Castlevania General

It's about friggin' time too.

Our first matter of business: I just made a Castlevania III page. Wiki Magic, people!

At Video Games Live recently I got to hear a bitchin' Castlevania medley, with Tommy freaking Tallarico on electric guitar and this dude on synth-organ.

Quite possibly the metallest thing I have ever witnessed in person.

Is there a page yet for Castlevania Symphony Of The Night?

Castlevania III is probably my favorite Castlevania game at the moment, but I haven't played much of Symphony of the Night or any of Super Castlevania IV.

However, none of those games have Grant, and Grant is the best Castlevania character ever. I want to play as Grant in every game.

Then you should go play Dawn of Sorrow, and experience a polished Soma Cruz's worth of gameplay.

I've played Dawn of Sorrow, and either it's me being burnt out on Metroidvanias after having played through all the other ones in the series (save for Simon's Quest) or me being retarded, but I find myself with little to no motivation to keep on playing DoS.

Last CV I was working on was Bloodlines, which owns.

Well, I've played almost all the Castlevania games (with a few exceptions, mostly the recent games), and I've gotta say I like Dawn Soma's play control the most.

My least favorite is Adventure Christopher.

Even though he's still slow in Belmont's Revenge, He's still a badass.

Soleiyu's theme ruled too.

Can't say the same for the Dracula boss battle. Too much randomness for my tastes.

I mostly play the Metroidvanias, the first ones I actually finished were the Sorrow games, Dawn's my favourite in the series. Though, I did finish Super Castlevania IV recently, I love it, and I am at a loss as to why multi-directional whipping isn't in the newer games.

And right before that, I played Symphony, having played the games after it... Yeah, it just seemed rather 'unrefined', if you get my meaning. While it is a good game in its own right, the Sorrow games pretty much does everything better. Only two weapon types, the weird item usage, the way the game handles the teleport rooms, the method for executing moves that feels like you're playing a fighting game... No, seriously, it seems so jarring when you're playing the 360 version and there's four buttons one could potentially assign Richter's various moves to.

Also, Synphony is hilariously easy to break into little tiny pieces, get the Shield Rod and the Iron Shield at least, and you're nearly unstoppable. Well, until you get to Galamoth. Then you get the Alucard Shield, and it turns into a Curb-Stomp Battle.

Also, I'm waiting on The Adventure: ReBirth to get over to the PAL territories. Looks awesome, and even though the music is a bunch of remixes, they're awesome remixes nontheless.

Also, Lords of Shadow can take a hike.

edited 2nd Dec '09 12:30:48 AM by Cronosonic

Why did no one else tout the fact that Circle's soundtrack consisted mostly of awesome remixes?

Also, Symphony needs a remake, with harder bosses, better controls, more refined sound (note that, even if the music is still the most awesome stuff Michiru Yamane has ever written for a videogame, it still has some problems with percussion being drowned out and strings being kinda slow), and redesigned gamplay.

If it could do that, then it would be one of the greatest gems in videogaming history.

Also, I found an awesome remix medley...

Though, I can't identify most of the songs. I certainly would like to know where the heck they came from.

Here's what I'm hearing:

• (Bloody Tears)
• (Battle of the Holy (or whatever is the first stage music of Adventure))
• Beginning
• Bloody Tears
• Simon's Theme
• Aquarius
• Mad Forest
• nighttime theme from Simon's Quest
• (don't know that one? or is this just transition material?)
• Wicked Child
• inside castle theme from Simon's Quest
• Simon's Theme "fanfare" section

WHAT? NO VAMPIRE KILLER?

I'm playing through Order of Ecclesia now and damn, this is still a Metroidvania but way harder than any of the other GBA/DS games. It's pretty neat, though. One thing I HATE about the Metroidvanias is how they rely on Randomly Drops for most of their quests and good items. This game is worse than usual because you've got randomly dropped items, randomly dropped glyphs, and even treasure chests that randomly have something "good" that you need. Blarg.

Galamoth can be owned much more easily: just equip that accessory (headgear?) that absorbs lightning damage. 8p

CVSOTN has one of the most kickass soundtracks of any game, seriously. Circle of the Moon's was good too, but I hated the gameplay in it. The Sorrow games are probably the most fun to me.

The only way to get said headgear is to go through a small passage as a wolf, go through it again as a bat, and notice that a secret door has opened. Hardly "just do this" material.

I'm thinking of doing the Judgment page later, if only because I fear what will happen if someone else does. (I'm trying not to be Komodin, but I am often tempted...)

Definitely a Guide Dang It!, yes... but then the correct way of using the Alucard Shield is a bit of one as well.

Ahh, the Castlevania series.

I am undoubtly a fanboy, and have played many of the games in the series. Heck, I even enjoyed and thought CV64/Legacy of Darkness were good games. Not great games, but still solid, enjoyable titles.

Still, for all my meticulous knowledge of the Castlevania Backstory, I haven't played every game. (Currently haven't played Legends, SotN, LoI, CoD, RoB, Dracula X, (Either one) or the original Chronichles. Oh, and the MSX Vampire Killer.)

So, I suppose we might as well address the big elephant in the room. What is everyone's opinion on IGA's retconning of many games? For that matter, does anyone know which games count and which don't anymore? With that infamous timeline preorder bonus, and Cornell's presence in Judgment, I can't tell what's supposed to be canon and what isn't anymore. (Except for Legends. That's still clearly in the Retcon pile)

edited 2nd Dec '09 9:35:18 AM by TriggerLoaded

Am I the only person who actually likes Dracula X for the SNES?

I haven't played any of the games between Castlevania IV and now that weren't on handheld systems. So most of the games with an actual story were on consoles that I missed. Long story short, I have no freaking clue what the timeline is and don't particularly care.

I stated my opinion in the Rebirth thread, but to summarize, a bunch of post-SOTN writers practically threw away the Belmont name, IGA retconned them so the Belmonts would remain awesome, people complained, and then IGA tried to compromise. He has made many questionable decisions, but I don't think he's ruined anything.

Of the five games released or planned after Symphony and before Harmony, all but one were 3D games or Metroidvanias. There are likely reasons, and it couldn't have been his doing.

I don't take the storyline too seriously. When I do, humor usually results. And as Toastyfrog once pointed out, the series started out as an action game featuring battles with oddly-rendered Hammer/Universal monsters to great music, complete with Moai heads hidden in the ground, a credit sequence full of lame puns, and a title screen on which you can see the edges of the film reel. There is absolutely no reason why the series should be expected to be dark and brooding. Or kiddy, for that matter, which is why I enjoy games on both sides.

@English Ivy: I strongly suspect that the leading reason why people hate Dracula X is that it isn't Rondo of Blood. Aside from that flaw, I haven't found much inherently wrong with the game.

edited 2nd Dec '09 10:00:41 AM by FalconPain

My first Castlevania was Circle of the Moon. Then I finished Dawn of Sorrow. From what I've seen these games are not much for plot, but damn it if they don't have some bitchin' gameplay.

The only Castlevania I finished is Circle of the Moon, and it's a damned good game.

edited 2nd Dec '09 12:34:36 PM by Longfellow

I usually play the Metroidvanias although I have tried out some of the Classic games like Castlevania I for NES and Dracula X Chronicles. I managed to beat Dracula X and made to Stage 5 of the original which I've yet to beat. Goddamned Medusa Heads.

edited 2nd Dec '09 12:44:28 PM by Mr. Pastry

Dracula X is very difficult, though. ESPECIALLY that final battle. The jumping physics and the floor REGULARLY kick my ass. Though I'm not sure if it's really all that more difficult than the NES Castlevanias...

I think, at this point, any "mundane" secrets in Symphony Of The Night should no longer be considered Guide Dang It!. For Castlevania fans, they're about as obscure as Shakespeare spoilers.

IGA's retconning I generally disagree with. In fact, when retconned Circle Of The Moon, I argued for its inclusion, but ironically, fter he un-retconned it I actually argued for it to be retconned. The reason for my change of opinion was his decision to say that Richter was the "last" Belmont. I absolutely refuse to believe that there were none from then till Julius. However, he had said that Circle was part of "another continuity". Suddenly, I realized the potential for n entire alternate continuity involving Baldwins, Graveses, no Belmonts, and most importantly, less reason for needlessly complicated and angsty plots.

Yep, I'm not a fan of the complicated plots. Harmony, for eaxmple, had a plot whose only purpose was to justify the gameplay. So if it's an Excuse Plot, well, treat it as such, rather than trying to get me to care about the plot. Symphony had about the right depth: just enough plot to enhance atmosphere, but not so much to be a mess of Fridge Logic.

I'm also not a fan of Richter. He can go kiss the asses of the other main characters for all I care. He's way overrated.

Also, since he can retcon stuf, so can I. I unretcon Sonia, and dump this Mathias shit. I also retcon Hector's plot because his game's Trevor lacks his characteristic headband.

The ideal Castlevania game?

Imagine a 3D castletroid with a soundtrack as lush and vivid as that of Symphony (perhaps one remixed from many previous games, and including in appropriate places classic themes such as Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears), a castle—no two—no, four castles each the size of a single Harmony or Symphony castle, each with a corresponding but distinct area for corresponding parts of the castle, and all six Dracula relic Mac Guffins to collect, magnificent bosses to battle (including the "original five" plus other classic bosses like Legion, Olrox, Carmilla, and others).

Oh, and an excuse plot that gets Some Dude into the castle, and ends up with him finding the Vampire Killer after going through most of the castle, and using it to kill Dracula. Or call it the Hunter's Whip if you want. I don't care. But this way we get BOTH whip action AND varied weapons.

AND WE NEED ARTICLES FOR EACH GAME! Simons Quest, Draculas Curse, Castlevania The Adventure, Belmonts Revenge, Castlevania Legends, Symphony Of The Night, Circle Of The Moon, Harmony Of Dissonance, and maybe a single page for the Sorrow subseries.

edited 2nd Dec '09 12:52:27 PM by GlennMagusHarvey

I actually meant the Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP. Never played Dracula X for the SNES.

Yeah, I'm sort of surprised I even made it that hard in the original. Okay, not really. My Wii has a save state like thing whenever I stop playing it. Good thing too because I lack the patience to beat it all in one sitting. :/

And I agree with you about the story, I care very little about it, I just want to whip my problems away.

edited 2nd Dec '09 1:04:13 PM by Mr. Pastry

WHEN A PROBLEM COMES ALONG

YOU MUST WHIP IT