Sub-weapons, hearts and health
Recognize the original pickup sprites and keep the equipment that suits the next room.
Original 1986 Famicom / 1987 NES Castlevania, using the North American cartridge rules. Famicom Disk System saving, later Castlevania movement and remake level layouts are outside these guides.
10 items · one picture per entry · open a picture for full size.
Whip
Morning Star
A whip-upgrade orb lengthens Simon's leather whip into a chain; a second upgrade gives the full-length Morning Star.
Sub-weapons
Axe
The axe follows an upward arc and can reach airborne targets above Simon’s whip. Spend a heart when the trajectory gives a clear advantage.
Dagger
The dagger travels along a straight horizontal line. Use it to attack from a distance when Simon and the target occupy roughly the same height.
Holy water
The bottle creates ground flames after landing. Its lingering effect can control a nearby threat or support a carefully positioned boss attack with enough hearts.
Cross
Thrown like a boomerang, it travels forward and returns, striking enemies on both passes.
Stopwatch
Briefly freezes most enemies in place; it does not stop every boss.
Health and hearts
Pork chop
The pork chop restores part of Simon’s health. It serves a different purpose from hearts and can make a difficult boss approach much more forgiving.
Small Heart
Adds one heart, the ammunition spent by sub-weapons.
Large Heart
Adds five hearts of sub-weapon ammunition.
Points
Money Bag
A points pickup; the bag's colour shows how many points it is worth.
Every Castlevania item
All pickups in the original 1986 NES game.
- Whip upgrade — chain whip, then Morning Star
- Dagger — fast straight throw · 1 heart
- Axe — high arc · 1 heart
- Holy Water — burns on the floor · 1 heart
- Cross — boomerang path · 1 heart
- Stopwatch — freezes enemies · 5 hearts
- Small Heart / Large Heart — 1 or 5 hearts
- Pork chop (wall meat) — restores health
- Money bags — score bonuses
- Rosary — clears enemies on screen
- Invisibility potion — brief invulnerability
- Double Shot / Triple Shot — throw two or three sub-weapons at once
- Magic crystal — appears after a boss and ends the stage
- Hidden crown and treasure chest — secret score bonuses
- 1-Up — extra life
Quick notes
- Keep ammunition separate from healing. Small and large hearts add sub-weapon ammunition.
- Choose a trajectory you can use. The dagger travels horizontally, the axe arcs upward, and holy water lands on the ground and burns enemies crossing the flames.
- Preserve upgrades and useful equipment. Whip upgrades improve the basic attack, while double and triple shot pickups allow more consecutive sub-weapon attacks.
Hearts are ammunition. Seek a pork chop when the health bar needs recovery.
Picture details
Game artwork belongs to its respective rights holders.