Castlevania Miscellanies

[BIL]

1LC? That's your bag BIL, I have other commitments!

I regret nothing!

[Austin]

Did anyone manage to slog through Lords of Shadow 2? I heard it was ok later on in the game, but the early stealth sections put me off and I never bothered to make it any farther in the game. Ended up trading it in yesterday, figured I'll just re-buy it for the CV collection in a year when it's $10 or $15, heh.

Started playing Rhondo again on my PC Engine. Easily a masterpiece.. Great visuals, sound, stage design, and you can't not love the feel of your whip slicing through enemies like butter!

[Skykid]

I played through the first LoS, wouldn't bother with the second.

They're not strictly CV games anyway.

[Skykid]

Attempted Rondo's normal route today and unless it's playing tricks, it seems a lot more challenging than the hidden B-routes. Dullahan is a bit of ass, which is surprising, since the bosses aren't usually challenging.

Curious if anyone has a preferred route through the game? I know you can switch between upper and lower stages at different points.

[BIL]

Pretty sure Dullahan is just one of the less forgiving bosses. With the lack of room his attacks can either trap or poke you easily if you're not familiar with him, and with Rondo's damage scale being fairly harsh, they add up quickly.

Awesome boss. A big casualty of Dracula XX since besides the SFC's more spacious arena, when you fight him there, you automatically have the key and its item crash = L O L

IIRC the only Rondo stage I found noticeably tougher than others was actually a lower route one... 6' I think? The one that's a pastiche of other levels' backgrounds that includes a pincer ambush by two Armour Lords. It's pretty clearly supposed to be the "optional challenge" stage, some fairly timing-intensive platforming in there too. Did you find that one yet? Not as tough as XX's clock tower, mind.

[Skykid]

Yes, I've already got the 100%, but I'm glad you mentioned that one because it confused me yesterday.

I think the stage is 5', the one where Death is the boss. I first triggered it as Annette and assumed it was her version of Stage 5 - but then I played through as Richter, made no change to my normal B route and suddenly ended up there again.

What's the rule to just getting the normal 5 pirate ship stage again? Or is it just once 5' is first reached with Annette it becomes the default for all characters?

And yes, I think it's probably the game's toughest. No big deal with Annette but with Richter it threw an unexpected spanner in my run.

[BrianC]

Annette? You mean Maria?

[Skykid]

Annette? You mean Maria?

Whoops yes. Is there an Annette in Rondo or am I imagining it?

[Mortificator]

She's another of the girls you rescue.

It's natural that you'd find 5' the hardest; Play did an interview with Iga where he said the staff of the PCE game made that stage with the attitude "I'll show you Castlevania!"

Anyway, both 4 and 4' have an route that ends with Dullahan and one that ends with Carmilla. It's beating Carmilla that brings you to 5', but only if you've cleared the game at least once in that file, I think.

[Captain]

It's natural that you'd find 5' the hardest; Play did an interview with Iga where he said the staff of the PCE game made that stage with the attitude "I'll show you Castlevania!"

I literally spat out what I was eating and gagged at this.

[Skykid]

Anyway, both 4 and 4' have an route that ends with Dullahan and one that ends with Carmilla. It's beating Carmilla that brings you to 5', but only if you've cleared the game at least once in that file, I think.

Gotcha, that would explain it. That stage is fierce, although as BIL mentioned, XX clock tower is probably more beastly - in fact most of Chronicles' later stages are tougher if I recollect.

Anyway I know what I'm doing now if I want to play or avoid it. Carmilla is a way easier boss than Dullahan though, so either way I'm jumping obstacles.

[BIL]

It's been so long since I browsed otobeya's Youtube, I'd forgotten how good his Famicom-style version of X68k Dracula's bass-slappin, cowbell-tappin MOON FIGHT is. Love the use of the classic door slam sfx!

[CID]

Maybe I'm just weird, I found the original Famicom game much harder....

As far as classic series go, the only one's I've never 1cc'd are XX and Legends, they are both awful games, and I simply can't stand playing them.

I also really love the arcade game (Haunted Castle), but stick to the Japanese version only. I have the Japanese PCB, and I've managed to counter-stop the game on 1 credit. The board is bugged, once you go over all 9's the score goes back down to like 980000 when you go over the max, I think I actually hit the counter stop on stage 38 if I remember right, this was a year or 2 ago now.

Here's my old 1cc vid using the real PCB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umn5npUM_XE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsjzQUW1JmQ

World record? LOL, this took about 3 hours if I remember right, I doubt I'll ever pull it off again.

I just watched your 1cc run. Some excellent techniques there. You're conservative on not relying on stopwatch abuse and thereby keeping your heart count up. I'm amazed at how you are able to duck the skeleton ghosts without having to back up. Their hitbox is brutally huge.

I noticed you get the watch after the underground river and not before. Never noticed the lack of hit
Of hit detection of the Skeledragon's body before. Nice trick. You walk to the right of harpy warp room then end on the left placing Simon right where he needs to be after warping back. Like I said, some really nice techniques. Oh and you handle the Eyes remarkably well. I'd say your biggest nemesis are the Mummies.

You swap out the watch for the cross just before Frankenstein's Mosnter. I'm going to have to try that. I'm curious though, is that to make the remaing batch quicker/easier or is it to give the battles more of a fight and not such a cheap victory?

During the collapsing bridge sequence you kill all the bats up to the last bit you can, then jump-hit the 5 remaining ones. I do the same, but I've always thought it shouldn't matter which 5 take the hits. Since some bats drop a single heart and others drop 5 hearts, I've always wanted to count out which bats drop which and then take the 5 hits on the single heart bats. Ultimately is would be best if it if was possible to perfectly time a pattern of jump attacks so there is no momentum loss. However if there is a pattern to be found I have yet to be lucky enough to find it.

I'd like to get back at trying further loops. I have a US cab, set to the most forgiving mode. Eventually I'll acquire a Japanese board. I'm not quite at your level though. I use what I call "the potion method" and have remapped the start button to the left hand jump button. This makes it close enough to the stick to quickly hit it the moment I need a boost on my life bar. I prefer it much more over the tank method. I think I'll stick to 1cc attempts now though.

Sorry, this is getting long. A really enjoyable run to watch. Glad to see someone else who appreciate HC as much as I.

[Ed Oscuro]

Stupid and not really topical, but...
<Ed_mpq4ua>: wondering if castlevania: lasagna of immolations would play well on it
<Arasoi>: Death stole 'cards lasgana
<Arasoi>: WHAT
<Arasoi>: Accursed Mondays!
<Arasoi>: *Draculas Castle theme*
<Ed_mpq4ua>: "are you the legendary macaroni that turns men's intestines into STONE?!"
<Arasoi>: Macdusa
<Ed_mpq4ua>: "what? Macaroni?! Insolence, I am elbow pastas"
<Ed_mpq4ua>: spinach flavored ones
<Arasoi>: medieval plague paintings of cheese avatars from heaven reaping innocent pastaz
<Ed_mpq4ua>: man ill needs a repast such as you
<Arasoi>: What is indigestion? A miserable little pile of shit.
<Ed_mpq4ua>: sadness, pcsx2's builds are still stuck in March
<Arasoi>: why for the pissx
<Ed_mpq4ua>: castlevania: limousine of impertinence
Thanks to Sliver-X for reminding me about this thread.

[SuperDeadite]

Maybe I'm just weird, I found the original Famicom game much harder....

As far as classic series go, the only one's I've never 1cc'd are XX and Legends, they are both awful games, and I simply can't stand playing them.

I also really love the arcade game (Haunted Castle), but stick to the Japanese version only. I have the Japanese PCB, and I've managed to counter-stop the game on 1 credit. The board is bugged, once you go over all 9's the score goes back down to like 980000 when you go over the max, I think I actually hit the counter stop on stage 38 if I remember right, this was a year or 2 ago now.

Here's my old 1cc vid using the real PCB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umn5npUM_XE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsjzQUW1JmQ

World record? LOL, this took about 3 hours if I remember right, I doubt I'll ever pull it off again.

I just watched your 1cc run. Some excellent techniques there. You're conservative on not relying on stopwatch abuse and thereby keeping your heart count up. I'm amazed at how you are able to duck the skeleton ghosts without having to back up. Their hitbox is brutally huge.

I noticed you get the watch after the underground river and not before. Never noticed the lack of hit
Of hit detection of the Skeledragon's body before. Nice trick. You walk to the right of harpy warp room then end on the left placing Simon right where he needs to be after warping back. Like I said, some really nice techniques. Oh and you handle the Eyes remarkably well. I'd say your biggest nemesis are the Mummies.

You swap out the watch for the cross just before Frankenstein's Mosnter. I'm going to have to try that. I'm curious though, is that to make the remaing batch quicker/easier or is it to give the battles more of a fight and not such a cheap victory?

During the collapsing bridge sequence you kill all the bats up to the last bit you can, then jump-hit the 5 remaining ones. I do the same, but I've always thought it shouldn't matter which 5 take the hits. Since some bats drop a single heart and others drop 5 hearts, I've always wanted to count out which bats drop which and then take the 5 hits on the single heart bats. Ultimately is would be best if it if was possible to perfectly time a pattern of jump attacks so there is no momentum loss. However if there is a pattern to be found I have yet to be lucky enough to find it.

I'd like to get back at trying further loops. I have a US cab, set to the most forgiving mode. Eventually I'll acquire a Japanese board. I'm not quite at your level though. I use what I call "the potion method" and have remapped the start button to the left hand jump button. This makes it close enough to the stick to quickly hit it the moment I need a boost on my life bar. I prefer it much more over the tank method. I think I'll stick to 1cc attempts now though.

Sorry, this is getting long. A really enjoyable run to watch. Glad to see someone else who appreciate HC as much as I.

Haven't played this in awhile, but I think I used the cross on Frankie simply because his animation is so poor that even freezing him still usually gets me killed by his invisible chain attack. Cross keeps me out of his range of that nonsense. Otherwise I'm not really a strategy type of player. I'm more of a reactionary type in general.

[Ed Oscuro]

So, apparently HG101's own Kurt Kalata is putting the finishing touches on a book about the series.

I didn't care to read every detail, but I saw something about a complete track listing.

[EmperorIng]

Wanted to bump the thread by saying I am having a good time with CV: Chronicles. I have roughly made it to the same place on both normal and arrange modes (medusa level). I sorta like the arrange music, but it can't beat the 68k soundtrack (not a fan of Simon's pink hair either but whatever). The game has some really nice level design and set-pieces, like in the aforementioned Medusa level where you slowly scale the giant statue crying (what else?) bloody tears.

Sometimes I wonder how I managed to beat CV III a few years back; probably the hardest game I ever beat. Then I remember: Syfa spamming Thunder, ha ha.

[BIL]

What bugs me more than Ayami Kojima's leather joy boy (as opposed to leather beefy man) makeover of SIMMON is the swapping out of classic pixel art explosions for C/Pd in flame effects from SOTN. My brain just homes in on that stuff and won't let go, screaming "CRUMMY ROMHACK QUALITY." Also the updated interstage map looks lame. Original's authentic pixels and stiff challenge PWNS Arrange all told, though some of the latter's BGM is fine as hell.

There's gonna be a wuuut?!

A MOON FIGHT YOU M̶O̶T̶H̶E̶R̶F̶U̶C̶K̶E̶R̶ I mean You Goddamned Bathead

That there MOON FIGHT is a terribly underloved Dracula tune imo. edit: oh wow, I already posted this link to Otobeya's FC-style arrangement a few messages up!

[EmperorIng]

That is a groovy tune. I've taken a good several listens now. I think I like the arrange more. It took me a while to piece together the SIMMON and the funktastic Castlevania rap album from the 80s.

I am posting only to vent my frustration of being stuck on this damn Medusa level for a real long-ass time now. It's not even far into the game, but I cannot get a handle on Medusa's patterns. If that is not enough, the no-health gauntlet that is the entire stage saps your energy, and the numerous traps of the spinning blade things and the stained-glass man (who I can not get to reliably retreat in a consistent way) means that I am down to one or two hits by the time of Medusa, who kills me quickly with those damned snake projectiles.

It's not fair.

EDIT: This bitching comes before I broke down and watched a youtube video revealing not only a hidden health right before Medusa, but an entire secret area granting the cross, health, and a double-icon. I feel pretty stupid now.

[blackoak]

Bumping this thread to share a few Castlevania translations I recently did at shmuplations:

Symphony of the Night
Akumajou Dracula x68000

Also updated the translation index, so it should be easier to find things now!

[soprano1]

Bumping this thread to share a few Castlevania translations I recently did at shmuplations:

Symphony of the Night
Akumajou Dracula x68000

Also updated the translation index, so it should be easier to find things now!

Thanks a lot for those. Even the developers themselves admit grinding screws the game's dificulty, geez...

[Squire Grooktook]

Bumping this thread to share a few Castlevania translations I recently did at shmuplations:

Symphony of the Night
Akumajou Dracula x68000

Also updated the translation index, so it should be easier to find things now!

Thanks a lot for those. Even the developers themselves admit grinding screws the game's dificulty, geez...

That's not anything out of the ordinary (or even bad) for action rpg's. Symphony is totally borked compared to other arpg's and the rest of the Metroidvania series due the lack of linearity in the Upside Down Castle.

[soprano1]

That's not anything out of the ordinary (or even bad) for action rpg's. Symphony is totally borked compared to other arpg's and the rest of the Metroidvania series due the lack of linearity in the Upside Down Castle.

Yeah, guess that's a problem as well.

[Pretas]

The Saturn CD of SotN included a large text file left by the porting team at KCE Nagoya, which I don't believe has been fully translated.

It's a shame that the extra Saturn content was never integrated into a properly ported version of the game, due to IGA's favoritism for the Playstation version.

[GSK]

Awesome work, as usual. (If you'd waited another seven or eight years I probably would have been able to pay you for those...)

The Saturn CD of SotN included a large text file left by the porting team at KCE Nagoya, which I don't believe has been fully translated.

It's a shame that the extra Saturn content was never integrated into a properly ported version of the game, due to IGA's favoritism for the Playstation version.

Have you played the Saturn version? If not, you're not missing much, honestly.

[soprano1]

The Saturn CD of SotN included a large text file left by the porting team at KCE Nagoya, which I don't believe has been fully translated.

It's a shame that the extra Saturn content was never integrated into a properly ported version of the game, due to IGA's favoritism for the Playstation version.

I thought they added that content to the SoTN version in Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP?

[GSK]

I thought they added that content to the SoTN version in Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP?

The PSP version has extra content and some of it is similar to what was offered in the Saturn version but it's not a port or conversion of that content.

[BulletMagnet]

Yeah, neither of the Saturn's extra areas are in there, for one thing...I forget offhand what else was circular-filed.

[Pretas]

The PSP Dracula X Chronicles version of SotN retained the Pixie and Nose Devil familiars in the localized releases, but is otherwise identical to the PS1 version.

Here is the Saturn text file in question with a partial translation.

[KindGrind]

Can't believe the prices Dracula X on SNES command these days. Makes the PCE version look "cheap", so I think I'll go after a copy.

At some point, I think the game was bootlegged quite a bit... Is it still the case? Should I go for a version with spine just to make sure it's legit? (surely it can be faked, too, but it's considerably more work, is it not?) I see great discrepancy in prices all over... Any tell tale signs to look for, to make sure I don't get a boot? I've had misadventures (like others) with Sapphire in the past...