It was always frustrating to me back then that the most graphically capable system of the gen didn’t get another proper attempt at a great Castlevania after a near launch game. The obvious king of 16-bit Castlevanias is Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, but if that amount of effort had gone into an original SNES game (instead of the rushed tiny-cart-size cheap half port of that game it got) something amazing could have happened.
It was really weird to me how Konami started farming their franchises around so many platforms, meaning a Castlevania fan like me had to buy almost every platform to play all the games. It’s not like they ditched Nintendo either, they released almost 20 games for Super Fami 1994/1995! But the SNES never getting another original Castlevania or Contra game? Huh? Then there was that crazy period when EIGHT CV games in a row were on eight different platforms. “Hey fan wanna play all the games in your fave series? FUCK YOU HAHAHA - KONAMI”
I own and have played and completed every single Castlevania game in (almost) order of release with the following exceptions:
Order of Eccesia - I own it but got burned out on the repetitive Igarashi shit by that point. It’s supposed to be the best one though so will get to it one day.
Lords of Shadow 2 and Mirror of whatever - will get to these poorly reviewed western turds eventually.
I played about an hour on the SNES Classic Edition tonight. The game is still as great as I remember it and yeah, it’s rather easy for the first three stages and then you hit those green fuck you platforms that dump your ass right into the abyss! Those are quickly followed by the rotating room with the medusa heads that dump you onto the spikes if you make one mistake. Thanks, Konami!
I had a good time though, and had to look up how to create a save point because I was pushing down and select to get a menu and that wasn’t working.
I agree with @D.Lo that it’s a damn shame they didn’t make a Castlevania V on the SNES. It really deserved another go with years of knowledge of the system under their belt. IIRC, it sold really well on SNES right up to the end a s a new game so it probably just never occurred to them to make another and that’s one reason they spread it around to other consoles? They really could have done something special on the SNES hardware later though.
Couple more days in February. Plan to play some more tomorrow.
OK guys, I guess I have to do the poll here and it seems to be locked in stone after 5 minutes so I’ve gone through the thread and added every game that was recommended. Since we started half way through Feb lets let the poll run till Sunday, March 4th, and we can start March’s game after that.
From March onward the I will keep a list of all the recommended games in the OP and create a poll when we have a week left.
This is the first Castlevania game I’ve finished, and to be honest… I don’t like it that much!
I found the speed of Simon to be too slow, and it’s just full of cheap shots and enemies that are there to frustrate you. The stairs prevent you from whipping like you’d expect, and most of the bosses were too easy.
Finished Super Castlevania IV over the weekend. I was surprised how long the game took to hook me considering that the first Castlevania on NES hooked me immediately on my first real play through a couple years ago. Around stage VII was where I finally felt the classic Castlevania rhythm, and the whip swing mechanic clicked for me.
Great game. Top tier soundtrack too, particularly Simon’s Theme and everything clocktower stage onwards. And those moody mid-game tracks – rare for a game of this vintage to have such an atmospheric soundtrack.
Which one is better SNES or GEN? I remember Genesis had a sword. I think I only played the first few levels of these games. I am down to get this game for the month but I would rather play SotN.
Edit: I wasn’t going to vote Aladdin but I was afraid of Gauntlet Legends too
My wife and I fight about this every once and a while. I personally prefer the Genesis version (Dat animation!). She thinks the SNES one is better. Honestly, I think an argument can be made for either. They’re both short and easy, so why not play both, should it win the poll! Come on Gauntlet!!
