I made a thread for Contra, so why shouldn't Castlevania get the same treatment? One of Konami's mainline series, Castlevania has also been a bit all over the map in quality and different gameplay types. So this is the thread to talk about this unique series.
Konami has tried many things with this series, so I'll try to keep it limited to the main series and platformer games, with a nod to an important game here or there. We've got a way to go, so let's get started!
Castlevania (1986) [NES / Wii / Wii U / 3DS)
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28 years ago, Konami released a game called Castlevania that has been a staple series in the ensuing near-three decades. Play as member of the legendary clan known as the Belmonts, Simon Belmont, as he uses holy weapons, brute strength, and a strange sense of agility, in order to storm the evil Dracula's castle to put a stop to the monster once and for all. Castlevania is as well known for its quality in all areas as it is for its tremendous difficulty, making this game not the best starting point for people new to the series. That said, it well deserves the status it has as a classic.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987) [NES / Wii / Wii U / 3DS)
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The sequel to the first game in the series follows in the path of a lot of NES sequels of the time period by following a bit of a different path than the original. It's still an adventure game, it's still an action platformer, and it's still got the same elements of the original, only now it's an open world experience. A precursor to future games in the series, Castlevania II is about as much about exploration as it is action this time around, leaving a lot of people conflicted as to what to classify this as. That said, despite popular internet opinion, this game is not bad, merely obscure like most sidescrolling adventure games of the era. If you like old school NES games and don't mind hugging guides or flailing blindly about to find out what to do, it's well worth your time.
Haunted Castle (1988) [Arcade]
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The screenshot says it all. This game is really bad, really stupid, and really rare. But it is the first game to come out in arcades, so there you go.
Castlevania: The Adventure (1989) [Game Boy / 3DS]
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Also not good. But it is the first portable Castlevania game and it later got remade into an awesome game, so I figure it's worth mentioning. Oh, and this is the first game you do not play as Simon, but an ancestor. In this game it is Christopher Belmont.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1989) [NES / Wii / Wii U / 3DS]
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This is what I'm talking about. This is where Castlevania rose to the top of the pile. Dracula's Curse is a brutally hard game, just as the original, but this time it is due much more to the level design than before. It also features a series first in branching paths and multiple playable characters (including fan favorite Alucard) and is the first to go back in time with its story, being guided by the popular Trevor Belmont. Dracula's Curse is still to this day regularly regarded as the best game in the series, and still remains big with fans today. With good reason. While I also doubt this would make a good series introduction, it is hard to argue against such quality.
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (1991) [Game Boy]
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Skipping a spin off game (which is why 1990 went by without a Castlevania game), we return to basics with this title. A short little adventure like the first game, only this one is actually good and quite fun. Starring Christopher Belmont, travel through four different castles based on the elements in any order you want. Not much to say except that if you have a Game Boy, you should be considering this for your library.
Super Castlevania IV (1991) [SNES / Wii / Wii U]
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A remake of the original game, Castlevania, this is also the first game to really show what the Super Nintendo was capable of. Mode 7 scaling, atmospheric soundtrack, a creepy artstyle, and really clever level design all add tremendously to the package. There is also for the first time an eight direction attack in form of the whip that tends to make the game's combat less restrictive. Some fans are split on whether this is one of the best games in the series, but you would have to be rather biased to think it has no merits. If nothing else it is a great action platformer.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993) [PC-Engine CD / PSP / Wii / Wii U]
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Regularly regarded as the best game in the series, Rondo of Blood stars Richter Belmont on his journey to Dracula's castle through some of the trickiest and hardest level design in the series with some of the best branching paths in an action game to that point. Multiple playable characters return, as does one of the best soundtracks in gaming (with this entry, quality rose even higher) and all the elements Castlevania is know for hits the ceiling. As for the classic Castlevania style, they don't get much better than Rondo of Blood.
Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994) [Sega Genesis]
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This was a bit of an interesting project. Like Contra: Hard Corps., Konami used the Genesis not just to pointlessly port Super Castlevania IV, but instead to give the Genesis its own style of Castlevania. This is a world-hopping adventure and the first where you don't play as a Belmont, (you play as John Morris, yes, that's a Bram Stoker reference, or Eric Lecarde), and the game is otherwise a straightforward action game. It's just a really good one.
Castlevania: Dracula X (1995) [SNES / Wii U]
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It's a port of Rondo of Blood with worse level design, cheaper bosses, and less content. Thanks, Konami, I guess.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) [PlayStation / Sega Saturn / PSP / Xbox 360]
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A sequel to Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night is one of the most important games in the genre, let alone the series. The term "Metroidvania" derives from this very game where you level up, acquire new skills, and explore a gigantic castle at your leisure. There is much to do, much to see, and much to find in your journey through Dracula's castle. This time you play as Alucard as he attempts to find the missing Richter Belmont and foil Dracula's scheme. Unfortunately, after this game, Castlevania became less of a focus for Konami, and the quality games would fall further apart. That said, this is one of the best games ever made. Do yourself a favor and find a copy somehow, someway.
Castlevania: Legends (1997) [Game Boy]
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Originally a history of the Belmont clan before it was retconned, Sonia Belmont stars in this, the final Game Boy Castlevania title. It's a good little game and well worthy of the title. It's just a shame it's fairly obscure now.
Castlevania 64 (1999) [Nintendo 64]
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While not as abominable as the 3D Contra games, this game is just not very good and there isn't much to say. It is the first 3D Castlevania game, but then, Bubsy 3D was the first 3D Bubsy game. It doesn't really matter. It's otherwise exactly what you would expect an early 3D action adventure game to be.
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (1999) [Nintendo 64]
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Part remake of the first 3D Castlevania (even including a bunch of that game's content), and part prequel, it is otherwise as boring as that game. It's better than the first one, but that isn't really saying much. The series, unfortunately, continues its slide into irrelevance.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001) [Game Boy Advance / Wii U]
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This game was hyped a lot before it came out. The first 2D Castlevania since SOTN, and the first portable Metroidvania in the series, as well as launching on the incredibly hyped Game Boy Advance, there was much said about this game. Did the hype deliver? Surprisingly, yes. The game received high reviews and high marks, citing only two issues. The first being the sound quality is very 8-bit and that the game can be hard to see at points. Being that the game was originally in development for the Game Boy Color before being buffed up for the new Nintendo handheld, both are rather excusable and irrelevant now with better ways to play. COTM tries its best to combine the best elements of Metroidvania-style Castlevania with the action-style and challenge the older games were more known for, as you play as Nathan Graves as he attempts to survive a situation that is way over his head. It rather succeeded and became THE GBA killer app at the time of its release. It also gave the series a home as 2D was becoming rather unwelcome in the console sphere.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002) [Game Boy Advance / Wii U]
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While COTM was being updated to the GBA, Koji Igarashi's Castlevania team began work on their first project, this game, Harmony of Dissonance, as an attempt to bring the SOTN style to the handheld system. Unlike COTM's attempt to bridge old and new in the series, HoD does not succeed at what it tries to do. It features two mirror castles that the player (as Juste Belmont) must explore in order to stop the resurrection of Dracula. The soundtrack, level design, and bosses are fairly dull, leading to this title getting rather forgotten over time. It's technically impressive, but clearly the weakest of the GBA portable titles.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003) [Game Boy Advance / Wii U]
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The final GBA Castlevania, this time starring Soma Cruz, was where Konami went all out. Featuring a new soul system, a plot taking place in the future, and a much improved soundtrack, Aria of Sorrow is regularly considered one of the best Castlevania games. Your main character is rather different from the whip wielders the series is known for, centering instead on a character who uses souls of his defeated enemies to power up and learn new abilities. As far as the GBA goes, it was a good end to a strange period in Castlevania history.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003) [PlayStation 2]
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Another attempt at 3D Castlevania, another miss. The biggest difference is that this stars Leon Belmont and is basically the first game in the timeline. It's not actually a bad game, just fairly generic. I'll be skipping the rest of the 3D games to save space.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) [Nintendo DS]
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Castlevania returns with a rare direct sequel, this time to Aria of Sorrow. Soma's unique soul system makes a return as does the weird futuristic setting the Sorrow games are known for. There isn't much to say about this one except that it's a follow-up from the previous game. Fans of that will most likely enjoy this one.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2006) [Nintendo DS]
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A sequel to Bloodlines, Portrait of Ruin features a Dual Crush mode which allows a brand new style of attack, combining the player character attacks into a big strike. Otherwise there isn't much to say because I haven't played this one yet.
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008) [Nintendo DS]
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Playing as the mysterious Shannoa, Order of Ecclesia features a bit of departure from the usual Metroidvania formula. Instead of traversing a gigantic castle, players are given an overworld to explore, much like Simon's Quest back on the NES. This leads to a much different style of level design, and possibly the toughest the series has been since Circle of the Moon or even Dracula X. The game was considered to be a breath of fresh air in the stale-growing series, also offering a brand new glyph system for players to use. Unfortunately, it was also the last main series game Igarashi would produce.
Castlevania: Judgement (2008) [Nintendo Wii]
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A goofy party game with a fighting game shell. The most notable thing about it is that the artist from Death Note handled the character designs. Otherwise this is for fans only.
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (2009) [Nintendo Wii]
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The first classic Castlevania game since Dracula X, ReBirth is also a remake of the disappointing Game Boy title featuring old school level design and branching paths in the levels themselves, as well as a good level of difficulty and a great soundtrack. The double edged sword to this is that to date it is also the last classic Castlevania title released.
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (2010) [Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3]
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A multiplayer, co-op, party game, HD (Get it?) is the first Castlevania game developed for HD systems and the first offering four player co-op. It's not the tightest or most challenging game in the series, but it is a fun experiment, well worthy of the try they gave.
And that's basically it. There have been a few 3D games since, but none of them really feel much like Castlevania, and since Koji Igarashi (the man basically keeping the series alive) has left Konami, the series does not look like it has many bright days ahead.
Still, this is one of the most popular and important series in gaming and deserves a fair shake from anyone who calls themselves a gamer. Use this thread to share your thoughts and opinions on this groundbreaking series.
Jeez. Didn't realize the Castlevania franchise actually had more entries than most video game series not named Mario. :o
Epic post. Very detailed.
I wouldn't say COTM's sound quality sounds 8-bit at all. In fact, I'd say it has the best sound quality of all the GBA Castelvania's.
I haven't played many games in this series, and I haven't finished any of them, but I do really like the concept and characters. A shame all of that was abandoned.
Oh, this was a lot of fun to read!
Although I'm again reminded of how little of the franchise I've played. I tried out a little of one of the GBA games a decade or so ago (I don't even remember which one), but that's it.
Thanks for the comments! My playthroughs of the GBA games really made me want to put something out there for this series
Quote from: Rynnec on October 24, 2014, 09:33:52 PM
I wouldn't say COTM's sound quality sounds 8-bit at all. In fact, I'd say it has the best sound quality of all the GBA Castelvania's.
Neither would I, but it was among the criticisms I found when I looked it up. Seems to be that nobody says it anymore, which is good.
Quote from: Rynnec on October 24, 2014, 09:33:52 PMI haven't played many games in this series, and I haven't finished any of them, but I do really like the concept and characters. A shame all of that was abandoned.
Well,
Konami.
That said, looking over the list there are only a few bad eggs in the bunch. I'd be hard-pressed to pass on most of them. Of course, SCIV, Rondo, III, SOTN, and Adventure ReBirth are all top notch games well worth playing, and I have a hard time imagining disliking them.
EDIT: Part of my post got eaten. Now it should have all the games.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 24, 2014, 08:07:52 PM
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1989) [NES / Wii / Wii U / 3DS]
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Dracula's Curse is still to this day regularly regarded as the best game in the series, and still remains big with fans today.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993) [PC-Engine CD / PSP / Wii / Wii U]
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Regularly regarded as the best game in the series
So, which one is regularly regarded by fans as the true best? I thought most favored Symphony of the Night, actually. :P
Just kidding. Seriously though, great post. I love the first decade or so of Castlevania.
Quote from: talonmalon333 on October 24, 2014, 10:08:15 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 24, 2014, 08:07:52 PM
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1989) [NES / Wii / Wii U / 3DS]
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Dracula's Curse is still to this day regularly regarded as the best game in the series, and still remains big with fans today.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993) [PC-Engine CD / PSP / Wii / Wii U]
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Regularly regarded as the best game in the series
So, which one is regularly regarded by fans as the true best? I thought most favored Symphony of the Night, actually. :P
Just kidding. Seriously though, great post. I love the first decade or so of Castlevania.
Castlevania fans are strange.
I've seen people call SCIV garbage and say Rondo is the best. I've seen people call SOTN terrible and call Dracula's Curse the best. I've also seen people say the series was only good on the NES.
There are as many "best" games in the series as there are "worst", depending on where you look.
I just started Aria of Sorrow. Instant improvement over HoD. Better presentation, music, sprites, and I like the weapons and soul system.
Definitely looking forward to the rest. 8-)
i had no clue super castlevania iv was a remake of the first game...which makes the game's title that much more confusing. i will be sure to get legends and belmont's revenge. they sound good.
Quote from: gunswordfist on October 25, 2014, 01:02:34 AM
i had no clue super castlevania iv was a remake of the first game...which makes the game's title that much more confusing. i will be sure to get legends and belmont's revenge. they sound good.
You'd probably like the Kid Dracula spin-off games I didn't mention. One for the NES and one for the Game Boy. They're fun little platformers, but pretty much have nothing to do with Castlevania other than the Dracula theme.
i will be sure to get both. thanks.
Dave Cox is leaving Konami. (http://www.gamespot.com/articles/castlevania-producer-quits-konami-after-17-years/1100-6421987/)
This guy was one of the producers and writers for the Lords of Shadows series.
is that a good or bad?
Depends on what you think of the LoS games. They weren't that good, they didn't sell too well, and now there's no one to push them forward. But now that Iga is gone, I don't see anyone else around to make them games, either. Double-edged sword.
In other news I beat(?) Aria of Sorrow with 4 hours of play. I think I need to collect ancient books to get the real ending, though, so I'm not done yet. That said, it's way better than HoD.
Beat it for real with a total of 5 and a half. While it's easily the shortest game of the three, it makes up for it by not being dull. The different powers, weapons, and souls, made this totally unlike the other games I've played in the series. Now that I'm catching up with the portable games, it's a shame to know there won't be any more new ones.
Oh well. So with that I've beaten all three GBA Castlevania games. Good stuff. If you enjoy Metroidvanias, you really should play both Circle of the Moon and Aria of Sorrow. They're really great games.
So since I've been streaming a lot of Castlevania (and am probably this forum's defacto expert/junkie on it) lately, I'll give you MY top 10...
10. Castlevania (NES): The original and classic. Downright brutal, but not "unfair" difficulty curve. The music is great too.
09. Castlevania II Belmont's Revenge: Proof positive that Castlevania Adventure was a victim of really bad designers/programmers. Every single thing that game does wrong, this one does right.
08. Order of Ecclesia: Shanoa's one of the dullest protagonists ever (and might have been the prototype for Lightning considering how Iga tried to shove her down our throats for a while). Game play design however is very good with its quasi-Simon's Quest throwback mission style of gameplay.
07. Circle of the Moon: If it wasn't for the goddamn DSS System (Castlevania's first fling with the Pokemon-esque "Collect 'em all" style of gameplay that would consume it beginning with Aria of Sorrow) this might have been the best ever. Ok that and the graphics really suck for a GBA game.
06. Symphony of the Night: I'm sorry its just a tad overrated. For one, its too damn easy and I'm not saying this because IGA tried to make it harder with the incredibly lame inverted castle (sticking all your overpowered canon fodder enemies in one place is both lazy AND stupid IGA...). No the fact is Konami really didn't figure out how to do an RPG-style Castlevania gameplay system properly until Aria of Sorrow. As a result, Alucard always feels way overpowered and broken (flame on fanboys). The Richter mode kinda makes up for it, but not that much (mainly because they made Richter into a fricken ubermensch for this one).
05. Portrait of Ruin: My favorite Metroidvania (go figure) is the one everybody hates for some reason. Its weird too as this one has a lot of great ideas. Multiple playable maps that ARE NOT IN THE CASTLE, two playable characters that you can switch on the fly and/or have the computer control at the same time, fighting TEAMS OF BOSSES, etc. I guess the backlash is over Johnathan Morris being a rather whiny shit protagonist, but that's kinda the point behind him. He actually grows on you, and he gets to fight Richter too! FRICKEN RICHTER!!!! btw: Richter and Maria are playable if you beat the game with the best ending. Score.
04. Bloodlines: The immediate prequel to Portrait, this in many ways feels like the end of an era being the last game to use the old big ass HUD at the top of the screen until Adventure Rebirth brought it back. The graphics really push the Genesis hardware with all the cool little scaling effects it pulls (the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a great example of this), and all that sweet blood and guts everywhere. This is, arguably, the single goriest Castlevania game ever made and it actually made it out here in the United States (Europe was a whole other story unfortunately) completely uncensored!...with a GA rating from Sega's VGRC to boot! Oh and... Eric Lecarde + Alucard Spear = pole vault.
03. Akumajou Densetsu: Dracula's Curse is a great game and all, but if you haven't played the Japanese version, you don't know what you're missing. For one the difficulty curve is far more manageable here than in its US release. This was back in the day when Konami was becoming really malevolent with American gamers when news about the Konami Code started going arround. As such, if you died on Dracula on the final stage you got sent back more than a few screens too many. Two, the graphics are actually slightly better as the NES either couldn't handle extra chips or just plain old censorship. And of course, the biggie.... THREE. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2JWRJZwvJo&list=PL6234BEB55F0ECFDC) THE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o3zqXnCy6E) MOTHER (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGOFEK5EOj8) FUCKING (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyCXhfUqU88) V (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2JWRJZwvJo&list=PL6234BEB55F0ECFDC) R (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhjxJ0smRfg) C (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTIww2a6p_8) 6 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cuxQfmjzy0). Just click the links, I'm not gonna bother.
02. Super Castlevania IV: 6-way whipping, mode 7, DAT SOUNDTRACK (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dauRYb9il8), Simon's best game PERIOD.
01. Rondo of Blood: People complain about this game being way too easy. Try playing it all the way through with Richter and get back to me on that. He's stiff as molasses but it works for this game, a unique experience which manages to bring back all the cool stuff from AkuDen/Dracula's Curse (multiple playable characters, branching paths, different endings) and expands them in ways only 16-bit (ok technically 8-bit being the PC Engine and all) could do. This was the first Castlevania game to force you to turn off your console and restart the game from scratch to get the true ending. A rather surprising move and one that added a lot more depth to a series that heretofore had no idea what a "completion rating" was. Oh yeah and Maria kills zombies with little parakeets. WIN.
rondo has been kicking my butt. also, i love the dss system.
I've only ever really played Super and SOTN, but I love both.
sotn is my favorite.
Quote from: gunswordfist on November 08, 2014, 05:30:04 PM
sotn is my favorite.
I agree. Followed by that would be a toss up between III and Rondo of Blood, and then IV.
My top 10:
1. Rondo of Blood
2. Super Castlevania IV
3. Circle of the Moon (I actually like the graphics, though. the simple art style is nice. HoD's graphics are "more impressive", but they look like garbage.)
4. The Adventure ReBirth
5. Symphony of the Night
6. Dracula's Curse
7. Aria of Sorrow
8. Castlevania
9. Bloodlines (Haven't played it in a loooong time, but I liked it when I did)
10. Belmont's Revenge (Same as Bloodlines)
Of course, I haven't played them all. But those are the ones I enjoyed the most.
Cool list! I've been slowly working my way through the series and enjoying myself for the most part. Good to see that I've still yet to play most of the best ones.
Dalek convinced me to play the SNES Dracula X on a stream, and that was... something.
There are very few real clunkers in the series.
That would be one of them. :sweat:
No Castlevania III, Spark?
Quote from: talonmalon333 on December 02, 2014, 12:25:30 PM
No Castlevania III, Spark?
III is subtitled Dracula's Curse.
i was wondering if that was 3's subtitle. i also like cotm's graphics. i didn't appreciate them back then but now i do.
Iga's project is apparently set to be revealed soon:
Quote- called Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
- Kickstarter goes live May 11th
- Main character is Miriam, who is very similar to Shanoa from Order of Ecclesia
- she has rune tattoos on her body
- another character is named Gebel, who is similar to Alucard
- Castlevania composer Michiru Yamane is on board
So, we needed Mighty No. 9 to get a new Mega Man game, Yooka Laylee to get a new Banjo Kazooie, and now Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night to get a new Castlevania game.
This is pretty ridiculous.
QuoteMichiru Yamane
TAKE ALL MY MONEY!
I was going to say, "I thought Iga left Konami" but then I saw what this was about. :D I'm super hyped now.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeXPuIGY.png&hash=82486638555c94ab3b30444c78d9459232eead70)
Hint: That's Iga.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fu1Ukd4i.png&hash=a5a5747f2f6cc06ddc6ff6a59463682f248bf3c9)
I really hope there's a 3DS stretch goal. I've wanted a meaty Metroidvania on there for awhile now.
EDIT: Check out this site (http://swordorwhip.com/)
:swoon: I assumed Iga just retired.
What was the first Castlevania game you guys played?
Super Castlevania IV
The original.
Castlevania NES. So hard.
In other news, this is happening today:
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgonintendo.com%2Fsystem%2Ffile_uploads%2Fuploads%2F000%2F005%2F385%2Fmedium%2F630x.jpg&hash=6ce0eee209eb9a4898a838ccbbc0cdcfbc473910)
Iga's new project! (http://www.gonintendo.com/stories/233034-igarashi-reveals-bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night-kickstarter-h)
QuoteKoji Igarashi, the namesake of "Igavania"-style games, is leading the project, with Michiru Yamane composing the music and Inti Creates leading the development.
Now that's a team.
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/767/774/827e1546856ec3d6fead164e83abbf6f_original.png?v=1431325749&w=700&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=fa5d5ab7f6af6829e83520a49c69c2e9)
Yep, looks like Metroidvania!
I'd back, but I'd prefer to have this on a Nintendo system. That's where most of his games were made famous, anyway,and I'd like to keep them all on the same one. Oh well, I'll wait for more stretch goals.
Whoa, a female protagonist! Guess he got over that whole "people can't take Legends seriously because you play as a woman" thing. :il_hahaha:
Looks good. Much more pumped for Yooka-Laylee, but I'll try to back this one, too! Too bad there's no Wii U version.
$850,000 must be reached for dat David Hayter...
Quote from: Foggle on May 11, 2015, 01:20:08 PM
Whoa, a female protagonist! Guess he got over that whole "people can't take Legends seriously because you play as a woman" thing. :il_hahaha:
???
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.gamefaqs.net%2Fbox%2F0%2F8%2F4%2F96084_front.jpg&hash=631c09bfbe97f69e7aff946d98e1a88289fc5ce2)
I was under the impression that it was one of people's favorite Castlevania games. (It was also the last Metroidvania he made)
We'll see how this shapes up, anyway. It's already more than halfway there.
Haven't played that one. Dalek told me he retconned Legends out of the canon because "people wouldn't take a female character seriously." I remember seeing some proof that I sadly cannot find again. Doesn't really matter, though.
Not really considering LoS have their own timeline now, too. At this point you can just make whatever canon you want since the series is over.
By the way, it's already almost funded. Just 25K more.
I personally think, even if he did say something like that, Iga was probably just trying to find reasons to get rid of Legends from canon without insulting the development team's work. Considering his first independent game stars a woman and all.
I love how quickly these games get funded. Based Kickstarter. :el_hail:
Did I say 25K? Because it's 10K now.
EDIT: And funded. That was fast. It shouldn't be too long until David Hayter is reached.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 11, 2015, 12:56:08 PM
Iga's new project! (http://www.gonintendo.com/stories/233034-igarashi-reveals-bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night-kickstarter-h)
I think the first one I played was 1. Maybe 3. I forget.
QuoteKoji Igarashi, the namesake of "Igavania"-style games, is leading the project, with Michiru Yamane composing the music and Inti Creates leading the development.
Now that's a team.
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/767/774/827e1546856ec3d6fead164e83abbf6f_original.png?v=1431325749&w=700&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=fa5d5ab7f6af6829e83520a49c69c2e9)
Yep, looks like Metroidvania!
I'd back, but I'd prefer to have this on a Nintendo system. That's where most of his games were made famous, anyway,and I'd like to keep them all on the same one. Oh well, I'll wait for more stretch goals.
HAMANAHAMANAHAMANAHAMANAHAMANAHAMANAHAMANA! :shakeshakeshake: :shakeshakeshake: :shakeshakeshake: :shakeshakeshake: :'(
Quote from: Foggle on May 11, 2015, 01:20:08 PM
Whoa, a female protagonist! Guess he got over that whole "people can't take Legends seriously because you play as a woman" thing. :il_hahaha:
Looks good. Much more pumped for Yooka-Laylee, but I'll try to back this one, too! Too bad there's no Wii U version.
$850,000 must be reached for dat David Hayter...
I'm more excited about this than Yooka-Laylee.
And David Hayter is in.
:SHOCK: :swoon:
Since the retail version of Yooka-Laylee will still require Steam (wtf), I dropped it down a few tiers, and now I can also back Igavania! Yay! :joy:
Be sure to watch the pitch video if you haven't. It's amazing. :lol:
The part where he throws the glass is the best.
It's over a million now, by the way. Not quite as fast as Yooka Laylee, but looks like this'll be another big success. I haven't jumped in yet, but probably will if a Wii U goal comes up.
I would fund Nakazato making a new RKA or Contra. Too bad he hasn't gotten into this as well.
Debating whether I should get the digital PC version or the retail PS4 version. What I REALLY want is a retail Wii U version, but that's sadly not happening (yet). :(
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 11, 2015, 11:21:05 PM
I would fund Nakazato making a new RKA or Contra. Too bad he hasn't gotten into this as well.
I wouldn't be surprised if this happens eventually. Maybe he can team up with some of the old Metal Slug devs for the ultimate side-scrolling run 'n gun military shoot 'em up experience. I'm also waiting for the inevitable announcement of Kojima's Kickstarter-funded horror game, Quiet Mountains.
Quote from: Foggle on May 11, 2015, 11:17:04 PM
Since the retail version of Yooka-Laylee will still require Steam (wtf), I dropped it down a few tiers, and now I can also back Igavania! Yay! :joy:
Be sure to watch the pitch video if you haven't. It's amazing. :lol:
??? I don't even...
The old SNK Metal Slug/Gun Force team, the Shock Troops team, and Nakazato all in one group.
Since IREM no longer exists, they could scoop up the copyright and make Gun Force 3.
That would be so awesome. Give me a Hard Corps SEQUEL. I need to play the prequel.
I'll take a re-release.
Quote from: talonmalon333 on May 12, 2015, 09:50:38 AM
I'll take a re-release.
:swoon: :swoon: :swoon: :swoon: :swoon:
Good luck on that one. Been waiting over 20 years for that.
Let me dream. :'(
Looks like they'll be doing a Wii U version if they hit the $3 million stretch goal!
Yeah, I saw that. And it will probably hit that stretch goal, too. It's already done so well and there are still three weeks left to go.
I'm thinking I'll donate when it gets to the stretch goal.
It sounds like we'll need to wait another two years before this game comes out. That's fine considering quality takes time. It's just that we want Castlevania gameplay as soon as we can get it. :P
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/841/676/58635b25af8b06b694085e091b4cb4a7_original.jpg?v=1432324673&w=700&h=&fit=max&auto=format&q=92&s=84ede774fce04467d9b53c05ba97a454)
They're really going all out with this campaign. They just unlocked three of the six 8-bit tracks for Classic Mode. At 2.75 mil Iga confirmed the castle in this game will be the biggest he has ever made. Not to mention the Wii U version at 3 mil, it seems like fans will be really chomping at the bit to get these all hit.
Amazing that he had to do this kickstarter to show there was interest in this genre. How did game companies get so out of touch with what people want? It is quite incredible.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:07:01 AMThey just unlocked three of the six 8-bit tracks
Six 8-bit tracks?
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:07:01 AMfor Classic Mode.
Classic Mode is supposed to streamline the castle into linear levels akin to the classic CV games, right?
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:07:01 AMAt 2.75 mil Iga confirmed the castle in this game will be the biggest he has ever made. Not to mention the Wii U version at 3 mil, it seems like fans will be really chomping at the bit to get these all hit.
I can kind of understand why they weren't planning on developing a Wii U version. It sounds like they want to utilize as much power as they can from current technology, something that the Wii U simply doesn't have. I guess they plan to make a separate version for Wii U.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:07:01 AMAmazing that he had to do this kickstarter to show there was interest in this genre. How did game companies get so out of touch with what people want? It is quite incredible.
Yeah, it really is very telling. When you don't have all those people above you giving orders, it seems like you're able to really focus on what the fans truly like in your games. Makes me wonder how many misunderstood people there are in the industry.
But all those online polls that we manufacture results for told us otherwise! How could we be wrong! - Game Companies.
talon, I think he means 8-bit music when he said 8-bit tracks. I wonder if classic mode means 8-bit graphics. Linear CV gameplay and 8-bit would be what I really hope it is.
Classic mode will be taking the game's assets and rearranging them into six linear stages like the old Castlevania games. It's a fairly ingenious idea to appeal to old fans as well as the Metroidvania fans.
Quote from: talonmalon333 on May 23, 2015, 12:18:50 AM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:07:01 AMThey just unlocked three of the six 8-bit tracks
Six 8-bit tracks?
Check out one of the recent updates. Classic mode will get six tracks, one for each stage, all done in 8-bit. All backers have to do is reach the mini-stretch goals.
It looks like this game will be very big should they hit all stretch goals. I guess it makes sense not to have a 3DS or Vita version if they're stuffing so much in.
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 23, 2015, 12:30:54 AM
talon, I think he means 8-bit music when he said 8-bit tracks. I wonder if classic mode means 8-bit graphics. Linear CV gameplay and 8-bit would be what I really hope it is.
I knew that much. But "the" six 8-bit tracks makes it sound like there is something more here, as if these are tracks that already exist. Though it might just be tracks already in the game that'll get 8-bit remixes.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:32:45 AM
Classic mode will be taking the game's assets and rearranging them into six linear stages like the old Castlevania games. It's a fairly ingenious idea to appeal to old fans as well as the Metroidvania fans.
That's the type of idea that would be awesome to see, but I typically wouldn't expect because major game developers just don't add cool stuff like that. It's great that we're truly entering an age of non-major game developers.
The 8-bit tracks are all original from Yamane, Yamada, and Virt. They're doing two each. So far the stretch goals have hit one for each.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:32:45 AM
Classic mode will be taking the game's assets and rearranging them into six linear stages like the old Castlevania games. It's a fairly ingenious idea to appeal to old fans as well as the Metroidvania fans.
:shakeshakeshake: Now all we need is a Boss Rush mode.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:38:42 AM
The 8-bit tracks are all original from Yamane, Yamada, and Virt. They're doing two each. So far the stretch goals have hit one for each.
:swoon: :swoon:
Quote from: gunswordfist on May 23, 2015, 12:46:43 AM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 23, 2015, 12:32:45 AM
Classic mode will be taking the game's assets and rearranging them into six linear stages like the old Castlevania games. It's a fairly ingenious idea to appeal to old fans as well as the Metroidvania fans.
:shakeshakeshake: Now all we need is a Boss Rush mode.
That stretch goal was already hit.
*faints*
Here is what Bloodstained is currently at:
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/917/519/ee62ae4db71e5f19ed26fa2295b4e471_original.png?v=1433362520&w=680&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=4ccc433524c38902c1b9934ac7065596)
Needless to say, Konami are idiots.
No, saying Konami are idiots feels to good not to say outloud. Man, I can't wait to get this game. That's virtually everything I want in a Metroidvania.
Newest update confirms Orchestral Soundtrack was hit:
QuoteWith our Paypal backers included -- $118k from more than 1400 backers, as of this morning -- you've hit the Orchestrated Tracks stretch goal with momentum to burn! It'll be a while before Yamane and Yamada have all the tracks composed for Bloodstained, but now that you've reached this stretch goal they did want to allay one fear a few backers have had: There's still going to be a ton of variety on this soundtrack.
Hitting the orchestra stretch goal allows them to use live instrumentation where it makes sense, but some tracks just make more sense with electronic arrangements. Songs like Yamada's "Cursed Orphan", which already includes violin and electric guitar parts, will be performed by a smaller, rock-oriented ensemble.
In short: You've added more options, not taken any away. (And that's without even going into those 8-bit tracks you unlocked from Yamane, Yamada, and Virt...)
They've really been paying attention to what the potential complaints would be. I have to applaud this kickstarter as they've really done their research.
:'( Beautiful.
The final update:
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/960/100/cbf0433b7d97529e96faceb7f72b4750_original.png?v=1433974435&w=639&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=a02ca75745a44e3241fc6676aef791f6)
Also, the Swordwhip:
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/959/454/f0fce7bc8f35f3a96c87f5a64f71446c_original.jpg?v=1433967790&w=639&h=&fit=max&auto=format&q=92&s=61cf79ad8622243e02194931f63dd4bb)
Still a bit over two days left and we'll probably hit the third playable character by tonight. Here's hoping we can make it to the end. This game is going to be HUGE.
Just two more goals, please!
So they're going with a Sword Whip? Ivy would be proud.
The campaign has hit 4.5 million which means we only have two stretch goals left.
That's a lot of content.
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/972/151/26e7c780495c1ba5d86078992f0fe06b_original.png?v=1434131959&w=700&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=cddb4a8ce6636ef4e468735b36a1a2e9)
That's right, they blew past 5 million with all the stretch goals hit. So they put up a new one!
What is this mode about?
QuoteControl several different bosses
Utilize their special attacks to wreak havok
Explore a new BOSS REVENGE area
Turn the tables and defeat "Hero" Bosses in your pursuit of humanity's destruction
It's a good thing this game is two years off. It's going to need the development time.
As of this posting, there's 8 hours left in the campaign.
And everything has been hit as the campaign comes to a close. They made 5 million more than their target.
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/974/066/9f9a61192036ca4016b7a7459cb711d4_original.png?v=1434155194&w=639&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=d20f234afddd87cef747ad1d4b8b594e)
Now we wait for the game to be made.
Roguelike Dungeon, huh? Whoa.
[Joseph]Horry Shit![/Joestar] They made it to the Boss Revenge mode? It sounds so cool. I read about Roguelike yesterday and that sounds even better to me. They covered pretty much every mode a Metroidvania can have.
The Roguelike Dungeon is its own separate mode.
So essentially this is four games. The metroidvania, the classic Castlevania, the prequel game, and the Roguelike mode. Plus it is confirmed to be his biggest castle so far.
The weird part is that I think the fans gave him a bigger budget than Konami ever did. Just look at all that content.
I know that it's a separate mode. :srs: I expect it to make me give this game so many more hours. :worship:
That is a lot of content. :huh:
There's no way they could make such a big game for only 5.5 million, but that huge amount of cash probably convinced Iga's mysterious publisher to provide tons of extra funding. This might really be the highest budget Igavania ever!
Most of Iga's previous games had to reuse assets and sprites like crazy and were only green-lit for the cheapest systems (GBA and DS) on top of it. Whatever budget he might have now in addition to what the fans gave him, it must be quite a bit to allow him to go all out.
Quote from: Foggle on June 12, 2015, 11:32:54 PM
There's no way they could make such a big game for only 5.5 million, but that huge amount of cash probably convinced Iga's mysterious publisher to provide tons of extra funding. This might really be the highest budget Igavania ever!
I'm sure that was their plan. :)
I was just thinking about me playing Castlevania SOTN again for the first time in forever today (well technically yesterday) and how I thought it could be better than any game I've ever played. Wonder if I could like Bloodstained that much. :o
Well well well (http://www.cbr.com/netflix-quietly-announces-castlevania-series-for-2017/)
QuoteWithout any fanfare, Netflix has announced a Castlevania series. Actually, "announced" is a strong word; sitting in the middle of a press release listing the streaming content company's planned original programming for 2017 was a surprising reveal: "Castlevania Season 1, Part 1 Coming to Netflix in 2017."
The listing of the show was spotted by io9, and it is likely the previously rumored animated series by Adi Shankhar. Shankhar is teaming up with Frederator (of "Adventure Time" and "Bravest Warriors" fame) to make what he called a "super violent" series.
Shankhar has been hinting at this series for some time now, though nothing has been officially confirmed. Putting two and two together, one can surmise that the series has finally found a home with Netflix, a company that has been known to scoop up all manner of intellectual property. [EDITOR: Netflix and Shankar have now both confirmed the theory, along with releasing the series' official description.]
RELATED: Castlevania: Warren Ellis' R-Rated Scripts Have Game of Thrones Vibe
No stranger to super violence, Shankhar was one of the minds behind "Dredd," the critically acclaimed Judge Dredd movie starring Karl Urban, which only made a small splash in the box office, but has since been elevated to cult status. Shankhar was also behind "Power/Rangers" the ludicrously over-the-top gritty (and unauthorized) sequel to "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers," which starred none other than James Van Der Beek and Katee Sackhoff. That short film was full of cartoonish violence, and oozed with style. If this is indeed the same "Castlevania" series, the people involved all but guarantee a unique brand of insanity.
"Castlevania" is most famous as a video game franchise. The series follows various members of the Belmont family, as they partake in the family tradition of killing vampires, specifically the evil Lord Alucard. For those unfamiliar with the series, it's up to you to look into what the antagonist's name spells when you write it backwards.
"Super-violent" and Warren Ellis being involved has me hopeful. "Game of Thrones vibe" does not. Either way I hope the artstyle is faithful Ayumi Kojima's designs since she's the definitive Castlevania artist.
Well....depends on what seasons of Game of Thrones they are apparently "vibing." Either way, it just seems like a ploy for attention. I doubt that they actually mean that.
I don't really have much faith in a video game adapted product, but here's hoping it's not a pile of shit.
This type of series would go better with an 80s fantasy horror vibe. Something like Vampire Hunter D.
But this is a video game adaption. Trash is expected until proved otherwise.
:o Please be great! Heard about Ellis working on this years ago.
Poster for the Netflix series:
(https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZZ4jLKMAd7plUperNOLKxlU-wHo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale%28%29/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8034351/castlevania.jpg)
Quote""I'd love to do a hard-R Mega Man. Contra would be amazing if Stallone and Schwarzenegger voiced Bill and Lance. The anime would need to play on the sci-fi elements found in the international versions of the game. Metal Gear is an obvious one and Snake is a global cultural icon. I hope Metal Gear never transitions into a live action project. The suits would lobotomize the character for the sake of mindless consumerism."" (http://gonintendo.com/stories/277911-netflix-s-castlevania-producer-has-interest-in-contra-metal-gear)
The first line. Yikes. No thank you.
Well, if we have to get R-rated Mega Man we can do a lot worse than of the guys behind Dredd. That was a fantastic movie.
Okay, R-rated Castlevania makes sense since their is a lot of things in its aesthetic that would translate well, and other games and anime with similar settings have gotten such ratings as well, especially given the franchises influences. But how the hell would an R-rated Megaman even begin to make sense? The entire series was inspired by classic childrens anime such as Astro Boy and Casshern, and the tone was always that of a sunday morning anime. Even the darker iterations like the more cyberpunk-influenced X and Zero only reach PG-13 levels at best. There is no way an R-rated Megaman would work outside of crossovers like Project X Zone. Granted, I should probably expect such idiocy from the guy behind Power/Rangers.
A Contra anime would be interesting, but I'd prefer if they adapt Hard Corps and Uprising since there's more to work with there. And I do agree with Shankar about Metal Gear though.
Well, Astro Boy does get insanely dark for a children's manga in the One Upon A Time story-line, but even then it never becomes gratuitously violent. And Mega Man has always been light-hearted, and you're fighting robots, so there'd be no opportunity for blood or guts to be shown. An R-rated Mega Man simply doesn't make sense, and I'm getting sick of idiots who think that everything needs to be rated R just because it became a popular trend to make hard R adaptations of stuff in recent years. Movies like Kingsman, Deapool, and Logan make sense as R-rated features because their source material contained content that could not be properly conveyed with a stricter rating. Stuff like Mega Man is and always has been family-friendly in its content, and any sane adaptation would be in line with that.
This guy is reaching Max Landis levels of filmmakers going too ambitious but in the wrong direction. Dredd was cool, but it appears to be one gem amongst a sea of edgy fanfilms that Shankar's produced, like he wants to make adult versions of all the media he experienced as a kid whether or not it would even work. I'm sure if he did make an R-rated Mega Man, and his friends told him it sucked, he would immediately backtrack and say it's another satire of grimdark remakes. Which would gain the approval of so many fans, and he would go on another parade of interviews where he says he wants to challenge the Hollywood structure even though he's doing the very thing he criticizes them of doing.
Contra was a missed opportunity. An old school style OVA/movie for the original game would have been great back in the day. It would probably be lame now. But a 12-13 episode series based on Hard Corps. could probably work if done by the right people.
Thing is, if we're going to old gaming franchises, very few in an R-Rated setting would work. Castlevania could. Contra could. Ninja Gaiden could (and technically has).
Mega Man? No. Like Streets of Rage, Bomberman, Monster World, Blaster Master, and Star Fox, it's an action series that quite squarely aims no higher than PG-13.
I usually try to hold off on playing these games until fall, but between news of the animated series and some discussions of it popping up in some other boards I lurk, I've been on a low Castlevania kick as of late. To further satiate my craving for more Castlevania I came across Serio's Castlevania Fighter (http://serio.piiym.net/cvbla/) and have been playing a lot of it these past couple weeks. It's basically a game based around the Igavania boss rush modes, which are really fun, and this fangame is no exception, but it can get very hectic since there's no true pause function, at least with my laptops setup. since it's a fangame you obviously don't have to pay anything for it, well worth getting if you're a CV fan and have a good computer. The roster also blows the one from the official Castlevania fighter out of the water, though some of the choices are a bit bizarre (Ronald Mcdonald and Duke Nukem?).
Netflix trailer! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIMrFnl5NiA)
Not bad! :thinkin:
It looks good, at least. Here's hoping the writing is up to snuff.
Ellis is on the squad.
(https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53323bb4e4b0cebc6a28ffa2/t/592c9cc8bf629a8243390519/1496095959549/?format=750w)
:worship:
Hope its good so that it opens the floodgates on more good game adaptations for TV and/or movies.
The original Contra adapted to a six episode-style OVA written by Derek Kolstad and starring Arnold and Sly.
That is all.
A preview was shown at Anime Expo. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxUlQFvE6k4)
This is looking really solid. Friday is only two days away and it still can't come soon enough! :shakeshakeshake:
Go watch it! (https://www.netflix.com/title/80095241)
I've watched the first two episodes and I absolutely fucking love it. It's not without its problems, but it already blows nearly every action cartoon in the past seven years out of the water. This is what I want more of in western cartoons, and especially adult cartoons.
Didn't like it. Everyone was out of character from the games, animation was choppy, voice acting was all over the place, and the plot was not Castlevania's but some generic fantasy series.
Not my thing at all.
Between this and Samurai Jack Season 5, it looks like a good start for adult action CARTOON series.
Can Trevor and Sypha really be out of character when they never received any kind of consistent characterization, or even characterization at all? :V
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 08, 2017, 01:58:04 PM
the plot was not Castlevania's but some generic fantasy series.
??? ??? ???
Quote from: Rynnec on July 08, 2017, 05:28:39 PM
Can Trevor and Sypha really be out of character when they never received any kind of consistent characterization, or even characterization at all? :V
The Belmonts are supposed to be a family of hot blooded warrior types sent by the Church to rid the world of Dracula's unprovoked evil. Not one of those things were what they were supposed to be.
Quote from: Rynnec on July 08, 2017, 05:28:39 PMQuote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 08, 2017, 01:58:04 PM
the plot was not Castlevania's but some generic fantasy series.
??? ??? ???
Castlevania's plot is basically Vampire Hunter D's first movie. This was not even close to that.
As I said, it wasn't what I wanted.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 08, 2017, 05:49:45 PM
Quote from: Rynnec on July 08, 2017, 05:28:39 PM
Can Trevor and Sypha really be out of character when they never received any kind of consistent characterization, or even characterization at all? :V
The Belmonts are supposed to be a family of hot blooded warrior types sent by the Church to rid the world of Dracula's unprovoked evil. Not one of those things were what they were supposed to be.
Maybe if this was supposed to be someone like Richter I'd understand, but Trevor never really had any sort of characterization as I said before, and the Belmonts
are disgraced and exiled as it was described in the Japanese manual, so it'd make since for Trevor to be more cynical. Dracula's evil was also never really "unprovoked", as the stuff with Lisa being executed leading to Vlad invading europe was in the original games as well, as explained in several games such as SotN.
Quote from: Rynnec on July 08, 2017, 05:28:39 PMQuote from: Spark Of Spirit on July 08, 2017, 01:58:04 PM
the plot was not Castlevania's but some generic fantasy series.
??? ??? ???
Castlevania's plot is basically Vampire Hunter D's first movie. This was not even close to that.
[/quote]
A group of warriors band together to fight Dracula. Sounds pretty Castlevania to me. Hell, it took more from the games than I was expecting such as Vlad already being a Vampire in the 1455, his hatred of Religion, Lisa begging Alucard to not hate humans, the anachronistic magitek, etc.
I can understand the show not being the adaptation you wanted, but saying the plot isn't Castlevania feels disingenuous.
It appears you and I have very different ideas of what Castleviania "feels like", though. Nothing disingenuous about it. :P
Glad you enjoyed it.
I wonder if they'll time skip in season 2 and introduce Richter.
Finished it. Not without its flaws (most of which is likely due to the script being over a decade old) but enjoyable from start to finish. Here's hoping to see Grant and Death in part 2/season 2! Music from the games would be nice too.
Quote from: gunswordfist on July 08, 2017, 09:51:09 PM
I wonder if they'll time skip in season 2 and introduce Richter.
Depending on how Netflix labels future episodes, season 2 will either be the rest of Dracula's Curse, or Simon's story. Hopefully the show will do well enough to get to Juste and Richter.
Oh right, I was hoping Death would show up. He has to be in Season 2. And this reminds me that I loved how I loved that they compared Vlad to the Devil. Dude's ridiculously powerful and has freaking Death for a henchman.
Drac's always been the equivalent to Satan in the original canon. Dude was even outright called "The entity opposite to God" in Dawn of Sorrow and in the Japanese scrip it even states his existence is what powers the Abyss, which is pretty much Hell. Speaking of which I hope they make an allusion to Chaos in part 2.
+ I really liked what they did with Dracula. Gave him a purpose to be a cunt to the townsfolk, while also giving him definitive suave.
+ Fight scenes were good. Sure, some shots looked off-model, but it didn't distract much.
- Trevor feels a little too standard Ellis protagonist here. I know Ellis has a style, but for once I wish he could write a lead who isn't a drunken, sarcastic asshole with a hidden heart of gold for the unfortunate.
-/? - Aside from that one priest who made the holy water for Trevor, all the asshole Catholics who beat up innocent people for no reason felt too heavyhanded. I get it, Ellis. Religious people can be corrupt. But I kept expecting one of them to kick a puppy because the Bishop told him to.
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on July 09, 2017, 08:25:29 AM
+ I really liked what they did with Dracula. Gave him a purpose to be a cunt to the townsfolk, while also giving him definitive suave.
I loved how Dracula was portrayed here, especially his interactions with Lisa and embitterment towards humanity, really adds a lot of weight to his misanthropy shown in the games. On another note, while I'll always prefer Patrick Seitz in the role, Graham McTavish really nailed the character.
Quote
-/? - Aside from that one priest who made the holy water for Trevor, all the asshole Catholics who beat up innocent people for no reason felt too heavyhanded. I get it, Ellis. Religious people can be corrupt. But I kept expecting one of them to kick a puppy because the Bishop told him to.
While I can understand why the Church would be portrayed in that way given the time period, I can see why it'd be overbearing for some. At least the implication was that it was only the Bishop and the mercenaries-disguised-as-priests who were bad, and with them gone the Church should hopefully be portrayed in a more morally grey light come part 2.
Yes, Patrick Seitz is THE Dracula (and glad to hear that he's Dio) but Graham McTavish did excellent too.
Producer Adi Shankar had this interview (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2017-07-26/castlevania-producer-adi-shankar/.119340) with ANN.
QuoteDo you have your sights set on an eventual adaptation of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or any of the other games?
The story of Castlevania is the story of multiple generations of a family. I would like to continue exploring that family using the amazing source material that the games have gifted the world.
Let's hope Netflix greenlights it enough to take it that far.
Let's hope so too!!!!
Animated Richter and Julius
Animated Guardian Knuckle ORA ORA's
Animated Legion and Werewolf
Animated Soma vs Julius
:zonk: :zonk: :zonk:
The Sorrow games would serve a perfect finale for a Castlevania series too.
Quote from: Rynnec on July 26, 2017, 11:26:13 PM
Animated Richter and Julius
Animated Guardian Knuckle ORA ORA's
Animated Legion and Werewolf
Animated Soma vs Julius
:zonk: :zonk: :zonk:
The Sorrow games would serve a perfect finale for a Castlevania series too.
:huh:
The Netflix series has been greenlit for a third season. (http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/castlevania/news/a858887/castlevania-season-3-renewal)
Season 2 premieres October 26. (https://www.toonzone.net/castlevania-season-2-premieres-october-26)
I didn't think people liked the series, considering how long it took to get a season 2. I don't keep up with anything anime these days. I think I spent all of the beginning of this year checking Netflix to see if they added more episodes only to be disappointed. Imagine my shock when I came here only to see that's been greenlit for 3 seasons. Good stuff for sure though.
Quote from: Mustang on July 07, 2018, 12:27:37 PMI didn't think people liked the series, considering how long it took to get a season 2.
It's been a slow production cycle. It supposedly took Warren Ellis 10 years just to get the show off the ground because so many networks kept rejecting it.
Hopefully, things should be better now. The second season will be double-length, and who knows how long season 3 will be.
Viz has licensed the Castlevania series. (https://www.awn.com/news/viz-media-announces-acquisition-castlevania)
Season 2 trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbb8zPQBmOw)
Halfway through the second season. The politics between the vampires and Hector and Isaac's interesting, but I wish it could pick up the pace a little.
Season 3 will be 10 episodes. (https://deadline.com/2018/10/castlevania-renewed-season-3-netflix-richard-armitage-james-callis-1202493302)
Season 3 begins March 5. (https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/castlevania-returns-for-season-3-on-netflix-in-march)
Season 3 is out now!
I just recently finished season 2 and this has probably been the happiest I've been when it comes to watching anime in a long time. Adult main characters, good story, good action/animation and you can satisfy real quick. It's probably gonna be a little bit before I jump into season 3, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.
I just finished season 3, and it felt like I was watching a different series. Since Dracula isn't a threat anymore, the dynamic has drastically changed. Trevor gets largely sidelined until the last few episodes, Isaac receives much more prominence, and Alucard is completely separated from the main plot. Also, season 3 has a considerably darker tone and a much slower pace.
I still enjoyed the season, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
Season four confirmed. (https://twitter.com/NXOnNetflix/status/1243600966407995392)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EzB2He4VIAI8611.jpg)
EDIT: This is the final season, and it premieres May 13.
However, they may be making a new series. Focus on the other games, maybe?
https://deadline.com/2021/04/castlevania-canceled-end-season-4-premiere-date-netflix-new-series-universe-1234735439
A cancelled Dreamcast prototype game has been unearthed and is now playable.
https://en.sega-dreamcast-info-games-preservation.com/castlevania-resurrection-release
Spinoff confirmed by Netflix. (https://twitter.com/SamuelDeats/status/1403395025158000647)
They will focus on Richter next.
Nocturne is out now on Netflix!