Castlevania Miscellanies

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

Post by Sumez »

Obscura wrote:Just started Bloodstained.

Is it just me, or is this... really kinda weak? Just cleared stage 3, have yet to get anywhere near a game over screen. Each character having their own HP bar is a terrible idea for so many reasons
(....=
Character balance also seems wack; is there any reason to not just use Miriam unless her health is low or you need to use "not-Alucard" to fly?
Using companions is easy-mode for practicing the game. The true game is ignoring all of them (neither joining nor killing them) and playing true Zangetsu solo mode.

Still not a particularly hard game, but challenging enough to be a lot of fun.
Don't be fooled by "nightmare mode" though. It's not really harder than normal mode, aside from some charged up bosses, but it has a different story and a new final stage. You are forced to use the companions though. The true game is solo Zangetsu on normal.
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Obscura
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

MommysBestGames wrote:
Obscura wrote:Just started Bloodstained.
Did you end up beating it?
Without spoiling it, it really gets interesting after a while. I loved the level design as it used various enemies well and put your character abilities to the test. Give it a bit more time if you haven't already.
But yeah, not tough. Kinda like how people say "dad bod". Well this is "dad core". Not tough, but I found it pretty fun to play nonetheless.
Haven't yet, will probably get back to it to finish tonight. Just finished stage 6 last night; why did they make a boss that can be killed by just crouching in one place with "not Alucard" and mashing attack repeatedly?

EDIT: Also, playing "not Trevor"-only sounds like it'd be boring as hell? No choice on the branching paths, and perpetually stuck to the short whip without most any of the cooler subweapons (you do have the holy water, but no cross or axe)? No thanks.
Last edited by Obscura on Fri Aug 31, 2018 2:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sumez
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Sumez »

Isn't that the blood lady whatever? Notalucard is definitely ideal for fighting her without effort, but how do you even reach her if you are crouching?
Can you avoid her hitbox if you crouch on the top umbrella?? If that's the case, I beat the game 8 times, and never realised that.

Anyway, the answer to your question has already been answered. Using the other guys is the game's easy mode. Solo Zangetsu without unlocked skills is the true game.
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Obscura
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

You don't even have to go to the top umbrella with Notalucard lol. He can hit her from the second one while crouching.

I answered about "solo Zangetsu" in an edit, but to repeat myself so it's here, "Also, playing "not Trevor"-only sounds like it'd be boring as hell? No choice on the branching paths, and perpetually stuck to the short whip without most any of the cooler Castlevania subweapons (you do have the holy water, but no cross or axe)? No thanks."
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Sumez »

Zangetsu is more not-Ryu than he's not-Trevor.
But no, it's actually fun as hell, since it makes the gameplay vastly more precision based. Also, when you die, you actually lose a life. :P

It's not just a player-imposed challenge, it is very clear that the game is designed around this aspect, and offers its own specific ending, too.

EDIT: I recommend playing the easier version of solo Zangetsu first though, where you kill the other guys when you first meet them (instead of talking to them).
It unlocks a new set of skills (entirely different from what the other guys come with) that adds a lot of mobility to how you play as him. It's a lot of fun to play around with, but also makes the game easier, so it's a good way to get to know the stages.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

I don't see any Ryu in him? No air control, can't cling to walls, doesn't run nearly as fast as Ryu, doesn't have near-instant attack startup and recovery in the air, doesn't have a windmill throwing star or a jumpslash.

He handles more like short-whip only Trevor with no axe or boomerang, IMO.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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It's mostly the deadly close-combat sword attacks. IMO he marries Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania in a fine manner.
Miriam is more of a Belmont.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

His damage isn't any higher than Miriam's, though, and it's lower than NotAlucard's provided you're close enough to hit with all of NotAlucard's bats. He takes two hits to kill most anything other than a basic zombie or flying bat; you can't get much further from Ryu than that!

EDIT: If anything, it's as though Zangetsu is Grant (minus air control and the ability to crawl and ceiling-walk). Fast, short-range, stabby stab-stab, but he has to stab a lot to slice through an enemy. Having Holy Water definitely breaks the mold, though.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

OK, you're right -- while the game is pretty dull with the full character roster, I've started doing a bit of Zangetsu + special moves from murdered "friends", and there's quite a bit of fun to be had here. That command dash is love.

The bosses still suck, though!
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Zangetsu can attack much faster than the other characters, which makes his overall damage output higher. And one of his subweapons doubles the damage he does. So he can make really quick work of some bosses.

The bosses are absolutely the worst part of the game though. I especially think that wolf snake thing is horrible. Some can be fun to go for the no-damage bonus on though. But they are complete memorizers.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Well I uploaded my clumsy ass CVIII 1cc to Youtube.
There are some clutch AF moments to be had.

https://youtu.be/2anFOsZVpcA

Also the most annoying thing about "Ritual of the Night"

Is that it just sounds fucking awful. Very clunky use of English.
May have had this rant before. That is all.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Oh man, if that's enough to bother you, make sure you NEVER read any of the text scrolls in "Curse of the Moon" :lol: Literal fanfic-tier writing!
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

Just got a 1cc with Zangetsu only w/spirit powers. Oddly, this actually makes the final stage easier than the "party style", double jump + dash makes those "run from the worm" bits soooooo much easier.

Stage 6 boss is surprisingly fun with only Zangetsu! Kind of like a supereasy mod of Jacquio. The rest of the bosses are total trash. Stage 7 is the real threat and the thing that can derail a 1cc attempt, there's a few really tricky segments on that stage, it seems like any first 1cc is going to have to bring a shit-ton of lives into there.

Overall, this particular style kinda reminds me of Bloodlines -- handling is inflexible, but you've got so many ways of bursting forward quickly and ripping things to shreds that you can really move forward aggressively and with confidence, you just have to realize that you're committing when you do so. Difficulty is pretty similar too, possibly a touch easier.

Still need to play the "ignore the demons" style, but I suspect that "grab the special powers" will end up being the most fun way to play. Or possibly Ultimate Mode to have the powers from the start, but I don't know how OP that Ultimate-only charge attack is yet.

EDIT: Got the clear on the "ignore the boss souls entirely" style on my first try. If you can get an authoritative clear with the "kill the boss souls" route, you should be able to do it without the soul powers without any problems. Playing with soul powers is easily the way to go, the extra aggression they enable is just so much more fun than playing a very paint-by-numbers take on Castlevania 1.

What's the story on the final boss's first form? Is it just entirely random and luck based? I can't see any pattern to how the worm moves.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Ultimate Mode is pretty boring, IMO. Zangetsu is waaaay too overpowered. You get the charge attack from the start.
I still think the powerup-less solo Zangetsu is the most fun way to play. Killing the "boss souls" makes it easy to cheese most of the enemies with double jumps and the huge hitbox of the spin slash thing.
Obscura wrote:Oh man, if that's enough to bother you, make sure you NEVER read any of the text scrolls in "Curse of the Moon" :lol: Literal fanfic-tier writing!
I thought it was intentionally "old school" silly/engrish'ish
Obscura wrote: What's the story on the final boss's first form? Is it just entirely random and luck based? I can't see any pattern to how the worm moves.
Never figured it out, even on the "hard" patterns, he's super easy to out-DPS.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

Aside from, like, two sections, I'm not really convinced that jump-slash makes the game any easier per se, though. Anyone buying this game has been doing this long enough that they can smack a Medusa Head consistently with a straight-line attack; the arc is fun, but it's not really doing as much for you as you think. Like I said, doing the game with boss souls a couple times was enough for me to be able to 1cc the game with "true solo" on my first try, and I only needed to adjust my strategies for two rooms in stage 6 (the boss and that one room with the panthers and sawblades); the rest, I was able to deal with in almost the exact same way. Using the jump-slash to hit above and below you is less powerful than you think, given how easy it is to switch subweapons, and the holy water and up-chain can handle most of those use-cases.

The best of the abilities is easily the dash -- that thing is game changing, since not only does it let you move faster, but it gives you a second, more lateral, jump-arc. Even then, it's not making it easier as much as it is just letting you move in on things much more aggressively.

If anything, I'm finding Ultimate harder than "true solo" just because of the upgraded bosses.

EDIT: OK, just beat Ultimate, and while I do like having all of the powers from the start and the better bosses, the charge attack is definitely a problem. It makes the bosses go a lot more smoothly (especially the last boss, who is a major time-suck otherwise), but its hitbox is just much too good in the levels, letting you pretty much never interact with any enemy you don't feel like. "Only allow yourself charge attack on the bosses" is probably the way to go, although that's getting a bit too far into goofy self-imposed challenge land for my tastes...

Also, on the last boss's first form, the key is to always go to the opposite corner of the hand. Hand pointing upper left means lower right will be empty, etc. Both hands straight up means "stay on central platform", both hands down means "stay on either upper platform at the side". Purple means the orbs will be close, green means far.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

Playing around with Sypha only in CVIII Is pretty fun, actually. Will probably go for a clear like this.

The last stage is a total bitch for her, though. Will have to try carrying the thunder orbz there.

The one thing that really turns me off doing a Trevor only run is the fucking doppelganger.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Blinge wrote:The one thing that really turns me off doing a Trevor only run is the fucking doppelganger.
Doppleganger is going to be tough with anyone but Sypha. With Trevor though there are speed strats with the holy water. I'm going to suggest checking out a speedrun of it with Trevor and just replicate what they do. From what I've seen it should be pretty consistent.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by FinalBaton »

There are ways to get Dopps stuck with Trevor. will try to record one or two semi-reliable methods

I should try a playthrough with Sypha as well, only ever played her for little bits at a time but she plays interesting, for sure. I think that'd be a fun run
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

There's no holy water in Doppel's whole stage is there?
I'd have to bring one from the previous stage and not drop a life.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Austin »

That's a good question, I don't remember.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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yooo Sypha only 1cc run is DONE son!!
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Blinge wrote:There's no holy water in Doppel's whole stage is there?
I'd have to bring one from the previous stage and not drop a life.
Looks like there is one, on the green ascending section, on the right after the first fuzzball. quite hard to get I should think.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Started my first proper playthrough of Drac X. First impressions are that it’s a lot harder than IV, mostly via bats and medusa heads so far. Read a lot of complaints about the speed but I’m presuming those people are comparing it to Rondo/OT; my only point of reference is IV so it doesn’t really bother me. Weird visually – some parts look stunning, some look good until they move and you realise there isn’t a single layer of parallax, and some look straight out of my first colouring book. Musically, I can’t stand what they’ve done to the tunes I recognise from IV – it’s an atrocity. Game tore me a new one to begin with, but managed to find a bit of rhythm and made it to ST4 after a few goes. Main rule seems to be pause before you even think of jumping – every death I’ve had so far has come from trying to plough through a stage at full speed. Yeah, enjoying so far.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

Got the Trevor only clear earlier, still going the easy route.

But now I'm in the mood for some shanking.
Taking solo grant through the underwater ruins. It's doable!
Just fucking tough, I wonder, I think a Ninja Gaiden 1cc would actually be easier..
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Obscura »

Ninja Gaiden 1cc is miles easier than any CV3 1cc, IMO.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Squire Grooktook »

Much, much easier.

Ninja Gaiden 1cc is much easier after a single credit feed run

Number of ">" represent the jump in difficulty:

Credit Feed >> 1cc >>>>>>> 1LC

It took me like 2 hours to get a 1cc after the credit feed. 1LC took me 2 days after the 1cc.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by Blinge »

Just 1cc'd CV3 Doracura's Curse, solo Grant, underwater ruins route! :shock:
Recorded it too. Not sure whether to try and add annotations myself (now youtube doesn't offer them anymore) or just upload it raw.

Ahhhh man. I've still got shaky hands!

Thankyou Birru for telling us years ago how intense it is to run around with the little stabby man.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Congrats, and I know right? Juke and jive and jam it in their fuckin spine. :cool:

The Theme of NES Grant
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

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Man I'm unable to ever see Steve Coogan as anyone other than Tony Wilson.
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Re: Castlevania Miscellanies

Post by BIL »

Still not watched that one myself, actually fuck, I've not seen that Joy Division biopic either. I keep putting 'em off! Like most things!
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