Topic: We voted for the wrong guy? IGA

[Sinful]

So I decided to start a playthrough through Circle of the Moon (Aria of Sorrow isn't working out to well for me... made it all the way to Death... and SotN, after trying a bunch more times, is obviously not gonna work anytime soon still. Maybe another time and with a different mood?). And what I found as I made it to the second boss (and died >_>) shocked me. ... Did we vote in the wrong guy to spear head the Castlevania series?


So IGA started his directorial debut with the acclaimed SotN (it did blow me away too the first time I played... but I also wasn't really a vania fan then and too bad I was never able to once since then replay it without being bored to death ), and after the failure of another team to do Castlevania in 3D and even redeem themselves with a 2D title for the GBA in the same successful mold as SotN (well, by critics opinion anyways, as both didn't sell too well from what I heard?), the helm was fully returned to IGA from here on, which was sealed with the more (much more?) popular second Castleroid outing from a critic standpoint at least.

Now I just started messing around with the Castleroid games, and only fully completed the first 3 of them back when they were new. And since back then I wasn't fully aware of what is really good or bad game design & balance + as well as classic vania fan, I have yet to analyze and compare these tiles properly. So I'm out of discussing these more accurately yet (if ever?). But I will just mention a few things about it, as maybe Castleroid fans would want to fully dissect this series in this area?


Basically from what I've seen, the gameplay in CotM is a lot more Castlevania from a game design and balance (and not just because of the whip). Everything seemed much better from what I just played in Aria, the so called best of the GBA games... well, this is all I know. ... well, on an interesting note, when I played CotM first, I do recall being disappointed that I was plying with a whip guy at first (not sure about later?). And that I though is was pretty hard. And that I though that it didn't live up to SotN (though honestly this is more from a graphics perspective then anything. As that was the #1 thing that pleased me about SotN by far... now I'm a lot more interested in gameplay & balance, so that I may be able to replay these games again? ... As well as I much more enjoying and in the mood for well designed and balanced games too)


Oh, and since some of you guys like focus on other things, here's another thought. Ever since IGA did the Castleroid games, the main hero was always a sword wielding guy. Like IGA doesn't think the whip is fun enough? ... And believe it or not I do recall reading something about this in EGM along the lines of him asking his crew "What about this macho Belmont guy, and is it any fun to play with the whip?" (I can find the quote exactly if requested/not available as I still have my EGMs). This to me says that IGA really don't care about Castlevania that much and just wants to make his own game (and why not, most artists want to work on their own creation and not someone else's). And since his first game was a sequel to a sub-series, he was given a lot more creative freedom. I mean, if Richerd B is right in what he said about the N64 vania games seeming to be the best and proper evolution of Castlevania in 3D (especially if they got tweaked/perfected more), and not unlike the IGA ones that don't seem to be Castlevania games at all, then dang! We just let an outsider come in and put an end to out series as we know it for good! And for what? A Metriod game with Castlevania enemies, of course ... Yeah, we aren't playing Castlevania anymore folks. Maybe we should merge the Castleroids games with a Metroid forum?... FLAME ON!!!

Ah, but you say IGA may not be at the helm anymore? Yeah, well the damage is done. And the next Castlevania game, the reboot, seems to have even less in common with Castlevania. ... See, this is just one reason why I've never been a fan of making too many changes to a solid series/franchise (Gradius V and Treasure anyone? >_>), because chances are that there is no fully going back anymore for the main series (MegaMan 9 is an exception... Castlevania Rebirth is more in the sub series category. That seems already long dead sadly .... Where is my Salamander Rebirth!!!! ).

[Abnormal Freak]

Igarashi didn't direct SOTN even if he did play a pretty significant part in its direction.

And COTM is possibly the second best Metroidvania after SOTN. Although honestly I may have to hand it to AOS.

The rest of your post: tl;dr :]

[Archangel]

Hey, interesting read!

So you basically say every game made by IGA had a sword wielding hero? What about Harmony of Dissonance´s Juste? Or Lament´s Leon? OR Portrait´s Jonathan? Okay, you could use other weapons instead of the whip in PoR, but the whip (there were many of them, just like Simon´s Quest) but always are a good choice... at least for me.

About what you said that we aren´t playing Castlevania anymore.... well, I guess you are right to an extend. See, I loved every CV game thus far, with the exception of CotM. And while I enjoyed the slow paced games with the SotN stlye, I pretty much preferred the ones with the classic gameplay. As of late, I´ve noticed the same thing as you. CV kinda lost it´s way. You must understand: I like the games made by IGA, but ever since playing LoS, there´s always been this feeling that the series really wasted alot of potential. They are great games, yet they´re lacking something. But I can´t put my finger on it.

There´s much more I have to say, but I gotta go now. But one more thing: Your post, Sinful, made me consider replaying CotM. The last time I played it I was soooo dissapointed. But that was years ago.

[Flame]

IGA concentrates too much on different gameplay gimmicks for all his CV games.

Of course, the easiest to do, is the multiple weapon thing from SoTN.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

CotM didn't sell well?  I don't think this is accurate.  That's not how I remember things.
Circle of the Moon was pretty close to being a launch title for the Gameboy Advance.  Pretty much everyone I knew at the time who had a GBA had that game (and F-Zero Maximum Velocity ).

And when Harmony of Dissonance came out, it was actually not very well received here from what I recall.  Most people had issues with the slow jumps floaty controls that Juste had.  People have warmed up to that game over time, but CotM was pretty well-liked from the start.  About the only things that people complained about in CotM was the double-tap to run, and the difficulty in tracking down all the cards.  Maaaaaaaaybe the small-ish characters (but at the time the game came out, they were OK in terms of screen size with the GBA, etc.) and the game was dark (so you needed a good light source to play it, like outside) but those were issues with the GBA itself more than the games.

Later when the GBA-SP came out (the one with the backlight) the "This game is too dark" issue became a non-issue.

[shelverton.]

From what I've heard, Circle of the Moon was one of the best-selling games in the series. It sold over a million copies, something not even the original NES games did (correct me if I'm wrong). Being a launch title for the successor to the MIGHTY popular original Game Boy surely helped there.

I dunno. I think the Metroidvania formula was right for Castlevania. There may have been too many similar games released, but they're all pretty great in their own right. Also, during the Metroidvania era, no other games played quite like them. Not even Metroid (except for those two GBA games). Looking back at 2000-2008, I will always remember these games fondly, especially now when Konami seem to have abandoned the formula (temporarily maybe, but I think we've seen the last of these games for a long while.)

And I like when things evolve. If Konami would've kept releasing games that played exactly like the NES/SNES games, Castlevania would've been dead and buried by now. The original Castlevania formula is - like it or not - pretty damn archaic. As depressing as it may sound, the series need to keep up with the times in order to survive, just like any other gaming franchise ever made.

[Ahasverus]

Circle of the Moon IS the best selling title in the series also the 2nd best metoidvania and the one more faithful to the original games. I agree.. Konami picked the wrong guy (for that and many other reasons) luckily it's a thing from the past now (Here's hoping they didn't pickup the wrong guy again.. I believe in Mr Alvarez but let's see...)

[Kingshango]

IIRC Circle of the Moon is the only million selling Castlevania game, and it was the first Metroidvania since SOTN and it was on a new portable system so that helped sales greatly.

I dont thing IGA was a bad choice, I just feel that his time with Castlevania went on for.....too long? Again, not saying he was a bad choice, his games were good but I felt that his presence felt a little overstayed and it was starting to show.

[Archangel]

I dont thing IGA was a bad choice, I just feel that his time with Castlevania went on for.....too long? Again, not saying he was a bad choice, his games were good but I felt that his presence felt a little overstayed and it was starting to show.

I agree with you and shelverton. Said it before and I will say it again: I had so much fun with IGAs games... don´t want to miss them. Maybe IGA directed these games for too long... but on the other side, I really liked Ecclesia...... I don´t know what to think right now

[GuyStarwind]

Only thing I don't Like about Iga's games are the lack of lead Belmont roles. To be honest I don't like playing as non Belmont characters. I want whip action and I don't want to have to beat the entire game to play some half ass extra character mode.

[Dengo vlad tepes]

Castlevania is up to cox now ... lets see what will he do next


Iga games was really good for me especially AOS , DOS and POR

believe me guys , if those games were a console release the performance will make him do more with the series , but iga is really really lazy guy

so all i should say is : no one can hold the series better than Toru Hagihara he both created the best two CVs rondo and sotn

[Ahasverus]

IIRC Circle of the Moon is the only million selling Castlevania game

Until Lords yep it was

Castlevania is up to cox now ... lets see what will he do next

Nop it's Enric Alvarez. Check out LoS credits.

so all i should say is : no one can hold the series better than Toru Hagihara he both created the best two CVs rondo and sotn

Where's he now? It would be nice to have him back even has a support designer

[thernz]

making soccer games.

i'm assuming he had a relatively high position in konami too since he was promoted during sotn and left the project then. giantbomb lists him in the credits of metal slug 5 though which is a bit weird.

[BingleGod]

Ever since IGA did the Castleroid games, the main hero was always a sword wielding guy.

Patently false.

[Flame]

Castlevania Chronicles - Simon Belmont
HoD - Juste Belmont
LoI - Leon Belmont
PoR - Johnathan Morris
OoS - Desmond Belmont
Dracula X Chronicles - Richter Belmont
Adventure Rebirth - Christopher Belmont

7 of 12 IGA games have a Belmont main.