IV and Bloodlines are better than Rondo of Blood

ShootTheCore

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I think Rondo is quality, but I agree that its overhyped. I was especially expecting more from the music because of the CD format - there's a few good tracks, but IV has much better music IMHO.

One of my favorite Castlevanias that is often overlooked is the Sharp X68000 entry that got ported to the PS1 as Castlevania Chronicles. It's still fairly linear, but it does have multiple paths, and I think the design is tighter than Rondo.
 

LoneSage

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I think the design is tighter than Rondo.

Oh definitely. Playing the original version where four hits kill you, that game was designed for the player to kill every enemy. No rushing through. It's brilliant.
 

DevilRedeemed

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Bloodlines gets so much love nowadays, really shocking. I've always loved it, especially since it was made for the "inferior" MD/Genesis. Such a slick game, very enjoyable, well balanced, never frustrating.
Also surprised with the IV hate. Up until a few years back it was considered top tier. I think for what it was and when it came out, it's an excellent game. In a naive 8bit kind of way.
 

GohanX

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Oh definitely. Playing the original version where four hits kill you, that game was designed for the player to kill every enemy. No rushing through. It's brilliant.

Word on the street is that the PS1 original mode is actually much more difficult than the real X68k version, but still harder than the arrange mode.
 

ShootTheCore

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Word on the street is that the PS1 original mode is actually much more difficult than the real X68k version, but still harder than the arrange mode.

Huh, I hadn't heard of that until now. I have both Castlevania Chronicles and an X68000 so I'll have to check it out.
 

Jibbajaba

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I haven't spent enough time with Bloodlines to have formed an educated opinion, but while IV has better music and atmosphere than Rondo, Rondo is the better Castlevania game. So I guess I'm just parroting GoHung, but it's not my fault that he's a fucking genius.
 

Gentlegamer

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I generally like well done SNES sampled music, and Castlevania IV is one of the best, but better music than Rondo?

C'mon man.
 

wyo

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Castlevania IV is the best. When a problem comes along, you must whip it. To be fair, I haven't played Vampire Killer or Rondo of Blood anywhere near as much. My opinion is mostly based on nostalgia. I played the hell out of IV when it came out. All great games. Konami could do no wrong in the early 90s.
 
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neo_mao

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It’s too bad there was never a castlevania game released on the Neo Geo!
 

famicommander

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My issue with IV is that they don't take advantage of the ability to whip in all the new directions. Instead of scaling the difficulty of the enemies to meet your new abilities, it just makes the game super easy. Still fun though.
 

Mr. Mort

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Out of these 3, Bloodlines is my favourite. It's solid all the way around, but I love the visual style & music the most. It suits the Genesis/Mega Drive well, and the control is spot-on. Bosses are creative as well.

That being said, I think Rondo is the better game. Great art style (that was carried over to SOTN & later games), the branching paths, cool bosses, etc.

I do like CVIV also, but mostly for its godly soundtrack. Best soundtrack of the 3 games. Gameplay-wise it's solid, but plays it a bit too safe outside of the multi-directional whip.

Lecarde with the Alcarde spear ftw
Indeed.

Props to Castlevania III tho, best of the NES/Game Boy games for sure.
 

ChuChu Flamingo

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The anime aesthetics clash heavily with the in game sprites/design/flavor in Rondo of Blood imo.
 

sr20det510

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I really got into the Castlevania games on the DS.
Where would you guys rank those?

My favorites:
SOTN
Castlevania 3
Rondo
Bloodlines

DS goodness
Portrait of ruins
Dawn of Sorrow
Order of Ecclesia
 

Taiso

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I'd probably put Rondo over IV and Bloodlines

They all have their strong points but of the three, I think Rondo has the least weaknesses.

But I think I like the Dracula X Chronicles remake more than the original Rondo.
 

godzilla43

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I really got into the Castlevania games on the DS.
Where would you guys rank those?

My favorites:
SOTN
Castlevania 3
Rondo
Bloodlines

DS goodness
Portrait of ruins
Dawn of Sorrow
Order of Ecclesia

From all of those games if you now decided that you wanted to play some Castlevania would you start playing SOTN?
 

SouthtownKid

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Man, you out of your communist mind. You could make an argument for Bloodlines being better, but IV was pretty bland. They nailed music and atmosphere, but it's a boring game compared to the others.
Super IV is bland? Yeah, someone is out of their mind, but it's you.
 

Takumaji

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I think CV, CV3 and Bloodlines are the very definition of Castlevania, some of the others ain't too shabby as well but pale in comparison to the aforementioned games.
 

SouthtownKid

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The original Castlevania is the definition of Castlevania by default, being the first game. But IV beats the shit out of it in every way.
 

Takumaji

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The original Castlevania is the definition of Castlevania by default, being the first game. But IV beats the shit out of it in every way.

The first CV set the scene and defined Castlevania in conjunction with CV3 and Bloodlines, not by itself. If it wasn't for the NES sequels and Bloodline (and MSX Vampire Killer), CV would be nothing more than a very playable and good-looking (well, in comparison) but more or less forgotten gothic horror-themed platformer on an old 8bit console. It's like KoF, 94 set the scene of things to come but the series as a whole gets defined by more elements than just the ones from the first game.

CV IV on the SNES is a nice game. Basically I like most/all of the oldschool CVs but I think they've lost it beginning with SotN.
 
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