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SORTING THE THEORIES. . .
In Japan, the games Vampire Killer, CastleVania, Super CastleVania IV are all one and the same, in story, etc. CastleVania was a remake of Vampire Killer, and Super CastleVania IV was a remake of CastleVania. As such, chronologically, it could be said that these three games all fit in the same time slot, as they’re all the same game. In the U.S., however, Vampire Killer was never released, so it could also said that it was a prequel to CastleVania that featured Simon for his very first outing (CastleVania then being more or less a "second quest" to Vampire Killer). When Super CastleVania IV hit the Super Nintendo, Konami of America altered the manual & introduction storyline enough to make it seem as it was a sequel to CastleVania II : Simon’s Quest. One has to remember that American game series' stories are often times different than that of their counterpart Japanese series and that in the United States and Europe (despite what Mr. Kalata of the Dungeon might say) the storyline of the Japanese series' storyline cannot be taken as law when United States & European storyline(s) contradict it. Anyway, confused yet? Good, let's begin.
The Super Nintendo title CastleVania : Dracula X is a similar case. It was more or less a port of the PC Engine Dracula X title, but does that mean it is a remake? Given its Japanese title, Dracula XX ("Dracula Double-Ex"), I consider it a sequel, "second quest," or otherwise an expansion of sorts to the original PC Engine Dracula X in storyline (nothing has ever been said to negate this). This is debatable, however, as many maintain (without anything to substantiate themselves, however) that both Dracula X games chronicle the same story (nevermind the fact that the levels are different, many of the bosses are different, and Richter has a new skill in XX).
Also, while the Japanese timeline for CastleVania (found here, off the Konami Japan site here) may be considered "official" for the Japanese Demon Castle Dracula series, it shouldn't be considered such for the CastleVania series. For one, it doesn't work. Sonia Belmont fought Dracula and his undead minions in 1450? Impossible - for one thing, Prince Dracula III/Vlad the Impaler was historically still alive (certainly not a vampire then); Vlad Dracula III had just gotten off of a reign his former Turkish captors had let him have - Dracula didn't even have power in Wallachia or Transylvania again until 1456! And Dracula didn't even (historically) die until 1476 - he can't have been the vampire count we all know and love to loathe until at least December of 1476 when he did die as a mortal man (fact, not myth or legend - history records this).
Wherever chronologically possible and wherever applicable, the dates within were derived directly from the above-said Japanese timeline. Where extrapolated elsewhere, see the notes below their respective entry.
TIMELINE KEY. . .
* = Not released in the US. Neither Vampire Killer nor the MSX2 Home Computer were released in the U.S.
** = Forthcoming
*** = Released in Japan more accurately as Dracula XX (said "Double-X," not "Ex-Ex")
NOTE : CastleVania is known in Japan as Demon Castle Dracula
