Topic: The Great Reviewer: All Castlevania Reviews (please read and debate)

[Flame]

SCIV is probably the definitive version of CV1, even better than the original.

[crisis]

Despite large gaps in difficulty, I can play both SCVIV & Symphony over and over and over and over. It's hard to say which game has better atmosphere. Perhaps Symphony, by just a notch or 2. Peeping Eye in the background of the Marble Gallery. Mouse stuck in between the wooden planks in the Outer Wall. Seagull attending to it's nest at the lookout and flying off. Varying weather conditions. THE LIST GOES ON

[A-Yty]

I agree with SotN coming perhaps the closest to SCVIV's atmosphere. But IMO, SCVIV does the "loneliness" better. Also, the soundtrack isn't all over the place like SotN's. SCVIV is like a mute or very laconic gothic movie.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

CV4 had a few of those  as well:
-The bats that come out of the Skull-Shaped Cave in the beginnin.
-The growing vines as you proceed through the castle gate fence.
-The treasure chests that would pop coins are you bounced off of them.
-The 'thing under the carpet' in the library that you cannot kill.
-Portrait of Dracula's Mom (sic)

[Belmontoya]

I just love the things you say A-Yty.

It's true. SCIV was crafted almost like film. It made an artistic statement and left a lasting impression that few games have ever achieved.

[uzo]

I love SotN to death, and it is arguably my favorite entry in the series. However, I will vote SCVIV as the top of the atmosphere. SOtN comes damn close, and has a greater graphical fidelity, but, SCVIV remains the grittier, dirtier, and all around darker of the two. You get a true sense of desolation in SCVIV.

A large part of this I believe is because of the music. SotN was always more spunky in the music, which don't get me wrong is an excellent top class OST, but in terms of atmosphere building like SCVIV it just doesn't match up. Really though, I do almost feel like this is an apples and oranges comparison since SotN was not trying to be SCVIV. Yamane clearly knows how to slap on the atmosphere if the setting demands it, as we've seen from the Abandoned Mine portion of SotN.

[Pfil]

I won't go into detail into each one of the reviews.
However, there are some things I'd like to point out.

Why (WHY?) so low scores for all the GameBoy Castlevania games?
The fact that they are difficult doesn't mean they are bad.
If you lack the skills to beat them, just don't give it a low score based on that reason.

And Simon's Quest?
There's no reason to this. Simon's Quest is something unique. I agree with Dracula's Shadow, I made a post about that game once, it's brilliant, indeed, but Simon's Quest is also brilliant.

Why a score so poor for Circle of the Moon? And Dracula X for the SNES?
I know they are difficult, but you have to appreciate the quality. Circle of the Moon is a perfect way of mixing ClassicVania and MetroidVania, in my opinion.
And Dracula X for the SNES is very good in its own right. Of course you can't compare it to Rondo, that's logic because one is for PC-Engine, on a CD, and the other one for a 16-bits console, in a cartridge. And of course you can't compare it to SCVIV... which brings me to the final complain about your reviews.

WHY? I mean... WHYY??? you would give 1,5/5 to Super Castlevania IV?
The soundtrack featured some brilliant pieces of music, and though I love Yamane's style, there's no denying the high quality of SCVIV's OST, in terms of composition, arrangements, variety and atmosphere. And let's keep talking about the atmosphere. This game excels on that aspect. Every frame is designed with a heavy gothic and lonely feel, and that's why this game feels unique in the franchise. And the gameplay is just awesome. And talk about being objective... did you see the miracles this game make the SNES perform? Scaling, rotating rooms, interactive and moving backgrounds, 3D effect on the sky...
You may like it or not, but there's no valid point on stating that SCVIV is not brilliant.
A professional critic should know.

[Odile Kuronuma]

It's obviously a troll, or he's bad at making critics. Not only he gave SCVIV one of the lowest scores, he also gave PoR a better score than LoI AND SCVIV!

[The Silverlord]

Castlevania: Belmont's Revenge: 1,5 stars out of 5 stars

Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge was ill-conceived from its title. Simon Belmont Dracula faces for the fifth time in his life ... [snip] The only explanation I can think of is that Simon Belmont was the only human being besides Methuselah who lived several centuries, and also had several lives.

Eh, wasn't it Christopher Belmont in this game? Not Simon?

So, to sum up, we have here the best and most fun Game Boy title (except the first Gargoyle's Quest and Megaman), and a game that is not even mediocre. Draw your own conclusions.

Cheers. 5/5 it is, then!

Very interesting attempt at comedy, thanks for these, haha!

[Phoenix7786]

Yeah CVA and CVAII are Christopher Belmont, not Simon...

Also

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse: 3,5 stars out of 5 stars


Again inconsistencies were present, because the story of this game takes place just after the second and before the first title.
Sprite Repeating sets of the two previous titles, with the same fx-set for the third time, repeating some tracks from the soundtrack, with a shorter history and always the same gameplay, this title only outperformed its predecessor in laziness.

Uhhhh. What? CVIII is a prequel to the original Castlevania. And being the most advanced in gameplay, graphics, mechanics, and sound how does that make it lazy?

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse: 3,5 stars out of 5 stars

Supposedly we are again Simon Belmont, although in Castlevania II died and although Dracula revived only every 100 years and that Simon is 35 and facing a third time.

Uhhh wrong again, Chummer. For starters, Simon's canonical ending is the one where he survives. And for another thing, we aren't even playing as Simon. Did you even read the game's intro?

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon: 2,5 stars out of 5 stars

After the lackluster NES trilogy

Ok. Fully convinced of trolldom.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence: 3,5 stars out of 5 stars

 This means that the title would come, instead of trying to copy only unsuccessfully Iga would of plagiarism plagiarism. And not just DMC, but God of War, a game

Huh. Lament of Innocence NA release date: October 21, 2003
God of War  release date: March 22, 2005.
Soo, a game that came out 2 years before God of War plagiarized God of War, eh?

Castlevania: Bloodlines: 4,5 stars out of 5 stars

 and Eric Lecarde, first character to not use a whip!.

Grant, Sypha, and Alucard from Castlevania III say hi!

[The Silverlord]

Haunted Castle: 3 stars out of 5 stars

Crossing (thank God) outdoor levels, passing through places like a cemetery that seems taken from The Night of the Living Dead, a forest and a cave, until the castle, which has the best design of it in years. There are some good moments during the game, you can not deny it.

Apparently, if the translation is true, Haunted Castle has the best castle design in years! (Ashamed to say, I don't think I made it that far . . . hee hee). But thank god we had to cross outdoor levels first to get there?? Reading these over, some outstanding guff.

[Pfil]

I've been reading with more detail into your posts, and though it's difficult to get through the translation inconsistencies, there are things that I'd like to say.

Previous to that, I'd like to let you know that I would read these reviews in spanish in order to understand them in a better way, and, if it's OK with you, translate them correctly to english.

And now I'm going to answer, with time, game by game, the things that make no sense to me, idiomatic differences apart.

Aria of Sorrow:

was about to close the trilogy Blue Nintendo, and with understandable suspicion, everyone expected a fiasco from Konami

No one expected a fiasco, CotM and HoD were awesome.

the music again wildcard by Yamane, is as expected.

What?...

[Pfil]

Castlevania The Adventure:

A black and white version almost unplayable even compared to its lackluster original game pales almost to disappear.

It's not unplayable. You need good skills in order to beat the GameBoy titles. Nothing more.

fail to build a respectful atmosphere

Totally wrong, GameBoy Castlevania OST's are AWESOME!

locate this game with Dragon's Lair NES in category "Play hard to be bad fact be the main character and a total useless "

Wrong again. Dragon's Lair is way more difficult. I'd like to see you beat the 2 final stages, don't blew it in the final jump of final stage and beat the final boss. I'm not ashamed to say it: I could never do it in the hardest version (the japanese version in easier).

Castlevania had no decent portable versions until well into the new millennium.

[Pfil]

Castlevania:

But being the best in the realm of mediocrity does not guarantee anything.

Are you sure you are a Castlevania fan?

With a mix of cumbia and who knows what, the soundtrack managed to get among the chosen gold around gamer, but at the time to see if he was well composed, the answer is no.

I'd say some things about music, but you wouldn't understand them anyway, since it's obvious you never studied musical theory. It's become pretty clear right now, from several things you said.

make this game one of the worst in the history of the NES, and why not video games

...Really?

INSERT "last paragraph full of nonsense" HERE

You definitely don't like Castlevania.

[Pfil]

Simon's Quest:

Ridiculous Examples abound: spend two hours throwing water on each block to try to find a piece of paper, spend another four hours crouching five seconds in each sector to see if anything happened, or crossing the same lake forty times each time using a different garment to see if the destination we took the boat changed.
As a result, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest I felt flat, short and impossible to finish without a walkthrough.

I would have LOL seeing you play this game and having no clue about what to do, hahahaha!!!