The Castlevania Thread of Whip Whip Whipping It Good.

[Tornado]

The year is 1691. Dracula has risen, and shit is going down. Zombies, pumas and bats, oh my! One man, wielding the legendary Vampire Killer whip, is the only thing standing between Dracula and his control of the world. Shit is going down. This man:
 

(Note: I'm not entirely sure why he's not wearing pants)

 

Now there is a good chance you've played Castlevania 1986. It was massively popular on the original Nintendo. They ported it to half the systems that were out in the 1980s (granted all of the ports sucked, but that's not the point). They ported it to the GBA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZflNPmNgC4. It was even featured in Captain N: The Gamesmaster... I think? Statistically speaking, it's more likely that you have played it then you haven't. That's just math.
 
 
 
But as a rundown: The original Castlevania is one of the nastier entries in old school platformers, a la Ghouls N' Ghosts. When you jump, that's the way you're going. Is there an enemy there? lol fuck you shouldn't have jumped. Your whip has the range that is about as long as your arm, you can't move when using it unless you jump, and it only goes out in front of you (extending very slightly above and behind your hitbox, but good luck hitting anything like that if you need to). Many of the more annoying enemies are small and can fly and respawn infinitely in tough platforming sections. So... yeah. Plan your jumps accordingly. You also have to climb up stairs very slowly, and you can't get off them once you commit until you are at the top or bottom. Overall, the first game is still worth a play, but short tempered players need not apply.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Then we come to Castlevania II: Simon's Quest.
 
The year is 1698. Now, Peter Pantsless up there, he kicked Dracula's ass so hard he exploded into 6 pieces. But Dracula laid a curse on Simon right before his death, and on the 7th year, and on one horrible night to have a curse Simon's body started decaying as a result of it; and when Simon dies Dracula will revive unopposed. What's a vampire hunter to do? Well, Simon's idea was that to keep himself from dying, he would gather the 7 Dragon Balls 6 body parts of Dracula in order to resurrect the dark lord before he dies so he could kick his ass again.
 

(He traded some muscle mass for pants)

 

This game is... divisive to this day. And that's being nice about it. It followed the age old wisdom of "everyone loved our game, so lets make a sequel that is so different that it might as well be a different series" school of thought that Legend of Zelda and Toe Jam and Earl both famously were ridiculed for. Rather than an action platformer, Simon's Quest is akin to a Metroid title (though not nearly as... well, good). Buy things, upgrade skills, etc. For that reason I should probably put it with the Metroidvania games, but I want to start that post with the gold standard rather than the misfire. It also had three endings which http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHbGPOdcyuo. The translation is also, while not as nearly bad as usually is presented, challenging. It's confusing on purpose, because all of the NPC's blame Simon for all the shit happening in the game. So as the manual says they are all lying to you. But bad dialog is still bad dialog even if it's "justified." For that reason, it's not really a game worth playing on its own merits nowadays. Especially not after SotN took everything this game tried to an art form. On the plus side, we got http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjazC45Qkww. So then we come back to...
 
 
 
 
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (no, not the same curse from Simon's Quest).
 

(Derp)

 

The year is now 1476. Dracula has risen for the first time, and the Eastern Orthodox Church is so alarmed at the rumors that they sent in the 15th Century SEAL Team Six to deal with it. Trevor Belmont, Simon's badass grandfather. Grant DaNasty, pirate guy that Konami forgot existed. Sypha Belnades, the witch/priestess. And Alucard, Dracula's rebellious bastard son.
 
 
 
 
 
This is the big one. Konami had their fun with Simon's Quest, and then they came back and went all out nuts on this on. This is the one that ties most of the series together (especially Alucard's presence throughout the series), and indeed where the series all started (chronologically). Similar to the later Kirby's Adventure, this game pushed the NES far beyond it's original sell-by date, with impressive graphics well improved over the original and fantastic music. This is also the game that introduced branching level paths and completely optional side areas as well. It's just as tough-as-nails as the original, but everything is more refined and just... more to it all. While the original game is worth playing just because it is the first Castlevania game, this one is worth playing because it has held up that well. This was, however, the final title of the 8-bit generation. And with the jump to 16-bits comes...
 
 
 
 
 
 
Super Castlevania IV.
 

\

(And Simon lost his pants again)

 

Now, strictly speaking, this isn't really a remake of the original game as said above. It's more like a retelling of the same attack on the castle in 1691 (or maybe it's a sequel to Simon's Quest, but... I think it's the former. But they marketed it as a sorta-remake in Japan, where it shares the title with the original game), so whatever. But this is more powerful hardware, and even though the game was a launch title, the game's graphics still hold up well (for the most part). Some of the sprite rotation is kind of wonky, but everything looks nice, the music is good. It also has some really nice new gameplay ideas that really make it play a lot better. Simon can throw his whip in all directions now (when jumping), and leave it out after jumping to let it fall to the ground and shoot it up a bit. This basically makes the bats from the earlier games a complete non-threat, since now you can deal with them no problem. The game also has cool Indiana Jones-like whip platforming sections, where you throw the whip out to latch on then clear the gap. You can also control your jump now. And you can jump up on stairs to quicken your ascent, and (since you can control your whip) you no longer have to hold up and attack to use sub-weapons.
 
 
So sounds great so far, right? The game's obviously still a difficult platformer, but now it controls better, right? Well, it is. Until you go up platforms. You see... SCIV has the incredibly dense design decision that the stage locks as you progress up the screen. Let's say your going up, and a platform you jumped from went off screen. Even by a pixel. That platform now ceases to exist as far as the game is concerned. So if you go back to it (let's say you get knocked backwards by something). Now you fall off the screen and die. It basically takes what could have been a fantastic game, and makes it unplayable. I hate this game, because of how obnoxious it gets with that design idea. If you don't care about that, that's fine. You may like it. Most people love it. I also don't really like the music. It's filled with those annoying farty trumpet instruments that were so pervasive in early SNES games, and it really screws up

and the sound effects are kind of annoying too. All of the other 16 bit games sounded much better, at least in music (especially Dracula X on the same platform).
 
 
So, the first 1st game of the 3rd generation was half-baked. Great ideas mixed with terrible ones. So what's next?
 

We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind
Cause your friends wear pants and if they don't dance
Well they're are no friends of mine

 

This one is actually a remake of the original game. It's even just called "Castlevania" in Japan (well... it's called the same thing as the original is in Japan) Straight up, for the X68000 (that's that computer Sharp made in the 80's that was basically a Capcom CPS-II arcade cabinet in a beige tower). A lot of really great, Sega Genesis-sounding remixes of music, and a lot of awesome looking, big sprites with nice animation and tons of little graphical touches that obviously weren't possible on weaker hardware. They also released it in 2001 for the PSX as Castlevania Chronicles, remade again with new remixed music (yes, remake of a remake; just like the Lunar titles now), some 3D cutscenes that have aged a lot better than you would think and a few graphics tweaks; plus a bunch of cool artwork for the series. Both versions are great (and both are included in Chronicles), and they have a lot of fun little things to fuck with people who knew the original game inside and out. Plus it has a dynamic difficulty, where the AI changes slightly in behavior each time you beat the game (for 8 variations). Chronicles was obviously pretty dated when it came out in 2001 (and got the reception as such), but it's a really good entry point into the series and if you'd rather play the first game with more modern production values (and better music), that's your Huckleberry.
 
So we've got the 3rd, 4th and 5th remake of the 1st game out of the way. How about something new?


 

Yes. YES!

 

Rondo of Blood motherfucker!
 
 
Richter Belmont is a badass. That's just all there is to it. Even among the same family who had a guy who went through complete hell basically to resurrect a guy so he could kill him again, Richter still stands out. Why? Because of how the games treat him. In Rondo of Blood, Dracula knows Richter will come after him. He knows his plans will fail so long as Richter is there. So what's he do? He sends his minions out to attack Richter's town (the same town from Simon's Quest) and try to kill him before he can interfere. When Richter isn't there, he kidnaps pretty much anyone who might get in his way instead and burns the town to the ground. Then as soon as Richter shows up to figure out what is going on, he sends Death after him (granted Death does a shitty job, but that's not the point). This practical awe he's held in carries over into Symphony of the Night as well.
 
But enough of the badassery. How does it play?
 
 
Awesomely. Richter moves kind of clunky compared to how most people would recognize him (if you've played him in SotN, you'll immediately understand), but there are a number of improvements. Richter can't go all directions with the whip like Simon could in SCIV, and he can't really control his jumps (though he can change direction he faces mid-jump and he has a... sorta double jump that can be useful), so in theory it's a regression, but in practice you don't really notice it. Subweapons are back to holding up again, too; but now they can be used as super, screen clearing attacks. But the best part? You can jump on and off stairs. And this is the first game where the platforming takes a backseat to the action. Richter may move like it's an NES Castlevania, but he moves fast. You can dodge a lot of things just by moving back and jumping instead of just praying you don't get hit.
As far as content goes, this is the first one where Konami treated the series like an A series rather than a side series. The production values are huge. Voiced cutscenes. All new, higher frame count spritework. Fantastic visual effects. Redbook audio soundtrack. This is the game that permanently raised the production values of Castlevania games (though the real explosion of "not caring about making any money" was with Symphony of the Night). It even had multiple endings, multiple paths through the story and a second character to play (Maria mode, which... basically think of Maria like Cream in Sonic Advance 2. That's how much she breaks the game). Double jumps, infinite homing attacks that she can do while running, and screen spam subweapons. The game even mocks you if you die as her.
 
 
 
 
So the game is this awesome, what could possibly go wrong?
 

Oh.

 

It came out in 1993, and it didn't come out for the SNES or Genny. So it never would have sold anywhere else. So Konami didn't sell it anywhere else. And the thing was designed for the PC Engine CD, so there isn't really anything else they could have ported to without chopping out something. So no one in the West got it until it was remade on the PSP and included as an unlockable in Dracula X Chronicles. Which wasn't a bad remake by any means, and it did more to tie the game in to SotN, but it was slightly inferior to the original in a few ways. It's by no means a bad adaptation of Rondo of Blood (we'll get to that), but Rondo of Blood is so good that it really can't help but fall by the wayside in spots. It also includes a port of the original game with some glitches, but it's also all completely translated to English and with subtitles on the cutscenes (whereas the Wii emulation is just straight emulation with slight sprite edits for content), so that's still the superior version to me.
 
 
A Sega CD version would have looked like shit because 64 colors, and it wouldn't lend itself well to the kind of tricks Snatcher used when it was ported. SNES version would have been chopped to shit, Final Fight style. And.... oh boy. Chop stuff out they did.  Which brings us to...
 
 
 
 
 
Dracula X.
 

Meh.

 

Now... technically there isn't that much wrong with Dracula X. On the surface, there's actually a lot to like about it. It has it's problems, but nothing nearly as severe as Super Castlevania IV. The main problem with the game is the jump pause. Think of it like the Tripping of Castlevania. One of the keys to moving fast in Castlevania games is jumping and whipping. In Dracula X, if you do that from a height more than your character, you come to a dead stop as Ricther kneels to dissipate the jump. This does nothing at all but kill your momentum and leave you vulnerable to attack. And it's annoying as hell. It rarely causes the sort of problems as SCIV, but is still frustrating.
 
 
The problems start to crop up when it is compared to Rondo. The graphics are technically better, with some really impressive effects that still are impressive to this day. The fire in the background of the first stage blows the effects of the original away. The music also does a damn good job of recreating the red book from Rondo, obviously pushing the SNES audio to the limit. The problem is... the game isn't Rondo of Blood. It's supposed to be the consolation prize, but the farther you get in it, the shittier of a job it does at being such a thing. Take the bonus stuff from Rondo. No more second character. No more branching paths. No more cutscenes (or really any story to speak of). The atmosphere of the original game is gone. Compare

to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESDMcWyLeNQ. The level design is nowhere near as impressive, even if technically competent. The tie-ins to Simon's Quest are all excised. The game feels like something else entirely, completely disconnected from the rest of the series. The

compared to the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMqD4u64XFE. No assault on Dracula's castle right through the front door right past the boss level from the original game, chased all the way by the minotaur, because that happened in the first level out in the open. Now you're screwing around on rooftops instead. At times it almost seems like the levels are from a different game; like a gritty version of Aladdin.
 
That isn't to say Dracula X is bad. It's lacking big time compared to Rondo (and even SCIV in ways), but taken on its own merits it stands up... reasonably well. But it can't be taken on its own merits. This is what we got instead of Rondo, and it needs to be compared to it because of that. And on that basis, it's a complete failure.
 
 
So... two great games (one of which is a remake of a really old one), two bleh games, and a fantastic game. Where do we go from here?
 
 

We go where Nintendon't.

 

It cannot be overstated just how big of a deal Castlevania Bloodlines was when it was announced. It was the Final Fantasy XIV of the early 90s, such a massive defection of a Nintendo franchise to the Sega Genesis, only it luckily didn't suck when it came out. And this, for better and for worse, used the Genesis' abilities and delivered a decidedly different experience from the games to that point. The soundtrack, for example, is a hard hitting and at times downright haunting one; and whatever sound driver they used really sold everything. The track for the first level (

) in particular is fantastic, so it's a shame that it doesn't pop up more often in the series. Even more amazingly, more recent interviews with the composer has made it clear that the entire thing was sort of rush job due to the strict deadlines, making it all the more impressive.
And while it may seem quaint now, back in 1994, the fact that this was so violent was a selling point by itself. You start the first level walking by a bloodied corpse with crows pecking at it. When you whip the standard zombies, they get thrown back and fall to the floor blown in half. When you die as Eric, your spear flies off the screen and lands through your chest. It's never obnoxious in the presentation, and it isn't a one-note game like Mortal Kombat or anything; but it really does add to the atmosphere of the game. Well... in the US and Japanese releases, at least. The European release was butchered with censorship.
Speaking of the atmosphere, this game is dark. It starts off with WWI being started as a subterfuge/sacrifice to resurrect Dracula once again, and ends with one of the main characters dying from wounds sustained in the fight in the end of the game (albeit information that is relayed in a later game). Rather than sticking to Dracula's castle, this game has the main characters chasing the cultists attempting to resurrect him all throughout Europe.
 
 
So how does it play? The only one that's better is Rondo. The characters move quickly, like in Rondo. They can jump on and off stairs like in Rondo, and they can control their jumps and aim in all directions like in SCIV (though Jonathon can't let the whip drop). Jonathon even has a move where he can use the whip as a swing, and he can do it on many ceilings rather than just specific ones. The weapons use an upgrade system with 4 stages, with the 4th one being dependent on not taking damage to keep. And, to look at the elephant in the room, there are two characters in this game. Jonathon Morris, who uses the Vampire Killer; and Eric Lecarde, who uses the Alucard Spear (from Castlevania III). Eric is the "easy" character, with faster movements and longer range; and Jonathon is the "advanced" character, with more moves and complex techniques. They both have separate level areas that only they can access, and differing playstyles to keep the from being too similar. Think of it like the Sonic and Knuckles of Castlevania games.
So why is Rondo better? Hitbox dissonance. Particularly for Jonathon. While the whip has much more frontal and rear protection when using it than past games, it doesn't extend out as far as it appears to (only a pixel or two off, but that can be enough); and it is slow to come out too. It also can get too hectic at times, with the attempts to whip diagonally not always registering properly and you taking damage as a result. The graphics also don't help, as they suffer (like many later Genesis titles) from looking kind of washed out and (for lack of a better phrase) overly animated. The going up stairs motion is particularly humorous, and the sound effects are awful.
That being said, it's a damn fine effort from Konami, and easily ranks up there with the best titles. It's better than Dracula X, in any case; and I personally like it much more than SCIV.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's at this point that the series started to diverge. Symphony of the Night came out in 1997, and absolutely dominated the series design and ethos for the next 15 years. With one exception:
 

(This isn't technically art for this game)

 

Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth is the 2009 WiiWare-exclusive remake-ish of Castlevania The Adventure on the original Gameboy (which I didn't mention before because it kinda sucks and I've never beat it). It follows Christopher Belmont as he goes to... kill Dracula. Nothing really to it for story, and the remake didn't really change that.
 
As far as the game goes, it's a huge improvement over the original Gameboy game, if only because you can... see things. It plays similar to the original NES Castlevania games, except there is a fourth upgrade that runs on a timer that allows the Vampire Killer to shoot fireballs. If you want the Sonic equivalent, it's the Sonic Advance compared to the NES games Sonic 2. It has a whole lot of little new things, and everything is given a fresh coat of paint and pretty impressive graphics and music (as far as emulating SNES-style graphics go, they look good and the game sounds great, with awesome remixes of classic Castlevania songs and a really awesome version of Reincarnated Soul, using that "SNES instruments but Genny backing sounds" style that sounds so great in surround sound), but it does feel kind of "samey" before it actually ends; and like all of the other Rebirth games, it seems like a paint by numbers operation in spots (though it isn't nearly as bad as Gradius Rebirth, it also isn't as good as Contra Rebirth).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
That's all of the Classicvanias out of the way. Metroidvanias to follow... eventually (don't hold your breath. This post took me 4 hours to write, and I like Metroidvanias a lot more in general, so...)
 
 
In the meantime, have a couple of song collections.
 

(Oh Rondo. Even musically you destroy all comers.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and *tacked on question about your opinions and whatnot*

Edited March 15, 2013 by Tornado

[Your Vest Friend]

Most of what I know about Castlevania is from Captain N.

I know a few friends who play Dawn of Sorrow from time to time though.

[McGroose]

Most of what I know about Castlevania is from Captain N.

 

Not exactly the best way to get introduced to Castlevania I have to admit.

 

Anyway, I've really only played 2 Castlevania games, Bloodlines and Lords of Shadow. Bloodlines was a hell of a lot of fun to play. Shadow not so much, but it was still fun.

[Tori Himemiya]

Castlevania is my favorite platforming series. I love the dark, gothic atmosphere it has around it. Fighting ghosts, bats, and all sorts of shit you'd expect from Dracula.

Castlevania 1 is one of my favorites. Its straightforward unlike the later games which is pretty nice. Its challenging all the time but nothing wrong with a little challenge right? Its rather iconic as well.

While I do love it I still haven't beaten Castlevania Symphony of the Night. Its a massive game and I tend to get lost a lot. Its fun but other than getting lost, I can never seem to get a copy of SotN to run properly. Its a great game that I won't ever beat.

The only thing I just don't like about the latter games that have elements of SotN is that they make big maps; I get lost way too easily and when I get back to them I don't know where the fuck to go. I'm having that problem with Aria of Sorrow. Its like I've been everywhere and nothing is clear on where to go and I'm like "GAAAAHHH!" So yeah I suppose I'm more of a classic Castlevania fan then.

*still hasn't beaten a single Castlevania game yet*

Edited March 15, 2013 by Crow the BOOLET

[Candescence]

I'm definitely a Metroidvania fan, but I also appreciate the classics. My favourite Metroidvania is a difficult question, but I love Super Castlevania IV. I haven't played Rondo, though, I should probably get it along with Dracula X Chronicles, eventually.

 

Now, Lords of Shadow...? Don't get me started on that hyper-generic sham.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Masaru Daimon

[Abominal SnowTaz]

Not exactly the best way to get introduced to Castlevania I have to admit.

How did they fuck that up? It's supposed to be Simon Belmont not Pilot Leno chin.

 

I started with Castlevania IV and my God am I glad I did. That game was and is amazing. I also played most of the portable games, but they're not as interesting. Except for Order Of Eclessia, that was fucking good.

[Solkia]

I've only played Bloodlines, Super Castlevania IV, and Symphony of the Night (for like 5 seconds)

 

Bloodlines and Super Castlevania IV are really addicting and fun to play,  the 2D games have a pretty unique formula from what I can see.

 

The Metroidvania thing isn't my cup of tea. I just can't get into Symphony of the night like most people can.

 

The series has some really damn good music too, one of the most famous (afaik) being Vampire Killer:

 

 

I really need to beat Super Castlevania IV one of these days.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Akihikohikoakikaki

[Abominal SnowTaz]

I've only played Bloodlines, Super Castlevania IV, and Symphony of the Night (for like 5 seconds)

 

Bloodlines and Super Castlevania IV are really addicting and fun to play,  the 2D games have a pretty unique formula from what I can see.

 

The Metroidvania thing isn't my cup of tea. I just can't get into Symphony of the night like most people can.

SoTn isn't as interesting as Super Castlevania IV because of all those elements that were introduced instead of the simplicity. (Simon's Quest did it first, but not the best way.) Also the swordplay is nothing compared to 8-way whipping. SoTn redeems itself in those departments with damn good game play and being one of the biggest Castlevania games. (Going throught the castle twice? Jesus...)

Edited March 15, 2013 by Abominal Taz

[-Robin-]

Never knew Castlevania even existed until like 2 years ago. And even then I could never find a game from the series.

 

If the Wii U puts some of the titles up on the VC, then once I get one I'll be sure to check one of them out.

[Shoot em up Capbusta]

I haven't played a castlevaina game since shit simon's quest and I was like 3 years old but I did want to go back and play some of the DS games because I heard they were pretty good. Though part me is like I really don't feel like fucking with that metroidvaina part of the series.

[Gregzilla]

The classic sidescrollers definitely feel like more rich experiences than the Metroidvania types.  They don't go on forever, but they offer distinct, refined challenge and they are very satisfying to play through.  The first Castlevania feels a bit TOO frustrating at times, and Castlevania 2, as we all know, is just plain bullshit.  Castlevania 3 is awesome, probably the best NES Castlevania, with cool new enhancements to the 1st game's formula.  I think Super Castlevania IV is my favorite in the series (and the only one of the classic sidescrollers that I've beaten).  It feels great to play, has good atmosphere, and is just plain fun overall.  Rondo of Blood is awesome as well, but I prefer SCIV.  I really want to play Bloodlines, and at this point I'm considering emulating it rather than buy a Genesis or hopelessly wait for a re-release. 

 

The Metroidvanias are very fun, but in different aspects.  Symphony of the Night was my first Castlevania game, and of the ones I've played, it's the only Metroidvania one that I think is superb in almost all aspects.  It's fun to play and I think it has the best atmosphere in the series, something the handheld games thoroughly lack.  Order of Ecclesia is a great game, and I think it has the best combat out of the Metroidvanias, but I feel like it could have been so much better if it had a darker atmosphere like SotN.  SotN feels very ominous at times, with genuinely creepy music and intimidating foes.  The handheld games don't achieve this level of immersion, as the sound design is nowhere near as atmospheric, and the graphics are usually brighter.  

 

Overall, this is a great series.  Both styles of gameplay have something to offer.  And let's not forget the kickass music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTmb8ZCXCiI

[Tornado]

I haven't played a castlevaina game since shit simon's quest and I was like 3 years old but I did want to go back and play some of the DS games because I heard they were pretty good. Though part me is like I really don't feel like fucking with that metroidvaina part of the series.

You shouldn't judge the SotN and newer Castlevania games by Simon's Quest. Simon's Quest is honestly pretty shit even by the standards of the time; and it's a really good example of the developer's reach exceeding their grasp. They couldn't do what they clearly wanted to try on that system, but they tried it anyway and ended up with a disaster. That game needed some sort of voice acting or cutscenes or something to tell that story and not just be a total clusterfuck, and all they had was 8-bit fonts and sprites.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Tornado

[LATER BUDDY]

I like the series a lot but doesn't feel like I'm like really into it at times. When I was in a "homg I need everything with a werewolf in it" stage of my life, I started trying out the games. Got Castlevania 1 on the Virtual Console and was dumb at it (mainly because I didn't realize there was shit in the candles XD). Been wanting to play that again recently thanks to Game Grumps though haha.

 

Anyways after that I mistakingly got Judgement for the Wii because Cornell looked like a badass. Turns out that's the only thing I like about that game in general aside from the music, so back to Gamestop it went. Lastly during all this I saw Lords of Shadow was coming out soon and trailers and everything made it look fucking awesome. So with a hard on I ran to Walmart and picked it up, enjoyed it for a good few hours until I it just started getting boring and frustrating. Still own it but never finished it. I think I'm in some clock-ass tower or something? I can't recall.

 

Anyways, Castlevania is neat and wish I could be into it more, but I think at the end of the day I'd only really like the old classic ones since I'm not a super big fan of the metroidvania styling, and the modern games are pretty snoozefest. BUUUUT, the music is and will still always be cool beans, so there's that I guess.

[Phos]

I ran into a thing in Symphony of the Night where if you knew how to do Soul Stealer there was zero challenge to the game.  Dunno if I was doing it wrong.  Got too bored to find the inverted castle.  

 

I should play more bloodlines.  

[Salamander]

I've been replaying Order Of Ecclesia slowly for a little while and having a great time. It has a reputation for being quite hard, but I don't really see why. There have been a couple of choke points in the level design where I've nearly died, but that's what healing items are for. The bosses have been pretty easy aside from the fact that I'm going for the medals you get for beating them without taking damage, so I still have to restart a lot. I think maybe because those medals exist, they had to make the bosses fair, or at least give them tells that are easy to learn.

 

I have not played much Castlevania - I also only learned it existed within the last couple of years - but I don't think I'd like the classic style so much as the Metroidvania style. I like backtracking and exploration and being immersed in a world, so I'm sure Metroidvania would do it for me where others wouldn't.

 

I also recently bit the bullet and bought "that game." You know the one I mean. First on a new platform for the series, and sequel to a game that saw a massive change in direction for the series, attempting to reconfigure it for an audience that otherwise wasn't too interested. I know a lot of people have problems with it, but I think it actually looks pretty interesting, and when I've got time I'm going to give it the time of day. I think I might just have a blast, despite my misgivings about getting it at this point. I'm referring, of course, to Dawn Of Sorrow.

Edited March 15, 2013 by FFWF

[Candescence]

I also recently bit the bullet and bought "that game." You know the one I mean. First on a new platform for the series, and sequel to a game that saw a massive change in direction for the series, attempting to reconfigure it for an audience that otherwise wasn't too interested. I know a lot of people have problems with it, but I think it actually looks pretty interesting, and when I've got time I'm going to give it the time of day. I think I might just have a blast, despite my misgivings about getting it at this point. I'm referring, of course, to Dawn Of Sorrow.

Oh, bravo, man, you made me laugh. But seriously, art aside (Rondo had anime-style art too), Dawn of Sorrow is pretty much an evolution of Aria, and has a perfect leveling curve. Granted, the soul grinding is a pain, though, but still. So, yeah, it's a great game.

[Semi-colon e]

I'm a really shitty fan, I've basically played the Metroidvanias and SC4 and Rondo of Blood.

 

SC4 has the nice control, but I feel Rondo of Blood just plays more smoothly and energetically. I also find Rondo to be more exciting with it's combat, boss battles, backflips, 90s soundtrack, and exploratory nature despite not being a Metroidvania.

 

I got into Castlevania though Circle of the Moon, which is funny because I can't fucking stand that game. I even like Harmony of Dissonance over it. I pretty much enjoy the rest of the Metroidvanias a hell of a lot, but I like Symphony of the Night the most because of how open ended it feels and because of the atmosphere it exudes, even if it is really easy and unbalanced. Order of Ecclesia and the Sorrow games are also really good. Ecclesia is more linear but a lot more challenging and there's some insanely good boss battles, especially the 2 screen tall 3 screen wide Eligor in the castle. The Sorrow games drift a lot from the original style but it added something new and the soul system is addictive.

 

Harmony of Dissonance is okay, suffers from the poor sound quality because of the fact they bought a smaller GBA cart size, as well as the obnoxious backtracking which could have been lessened by the two castles thing being around in the first place. Portrait of Ruin is left then, and while it's still a really good game, it pretty much dies towards the end and I consider it totally the weakest of the DS games. It also has some annoying glitches as well, I've had a few freezing glitches and awkward collision detection moments where the other two DS games played just fine.

 

OoE really did well to get more gothic again, but it's not just gothic either, it's incredibly bleak and beautiful and it's such a great adventure, and I actually liked the villagers and their different personalities. SoTN is beautiful in a different way, a more grand way.

 

I haven't touched Lords of Shadow and it's ilk, looks generic as shit and doesn't appeal to me because it's lost Castlevania's sense of vibrancy but also occasional self-aware campiness that occurs because they know what they're dealing with.

 

Almost all the soundtracks are pretty much fantastic though, especially SoTN and OoE - but even the likes of Harmony of Dissonance have great tracks too.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Semi-colon e

[Salamander]

Which reminds me. I don't know about sales (not that it's relevant, as I suspect Konami made, invested, and advertised it more than previous titles), but according to Metacritic, Mirror Of Fate has been reviewed a consistent ten points or more below the DS Castlevanias, and a lot of the reviews outright state that it isn't as good as them. A message I hope Konami will take on board even if they intend to continue shilling the series out to other developers rather than making anything themselves.

[Yoko/葉子]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=443061522416597&set=vb.100001382582068&type=3

 

This is a speedrun if Castlevania 1 that I did a few months ago.

 

I didn't get into the series until my senior year, but I'm going to say that I liked Simon's Quest enough to attempt a major speedrun for it.

 

I do like the Metroidvanias, but I miss the old-school style .

 

Anyone a fan of Dracula's recurring theme Dance of Illusions?

[Mangoaxe5]

Castlevania 64 is fucking underrated. Also Simon's Quest gets a lot of unfair hate. I don't like the Lord of Shadows games cause they rebooted the timeline. I want the real Castlevania timeline back.

[Salamander]

I will grant the Lords Of Shadow subseries one concession only: The original Castlevania timeline was crammed to the brim.  There wouldn't have been space in the timeline for any new games before long.  Some sort of reboot on some level would have to have occurred.  However, I think it could surely have been done in a respectful and consistent way considering that the original timeline included actual time-traveller characters and therefore the potential for fresh timelines.  Heck, maybe a future installment in the series could retcon LoS in that way, as an alternative timeline split in some way from the original.  But I think IGA should've been given the opportunity to exit the series with a bang, if that had to happen at all.  Order Of Ecclesia, Judgement, and Harmony Of Despair were no games to conclude the original timeline with.

[Lady Soniko]

I know I'll probably get shunned for this, but I downloaded the Mirror's of Fate 3DS demo, and as linear as it is (very misleading as it looks like a free-roam sandbox game, but is actually a side scroller) I really liked what I played of it, granted it's hard as balls since enemies do so much damage to you and it takes another chapter out of LoS's book with the only way to acquire life is via the fountains after certain points in the level, but it was really satisfying and filled my Castlevania fix for on the go (Since I rather liked LoS's this is probably obvious) I probably will pick it up to take on holiday with me since it really kept my attention, also heard you play 4 separate stories in the game? Gabriel, Alucard, Simon & someone else, i somehow think this will probably kill the game's length for me as i'm guessing the stories are shortened to fit all 4 characters into it, the game claims it's got a story mode that will last 20 hours at least though, we'll see.

[Mangoaxe5]

I will grant the Lords Of Shadow subseries one concession only: The original Castlevania timeline was crammed to the brim.  There wouldn't have been space in the timeline for any new games before long.

True, but I think that there was room for at least seven more Castlevania games in the timeline before they would have had to do a reboot.

 

I'm just pissed that we'll never get a game that covers the events of the 1999 battle against Dracula.

Edited April 4, 2013 by Vampfox

[Salamander]

I'm just pissed that we'll never get a game that covers the events of the 1999 battle against Dracula.

 

Unpopular opinion, but... I'm not sure they ever intended to do a 1999 game.  I think it was always meant to be an untold story, one to exist only in fans' imaginations, because the reality could never match up to the expectations of it.  It has the quality of a legend - only recounted at a distance, never experienced first-hand.

 

Anyway, apparently sales for Mirror Of Fate were pretty bad, which is promising.  I don't begrudge Konami for jumping on the first console Castlevania game that really worked, but to throw away the portable fandom and the entire history of the series was short-sighted, especially since chances are they simply didn't provide enough of a budget for them.  I'll be crossing my fingers for them to quietly return to the Metroidvania form for the handhelds once Lords Of Shadow has died down in a few years.

[Solly]

I honestly think that the timeline is pretty insignificant, so if they wanted to do a reboot, that's hardly an issue for me. The problem is that Lords of Shadow really has none of the original series' style or charm. Say what you want about how the Metroidvania games were different- they still had the upbeat spooky atmosphere and music of the originals.

They also weren't generic hack and slash games either, but you know.  

Edited April 4, 2013 by Solly