Be a Bear -
To become a bear, you must have the Bear Ring. You can get this ring from the Skeleton Medallist. You must also have the Pluto and Black Dog DSS cards. Equip the Bear Ring and use your Pluto + Black Dog DSS Ability. Instead of turning into a skeleton like normal, you will become a bear. The bear, like the skeleton, will also be killed in one hit. So be careful. Unlike the skeleton, the bear has three moves. They are listed below:

	This is the bear's regular attack. He shoots a mini bear from his head that arcs through the air.
	By pressing Up + Attack, the bear will shot a mini bear from his back that arcs high in the air.
	By pressing Down + Attack, the bear will drop a bomb in front of him to attack ground monsters.

*NOTE* The bear is from a game called Rakuga Kids. Check it out here-->http://www.classicgaming.com/castlevania/cotm/bear.htm

Extra Modes -
There are four extra modes in this game

Magician Mode - Beat the game one time. Afterwards, on the title screen, the password FIREBALL will be displayed. Enter that as your name to play through in Magician Mode. You will start with all DSS Cards in this mode.

Fighter Mode - Beat the game in Magician Mode. Afterwards, on the title screen, the password GRADIUS will be displayed. Enter that as your name to play through in Fighter Mode. You will start with increased Strength and Defense in this mode. You cannot get DSS Cards in this mode.

Shooter Mode - Beat the game in Fighter Mode. Afterwards, on the title screen, the password CROSSBOW will be displayed. Enter that as your name to play through in Shooter Mode. You will start with increased Hearts in this mode. Also, sub-weapons take half the normal amount of hearts and cause double the normal amount of damage. Plus, if you get two daggers, they will become homing daggers.

Thief Mode - Beat the game in Shooter Mode. Afterwards, on the title screen, the password DAGGER will be displayed. Enter that as your name to play through in Thief Mode. You will start with increased Luck in this mode.

Stat Differences -

Miscellaneous Secrets -

Use DSS in the Battle Arena - If you would like to use magic in the Battle Arena, then use this trick. Use a Mind High to restore your magic. Then, while still in the menu, select the DSS summon you want to use. Now, exit the menu and immediately press the DSS button and summon your cards.

Scary Candle and Trick Candle - These special little guys appear later in the game. After you beat the Dragon Zombie, head back to the Iron Golem room. In here there will be a different looking candle on the wall. If you attack it, it will fall to the ground and disappear. Use a summon on it to kill it. It will give you the Uranus Card. The other candle doesn't appear until after you beat Camilla. Head back to the Cerberus room to find it. Kill it the same way as the other one. It will sometimes drop the Pluto Card.

Skeleton Medallist - This guy is very fast and very hard to find. Head to the room where you first spoke to Dracula in the beginning of the game. Summon one of your rotating shields and drop down the hole, hugging the left wall. You should break a hole in it. Head in the hole and grab the treasure. Now, before you leave, jump to the ceiling just before the door. Your shield should break a hole in the ceiling. The Skeleton Medallist is up there. If you jump up there and listen very carefully, you can here him hit the wall. This guy is purely suicidal. We want to kill him before he kills himself. To accomplish this, you can use your Earth Whip to hit him before he hits the wall. It will take some practice. He often drops a Toy Ring, but don't get discouraged. If you are persistent enough, and quite lucky, then he will drop the Bear Ring.

*NEW*
Here is a new strategy that I have found. You need the Stopwatch and the Black Dog and Salamander Cards.
First, Input the always run CodeBreaker code. This can be found in the codes section. 
(This is not necessary, but it makes it easier.)
Next, summon your Item Crush. Four watches should appear.
Now, jump up into the room the Skeleton Medallist is in and run to the left. You will pass him before he even starts running.
Just whip him to kill him. The watches will slow him down tremendously.