Castlevania Miscellanies

[Shoryukev]

What is the best way to play the X68000 Castlevania game for someone who doesn't own the Sharp computer? Emulation? PS1-Chronicles?

[soprano1]

What is the best way to play the X68000 Castlevania game for someone who doesn't own the Sharp computer? Emulation? PS1-Chronicles?

Why not both?

[SuperDeadite]

Difficult question. A lot of people find X68K emulation a pain in the ass, but as someone who played the PS1 port for years, once I got my real XVI, I could never go back. PS1 version is a good effort, but once you've spent time with both, the X68K original plays tighter, smoother, just better.

Now the PS1 version does include 3 out of 4 music options for original mode (It's missing the "secret GM" option) which is nice and easy. Music wise the LA (MT-32) soundtrack is my personal favorite, and while MT-32 emulators do exist, they are a pain to acquire and setup (Roland is still actively trying to shut them all down). Plus Microsoft has made custom MIDI setup a complete headache on anything past XP. Of course you can use real MIDI modules with X68K emulators, but then you talking spending at least $150 on music hardware. Though the FM is awesome too, and should keep you entertained for quite some time.

When the PS1 port was originally sold in the USA, it retailed for $10, and I certainly got my money's worth, compared to the $2,000 or so I spent building my personal XVI rig over the years lol. Oh and be aware the Japanese PS1 version has a major bug which causes the CD Audio (Arranged Game) to flat out stop playing during gameplay. This was fixed for the USA release, but I would never recommend playing the Arranged Game over the Original except to hear the rather funky CD music.

[Sumez]

The real danger in Super is that you might start to crumble towards the end because the game is quite long and one starts to lose focus after a while (I had it happen before where I lost my first life on the teleporting passage before Frankenstein's Monster and then several after that because I couldn't get into it anymore), but it doesn't have any major difficulty spikes or hazards.

That's a good point actually. There's nothing to single out in CV4 as being particularly hard, but considering how long the game is for the few extends it gives you, I find that sticking to your lives all the way till the end is definitely harder than most other games in the series actually. There are no particularly difficult sections, but a ton of places where it's very easy to screw up and lose a life along the way, which goes back to my initial claim that most people probably consider it the "easier" game due to abusing the unlimited continues that all the games give you, making it easier to get all the way through on the first playthrough when you don't care about 1cc'ing. Meanwhile the bosses (except Slogra) are all pushovers, but the ones in XX will put up a good fight if you don't think about what you're doing.

[Squire Grooktook]

for the few extends it gives you

Memory needs some jogging methinks. You get like 8-10. Between that and the constant meat, you probably get more resources than several other CV's combined.

My first attempt at the game took me to Death on a single credit.

Second attempt was an easy clear.

I haven't played XX in years (I don't like slow move speeds) but I doubt a clear would come as fast with as little effort or game knowledge.

I'm struggling to understand why x68k hasn't evoked the same rage from me either.

That's because X68000 Castlevania is the bestest game ever!

Fun fact: Prior to beginning development on my shmup, I was making a CV fangame. Then I played x68k and scrapped the entire project because I realized the perfect CV already existed.

[Obscura]

All of this is predicated on playing well enough to finish stages with max health. No problem, indeed.
We aren't all you or BIL. The average to decent player will get those extends in 4, not XX.
I still have the hubris to consider myself not shit at 'vania too, despite writing this long post of pure butthurt.

I'm not anywhere near as good as BIL (I've never gotten the no-damage extend), but I don't think that an XX 1cc is some terrific feat of platforming skills. It's no harder than a typical console clear. If you're struggling that hard with it, you're shit at Castlevania.

[Blinge]

Pretty much what Squire said.

I don't think that an XX 1cc is some terrific feat of platforming skills.

Probably cause the challenge in that game doesn't come from platforming.

It's no harder than a typical console clear. If you're struggling that hard with it, you're shit at Castlevania.

Oooh, Castlevania: The Sniping!

I'm not struggling with the game, fuckwad, because since my casual run i haven't played it.
I wouldn't have said a damn thing about XX today if Sumez wasn't insisting that it's an easier 1cc than SCV4. smh

I said getting max health extends is difficult, compared to the abundance of extends in 4.
Calling me shit when you haven't got a no-damage extend yourself, really now...

Also, 'no harder than a typical console clear.' Yeah y'know: one of those typical console games.

[Obscura]

Oooh, Castlevania: The Sniping!

Certainly a better game than Akumajo Denscrubsu.

I'm not struggling with the game, fuckwad, because since my casual run i haven't played it.
I wouldn't have said a damn thing about XX today if Sumez wasn't insisting that it's an easier 1cc than SCV4. smh

I said getting max health extends is difficult, compared to the abundance of extends in 4.
Calling me shit when you haven't got a no-damage extend yourself, really now...

You also said things like "Tried it. that spear hitbox is ridiculous. You take a hit if he's just standing there doing nothing and the pike spin he does somehow extends the hitbox beyond the sprite I swear. Richter isn't in a safe jumping spot in that picture either. I kept managing to get hit some way or another (often double hits because lol XX), or cause a bat to spawn instantly to my left cause I had to move left for a second to reposition myself on the stairs or something. It's incredibly awkward and further to my point, requiring this sort of execution to simply pass a single obstacle in an otherwise difficult stage brings me to "fuck this game" very quickly." and "With XX it seems to be 'play amazing or fuck off'. I suppose it's beyond my limit. ".

You don't need to be "play amazing" to 1cc XX. I'm faaaaaaaar from amazing, and it's not a problem for me to go from "haven't played the game in a couple of years" to "1cc on bad ending". Plenty of people were able to beat this game as kids. Plenty of kids were able to figure out how to handle stage 6 and Dracula on their own.

You're terrible at Castlevania if XX seems like such a monumental task.

Also, 'no harder than a typical console clear.' Yeah y'know: one of those typical console games.

Yes, console action platformers typically fall into a fairly narrow range of difficulty and have far lower difficulty than arcade action platformers. Everyone (other than you, I guess) knows this. The difference between 'console' and 'coin-op' difficulty levels has been discussed here and in the sidescroller thread multiple times.

[Sumez]

Lets not resort to insulting people's skill at games :S

[Blinge]

Certainly a better game than Akumajo Denscrubsu.

was...that an attempt at humour?

I'm faaaaaaaar from amazing, and it's not a problem for me to go from "haven't played the game in a couple of years" to "1cc on bad ending". Plenty of people were able to beat this game as kids.

You gonna post a replay soon then yeah?

You're terrible at Castlevania if XX seems like such a monumental task.

I don't see what's so difficult to understand mate. I said these things to illustrate why I think XX is harder to 1cc than 4, it's hardly an inflammatory position to take.
So, considering one of the harder titles in the series to be difficult to 1cc = I'm terrible at the whole series? OKAY BRO.

It just so happens that my first impressions of the gave weren't favourable, but I've no intention to keep bashing it, it apparently upsets some people.

I discussed my honest reactions to the game. I don't feel the need to front, tbh. Unfortunately that gave you openings to gleefully exploit and call me shit.
Every one of your reductive, absolutist posts is fronting, dude. Trying to act superior. These shmupsfarm plebs dont understand game design like you do!

Yes, console action platformers typically fall into a fairly narrow range of difficulty and have far lower difficulty than arcade action platformers. Everyone (other than you, I guess) knows this. The difference between 'console' and 'coin-op' difficulty levels has been discussed here and in the sidescroller thread multiple times.

hmm.. yep.. hows that autism treating you?

I'll just leave this here.

but you've probably got a lot harder clears than Obscura under your belt at this point ^_^

[opt2not]

Lets not resort to insulting people's skill at games :S

^ this.
The dick measuring in this thread is at an all-time retard level.

[SuperDeadite]

X68000 version is truly the closest to perfection the series ever was. The hit boxes are simply perfect, and the 5-way whip and mid-air turning gives you a lot of excellent control options, without breaking the challenge (super's 8-way whip). The only flaw in it's design is Death imo. He is the only boss in the game that doesn't have invincibility frames when hit. So a weapon like the cross can hit him over and over and over again. The stage leading up to him gives you a cross, and makes it very easy to have a triple shot, meaning he is by far the easiest part of the entire game. Unless of course you are going for a whip only fight, but then you have to personally limit yourself. So odd, as no other boss has this weakness.

[Obscura]

Certainly a better game than Akumajo Denscrubsu.

was...that an attempt at humour?

I'm faaaaaaaar from amazing, and it's not a problem for me to go from "haven't played the game in a couple of years" to "1cc on bad ending". Plenty of people were able to beat this game as kids.

You gonna post a replay soon then yeah?

You're terrible at Castlevania if XX seems like such a monumental task.

I don't see what's so difficult to understand mate. I said these things to illustrate why I think XX is harder to 1cc than 4, it's hardly an inflammatory position to take.
So, considering one of the harder titles in the series to be difficult to 1cc = I'm terrible at the whole series? OKAY BRO.

It just so happens that my first impressions of the gave weren't favourable, but I've no intention to keep bashing it, it apparently upsets some people.

I discussed my honest reactions to the game. I don't feel the need to front, tbh. Unfortunately that gave you openings to gleefully exploit and call me shit.
Every one of your reductive, absolutist posts is fronting, dude. Trying to act superior. These shmupsfarm plebs dont understand game design like you do!

Yes, console action platformers typically fall into a fairly narrow range of difficulty and have far lower difficulty than arcade action platformers. Everyone (other than you, I guess) knows this. The difference between 'console' and 'coin-op' difficulty levels has been discussed here and in the sidescroller thread multiple times.

hmm.. yep.. hows that autism treating you?

I'll just leave this here.

but you've probably got a lot harder clears than Obscura under your belt at this point ^_^

>Says other people are fronting
>Goes on a rant about how "XX is bullshit, and I can say this because I'm good at Castlevania."

Squire may be right, but I don't really give a shit. I readily acknowledge that I'm terrible at a lot of games. I don't care that you're shit at XX. I don't really even care that much that from your position of being shitty, you're saying a lot of obviously wrong things about XX; on its own, that would probably be worth a chuckle to myself. Saying a lot of wrong shit about XX while being shit at it while also claiming that you're actually good at it, in spite of all available evidence? Nope, you're not going to get to do that without getting called on it, scrub.

I also like how when you can't respond to something because you know you're wrong and have no valid retort, you resort yelling "AUTISM!" How's 4-chan treating you?

[Sumez]

Man I really need to spend some time with X68kumaju Dracula real soon. Played it emulated once like years back long before the PS1 version came around. Haven't touched emulation since though, so in honor of my wallet, the PS1 version will have to do, now.

[Squire Grooktook]

Saying wrong things about a game due to scrubbiness

Ah, the caprices of karma

[BrianC]

Are there any good romhacks for CV out there? I have Chours of Mysteries, the CVII retranslation, the Vs CV hack to play it on NES, and the translation of Akumajou Densetsu on my Everdrive.

[FinalBaton]

Well there was this guy who build a game on the foundation of the Castlevania game that was to be released on the 32X (but then got canned, shifted to PS1 and became SotN). Castlevania : The Bloodletting is the name. Last time I played it it was very buggy but still fun to toy around with. Well the 1st stage is really fun, but the 2nd is a mess!

But it's not a hack I guess... more a "what could have been"


Other than that, the only other I've heard about is Blood Moon, which is a complete rehaul of NES CV.

[Blinge]

>Says other people are fronting
>Goes on a rant about how "XX is bullshit, and I can say this because I'm good at Castlevania."

Almost every one of your posts on this forum is fronting in one way or another. But these XX Defense Force posts of yours are rather honest for you tbh.
Interestingly enough, it's usually you that slams a game for disputed reasons and gets bundled on by others whose preferred game you're insulting. In a sense I'm acting like you, not pretty is it?

you're saying a lot of obviously wrong things about XX; on its own, that would probably be worth a chuckle to myself. Saying a lot of wrong shit about XX while being shit at it while also claiming that you're actually good at it, in spite of all available evidence? Nope, you're not going to get to do that without getting called on it, scrub.

Please point out exactly where I said I'm 'good' at Castlevania. (series)
Please point out exactly where I said I'm 'actually good' at XX specifically.

How about arguing against the objectively wrong statements I made about XX, as you seem to claim I made some.

ONCE AGAIN. I never intended to come here and throw a shitfit about how hard I found the game-
All those posts and examples were for the purpose of saying SCV4 is an easier 1cc.

I also like how when you can't respond to something because you know you're wrong and have no valid retort, you resort yelling "AUTISM!" How's 4-chan treating you?

Good thanks, it's where I usually see people like you.

Seeing as I have to spell it out for you: you said "It's no harder than a typical console clear"

I poked fun at that because it implies that all console games are the same, or the same challenge level.
Y'all remember how Imagine Party Babies is as hard as Bayonetta ya?

[Blinge]

Are there any good romhacks for CV out there?

Not a romhack but there is 'Simon's Quest Revamped'
https://youtu.be/Lf3rKbhBQoY

[BIL]

God halp meh! All this talk (and generous bilateral buffin' up of my wee willeh winkeh ;3 ) got me playing XX again, BAD END this time. MFW I realise I've yet again remembered the path names wrong... it's the Bad route that's marked as alternate (st4'). And in contrast to the largely tedious st4, st4' is rollicking good fun. There's very little open ground to trudge over - lots of jumps (and roving boney-kuns poised to do the same). Moonwalking technique shines on the spinneh-mah-winneh bridge of bats. Also the only place you can fight a giant skeleton, punishing footsie fun you won't get on Good route. Even the background is more interesting.

Animated GIF: BATS IN MUH FACE, AIEEE

Spoiler

Oh lord. Even if played with the silly "U GOT THE KEY, OH NOES, WHAT A TERRIBLE HANDICAP" stipulation, this would be way more fun. Shoulda swapped 'em! Were you trying to impart some kinda protestant work ethic shit here by making the good end route a hardship, Konami?

But it's not all sunshine and rainbows! Besides being condemned to a miserable ending, I also can't fight XXDEATH, one of my favourite sidescroller bosses ever! That random backstep into buzzsaw is HAWT. Thanks Konami. What a nightmare! :O

EDIT: LMAOOOOOO NECROMANCER. I JUST SPLIT HIS ASSHOLE OPEN WITH MY AXE AFTER NOT SEEING HIM IN LIKE TWO YEARS. BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHA, NO WONDER I COULDN'T REMEMBER THIS CHUMP

No for real, just get center-stage and axe-murder him. I even got cursed and still detonated his shit apart - RIM FROM RIM. lolololol. I like to think that's actually Marlon Brando under those robes, they hired him to play Shaft on the strict condition he drop some weight and read the script. He did neither!

XX axeplay is really good. By accident or design, its versatile range and cleaving power complement the heavy, punishing handling beautifully. I'm like an 18th century surgeon with this goddamn thing. Hold still muhfucka! It'll all be over soon!

Whatever the differences between XX and IV's difficulty levels, I think it's pretty undeniable the former hits way harder per mistake. Simon gets blasted well clear of hits (obviously a liability with pits around), while Richter is cruelly marooned. On reflection, XX's difficult hit recovery is almost a game-length expansion of Ninja Gaiden's classically newbie-infuriating boxer trap. You really have to extricate yourself from every single hit lest a pileup ensue, and unlike NG and its forgiving damage scale, these hurt. I love it. :O

[Obscura]

Quick correction on the level names, BIL -- there is no 3'. BAD ENDING exit out of three takes you to 4', which takes you to normal 5 (as does losing the key in 4). 5' is the aqueduct on the good ending path.

@Blinge:
"I still have the hubris to consider myself not shit at 'vania too, despite writing this long post of pure butthurt. "

That's where you claimed to be decent. Every piece of evidence you've posted seems to contradict that. For instance, one of the things you're flat wrong about, calling that one spearman on top of the stairs "bullshit"; it really isn't at all. Spearmen are vulnerable to the exact same kind of stairs-footsies that bone throwers are. Go play the spearman room in stage 3; it's instructive, because it forces you to see the AI routine at work (the platform placement is such that it's guaranteed to trigger if you go for the candle on the right-most ledge). If you're closer than a certain distance and a bit above/below them, they try to close the distance for a vertical thrust; otherwise, as you get closer, they'll inch back to a range just beyond the range of their spear twirl. As such, just go to the far left side of the screen, and inch up the stairs slowly; the spearman will back up, and you can climb up to a range where you can jump and whip. If/when he does the "big swing" attack, you'll probably have to repeat the process.

If you ever got up the stairs of Castlevania 1's clocktower without using the stopwatch, or up the first set of stairs of the "cathedral tower" in X68K's fourth level, or if you ever figured out how to not take damage in the first segment of Castlevania 4's final stage, or if you've ever done the top route of Castlevania 3 and fought the dullahans at the start when going down the steps near the start of the pirate ship, you already know how to do this. This setup is nothing unusual or special in the series.

[BIL]

Quick correction on the level names, BIL -- there is no 3'. BAD ENDING exit out of three takes you to 4', which takes you to normal 5 (as does losing the key in 4). 5' is the aqueduct on the good ending path.

How the fuck did I manage that :O Thanks, edited!

edit: wait... the BAD END dungeon you pratfall/swan-dive into is marked ('), and the GOOD END aqueduct you overcome the Ultime Trial Of The Key for is, too? Maybe the designers were all too aware the key isn't much of a punishment.

[BrianC]

doh. Forgot to mention that I was mainly looking for NES hacks since I have an Everdrive N8 to play them on real hardware, though I also have an Everdrive for the Genesis and ordered the GBA Everdrive. The only hack I found for the Genesis is a color correction hack. Normally, I would think of this as a good thing, but looking at comparison screens, many of the color choices are a bit odd and don't seem to be an improvement over the original.

[Obscura]

Quick correction on the level names, BIL -- there is no 3'. BAD ENDING exit out of three takes you to 4', which takes you to normal 5 (as does losing the key in 4). 5' is the aqueduct on the good ending path.

How the fuck did I manage that :O Thanks, edited!

edit: wait... the BAD END dungeon you pratfall/swan-dive into is marked ('), while the GOOD END aqueduct you overcome The Ultime Trial Of The Key is, too? Maybe the designers were all too aware the key isn't much of a punishment.

I think the logic is that a non-standard level ending leads to an alternate level.

You get to 4' by falling down the pit and skipping the st 3 boss; likewise, you get to 5' by using the key in st 4 and skipping the minotaur. Any standard level ending always leads to a non-alternate level; killing Dullahan leads you to standard stage 4, and killing Minotaur or Necromancer leads you to standard stage 5.

[BIL]

Ah yes, that definitely makes more sense. I was looking at it strictly from an "effort involved in reaching stage" viewpoint.

[Blinge]

Please point out exactly where I said I'm 'good' at Castlevania. (series)
Please point out exactly where I said I'm 'actually good' at XX specifically.

@Blinge:
"I still have the hubris to consider myself not shit at 'vania too, despite writing this long post of pure butthurt. "

That's where you claimed to be decent. Every piece of evidence you've posted seems to contradict that.

You seem to have trouble understanding words. 'not shit' is actually pretty far from decent!
The good thing about language is we have a lot of descriptive words to get our point across, we don't all have to speak in absolutes like you.

Also no mention of XX specifically, I had also admitted I haven't got gud at the game?

Every piece of evidence you've posted seems to contradict that. For instance, one of the things you're flat wrong about, calling that one spearman on top of the stairs "bullshit"; it really isn't at all.

Struggling with basic comprehension again? I never called that section "bullshit," so how about not quoting things I didn't say.

If you're closer than a certain distance and a bit above/below them, they try to close the distance for a vertical thrust; otherwise, as you get closer, they'll inch back to a range just beyond the range of their spear twirl.

As such, just go to the far left side of the screen, and inch up the stairs slowly; the spearman will back up, and you can climb up to a range where you can jump and whip. If/when he does the "big swing" attack, you'll probably have to repeat the process.

Jesus, so after all this you wanna start being helpful? Obviously not, just wanna prove yourself right and hold onto your precious feelings of superiority..
For what it's worth I experimented a lot on those stairs, I thought pikemen tend to move back if you're close so I was stood in deadlock with him as high as I could get, usually with him still stood on the extreme left of the platform. I didn't try inching up slowly from the very bottom of the stairs - if that's the way to do it, then fair enough.

[Sumez]

Blinge, I really think you should just ignore Obscura here. He's just being abusive, and arguing with him is not gonna take you anywhere.
I still stick to XX not being anywhere near as difficult or frustrating as you make it out to be, but I'm contend with peacefully disagreeing with you, I'm not sure why this guy is gonna turn something pointless like that into shit throwing.

[Blinge]

Yeah, you're probably right. I must've been having a rather impatient week when I played XX. As I mentioned before, the game really tilted me quicker than other 'vanias.

I suppose I exaggerated too much when trying to paint XX as a harder 1cc than IV, we'll have to agree to disagree about that . I'll come back to XX eventually.

As for Obscura's pro AI manipulation 6 inch Pikemun strats.. heh. somehow I'm not convinced.

https://youtu.be/RTnOIGHN0rQ

( 3:08 for Sumez's tactic. )

[Sumez]

Hehe, surprisingly simple isn't it.
That said, it's obviously a little tedious, but with a little knowledge of the area, you can easily manage to keep a steady pace that will let you quickly climb the stairs before the pikemen manage to get in your way (or, of course, just keep the axe with you).

[Blinge]

Yeah what fucked me up when I first raged was not knowing how to manage bat spawns.

Oh the race to get up before Pikey blocks you off? I did it a couple of times when getting that footage, to varying results.
I may be wrong but it looks like there's an element of randomness to it.