Topic: Buying a DS just to play Order Of Ecclesia?

[ventapael]

Hi folks, I'm new here!  I played the original Castlevania and it was great.  I never could beat the game though.  Next I played LOS.  I really enjoyed that game immensely. It's my favorite game so far.  I recently downloaded SOTN and I like it a lot to.    I am considering purchasing a DS Lite to play one of the CV games for it.  I am trying to decide which game to get out of Order Of Ecclesia, Aria Of Sorrow, Dawn Of Sorrow, or Portrait Of Ruin,  Order Of Ecclesia''s level design looks the best to me, but It seems like it is a really hard game from what people say.  I'm just worried that if I get OOE  it's going to be waaaay too hard for me.  On the other hand I hear people say all the DS games are easy though.  Do you guys think it would be worth it to buy a Nintendo DS just to play OOE, or perhaps one of the other CV titles it has to offer?  Also, what is it that makes OOE apparently so much harder? 

Thanks.

[uzo]

If you need a reference point, then SotN is the easiest Castlevania game there is.

OoE doesn't let you stand in front of the enemy and mash the attack button to win. You have to actually move out of the way of attacks and stuff. They give you really good mobility to do so though. It is not as hard as Castlevania 1 though. I personally liked OoE's difficulty, as it was refreshing.

Aria of Sorrow is also a good launching point. It's easier than OoE, but still good.

[Gecko]

I think it's worth it just for Order of Ecclesia. It's my favorite of the DS games. When my apartment got robbed, and I had to replace my handheld Castlevanias, it was the first one I went for. It is difficult at first, but you get used to the gameplay. Bosses are especially difficult until you learn how to fight them. I don't think you can get away with tanking out many if any of them.

Dawn of Sorrow is easier, but has a lot of cool features. For instance, the extra character mode has a story to it, and lets you switch between three characters on the go. It also plays a lot like Symphony of the Night, so if you liked that one, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this one. Lots of weapons and such, plus a cool magic system with the soul collection.

[Gaawa-chan]

Well, there are a lot of good games on the DS, so...

[TheouAegis]

[Ratty]

If you're going to get a regular DS get a DSlite so you can play Circle of the Moon and Aria of Sorrow as well. (The running system on Harmony of Dissonance probably wouldn't be very good for delicate DS shoulder buttons.)

[shelverton.]

If you like Symphony of the Night, chances are you're gonna like Order of Ecclesia too. It's a little bit harder, but you can always take your time to level up in any gven area until you feel comfortable to move on. I'm not sure about the level design being better in Ecclesia than in the other two DS games though. I dunno where people get that, but maybe it's just me. The clock tower in Portrait of Ruin beats the crap out of the one in Ecclesia, for example.

And if you like Ecclesia, you're probably gonna enjoy Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin as well. People tend to say that they're vastly different from each other, but anyone unfamiliar with the Metroidvania formula would be hardpressed to notice much difference whatsoever, except how the levels are laid out and what kind of abilities you have. I like them all, but the novelty of the genre will probably wear off a little for every game you play, because they're so incredibly similar.

[TheouAegis]

[VladCT]

Frankly though, I think people would be less butthurt if you were more tactful about it.
And I did not expect you to whip out a pony avatar.

[shelverton.]

Aw someone got butthurt over IGA's level designs being called shit.

But if you think IGA's level designer knew what the hell he was doing, you're just a brainwashed fanboy (or fangirl, whoever the fuck you are) who can't tell kopi luwak from dog poo. No offense.

What just happened here? I don't know where in my post I sounded butthurt, or where I come across as a fanboy of any kind? Or maybe you were replying to someone else? Hmm.

[VladCT]

Well, I did see a couple downvotes on his post.

[shelverton.]

Well, I did see a couple downvotes on his post.

Ooh, ok. I don't pay attention to the voting thing, only posts. Sorry about that, carry on everyone! 

[TheouAegis]

You could literally run through some of the stages in OoE (well, jumping occasionally so you don't run into an enemy on foot). Even World 1-1 on Super Mario Bros. took more skill to get through than some of the stages in OoE. Some of the castle areas on AoS showed much more creativity. But alas, the highlights in OoE were the bosses (eff you, Blackmore!) and a handful of enemies. I like both games, but they're hardly epitomes of Castlevania. That is all.

[ventapael]

Wow, thanks for all of the responses!  Also, maybe I should have said art design instead of level design as some of the screenshots I've seen from the game look fantastic.  Portrait Of Ruin is starting to seem more, and more intriguing though as well.  To me it sort of seems like it's the most outlandish one of the bunch.  I dunno.  I'm probably going to go for either OOE, or POR.

[crisis]

PoR, OoE, even DoS are all good games. We, as in the members of this forum, are die-hard Castlevania fans that nitpick the shit out of these games because we're just spoiled like that. However, I'm sure the "casual" CV fan or casual gamer in general will have no problem with the level design, aesthetic, etc. We sometimes see flaws in those games that may drive us crazy, but that doesn't mean you or anyone else shouldn't play them and enjoy it for what it is. Trust me, there are VERY FEW Castlevania games that are deemed "horrible" or near-unplayable.

PoR is a fun game, let us know if you get stuck or need any help!