Beyond changing the quality of the sprites and the atmosphere of the game, I made some specific adjustments.

  I wanted the game to be as close to the original as possible, so I only made a few basic changes that improved the game to another level.

  The changes I made were:

  The way items are used. In the original game, using healing or mana potions was very complicated because you had to open the inventory, equip the item in your hand, and after using it, go through the whole process again.

  To make things simpler, I created a specific slot for consumable items, allowing players to quickly select and use items without interrupting the game’s pace.

  Another change I made was related to the game’s weapons. I added more weapon varieties and modified the way their damage works.

  The original Castlevania already had a wide range of weapons, but 80% of them became useless after a while.

  That’s why I adjusted the damage system—now, each weapon deals more or less damage depending on the enemy being fought.

  For example, swords will deal less damage to skeletons or armored enemies, while impact weapons like clubs and hammers will be 50% more effective.

  This change made the game more strategic since now players have to choose the right weapon for each enemy type.

  After that, I started thinking about how to adjust the game’s difficulty in a more dynamic way. The default difficulty was too easy, so I needed to find a way to make it more challenging.

  That’s when I came up with the idea of creating a dynamic difficulty system that adapts to the player’s skill level.

  Initially, I thought about monitoring how fast the player defeated enemies to gradually increase the difficulty.

  But how could I do that?

  After a lot of thinking, I came up with a solution—adding a scoring system for each enemy the player defeated. These points would be calculated based on the time taken to kill the enemy, how much damage the player received during the fight, and the way the enemy was defeated.

  The faster the player killed an enemy and the less damage they took, the more points they would earn. Using these points as a base, the game could gradually adjust its difficulty.

  If the player was quickly defeating all enemies without taking damage, the game would increase the enemies’ AI, making them more aggressive and adding unpredictable attack patterns.

  I also added new attack variations for enemies, so players would have to adapt to new situations instead of relying on a single strategy.

  However, making this dynamic difficulty system wasn’t easy. The previous modifications were simple and easy to implement, but this was much harder, requiring at least two extra levels of difficulty.

  Even with the almost-omnipotent Sky, it took an absurd amount of time to modify the AI, adjust the parameters affecting it, and balance the speed, strength, agility, and resilience of all the game’s enemies.

  Despite all the work, the final result was extremely satisfying.

  After working almost an entire day on the game, I finally finished everything and clicked the “Finish” option.

  Then, the Castlevania project menu disappeared and was replaced by another screen.

  [Please choose the rewards to be given for completing the game]

  [You must choose 5 reward items and set their drop percentages.]

  [Warning: Even if you set all rewards to 0%, they will still be distributed at a random percentage.]

  [Generating reward list...]

  [Reward List:

  Lesser Healing Potion (Limit: 4,000,000)

  Alucard’s Sword (Limit: 100)

  Shadow Boots (Limit: 4,500)

  Invisibility Ring (Limit: 3,000)

  Demonic Shield...]

  I was quite surprised when I saw that I could choose five items as rewards for players, but I soon realized there were some restrictions.

  Some of the game’s more powerful items couldn’t be selected, and each item had a limit.

  Alucard’s Sword, for example, had a limit of 100, meaning only 100 lucky players could obtain it.

  It was clear that the system couldn’t infinitely distribute rewards, which caught me off guard.

  I hesitated, knowing my choices could affect the game’s popularity. After all, if even one person managed to complete the game and earned an exclusive item, they would likely share the news with others, potentially attracting more players.

  I could select the most powerful items, despite their low limit, but I needed to think about the long-term appeal of the game. So I decided to include higher-limit items like potions.

  After some thought, I chose:

  Alucard’s Sword (Limit: 100, 0.5% drop rate)

  Dracula’s Cloak (Limit: 90, 0.5% drop rate)

  Luck Potion (33% drop rate, Limit: ~6,000,000)

  Intelligence Potion (33% drop rate, Limit: ~6,000,000)

  Defense Potion (33% drop rate, Limit: ~6,000,000)

  After selecting the rewards, I clicked “Confirm” again.

  [Project Completed!]

  [Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]

  [Game Category: RPG, Platformer, Adventure]

  [System Rating: C]

  [Completion Rewards (Player Only):

  Alucard’s Sword (0.5%)

  Dracula’s Cloak (0.5%)

  Intelligence Potion (33%)

  Defense Potion (33%)

  Luck Potion (33%)]*

  With a satisfied smile, I looked at the game’s information screen.

  [Reward for creating a Grade C game: Return Scroll (Bonus Player Reward)]

  [Warning: The bonus reward can be given to the player if they complete a game after fulfilling one or more tasks designated by the host.]

  [Mission ‘First Game’ Successfully Completed!]

  [Congratulations on completing your first game.]

  [You have become an Official Game Creator and have been rewarded with: Collection of Sea Monster Models.]

  [You have completed your game. Now it’s time to publish it.]

  [Select the site where you would like to publish your game.]

  [Generating Site List...]

  [Site List:

  Alter Games

  Steam

  Game Jolt...]

  Looks like Steam actually exists in the Marvel world.

  I decided to publish my game on Steam, since it was the only platform I recognized from the available options.

  After providing the necessary basic information, I began filling out the developer name field.

  On impulse, I chose “Maravilhador”, a name I always found interesting. At first, I thought the name wouldn’t be accepted, but to my surprise, it was.

  Then, after writing a brief synopsis, I finally published the game.

  Even though I was satisfied with the result, I could feel the exhaustion of working non-stop for 18 hours modifying the game.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  That’s why I decided to wrap up my work for the day and get some sleep.

  ***

  (POV: Random Guy)

  It was just another ordinary day for James in his small New York apartment. He was sitting in front of his computer, bored with the same old games.

  So, he decided to browse through Steam’s vast library in search of something new and exciting.

  After a few minutes of scrolling through the thousands of options available in the store, he stumbled upon a game that caught his attention: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

  The cover seemed simple—just a strange castle over dark hills—but the more he looked at it, the more intriguing it became.

  Curious, James clicked on the game.

  [Game: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]

  [Developer: Maravilhador]

  [Rating: N/A]

  [Release Date: 12 minutes ago]

  [Price: $9]

  [Description]

  Step into the shoes of Alucard, the protagonist of this game, who has risen from his tomb to explore his father Dracula’s castle after its reappearance.

  Discover hidden rooms, face dangerous enemies, and equip yourself with hundreds of weapons to unravel the mystery behind Dracula’s return.

  This game is an exciting mix of RPG, platforming, and adventure that will surely please all players.

  Tags: [RPG], [Platformer], [Adventure]

  Download Size: 3.5GB

  As James examined the game’s information, he frowned in disbelief at the screenshots.

  "A 2D platformer?" He wondered if anyone still made games like this nowadays.

  In the Marvel universe, technology seemed to evolve daily, with innovative devices constantly emerging. Naturally, games evolved alongside technology, making graphics more realistic and immersive. Because of this, 2D games were practically extinct.

  But despite his skepticism about it being a 2D platformer, James decided to buy it anyway—after all, it was only $9. The download finished quickly, and he launched the game.

  The menu was simple, with only one option available: "New Game."

  James felt a little disappointed—it seemed like the developer hadn’t even tried to create a proper main menu.

  Upon starting the game, a cutscene played, revealing a distant castle in all its grandeur. Towering spires stood against a dark, cloud-filled sky.

  The classic Castlevania soundtrack began playing softly, gradually building in intensity as Dracula’s lair came into view.

  Seated in his chair, James watched attentively, feeling a strange tension. The combination of music and the castle’s imposing silhouette on the screen was hypnotizing, pulling him deeper into the game.

  As the cutscene continued, the music became more intense and dramatic.

  A shiver ran down his spine, and his curiosity grew. Finally, the screen darkened, and the game began.

  With sweaty hands, James let out a relieved sigh.

  As soon as the cutscene ended, he took control of Richter Belmont.

  James tested the keyboard commands as Belmont spun his whip, jumped, attacked, and performed a few random moves.

  "The controls feel simple."

  He then proceeded toward the hall.

  It didn’t take long before he reached the grand hall, where another cutscene began.

  This was the moment when Richter faced Dracula, the game’s great villain.

  "Die, monster! You don’t belong in this world!" Richter shouted, pointing his weapon at Dracula.

  "It was not by my hand that I was once again given flesh. I was summoned here by humans who wish to pay me tribute," Dracula responded in his cold, merciless voice.

  "Tribute?! You steal men’s souls and make them your slaves!" Richter exclaimed, furious at Dracula’s words.

  "Perhaps the same could be said of all religions..." the Count retorted with disdain.

  "Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!" Richter shot back, determined to defeat the monster.

  "What is a man?" Dracula said. "A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk… Have at you!"

  With that, the battle with Richter began.

  Dracula tossed his wine goblet to the floor, shattering it as he vanished into a beam of light.

  Suddenly, fireballs shot out in all directions, casting a burning red glow across the hall.

  Under attack from multiple directions, James panicked as he jumped around, dodging fireballs and slashing at them with his whip.

  He soon realized that his whip could destroy the fireballs.

  Dracula reappeared behind him, this time launching dark energy spheres toward James. He tried using his whip to destroy them, but it had no effect. The attack hit him directly, reducing nearly 30% of his health.

  "Isn’t this way too much damage for the first enemy in the game?" James wondered.

  "So, I can block fireballs with the whip, but not the dark spheres."

  Now more cautious, James continued fighting Dracula. He focused on avoiding the dark energy attacks, waiting for the right moment to strike.

  And finally, his chance came.

  Dracula teleported once again—but this time, James was ready.

  He struck Dracula with his whip and kept attacking until the vampire was finally defeated.

  "This game seems like it’s going to be really hard." He sighed after taking down such a powerful opponent.

  But just when it seemed like James had finally beaten Dracula, the lord of vampires transformed into a massive, fearsome creature with glowing eyes and black scales.

  The second phase of the battle had begun.

  The ground trembled beneath James’ feet as Dracula spewed fire toward him.

  The fight continued as James desperately tried to find an opening while dodging the relentless attacks.

  After a long battle, Richter finally managed to bring Dracula down, turning him into ashes.

  With Dracula defeated, the screen went dark, and the game’s credits began to roll.

  James stared in disbelief. "That’s it?"

  But at that moment, the game’s narrator began speaking, explaining that Richter Belmont, the legendary vampire hunter, had finally put an end to Count Dracula, the Lord of Vampires, who had been resurrected by the dark priest Shaft.

  The narrator continued, revealing that four years later, Richter mysteriously vanished on a night of the full moon, prompting Alucard, Dracula’s son, to rise against his father for the sake of humanity.

  James found the story intriguing—he wanted to know more.

  After the introduction, another scene appeared: Alucard arriving at Dracula’s castle, where the real game would begin.

  Taking control of Alucard, James advanced toward the castle entrance, where he encountered a massive silver wolf—a majestic yet terrifying creature guarding the gate.

  After nearly being defeated by his first enemy, Dracula, James made up his mind that the next opponents would be just as difficult as the lord of the vampires.

  He thought he had to be cautious because this wolf seemed strong and dangerous. So, he mentally prepared himself for a tough fight.

  Sensing James’s approach, the wolf lunged at him, its sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light.

  James dodged the wolf’s first attacks and countered with his sword, trying to land a quick strike. To his surprise, the wolf put up no resistance and was defeated in a single blow.

  James stood still for a moment, stunned by how easily he had won.

  "That was way too easy," he muttered to himself. "Maybe it had low health in exchange for high damage. I probably would have died if it had hit me even once."

  Entering the castle, James found himself in a long, dark hallway and proceeded cautiously, mentally preparing for the enemies ahead. Suddenly, the corridor’s candles lit up, illuminating the entire place.

  Zombies began emerging from the ground in groups, and James quickly prepared for battle, brandishing his sword with confidence.

  In a decisive move, he slashed through multiple zombies, cutting them into pieces without any resistance.

  James frowned in disappointment.

  "Zombies are the weakest enemies anyway. The next ones should be harder."

  Unfortunately, as he moved through the corridors and rooms, nothing changed. Skeletons, mermen, zombies, and bats—every single enemy fell with just one hit, without exception.

  James continued advancing without much difficulty and started wondering if the game’s developer really understood balance or if they had just made everything too easy.

  His frustration grew with each enemy that fell effortlessly before him. He was starting to lose the motivation to continue.

  "This is ridiculous," he said, frustrated. "Did the developer not realize how easy this is?"

  As he had that thought, a cutscene began as soon as he crossed the hallway.

  A hooded skeleton appeared before Alucard.

  "Ah, Lord Alucard. What brings you here?" the figure asked.

  "I came to put an end to all of this," Alucard replied firmly.

  "Still associating with mortals..." Death mocked. "I won’t beg you to return to our side, but I demand that you stop your attack."

  "I won’t!" Alucard retorted.

  "Then you will regret this!" Death said angrily.

  With a wave of his hand, Death stripped Alucard of all his powerful equipment and scattered them throughout the castle.

  Satisfied with his work, Death vanished, leaving Alucard empty-handed.

  Moving forward, James cautiously walked down the castle’s dark, damp hallway, alert to the sounds around him.

  Suddenly, a bloodied zombie appeared in front of him, wielding a rusted sword.

  Without his equipment, James felt at a disadvantage and decided to proceed carefully.

  He attacked the zombie with punches, trying to keep it at a distance while it swung its sword at him. He dashed backward to evade and then moved in for a counterattack.

  It was an intense and prolonged fight, but after more than sixteen punches, James finally defeated the zombie, which dropped a short sword.

  After equipping the short sword, James began to reflect.

  "The previous ease might have been intentional to show how powerful Alucard was," he concluded. "But now, with his equipment lost, the difference in strength is obvious. The goal is to motivate players to work hard to regain their former power."

  James thought the idea was brilliant.

  Now determined to become as strong as before, he continued climbing the stairs, where he encountered a strange floating cube.

  [Cube of Zoe: Allows items to drop from candles]

  After reading the message, James decided to test it by destroying one of the candles on the wall and was surprised to see a large heart appear.

  Even though he didn’t know what the hearts were for, he continued destroying every candle he found along the way while exploring the castle.

  As he made his way through the alchemy lab, James faced many types of enemies, including the Axe Knight, Blood Skeleton, Bloody Zombie, Scimitar Skeleton, regular Skeletons, and Bone Spitters.

  Although they were extremely tough, James was getting familiar with the combat and managed to defeat them with ease.

  However, James didn’t know that his first real challenge was just ahead.

  After climbing a series of platforms, he arrived at a massive wooden door. When he pushed it open, it creaked before slowly swinging inward, revealing a large, empty room.

  But after taking a few steps inside, the door slammed shut behind him, signaling that a boss fight was about to begin.

  "Boss!" James exclaimed.

  As an experienced player, James knew that it was time to face his first major battle.

  He remained alert and carefully examined the room.

  As he focused, he heard the sound of wings flapping, and two notifications appeared.

  [Gaibon, the Flying Knight.]

  [Slogra, the Spear Master.]

  James looked up and saw a gargoyle carrying a humanoid bird in its claws.

  Gaibon, the gargoyle, then released Slogra above James.

  Seeing the humanoid bird falling toward him with a spear, James swiftly dodged, but as soon as it landed, Slogra lunged at him with its flaming spear.

  James used his shield to block the attacks, but Gaibon, still airborne, began spitting fireballs.

  He quickly realized that just blocking wouldn’t be enough to withstand the powerful attacks from both enemies. He dashed to evade, creating some distance between himself and the monsters.

  Gaibon swooped toward him, launching fireballs. James quickly dodged and rushed at Slogra, who was preparing to attack with its spear.

  "I have to take down the spear-wielder first!" he decided. "I’ll deal with the flyer later."

  James jumped to evade and landed a few quick sword strikes, but Slogra skillfully blocked his attacks.

  Meanwhile, Gaibon circled above, preparing for another attack, spewing fireballs from the air. James dashed away to evade the projectiles and focused on dodging Slogra’s strikes.

  Slogra lunged with its flaming spear, but James was quick to duck and retaliate with a flurry of rapid sword strikes, slashing through its armor and dealing significant damage.

  Slogra attempted to retreat, but it was too late. James pressed forward aggressively, striking Slogra over and over.

  "Ahhhhh!!" Letting out a high-pitched scream, Slogra’s body burst into flames and crumbled into ashes.

  With Slogra defeated, Gaibon became even more aggressive and began alternating between attacking with his claws and launching fireballs.

  James remained patient and kept dealing damage to Gaibon whenever he attacked with his claws.

  He continued dodging the fire projectiles and used his shield to protect himself when necessary.

  Finally, after a long battle, James managed to defeat Gaibon with his sword attacks, chipping away at its health until the monster finally fell, defeated.

  James left the alchemy laboratory, entering a vast marble gallery that stretched across the area, filled with pillars, statues, and valuable objects.

  He advanced through it, facing all kinds of enemies along the way.

  Moving forward, James reached the castle’s outer wall, a long series of corridors. He fought undead soldiers, skeletons armed with shields and swords, and even more threatening creatures.

  Soon, James entered the