Castlevania Miscellanies

[Blinge]

So despite my bitching about Circle of the Moon when I first played it, I recently finished it with Thief type, that's all characters now.

I couldn't tell you what compulsion drove me to do it, and I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the game even now.
It's okay. Magician & Warrior were the most fun, shooter mode was terribu.
I ended up just rushing through sections as thief so i didn't have to stand wailing on enemies for ages, then using whatever BS exploits i could on bosses/chugging potions and usually getting a double level up upon victory.

I'm still awful at fighting the double dragon.

So Julius mode in Aria is next then that's it for the gba trilogy.

also super guitar bros did a dope ass CV3 medley:
https://youtu.be/go2onw95ulY

[soprano1]

So despite my bitching about Circle of the Moon when I first played it, I recently finished it with Thief type, that's all characters now.

I couldn't tell you what compulsion drove me to do it, and I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the game even now.
It's okay. Magician & Warrior were the most fun, shooter mode was terribu.
I ended up just rushing through sections as thief so i didn't have to stand wailing on enemies for ages, then using whatever BS exploits i could on bosses/chugging potions and usually getting a double level up upon victory.

I'm still awful at fighting the double dragon.

So Julius mode in Aria is next then that's it for the gba trilogy.

also super guitar bros did a dope ass CV3 medley:
https://youtu.be/go2onw95ulY

I think that's from this album:
https://superguitarbros.bandcamp.com/album/nice

[soprano1]

Castlevania Bloodlines 1LC now up on my channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQk0nYlaGKo

Nice watch, thank you and congratulations.

[FinalBaton]

Castlevania Bloodlines 1LC now up on my channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQk0nYlaGKo

Nice watch, thank you and congratulations.

Thanks!

[mirkvid]

Once more in case someone here wants a set...

These are the cards I got from the Konami booth at the G2E trade show this year.



After I found out these were in the swag bag, I got a few extras from a friend who works there. One I gave to a buddy already.

They aren't laminated or anything, but cool anyways. I have one more sealed pack - first one in the US that quotes me can have it.
(give me a week or so to send it)

Edit: gone!

[reckon luck]

After a dozen false starts in as many years, I finally finished SotN (360 port). Decent game, I can see why it's so highly regarded (must've been mind-blowing in the 90's). Richter mode was much more annoying than it needed to be - why tie a move that's mandatory for navigation to a button combo? It's a simple one, but... ugh. Hydro storm and failed platforming.

[headlesshobbs]

I've been interested in getting the Castlevania games for the Wii in recent weeks due to finding out that a emulator of all things can access (and purchase) from the Wii store. This has got me worried that Nintendo's response will be to shut it down in the near future.

So far I've got Dracula X (PC Engine) and I'm wondering what differences came from this port? Also do the nes Castlevania's still suffer from that ill color timing?

[Dochartaigh]

After a dozen false starts in as many years, I finally finished SotN (360 port). Decent game, I can see why it's so highly regarded (must've been mind-blowing in the 90's). Richter mode was much more annoying than it needed to be - why tie a move that's mandatory for navigation to a button combo? It's a simple one, but... ugh. Hydro storm and failed platforming.

I just finished this too! Had like 196% of the map completed or something like that. Don't know how I missed this back when I still had a Playstation 1 (circa 1997-99?) but I'm sad I never played it when it was first released.

My only single complaint is the HORRIBLE slow-down in the inverted castle. Like it nearly made me stop playing the game. Tried it on a SCHP-1001 and 5001 model Playstation as well so it's not my PS1...just last night I tried it on a PS2 and didn't notice any slowdown...should have friggin been playing on that PS2 for the last 6 hours or so; I would have been much happier.

I'm now going back to play Super Castlevania IV and Castlevania Bloodlines – I picked both up recently (and they're friggin expensive!).

[Shoryukev]

Picked up a repro of Dracula X for SNES last night at a local game store (note to self, don't shop there anymore for big titles....they are now tainted), I'm looking forward to seeing all the differences between it and Rondo. I know the SNES port is inferior in level design, which is why I never paid the insane price of a US-SNES copy, but for $15 it should be fun to at least play through and get a proper look at it.

On another note in the CV universe, I've been playing Bloodlines quite a bit lately. I'm really starting to enjoy the OST, Konami was a great developer on the MD/Genesis! They just straight up knew how to program for the machine audio and video-wise. A lot of the graphical tricks they pulled off in Bloodlines kinda remind me of Rocket Knight Adventures, except with a gritty early 90s bloody 'tude.

[Sumez]

Don't compare it to Rondo. Sure, it looks like it, but it's a different game.
And the level design is not inferior. It's less creative overall, but there are definitely parts that I find vastly superior, and more tightly designed, where Rondo has a bigger focus on theme, exploration and the general atmosphere of the world. It has almost Gimmick!-like qualities at places.

[Shoryukev]

That's good to hear, I didn't realise it was an entirely different game. Most of what I read online (from scrubs) makes it seem like a port with liberties taken here and there. I'm more excited about it now, thanks Sumez!

[FinalBaton]

On another note in the CV universe, I've been playing Bloodlines quite a bit lately. I'm really starting to enjoy the OST, Konami was a great developer on the MD/Genesis! They just straight up knew how to program for the machine audio and video-wise. A lot of the graphical tricks they pulled off in Bloodlines kinda remind me of Rocket Knight Adventures, except with a gritty early 90s bloody 'tude.

Oh man Bloodlines' OST is sooooo good. It was compsed by Michiru Yamane who, in my book, has reached goddess-level when it comes to VGM composition. She also did the OST for Rocket Knight Adevntures in fact! And of course, Symphony of the Night's.

Bloodlines' OST is in my top 5 fave videogame OST of all time, that's for sure. And close to the number 1 spot, if not THE number 1.



I also find Bloodlines to be an extremely enjoyable Castlevania, near the top of my list (and yes : above Castlevania 4). The level design is tight on so many levels, it's actually a class on level design! It's jammed pack with fun ideas and each of them are as "physically" short as possible while still attaining their goal. So there's no filler here. It's one cool bit after the other, after the other...

[Sumez]

Most other Castlevanias are above 4 on my list.
4 is good, sure, but better than 1, 3, Bloodlines, Rondo, X68k, or DracXX? Naaah. It's probably better than 2. :3

[Blinge]

And xx

OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE

[Shoryukev]

I'm not a huge fan of SCV4 either, but I think it's mainly due to the fact that its gameplay feels so different. I'm so used to only being able to whip forward that the 8-way Super Whip of Impending DoomTM changes the feel of the game to the point where I find myself not enjoying it as a Castlevania game. In reality I need to judge it as it's own entity and not compare it to the other Classic-Vania's (which is hard to do). If I could throw aside the legacy of its namesake I might find a lot more enjoyment out of it.

It may not be the best thing since freshly whipped pork chops, but I'm sure there's some enjoyment to be found within. I've heard the later levels get pretty interesting, but I usually find myself getting bored before I get to that point and shutting it off. There's so many parts of the game where you can just whip upwards and destroy everything before it's even a threat, and the extended reach of the whip makes you feel too powerful IMO. I'll try to set some time aside for a more legitimate playthrough of it though, there could be a part late in the game that makes playing through the first 2/3 or so worth it.

[FinalBaton]

I'm not a huge fan of SCV4 either, but I think it's mainly due to the fact that its gameplay feels so different. I'm so used to only being able to whip forward that the 8-way Super Whip of Impending DoomTM changes the feel of the game to the point where I find myself not enjoying it as a Castlevania game. In reality I need to judge it as it's own entity and not compare it to the other Classic-Vania's (which is hard to do). If I could throw aside the legacy of its namesake I might find a lot more enjoyment out of it.

It may not be the best thing since freshly whipped pork chops, but I'm sure there's some enjoyment to be found within. I've heard the later levels get pretty interesting, but I usually find myself getting bored before I get to that point and shutting it off. There's so many parts of the game where you can just whip upwards and destroy everything before it's even a threat, and the extended reach of the whip makes you feel too powerful IMO. I'll try to set some time aside for a more legitimate playthrough of it though, there could be a part late in the game that makes playing through the first 2/3 or so worth it.

This is pretty much my take on the game as well. I also enjoy the atmosphere and all that until the 2/3rd and then get bored. I think that the level design is not so well adapted to the 8-way whip, they could have done a better job there

It's still a cool action action-platformer though, no doubt. It's just that the level design doesn't hold a candle to Bloodlines, so I'll go with that last one almost every time.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

I'd at least put 4 over Dracula X (SNES), 2, Haunted Castle (lol), and the Game Boy 2. It's definitely not among the series' best but as far as the linear action-platformers go, it's probably pretty solidly mid-tier (and probably also in the top, like, 20% of the series overall).

[Austin]

The Dracula X SNES level design is boring as f*$@.

[soprano1]

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3408/
No more seal BS!

[GSK]

So far I've got Dracula X (PC Engine) and I'm wondering what differences came from this port? Also do the nes Castlevania's still suffer from that ill color timing?

They didn't make any major changes to any of their emulators over the course of the Wii's life, afaik. (I'm sure the homebrew editors are better but I've not used them in years, so...)

They made one minor change for Rondo when they released it on the Wii: the German VA during the intro is new, as they couldn't spot the original VA. The unlockable version included in Dracula X Chronicles also has the new VA but the emulation isn't great, from memory.

[Shoryukev]

I didn't have a ton of time to play games last night, but I saw the first 3 levels of DracX SNES. Other than the sprites being shared assets with Rondo, it didn't feel like the same game at all (even the sprites themselves seemed to be a different aspect ratio possibly). There were obviously similarities like the control over jumping on and off stairs, the jump arcs, etc. but the enemies seemed to act a little different. Maybe it was just me but the overall speed of Richter felt slower as well.

The level design seems to be done from the ground up as opposed to simply creating variations of Rondo. Some of the layouts are a bit purposely dickish, but for some of us here that might be a positive thing. Reminded me of CV Adventure GB in the way some of the level designs are based around making you repeatedly jump across widely spread platforms, and the penalty for missing a jump is either death or having to walk all the way back and start over LOL. All little things that veteran players won't even hardly notice, but scrubs will complain endlessly about (something I had a lot of problem with designing levels in Mario Maker, letting family members try my levels helped a lot).

Overall it looked and sounded good. First impressions didn't make it a personal favorite or anything, but just being able to play a ClassicVania I haven't beaten a thousand times was refreshing and kept me engaged. I'll write it off as another case of the internet lore giving a game a bad rep it doesn't deserve, as far as I'm concerned it should never be referred to as a port. As of right now I haven't seen anything in the game making it worth the price it fetches online, but that's what happens with rare titles these days. It may not be for everyone, but at the end of the day it is still a classic styled entry in the CV series. If you keep your expectations reasonable and don't pay an arm and a leg to play it, you'll have a good time.

[Sumez]

My only issue with the game is the final boss.

[copy-paster]

They made one minor change for Rondo when they released it on the Wii: the German VA during the intro is new

The werewolf also wear pants if you look closely, he's naked in the original.

Maybe it was just me but the overall speed of Richter felt slower as well.

It's so slow and unbearable.

XX's level design is solid for me, I would place it on same ranks as other 16-bit CVs if it had smoother and brisker handling ala Rondo.

[Shoryukev]

I've been playing XX quite a bit the past few days, so far I've made it as far as the boss at the top of the clock tower in level 6. I can almost make it to level 6 on one life, but that level is a bit tougher and I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet.

All in all the more I play it the more I'm enjoying it. It ranks above SCV4 for me, great game. There seem to be quite a few throwbacks to CV1 in some of the levels too, which I enjoyed seeing.

[Jeneki]

I picked up Haunted Castle on the Japanese PS4 Arcade Archives. Slowly learning it and getting it down, as there doesn't seem to be much randomness.

One thing though, is there a way to manipulate the stage 4 boss (poop monster)? Sometimes it makes its way across the screen in a reasonable amount of time, other times it just goes back and forth on the edge of the screen for long periods of time. Is there a certain spot I should stand, or something I can do to get it to come over quickly?

[Sumez]

I think watching one of Funkdoc's videos could be a good way to learn that game. He has a very methodic approach to it, which one must with games like that, speedrunning or not.

[FinalBaton]

Eh, I'm liking what I've played of The Curse of Issyos (freeware indie game) so far. Don't know if it has been mentioned in here before or not. Will report back once I've played through it

[copy-paster]

Oh my I can't believe this...




Took a long time for 1cc, what an awesome game, has some of the best and memorable stage design in the series (clock tower, tower of dolls, torture chamber) and great boss fights. Drac, medusa, she-wolf, doppleganger, death is a DAMN FUN FIGHT.

[Skykid]

Most other Castlevanias are above 4 on my list.
4 is good, sure, but better than 1, 3, Bloodlines, Rondo, X68k, or DracXX? Naaah. It's probably better than 2. :3

You think XX is better than CVIV? WTF

[Obscura]

He's right, though. I've tried playing CV4 with a self-enforced "no eight way whip" policy, and it's still dull. There's about three scenes in the entire game where the level design puts any pressure on you at all (that one skeleton on the crumbling platforms in stage 9, the whip-skeleton on the "triangle" of stairs on stage A, the rising platforms in stage B), enemies do approximately zero damage, the only good boss fights even without up-whip are Puuxil, Dancing Spectres, and Slorga. Cool atmosphere, but the game is a yawn.