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Offline Dongled

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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #30 on: November 12, 2021, 11:43:11 AM »
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Hey X,

So according to my posts, last time I was here was back in 2007. Been a while, I suppose.

I don't really care about people questioning the document's validity. I have zero reason to believe this was faked. Accessing naturally aged almost 30 year old paper and creating a font style that makes it look like a fax...This document surfaced around April of this year and was being sold with a ton of listings for old EGM layouts. I showed pictures that his widow sent me of a bunch of his old business cards. He died in 2009. Pretty sure this is his obituary. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/andrew-baran-obituary?id=2556617

If someone went through the trouble of intentionally faking an almost 30 year old document, looking up the identity of an old EGM writer and his wife, all for the sake of making some money on ebay? Hats off to them.

If they're questioning why I released it for free, I did it for the good of the community. I look at situations like The Great Hanshin Earthquake, where Castlevania as a franchise lost almost the full body of artwork, lore and behind the scenes info aside from articles that people cultivated (i.e. shmuplations salvaging all the old BEEP articles), Box art and manual art, and maybe some Nintendo Power/Magazine style stuff that's circulated over the years. There's been almost nothing pre-Iga's generation that has surfaced outside of Konami's walls save for the recent Anniversary Collection digital art book, which is thankfully getting a physical edition via LRG.

I didn't HAVE to release this at all. I could've locked it away in my collection of Castlevania stuff and never let anyone know about it. I could've put it behind a paywall or made people subscribe to my Patreon to get it which would've been scummy. I paid for it so I could release it to everyone so we could all appreciate it together. But I guess some people will always either be jealous of what others have or always be skeptical someone that did something nice for them is lying. Oh well. 




Dongled@

Some out there probably feel that your document isn't valid but feel it is otherwise. Just looking at the ink and the way the letters are printed out is what one would normally see from an older styled early 90's printer or one of those IBM typeball typewriters.

PS. How long has it been since you were at the Dungeon? I don't believe I recall the last time you were here.


Offline X

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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #31 on: November 12, 2021, 05:16:11 PM »
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Oh believe you me, I very, VERY much appreciate this  ;)
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Offline C Belmont

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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #32 on: November 21, 2021, 05:11:12 AM »
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I wonder if any of the new information from the document is still considered canon by Konami.
I really like the idea of the Helsing family being one of three branches of the Belmont clan. Grimoire of Souls has introuduced a few new characters based off the Dracula novel maybe the Helsing family will make an appearance in that game eventually.

Also, is this the earliest mention of the Belmont family being involved in the crusades? I can’t remember if any of the earlier games actually mentioned the crusades at all.


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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #33 on: November 21, 2021, 03:05:11 PM »
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Also, is this the earliest mention of the Belmont family being involved in the crusades? I can’t remember if any of the earlier games actually mentioned the crusades at all.
Leon lost his rank as a baron because he didn't want to go to a crusade while monsters were running amok.
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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #34 on: November 21, 2021, 05:28:47 PM »
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I've been reading over this thread and have a question. Do we have to request this document people keep talking about? I'm curious to read it for myself.

Also, not the point of the thread, but I thought I would chime in about pre and post Iga. I don't mind the Iga timeline and feel it has some cool things, but I don't like certain things about it. I feel like everyone and their dog has the means to kill Dracula, and imo it belittles the Belmont family and the Vampire Killer. Like why have this legendary family use this whip when a basic sword can do the job fine? I get it's to add variety to the game, but it still doesn't feel right. Also, I like AoS, but I'm not a fan of the Japanese elements. I know this is a Japanese series, but the theme have always been European. Anywho, I feel like as I get older I'm moving away from the  Igaverse.

Offline X

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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #35 on: November 22, 2021, 09:12:24 AM »
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I've been reading over this thread and have a question. Do we have to request this document people keep talking about? I'm curious to read it for myself.

Trust me, it's painless and quick. Just contact/PM Dongled and he'll be happy to send you a copy.

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Also, not the point of the thread, but I thought I would chime in about pre and post Iga. I don't mind the Iga timeline and feel it has some cool things, but I don't like certain things about it. I feel like everyone and their dog has the means to kill Dracula, and imo it belittles the Belmont family and the Vampire Killer. Like why have this legendary family use this whip when a basic sword can do the job fine? I get it's to add variety to the game, but it still doesn't feel right.

This has been my very complaint with the IGA series as well. Many games in the IGA-verse have non-Belmont warriors battling Dracula and his minions. If that's the case then what is the point of even having the Belmonts let alone their importance to the series? There was a reason why the series had only one family fighting against evil and that was the theme of the series. However IGA wanting to tell his own stories bent several rules here and there, and unfortunately by doing this, made the importance of Belmont family not nearly as necessary as they should have been. Although he did try to explain how these non-Belmont warriors were able to defeat Dracula it still felt like a blatant cop out.

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Also, I like AoS, but I'm not a fan of the Japanese elements. I know this is a Japanese series, but the theme have always been European. Anywho, I feel like as I get older I'm moving away from the  Igaverse.

This was also a concern of mine. It felt like the series was becoming way to Japanese for its own good. Castlevania is a European-themed game and should not be forced to change up its own identity in order to appeal to other audiences who aren't North Americans. IGA did go out of his way to explain things in CV and he did so by putting a Japanese spin on it. This left me questioning his intentions a bit. A European warlord/Vampire King is not going to find himself imprisoned in a Japanese underworld till he's summoned again. That makes no sense. Or having a Japanese ritual seal away Dracula when an ancient Germanic, Celtic or even a Romanian ritual would suffice. The Europeans also had their ancient pagan practices too. As much as I enjoyed playing IGA's games (and I still do) I did not like where he was taking the series story-wise.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2021, 09:17:26 AM by X »
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Offline JR

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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #36 on: November 23, 2021, 09:29:05 PM »
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Also, not the point of the thread, but I thought I would chime in about pre and post Iga. I don't mind the Iga timeline and feel it has some cool things, but I don't like certain things about it. I feel like everyone and their dog has the means to kill Dracula, and imo it belittles the Belmont family and the Vampire Killer. Like why have this legendary family use this whip when a basic sword can do the job fine? I get it's to add variety to the game, but it still doesn't feel right. Also, I like AoS, but I'm not a fan of the Japanese elements. I know this is a Japanese series, but the theme have always been European. Anywho, I feel like as I get older I'm moving away from the  Igaverse.

I agree with this. IGA knows how to make some fantastic 2D games that are a blast to play, but I always kind of wished he delegated the writing to someone else.
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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #37 on: December 01, 2021, 05:32:54 PM »
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@X
You make it sound like IGA wrote all these games by himself, remember Nathan Graves the guy who wasn't created by IGA also John and Eric they weren't created by him either. I think it's pretty clear people at Konami never had the intention to make Belmonts the only ones who can kill Dracula also I'm pretty sure IGA based his work on the already existing lore from his team at Konami and it's pretty faithful work.

I say it's for the best that there are other powerful non Belmonts out there because it wouldn't make sense that they are the only ones that can fight creatures of the night. They are the main and most powerful then I agree but being only ones mmm not so sure.
Sometimes the Belmonts may produce a weak heir, does that mean the End of the World? Surely someone would step up like Trevor did.

I agree on the Japanese complaint but the European setting has been capped because I don't think Dracula would be cool in 2000 onward so Aria of Sorrow was a good idea by IGA also Castlevania is dead unless someone at Konami understand the spirit of Castlevania, pick up on his predecessor work just like Megaman 11 did (Which is highly unlikely) we'll get our beloved Castlevania back other than that we'll watch it get bastardized by Netflix and others who doesn't understand Castlevania.

Offline X

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Re: Castlevania Bloodlines 0.5 Prototype ROM released!
« Reply #38 on: December 02, 2021, 09:49:52 AM »
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You make it sound like IGA wrote all these games by himself

Hardly. I never said such a thing as I know better. Ya might wanna read my posts again if that was the conclusion you got. Legends, CotM and the two CV64 titles were handled by other directors. IGA didn't like those titles because a) he didn't make them himself and b) they don't fit into his story chronology which he was working on at the time. If anything he saw them as a hindrance to his work and thus retconned them. This doesn't include the mobile CV game which he helped oversee of course. That was not intended to be part of his timeline either even though he was involved with it.

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I think it's pretty clear people at Konami never had the intention to make Belmonts the only ones who can kill Dracula also I'm pretty sure IGA based his work on the already existing lore from his team at Konami and it's pretty faithful work.

It's mentioned in the Bloodlines instruction manual that Eric Lecarde is in pursuit of Countess Bartly due to the fact that she turned his beloved into a vampire that he was force to slay. Eric's goal wasn't Dracula. I would say that he assisted John Morris in helping to fight Dracula but was not the one to deal the final blow. Story-wise mind you, story-wise. Gameplay is different.

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I say it's for the best that there are other powerful non Belmonts out there because it wouldn't make sense that they are the only ones that can fight creatures of the night.

There are other creatures of darkness out there that other heroes could tackle. Absolutely. It'd be a somewhat lacking world if otherwise. But Dracula is the one being who no-one else but a Belmont could ever hope to best. That was pretty much established since Castlevania's inception. Otherwise past games that were made before IGA came along would have featured non-Belmont heroes.

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Sometimes the Belmonts may produce a weak heir, does that mean the End of the World?

No Belmont has ever produced a weak heir. In fact I've never heard of this before till you brought it up just now. The magical properties of the Belmont family blood are not dictated by genetics. It's magic after all; God's blessing (I believe it is anyways as it makes sense). This magic ensures that if one member of the family is not available to counter Dracula, then another member will step up to plate and take him down. All Belmont descendants have this magic flowing through their veins regardless of what family name they carry. As long as they are tied to House Belmont by blood decent they will have the ability to counter Dracula. But again, IGA wanted to tell his own stories and brought in several non-Belmont characters to be the heroes whom defeated Dracula. I just don't agree with that part is all.

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I agree on the Japanese complaint but the European setting has been capped because I don't think Dracula would be cool in 2000 onward so Aria of Sorrow was a good idea by IGA

I don't believe there would be any issues for Dracula not to be cool in the 2000s and beyond. Dracula is one of the most popular villains in Castlevania (if not THE most popular) and I seriously doubt that that's ever going to change. I actually have no real issues with the Soma Cruz character. I fact, for many years, I had wondered what it would be like to play as the infamous Count. But there is much about AoS that is Japanese-themed, and as a European-themed game it does skew things a bit in terms of the game's identity. This is Castlevania here, not Getsu Fūma Den.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2021, 09:52:27 AM by X »
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