Castlevania Belmont Curse
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Crom bless you, ‘sage.
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TBH, Symphony was the peak of the series for me before I played a translated version of Rondo on the Requiem collection that came with the new dub of SotN.
After I played them back to back, I came to the conclusion that Rondo was the series' peak and Symphony was a transformation into something substantially different that was happening in the same universe. The side scrolling is still there, the OST and the aesthetic and the sound design all evoke that Castlevania feel in me, but I've never really felt that it was hardcore enough to have the same rewarding vibe. Grinding for levels, farming for drops, equipping gear to have the best build, game breaking weapons, etc....these are RPG conceits, not 'true' Castlevania spirit where you're a holy warrior given everything you need from the start of the game to overcome the challenges and win the day. There is a meta in the pre SotN games that vanished, much like the Belmonts themselves, once RPG elements were introduced.
Do these elements make the games 'better'? I don't know. But for me, personally, it ain't Castlevania if you aren't a Belmont fighting almost overwhelming odds with only a whip, an equipped sub weapon and a jump button at your disposal.
After I played them back to back, I came to the conclusion that Rondo was the series' peak and Symphony was a transformation into something substantially different that was happening in the same universe. The side scrolling is still there, the OST and the aesthetic and the sound design all evoke that Castlevania feel in me, but I've never really felt that it was hardcore enough to have the same rewarding vibe. Grinding for levels, farming for drops, equipping gear to have the best build, game breaking weapons, etc....these are RPG conceits, not 'true' Castlevania spirit where you're a holy warrior given everything you need from the start of the game to overcome the challenges and win the day. There is a meta in the pre SotN games that vanished, much like the Belmonts themselves, once RPG elements were introduced.
Do these elements make the games 'better'? I don't know. But for me, personally, it ain't Castlevania if you aren't a Belmont fighting almost overwhelming odds with only a whip, an equipped sub weapon and a jump button at your disposal.
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Justice for Frederick!
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This. Castlevania does not have level ups. The series peaked with Rondo. While the Igavanias are likely the best games of that style, they are not Castlevania games. And whatever this is is neither a Castlevania nor an Igavania. It looks a lot like the Mercury Steam 3D games in that they are pretty good God of War clones but not Castlevanias.
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I absolutely LOVED Mirror of Fate. I swear by that game as a wonderful 2d side scroller with interesting combat, a great OST, an excellent story, level design I really liked, backtracking that didn't kill the vibe and, in my opinion, the best interpretation of the Belmont lore in the entire 'series'. I think its version of Simon is, far and away, the best we've ever seen from a visual and conceptual standpoint. I might even argue that I like it more than Rondo as a 'game'.
But there is no way I'd say it's a better Castlevania game than anything from the first game to Rondo. That's less about the quality of the game and more about how it plays and the fact that you have too many tools at your disposal, the platforming isn't very challenging and the enemies aren't very strong, making the more intricate combat all but meaningless. Why not just have them be one or two hit kills to keep the pace up, since they're so easy to eliminate?
The very first game's controls were intentionally sluggish, deliberate and felt 'heavy', to hear Hitoshi Akamatsu tell it. I've always appreciated that about the earlier entries. Richter was the apex of being able to evolve that concept without breaking the formula.
But there is no way I'd say it's a better Castlevania game than anything from the first game to Rondo. That's less about the quality of the game and more about how it plays and the fact that you have too many tools at your disposal, the platforming isn't very challenging and the enemies aren't very strong, making the more intricate combat all but meaningless. Why not just have them be one or two hit kills to keep the pace up, since they're so easy to eliminate?
The very first game's controls were intentionally sluggish, deliberate and felt 'heavy', to hear Hitoshi Akamatsu tell it. I've always appreciated that about the earlier entries. Richter was the apex of being able to evolve that concept without breaking the formula.
NeoSeeD
Fio's Quartermaster
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Rondo and Aria are my personal favorites Castlevania games. I say that because after playing Aria, I really want a Julius game with the traditional Castlevania formula. Give it the best of III's partner swapping, IV's whip abilities and Rondo's branching maps and I'd be a happy camper.
I have yet to try Mirror of Fate, but it's on my list to pick up at some point.
I have yet to try Mirror of Fate, but it's on my list to pick up at some point.
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I'll play Haunted Castle Revisited again instead.
I'll play Haunted Castle Revisited again instead.
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100%.
My personal favorite (gets ready to duck) is Simon's Quest, but Im pretty sure it's all memberberries. I know the game has a LOT of issues, but the nostalgia of buying the cart and playing forever just burns bright in my brain.
Like just about everyone, I love SotN, but without a doubt, Rondo is the best non-metroidvania Castlevania out there. I still need to put more time into Bloodlines. Ive only ever given it a casual play I think.
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You should find the ROM hacked version of Simon's Quest with the in game map and the ability to change whips in the item screen (rather than keep having to buy the one you need and lose the one you have). It also has proper translation so the townsfolk aren't speaking nonsensical gibberish. One could argue that the map and keeping all of your whips changes the nature of the game but so much of SQ is a gay time sink that those QOL improvements make it better, not worse. Oh, and it has save states and not faggy passwords. Granted, in the world of ROMs, you can create save points anywhere but my pal put the game onto a NES cart for me and playing it that way really puts me in a right headspace for it.
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Sonia Belmont confirmed as we all thought she would be. Odd that they didn’t just say from the beginning.
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The greatest heroines on PlayStation | This Month on PlayStation
Celebrating the daring and defiant women who made their mark on the world of gaming.
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Haha, easy, big cat. Not saying it's a masterpiece or anything, but I like Sonia as a character. I thought it was a really cool story, and bold of them. Plus, they got out of the well-worn gameplay path a bit, and tried something different with the magic system. Love it or hate it, it was soemthing new and different, a wrinkle to the standard CV formula.
For me, it was a shame that Lament came along and completely retconned everything, and tbh, wasn't much fun to play. At least for me. But heck, we're talking about games from decades ago at this point. It is what it is.
For me, it was a shame that Lament came along and completely retconned everything, and tbh, wasn't much fun to play. At least for me. But heck, we're talking about games from decades ago at this point. It is what it is.
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What did you all think of the God of Castlevania games that featured Robert Carlyle?
I wasn't a fan. There wasn't much vania'ing, or even castle'ing. It was just God of War with Vampires, and then they make him - Belmont - into the titular Dracula.
Graphically they were cool I guess, but Lords of Shadow 1 and 2 were super meh for me, though I didnt mind the Mirror of Fate game because it was a Metroidvania.
I wasn't a fan. There wasn't much vania'ing, or even castle'ing. It was just God of War with Vampires, and then they make him - Belmont - into the titular Dracula.
Graphically they were cool I guess, but Lords of Shadow 1 and 2 were super meh for me, though I didnt mind the Mirror of Fate game because it was a Metroidvania.
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I think it's a fine series but perhaps too derivative of other games in the action/hack n slash genre to appeal to Vania fans. And the Lords of Shadow series still has, to this day, my favorite interpretation of the Belmont storyline.
BTW, the Ode to Castlevania DLC for Vampire Survivors is fucking crazy fun.
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I would argue that Iga also led a lesser team making lesser Castlevanias. He only assisted on the really good ones.
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I have put a lot of thought into the Metroidvanias and where I stand with them. I first played SOTN in 2001, and was underwhelmed. If I replayed it nowadays I dunno if it could hold my interest.
But looking back, I respect the absolute hell out of Konami for choosing to go in an entirely different direction for the series, and not the way Castlevania 64 did.
The game only makes sense when paired with Rondo, which introduced a lot of story and cutscenes in a series that didn't do that before. Konami knew that Rondo was their apex with Castlevania, and with 3D already in full effect by 1997 they knew they needed to change something.
Enter the idea of turning Castlevania into Metroid and providing a lengthy 2D experience for the then-modern console gamer. It was a natural evolution for the series and what gaming was turning into.
I think every one of us here would rather play IV or Bloodlines rather than start a new game of SOTN. But as I've gotten older, I can see what Konami did is no different than a music artist go on a completely different path for their new album.
It would have licked tits if Konami could have given us one more final, “real”Castlevania. I remember people thinking they would do that with Julius in his 1999 Final Dracula War to give the series closure. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, I'm grateful for what we got.
Nothing could ever top Castlevania X68k anyway.
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Why not enjoy all three? Sage, replay SOTN. There's a reason why an entire genre (not to mention a great one with many amazing games) started from that game.
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