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Surface Route: Level 4A – The Haunted Ship of Fools
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

Surface Route: Level 4A – The Haunted Ship of Fools

Navigate the Haunted Ship of Fools in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Learn how to get 7000 points and find the Flames sub-weapon.

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Navigate the Haunted Ship of Fools in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Learn how to get 7000 points and find the Flames sub-weapon.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Whip the flashing lanterns at the start for items; the ones to your immediate left and right yield a Heart.
  2. 2
    The third lantern, located where the ground is lowered to the right, contains an Axe. The lantern to its right holds a large Heart.
  3. 3
    A staircase leads down. To the right is a ledge only reachable by Grant or Alucard (on a second playthrough).
  4. 4
    Warning: If you reach the distant ledge, whipping the lantern there yields a Money Bag worth 7000 points.
  5. 5
    To progress, head down the staircase. Warning: You must descend the staircase; attempting to drop from the ledge above will result in losing a life as if falling into a pit.
  6. 6
    In the next room, whip the lanterns on the first ledge for Hearts.
  7. 7
    On the ledge below, a Skull Swordsman awaits. Defeat it after safely descending the stairs.
  8. 8
    The lantern to the right on this lower ledge hides an Invisibility Potion.
  9. 9
    Continue right and up a small staircase to fight a second Skull Swordsman on a small ledge.
  10. 10
    The lanterns here contain a Heart and a Pocket Watch. The Pocket Watch is useful for freezing regular enemies, but Sacred Water is preferred if you have it.
  11. 11
    Whip the final lantern on the far right for another Heart.
  12. 12
    Walk down the staircase (do not drop) to reach the next area.
  13. 13
    On the platform where the staircase ends, whip the lanterns for a Heart and a Money Bag worth 700 points.
  14. 14
    Use Sacred Water to easily defeat the Skull Swordsman on the lower-right platform and another further on.
  15. 15
    Whip the remaining lanterns for Hearts while moving right.
  16. 16
    Jump over a small gap to reach the door to the next block.
  17. 17
    Note: With Grant or Alucard, you can reach a lantern above the exit door containing 5 Hearts.
  18. 18
    When starting the next block (BLK 4-0B), consider switching to Sypha to obtain a useful sub-weapon.
  19. 19
    Be aware of pinkish tiles on the ground; they will crack and give way if you stand on them for approximately 2 seconds.
  20. 20
    A Ghost enemy will appear from the right; defeat it before proceeding.
  21. 21
    Whip lanterns in the passage for Hearts.
  22. 22
    Jump over a gap onto a small floating platform and collect a Heart from the lantern above.
  23. 23
    To the upper-right is a ledge with crumbling pink blocks. The lantern there holds a Dagger sub-weapon for Trevor.
  24. 24
    With Sypha, you can claim the Flames sub-weapon from this lantern, a strong mid-range projectile that costs 1 Heart per use.
  25. 25
    The next lantern on the right holds a Heart.
  26. 26
    The lantern to the right of that, above the pink blocks on the other side of a small gap, also holds a Heart.
  27. 27
    Go right and down a short staircase to a long pit that must be crossed using short platforms made of crumbling blocks.
  28. 28
    Lanterns above these platforms hold single Hearts; collect them with well-timed hits if you are confident, otherwise focus on crossing the platforms.
  29. 29
    Reach the solid grey platform after the crumbling blocks.
  30. 30
    Defeat another Ghost enemy that appears from the right.
  31. 31
    Break the lantern for a Money Bag worth 400 points.
  32. 32
    Walk down the stairs and collect Hearts from the two lanterns above the next ledge while heading right.
  33. 33
    Jump across a pit to a ledge on the upper-right.
  34. 34
    Warning: Watch out for a Red Skeleton patrolling there; being knocked back into the pit will cost you a life.
  35. 35
    Before heading up the staircase, attack the wall on the right to find hidden Leg of Werewolf if you need to restore energy.
  36. 36
    As you head up the staircase, time your ascent to reach the ledge above while avoiding the patrolling Red Skeleton.
  37. 37
    Whipping the Red Skeleton will momentarily make it collapse and immobile for a couple of seconds, allowing time to collect Hearts from the lanterns here.
  38. 38
    Go left and up the staircase to the room above.
  39. 39
    At the top of the staircase, defeat another Ghost coming from the right.
  40. 40
    Tip: With Sypha, use the Flames sub-weapon as it kills Ghosts in a single hit.
  41. 41
    Jump over a small gap onto a small platform.
  42. 42
    Warning: Watch out for a bone-throwing Skeleton on the next ledge; its projectiles could knock you back into a gap.
  43. 43
    Use Trevor's whip or Sypha's Flames to defeat this Skeleton from your current position.
  44. 44
    Continue right, jumping over another small gap, collecting Hearts from lanterns along the way, before reaching the staircase leading up.
Tips
  • Grant or Alucard can reach a hidden lantern with 5 Hearts above the exit door of the first block.
  • The Flames sub-weapon, usable by Sypha, is a powerful mid-range projectile costing 1 Heart per use.
  • Focus on crossing the crumbling platforms rather than collecting all the Hearts if you are not confident in your platforming skills.
  • Hidden Leg of Werewolf can be found by attacking the wall on the right before heading up a staircase.
  • Sypha's Flames sub-weapon is highly effective against Ghosts, defeating them in one hit.

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