• Hey everyone, staff have documented a list of banned content and subject matter that we feel are not consistent with site values, and don't make sense to host discussion of on Famiboards. This list (and the relevant reasoning per item) is viewable here.
  • Do you have audio editing experience and want to help out with the Famiboards Discussion Club Podcast? If so, we're looking for help and would love to have you on the team! Just let us know in the Podcast Thread if you are interested!

StarTopic Castlevania Appreciation Thread |ST| You Belong In This World!

Oh man ... thank you all SO MUCH for reassuring me I'm not crazy! :-D I love classic Castlevanias and a good challenge so I was feeling real bad about putting the game down (at least temporarily), but now I know I'm not the only one that at least has some serious issues with the game!


Don't feel too bad about it. Symphony of the Night is a bit easier when you know some of the secrets of the game, but they are secrets, so. Also, it's one of the only Castlevania games I've played where dying from knockback was a reoccurring issue, weirdly enough, because the knockback is really huge in Symphony of the Night, with no/almost no invincibility frames, so you'll often knockback into another enemy. All of this is to say, it's understandable why you'd find the game challenging at times and there's no reason to feel bad.

There's also gameplay differences between the two versions that are significant. Like from what I remember, a friend who first played American Castlevania III and hated it was SHOCKED to find out Grant's knife actually traveled across the screen. Yes - you heard that right, from what I remember being told, Grant's knife in the original American release of Castlevania III doesn't act like a normal knife. It literally just stabs enemies close to you, so a worse whip lmao.

Castlevania III's Japanese version is honestly super fair, the issue to me is just that the last few levels are poorly balanced. They get to a point where they are so long and contain a lot of devious enemy placements, that they become more monotonous without using save states. It's the kind of distinction that's hard to make - it's never really "unfair", just a bit annoying towards the end. Still, it's a really great game and I'd even say that the difficulty in the first half or so is the best difficulty balancing in a Castlevania.

Also in the other route you didn't take, there's apparently a bullshit falling block part reminiscent of Tetris. I haven't played that route, either, so I can't attest to how bullshit it is, but I imagine it's bullshit in both versions from what I get.
Funny thing is that this was my second time through SotN and I still died a bit in the early game, nothing that was super bad though but just annoying as it had been a while since a save room. I think it was the same area that tripped me up in my first playthrough, that long long hallway in marble gallery that leads to the outer wall. I just hasn’t found a save room close enough to there. And I accidentally triggered doppelgänger battle without going into the save room lol.

But yeah by the time inverted castle rolls around I’m super OP. Except galamoth. I still don’t know the “strategy” for that boss aside from the cheeses. I just slashed and spammed healing and attack items and prayed lol.

On CV3, yeah I read that about Grant’s knife. What a dumb change, makes the character completely worthless
 
0
So after beating Bloodlines and Aria for the first time and having a blast with them both, I decided to go back to Circle of the Moon and really enjoying that too. Around 3/4 of the way through it now.

I finally downloaded Bloodstained (been in my backlog forever) and fired that up last night and seems really fun too. Are the NES style games worth a play also? Curse of the Moon?
 
So after beating Bloodlines and Aria for the first time and having a blast with them both, I decided to go back to Circle of the Moon and really enjoying that too. Around 3/4 of the way through it now.

I finally downloaded Bloodstained (been in my backlog forever) and fired that up last night and seems really fun too. Are the NES style games worth a play also? Curse of the Moon?
I liked the first Curse of the Moon. I got the second in a sale but I haven’t played it yet.

Re: Circle of the Moon, does anyone know a good spot for farming a few Mind Up items? Wrapping it up in the Advance Collection and I’ve decided I’m gonna cheese the Minotaur room in the Battle Arena because trying to do it honestly is tiring as fuck (super jump to the ceiling/whip once/throw a cross/super jump/whoops you missed an input time to be smashed to pieces or rewind). I don’t know how or if I managed to get past this on GBA back in the day.
 
0
I received the Castlevania Anniversary Collection for the Nintendo Switch released by Limited Run Games :)

uc
 
My Netflix Castlevania art book came in today and it is awesome. It's filled with a ton of great insights into how the characters and creatures were designed and the inspirations they drew from the games. And the art itself is just lovely. Definitely pick it up if you're a fan of the show.
 
So I ended up doing the Battle Arena the hard way because I couldn’t get the fucking glitch to work. :V (I totally abused Rewind in the Minotaur and Alaurune rooms though, because fuck those rooms)

I ended up with just enough high potions from grinding Wind Armors to make it through. Also spamming crosses and super jumping to dodge are the best tricks in a lot of rooms, it turns out.

 
0
damn it........its not fair bros.......

Anyway.....who's gonna this shit anyway???....its not like Castlevania is popular like franchises such as Metroid or Hollow Knight,
 
0
I picked up Castlevania Advance Collection.

I hadn’t replayed Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow since their respective releases on the GBA and, we’ll, holy moly they’re absolutely rotten games — even putting aside HoD’s awful graphics and sound — from enemy design to hitboxes to level design to overall game progression. I realize Iga was only an assistant on SotN and that that game had issues with balance and with the inverted castle, but the fall was steep to HoD and AoS.

Circle of the Moon has lost some of its luster as well. Even at launch, it was obvious that running should have been the default movement (and better animated), but the graphics really need the GBA screen’s masking effect to shine. At least the Dracula fight remains one of the best in the series.
 
0
Sorry for the necroposting, but i wanted to talk about my lastest pick.

Got Bloodstained for the PS4 a while ago, and while it's not a Castlevania game, it's the most Castlevania-ish metroidvania i have ever played.

I mean, it's a Iga game after all, but the dude is absolutely shameless in his self-cloning.

Despite that (or maybe precisely because of that) it's a really enjoyable experience, feels like playing a brand new Castlevania, with its own gimmicks - like right stick aiming - and all.

Also, love the fact that Iga finally wrote a fmc with a personality. Always found Shanoa too boring (and the excuse for her coldness too forced). Still, i could have done without the revealing clothing.

Reached the point where you can get the bad ending, and then i had to pack in and prepare to move into my new house. Looking forward to continue the game.
 
0
Having played through most of them recently i started circle of the moon but quit it as its my least favorite beat the rest Harmony of dissonace is great until the last part with the scavanger hunt when i quit that. Beat Aria of sorrow onwards and The first two GBA/DS and the last one are the worst Order of ecclessia is just grinding and not fun Aria/Dawn and POR are the best though.
 
0
Been on a Castlevania roll lately, wich is ironic because i haven't been able to resume writing any of my fics for almost a month.

After finishing Mirror of Fate on Halloween, i'm almost finished with Legacy of Darkness on stream - only missing Carrie's quest - and i'm slowly replaying Order of Ecclesia on my 3DS. Playing so many styles back to back really open your eyes on how diverse - yet cohesive - the series is. That has some merit.

On a bit of a different note, yesterday i found Portrait and Ecclesia on a Cash Converters, it was only the game card and they were 50 € each! I wanted either to die or kill someone.

A DS Collection can't come soon enough.
 
I’m always looking for my Castlevania fix these days. I prefer the 2D ones. Recently played both of the Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon games (that are pretty much evocative of Castlevania III with a pile of their own additions) and really enjoyed those, but Infernax’s take on Castlevania 2 I just found stunningly good.

Not sure what to play next but I’d love to play through the DS ones again. I sold off my DS/3DS collection last year, I hope we get a compilation at some point.
 
Last edited:
0


Back
Top Bottom