Castlevania Miscellanies

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
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Blinge
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

So the versions of SotN I've mostly played are the PSN ps3 release. ( PAL :cry: )
And Requiem: the Rondo + SotN package on PS4.. Which itself is a port of the PSP SoTN. :roll:

However, I'm seeing whispers on neogaf comments, bits of internet talk, that say this Castlevania Requiem is also the PAL SoTN.
In which case, I've been played for an utter fool.
Last edited by Blinge on Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by BIL »

My usual English-language option for SOTN is just the NTSCU PS1. The final JP revision (PSOne Books) has the US bugfixes/refinements (can't chain the bat's Wing Smash in OG JP), plus a few JP-exclusive tidbits (alter-egos of the Fairy and Demon familiars, and the rather nice Nocturne song the Fairy can sing for you), plus VA that wasn't audibly recorded in a gas station restroom, which is fun. But it's all JP text, so the menus can be awkward for non-readers like me when it's been a while.

This assumes you've got either a compatible PS1 or some means of comfily emulating one, ofc! It's a badass machine, you really should. Image This is one of my ultimate comfy couch + big screen + bangin speakers (and a week to kill) games, couldn't see myself enjoying it as much on a portable tbh. :cool:
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Blinge
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

I have played it through on PS1 emulator once before.. dunno why years I assumed the EU PS4 port would be NTSC speed, guess I figured because it was modern era that region distinction was behind us. sigggh.
Still, I haven't found hard confirmation of whether my Requiem is the PAL version or not.

Guess it doesn't matter! PS1 Emulation for me from now on!
BIL wrote:This assumes you've got either a compatible PS1 or some means of comfily emulating one, ofc!
Hunched over my PC like a pervert. :wink:
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Austin
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Austin »

For people that have a 360, that version of Symphony is still a solid alternative. Still only five bucks to this day. Not quite there with the PS1 version, but I'd take it over the PSP version and its subsequent ports: https://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/Prod ... 0258410847
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by cave hermit »

360 version was how I first experienced the game, I thought it was pretty solid. Apparently it is a favorite of speed runners due to its reduced loading times.

Kind of borderline, but I'm playing through Bloodstained; I originally bought the PS4 version at launch but only played up to the twin dragons boss. This time I picked up the steam version and... well the game is just as janky as I remember, if not moreso (although some of it may be my PC which randomly stutters since a botched upgrade). The core gameplay itself however is superb, and reminds me of why I love SOTN so much.

I believe I'm at the halfway point of the game, I reached the hall of termination and I just beat the 8-bit nightmare level. I'm going for a INT build using Riga... whatever it's called. It's the big exploding fireball that you get by fusing a ruby with the fire pillar shard from the giant inexplicable cat demon.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by CyberAngel »

On the off chance somebody cares, I made a commented CV2 playthrough. Just a casual "1CC", nothing spectacular.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

I'm gonna watch (most of) this just to honour the amount of effort you must've made in writing those comments!
and the patience to learn bloody CV2 of all things! I've never wanted to 1cc such trash game...
Have to respect you for that.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by BIL »

I wouldn't call CV2 trash, just mediocre on stage & boss design. Had the mansions been tight CV1-style gauntlets, I'd find most of its ARPG trappings charming. OST still murders, too, and it's my favourite to look at of the FC trilogy (not a high bar, admittedly, graphics never being FC Dracula's strongest suit).

Worth finishing for the lore at any rate. Rondo/Nocturne team clearly loved referencing it as much as I & III. Image
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

I'd say it's worth going through the once, with a guide, probably.

Ahhhh I'm just having a conversation with a friend who insists that..
Dawn of Sorrow art work is better than Aria's.
And that DoS's faces specifically are better than the faces in SotN art.
"It's cleaner."

I might have to put him down.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by CyberAngel »

CV2 definitely would score low if you were to look at it as a classic Vania. But seriously, compare it to your usual IGAvania and it starts looking like how that design style would work in 8-bit era. I mean, low-challenge grindy maps and easily exploitable damage sponge bosses aren't anything unusual for those, so...
Blinge wrote:Ahhhh I'm just having a conversation with a friend who insists that..
Dawn of Sorrow art work is better than Aria's.
And that DoS's faces specifically are better than the faces in SotN art.
"It's cleaner."
To be fair, I do find it hard to imagine how Ayami Kojima's style would work in motion (because OF COURSE a DS game should have an FMV intro!), but yeah...
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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CyberAngel wrote:I do find it hard to imagine how Ayami Kojima's style would work in motion
Alucard and Dracula in Castlevania Netflix certainly use Ayami Kojima's style.

DoS artwork are not that bad overall for the main cast, but it definitely ruins Alucard, Julius, and Yoko.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

Soma looks like a bellend
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Austin »

I've gotten used to the art. A bit jarring coming from the older games, especially at the time of its release, but some of it does work well, like when you get the bad ending.

At least it doesn't take away from the quality of the in-game visuals of DoS, which are still excellent if you ask me. Man, I need to do another run of that game soon..
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by it290 »

BIL wrote:My favourite to look at of the FC trilogy (not a high bar, admittedly, graphics never being FC Dracula's strongest suit)
You're crazy, man. III is a marvel to behold and has some of the most beautiful palette combinations, background ambiance, and subtle detail on the system. I honestly think it's one of the best-looking NES games of the 'serious' variety (tho for animation the system is obviously better suited to cartoony stuff).
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by BIL »

I don't find the FC games unappealing to look at, but CV2 is the only one I'd consistently rate above functional, with its striking rural vistas. CV1 is 1986 and gets a pass, not much to compare its quaint SMB1-style Block Mania with. I've a fond indulgence for CV3's stages, as they're pretty much CV1 with added neon terror shock, but I wouldn't put them in the same league as Batman's from the same year - and its BG tiling is occasionally jagged and obvious, to an extent largely avoided by CV1 and CV2. Look at CV3's opening church tower, for example, or compare Batman's towering, rock-solid (bwaaa!) st3-3 cavern with CV3's patchy, Block-anchored Demon Seed rafting.

GUN-DEC, Solbrain, Jigoku Gokurakumaru, 2010 Street Fighter, Ninja Gaiden II and Ninja Gaiden III's settings all outclass CV3's, too. The former four make Batman-esque use of contrasting black shadows and vivid-to-obscene colour, the latter two excel even without that detail-boosting trick - all have convincingly massive, contiguous scenes with zero reliance on Block Mania, and little to no BG tiling mishaps.

Not to go all XTREEM TECHNOLOGY - Dynamite Batman is one of the most technologically advanced R2RKMFs on the system, but I don't find it nearly as pleasing as the first game. Floating platforms? In my cathedral? GTFO

As far as sprites and animation, again I consider CV3 to be CV1 Plus. No bad thing, the protagonists and monsters are all efficiently done - but it's consistently function first, form second, where its peers had started to develop beyond that. GUN-DEC, Jigoku, 2010SF and Ninja Gaiden II/III have more intricate enemy detailing (compare NGII's visibly famished, rabidly chasing Fleamen to CVIII's humpity humpers :shock:) and although it's not a 1:1 comparison with Batman's single character versus CV3's four, there's nothing in the latter that compares to his billowing cape (take that Alucard!) or explosive wall-springs (get owned Grant! :wink:).

Not an ugly game, just a rung down from what I consider superior FC Compact Action Man™ aesthetics.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

What about CV3's block climbing outside area thooo. That whole route is pretty decent.

ghost ship is ugly as all fuck.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by BIL »

Yeah that BG is ok (IIRC? I avoid Melty Blocks Daisakusen like the fookin plague Image) NES ver Loop 2 Rarf/Grant All Up Route 4 me (`ω´メ)

If I recall, it reminded me of the lakeside vista seen at the very bottom of SOTN's Outer Wall (or perhaps during CV4's collapsing bridge... which initially appeared in Haunted Castle, and has a reprise in CVIII, and Dracula XX... interesting how this setpiece consistently took place over water, I suppose it's an easy surface to make look nice tiled over a long stretch), where you can spy on the ferryman jerking off and chill with the birds. Press [up] to sit in the chair, some people don't know!

But dem blocks, mahfucka ( ・`ω`・)>⌐■-■

SHITS BE GETTIN ME DOWN (■`W´■)

This reminds me of why MAD FOREST is my favourite CVIII setting. There the blocks are sparingly-used enough to give a convincing sense of ruin, amidst the nice mossy forest floor.

Convincing as long as you don't ponder why a triple drill press is working away in the deserted countryside. >_> This place is fucking haunted, Scoob! Yeah... that's it, it's a wine press. Or some other farm shit. Villagers got ran off by the demons and ghosts fucked it up. The headcanoning joy of hardcore R2RKMF is underrated imo. Image
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Blinge wrote:What about CV3's block climbing outside area thooo. That whole route is pretty decent.

ghost ship is ugly as all fuck.
This x1000

I sometimes avoid that route just because I can't be bothered to look at fucken ghostship BGs

Shame since this is the shortest route.


Falling blocks you climb upwards is a lil bit annoying yeah but other than that, that route is quite nice IIRC. I think it doesn't involve the many other spts of falling blocks (catacomb) I think? That bit is more tedious


Extron matrix switcher is arriving here soon so I'll have a split signal to send to my capture card again, I'll be practising CV3 1LC.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by BIL »

Ghost Ship is uglier than a motherfucker, but as some recompense, the next several locales are all pretty nice imo, and very distinct - and they have excellent unique BGMs, too.

Image

Watchtower. Classic CV1 st2 vermilion walls, PROFUNDO ROSSO baybee!

Image

Bridge / Aqueduct. This is pretty much CV1 st4-2's courtyard/entryway, and as with there, I like the cooling dark blues and peach bricks. Stream fuckin bops.

Image

Courtyard. The upper route's most chromatically spiky stage - I think the CGA-esque cyan and magenta go nicely with the dark green ivy. This may be my fondness for the Battle of Olympus talking, admittedly! Also, Aquarius soothes all pains.

The lower route's swamp/catacomb/crypt/dungeon aesthetic is more monotonous, with a muddier palette, and prominent use of the deliberately bleak Nightmare and Anxiety. (ignoring the rather catchy, route-exclusive Demon Seed, and the optional Sunken City with Aquarius).

It's also harder, at least imo. It was my first playthrough, and even ignoring the boring and/or frustrating Melty Blocks Daisakusen, I kinda hated it. Replayed the upper route and enjoyed that one's variety and aesthetics a lot more. Once I was done with that I went back to Lower, and appreciated it as a deliberately trying subterranean ordeal. So I always suggest newbies go Up first, Down last.
Last edited by BIL on Fri May 01, 2020 1:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

Rather specific request..
.. Does anyone know of a list of 68K wallmeats?
I'm getting brutalized here..
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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I know going for the classic st1 wallmeat will get you fisted by an army of fleamen, and the real one is elsewhere in the room. :lol:

There's one around the st3 archers, IIRC, and another near Medusa. There's also a really nice secret area near st4's Literal Bloody Tears bit. My memory's goin' after that though!

I'm sure GameFAQs will have something. That's absolutely not a cheeky dig! I am a proud contributor and regular peruser myself. Image Checking under "Castlevania Chronicles" will probably get the best result. IIRC Original Mode's wallmeats are 1:1 with the X68k's.

EDIT: Aha! Our own good chap Zach Keene has this up. I'd give a look. Breaks down each stage into its constituent areas, CTRL+F "MEAT" Image
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Thanks birru sama.
That fucking stained glass guy on stage 3 man JESUS
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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He's fairly cheese-able if you can spawn him, then backtrack to the staircase and snipe with subweapons (try an advancing Holy Water, then back up so he follows you onto the flame). Fighting him head-on effectively is probably gonna take some rehearsal, he hits hard and can take a beating, with a nasty revenge attack. It can be done though!
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Ah zack keene has a nice cheese method that i will use without guilt.
shame his breakdown misses the way to actually fight bosses other than "spam triple cross" for some of them. :lol:
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Yeah all those stages you mentionned look dope BIRRU. It's just the ghostship one that's bleh but it's well worth pulling through (Faxanadu's mist town is how you really do haunting rotten GRAFX on the Famicom). I do dig turquoise/magenta/mint green mashups, and I consider Battle of Olympus a really great looking game too.

And also while dicking about in CV3 as I often do, I switched good ol ' BERRUMONDO for Sypha and UNHOLY FVCK... why didn't you guyze tell me she's so kvlt! Frying fuckers face? turning them into crystals of ice and SPLODING them into millions of pieces, turning rivers into ice and trapping the poor sahuagins, whom you then proceed to club mercilessly?

I also managed to block projectiles that came from slightly above, because of her downward staff arc that starts over her head and descends. Pretty nifty
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Sypha has quite the arsenal, and IIRC the FC version has a glitch where her Bubble spell can near-instakill bosses. Even on NES though, she can bulldoze hard targets with a well-placed subweapon. Her staff (wooden spoon? :mrgreen:) is indeed a deceptively useful melee attack, too. Lacks reach, but snaps out nice n' quick - useful for swatting pests/projectiles.

NES Grant is my favourite partner. His Rygar jump introduces a sensible degree of improv, and while his dagger is cruelly short-ranged, he's actually the game's swiftest melee killer. Get in close and jam it in their fuckin spine Image High risk/high yield ninja shredder. He can also skip massive chunks of stage by climbing walls but let's forget about that. Image Ceiling-running can often be more trouble than it's worth, but there's no denying how cool it looks (and feels) to bust it out in situations where the other three would be forced to hack through or retreat.

Haha, I'd never considered Faxanadu's Mist area alongside CVIII's ghost ship. That'd have been one hell of an upgrade... I only saw it for the first time a couple years back and was floored at the pestilence of it. Especially checking the abandoned houses, sometimes finding only desertion, others a gibbering fiend rushing from the corner. Image

Wanna mention Sword Master's second stage here too, another highlight of Famicom horror. Best "serious" 2D zombie I've ever seen.

Image

Poor fucker looks ruined. Head and upper body lolling groundward, arms askew and sickeningly palsied, feet dragging flat... I like my undead with a degree of pathos; broken, ravaged bodies impelled by ruthless force to rise and lash out. In a peppier mode, Vampire Killer zombies are also exemplary. Look at those rotten puce-toned sods flinging themselves onward in the target's general direction! That's not the gait of a healthy individual! Also, sometimes there is a pesky snacky fly who scarpers at the first sign of trouble, ungrateful little fucker.

Image

(Metal Slug 3's are more expressive, and have some pretty horrific animations in concept - old dude's spilling his guts, LITERALY ROFL! meanwhile his homie's licking his lips after puking up a fresh armload of scum, buhh - but they're ofc more comedic in tone)

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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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I didn't know you could boot fiends while swinging in Bloodlines. You are insane haha
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by BIL »

Yep, 110% i-frames :cool: I like to use it on the st4 boss's rushing attacks, you can go straight through him with impunity. EDIT: god that replay is trash, I've been meaning to do a better one for seven years now. :lol: (just looking at it I immediately remember, the POW whip is slightly "heavier"/slower and needs subtly different timing)
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

FinalBaton wrote:I didn't know you could boot fiends while swinging in Bloodlines. You are insane haha
Haha lemme show you my stuff at 15:20

eye eye cap'n Morris.

Another note about Sypha is that her wooden spoon hits both high and low against axe armours If memory serves correct!
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by FinalBaton »

Blinge wrote:
Haha lemme show you my stuff at 15:20

eye eye cap'n Morris.
that was lit af. that replay LMAO. too good

Blinge wrote:Another note about Sypha is that her wooden spoon hits both high and low against axe armours If memory serves correct!
interesting tidbit on her spoon's hitbox!
Last edited by FinalBaton on Fri May 01, 2020 5:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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