/vr/ - Retro Games

Rondo pc engine

I like Chronicles for the PSone, Super Castlevania IV, and the Japanese version of 3. I love Grant's infinite throwing knives.

I had no idea Grant had those til I watched the Kacho play CVIII

I also had no idea crouching made you invincible to dracula's second form, that blew my fucking mind

my classicvania ranking out of the ones I played (1 being best):

1. Rondo of Blood
2. Bloodlines
3. Super IV
4. Castlevania

I think 3 is pretty good, even if I've never beaten it.

I'm gonna be a huge faggot and say Dracula X Chronicles for PSP because you can unlock cropped versions of the original Rondo and Symphony of the Night, plus the heavily modified 3D remake.
>not retro
Yah, kinda.
I recommend checking out Castlevania Chronicles for PS1, it's a remake of the sharp x68k pc castlevania, plays like a long lost sequel to Castlevania IV on steroids.
Also a bit of personal opinion but I liked Dracula X better than Rondo of Blood, only thing that was missing in my opinion was a Maria mode. Someone should hack that in.

Anything but this Amiga version. Looks and sounds fine, but totally unplayable...

My favorite is NES Castlevania II. Second favorite is Castlevania Bloodlines.

Super Castlevania IV will always be my favorite purely for nostalgic reasons. First SNES game that blew my mind.

IV>Rondo>Castlevania 1>>Bloodlines>III>SOTN>Castlevania 64

the ones I've played at least, not including Lament if innocence because not retro, although it'd be between SOTN and CV64, or after CV64. Note that I actually enjoyed CV64, shit camera and subpar controls, but the setting, amtosphere and music were great.
Stil IV, Rondo and Bloodlines are my holy Castlevania trinity and nothing can compare. It was the peak of the Castlevania franchise.

I also liked the PSP remake of Rondo. Especially Dracula's new 3rd final form.

>>1576565
>Also a bit of personal opinion but I liked Dracula X better than Rondo of Blood
I agree. Rondo is good but doesn't have anything to offer if you're already familiar with castlevania except for some neat visual references to previous games. It's a better entry point into the series than other easy castlevania games like SotN and IV but that's about it.
Dracula X is a more exciting and satisfying despite being a lot less polished.

by far this one is the best Castlevania

>>1576651

nah.

Overrated as fuck.

From the ones I played so far
Rondo>Chronicles>Bloodlines>SOTN>Belmont's Revenge>IV>Adventure Rebirth>Adventure>Legends

IV was pretty bad

>>1576664

>IV was pretty bad

it wasn't really, it's just that a lot of people love it, and it's not as popular as Rondo of Blood or Bloodlines (which are also glorious and deserve about the same love), so it naturally has a lot of contrarian opinions on it too. Let's say it's both overrated and underrated, but it's still a great game.

The multi-directional whip mechanic is awesome, even at the expense of making some of the sub-weapons useless in some parts, I'd still rather have this mechanic than having a 16 bit version of Castlevania 1.

Rondo>1>SotN=3>CV64>4>>2
I'd like to try Bloodlines soon. Legitimately enjoyed CV64.

I love Super Castlevania IV's gameplay. It's awesome to whip in all directions and be able to crawl. SCIV also has some very memorable moments.

I think Dracula X looks and sounds much better, though. If only I could get the graphics and sounds of Dracula X combined with the gameplay of Super Castlevania IV.

>>1576671
>The multi-directional whip mechanic is awesome
>even at the expense of making some of the sub-weapons useless in some parts
>some parts
You just explained why 8-way whip was a bad idea.

>>1576705
I only ever use the knife and cross, so I don't know what you're talking about.

>>1576705

No, I just said beforehand what you'd come up with, and said I don't mind it. I've already used a lot of sub weapons in Castlevania 1, Rondo, etc. Having the multi-directional whip (with still the option to use sub-weapons, but maybe rely less on them) is definitely a positive point in the game for me, and I don't mind trading it in for the more heavy use of sub-weapons of the other games.

>>1576708
I guess the axe was made obsolete, the holy water is still useful against weeds and dragon skulls though.

>>1576634
n64 game with bad controls and shity camera? you mean every n64 game

>>1576726

I dunno, last time I played the N64 it was Goemon's Great Adventure or Sin and Punishment I think, don't remember any camera or control issues, quite the contrary, controls for these games seem to be even tighter than most modern games controls, weirdly enough.
Maybe you haven't played enough N64 games? To be honest, a lot of early 3D games had awful camera and controls, I remember buying a PS1 in 1995 and suffering a lot, having to go back to my 16 bit systems, even though I had a "32 bit powerhouse" sitting there.

>>1576715
That egoraptor video complaining about how they made subweapons obsolete with the 8 way whip is full of shit, they made up by that by giving the subweapons have a lot of range.

>>1576749

Ohhhh so THAT was it, Egoraptor. It's that guy from Game Grumps, right? Never watched any of that stuff but I know youngsters from /v/ love it (or hate it, whatever, they still give it a lot of attention).
I was wondering where this "Castlevania 4 COMPLETELY SUCKS because you can't rely only on sub-weapons!" hivemind opinion came from, now I know. Thank you.

the nds ones that aren't retro.
I really like PoR

I'm going to be a fag her and say ny favorite is SotN, first one I played as a child and I loved all the different weapons. I also enjoyed Simon'sQuest immensely.

>>1576758
If it helps, he considers that video a huge failure since he actually likes the game quite a bit and majorly regrets turning so many people off to it. He said so either in his Twitter or on the Game Grumps subreddit. Can't remember which.

>>1576734

Do you not recognize a shitpost when you see it? Stop posting until you can tell which posts are worth replying to and which should be ignored.

>>1576768
Nah, SotN is top tier. You're a huge faggot because you liked SQ. I don't even know how is that possible.

>>1576781

I did recognize it as shitposting, but behind every shitposter, there's a person lacking knowledge, suffering in their ignorance, seeking attention, seeking help. Instead of ignoring shitposters, sometimes I feel like helping them. Maybe he will become a good poster one day.

I want to say Castlevania 1 on NES, but considering I actually haven't played CV3 yet, I suspect I may like it a lot more. Judging from the screenshots, it looks like they took the original CV1 formula that I like so much and added much more elaborate stages to the mix.

Either way, I like the original concept. Most of the CV games I play are ports and remakes of CV1. I never liked the series after it started introducing RPG elements, because every sequel essentially became a clone of SotN.

Simon's Quest was okay, but there were a few things I didn't really like about it:

- The world feels dead. Most of the enemies you encounter are found in the wilderness, whereas the castles are largely underpopulated. On top of that, there are very few types of unique enemies. It seems like castles are populated by generic skeletons and not much else.

- The NPCs outright lie to you, or Konami just did a terrible job at translating this game. There are numerous things you can't find out on your own, so using a walkthrough is pretty much mandatory.

- The environments are lacking the colorful blocks and backgrounds. No more pretty, orange blocks and green moss. Everything mostly consists of shades of gray. Understandably, the game is trying to set a darker tone. Still, I prefer the aesthetic designs found in CV1.

>>1576795
You probably already know this but you should play the japanese CV3 for the extra sound channel.

>>1576726
Play Castlevania 64 and Mario 64 and say that with a straight face. LoD improves it a bit but forces you to play as those other two lame characters first.

>>1576761
No way. Compared to the other Castlevania games it's a mediocre waste of potential.

i liked this one

>>1576795
The biggest problem with SQ is that you have to grind. A lot. And right away. It's shit.

>>1576838
The arcade? You're the only one.

>>1576838
>>1576865
I liked it until I realized that you cannot continue.

As far as handhelds go, I'm going to say Belmont's Revenge probably deserves a little more attention. Aside from some slow physics, it's a pretty enjoyable game. It also has a (somewhat) open world like Simon's Quest. You get to choose which castles you want to complete in whichever order.

Best Arcadevania: Castlevania 3
Best (retro) Metroidvania: SoTN
Best Metroidvania: Aria of Sorrow
Best middle ground: Rondo

>>1576838
>>1576865
>>1576892
That fucker is hard as nails but it's not a Castlevania, it's a protovania along with pic related

I've completed Castlevania and Rondo of Blood and am in the middle of playing Castlevania 3 (Famicom version). The two I have played are very good, but CV3 isn't as fun as the first I think. The bosses so far are not as difficult as those in CV and the music not as memorable (but still good). It should be said that I do not care for Grant and the magic woman, the extra characters I have found, so I have been playing as just Trevor.

>>1576932
SoTN is the only retro metroidvania
all others are on GBA and NDS

>>1576664
>Assuming Egoraptor was a legit reviewer
>He doesnt knew shit about Trevor

My absolute favorite is SotN, but I also loved Bloodlines, I, III, and IV.

>>1576770
Seriously. Who the fuck cares if the subweapons are useless? Whipping is fun. Whipping in 8 directions is fun. Hanging and swinging is fun. The atmosphere and sense of progression is unlike any other game in the series. And it's the only Castlevania I can say is genuinely creepy in some areas.

>>1577198
Subweapons are far from useless though.
It's just completely wrong, he was looking for things to nitpick.

>>1576795
>>1576845
Konami did a terrible job at translating the game, but the NPCs "lie" in the Japanese version as well. The key difference is that originally, all the lies would begin with "There's a rumor" or "I heard". If there was a hint of doubt in what they were saying, it was a false hint.

There are tons of patches to improve the game. Redacted is obsolete, but people have since made the palette more colorful and awesome, Simon is orange again, the heart values are doubled for easier grinding, invisible blocks removed, a complete retranslation, a save system, butter smooth day-night transitions, and a map.

http://www.romhacking.net/?page=hacks&genre=&platform=&game=710&category=&perpage=20&title=&author=&hacksearch=Go

>>1576845
You could just skip the crystal and do the first mansion with only holy water, and thereby not having to spend the entire first day killing werewolves outside of town.

Does Rebirth count? If not, then probably Bloodlines.

GOAT Tier:
Super IV

High Tier:
Bloodlines
Rondo of Blood

Mid Tier:
Dracula's Curse
Adventure ReBirth
X68K/Chronicles
Belmont's Revenge
Castlevania NES
Haunted Castle

Low Tier:
Kid Dracula
Simon's Quest
Legends
Vampire's Kiss

Shit Tier:
The Adventure

Rubbish/Non-Castlevania Tier:
The Metroid rip-offs and rehashes (th-thanks IGA)

YOU DON'T BELONG IN THIS WORLD Tier:
Any 3D shit

>>1577274
>sotn
>rubbish
Nah, more like better than half the crap in your list.

>>1577287
Cry me a river, SotNbabby. Your game was the cancer that killed the franchise.

>>1577372
>calling games constantly put on GOAT lists cancer is the edgy thing to do

Out of the ones I've played:

Bloodlines > Rondo of Blood > Sharp X68000 > Dracula's Curse > Castlevania > The Adventure ReBirth >>>> Dracula X = IV >>> Simon's Quest

I don't like IV much because I just find it painfully boring.

>>1577384
>m-muh ad populum!!
>i-if IGN liked it then it must be good!!1

>>1577485
I'll be over here playing SotN, because it's a damn good game. I'll also be socially accepted and get laid.

>>1577384
Calling it cancer actually seems pretty accurate in this case since it took a perfectly healthy series, seemingly irreversibly turned it into something not nearly as good, and now the series is dead, or almost dead.

>>1577504
>perfectly healthy series
>was steadily declining in popularity and had no way of evolving the classic gameplay past Rondo

>>1577495
Okay then, enjoy your casual, poorly designed arpg. I'll be over here having fun with some real Castlevania games like Rondo and IV.

>>1577504
CV really isn't dead and the games that no one likes for it aren't metroidvanias. They're the GoW clones.

At any rate, I like both classicvania and metroidvania so I find these genre wars kinda retarded.

>>1576520
I really like Rondo of Blood. Super Castlevania IV is probably my second favorite.

>>1577507
>IV, Rondo, and Bloodlines some of the most popular and arguably the best games in the series
>next generation of gaming
>throw classicvania formula in the trash
wow yeah you're right something HAD to change or the series was in serious trouble!!!!

>>1577507
Why does it need to "evolve" the already great formula of Classicvania? They could've focused on adding more stages and more intricate level design instead of ruining it by making it Metroid. Fun fact, that's what SotN was going to be on the 32X before IGA came in and thought of the great idea that nobody liked Belmonts anymore and they should copy Zelda/Metroid/other games.

>>1577521
>throw classicvania formula in the trash

That didn't happen...

>>1577485
shut up you snobby cynical dick. SoTN is a great game regardless of how it shaped future castlevanias. the way you're looking at the game, how it ruined your precious series, has nothing to do with the actual quality of the game. unless you start coming up with real criticisms, how about you quiet down with you obnoxious opinions

on topic:

3>4>sotn>dracula x>1>the adventure>>>>>>>>>the 64games

i havent played any of the other castlevaina's but i really want to play bloodlines next

>>1577525
Really? Besides ports and The Adventure ReBirth, what is there?

>>1577534
There are two CV games for the PSX

One of them is a metroidvania. The other is not.

>>1577521
Look, kid, all those classicvanias you mentioned are popular NOW in a cult way, but back when they were new, they were no more popular than Ghosts N Goblins, especially not outside of Japan.
>trouble!!!!
Aren't you a little young to be on this site?

>>1577524
You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? That the Classicvania formula is just so timeless and all they need to do is make more levels? But the world just doesn't work that way. Things had to change.

>come into thread
>most people are praising Classicvanias while bashing Metroidvanias
Thank you, based /vr/.

>>1577546
That's not really being based, that's being shitty.

>>1577546
With the way lords of shadow 2 was received I think the series is pretty much dead now, I'd rather have metroidvania than no vania at all.

>>1577521
>bloodlines being popular
That was never a thing, in fact, that was the exact reason why the treasure guys left, because even they were so sick of rehashing that same game over and over.

>>1577554
Nah, I'd rather let the series RIP in piece along with Ghouls & Ghosts than see it become a mockery of itself like with the Lords series or Metroid clones.

>>1577546
You retards are defending shit like the arcade and gb games over symphony of the night.
Fuck that, that's just ilogical, that's being elitist for the sake of elitism.

>>1577563
Whatever you say, kid, either way the ds games were great but they're dead now.

>>1577570
>being a Classicvania purist and having a preference for the CV platformers is elitism now
Shit SotNfags, get it together. You aren't making sense anymore.

>>1577563
You faggots who think game developers should retire a series, even if it's popular before it jumps the shark never cease to amuse me. As if you'd actually, realistically do that if you were in their shoes.

>>1577584
I wouldn't even mind a castleroid if the level design wasn't so boring. The castle in SotN is less interesting than the one in the first nes game, and the non-linearity adds little when you're choosing between samey corridors with enemies waiting in neat lines.

>>1577595
I'm the sotn fag and I mostly agree, I always thought sotn was more focused on combat and exploring than platforming.
Even then I still think the last two DS games had good level design, for a metroid clone that is.

>>1577527
Not him, but honestly, SotN is one of the worst metroidvanias I'd say. The presentation is phenomenal, but the gameplay and level design is pretty crap.

>>1577537
>The other is not.
Chronicles is a port of a fourth generation game.

>>1577538
>they were no more popular than Ghosts N Goblins
Do you even understand your own comparison? Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is one of the better selling SNES games with over a million copies sold. It did nearly as well as Mega Man X and Kirby Super Star, and it outsold Final Fight II and Super Metroid.
What company would be disappointed with such sales?

>>1577561
>developers forced to rehash series because it sells
>this is proof the series wasn't popular and didn't sell
Come again?

And anyway, didn't those guys break off and form Treasure after working on Castlevania IV and Contra III? I mean, McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure and Gunstar Heroes both came out half a year before Castlevania Bloodlines was even released.
If you have any proof that they worked on Bloodlines, please share it.

I like the metroidvanias but aside from Symphony of the Night, they ain't retro. My favorite of those was probably Order of Ecclesia. I liked the gameboy game Castlevania Adventure a lot as a kid but probably wouldn't now. Bloodlines is really good. Haven't tried the PCE or SNES ones. NES Castlevanias aren't very fun or interesting to me.

>>1577645
Fine, but my point still stands. Castlevania, after the early 90s, was not a very popular series.

Chronicles is my favorite

>>1576671

It has a shitty difficulty curve, it starts off braindead easy, then suddenly gets hard, then gets fairly easy again, then gets hard as fuck near the end.

Most death is due to falling too, enemies aren't a threat because the whip is monstrously powerful.

Chronicles/x68000 is a better game and also has multi-directional whipping.

My top three classicvania would be rondo>bloodlines>IV.

I personally prefer metroidvanias, but they aren't /vr/, except SOTN.

>>1577687
Bloodlines had multidirectional whipping as well, though you had to be in the air to do it.

the trouble with the sotn style games is the level design stinks. Enemies are stamped across dull flat lands with no clear direction. In the classic castlevania each enemy is placed with a purpose to increase the tension, smooth out the pacing, or to make a pit jump harder. Theres lots of interesting environmental hazards from having to ride torture devices over a bottemless pit to out running a giant saw blade. Levels turn, twist, and are filled with traps.

Not to mention that you can trivilize just about any challenge in sotn style games just be using a certain spell or equipment piece.

Its painfully obvious that the older style of games have deeper, more demanding, and overall better level design.

The sotn style games are much more gimmick based. You explore a bit, get a new spell or piece of equipment, play with it for a bit, than get another one. The games are kept easy so you rarely die while playing around with all the toys. The soul games gave you over 100 different attacks to use and many of melee weapons that all feel very different (big slow great swords, quick daggers, long reaching spears). Most of the weapons/spells are just the same as another but with different graphics and different speed/damage. Plenty of them are way too strong. But the game is easy enough so that you can essentially pick your abilities at random and still win.

>>1577717
What you said is all true except that they added the bonus characters to sort of go back to the old style of limited combat options.
Level design really can't be helped though.

Also I know you guys pride yourselves in being videogame connoiseurs but do you realize this criticism is nothing new? I've heard this same argument about level design and difficulty balancing years ago.

I still think you're all gay as hell tho.

>>1576845
Yeah. I tried replaying Castlevania 2 with a cheat code that gives infinite hearts, and it's a lot more enjoyable that way. Or at least, less terrible.

I kind of like the idea of a Zelda-like Castlevania game, where you explore a world and talk to NPC's and stuff. I haven't played any of the DS games, but I hear Order of Ecclesia is basically Castlevania 2 done right.

>>1577687
>It has a shitty difficulty curve, it starts off braindead easy, then suddenly gets hard, then gets fairly easy again, then gets hard as fuck near the end.
Gonna need to be more specific than that. I thought it had a great curve with the game becoming the hardest at the tower and on.

>Most death is due to falling too, enemies aren't a threat because the whip is monstrously powerful.
Start the game on the second loop with a cheat code then.

>Chronicles/x68000 is a better game and also has multi-directional whipping.
lol!

>>1577771
>Start the game on the second loop with a cheat code then.
Why should anyone have to do that for the game to be passable? How is that at all defensible?
Also, since the guy you're replying to mentioned Chronicles, I feel I should point out that that game has many loops, and even the first one is no picnic.

For what I have completed.

Dracula's Curse>Castlevania I>Dracula X>Castlevania IV

Finished Draculas Curse today for the first time and enjoyed the hell out of it. I played with Alucard and so when I'll return to the game I think I will have some more challenge finshing it with either Grant or Syfa. Which one do you recommend when I'll play the game for the second time. I have only played a few stages with both of the so I know the mechanics.

I think I'll give Bloodlines a shot after when Ill play Castlevania next time. I will play Sotn somewhere in the future too.

As for the order I don't have much to say. The order is solely based on my enjoyment. I would recommend any of those games to anybody who isn't afraid of some difficulty. Imo IV:s whip was too strong though the game had my favourite CV:theme. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sX3fjpkFwk

>>1576520
I love how the best strategy to beat Dracula in that game is to shove a key up his nose.

>>1577840
What? No, it's the Axe.

>>1577824
>Why should anyone have to do that for the game to be passable? How is that at all defensible?
Because the most common complaint for Super IV is "it's too easy because whip is OP". Hard Mode/Loop 2 resolves this. Why are people so quick to hate 4 here? Is it because so many internet critics name it the best Classicvania? Stop being juvenile.

>>1577840
>to shove a key up his nose.

It's not a surprising death, really. It's worked on many a coke addict.

>>1577858
>Why are people so quick to hate 4 here? Is it because so many internet critics name it the best Classicvania? Stop being juvenile.
This is the dumbest argument in this thread and I'm going to show you why:
>Why are people so quick to defend 4 here? Is it because Egoraptor criticized the multidirectional whipping? Stop being juvenile.

Also, personally, I just find IV boring. The levels and bosses are all incredibly bland and forgettable to me, aside from level 4. I'm not engaged in the slightest when I play the game. The second loop forces me to occasionally have to pay attention to not die, but it doesn't make the game much more interesting to me.

>>1577495

>I'll also be socially accepted and get laid.

Great quality of post, mate.
Not saying the other guy is right in also insulting you, but considering you were the first one to jump at his neck....

>>>/v/

>>1577976
>Not saying the other guy is right in also insulting you
He didn't though, the other guy only criticized arguments.
He did it in a really stupid way with green text and st-st-stuttering and all that, but there were no personal attacks or whatever.

>>1577976
That was obviously a sarcastic joke.
This thread is convincing me everything is shit.

>>1577995

>That was obviously a sarcastic joke.

Really? I don't see the joke, just /b/-tier shitposting.

>This thread is convincing me everything is shit.

Maybe you need to start playing the games instead anonymous people on the internet influence your tastes, although it's not surprising /vr/ prefers classicvanias over SOTN (I still like SOTN though, but not nearly as much as the classics).

>>1577945
I don't think anyone seriously agrees with Ego about the whip mechanics of IV. The problem wasn't because you could aim your whip anywhere, but because most monsters didn't have enough health or complex attack patterns (like Rondo).

>>1578024

At least IV has a NG hard mode that doubles the HP of all enemies, but I think the patterns are still the same, not sure haven't played in a long time.

>>1578031
>NG hard mode
You what? It's just a shitty 2nd loop.

I hate how it's impossible to talk about Castlevania IV anymore, without someone sperging about irrelevant internet "celebrities."

>say you like Castlevania 4
>"Oh wow, that game blows, stop taking AVGN's word as gospel!"

>say you don't like Castlevania 4
>"Oh wow, that game rules, stop taking Egoraptor's word as gospel!"

Seriously, fucking quit it. You sound like a dumbass when you cite celebrity opinion in an argument.

>>1578039
This hard, getting real fucking sick of this shit. Just because my own opinions converge on some shiteating attention whore's doesn't mean I got it from them.

>>1578038

Well, it's the same except I used a more "sophisticated" term, and you a cynical term.

>>1578046
It's not a "new game", if that's what you meant, your term is retarded.

>>1578039
Can we apply this shit to /vr/ in general and not just CV?

And on the topic of what you just said, I don't even get it. There are only a handful of CV games that I just don't like. CV1, 3, 4, Bloodlines, SotN, and a bunch of other ones we can't talk about here have given me hours of entertainment.

>>1578039


I'd even prefer it to be about console wars (Bloodlines vs IV), which I also found it to be stupid as fuck, but no, it has to be about shitty internet celebrities. Fucking kids.

>>1578051
>I'd even prefer it to be about console wars
please no, this is getting old not only as someone who is grown, but as someone who likes pretty much all the major competitors from each console gen

>>1578050

How is it not a new game if you start again but with some differences difficulty?
Your term is cynical, what do we do now? Start insulting at each other, ruining another Castlevania thread, or we just accept we use different terms for the same shit?

>>1578057
Because you're just replaying the game on a harder difficulty except you have to slog through the easy mode to get to it first. It's a strange and unfitting way to describe it.

>>1578056

I know, same here (idort as a kid, MD and SNES, best childhood ever), but I mean I'd even take something as shitty as console war for the reason of the usual Casltevania thread hsitposting instead of internet celebrities. This is just sad.

>>1578059

Well, in every game with a "new game" you have to finish it first to get to the NG, that's kinda how it works, yes.

>>1578024
Nah, I'd agree with him that the game doesn't feel like it was designed around its own multidirectional whip mechanics. It doesn't matter if an enemy takes only 2 hits or as many as 50 hits if you can easily whip them from underneath through the floor or from well beyond their range, as you very often can.
The game needed much more aggressive and less predictable enemies to balance the greater versatility of the whip out, but instead it has enemies that would feel more at home in the original or III.

>>1578064
You... Fucking wot? You're confusing me even more now. Do you mean to say "new game+"? Like in an RPG?

>>1578057
People who grew up with arcades call it second loop, people who grew up with rpgs call it new game +.

>>1578069
Holy fucking AUTISM, who cares. You know what he meant.

>>1578064
But in most games with harder loops, the first loop isn't really easy.

>>1578069

Not like in an RPG because IV is not one, but by "new game" I meant the game starts again with more difficulty, the term "new game" isn't exclusive to RPGs, it just means what it means, saying it "loops" is also right but also wrong, because generally "loop" is used for games that don't have an ending, like many arcade games that only have like 4 levels then loop with more difficulty.
in IV it's a new game.

Anyway, we're discussing over nothing mate, new game or loop, call it whatever, I don't mind.

>>1578071
It's really not comparable to a new game+ feature at all. New game+ is something you can start up from the beginning whenever you unlock it, loops are where you play the same game over again in the same session after playing it through once or more already.

>>1578076
It always becomes easy once you're good enough to be playing it for the later loops.

It's supposed to be SECOND QUEST you morons.

>>1576651

Castlevania=/=Metroidvania

Also, 1 was the best.

>>1578086
second quest is a rearrange mode where a signficant amount of the game is changed changed around (all new dungeons, all new levels)

newgame+ is starting the game over and having an rpg system that gives you a signficant advantage in restarting

second loop is repeating the game but the game is now harder (in contrast to newgame+ which makes it easier)

Am I the only one who finds Rondo the easiest CV, even as Richter? All the stages were a breeze and none of the bosses are challenging if you are at least somewhat decent with timing the backflip. And don't even get me started on that overpowered item crash bullshit. Easily the most boring CV that only gets carried by its art and CD quality audio.

>>1578096

I consider it fair, and yes generally the levels are pretty short and easy, but they're still fun to play through.

Call me contrarian, hipster or tip your fedora but I think egoraptor was right in his SCIV video. It always bugged me why the game felt so easy compared to other Classicvanias and he made pretty valid points why.

>>1578108
The only CV harder than IV is III, though...

>>1578130

You are a strange man.

>>1578108
I don't think anyone sane really cares if you don't like IV or if you even agree with him on the points he made (I don't know them--I never watched the vids)

I think people are just annoyed with thinking that everyone who likes/dislikes something are just parroting what other people have said. It gets annoying because people should be allowed to like/dislike things for reasons without being accused of taking someone else's opinions.

>>1578130
You find IV harder than I?

>>1578130
u wot m8?

>>1578051
>I'd even prefer it to be about console wars (Bloodlines vs IV), which I also found it to be stupid as fuck
Yeah, I know what you mean. Console wars are stupid, but at least then we're talking about the games themselves.

>>1578138
Aside from the Death and Drac fights in CV1, yeah.

>>1577218

So aside from the improved translation they made it a game for pussies?

>>1578163
Don't complain, all those patches are optional.

>>1578163
Excuse me for saying, but CV2 was already for "pussies". The bosses serve no challenge and there is no difficult stage design.

I'm not someone who thinks that difficulty automatically translates to a good game, mind you. I think a well designed game, regardless of difficulty trumps all. But CV2 was never actually difficult in the first place.

>>1578185
honest question and I don't mean to sound offensive, is there anything where SQ is better than Zelda 2 in any way, besides music?

>>1578198
SQ is better for casual playthroughs (and I'm not using this as an insult) than Zelda 2 because of how easy and short it is, but outside of game design and whatnot, no, not really.

I think I prefer the way CV2's world is connection over the overworld Zelda 2 has, but that's not big enough for me to hole it over Zelda 2.

>>1576520
Pic related
No exceptions
It's the background image for Dracula X Chronicles on PSP
It's a remake of the Rondo Of Blood PC Engine game with the original game (translated into english) plus the sega saturn version of SOTN as unlockables

>>1578276
Actually the PSN/Xbox Live version, not the saturn.
It's better this way IMO.

>>1578276
>>1578287

Actually it's neither the PSN/XBLA nor the Saturn version.
The PSP version of SOTN is, basically, the original japanese version of SOTN for PS1, which included 2 extra familiars (N.Demon and Fairy), and has a new english dub and translation.
The XBLA version is just the american PS1 version I think.
The Saturn version doesn't have the 2 extra familiars, but has some new castle areas.

However, both the Saturn and the PSP version feature a playable Maria, however different in each. In the PSP version Maria has her original moveset from Rondo (with all the animals including their clash attack)

>>1578287
Within months of each others' releases?
Damn.
Got my info from a reviewer of retro vidya since I just play SotN on the psp's emulator

>>1578307
>>1578312
Ok so it's a port of the Nippon PS1 version with Maria included from the Saturn version.
Thanks mate

>>1578307
It's the same maria, same dub and NO extra familiars from the xbla version.
The familiar things spoke and sang in japanese, they don't show up in none of the localized versions

>>1578318
>>1578312

Would it be possible to extract SotN PSP from the Rondo Iso to just run it standalone? Without having to unlock it?

Rondo of blood is the best overall game. The level design is perfect, the enviroments are gorgeous and filled with tons of cinematic moments like being chased by the ram demon through the castle.

Super 4 is probably the second best game. The level design is almost up to par with Rondo but 8 way aiming of the whip wasn't balanced right so the subweapons became worthless.

1&3 are the most challenging and have the best level design behind rondo and 4.

Blood lines and chronicles are both good games but are largely forgettable.

Dracula X is just a bad remix of rondo

Castlevania 2 is an experimental game that is sloppy, everything that is interesting about it is done better by any other games. The level design sucks too.

Some of the gameboy castlevania may be good but they just are just bad knock offs of the 1&3

Of the metroidvanias the soul series and portrait of ruin are the most complex and therefor the best ones in that style. None of the metroidvanias have good challenge or properly designed levels so the ones that give you the most toys to play with (number of spells, types of weapons to attack with, number of characters to use, special abilities) end up being the best. Sotn is arguably the worst of the type since it is the most simple and the difficulty is joke with any handicap.

Lament of innocence on @ crazy difficulty is the sole good 3d beat em up. Its also actually fairly challenging.

Curse of darkness and the n64 castlevanias are beautiful games that are designed terribly.

Haunted castle is fun, if ugly game but you must play it on the japanese version which gives you a more fair amount of health.

Kid dracula is cute and mediocre.

Lord of shadows is a boring game that is padded out, shallow combat/level design, gawdy environments, and doesn't even give you a cool set of toys to play with like curse of darkness.

>>1578325
It's not even worth it, I did it just for Maria and she's fun and all but it's just the short Richter map.
Feels like a boss rush.

Also I emulated the saturn game and that Maria is even less fun and the garden thing is extremely short, only the boss battle was good.

>>1578325
Short answer: No
Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooo

Just get a save file from gamefaqs that has the game 100% complete with all the games unlocked
You'll go through like 1 minute of extra fluff before getting to SotN

>>1578340

To clarify the question, to have it as a standalone PSP game without anything else. A romhack should be really easy to do, as you'd just have to romhack the menu/game to boot straight into SotN menu and nothing else.

>>1578324
Let me clear this mess up, it's the Maria and dub from the xbla, there are no tengu demon that's dubbed after a japanese comedian or singing fairy that's dubbed by a j-pop idol.

>>1577846
Well the key strategy is an advanced one and requires you to use the 3 game exploits the key's super attack presents.

1: Despite being a joke ability, the key still does damage to whatever it is touching.
2: You are invisible while preforming the key's super attack.
3: The key's super attack costs no hearts.

>>1578326
>Dracula X is just a bad remix of rondo
I really don't understand why people say this shit. It's an entirely different game, it merely has the same music compositions, and some of the same enemies and stage themes.

>CV: The Adventure
>bad
>not using the patch to double your walking speed effectively removing half the game's problems
>not playing the color version

>>1578461
>having to mod your game to make it even playable

>>1578461

>Its not bad if you patch it

You sound like the mustards over at /v/ when they swear by certain PC games as long as you download an avalanche of mods first.

Plus you do realize this wasn't an option back when the game came out right?

Its a shit game, patched or not.

>>1578503
>swear by certain PC games as long as you download an avalanche of mods first.

Except this is one IPS patch, not a bunch of mods.

>Plus you do realize this wasn't an option back when the game came out right?

So you're saying if a game was bad at launch but got patches released to fix issues and add content, the game is still bad?

>>1578461
color version already has speed up no need to patch

>>1578461
>>1578476
any game could be good if it was patched enough

When you say 'this game is good if you patch it' you are not saying the game is good, you are saying the patch is good.

>>1578520
The problem with that is that your question concerns official patches, in which case the game would have that in its favor but still be a bad game on its own, but this discussion has been about mods/fanmade patches

No matter how much you rationalize, no game is automatically made better when mods make it better; the base game is still bad.

>>1576520
Never played them I know, I know but I hear that it's I, III and IV.

Some people like II, others hate it from what I've heard.

1. Bloodlines
2. Rondo
3. IV
4. 1
5. 3

The rest don't matter.

>>1577570

I prefer the classic CV games myself, but I didn't say there was anything wrong with SotN. I just don't like the fact that every follow up has been a fanfic quality script slapped on top of the SotN engine. As far as the gameplay goes, backtracking and collecting items throughout one massive castle just isn't fun. I liked the more linear stage progression of the original series because at least the environments were more diverse. You actually got to travel outside and make your way through forests and villages. Nowadays, you're just holed into Dracula's absurdly huge castle, and you don't get to see anything outside its walls.

>>1578984
OoE and PoR don't contain you to just the castle.

>>1578880
Bloodlines a shit

>>1577546
What exactly is 'metroidvania'

>>1579048
The short answer is a game that plays like Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night.

>>1579048
Several of the later Castlevania games included large, explorable areas, lots of items to collect, and many RPG elements. The style is really similar to what Super Metroid had, so people usually refer to them as Metroidvanias.

>>1579048
A game in the later Castlevania series that plays similarly to Super Metroid. It's a dumb term, I admit.

>>1579048
Iga said in a conference that he "wanted the Metroid audience" for the Castlevania series, and coined the term Metroidvania during the same speech. Decades later, he retracted the term and stated that Zelda was a bigger influence on non-linear Castlevania than Metroid, which wasn't even that popular in Japan at the time.

Rondo
Yes better than IV
Yes better than SoTN

Rondo is so perfectly crafted. Classic control, awesome music, exploration and replay value. It's the best

>>1577554
It got two sequels. The series was pretty well received.
As a huge CV lore nerd I was actually pleased with most of the storyline changes Lords introduced. God knows the original timeline was a bigger clusterfuck than 75 years worth of Marvel comics.

>>1579104
Personally I hated the branching paths of Rondo. Why not just make it all part of the same run to increase game length? You're missing out on nearly half of the game by having to choose a stage route. Same beef I had with Dracula's Curse.

>>1578984
I don't understand why they never went with an approach like Demon's Crest. Basically just Rondo of Blood-like levels, with secrets and branching paths and alternate bosses and shit hidden in the levels themselves, and a map screen that offers you multiple options at any given time. It's such an obvious way for the series to go.
Order of Ecclesia came somewhat close, but it often didn't give you multiple options on the map screen, and it didn't take advantage of the fact that it had the opportunity to present you with actual stage design and hazards and gimmicks like the classics did. Most of the areas were pathetically small, and you only ever got either areas with nothing resembling design where you just move forward and fight enemies, or you got typical Igavania design but on a much smaller scale. At its worst, instead of reaching an ending that kicked you out into the map, some stages made you backtrack out of them after killing a boss - pretty much the ultimate way to kill momentum.
How could they botch it so badly?

>>1579082
>hurr I remember he said in an interview
No he didn't, dumbass. Metroidvania is a fan-created term, and he never once said he wanted the Metroid audience.

>>1579143
>Metroidvania is a fan-created term
No it's not.

>and he never once said he wanted the Metroid audience.
Yes, he did.

>>1579158
oh u

>>1579158
Where's your proof?

>>1579143
He did. He specifically said he wanted a new Super Metroid, but there wasn't one so he just pitched one himself as a Castlevania game.

>>1579124
I like it, it introduces quite a bit of replay value to both III and especially Rondo. Finding these secret paths and bosses was very satisfying, and even after you know where exactly they are they still introduce a lot of different ways to play through the game.

Top 3 classic
Rondo
Bloodlines
Chronicles

Top 3 modern
SoTN
PoR
OoE

Dracula X, III, IV, I, and Circle Around the Moon are my favorites. Something about the gameplay of Castlevanias with swords just doesn't feel too natural to me (though if you asked why, I couldn't really answer it). I love Castlevania, though some of the things piss me the fuck off. Like flying (randomly spawning) creatures with wavy paths. Fuck you medusa, fuck you bat, and FUCK you eyeballs. An unrelated note; FUCK YOU FISHMEN. Every now and then I love to try and play the games again, but every time I am guaranteed to get enraged. Been trying again much more lately with the Dracula X Chronicles on the PSP. It pisses me off more than any other game in the series. Even moreso than the game it was based off of. but the hate fuels me to try again .

>>1579353
>Dracula X
When you say Dracula X, do you mean Dracula X, or do you mean Rondo of Blood?
I ask because it sounds like you mean Rondo of Blood.

>>1578051
Did someone say, Console Wars!?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaozEmSDvLA

>>1579361
Wasn't aware that there was a difference. You are CORRECT.

>>1579382
That was awful. Especially calling The Sinking Old Sanctuary lame. I mean, what? That's one of the best pieces of music in the entire series.

>>1579416
This. Fuck I didn't even know the name of that song. Thank you.

>>1579382
This was so bad I think it gave me cancer.
Also the official order goes

1. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
2. Castlevania
3. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
4. Super Castlevania IV
5. Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood

>>1579649
"Official order"? What the heck are you talking about?

>>1579649
>SQ that high
>CV1 second best
>lacks Bloodlines and several other good titles
Your "official order" is a joke.

>>1579673
It's official because it's IGA's top 5 Classicvanias.

>>1579680
What sense is that supposed to make?
1. A creator's opinion on the quality of his work doesn't really mean anything.
2. Iga doesn't have anything to with Classicvanias, so he can't even be called a creator in this case. He's just some guy who worked on totally dissimilar games in the same series.
3. Iga isn't with Konami anymore, so his opinion can hardly be called "official" now.

>>1579043
you a shit faggot

Lords of Shadow obviously...

This is.

>>1579903
Non linear metroidvania
We need more of this

PoR was always my favorite.
SotN used to be but it hasn't aged well in my opinion.

>>1579903
That game would have been a better overall experience for me if I didn't have to look up online where and how to find some of the cards, and then have to keep killing a certain enemy over and over until they dropped the fucking thing.

Great game, otherwise.

>>1580191

Yes, the Card system itself was very nice to play around with, but finding them was an absolute atrocity which could have been fixed by having bosses or big tough enemies drop them on the first go.

>>1580191
You only need two cards though.

My problem with the game is constantly having to double tap to move faster than molasses.

>>1580249
>get all attribute cards and no action cards
>can't do shit

>>1580228
Can't you get by with guaranteed drops like you can in SotN? If not then it's poor design. AoS was mostly fine too except for the two souls required for the true ending.

>>1579680
IGA didn't do jack shit for the real Castlevania games- he's just a programmer, and only started working on the series at SotN. Why should he have any fucking input on the games?

>>1580278
You don't need any card. They're just nice to have.

>>1580278
>AoS was mostly fine too except for the two souls required for the true ending.
But the game directly told you what monsters you had to kill.

>>1580346
That and it being only two souls is why it's a small complaint. When it comes to dealing with enemies you get plenty of strong toys without random drops, or even secret areas.

>>1580278
You can get by but you'll never see half the cards in the game. And the way the DSS is set up, collecting your second card gives you one new ability and getting your twentieth nets you ten. By the time you get the cool ones, you don't need them. It's fucking stupid.

Still one of the better Metroidvanias, though. That fucking difficulty.

>>1577274
Either Chronicles or 1 to high tier and it's alright

Every time I think I like a part of IV, I remember that I'm actually remembering Chronicles...
So I guess that one is my favorite even though it started the trend of god-awful Simon redesigns

>>1579903
I had to force myself through that one. Only GBA one I didn't like

>>1

I have a hard time picking between the classic Castlevania games, and my final decision would probably be a toss-up between Simon's Quest and Dracula's Curse.

Personally, I'm all about the Metroidvania games. It's not a /vr/ friendly title, but I'd probably give the GOAT to Order of Ecclesia. I'm a sucker for the smooth mechanics and all those Simon's Quest callbacks.

SotN
+Best music in series
+Inverted Castle
+Huge weapon selection
+Great art design (though some sprites are just ripped from RoB)
+Richter mode (and Maria on Saturn)
-Too easy
-Load times (only listed because most CV's didn't have any)
Those are the only negatives I can think of.

>>1583215

>though some sprites are just ripped from RoB

There's some enemies from IV as well

>>1583215
>+Best music in series
While I agree the music is kickass and very memorable, that title loses to Rondo.

>>1583215
>Inverted Castle
>+

>>1583215
>Best Music

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTT okay apart from alucards theme and the main theme the rest of the songs aren't that great. Castlevania 2 NES has the best soundtrack

>>1583240
That's not how you spell Castlevania Legends.

NES Castlevania III.

>>1583240
>doesn't enjoy dance of pales

>>1583282
It's boring

Monster Dance, Bloody Tears, and Dwelling of Doom are all god tier songs.

Bloody Tears is just amazing on the NES too better than FDS version and those shitty fucking arranged versions for sure

GOD TIER
>Castlevania
>Super Castlevania IV

GREAT TIER
>Rondo
>Castlevania III

MID TIER
>Bloodlines

SHIT TIER
>SOTN

>>1583382
Until you listen to them for the millionth time in a row.

>>1583230
They reuse sprites a lot throughout the series. I'm not sure whether to complain or not, because it is good sprite work.

>>1583457
Oh come now, you could argue the same about anything.

>>1583489

Zacchino you sick fuck!

Super Castlevania IV no contest for me. I love every aspect of it.

1: Rondo
2: Super Castlevania IV
3: Castlevania III
4: Simon's Quest, I just really loved this game as a kid and it stuck with me well into adulthood.

>>1583489
>I LOVE YOU
>DON'T REJECT ME!

>>1581584
Simon's Quest had the only design that made sense. Why would he look like a barbarian in 1690?
from that point on he turned into a red haired Lady Gaga spoof, a faggy s&m reject and in Mirror of Fate he looked like a Scottish samurai

>>1583679

A female artist did Simon's redesign for Castlevania Chronicles, so that may be why he seems somewhat fetishized. Even so, I prefer the redesign to the original. Simon's NES design was just way too generic. He looked like dozens of other Westernized fantasy heroes.

>>1583807
Wow, that's not sexist at all.

>>1583841
You can tell when anime was draw by a cumdumpster. Dumb bitches can't do anything properly.

>tfw I can beat the first game in a single life and show it off to my friends

>>1583871

Some of my favorite artwork is by female artists. Are you really this insecure about a woman being able to do something that you can't?

>>1583919
Are you really this easily trolled, turbo whore?

>>1583919
>responding to edgelords

Just laugh internally.

>>1583871
Likely the only time I prefer the Japanese theme song over the Italian one. Lady Oscar's Italian theme is awful. Cristina D'Avena did a terrible job. :-(

>>1583932
>>1583949
I just think it's annoying having to watch my tongue so I don't offend some pussy mangina when I'm posting on 4chan.
You'd expect something like this from tublr, something awful or even reddit, not Fauxchan.

>>1583960

You must be new here.

>>1583960
What does your post have to do with mine (>>1583949)?

>>1583975
In fact, I quite this steaming pile of shit long ago but still make some return trips to /vr/ when I'm bored.

If I can't be a mysogynist on a fucking anonymous board of all places then I don't want to belong in here.

>>1583960
>I just fucking love shitposting, but I hate when people shitpost back at me. Waaah! Help me, I'm being oppressed!

Yeah, your reaction makes sense.

>>1583982
You can be a misogynist all you want, just don't expect people not to call you out on your shit.

>>1584014
>>1584015
I think we all agree I should leave.

>>1584015
I find that beliefs (such as misogyny) are like stones: hold them all you want, but don't be upset when someone reacts badly when you throw it at them.

>>1583949
>the only time

lol what?
Goondam is awful, Tobe! is 10000 times better, Cha-la-head-cha-la is also better than Untz Untz Dragon ball by Giorgio Vanni etc.etc.
The few times where the italian op is better are Jeeg, Vultus V and Saint Seiya.

>>1584058
>>1583949

good italian openings in anime:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxrtfXYUIy0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGLxvkEpVKI

>>1583807
>A female artist
That's Miss Kojima Ayami to you, heathen.

>>1584058
I... I think I might be an enormous poof because I liked a lot of the girly cartoons as a kid. Ape Maya, Hello Spank and Candy Candy . I did like Mazinga and Jeeg, though. Everyone did.
Also Sandy, Emi and all the magical girl stuff.
I don't know the newer stuff, like things by Vanni because I was already 16 years old and not watching cartoons like that anymore by then.

>>1584103
Yes, but where's Pollon, faggot?

>>1584134

No idea about Pollon sorry, I'm not even italian, I just happen to know those 2 openings, I love them (I did watch Ape Maga when I was a kid too, Demetan too, fucking great aniime, tragic and sad as fuck)

Back on topic, I'm playing Maria mode on SOTN PSP version. Her dash move is the fucking best.

Also I'm leaving my personal ranking:

god tier
IV

high tier
Rondo
SOTN

good tier
4. I
5. Bloodlines
6. Dracula's Curse

meh tier
Lord of Shadows 1

haven't played the rest, I should play the GBA ones.

>>1584174
Ape Maya != Ape Maga. Two different cartoons.

And this is Pollon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVf9ueCyx48
This song is on every karaoke machine in Italy. It's ubiquitous. Everyone under 40 is super fond of the series, even though it's really rather short.

>>1584238
Derp. It's been like 20 years since I've seen it and forgotten how it's spelt: Ape Maia, not Maya. Hurp.

>>1584238


Damn I always confuse the two. I never watched Maya, but I loved Maga (aka Hutch)

That song is adorable by the way

>>1584252
Yeah, it's totes adorbs. I think it still airs on TV, almost forty years after the fact.

>>1584174
I would put Adventure ReBirth, Belmont's Revenge, X68000 Castlevania, and Simon's Quest higher up on priority than the GBA games. CotM is okay for a Metroidvania, but the other two are pants on head retarded.

>>1586568
>but the other two are pants on head retarded.

Harmony of Dissonance is an ugly cheap looking shitty game. It's a total mess too design wise. This hack somewhat improves the game and makes it more tolerable.

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/325/

For Aria: I totally love it. It's one of my favorites. The boss fights tend to be meh though. The Soul System is totally amazing and simple. But, it leads to "gotta catch them all" and the drop rate for souls is so low. So soul farming is common. So then you level up a lot more than intended, while also spending countless hours farming souls. And the souls dropped are random, meaning you could go much of the game without a good yellow or blue soul. You'll also never find most of them, and many of them are really interesting.

I really wish the game had a guy who could just sell you souls.

Right now I'm playing Hard mode with NOUSE code. Meaning no items. Feels more balanced as you can't just spam potions to get through boss fights.

>>1583910
>mfw I remember that episode of Garfield
that show was the goddamn tits
as long as your sense of humor allowed for mostly puns and upping ante, this show is one of the funniest cartoons you'll ever see

>>1584174
What about the DS ones? Don't miss those. They are generally better than the ones on GBA, IMO. And you seem to have missed Castlevania III on the NES.

>>1587159
CV 3 was subtitled Dracula's Curse.

>>1587162
Oh shit, I totally missed it on your list. Wow it's lower than expected.

Anyway, check out the DS games before the GBA ones. They're generally more polished.

>>1587165
Sorry, I'm not that anon. I was just pointing it out. I don't care much for the metroid inspired games.

>>1579142
>I don't understand why they never went with an approach like Demon's Crest. Basically just Rondo of Blood-like levels, with secrets and branching paths and alternate bosses and shit hidden in the levels themselves, and a map screen that offers you multiple options at any given time.
I would have liked that. I didn't like the linearity of CV:OoE, though.
I liked the base gameplay of CVII but feel it had poor execution owing not only to a faulty script but also to the annoyingly unskippable day/night dialogue boxes and entirely useless subweapons. A CVII/Demon's Crest hybrid, however, would be the bee's knees. A little more RPG element than DC and a little more branching path/platforming than CVII.

Someone needs to get on this. Contact the squid man and tell him to get off his arse and start this up.

>>1587194
>but also to the annoyingly unskippable day/night dialogue boxes

Most of CVII's problems lie in translation. In JP the dialogue moves rather fast. They did not adjust this for English, which has more characters so it's very long. This has been fixed in the new translation hack:

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1032/

>>1587165

actually for someone who has only played classicvania I think CotM is the best to start out with

Lament of Innocence>>>>>>SotN=Rondo of Blood>Chronicles>Super IV
They're all great, but those are just ones I like the most. Best CV game? No idea.

>>1587625
>lol hipster opinion

Oh would you fags just get back to /v/ already if you can't keep your mouth shut about non-Retro Castlevanias.

>>1586679
>Harmony of Dissonance is an ugly cheap looking shitty game.

yet you go on to praise aria of sorrow

>>1587631
Eh, I just like origin stories.

Am I a casual for saving the holy water you get in level 5 of the original just so I can kick the shit out of Death with it?

>>1587652
No if you were a casual you wouldn't understand stunlocking. It makes you a twink.

>>1587656
What does that mean?

Akumajou Densetsu.

>>1587669
I'd like to know as well. I have only seen the term used in Diablo II, as it's listed on Wikipedia.

>>1587749
it means being overgeared compared to other players in your level range

which is meaningless in castlevania because theres no other players to compare yourself to, theres no 'level range' and there is risk involved in holywater spam (very unheart efficient, kind of a shitty subweapon for anything but bosses) and 'twinking' doesnt involve risk at all

and unrelated to twinking

holy water stunning is just ranking up your holy water to rank 3 and stun locking bosses. It requires not dying or changing subweapons for a long duration and is the most effective way to kill bosses the 1st castlevania.

>>1587760
>(very unheart efficient, kind of a shitty subweapon for anything but bosses)

It stuns EVERYTHING. Those knights in the hallway before Death? Keep jumping and throwing holy water, they'll burn to a crisp. Hunchbacks? Kills them right there. Anything below you, on stairs? Holy water that shit. It rapes EVERYTHING.

>>1587760
OK the word he was looking for is "cheesing".

>>1587639

Harmony of Dissonance is seriously ugly. It's made by a b-team on the cheap by reusing assets from SotN. They're resized at non-integer resolutions so they look jaggy and ugly. The color scheme is technocolor. It's just a hideous game.

Aria is fine. It's one of the best looking GBA games. They made a lot of new sprites for that game instead of just re-using them.

>>1587776
discounting boss fights i'd rather use the cross
you dont need to wait fro them to walk into like the holy water, its got full screen range, and it destroys enemy projectiles. It's also a great defense against bat/medusa heads when doing difficult jumps.

Can anyone give me tips for Dracula X on PC-Genjin? Just like general tips on the game engine, speed, jumping, fighting.

>>1576520
The original still is the best-crafted Castlevania yet. Densetsu/CV3 is the second best.

>>1588007
Learnt he stages, go forward, memorize and explore strange places as there are alternate exits and secrets that lead to otherwise inaccessible stages and influence the ending.

If I ever get my hands on the rights to Castlevania, I'll reboot the series and use the Simon Belmont design from Captain N: Game Master just to piss people off.

>>1587941

Its weird I thought CotM had the best graphics out of the three yet wasn't it a GBA launch title?

>>1588032
Why'd they make him look like an aviator?

>>1588068
Is it the neon outlines and tinted palettes? They don't do Aria and Harmony any favors now but they were a damn nice thing to have on the original GBA

>>1588094
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de_J38gbSnA

Enjoy, motherfucker.

>>1588102

Its not that really
I just thought CotM's graphics were really nice thats all

Come this October, I'll be doing a Classicvania marathon leading up to Halloween. What do you think I should do?

>>1589115

Enjoy them.

1. SotN
2. Super Castlevania 4

Nothing else even qualifies.

>>1589189
No, smartass. I mean how should I format it, what games should I include?

>>1589189
>>1589214
Ohhhh, I get it, you think I'm just playing them for myself.

No, I mean I'll be streaming the shit for /vr/.

>>1589115
Do them all in chronological order:
Castlevania 3
Castlevania Adventure
Castlevania Adventure 2
Then all three versions of Simon's story:
Castlevania
Castlevania 4
Castlevania Chronicles
Followed by Simon's Quest
Rondo of Blood and Dracula X
(optional) Watch your favorite movie adaptation of the book Dracula here.
Then finish it up with Bloodlines.

>>1589202
I'm bothered saying nice things about SCIV has now gotten to the level of "trolling".

>>1589381
>Dracula X

Euggghhhh.

>>1589381
>Chronicles

The original on X68000, or the PS1 remake?

>>1589402

The PS1 port contains the original X68000 version called Original Mode, while Arrange Mode is an easier version with updated music and some new graphics.

Also, if you hold R1 and L1 when selecting Original or Arrange mode, you will get a menu where you can play the original X68000 music with a choice of 3 different synths that were commonly used.

>>1587941

strange, this is the first time i've heard this, anything i've ever heard was criticism towards the music (which is better) and not towards the graphics, which are supposed to be the best part of the game

you honestly think this

is worse than this?

the sprites and scenery have no detail, it's like blobs of color and body parts and everything are brutish and ill-defined

>>1587941
How is it ugly?

>>1589759
>>1589762
>>1589832
>>>/v/

>>1576550
This, Symphony also gets a place for being large, explorable and Metroid-styled plus having gorgeous art and music direction.

The difficulty sort of reverses though and I feel Order of Ecclesia does the Metroidvania better.

>>1576651
I love Super Metroid, but I could use less of the "Key to open X" design with the powerups and the like.

I don't like being locked of areas because I need an item thats 20 minutes away behind a boss door that I need another item for.

So I never really played a Castlevania game before and decided to try Super Castlevania IV but I have one problem, does your character move this damn slow for the whole game? is it like this in all Castlevania titles?

>>1590660

It's like that with the classicvanias, specifically the male belmont characters, they have that trademark walk, you gotta learn to love it.

>>1576520
Personally love Dracula X.

circle of the moon

>>1591413
>>>/v/

Aria of Sorrow was probably my biggest time sink in the series.

>There will never be another game set in the original Castlevania Universe.
>We're doomed to Lord of Shadows games forever.

>>1591770
>>>/v/

>>1590660
>Super Castlevania IV

I don't recommend that to start with. Instead I recommend:

>Castlevania III
>Bloodlines
>Rondo of Blood

>>1576520

>Akujamo Dracula XX

Can someone explain to me in plain English why I suck so much at this game? I find it much harder than Rondo, or other games such as CV1 or CV3.

I get hit CONSTANTLY in this game. Even bats. I find the timing really hard and even if a bat is coming at me I just can't hit the damn thing without taking a hit.

Is it just that the controls are different than Rondo?

I'm thinking Richter just moves slower than in Rondo. He certainly feels different, and I think he walks slower than he jumps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSJx2t2ij1k

Looking at that vid, Richter walks as fast as he jumps. In XX he walks slower than he jumps.

XX seems like such a game that's so close to being great. It's just needlessly frustratingly hard. Someone should fix it.

Circle of the Moon

>>1592035

http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=13463.0

So I'm not a crazy person. Other people have noticed that Richter is slower and less agile in one game vs the other. I wish there was a romhack to fix that.

Nice to see that the SNES was able to pull off such nice graphics though. I thought only the PC-E or PS1 could do that level.

>>1592048

Speaking of movement romhacks, that game really needs one for auto-run.

>>1592049

the controls in general are floaty and unresponsive, there's input lag and this weird delay on hitting the ground

Almost done the Aria of Sorrow Hard + no items challenge.

Julius is completely kicking my ass. He's very hard to predict. He seems to do slides randomly. I can get into a nice pattern of attack, backdash.

I do 75 damage, and he has 6000HP. That's not good numbers. Have to hit him 80 times.

>>1592049
>Nice to see that the SNES was able to pull off such nice graphics though. I thought only the PC-E or PS1 could do that level.

Do you have that backwards? The SNES has way greater graphic capabilities than the PCE.

>>1592568
He's random but you usually get enough warning to dodge anything. Before sliding he jumps back a little. Also if you're really feeling masochistic try NOSOUL (not on a save you intend to use later!)

>>1589762
Something about HoD's graphics don't jive with me. It's probably the colours. I also dislike the "Dark Metamorphosis" outline on the character.

>>1591784
>we will never kick Drac's arse to the moon

>>1592598
>Something about HoD's graphics don't jive with me. It's probably the colours. I also dislike the "Dark Metamorphosis" outline on the character.

People complained about Circle of the Moon's graphics being too hard to see. So they made everything technocolor for HoD. It's also graphically unimpressive. Lacking detail. It's done by a b-team while the best made Aria. They were made at the same time.

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/325/

This is an interesting romhack. Works on only the Japanese version. It tweaks the pallettes, remove the outline on Juste, rebalances the game, moves items around, makes it slightly harder. It, along with a shader to reduce the saturation makes the game tolerable. I replayed it recently with this hack, and I didn't hate it. I don't love the game, but I don't dislike it like I used to. It is still visually and audiolly a step down from Circle and Aria.

For audio, the compositions are fine but they have this really low quality samples. It sounds like some IBM PC from the 80's.

Out of the three GBA games HoD needs the most work to fix it.

For shader use this:
https://github.com/libretro/common-shaders/blob/master/crt/phosphorlut-v2.2/image-adjustment.cg

My settings:

>saturation = 70
:The rest: Default.

>>1592650
>It's also graphically unimpressive
I'd have to disagree there. It features a lot of pretty well done multi-part bosses and enemies.
Aria has some stuff like that, but the animation was much more stiff, and there were generally less moving parts.

>>1592663

And Aria has better designed Armor enemies.

>>1592707
That has absolutely nothing to do with how "impressive" the graphics are.

I like Aria more than Dawn of Sorrow. I think it's the "here we go again" feeling of Dawn, plus the scenario and setting are less interesting.

In Aria Dracula is dead, and someone is going to inherit his powers. You explore his Castle. Pretty freaking cool if you ask me. In Dawn it's just some random cult. Oh and all his friends are back for no reason. Feels kinda rehashy. Never finished it either. The bosses are pretty good and challenging though. Aria only had a few good bosses. Many were just big enemies that were boring to fight.

Also the generic anime style is a bit annoying.

I didn't care for JONATHAN/CHARLOTTE either. I didn't finish it.

I also wasn't crazy for Order of Ecclesia. I really wish the game had more exploration instead of just stage 1, 2, 3, etc selectable from a world map. Did finish this one. Thought it was okay.

1. Castlevania
2. Bloodlines
3. Rondo
4. Akumajou Densetsu
5. IV Japanese version (whip is a little more quiet)

Liked SOTN for the first half, then once the Castle was upside down, it felt like a boring scavenger hunt to find the remains. Richter mode was pretty cool though, as well as the Maria mode.

Simon's Quest, no thanks. Played through it once, and that is all I'll do. The music was fucking awesome in this one though, and that is something I've always loved about the CV series.

The 64 titles I've only seen played, and they don't look god awful like everyone online makes them out to be, but the skele-bikers are kind of silly (in a silly no strong opinions for good or bad way).

The GB ones (as in that big ass grey brick with a green and yellow screen that was awesome) look very much slower paced than the console counterparts. Again, a platform I have not played them on.

>>1592736
>5. IV Japanese version (whip is a little more quiet)

I'm curious what other differences there are. There's no censorship, and it retains the original much cooler title screen and logo. I'm playing it now. There's health bonuses like everywhere, I can't remember if that's in the NTSC version or not.

>rating IV above the original or Rondo

>>1592738
They are both NTSC format, my good sir. The colors are slightly different in the HUD and I do believe that in the cavern level (the one with the spikey things that drop and the spiders and the green acid shit), the green acid shit is red (blood maybe?). It's been a while since I last played it, so I don't remember all the differences from the US version

>>1592736
The N64 games really are as bad as everyone makes out. As an early 3D transition they suffer from lag, bad camera and lock-on system and awkward controls. The game is at its best when it focuses on platforming, but when it doesn't you get assholish confusing levels like Castle Center and the Villa. Some of the boss fights are good, marred by the overall problems and that they can only be damaged at certain times, and it isn't clear when. Also, the second game is just an improved version of the first, but it also includes two new characters. Unfortunately you have to complete their stories before you can do the ones from the first game.

>>1592738
If not it wouldn't be the first time a Japanese version is less difficult.

Rondo, Bloodlines, IV, III, Castlevania, everything else.

In that order.

>>1592738

Some statues are nude in one level, they made them wear clothesin the american version

SOTN RICHTER MODE