Castlevania Appreciation Thread

[Ziggy]

I just watched that speed run... Is that all there is to playing as Richter? Make it to the center of the inverted castle and beat Shaft, then the credits roll. That's it?

[Soldier Blue]

Just got the double jump in Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, and I'm starting to feel like a badass. Not gonna lie.

[nullPointer]

The Japanese manual is the source. The US manual changed it to take place after Simon's Quest but officially the game is a re-telling of the Simon's original adventure in 1691. In Igarashi's timeline they're the same thing.

Also, check out the original (Super Famicom) title for the game. Castlevania on the NES, Super Castlevania IV on the SNES, and Castlevania Chronicles on the PS1 were all originally titled Akumajo Dracula. So you're right, it probably should have been called "Super Castlevania" but NA decided to call it IV, for better or worse.

Thanks guys. This is exactly why I love this forum.

[MrPopo]

So I gave CV3 a go last night. The branching paths is neat, though the environments are a bit too busy for the NES at times (I've missed staircases to a screen below me a couple of times). But the biggest thing I've noticed is that the platforming itself tends to have more evil difficulty in it than the original. There have been several jumps I've missed because you need to have one foot off your platform to get enough distance, and I don't recall anything like that in CV1. I do like the change to how the II and III items are handled.

[Exhuminator]

I've tried multiple times to get into Castlevania 3, but it never sticks with me. Weird because I really enjoy the first two games. I haven't yet figured out what makes the third one so popular in comparison. The branching paths and multiple characters are cool at least, I can see that much.

[Ziggy]

So I gave CV3 a go last night. The branching paths is neat, though the environments are a bit too busy for the NES at times (I've missed staircases to a screen below me a couple of times).

Specifically, the staircase in the forest level? That's the second level, if you don't go to the Clock Tower. I definitely missed those stairs the first time I played the game.

But the biggest thing I've noticed is that the platforming itself tends to have more evil difficulty in it than the original. There have been several jumps I've missed because you need to have one foot off your platform to get enough distance, and I don't recall anything like that in CV1.

CV1 also didn't have Grant and Alucard. It seems like they designed some areas so Trevor can do it, but you might consider using one of the other characters instead.

I know I've posted this before, but whatever... For the longest time I never knew that you could PLAY as the other characters. I knew that they'd "join" you, and that their head would appear in the HUD, but I had no idea that you could press select to play as them. So for the longest time, I was only playing as Trevor.

When I finally found out that you could play as the other characters, I use to only get Grant because I really like his high jump and the fact that he can walk on walls and ceilings. More recently, I like to use Alucard now. I only bust him out when I wanna cheat and fly past an area. That, and to cheat against the doppelganger.

I do like the change to how the II and III items are handled.

What do you mean?

[dogman91]

Apparently the original Famicom version of Castlevania III (Akumajou Densetsu) has a lower difficulty than the US version. And has that awesome VRC6-enhanced music.

[MrPopo]

So I gave CV3 a go last night. The branching paths is neat, though the environments are a bit too busy for the NES at times (I've missed staircases to a screen below me a couple of times).

Specifically, the staircase in the forest level? That's the second level, if you don't go to the Clock Tower. I definitely missed those stairs the first time I played the game.

No, that wasn't a problem because you can see the rest of it. But in the forest level there's a few stairs at the bottom of the screen that take you to the next area, but since it's a lot of green on green it's easy to miss. You end up finding it because that's the only place to go, but you do that sort of double-take of "wait, there's a stairs there?" The one right before the boss is a good example.

I do like the change to how the II and III items are handled.

What do you mean?[/quote]
In CV1 the double and triples were fixed drops in secret walls and sometimes candles. In CV3 they spawn from enemies and candles after you've used a subweapon a certain number of times. So if you die or switch weapons you can get yourself back up to double and triple, which is nice when you want the cross for half the bosses and the holy water for the other half, rather than CV1's all holy water all the time.

[Ziggy]

No, that wasn't a problem because you can see the rest of it. But in the forest level there's a few stairs at the bottom of the screen that take you to the next area, but since it's a lot of green on green it's easy to miss. You end up finding it because that's the only place to go, but you do that sort of double-take of "wait, there's a stairs there?" The one right before the boss is a good example.

Yup, that's exactly what I meant.

In CV1 the double and triples were fixed drops in secret walls and sometimes candles. In CV3 they spawn from enemies and candles after you've used a subweapon a certain number of times. So if you die or switch weapons you can get yourself back up to double and triple, which is nice when you want the cross for half the bosses and the holy water for the other half, rather than CV1's all holy water all the time.

It works the same in CV1, actually. I know that there's double/triple shots hidden in walls in CV1, but they will also spawn from candles and enemies if you use the sub weapon enough times.

[MrPopo]

I'm on the last level before the main castle when the paths recombine (Sypha path) but man, this stage is being an asshole. There's enough points where I find myself wrestling with the controls and dying because of it, most recently trying to use a subweapon and going back up the stairs that are right behind me, getting hit and falling to my death.