard the vampire — each with unique abilities opening alternate paths. The Japanese version included Konami's VRC6 chip with additional audio channels, producing a soundtrack superior to the Western version. Beginning, the first level theme, is one of the NES's most celebrated tracks.