Drac's Night Out

Drac's Night Out
Box art for Drac's Night Out
Developer(s)	Microsmiths
Publisher(s)	Parker Brothers
Platforms	Nintendo Entertainment System
Release date(s)	Unreleased (Set to be released for 1991)
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single-player

Drac's Night Out is the title of an unreleased video game developed by Mark Lesser and Rex Bradford of Microsmiths that was produced for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game featured the sponsorship of the Reebok Pump shoe.

In the game the player controlled the infamous Count Dracula who, while wearing Reebok Pumps, had to first work his way down his castle while avoiding the hostile villagers. This could be accomplished by hypnotizing the villagers with your vampiric gaze, or by pulling a lever to spring one of many Rube Goldberg-esque hidden traps.

Once subdued, you can then suck their blood and briefly turn into a bat to navigate through the tower. Scattered throughout these towers is also a Reebok Pump power-up. Once activated, you are given a temporary speed-boost as well as the ability to jump over villagers and holes.

When you escape the castle you are then given a large open town to explore and search for your bride Mina. This will require hints such as finding maps and compasses from villagers. Patrolling the streets are hostile mobs and non-hostile villagers. After sucking enough blood, you temporarily transform into an invulnerable wolf to cover distance more quickly.

You are also given the ability to suck the blood of sleeping villagers that will transform into Vampiresses and lead you nearer to Mina's location.

Some villagers drop items like keys and flowers, used to open gates and homes. You can also travel through secret underground shortcuts. Once you discover the building housing Mina, a congratulatory picture of the pair walking together appears and leads to the next 'round'.

Although completed the game was never officially released. However, a prototype has since been discovered and its ROM data released to the internet. Elaborate NES cart reproductions now exist for collectors as well.

Mark Lesser on the Reebok Pump addition: "We developed this game as consultants to Parker Bros. As we neared completion of the game, PB insisted that we include Reebok as a sponsor of the game by having Dracula wear Reebok Pump shoes! Reluctantly we complied, but the sponsorship was not enough to save the game and, although completed, it was never marketed."

External links

• Mark Lesser Interview
• GameFAQs