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Retro Castlevania Series Debate Thread

KezraPlanes

Just some dood
Ever since my Retro Review on Castlevania I, I've become a freak for Castlevania (just got Castlevania X Chronicles on the PSP) so I decided to make this thread about the series so people can discuss what they like/don't like about these games.

My current favorite is Castlevania NES. Just for the surprise factor, because I never thought a NES game could hook me for so long as to make me beat it without cheating (using savestates and whatever).
 

MenaceInc

Staff Member
My absolute favourite Castlevania game was Castlevania on the GBA, known as Circle Of The Moon in the US. It was the first Castlevania game I got sucked into. I played the oldskool games later on and I didn't like losing the same feeling of progression as I felt with the metroidvania style games. Symphony Of The Night was really overrated though in my opinion. Yes, it may have been the start of the new style of Castlevania and yes, Alucards movement animations are beautiful but it was hyped up by so many that it got sickening and that detracted from the experience for me.

Games beaten....Castlevania, Super Castlevania, Symphony Of The Night, Circle Of The Moon, Aria Of Sorrow, Dawn Of Sorrow...can't remember any of the rest. Played the first N64 Castlevania game though at a friends. Thought it was medicore at best.
 

january39

eXo Staff
I have always found these games to be super hard! The NES was a good solid game - side scrollers have something about them that i like.
 

LocutusEstBorg

Active Member
Tried out the new demo and it lags like crazy on the PS3. Looks like 20-25 fps most of the time. The gameplay still has a slight 2D feel. When he attacks, the weapon only follows a path exactly vertically in line with the front of the player.
 

x3sphere

Administrator
Staff member
Enforcer Team
Game Info Editor
Tried out the new demo and it lags like crazy on the PS3. Looks like 20-25 fps most of the time. The gameplay still has a slight 2D feel. When he attacks, the weapon only follows a path exactly vertically in line with the front of the player.

Yeah the frame rate is abysmal in that first area, although it's not really indicative of the entire game from my experience. Usually hovers around 30. It's a shame Konami lags behind when it comes to PC releases. The art in this game is beautiful, would look amazing in full 1080p with AA / AF maxed.
 

LocutusEstBorg

Active Member
Yeah the frame rate is abysmal in that first area, although it's not really indicative of the entire game from my experience. Usually hovers around 30. It's a shame Konami lags behind when it comes to PC releases. The art in this game is beautiful, would look amazing in full 1080p with AA / AF maxed.

I know, but now I don't have a GPU to handle it. My mom bought me a U2711 and now everything is unplayable.
 

skparasite

Member
Castlevania is freakin' sweet. I'm actually listening to the Collection Box (18 CDs!) as we speak right now.

I really do love the new direction they went with the handheld games. In fact, just like MenaceInc, COTM is also one of my top rankings only being beat by Order of Ecclesia. In fact one of my first nicknames and AIM name is 'COTMFreak' haha. Such great memories of the game, swear I beat it like 10+ times.

Speaking of Ecclesia, that is THE DS Metroidvania to play. After Aria of Sorrow (sorry Dawn of Sorrow fans) the games just went really down hill into staleness with Portrait of Ruin (the game only got enjoyable when playing level 1 hard mode). But Ecclesia brought it back up and I dare say it's even better than Aria of Sorrow. I thought Michiru Yamane lost touch in Portrait of Ruin, but she proved me wrong with her compositions in Ecclesia. Just listen to Lament to the Master, The Colossus, or Rhapsody of the Forsaken which are all fabulous songs. I'm not to familiar with Yasuhiro Ichihashi but the music he brings to the table is equally as awesome. Sorrow's Distortion, Ebony Wings, and my personal favorite An Empty Tome (Dracula's castle version) are songs by him.

Also Ecclesia is the only other Metroidvania in existence, besides COTM, to kill me. COTM killed me because of Magician and Shooter mode. But this game just enjoyed killing me. Play it like DoS or PoR (just go willy nilly and kill things) and you WILL die, lots. It requires precision and the use of the right Glyphs at the right time. Plus do NOT get me started on Level One Hard Mode. Which has killed me hundreds of times. It really brings me back to the difficulties of games like Castlevania 3 of Bloodlines on Expert Mode.

Whoops sorry to get a bit ranty, but I do love my Castlevanias.

Played the first N64 Castlevania game though at a friends. Thought it was medicore at best.

Do you remember which version it was? If it was the original Castlevania 64, I highly suggest you play Castlevania 64 Legacy of Darkness. It is the version the developers had wanted from the beginning: four characters to play as (two of them are from the Original) and a LOT of new areas to go through.

I do enjoy going back to it every so often. And I didn't like the original 64 version at all. The only reason why I played it was because my parents bought it for me and it was either that or Super Mario 64 (which I had already maxed out).
 

MenaceInc

Staff Member
It was the original, never played legacy of darkness. I'll have to hunt about on eBay to see how much it goes for. If it's only
 

skparasite

Member
If you can get it for cheap, then I highly suggest it. Even though it still wasn't 'fantastic' it was far more enjoyable than the original.
 
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