What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse--The Castlevania Discussion thread

Because I felt it necessary, I created this thread. Anyway...

Been playing Aria of Sorrow lately. Just gets better the more I play, unlike Harmony of Dissonance which I personally found quite annoying. Also, is there anyone here who thinks that Konami needs to make a straight up action Castlevania again, and not a Metroidvania style adventure? More like the first Castlevania, Bloodlines, and Rondo, and less like SOTN and every other recent Castlevania.

Also, because it needs to be said:

WHAT IS A MAN? A MISERABLE LITTLE PILE OF SECRETS! BUT ENOUGH TALK, HAVE AT YOU!

To Harmony of Dissonance, I say:

THIS WORLD ILL NEEDS A SAVIOR SUCH AS YOU!

Aria of Sorrow, on the other hand, was good people.

Yes, Konami needs to bring back traditional 2D Action Castlevania.
Dracula X Chronicles on PSP was the best CV title in the past decade.

Dear Konami,

No more Metroidvanias, please. Give us a new, traditional Castlevania.

Thanks,

Melf

Metroidvania? Are you guys talking about Castlevania Lament Of Innocence? I thought Castlevania transitioned well to 3d. What was so annoying about Harmony of Dissonance?

"Metroidvania" refers to the games in the Castlevania series which eschew traditional multi-stage design in lieu of one large open world with certain areas unavailable without specific items or abilities; mimicking the defining gameplay mechanics popularized by the Metroid series.

Notable "Metroidvania" titles include:

Symphony of the Night
Circle of the Moon
Harmony of Dissonance
Aria of Sorrow
Dawn of Sorrow
Portrait of Ruin
Order of Ecclesia

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Originally Posted by GameUser-16-32-128

Metroidvania? Are you guys talking about Castlevania Lament Of Innocence? I thought Castlevania transitioned well to 3d. What was so annoying about Harmony of Dissonance?

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Metroidvania is the widely accepted term to describe all Castlevania titles made to resemble Castlevania Symphony of the Night, they consist usually of one big stage/world to explore, with a linear progression throughout, maintained by specific item requirements. They usually have a 'leveling' and 'loot' system in effect, and there's the Map feature showing how much you've explored.

Super metroid is really the first game in this specific subgenre, and is why the name exists.

Traditional Castlevania's were level based,with occasional multiple paths through the game for exploration. There were secondary item powerups, but nothing complex like an RPG system.

Old Castlevania = Action/Adventure
New Metroidvania = Adventure/RPG

I know, boiling it down to genres sucks, but what can ya do eh?

Metroidvania ftw! Dawn of Sorrow was great, Portrait of Ruin was awesome, Order of Ecclesia was fucking fantastic. I'm not much into the GBA ones. I think the second GBA one, iirc, has ugly bright/colorful scheme.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

"Metroidvania" refers to the games in the Castlevania series which eschew traditional multi-stage design in lieu of one large open world with certain areas unavailable without specific items or abilities; mimicking the defining gameplay mechanics popularized by the Metroid series.

Notable "Metroidvania" titles include:

Symphony of the Night
Circle of the Moon
Harmony of Dissonance
Aria of Sorrow
Dawn of Sorrow
Portrait of Ruin
Order of Ecclesia

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Knuckle Duster

Metroidvania is the widely accepted term to describe all Castlevania titles made to resemble Castlevania Symphony of the Night, they consist usually of one big stage/world to explore, with a linear progression throughout, maintained by specific item requirements. They usually have a 'leveling' and 'loot' system in effect, and there's the Map feature showing how much you've explored.

Super metroid is really the first game in this specific subgenre, and is why the name exists.

Traditional Castlevania's were level based,with occasional multiple paths through the game for exploration. There were secondary item powerups, but nothing complex like an RPG system.

Old Castlevania = Action/Adventure
New Metroidvania = Adventure/RPG

I know, boiling it down to genres sucks, but what can ya do eh?

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So there you have it, GameUser. In stereo.

Yeah, I definitely prefer the older castlevanias, I can't even stand Symphony of the Night. However, I DO like Castlevania for N64, and almost no one likes that game.

i stopped playing Castlevania after Castlevania. It was a good game, though.

I think they should make a new castlevania for wiiware.

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Originally Posted by Jared

I think they should make a new castlevania for wiiware.

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Agreed.

Speaking of Metroidvanias,
Cave Story's coming out for WiiWare.

Been awhile since I played it, but couldn't even Castlevania II almost fall into the Metroidvania definition?

I can't remember the difference between all of the Metroidvanias (I can't remember which one was Sorror, Dissonance or Aria, etc) but I have played through the latest one for the DS and got up the final boss. I purposely did not beat him because I still had many side quests to do, one of which involves running through a boss rush on one life (f-dat!). I never got around to beating the game.

Is it me or are all the Castlevania's after the N64 one on a gameboy? Why can't they make another SOTN-like game for a platform?

And can someone define Metrovania for me? I have no idea what you guys are talking about :confused:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheEdge

Is it me or are all the Castlevania's after the N64 one on a gameboy?
Why can't they make another SOTN-like game for a platform?

And can someone define Metrovania for me? I have no idea what you guys are talking about :confused:

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The reasons all of the Castlevania's are on handhelds now is because 2D IS THE DEVIL
AND WILL NEVER EVER BE ALLOWED TO GRACE THE MIGHTY CONSOLE AGAIN,
3D IS THE FUTUUUUUUURE!!!!oneoneoneone

however its perfectly acceptable on handhelds, because handhelds are not powerful rite?

and yes thats pretty much the reason why they are all on handhelds now,
damn shame because i would have loved me some 2D Castlevania on my PS3,
hell a download title would even have been nice, but always with the damn handhelds!
i hate it that my favorite games have all been demoted to handhelds now, you can't see any detail!

Metrovania or Metroidvania as i know it means that the classic gameplay of level after level has been changed
to follow more of a Metroid way kinda gameplay, that means gigantic maps where you have to walk around
between rooms instead of just walking right all the time.

Like in Castlevania 1 you couldn't go back to level 1 after you beat it,
but in the newer castlevania's you pretty much have too, just like in Metroid games.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

"Metroidvania" refers to the games in the Castlevania series which eschew traditional multi-stage design in lieu of one large open world with certain areas unavailable without specific items or abilities; mimicking the defining gameplay mechanics popularized by the Metroid series.

Notable "Metroidvania" titles include:

Symphony of the Night
Circle of the Moon
Harmony of Dissonance
Aria of Sorrow
Dawn of Sorrow
Portrait of Ruin
Order of Ecclesia

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Knuckle Duster

Metroidvania is the widely accepted term to describe all Castlevania titles made to resemble Castlevania Symphony of the Night, they consist usually of one big stage/world to explore, with a linear progression throughout, maintained by specific item requirements. They usually have a 'leveling' and 'loot' system in effect, and there's the Map feature showing how much you've explored.

Super metroid is really the first game in this specific subgenre, and is why the name exists.

Traditional Castlevania's were level based,with occasional multiple paths through the game for exploration. There were secondary item powerups, but nothing complex like an RPG system.

Old Castlevania = Action/Adventure
New Metroidvania = Adventure/RPG

I know, boiling it down to genres sucks, but what can ya do eh?

---

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheEdge

Is it me or are all the Castlevania's after the N64 one on a gameboy? Why can't they make another SOTN-like game for a platform?

And can someone define Metrovania for me? I have no idea what you guys are talking about :confused:

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:end:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

Metrovania or Metroidvania as i know it means that the classic gameplay of level after level has been changed
to follow more of a Metroid way kinda gameplay, that means gigantic maps where you have to walk around
between rooms instead of just walking right all the time.

Like in Castlevania 1 you couldn't go back to level 1 after you beat it,
but in the newer castlevania's you pretty much have too, just like in Metroid games.

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3 Definitions already, WILL THIS MADNESS EVER CEASE!?

Is it me, or should "Metroidvania" be somewhat self-explanatory?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

Is it me, or should "Metroidvania" be somewhat self-explanatory?

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God forbid people start calling it CastleVetroid. :yuck:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

Is it me, or should "Metroidvania" be somewhat self-explanatory?

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lol, I thought I saw it said Metro-Vania and I concluded that you guys were talking about how Metrosexual all the Castlevania characters have become. I didn't see the extra "oid" on the back of that. :lawl:


Oh, for all you people who don't know what MetroSexual is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrosexual

"You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!!!"

I refuse to play any 3-d type of castlevania game. Not to say they aren't good, it's just wrong. I mean thye should atleast make a new one in 2-d and release it on xbox live arcade! I know they still make 2-d ones for ds and what not, but i can't see owning it just for those games. Plus i hate handhelds. I want a next gen 2-d castlevania.

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Originally Posted by ransack

i hate handhelds.

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:confused:

I know those words, but that doesn't make any sense.

So out of place. Its like saying "Well I like Metroidvanias more than regular old Castlevania. Plus, fuck the mexicans. I want another Metroidvania."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

:confused:

I know those words, but that doesn't make any sense.

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What doesn't make sense? lol actually reading it back it looks like i just threw that in there i guess. But i meant cause they still come out with 2-d castelvania games on say DS, right? But i don't like gaming on handhelds. So i'm out of luck unless i buy one just to go back and play them. Id' like a next gen 2-d castlevania game on a home console, not a 5 inch screen. I'd also like shenmue 3 but i don't think thats ever going to happen either.

I just acquired Castlevania Bloodlines. Sweet. Now that's how it should feel, not "Where the hell do I go now?"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ransack

What doesn't make sense? lol actually reading it back it looks like i just threw that in there i guess. But i meant cause they still come out with 2-d castelvania games on say DS, right? But i don't like gaming on handhelds. So i'm out of luck unless i buy one just to go back and play them. Id' like a next gen 2-d castlevania game on a home console, not a 5 inch screen. I'd also like shenmue 3 but i don't think thats ever going to happen either.

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Where I was going with that was, um . . . Metal Sonic, how do I put it?

Handheldz are teh rockz!!!

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

Handheldz are teh rockz!!!

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Spoken like a truly out-of-style Geezer.
Step aside old man, I'll handle this:

"Handheldz R t3h r0xorz!!!"
*KD throws a gang sign while grabbing and emphasizing the Halo 3 Logo on his tshirt, all while a disembodied crowd of fanfare is heard*

Anyone want to discuss the Hideo Kojima Castlevania announced today? Yea? Nay?

Neither. Instead I'll give it a "we'll see". Kojima hasn't been good since the first Metal Gear Solid. If he tries to incorporate that kind of shit into Castlevania.....

Anyway, I'm sure he's happy to be working on something that isn't Metal Gear, which he hasn't done forever. Poor bastard. I hope he isn't broken.

I hear the game in question was actually a stand-alone game when it began development, with the "Castlevania" branding added in later.

Also, Kojima isn't as hands-on with this one as many think. The game was already in development when he jumped in. Perhaps he'll play more of a creative role than a technical role.

As for the trailer, it was alright. I haven't played the 3D CV's on N64 & PS2, but this one seems much more exciting and fast-paced than the earlier attempts at 3D CV.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by InternalPrimate

Anyone want to discuss the Hideo Kojima Castlevania announced today? Yea? Nay?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joe Redifer

Neither. Instead I'll give it a "we'll see". Kojima hasn't been good since the first Metal Gear Solid. If he tries to incorporate that kind of shit into Castlevania.....

Anyway, I'm sure he's happy to be working on something that isn't Metal Gear, which he hasn't done forever. Poor bastard. I hope he isn't broken.

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Go play Lunar Knights on the DS. It already smells like Metroidvania. Has vampire hunting, etc. It also happens to kick major ass.

I have no issues whatsoever with him carrying the CV canon.

Lunar Knights? Metroidvania? Kicks ass? Has?

I'm intrigued.

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

Lunar Knights? Metroidvania? Kicks ass? Has?

I'm intrigued.

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Pick it up, it's well worth it.
It's well rounded enough a title to be it's own franchise. (It started off as a 'boktai spinoff/conceptual reboot' but without the solar sensor gimmick.)

It's one of those underrated, under appreciated, 'ass kicking' good titles.

Top down isometric view, two characters, one a gunslinger, uses 'sunlight' to refill his 'mana (for lack of a better term)' the other character's a sword fighter who uses moonlight, throw in elemental creatures you can equip for 'magic attacks' and also the ability to 'rage/transform', different weapons you can equip, a cool space shooter mini game, excellent presentation.

I bought it blindly along with Dawn of Sorrow. Glad I did. It's probably my favorite Kojima game.

Yeah, I was thinking that was the Boktai sequel/reboot (whatever).

I think this is the highest-rated DS game that I don't own.

It's good. A bit odd and slow-paced, but if you like action rpg's, it's definitely worth the money.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3...50687?type=flv

Trailer for anyone that hasn't seen it. Looks pretty cool actually.

I've been a fan of the series for a long time. I remember playing the first game on one of those Play-Choice 10 machines at an arcade years ago, and thought it was cool. I later learned it was on the NES, and despite my (at the time) Sega fanboyism, I still wanted to play it.

Jump forward a number of years, and "Bloodlines" was the first game in the series I owned. I eventually bought myself "Nocturne in the Moonlight" on the Saturn, and played the hell out of it. Before long, I was at a flea market, and saw that they had NES systems for $15. I decided that if they had all three Castlevania games for it, I'd get it. I went home with exactly that, and caught up on some gaming. Before long, I got an SNES, and grabbed Super Castlevania IV, and eventually, Castlevania: Dracula X. Then came the PS1 version of "Symphony", the GBA games, the GameBoy ones, and the 3D ones for N64, PS2 and XBox. I even managed to snag a complete (sans spine card) copy of the infamous "Rondo of Blood" for a lot less than what eBayers always want for it.

The lowest point of the series for me, are the N64 games. It's not that they're horrid, unplayable games, it's just that they lack the spark that was found in the 2D games before them. Maybe it was the system they were on and its lack of visual prowess to really capture the look and atmosphere, maybe it was the programmers who had a hard time getting those things down. Either way, I found them lacking the style and soul of what came before them, and when I reach for a Castlevania game to play, they're generally not in the line up.


As a side note, I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one who actually enjoyed Castlevania: Dracula X. I found the graphics, music and gameplay to be enjoyable, the levels were fine, and the game came across as good overall. It had a major issue with the whole "bouncing between enemies" thing (holy shit is that annoying), but I felt that was the only real downside to the game.

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Originally Posted by The Coop

As a side note, I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one who actually enjoyed Castlevania: Dracula X. I found the graphics, music and gameplay to be enjoyable, the levels were fine, and the game came across as good overall. It had a major issue with the whole "bouncing between enemies" thing (holy shit is that annoying), but I felt that was the only real downside to the game.

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"Dracula X" (SNES) was my first-ever CV. Despite reading mediocre reviews for it in GamePro and EGM, I got it anyways as the cover was eye-catching. I really enjoyed the game, but the difficulty got under my skin so much that I ended up breaking the first copy I owned out of frustration (I did the same, regrettably, with my first copy of "Mega Man X3"). I later got a second copy, though I don't remember what I did with it.

In retrospect, the games pales in comparison with "Rondo Of Blood", but is a decent stand-alone CV. The true 16-Bit counterpart to "Bloodlines". Also, its renditions of the classic CV themes (Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, Beginning) are amongst my favorite renditions of those songs. I also liked its take on the PCE version's original music. The SNES DX had a GREAT soundtrack and better quality sfx than PCE RoB.

^ My first Castlevania was Simon's Quest. I played it a lot on the NES but never beat it. I guess you can call it the first "Metroidvania".

The Second Castlevania I got was Bloodlines which completely met all my expectations for a REAL traditional Castlevania game.

Ironically, someone from another forum just mailed me the first Castlevania for NES. I'm probably never going to play it on my NES but its nice to have since it has aluded me all through my childhood :)