Topic: If the Castlevania IP was sold who would you want to see get it?

[X]

Then again, Contra never really was about the plot, huh?

It is in the Japanese games which I recognize as canon, more-so then the American versions which have almost no story to them.

[theplottwist]

I guess a nice compromise would be what Contra Rebirth did, where only the easiest difficulty locked you out of the true final boss and ending.  Beating in on normal nets you the same ending and boss as beating it on hard.  Then again, Contra never really was about the plot, huh?

Well... You'd be surprised that there is quite a convoluted plot to Contra, too.

It is in the Japanese games which I recognize as canon, more-so then the American versions which have almost no story to them.

If I'm not mistaken, Contra 4 is canon and also rectified some issues with the timeline, and it was developed by an american developer. But don't quote me on that.

[JR]

My first experience beating Castlevania 1 on NES was glorious because and I had spent some years as a young boy failing at it until one day I sat down and just said the hell with this. I'm not walking away from this tv until I've killed this Dracula son of a bitch. I meant it, and I finally beat it! It was the best feeling ever. I doubt I would have that epic and awesome memory to look back on if there would have been an easy way out.

Heh, same here. My sticking point was always The Creature and Igor. As a kid, I always drooled over screenshots to the last two levels (especially Dracula's chamber, with the lattice windows and all that shizz), imagining how cool it would be to finally experience firsthand.

Didn't beat the damn thing until I was, like 24 and got into the series (and gaming) again.

Cv doesn't need a simple zombie or skeleton completely sucking away my life in less the two or three hits. That's just silly and is not right for CV. It works four souls but it would not be good for CV. There must be a balance of some sort and the souls difficulty is simply the wrong choice for such a beloved franchise.

Eh, I don't really think that's an accurate depiction of Souls difficulty, though (unless you're just starting with a Deprived build, maybe? But probably not). A more likely scenario is a player running in blindly and getting killed by a group ambush. It's this methodical approach that the Souls series demands that reminds me a lot of CV. Both series made you slow down and really think about what your next move would be, so I can see why they're often compared.

[zangetsu468]

True. The problem nowadays is that a lot of people believe what the reviewers say. I still prefer giving the option of having to choose difficulty modes at the start of the game and have the capacity to change the difficulty level in the middle of the game. And option to choose whether to level up or not is also great.
Or have the difficulty setting of like the "World Ends with You" (NDS) game where you choose to alter the difficulty level of the enemies and the health bar of the main character as you please with having the rare items drop with the greatest probability when the difficulty is highest and the health bar is super low.

All good points but I love me some Hard Max L01 and I like the fact that you can't go back on choosing it XD

[Belmontoya]

I don't know. I still don't like it.

I like to think of a game as an event. It's always seemed weird to me to let the player decide how something that should be uncontrollable is going to go down.

Switching difficulty modes mid game is even worse in my opinion. It just seems so cheesy to me and like such a cop out.

I think it's good for people to learn to be ok with losing sometimes.

I think replay value can be added in more interesting ways like how contra 4 had the challenge modes. Also online leader boards to get the best scores, map editors. There are so many better ways to give players replay value in my opinion.

I see where the other side is coming from on this. I know my opinion here is minority for sure. But easy and hard modes have bothered me since I was a kid. Even confused me a little. I usually only play through games once. I like to know I'm experiencing the game the best and most intended way. I knew that was never easy mode but I would be confused on whether to choose between normal or hard for the best experience.

Anyways... It's always bothered me.

[zangetsu468]

I'll give you a tip Belmontoya. In my experience I've found the first playthrough of games which had harder difficulties available too easy, or non engaging, sometimes I'd feign interest and not really concentrate, etc. but when I've played a game on its absolute hardest level I've understood why certain devices - whether they be combat, environmental, platforming, etc - were implemented into the game in the first place.

Prime example Castlevania OOE, Shanoa can stand on the scales in the monastery, this is irrelevant to most of us. Why is this important? When you go into certain rooms to get items or power ups, you know exactly why the developers put those scales there, given how hard normal enemies are at the start of a HMCL1 playthrough. (I've beaten that playthrough and started from scratch with no weapons or anything. I'm currently on Dracula and have done the same in Albus mode.) there are other areas in the game where the platforming is different and you need to be careful with how you move the character through the stage. Hell, even damage boosting becomes a no-no so you have to be vigilant.

Another example Skyward Sword. Yes I realise the Zelda cycle is in full effect but I don't care if some people give me hate. The benches in SS serve what purpose exactly? So useless right, wrong.. They serve a purpose in hero mode where damage is doubled and Link can't collect hearts in game. Benches (the few that there are) are the one place where you can restore hearts.

But then maybe it's just me, I played Sonic Generations through without buying any skills, I beat Bleach Soul Resurrecion as well as most (if not all) of the missions without having ever levelled up a character. I also did the ALBW Hero mode run, 3 hearts, no weapon upgrades, no tunics, no power ups, not even the shield. Sorry to seem cocky I will just take up the challenge whatever it may be.

I'm with you on altering the difficulty during play and I dislike that. 

[X]

If I'm not mistaken, Contra 4 is canon and also rectified some issues with the timeline, and it was developed by an american developer. But don't quote me on that.

It was developed in america first which is why we got the game first. But the alien called Black Viper wasn't in the original japanese canon story of Operation C. That was purely the american localization. Contra Shattered Soldier tells you the canon story of Operation C in it's background story;

"An undisclosed country experiments with, and adapts aliens and their technology to be used as weapons of war. The federation government sends in Bill Rizer to shut it down."

Black Viper did not exist in the Japanese story so I am curious as to how Contra 4's japanese story arc handles this.

[Belmontoya]

Contra 4 was perfection.

That team could have made the perfect Super Castlevania 5.

[theplottwist]

Black Viper did not exist in the Japanese story so I am curious as to how Contra 4's japanese story arc handles this.

Yeah you're correct. Operation C's revision doesn'1t exist in the japanese version of Contra 4.

From the Wikipedia page:
"This is justified by portraying "Mad Dog" and "Scorpion" (the new characters) as having fought against Black Viper in the past (particularly during the events of Operation C), although this revision is not taken into account in the Japanese localization of the game."

Also, it appears that the Black Viper here is not the same as the old Black Viper. It's a "new" Black Viper introduced officially in Contra 4.

[X]

That team could have made the perfect Super Castlevania 5.

I'm still waiting on this 

[Shiroi Koumori]

I'm with you on altering the difficulty during play and I dislike that.

Cuz you all are great players... and my learning curve is slowwwww. Well, I tend to play games twice or more times so I have no problems with the difficulty modes/altering difficulty.

[zangetsu468]

Cuz you all are great players... and my learning curve is slowwwww. Well, I tend to play games twice or more times so I have no problems with the difficulty modes/altering difficulty.

I noticed on CV Chronicles you can do that, and I was a bit bummed I should've turned it up from the start. The AI is significantly more aggressive on hard.

[shelverton.]

Contra 4 not being released in Europe is one of the biggest jokes in modern times. Thank God for the DS being region free. I immediately imported the crap out of it and never looked back. It's one of my favorite DS games ever. WayForward did some questionable things after that, but thinking about Contra 4 makes me think that YES - Castlevania 5 by these guys would've probably been pretty wonderful.

[TheTextGuy]

Contra 4 not being released in Europe is one of the biggest jokes in modern times. Thank God for the DS being region free. I immediately imported the crap out of it and never looked back. It's one of my favorite DS games ever. WayForward did some questionable things after that, but thinking about Contra 4 makes me think that YES - Castlevania 5 by these guys would've probably been pretty wonderful.

I do think that's kind of strange, especially since by then they could use the Contra name in Europe and if they wanted to market it as "Probotector DS", the sprites are already there.