Every fact on this page applies to update 1.1.0, the one version tested. Other versions may behave differently.
No emulator needed: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse runs natively on the Apple chip. How nxnative compares with emulators
Running through nxnative
How Castlevania: Belmont's Curse runs
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse plays on the Mac at 60 fps, as on the Switch. Tested from the first-run screens through a new game, the opening movie and the first areas, and a save loaded after a restart. No iPhone or iPad app has been built yet.
How it runs
The title, a new game, the opening movie and the dialogue on the dock all run. In Paris Streets and the sewer behind it, walking, jumping, attacks, killing an enemy, taking damage, healing, dying and respawning all work. The game runs at 60 fps, with short dips around scene loads.
Memory came to about 2.5 GB through the first areas, a death and a respawn, and at most about 3 GB from a new save. Later areas have not been measured.
Bring update 1.1.0
Tested with update 1.1.0. Put it in the same folder as the base game before you Pack; the base game alone has not been tested. The two add-on content packages are licences only, with no extra content.
Controls
The Packed app starts in the 2D touch layout. B jumps, Y attacks, and A dashes in play and confirms in menus. Hold L to heal; a quick tap does nothing.
Good to know
- On the first-run language screen, Continue takes a long hold of A; short presses do nothing.
- The opening movie lasts about 3.5 minutes and could not be skipped.
- When the dialogue on the dock ends and the HUD appears, stop pressing A. Rose starts at the edge of the pier facing the water, so A dashes her in, which costs some health before she respawns on the pier. This is how the game plays, not a fault.
- The controls have been tested only with scripted presses, not with a controller or keyboard.
- Tested on update 1.1.0. Other versions may behave differently.
Known issues
- No iPhone or iPad app has been built or tested yet.
- Everything past the sewer's first room, including bosses, is untested.
- Sound has not been listened to yet.
Packing command
Run this in your nxnative folder on the Build Mac. Replace the game folder and the keys path with your own. Add --platform mac-app to get a Mac app instead of an iPhone and iPad app.
python3 scripts/build_ipa_from_nsp.py ~/Games/castlevania-belmonts-curse -k ~/keys/prod.keysFAQ
Does Castlevania: Belmont's Curse work with nxnative?
Yes. Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is tested with nxnative on update 1.1.0.
Which iPhone, iPad or Mac do I need to play Castlevania: Belmont's Curse?
An iPhone 15 Pro or newer (A17 Pro chip or later) or an iPad with an M1 chip or later, on iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, or a Mac with Apple silicon. iPads with the A17 Pro chip (iPad mini) have the iPhone 15 Pro's chip but are untested by nxnative. Packing needs a Mac with macOS 26.6 or later and Xcode 27.2.
Is Castlevania: Belmont's Curse included?
No. Neither this site nor nxnative includes any game. You Pack Castlevania: Belmont's Curse from your own copy of the game, with keys dumped from your own Switch.
Does online play work in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse?
Online play in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is not confirmed to work, so do not count on it.
