Castlevania Miscellanies

[BIL]

Block 10 isn't as tough, really. More of a glorified boss alley before MASTER D. It has its pinch points for sure, but it's such a short stage that if you survived 9, you'll get them down in no time - especially as Sypha's ice neutralises its nastiest bit, the bone pillars on the crumbling bridge. Rush in, freeze and bop 'em, job done. Spiders much the same.

You can tell they knew they were being a bit cheeky with the BGM "Pressure," haha. That's BGM that could only work on such a short stage (unlike B9's utterly epic "Riddle," the game's great underrated track).

[Blinge]

especially as Sypha's ice neutralises its nastiest bit, the bone pillars on the crumbling bridge.

And if you don't have ice.. ?



argh it doesn't even start you at dracula if you die on him!?
I don't like the videogame any more. =(

[BIL]

Then you better have lube.

Naw, Fire can blow through Bone Pillars quick, and so can Lightning at point-blank. Sypha's a sound partner for mowing through that bit. Grant has the option of jumping over the bone pillars, IIRC, and Alucard can fly... Trevor solo is a bit trickier but still doable. Basically you don't want to dilly-dally fighting BPs while the floor is crumbling away. It's only a very short section, quite possible to make a break for the door if things are going to shit.

[Blinge]

^ edited my post.

So far I've just been using trevor to take a hit and walk through..
Cant use sypha's fire because I need the axe from previous section to get the 1-up.

[BIL]

The Dracula checkpoint knockback is one of the more despised NES changes - the FC one plonks you back at the foot of the staircase, as per Akumajou Dracula SOP. ;3

I was born and raised in the brutal salty hell of NTSCU aka Eagleland, so I lack the sensitivity to really notice the FC's amenities... It is totally legit though. The NES one mostly just adds a thin layer of annoyance to an already challenging game.

[FinalBaton]

Ugh ... That part you're at is such a pain Blinge. Bats coming at your back while fighting BP...
I remember beating the BP with Trevor, standing just before the first crumbling floor block and jumping and throwing axes at jump's max height. Probably Not the best way to handle this segment but... Hey I got it after a couple of tries.

I finally cleared the game for the first time last month. It punished me again and again, but I friggin did it!
Don't give up!

[EXEXEX]

Am I the only one who doesn't like Harmony of Dissonance?

I love SotN btw, and HoD try to replicates SotN. But that game is just, shittiest CV has ever don IMO.

[Blinge]

Don't give up!

https://youtu.be/P3ALwKeSEYs

Edit - To clarify: I beat the game. Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Also..

U mad?

[Aisha]

Am I the only one who doesn't like Harmony of Dissonance?

I love SotN btw, and HoD try to replicates SotN. But that game is just, shittiest CV has ever don IMO.

No, I didn't care much for Harmony of Dissonance either. Circle of the Moon turned out to be my favorite GBA Castlevania title.

[Austin]

Am I the only one who doesn't like Harmony of Dissonance?

I love SotN btw, and HoD try to replicates SotN. But that game is just, shittiest CV has ever don IMO.

No. Graphics aside, HoD has few redeeming qualities IMO.

[FinalBaton]

Don't give up!

https://youtu.be/P3ALwKeSEYs

Edit - To clarify: I beat the game. Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Also..

U mad?

Yesssss good job

[Blinge]

cheers finalbaton!

No, I didn't care much for Harmony of Dissonance either. Circle of the Moon turned out to be my favorite GBA Castlevania title.

Really? I thought Aria was supposed to be the good one? but fair enough
I've only just started playing Circle casually and it seems a bit bland thus far.
I'm sure it'll get better. Starting underground instead of a flashy entrance hall was maybe a bold move but it all looks the same down here.

[BIL]

HOD is pretty trashy next to the very respectable COTM and AOS, yep. Air controls are shockingly clumsy, boss roster is a near-unremitting poke/backdash tech demo, and the map is blatantly padded with empty corridors and shafts to mash L/R through.

Having said all that, I'm fond of its twisting bi-dimensional treaure hunt and striking, often spectacular scenery*; fond enough to keep a JP copy around to go with COTM and AOS. It's by far the most interesting of the three in those regards, and I enjoy watching it unfold over the very occasional replay.

Almost totally barren beyond progression and aesthetic, though. COTM's polar opposite. And where AOS's Hard mode, lazy parameter tweak though it is, brings out a few excellent boss battles, HOD's equivalent just stretches already vapid action into outright tedium. Stick with Normal's relatively snappy tempo. Trust me. FFS!

I've only just started playing Circle casually and it seems a bit bland thus far.
I'm sure it'll get better. Starting underground instead of a flashy entrance hall was maybe a bold move but it all looks the same down here.

It never really improves on that front tbh. Probably the dryest game of the entire Japan-developed canon. It does develop some very snappy SOTN Richter-modeled action once you hit the Machine Tower, though. By far the most uncompromisingly tough of the GBA trio, with airtight control and collision to back it up.

*ignoring the appalling "just violently sharted" player sprites, of course

[trap15]

HoD also has some pretty neat music.

[CStarFlare]

Today I decided that I'd take a run through Boku Dracula-Kun for a little sidescrolling fun; I perpetually intend to spend more time trying to 1CC old sidescrollers and never follow through. I'm a little disappointed - for a parody game, it's surprisingly lacking in charm. I'm tempted to chalk that up to FC limitations, though we all know what they were able to do with Densetsu a year earlier. The central idea of having Dracula as your main character is wasted in favor of sending him to jump hang around in blue skies on a sunny (!) day and visit a robot factory - only the first stage makes any use of the premise. There's the occasional horror-themed enemy, but they're out of place and are mostly as bland as the environments they're in.

(I actually set the game aside at stage 6 which I understand is really lazy for a game that is an hour long.)

The game's challenge is built around environmental traps and platforming (it's really hard to die from losing all your health; bosses are pitiful), which makes a bit of a waste of the array of attack options. The platforming stuff gets me more often than it should - I don't know if it's the large sprites throwing me off, or if my pad has too much lag, or if I'm just terrible. Other little things bother me - I'm pretty sure spikes did damage in stage 3 but instakill in other places, the bat morph can't fly straight and cancels immediately if you come into contact with literally anything, the between stage games and stage 5 quiz boss are pace-killers, and I just get this weird feeling Konami wanted to make a Rockman clone as much as they wanted to make a Castlevania spinoff. It's enhanced by the fact that the stages don't really lead to one another, almost like they were just a collection of environments to be selected from a hub - Air Man, Bubble Man, Pharaoh Man. And from what youtube tells me, there's actually Metools in the final stage.

The internet seems to have a reasonably good opinion of it but it just doesn't click with me. (Though I see Famitsu gave it a 25 which feels about right) What am I missing here? Is there any point in giving the GB game a look?

[Captain]

HoD also has some pretty neat music.

Trap, get real, every Castlevania has neat music.

[trap15]

It's tru

[Skykid]

HoD also has some pretty neat music.

It also has some of the worst music in all of Castlevaniadom.

HoD is definitely one of - if not the weakest - of the Metroidvanias.

[BrianC]

Castlevania Legends also has disappointing music for a CV game, especially compared to the awesome tunes of the first two GB games.

[Austin]

HoD also has some pretty neat music.

It also has some of the worst music in all of Castlevaniadom.

True story.

[azmun]

I recently played Vampire Killer on MD for the first time. It's now among my favorite in the series. Graphics and sountrack are amazing--definitely among the best MD has to offer. Also love it when your weapon is fully powered up (i.e. looks awesome & fierce) and you get to hear remix tracks of older Vania tunes.

I still feel Rondo on PCE is best and kinda regret parting with it. Admittedly, I've only played a few handful and skipped the hand held versions altogether. I've played parts 1-3 on FC/FDS back in the day but never got around to completing them. I also started giving SotN on PS a second chance and enjoying it a bit more this time around. Still contemplating on acquiring Chronicles on PS.

Interesting read in that interview on how these games were meant to be played on a pad. Never felt tempted to try any of my arcade sticks. OK, maybe I'll give em a try someday. It's just the FC/NES or SFC/SNES pads feel so natural and right at home and I can't imagine using any other device. Thankfully, adapters are around to use em beloved pads instead of the MD and PS one's.

[Blinge]

^ actually i'd be interested to know if SoTN's hard as balls spell inputs are any easier on stick.

I didn't manage to execute Saturn SoTN Maria's invincibility spell once.

[Squire Grooktook]

Harmony is indeed kinda worthless to play but I personally find that at it's best it's music and environments generate a uniquely oppressive and morbid atmosphere.

Spoiler

Probably one of my favorite setpieces/backgrounds.

[soprano1]

Squire, what's with the Super Eagle filter?

[Captain]

Squire, why does Maxim have boobs?

[Squire Grooktook]

Squire, why does Maxim have boobs?

I think the bigger question is, why does Juste not?

[soprano1]

Now that i think about it, he looks like bishounen Santa Claus.

[Blinge]

The best castlevania player feat. Simon Blingemondo

[FinalBaton]

The best castlevania player feat. Simon Blingemondo

Haha that was a lot of fun to watch. Nicely put together

The second battle with Death was just too intense! >w>

[Skykid]

The best castlevania player feat. Simon Blingemondo

Ha ha, I lol'd for real! Great ending.

This is pretty timely for me as I was trying to 1cc this a couple months ago. Admittedly I only gave it a couple of days before getting distracted and failing to return (I hang my whip in shame) but the castle parapet at the end was driving me to despair, really.

Why didn't you use the holy water freeze on Death tho? That one definitely relieves some angst.