Quite frankly right from the title screen the music captivated me, and the imagery of the castle was epic and foreboding. The first level was very atmospheric, and the graphic quality while a step below Nintendo's ultimate masterpiece, was still about as good as console 3-D games got in the late 90's before the american arrival of the Dreamcast. I was immersed in the game from the get go. It was an eerie, satisfying adventure, full of mystery and in addition it featured a decent storyline for both protagonists Reinhardt and Carrie.

Those could have been my exact words! I agree 100% with this. really enjoyed this game back then and I also replayed it a couple of years ago. Still the same excitement! Sometimes, when I'm in the mood for some retro gaming, I pull out some cool N64 games and let the vibes flow. Castlevania 64 is definitely one of those games that take me back and lift me up. Of course it has some flaws, but it is still very enjoyable and I really like the atmosphere.

Also, there's vampires crawling across walls and ceilings. Nuff said.

I've always said that Goemon did 3-D Zelda before Ocarina of Time did. While obviously not as polished as OoT and having a greater emphasis on the platforming roots of the Goemon series, it was a pretty good sized action adventure. It even had a very basic version of the Hookshot.

Oh yes, when you first enter the Villa, the in game cutscene with the Vampire was epic! Truly I agree with everything you have said.

The controls were iffy indeed. I sort of forgave that flaw because back then, Nintendo alone seemed to have a grip on perfect controls in a 3-D space. I can still enjoy the games because of the atmosphere and music.

While the Skeletons riding the motorcycles was dumb. That moment when that gate opened and that giant skeleton boss roar was exactly the kind of moment I wanted in a Castlevania game in 3D. It was shocking. It was scary and it made the player go "OH FUCK!"

I agree, that was a pretty cool first impression for a boss battle in the game!

I played it when I was 12 or 13, it was really scary back then, never managed to finish it, propably played over 100 hours. can't really say if it is rated fair.

I was about 14-15. It was a hard game, I remember starting off in easy mode and getting to the one tomb underground ....and the game would end telling me I had to start in normal mode to get past that. It took me serious hours, and I didn't get the real ending until a few years later... you wouldn't face the real last boss unless you reach it within a certain 'in game' time limit. 

Level 5, the inner castle, was hard! Especially that part where you have to collect the explosive liquid and transport it safely to the cracked wall, but right that is when the game decides to throw even more enemies towards you. One hit and you blow up! Also, no jumping. Not every single jump might cause the explosion, but the chances are high enough. So every step is dangerous, especially on top of moving platforms and gearwheels. That was pure adrenalin! I died so many times there. However, once you've done it you get kind of rewarded with one of the best boss fights.

Sammy, since this is a series of threads, maybe you could put links to the other topics into the op? That woud be dope.

Yes, I do remember that section of the game, and yes I do remember dying a lot in it. Also it is a great idea to post Links to the first two threads. Thank you. Tomorrow I will Link up to them in the original post, I am on a cell phone now ...and it is sort of cumbersome to navigate the page lol.