You God-darned Bat-thread! (Castlevania)

video games
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If I had to guess, I‘d say they’d probably bundle the three Rebirth games, rather than tack any one of them onto other collection.

I think they put XX on the Advance Collection because it's a tertiary game that they (M2) won't be able to do much else with, similar to how their upcoming Toaplan helicopter STG compilation has Get Star tacked on for no particular reason.

Their general purview is emulation, not ports or conversions, so in the event that anything happens with SOTN, be it a two-pack with X or a standalone port, I suspect it may not involve M2, at least not as primary dev. Konami recently ported SOTN to smartphones, so in the event that they finally bring it to modern home platforms, I'm guessing they'll port that version themselves.

It really would've made more sense to stick Dracula X & XX on that first collection and tack the three GB games onto this Advance collection, but what do I know.

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Played Order of Ecclesia for an hour to test whether I was speaking the hot truth or blowing smoke, and folks, the results are in:

I like it very much. The side quests are (1) useful, in that the items they net you (armor, accessories, advanced recovery items—all available for purchase in the store, not just one-time rewards—and money) really give you an advantage since the game is moderately challenging, and (2) not a pain in the neck to do because of how easy it is to travel all around the levels (choosing a point of entry to a given level, in-level teleportation rooms, small early levels generally).

Oh and playing it with headphones + stereo sound is great (those Youtube soundtrack rips don't capture it)

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@“GigaSlime”#p44151 At the time I remember feeling like every enemy and boss took way too many hits to kill early on.

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@“kory”#p44156 I felt like it was such a chore to get through even the most basic screens screens in the early game.

I would say the game does become faster as it goes on, though the early game shouldn't exactly feel tedious. Common enemies as well as bosses are highly sensitive to the kind of damage you inflict on them; could it have been you were using an ineffective type of weapon? Then again for the whole first area you only have a rapier and nearly all enemies are weak to piercing damage so I might just have more tolerance for the friction you both experienced with that. :(
Also essentially necessary to rapidly alternate pressing X and Y to do damage fast enough—I find this rhythm satisfying but I can imagine others finding it tedious.

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I gave Bloodstained a shot last year, but somehow it also didn’t quite compel me to sink much time into it.

For what it's worth I don't like Bloodstained much at all so you have the Insert Credit Forums "Captain" Seal of Absolution on your falling off the wagon there.

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Timespinner is an indie Vania-like which doesn’t exactly expand on many of the systems in Ecclesia, but it does imitate some of them in a way I found compelling, mostly thinking of the glyph system. It also adds its own particular mechanic which gives bosses and platforming a different flavor, and the story it tells is more interesting. It does however sacrifice a lot of that good IGAvania weirdness you find with random “useless” yet creative rooms or bizarre enemy placements etc, which feels like losing something essential to the whole project.

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@“gsk”#p44163 I also recall hearing that the 1st vinyl album at least was not a remaster but just a straight rip off of a CD with the sound effects and channels off. (I think I heard this via a Retronauts/Jeremy review?)

Thankfully it sounds like they whacked a candle and took it to heart (/groan) for the others and they upped the production values from there on. I picked up the ones for Simon's Quest, Dracula's Curse and Super. I know I passed on SotN (Because I've got the Japanese CD of that one) and it looks like I fell off the list and missed Rondo? I'm actually surprised they haven't started releasing the GBA/DS games yet. If there was a way to get these all on a remastered CD collection or even just a downloaded version, I'd really like to have them in my collection of game music.

If I had to pick a favorite game, I'd probably be boring and fall on SotN. A close friend and I were living together when it came out and we spent months playing and replaying and fiddling with the button commands and various spells and crazy weapons. He's played it with his teenage son now and its been fun hearing their stories too.

But the NES games were formative for me as well. I could never get far in the first one and was too young to really grasp the RPG side of the sequel (never mind it being so obtuse to begin with) but I fondly remember just renting them and enjoying them for what they were. I guess they were a nice "rental" game that allowed me to walk away from them instead of feeling like I needed to master/complete them.

Castlevania 3 though.... Oh yeah.... That game just HITS. again, I think back in the day I could ~barely~ get myself to the actual castle during the best of runs while renting it but it just looked so good, sounded so good (yes, the US version has it's own charm IMO) and was just so big with all the multiple paths and characters! I'd say this one is probably a close runner up for my favorite.

I went back last year and played (and finally beat) NES 1 and 3 w/ the Collection on the Switch for Halloween and it brought back a lot of memories. I also played through SotN with another friend that hadn't actually played it yet (the PS3 version) a few years back too and he walked away quite impressed, so I feel it really does hold up.

I think **captain** waxed more poetic about Ecclesia than I could ever present so I'll just leave it at that one also being short list for my favorites. I was one of the folks that was ready for the challenge and enjoyed the extra tactical feel the game gave with actually having to learn some of the bosses patterns etc. It had its weak points but I felt like it was a great swan song for Iga and crew.

I also agree with the folks here on Portrait of Ruin, for as bland as the characters/design were, they made up for it with all the different things they tried with the castle/levels and enemies. And while also not Koshiro's best work, it was nice to have him lend his style to the saga to mix it up a bit there too. It really did feel like the let's just go crazy with ideas game of the series

Aria of Sorrow seems to be the highest rated out of the portable games and I enjoyed it but like **exodus**, for some reason that one just falls into the mix of the others for me. It was fun sure, but not as memorable (for me) as the ones I mentioned above.

I really do want to play through Rondo proper one of these days. I have a friend with a Turbo Mini and I should just ask to borrow it the next time I visit so I can check that off the list. My friend found me a copy of Dracula X for the SNES and I did play through it and yeah, it's...bad.

I also haven't played through the Genesis one (Bloodlines?) yet and picked up the Super Famicom version of Castlevania 4 but haven't broken that out yet either... One of these days...

I'm thinking I may go back and give Ecclesia another playthrough this October... Though I should also maybe finally play through Bloodstained too here at some point! >_<

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@“Unbeknownst2U”#p44178 I also recall hearing that the 1st vinyl album at least was not a remaster but just a straight rip off of a CD with the sound effects and channels off. (I think I heard this via a Retronauts/Jeremy review?)


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Thankfully it sounds like they whacked a candle and took it to heart (/groan) for the others and they upped the production values from there on. I picked up the ones for Simon’s Quest, Dracula’s Curse and Super. I know I passed on SotN (Because I’ve got the Japanese CD of that one) and it looks like I fell off the list and missed Rondo? I’m actually surprised they haven’t started releasing the GBA/DS games yet. If there was a way to get these all on a remastered CD collection or even just a downloaded version, I’d really like to have them in my collection of game music.

A lot of VGM vinyl is direct presses of ripped CDs, but usually not by choice. I've forgotten the specifics but that story rings true with regards to a few Konami vinyl across multiple labels.

As it happens, Konami's Japanese store just announced this box set:

https://twitter.com/gosokkyu/status/1442352845907378183

https://twitter.com/gosokkyu/status/1442354492033306628

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@“gsk”#p44181 I may have liked this post and information but my wallet sure doesn't! >_<

Thanks for bringing this to my attention though! This really does look like the "definitive" collection of Castlevania Music in these 2 sets. I like how they included the US versions of Castlevania 2 and 3 as well! (I knew 3 had the extra sound chip but didn't think Simon's Quest was any different... The more you know I guess?)

I'm guessing they probably wouldn't put I Am the Wind on there from the US SotN but it would have been a fun surprise if it was listed?

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@“Unbeknownst2U”#p44214 (I knew 3 had the extra sound chip but didn’t think Simon’s Quest was any different… The more you know I guess?)

Yup! The Famicom Disk System has an additional wavetable sound channel over the standard Famicom/NES audio setup, and so most every disk game that was converted to cartridge for the overseas market has slightly compromised audio.

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The rewind feature in the Advance Collection is great for farming items with low drop rates. I think if I'd tried to get the Dark Armor from Lilim in CotM legitimately I would have gone insane

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@“gsk”#p44181 Ooof, I sure wish I had the money, space and an actual disc playing device to be able to justify getting that box set! I also kinda wish Konami would just release the contents digitally in North America.

I've been steadily playing through Circle of the Moon, and I had forgotten just how exciting it was when it was announced for the GBA! I can vividly recall where I bought it, and that it was for some reason released several days before the GBA itself. I think most complaints about it are more complaints about problems with the launch GBA and its not so great screen and sound, but it's really wild to play it on a system with actual screen lighting!

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I really appreciated the Retronauts‘ Castlevania episodes, but I can’t remember which ones of the Advance/DS games are “good” and which ones are “not that good” and I don‘t want to listen to the 2-hour episode again! I think it was the DS games that had more mixed opinions, right? So these Advance games are all good especially if you’re like me and never played them? I assume that the Switch port runs just fine?

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@“Unbeknownst2U”#p44178 If I had to pick a favorite game, I’d probably be boring and fall on SotN.

Then we can be boring together, buddy!

_Dracula X/Rondo of Blood_ (aka _Rond-o-blood_) is the _Castlevania_ game I think is cool and good. In actuality, it's too hard for me to actually play that much of. The real reason it is cool is because I couldn't access it for decades and it was the lost one. It's still super cool, but I wish I enjoyed playing it. The music is all bangers all the time.

_Bloodlines_ is the linear game that I enjoy the most far and away. It still holds up. Got all sorts of weird stuff going on. Konami nailed it. The music is all Genesis-class bass note bangers.

_Symphony of the Night_ is my favorite though. Long enough to feel like a "project" game, short enough to feel like it doesn't overstay its welcome. I don't really sequence break or play for weird weapons or drops or whatever, it's just continually fun. All of the music is bangers even when you're in Olrox's Quarters and the music is a minuet.

I played some of _Bloodstained_ but I'm genuinely not sure how far I got. I got stuck on the twin snake bosses. I enjoyed the maps and all, but I don't think I "got" the sub-weapon/skill system, or how important it is (very it seems!) compared to _SotN_. Not all the music is a banger, even when it's SotN-self-plagerizing.

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The best Castlevania is Ninja Gaiden.

Edit: I like Castlevania 1 and 3 most of the ones I've played. Haven't played Rondo but seems my speed. I don't often love Metroidvanias, and a lot of the backtracking and wandering in the later Castlevanias does grate on me, but I do think they along with the 2d Metroids are the best of their genre. I probably would put the GBA ones on top in some order, then SotN and then the DS ones, but they're all close. All of them are a good bit behind 1 and 3 for me though.

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@“MichaelDMcGrath”#p44361 This is the Castlevania thread, not the “lazy disinfo” thread and we're allowed to correct you in this one.

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I've only played the 16 bit gen ones and SotN. I like rondo and bloodlines the most.

Rondo hits that sweet spot of action and exploration for me. The levels are designed with a linear path that have hidden branches leading to an alternate set of levels and bosses. I find backtracking tiresome at times, but I had no problem picking the same levels over and over till I found the alternate routes in Rondo. In one level the alternate route has you riding a log down rapids while battling enemies, and in another you knock down these big spiked balls, and one of them busts open a path a screen or two below. You can jump down and follow. It's one of the few games I've 100%ed

Bloodlines has this quick pace going from visual set piece to visual set piece. Konami pulled off a lot of crazy tricks on the genesis. The colors look great to me. It's the game that got me to look into the technical side of the console.

Think I'll join in on the Octobervania. I have been meaning to check out the ps2 games and Belmont's revenge cause I heard this track recently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puh-OomYatg

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@“antillese”#p44360 I think it was the DS games that had more mixed opinions, right? So these Advance games are all good especially if you’re like me and never played them?

It's the other way around, if anything: the first couple of GBA games have their detractors, and the games from GBA #3 onwards are of broadly equivalent quality. I think the people writing this off as Aria of Sorrow + Three Other Games Collection are being harsh, but there are a lot of 'em.

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@“MichaelDMcGrath”#p44361 The best Castlevania is Ninja Gaiden.

OG Castlevania still has it beat when it comes to bosses, but NG's certainly cut from the same cloth (and a bunch more NES/FC small-dude action games built on NG, and so it goes).

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Beat Circle of the Moon. I told myself I was only gonna use rewind to farm a few rare items but I ended up using it to cheese Dracula. In my defense, some DSS combos don't seem to work on him! The one that increases your attack by map % completion and the one that makes you invincible both just seem to be disabled just for that fight! Way to reward me for investing in your central mechanic, game!

Moved onto Harmony of Dissonance. For all the aesthetic differences the story is functionally exactly the same as Circle of the Moon, lol. A lot of abducted loved ones and brainwashed buddies in these games. It's starting to seem even less unusual that @"exodus"#3 can't tell these apart!

Juste's movement feels a lot more sluggish than I can remember, especially compared to Nathan Graves, but I do appreciate having that SotN dash! There were a lot of enemies in CotM where it felt like getting close enough to whip them meant putting myself at risk of getting hit with an attack i couldn't possibly react quick enough to get away from. Not sure it was worth devoting both shoulder buttons to backward and forward dashing, but considering this is the only IGAvania that had that I'm guessing he would agree with me

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I've only ever played Harmony of Dissonance on a borrowed GBA flash cart after buying and returning a fake GBA cart for a reasonable price (it didnt save). I bought this collection to play Harmony of Dissonance again and feel like I “own” it. I enjoy this game quite a lot. The dashes on the shoulder buttons is a real good time, but I think the GBA shoulder buttons are slightly better.

I have watched a playthrough of both Aria of Sorrow and Lament of Innocence (the PS2 one). I'll probably buy Symphony of the Night one day too.
I was very excited for Bloodstained in 2015 when all that existed was concept art, when I saw the actual game I was pretty dissapointed.

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@“beets”#p44402 I ended up liking Bloodstained more than I thought I would, but I definitely don‘t love it, for all kinds of somewhat petty sounding reasons, but mostly because I just didn’t find it to be much fun. The two NES-ish side stories, however, are like someone made Castlevania III-2 and Castlevania III-3. They‘re excellent and a lot of fun, and they don’t even have many moments that feel unfair, like even the best parts of the NES Castlevanias sometimes do.

I notice that even though the N64 and PS2 games have been mentioned, nobody has said a word (that I've seen at least) about the three games by MercuryStream, Lords of Shadow 1 & 2 and Mirror of Fate. Dare I ask what folks think about them?

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@“Karasu”#p44453 I talked about Lords of Shadow in another thread a while back, dl/dr it has very derivative but fun gameplay paired with exquisite art direction and the dumbest story and dialogue I‘ve ever heard in my life. At least, the two main games are fun. Mirror of Fate kinda sucks. If that game was the only thing I had to go on, I never would have expected Mercurysteam’s Metroid output would be half as good as it is

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Plugging away at Harmony of Dissonance and finding a lot of little things to like about it this time around. The story always seemed like an afterthought but this time it feels like it has almost a psychological horror vibe, like the whole castle is a twisted reflection of your friend Maxim‘s fractured psyche. There’s a lot of areas where you can see outside the castle and while it all basically makes sense (like looking at the map it fits where you're supposed to be underground, above ground or up in the sky) it never quite feels like all these locations could exist in the same place.

[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/niDxl0z.jpeg]

[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/5ofetlA.jpeg]

[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/PVXY1YR.jpeg]

This is an especially good example - go two screens to the right of this volcano hellscape and you wind up in these crystal caves.
[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/gIxjkU5.jpeg]

And then there's whatever the fuck is going on in here
[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/O12US5b.jpeg]

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@“Gaagaagiins”#p44101 I decided to stop playing Rondo of Blood! I did beat Stage 4, though. But that Death fight is absolutely rotten.


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I got what I wanted out of it, though. That’s a rad game with a BANGIN’ soundtrack.

Turns out I lied!! I went back and beat Death!

Those scythes do way too much damage for how easy they are to get hit by.