Konami 50th Anniversary Collection

Can some poor soul who already turned over their shekels confirm that in the Arcade Collection there is no tate mode and no way to select the Japanese versions?

These bastards own hudson soft

The Castlevania Collection (out this Friday) will include Japanese variants of each of its games via an update post launch.

https://gematsu.com/2019/05/castlevania-anniversary-collection-update-to-add-japanese-title-variants

Hopefully that means the same for the arcade one.

The Castlevania Collection was released on Nintendo's digital market last night. I messed around with it for a while.

The 'Book' that came with it was a real trip. Fun to read. Only thing that annoyed me was the interview with Adi Shankar. Don't get me wrong, I have professed my great appreciation for the Castlevania animated series on Netflix but I wanted a look at CLASSIC Castlevania and even though he's adapting Castlevania III, I really hoped they'd either interview some other people that were a part of the franchise in the earlier years or just not include the interview at all. But the rest of the book is laid out like an early issue of Nintendo Power or an old game manual. It was an imitation of a legit old school strategy guide but it was charming nonetheless.

It sounds as though the Castlevania III is the US release with the inferior soundtrack, unless I'm hearing it wrong. Very disappointing. Konami had a chance to really make this a special release by including multiple versions of the same game and so forth. If there's a sound select option in there, I didn't find it.

This is bare bones. If you're already playing these games on EMU, the only real reason to get it is the localized release of Kid Dracula. And even then, I'm sure you've already found a fan translated version out there somewhere. I haven't played Castlevania II on this collection yet, but I have no doubt that it's just a ROM of the old US NES version. Play the homebrew version with the better translations, built in world map, selectable whips and save states instead. It's the game Simon's Quest shouid have been and turns it from one of the worst entries in the series into one of the best.

Taiso said:

It sounds as though the Castlevania III is the US release with the inferior soundtrack, unless I'm hearing it wrong. Very disappointing. Konami had a chance to really make this a special release by including multiple versions of the same game and so forth.

Click to expand...

k'_127 said:

The Castlevania Collection (out this Friday) will include Japanese variants of each of its games via an update post launch.

Click to expand...

That is good to know. Too bad it wasn't part of the initial launch, but I'll take it.

Contra lineup:

Contra (Arcade) + Japanese version via free update

Super Contra (Arcade) + Japanese version via free update

Super C (NES) + Japanese version via free update

Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES) + Japanese version via free update

Contra: Hard Corps (Sega Genesis) + Japanese version via free update

Contra (NES)

Contra (Famicom)

Operation C (Game Boy) + Japanese version via free update

Probotector (Sega Mega Drive)

Super Probotector: Alien Rebels (SNES)




What's the difference between Probotector / Super Probotector and the Japanese versions of Hardcorps / 3?

https://gematsu.com/2019/05/contra-anniversary-collection-full-lineup-announced

k'_127 said:

What's the difference between Probotector / Super Probotector and the Japanese versions of Hardcorps / 3?

https://gematsu.com/2019/05/contra-anniversary-collection-full-lineup-announced

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https://tcrf.net/Contra_III:_The_Alien_Wars#Regional_Differences
https://tcrf.net/Contra:_Hard_Corps#Regional_Differences

That's a pretty great Contra collection.

These collections remind me how awful Konami is now.

Dr Shroom said:

https://tcrf.net/Contra_III:_The_Alien_Wars#Regional_Differences
https://tcrf.net/Contra:_Hard_Corps#Regional_Differences

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Uh thanks

I take it they haven't put MSX Castlevania on the CV collection?

I've put Arcade and CV on my wishlist (Contra will be released later on over here), need some proper games on that silly Microsoft box.

that's a good set of games for contra

Is there any update on the patch for the Castlevania collection? I'd really like to get the JP versions of these games.

I'm wondering that too. They're not getting my money until that patch is released.

Gaston said:

Too bad HC is nowhere near as good as the console Castlevania's.

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The ost is tho.

Japanese versions in the Castlevania / Contra collections are available now.

I've been going through the Contra games, and I'm surprised by how better the Snow and Alien Lair stages look in the Famicom version of Contra 1. Why did they gimp the US version is beyond me.

k'_127 said:

I've been going through the Contra games, and I'm surprised by how better the Snow and Alien Lair stages look in the Famicom version of Contra 1. Why did they gimp the US version is beyond me.

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Per The Cutting Room Floor:

"The Japanese version took advantage of the technology of Konami's own VRC2 chip but Nintendo's NES licensing program only allowed North America and Europe distribution to include first-party hardware in its cartridges. Unfortunately, this meant that a number of features had to be cut."

1980s Nintendo was such a piece of monopolistic shit.

they released Castlevania and Contra collections. they should make Parodius collection happen on PS4 too (including Sexy Parodius,
which has 2 players co-op at the sametime and THE Greatest shmup story EVER. yes even better than Triggerheart Exelica's. ).

Taiso said:

It sounds as though the Castlevania III is the US release with the inferior soundtrack, unless I'm hearing it wrong. Very disappointing. Konami had a chance to really make this a special release by including multiple versions of the same game and so forth. If there's a sound select option in there, I didn't find it.

Click to expand...

Soundtrack aside, I prefer playing the US version because they rightfully nerfed Grant. It's just too easy on the Japanese one with Grant being able to throw as many knives as he wants. Now if I could have the US nerfed Grant with the Japanese soundtrack, that'd be ideal.

50% off on U.S. PSN right now

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0101-CUSA15109_00-CASTLEVANIAGAMES

Picked up the Arcade Collection on sale for Switch last weekend for $9.99. Debated on getting it on another platform or Contra/Castlevania instead, but having tate mode for the Switch persuaded me into that one.

Even at $9.99 what a barebones disappointment. Ater the update you still can't play the Japanese version of Life Force, which the original Hamster release let you do. Games only have one save state and not even a separate one for Japanese versions. Bleh.