Castlevania Series Discussion

[Ace Master Cire]

I don't know of many people that are as into Castlevania as I am, but anyone else is welcome to talk about it with me. I may not know alot about it quite yet; as I started on the series last November. I welcome any seasoned Castlevania veterans to talk with me about what they like best about this amazing series at their leisure.

Here are the games I have, in order, by system. I'd be more than happy to go into detail on where I found/got most of these and the prices I found these games for, if anyone's interested:

3DS
1. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate

Wii
1. Castlevania: Judgment

PS3
1. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
2. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

PSP
1. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

DS
1. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
2. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
3. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

GBA
1. Castlevania
2. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
3. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
4. Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

PS2
1. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
2. Castlevania: lament of Innocence

PS1
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Game Boy
1. Castlevania: The Adventure

[Lambadelta]

Well I own

Castlevania (NES)
Super Castlevania 4 (SFC)
Castlevania Nocturn in the Moonlight (Saturn)
Castlevania Symphony of the Night (PSN)
Castlevania 64
Castlevania Lord of Shadow (PC)

I have to say I hate the 3D renditions of the franchise, and preferred it when it was a Side-scrolling Platformer. I haven't played the 3DS one, and no current plans to do that in the near future. I feel the reboot to the franchise with Lord of Shadow was poorly done, and I can't stand playing it.

I am by no means a Castlevania Vet since I started with Castlevania 64, and went backwards but opinions shall be opinions.

[KalessinDB]

Castlevania you say?  *perks up*

This is my *SERIES*.  I own every US-released game with "Castlevania" in the name.

NES: Castlevania 1-3
SNES: Super CV 4, Dracula X
N64: Castlevania, Legacy of Darkness
GB: Adventure, Legend, Belmont's Revenge
GBA: Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria of Sorrow
DS: Dawn of Sorrow, Order of Ecclesia, Portrait of Ruin
3DS: Mirror of Fate
Wii: Judgement (yep.  Really.), Adventure Rebirth (we gonna count digital-only?)

Genesis: Bloodlines

PS1: Symphony of the Night, Chronicles
PS2: Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness
PS3: Lords of Shadow 2
PSP: Dracula X Chronicles

360: Lords of Shadow


Yes... technically I need Curse of Darkness for oXbox, Lords of Shadow 1 for PS3 and LoS 2 for 360... but I have them in at least 1 form.  Would also love to get the Tiger Handhelds, btu that ain't happening either.  Kid Dracula is on my list if I can find it for less than 50 bucks (just seems like too much for me for a game I've never played -- might feel different once I do).  The PSN/XBLA version is on the "Needed" list too if we're going to count digital-only... I suppose I could put it on my PS3, it's CFW.

Anyway.  Yeah.  Love the series, since Castlevania 1 when I was a kid.

[Ace Master Cire]

I do plan on getting a Retron 3 (v2) to play the NES, SNES, and Genesis games. I really wish they could've ported the NES, SNES, Genesis games to a newer system like they did with the 1st game, on more than 1 occasion. I really don't think I'm off to a bad start for having just started the series in November of last year do you.

@Lambadelta: I thought that the Lords of Shadow games were pretty well done, but Mirror of Fate could have done the lip syncing better. That's my only complaint with it.

@KalessianDB: I prefer not to count the download or phone based ones as games. How much did you shell out for Dracula X my friend? Quite alot I'm sure, right? That damn thing's expensive! Also what's your take on the Lords of Shadow reboot?

[quickfingers818]

I own and played almost every single Castlevania game released here in the US and you can't go wrong with most of them. I, however would probably start with either the first castlevania on the nes to kind of get a feel for what the series might be like although there are big differences between the 2d and 3d versions. But my favorite still after all these years is still symphony of the night followed very closely by super castlevania iv.

[segamer]

I have all the Castlevania games Domestic and Japanese with the exception of two. I'm missing the second N64 game and Legends for GB. However, I do want to point out that most Castlevania collectors always miss this gem only released in Arcades and on PS2 in Japan.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkU-kkq_-_E

[quickfingers818]

I have all the Castlevania games Domestic and Japanese with the exception of two. I'm missing the second N64 game and Legends for GB. However, I do want to point out that most Castlevania collectors always miss this gem only released in Arcades and on PS2 in Japan.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkU-kkq_-_E

@segamer I was just curious cause I noticed you are big into imports, do you know Japanese?

[segamer]

Hai, so desu ne. Watashi wa benkyou o'shimashita.

[Ace Master Cire]

Here's my game collection if you guys want to take a look at it.
http://www.thecoverproject.net/forums/index.php?topic=15685.0

[KalessinDB]

I do plan on getting a Retron 3 (v2) to play the NES, SNES, and Genesis games. I really wish they could've ported the NES, SNES, Genesis games to a newer system like they did with the 1st game, on more than 1 occasion. I really don't think I'm off to a bad start for having just started the series in November of last year do you.

@Lambadelta: I thought that the Lords of Shadow games were pretty well done, but Mirror of Fate could have done the lip syncing better. That's my only complaint with it.

@KalessianDB: I prefer not to count the download or phone based ones as games. How much did you shell out for Dracula X my friend? Quite alot I'm sure, right? That damn thing's expensive! Also what's your take on the Lords of Shadow reboot?

Yeah, digital-only games only sorta count in my eyes too.

Dracula X on the snes was approx $75, cart-only (reasonable shape)... about 8 years ago on ebay.  Now holds a special place in my heart -- I bought it with birthday money from my grandmother, and it ended up being the last gift she gave me.

The Lords of Shadow reboot is... modern gaming.  I'm a retro gamer at heart, and I mourn the loss of decent 2d gaming, but that's a discussion for another thread.  I thought the game overall was well done, much like Lament of Innocence I think they're good forays into 3d gaming (full disclosure I haven't actually played Mirror of Fate yet -- I don't have a 3ds, but I learned my lesson when I had to work my butt off to find a CIB copy of Circle of the Moon and now buy all CV games when they come out, even if I don't have the system yet), fun to play, interesting direction to take the series (if you hope for continuity in a series well over 2 decades old with 2 dozen+ different games over different systems, generations, publishers, directors, etc etc etc... you're kinda silly).  I'm not really that thrilled with the whole "major plot points being revealed in DLC" aspect of the first one (haven't finished the second yet), but I accept that it is sadly part of modern gaming.  On the whole though, I like it.

[Ozzy_98]

I'm a TG-16\PCE fanboy, so guess what one I think is best?  Yep, SotN.  But Dracula X is second best, and not the choppy SNES "port" where you bounce back and forth pinballing between enemies.

[Blumpkin]

I'm terrible. I own Castlevania 1 & 2 on NES, SotN on Xbox Live, the Double Pack on GBA, LoS for 360, and Mirror of Fate on both 3DS and XBL.

However, the only one that I've ever played is LoS. I really liked it, and the funny thing is that it's the one that hardcore fans seem to hate.

[segamer]

I'm terrible. I own Castlevania 1 & 2 on NES, SotN on Xbox Live, the Double Pack on GBA, LoS for 360, and Mirror of Fate on both 3DS and XBL.

However, the only one that I've ever played is LoS. I really liked it, and the funny thing is that it's the one that hardcore fans seem to hate.

Hardcore fans hate the n64 Castlevania games.

[Blumpkin]

I'm terrible. I own Castlevania 1 & 2 on NES, SotN on Xbox Live, the Double Pack on GBA, LoS for 360, and Mirror of Fate on both 3DS and XBL.

However, the only one that I've ever played is LoS. I really liked it, and the funny thing is that it's the one that hardcore fans seem to hate.

Hardcore fans hate the n64 Castlevania games.

Oh snap, you just reminded me that I have both the N64 carts, plus Castlevania IV on SNES. I haven't played any of those yet either.

[Thom Grayson]

The GBA/DS games were by far my favorite. There's a very delicate balance in making an open-world side-scrolling game, and I think they pulled it off.

I ALSO rather liked Lords of Shadow (the first one, at least). I've heard the second one is a huge step down in quality, can anyone confirm that?