# OPERATION DRACULA > Retro bullet hell shooter with 16-bit pixel art and boss battles. (iPhone/iPad app by Crescent Moon Games LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/operation-dracula/id980540474 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Crescent Moon Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/370521012) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Action, Casual - Price: $2.99 with in-app purchases - Rating: 3.85/5 from 26 App Store ratings · 48 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 7.0 · 288 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2015-07-30 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/operation-dracula/id980540474/reviews.md ## What is OPERATION DRACULA? Game of the week - Touch Arcade Gold Award - Pocket Gamer 'Could prove to be one of the most accurate representations of the Japanese bullet hell shmup outside of Japan' - Touch Arcade 5/5 'Massive screen-sized bosses who spew more bullets than you can count.' -Pocket Gamer Operation Dracula is a rip roaring bullet hell shooter that will scramble your brain and your fingers! Its an over the top arcade shoot-em-up inspired by the classic shmups. This all wouldn't be complete without the awesome 80's style 16 bit pixel art and fantastic Japanese style soundtrack. - 3 Playable characters (Plus one bonus character to unlock!) - 5 Huge bosses and 4 mini bosses! - Full MFi controller support! - Game Center Leaderboards and Achievements! - Bullets everywhere! - Wailing Japanese guitar solos - Built in Music Player with more than 30 awesome gaming music - Extreme Challenge - not for the feint at heart! Follow us for the latest info and game news! • http://crescentmoongames.com/other-games/ • http://facebook.com/crescentmoongames • http://twitter.com/cm_games ## Key features - 3 playable characters (plus unlockable) - 5 huge bosses and 4 mini bosses - Full MFi controller support - Game Center Leaderboards and Achievements - Built-in music player with 30+ tracks - 16-bit pixel art and Japanese soundtrack ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $2.99. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Unlock Samurai | $2.99 | one-time | | Unlock Music Tracks | $1.99 | one-time | | Extra Credits x3 | $0.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 48) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/operation-dracula/id980540474/reviews.md ### 3/5 — Ripped Off *2025-02-03, version 1.0.3* I would give it 5 stars the game is amazing but when i purchased 3 extra credits it says i purchased them but nope still got 3 instead of 5 my bank account is still the same so at least it didn’t take my money but now for some reason it won’t let me buy the credits please fix this then i will gladly rate this 5 stars until then 3 stars it is ### 2/5 — Poorly implemented *2023-07-25, version 1.0.3* First off - don’t buy extra credits as they are a ONE GAME purchase, which it doesn’t warn you about. Second, to use the bomb I need to stop moving and hit the bottom right of the screen? Awful. There is not even a method to change it to a second finger tap. Third, when you get hit you lose ship power, so you will constantly be at low power. Each ship spams our tiny power ups that you need to catch. 4th, the first boss shoots out a huge laser with Zero warning or windup down the middle of the screen. Easy mode is too hard. If you didn’t lose power each time you get hit maybe it would do do-able. Overall the game was poorly designed and not fun. ### 2/5 — Near Impossible, Bad Scaling *2022-03-02, version 1.0.3* This game is near impossible. Think of any of the classic Cave or Psikyo games difficulties, even their black label versions, and times that by about 100. Bullets are popping in from every corner, right on top of you, before you even have the chance to avoid or kill enemies. In traditional shmups and bullet hells the enemies hang back and spam bullets OR rush you, or both on occasion. In this game they’re rushing and spamming bullets at the same time constantly. It’s horribly unbalanced and the easy vs normal difficulties don’t scale well at all. Save your money and buy any other shmup on the store. Aka to blue, the Cave games, Danmaku, anything but this. The art style is great, but the gameplay is where this falls short. ### 5/5 — Operation Dracula *2020-03-15, version 1.0.3* I've had the free version of this on my phone for so long, and it took me so long to actually get into playing it seriously, that I forgot it was the free version - and really just figured it was a free game with ads. Then, while scrolling through the store looking for a new SHMUP to snag, I saw that Operation Dracula didn't say 'OPEN', and instead - showed that $2.99 price tag. Well.... I fired up the free version again, and about 2 days later, I picked up this paid build. I have no clue what took me so long to get into it, or why I kept just glancing over this version while scrolling through the AppStore, but I'm kicking myself for it now. This is a GREAT shoot-em-up, with FANTASTIC visuals, sounds, scoring and a hardcore difficulty that should keep even the most seasoned bullet-hell gamers wildly entertained - and this is coming from someone that is VERY picky about their SHMUPS. This fits right in with the 10 or so other top notch titles that are not offloaded in my SHMUP folder right now (4 of which are Cave offerings). So, if that tells you anything.... .... I'd be surprised to hear of any serious fan of the genre bad mouth this one. Oh, and THANK YOU for keeping this title active all these years (especially after the 'OS update that shall never be mentioned'). You guys rock! ### 1/5 — Way too difficult *2018-11-08, version 1.0.3* This game looks great. Unfortunately it’s so insanely difficult to play that it’s just no fun at all. ### 4/5 — Come for the bullet hell, stay for the music *2018-01-10, version 1.0.3* I learned very quickly that I am probably the worst at this game, but the masterfully crafted tracks have me coming back. ### 1/5 — Normal is nearly impossible and easy is enough to drive you mad *2017-05-29, version 1.0.3* Why label it as normal and easy when it's clearly legendary mode and veteran mode. ### 2/5 — In app purchases will vanish *2017-01-04* In app purchases mysteriously vanished from game. Purchased extra credits which now no longer appear in game. Happy to connect to online store to purchase more items, but not willing to connect to restore previous purchases. ### 1/5 — Terribly designed, too much clutter *2016-11-15, version 1.0.3* This is a terribly designed shmup. Unlike other, better made bullet hell games, this game FPGAs way too much going on at once. Thimgs constantly pop onto the screen and shoot an insane amount of bullets at once. The first boss has a laser attack that gives no warning, and will almost always hit you because you need to be right in front of it to actually hit it with your weapon. Avoid this one. Go buy dodonpachi or something instead. ### 5/5 — Great Shmup! *2016-05-18, version 1.0.3* Great shmup with high octane action right from the start. Seems impossible at first, but as you learn to do small, precise dodges and use your specials and bombs often and wisely it gets really fun. I have a few specific gripes about individual moments (boss 4's "fake" bullets come to mind) but overall this game is a blast. The soundtrack is awesome too, and the game includes a music player with unlockable tracks. ## Frequently asked questions about OPERATION DRACULA ### What kind of game is Operation Dracula? Operation Dracula is a rip-roaring bullet hell shooter inspired by classic Japanese arcade shoot-em-ups. It features intense action, overwhelming bullet patterns, and challenging boss battles, all presented with 80s-style 16-bit pixel art and a Japanese-inspired soundtrack. ### What are the key features of Operation Dracula? The game includes 3 playable characters (with a bonus unlockable character), 5 huge bosses and 4 mini bosses, full MFi controller support, Game Center leaderboards and achievements, and a built-in music player with over 30 gaming music tracks. It's designed for extreme challenge. ### Is Operation Dracula free to play? The provided data indicates the game has in-app purchases, suggesting a 'free with in-app purchases' or 'freemium' monetization model. While the base game may be free to download and play, additional content or features might be available for purchase. ### What platforms is Operation Dracula available on? Based on the mention of 'MFi controller support' and 'Game Center Leaderboards and Achievements', the game is likely available on iOS devices. The description does not specify availability on other platforms. ### Who would enjoy playing Operation Dracula? This game is ideal for players who enjoy challenging arcade experiences, particularly fans of the 'bullet hell' or 'shmup' (shoot 'em up) genres. Its retro aesthetic and high difficulty level will appeal to those who appreciate classic video games and are looking for a demanding shooter. ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.0.3 — 2016-01-26 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. -Bug fixes -Sound/music fix for iPhone 6+ and iPad mini 2 -In-app purchase can now unlock music player and Mini Samurai character ### 1.0.2 — 2015-08-12 - improved graphics - bug fixes - crash fix ### 1.0.1 — 2015-07-22 -bug fixes -graphical improvements -Japanese localization ### 1.0 — 2015-07-11 No release notes. ## Apps similar to OPERATION DRACULA | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Fantasy Challenge](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fantasy-challenge/id1533598995) | — | Free | Games | | [.Decluster Zero](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decluster-zero/id1013536952) | 4.8 (16) | $4.99 | Games | | [Future Strike Gear](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/future-strike-gear/id1438196091) | 3.2 (6) | Free | Games | | [DoDonPachi Blissful Death](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dodonpachi-blissful-death/id486756858) | 4.7 (76) | $2.99 | Games | | [Groundskeeper2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groundskeeper2/id848894420) | 4.3 (20) | $3.99 | Games | | [Raiden Legacy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raiden-legacy/id537280156) | 3.7 (152) | $4.99 | Games | ## More apps by Crescent Moon Games LLC - [Deadlock: Online](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deadlock-online/id439931031) - [Razor: Salvation](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/razor-salvation/id528471609) - [Topia World Builder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topia-world-builder/id534282109) - [Ravensword: Shadowlands](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ravensword-shadowlands/id566839331) - [Dig!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dig/id626192197) - [Mines of Mars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mines-of-mars/id670407610) All apps by Crescent Moon Games LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/370521012 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*