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#256 Nicholas Steel

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Posted 01 November 2019 - 06:40 AM

My main issue with Harmony of Dissonance is the vertical rooms. Most of them are the same floor layout repeated a shit load as you ascend/descend through them (run to the right, jump up, run to the left, jump up, run to the right, jump up...). These rooms need to be halved in height.

 

Dawn of Sorrow has you use a stylus to draw stuff to kill enemies and bosses, very awful going from nice tactile button controls to touch screen. There's a hack that eliminates the need to use the touchscreen.


Edited by Nicholas Steel, 01 November 2019 - 06:43 AM.

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#257 The Satellite

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Posted 02 November 2019 - 12:30 AM

I used that hack the second time around, actually, hence my forgetting to include that bit. I experienced them the first time around... I still wonder if it's any better with an actual stylus, but with a mouse, it's annoying. Either way, it's just a gimmick that should never have been included; often I'd have trouble killing a boss, not (just) because of the fight itself, but because of the goddamn seal.



#258 The Satellite

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Posted 29 October 2020 - 01:49 AM

This year's Castlemania featured the 3D entries as its subject. Well, the ones before Lords of Shadow. So the three canon ones (okay the first one isn't canon but shut up). And as usual I need a place to drop a thought dump on each one, so here we go.

Legacy of Darkness - I passed over Castlevania 64, seeing as this game had both of its campaigns along with various improvements. Apparently there's a handful of modifications to the level designs as well as some missing story elements? I'm not sure. Anyhow... It was to my surprise not that bad. There's elements of the game I'm not fond of, and the hedge maze is the worst level across all four campaigns, but the rest... it's alright. I'm impressed that it had a full 3D camera, even if controlling it via the d-pad is awkward. I also didn't have that many problems with the default camera in general, but it's a 64 game, so obviously there were still issues here and there. Admittedly the combat is mindless but I do love how the holy water is OP as hell in this game as well. Shockingly I didn't enjoy playing as Carrie as much as others; I found charging her attack to be more annoying than just rapid attacks from the other characters. I appreciate also that each environment was unique from each other, and there were some solid atmospheric tracks. I was really fond of the Castle Center theme, and was almost certain I've heard this in a quest, though I'm unsure which.

I thought some levels were cool too honestly. The Tower of Science was neat, I jokingly referred to it as "Dracula's Home Defense System." I also thought the Clock Tower was brilliantly-designed as far as progression. Had some jank platforming at points, sure, but it did a great job of showing you your objective early, leading you through a series of platforming segments to the proper switch to move on, then that switch is right by the objective so you can progress. I was honestly really impressed by it when I finished it. All in all I actually had the best time with this one, spoilers, but it was the most memorable and, dare I say it, most ambitious of the three. Also, without saying why, Henry was a shocking surprise and a goofily welcome one.

 

Lament of Innocence - Oh boy, right off the bat, the first thing I noticed was the camera. At first I thought I was in for some Resident Evil fixed camera bullshit, but as it turns out... that would have frankly been an improvement. There's no camera control in this game, it moves on its own in a way it thinks is helpful but it absolutely isn't. Often you walk into a room from one direction and find yourself facing another in the next one, which completely threw me off several times. Then came the combat, which was serviceable I suppose, but with a higher focus on combos and adding dodging to the mix. You're restricted to just a whip though, but you have access to subweapons; conveniently, the map will tell you which candle has what subweapon. Leveling up, however, is gone, and equipment is lacking compared to the Metroidvanias that came out before this; Aria of Sorrow was released the same year. And the level design itself was... subpar. Repetitive. Literal copy-and-paste rooms all over. Gone was the focus on any sort of platforming and now there's an abundance of kill-all-enemies rooms in their place. There's some platforming, but it's minimalistic at best and practically nonexistent. It honestly felt like a proof-of-concept... a very long one. I'll give it this, the boss fights were pretty solid. I felt like the last two bosses were overwhelming put back-to-back, but on their own they were quite good. The story itself was decent as well I suppose, though probably could've been fleshed out a little more as well. But on the whole... it's a very basic, repetitive, and quite forgettable game. Soundtrack was pretty good, but that's always a constant in this series anyway.

 

Curse of Darkness - This game seems to abandon platforming entirely, unless you count very occasionally jumping up/down platforms as a mere obstacle. Yep, they opt to fully focus on combat in this one, with a continued reliance on just fighting enemies. This time though, leveling up returns, and there's even multiple weapon types again, as well as more equipment. Actually, this might be the most interesting system in the game, because the character crafts them himself with alchemy and materials dropped from enemies. Then there's the familiar system, where they learn spells and evolve based on which weapons you use. When I focused on that aspect, it made the experience a bit more enjoyable. The game itself is still kind of monotonous, though it has fewer copy-and-paste rooms and a lot more environmental distinction. The bosses aren't as good as Lament's in my opinion, although still for the most part competent. It's an okay game, though I do wish there were more rewards for exploring, and it felt like money was incredibly scarce. Oh, and the last level was a monotonous copy-and-paste hour's worth of pure padding, so that killed the moment.

 

Kid Dracula - ... oh yeah, and then there was this one as the capper. The NES version, specifically, now that it's been localized via the Anniversary Collection (or perhaps it already was localized, just never released until now?). I've been curious about this one for a while, although I was wrongly under the impression that the Game Boy version was an "updated" port, so that one's still on the table for the future. Anyhow, I was honestly just expecting a straightforward action-platformer with a more cutesy edge than the main series... and that's mostly what's here. But I didn't expect random bonus games between levels, a ceiling-walking powerup, and... I don't even want to spoil one of the boss fights, it was so unexpected and lovably absurd. Admittedly it was a bit rough with the platforming, Kid Dracula himself moves pretty slow (though not Christopher Belmont slow), and there's a lot of lag and sprite flicker, but there was a lot of charm. Until the last level anyway, where there's a boss, a tedious section, a tedious boss, and then the final boss. And zero checkpoints. And the final boss is also tedious, with exactly one attack and one brief opening where he's vulnerable. It did a lot to drag down my opinion on this game, but the rest of it is so endearingly goofy and charming that I can almost look past the end. Almost. I can at least look past its other flaws.

 

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So, ultimately, this, the third year of my Castlemania stream marathon, is the most disappointing one. Castlevania in 3D just hasn't been nailed yet, and with the state Konami's in, may never be. I know there's the Lords of Shadow games, but I'm leery of those... and saving them for later. I think there's some potential for the series in 3D, but it wasn't really tapped in any of the three that I played. Legacy of Darkness, hilariously, was the closest, albeit more to the classic style than the then-fledgling Igavania style. It had some exploration, but it was mostly just a linear platforming experience with a bit more imagining than either of its successors... do they even count as successors if they're trying something else? Either way. If I could only pick one of them to return to... it's Legacy of Darkness. But, to be honest, I think I'll just stick to 2D...



#259 ShadowTiger

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Posted 30 October 2020 - 09:18 AM

If there was a brand new Castlevania Symphony of the Night or Dawn of Sorrow, I would be a happy gentleman.  Why are Metroidvanias so rare?   There's nothing wrong with starting the game as strong as a twig and ending it feeling superpowered, having dozens of movement and attack abilities that help with your ability to explore and find secrets, and to have a super-helpful map feature, and dozens of fun spells and abilities, compendiums and encyclopedias to fill out, items to find, ... come on.  They're great game concepts.   A shame I finish them so quickly.

 

I don't think I've ever found a 3D Castlevania to be that fun.  They're nothing like the 2D Metroidvanias.



#260 NoeL

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Posted 31 October 2020 - 05:03 PM

Why are Metroidvanias so rare?

... have you been living under a rock the past few years? XD It's a hugely popular genre among the indie game space. Besides the more well-known ones, just go to itch.io and check the Metroidvania tab.

Seriously, these days there are more games than anyone could play in their lifetime. No one should be sitting around waiting for something to play.

#261 ShadowTiger

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Posted 09 November 2020 - 05:02 PM

Shortly after that debacle I found another Metroidvania, which I will be backing.  It looks like exactly my kind of game.  Hoping it does okay!

 

To be honest, I'd rather back a mediocre Metroidvania than a high-quality game of a genre that I don't really enjoy.  So I'm okay with whatever quality it ends up as.  I have more qualms with a game's controls not being rebindable than with some elements being low quality or done poorly.  I can accept those just fine.  If I can't even control the game properly, I can't play it.  :-/



#262 The Satellite

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Posted 16 May 2021 - 02:44 PM

I have returned to tell you:

 

Castlevania: The Adventure is still one of the worst fucking games I've ever played.



#263 NoeL

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Posted 16 May 2021 - 05:14 PM

I have returned to tell you:

Castlevania: The Adventure is still one of the worst fucking games I've ever played.

At least it got a pretty awesome remake!
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#264 The Satellite

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Posted 17 May 2021 - 02:18 PM

Oh yeah no, ReBirth is excellent and basically an entirely new game. Shame it didn't remix the original's music. The music is the one absolute good about the original but for the remake they thought it would be better to pull music from other games??? I don't get it.



#265 The Satellite

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Posted 31 October 2022 - 01:23 AM

Right, I have just completed my annual Castlevania marathon on my Twitch. This year's Castlemania consisted of all the games from the classic era I hadn't gotten to yet, which conveniently allowed me to dub the theme as "Reimagined" due to all of them either being a reimagining of a previous game or of the series concept as a whole. Let's dig into...

 

Vampire Killer - Conceptually I really like this game, but the lack of continues really hurts it. I had to finagle a cheat program to make it bearable, the "Game Master 2," officially from Konami itself. With it, I was able to give myself 99 lives and make it to the final level, but woof, Dracula is a tough son of a bitch and dying to him makes you redo the whole level. That was where I caved to save states. But again... on a conceptual level, I think this is a cool game. It's sort of a freeform level design, where you must find keys to progress. These keys are hidden in weird locations sometimes admittedly, but I like the idea. There are also regular keys that open the various chests in the level, that contain powerups and the like. As well as merchants that can sell items for hearts, a year before Simon's Quest even! Even without the continues problem, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but with a little more polish, I'd consider this one of the more unique entries in the series.

 

Haunted Castle - Not the first time I've played this. Thankfully I played the version on PS4 that has unlimited continues, otherwise this would've been a nightmare. As it stands... well, it's not good. The original version had a major problem: As implied, continues were... problematic. As this was originally an arcade game, you'd expect to be able to just keep chugging quarters in to have unlimited continues. Konami, on the other hand, decided that instead, you only get a set number of continues, and you can convert them into more health... at the cost of one fewer continue. And when they're gone, game over! ... the kind of game over that actually means game over. Oh, and also the American version of the game had things hit like trucks. I've only played the American version, since unlimited continues makes it passable, but even with these adjustments, it's just a really dull game. The level design is bland and just not a lot special happens. It's a forgettable game, but with a handful of iconic themes that later saw use in better games.

 

Castlevania Chronicles - Now this soundtrack goes hard, holy shit. Arrange Mode, I should specify. Game had some frustrating parts, but I'd say it was on the whole satisfying. Still not a fan of the Ayami Kojima Simon Belmont design, but it doesn't really detract. Simon's walk cycle is horrendous though, actually same for Haunted Castle now I think of it ("food-poisoned Simon" as I called it). Other than that, can't think of much to say. It's fine? I'd probably revisit it some day, but right now there are better versions of the original Castlevania. Like. The original Castlevania. Or Super Castlevania IV. ... at least this one had more catchy and memorable music than CV4?

 

Castlevania Judgment - One of the worst fucking fighting games I've ever played. I don't even know where to start with it. See, in the right hands, I think a Castlevania fighting game is a great idea! There's so many characters you could make a large and diverse roster out of! But they flubbed it royally here. The character selection is a little imbalanced, seeing as all but two characters come from the 80s/90s, apart from the original character who kicked off the plot of the game, and Shanoa, who I'm convinced was only added because this came out a mere couple months after Order of Ecclesia. No Soma, no Juste, no Jonathan or Charlotte, no Leon, no Hector, no Nathan Graves but that's a good thing. And then there's the fact that the entire cast got a makeover courtesy of Takeshi Obata, of Death Note fame. In a vacuum, all of these character designs are bangers. As Castlevania characters... they are unrecognizable as hell. Gameplay-wise, the controls not only suck, but there's no true character balance; some are (relatively) really good, some are incredibly awful. The characterizations are all over the place and nothing like their original portrayals... especially this bullshit. It's one of the worst games in the franchise.

 

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth - As discussed in the posts above, this is a remake of the actual worst game in the franchise. A loose one, for the better, although it does revisit some concepts from the original while excising the garbage. Which is... most of it. And yes, the music is changed for some reason? The original had amazing music! It was its only good element! Instead, they grab music from other games in the series and... well these remixes are stellar but it would've been nice to hear the original songs get an upgrade. Otherwise, solid remake, some frustrating elements of its own but otherwise an enjoyable entry. Dracula gave me shit until I realized his weak point, which was hard to pinpoint in all the chaos. (It's been a while since I've played this so I'd forgotten.) Overall a satisfying experience.

 

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - At long last I got to try this out. Streamed it twice actually, once with two other friends, and a second time with a full party of six. It's... incredible, actually. Alright, so it's mainly the multiplayer aspect, it's not like the most well-designed game in existence, but it's competent enough and it's a blast with friends. Definitely enjoyed this a lot, definitely plan on playing more of it while my month of Xbox Live is up, after which I'll probably put it down for a while. Some of it's jank and it can be hard as hell, but I wish this game got more support. Glad to have finally played it.

 

Kid Dracula (Game Boy) - I'm still not sure if this or Judgment is the worst game this year. It acts as a sort of "arrangement" of the NES original, while also being a sequel. Actually, it did seem to somewhat refine the controls a bit, but in response it made everything else worse. I said that I enjoyed the original minus some jank and the last level... well, I struggled a lot through this version. It's rough, it kicks your ass in unfair ways, the level design combined with the enemy placement just left me frustrated throughout, there was a fair bit of save stating going on that started rather early as well. Not a fun game at all.

 

Maria Mode (SotN, DXC) - Thankfully, this was the finale instead. Not much to say, other than I finally played through this version of Maria Mode. Actually, I played the Saturn version last year, just never posted about it here because that year I was just replaying games with alternate character modes. Anyway, I feel like both had their merits and don't actually think one is objectively superior to the other. I had my fun with this one, although some of the boss fights could be challenging; not necessarily a bad thing, considering how easily they can be smoked as Alucard.

 

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Well, that was Castlemania: Reimagined. Had a blast, overall, especially getting to play through some games I hadn't yet. Of this list, the only ones I had already played were Haunted Castle and ReBirth. The rest had some ups and downs but on the whole, great year. God I love this franchise. God I miss this franchise.




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