Will I like Castlevania Bloodlines and Contra: Hard Corps?

[Erik_Twice]

I like the original Castlevania a lot, and the original Contra, while still not mature and with white bullet syndrome, it's also a lot of fun but alas, we Europeans have a shitty NES and most games I would like to play run terribly in it.

Given that I don't particularly fancy buying an American NES right now, I started to check out my Megadrive a bit more and found that it had those two games. But they look kind of different, I wonder if I will like them if I like the originals or not.

I'm also looking to get them boxed, are they rare or expensive?

[KDub]

I really like Castlevania Bloodlines, it may be my personal favorite from the series actually.
It is different from the originals but it also has a very similar feel and makes some nice improvements.

It isn't real cheap though since it is a Castlevania game and the only one on the Genesis/Mega Drive. It probably had a lower run count than the Nintendo ones at the time too.

[Nemoide]

I think Castlevania Bloodlines is pretty great. Very similar to the original in terms of gameplay, but with some new features, a more diverse setting, two playable characters, and better graphics. Like the original, it's a really tough game though; I've never beaten any of the pre-32-bit titles in the series.
I recommend it.

I haven't played Contra: Hard Corps but have only heard good things.

[ExedExes]

I had a good time with Bloodlines. Sadly, I did not get to play the whole thing.

Same with Hard Corps. But it's just that, "HARD". You still can't go wrong with either one.

[Dylan]

I think you'll enjoy Bloodlines if you enjoyed the originals. The game definitely has a different feel. Movement is less restricted and attacking enemies is easier, platforming has a little more emphasis. The game is still pretty challenging. The settings and enemies are a bit of a mixed bag at times, but the music by Michiru Yamane (who began her career with Castlevania in this game) is excellent. The formula is definitely somewhat different for this game, but it's great fun and I would definitely recommend it to Castlevania fans.

Contra: Hard Corps is in a sense similar to Bloodlines in that while it's not dramatically different from its predecessors the feel of the game differs. This game is indeed ball-crushingly hard, but Contra fans are likely accustomed to punishment. The different characters and weapon system are definitely fun (although a lot of the combinations are pretty worthless). I want to say that they added more platforming elements such as hanging segments on pipes or climbing on walls, but as I write that I feel like I'm actually describing Contra III which I played much more recently. The graphics, atmosphere, and some of the bosses are really great in this game. Be warned that this game is really frustrating, but if the Contra formula appeals to you at the very least it's worth a shot.

[brunoafh]

Contra: Hard Corps is easily my favorite Contra game and probably one of my favorite games on the Genesis. Such an excellent game. If you're bothered by extreme difficulty it probably won't be for you though. It's not that hard, but definitely requires lots of patience and memorization.

[cowboyscowboys]

I have been following the price for Castlevania Bloodlines for the last couple years and the last month and a bit the price has sky rocketed. I don't know if the current price is here to stay or not. It's definitely one of those games that would take a huge hit if it were released on the VC or a compilation disc.

The cardboard version used to be had CIB great condition for $20
The Clamshell for $30
Now good luck.

[god]

Contra Hard Corps suffers from high - BIN syndrome. I collect Mega Drive versions which are generally worth more, but I got mine for about $36.00 complete (but box a bit shabby) by wating for the right auction and pouncing in the final seconds. Of course the game is known as Probotector in Australia and Europe. I also got a Contra Hard Corps cart only Genesis for about $21.00. Fantastic game, and I wish more than anything that I had discovered it when I was unemployed! Much harder than Contra 3, I'll probably never finish it legitamately.

As noted above, it has a very distinct atmosphere and feel from the other games in the series, and is as hard as a very hard thing.

[Jungell]

I think you'll really love Bloodlines. It's easily my favorite game in the series. It's kind of a "back to the roots" game. It's not just a castle, you travel your way through europe to eventually battle Elizabeth Bathory (Bartley is just a mistranslation) and Dracula. The controls are solid and fluid, the enemies are classic and the music is in my opinion the best in the series.

If you like Castlevania you need to play this game. It's as big a must as the first installment in the series.

[Xeogred]

Bloodlines almost feels more like CV4 than CV4 itself.

Both of these games are amazing.