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The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Classic Castlevania Threads => Topic started by: Crying Freeman on August 23, 2015, 06:02:58 PM

Title: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on August 23, 2015, 06:02:58 PM
Basically the games developed by KCEN and KCEK and why.

Personally, I'd say the Saturn version of SOTN, but that's cheating since it's a port and not an original game. With that in mind, I'd say the the original on the 64. It was the second Vania I've played, and I've loved it ever since. The horror elements and atmosphere are spectacular, obviously taking it's atmospheric approach from SC4. The gameplay is very satisfying, and while the control layout can be confusing, they actually work very well on the 64 pad. Plus, it has something I love but don't see done well so often: Linear level progression yet the levels themselves are nonlinear and require some exploration. My only problem is really with Rosa in Reinhardt's story.

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Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Aceearly1993 on August 23, 2015, 06:20:58 PM
I like the concept that the "Dracula" which vampire hunters first meet at throne room is not real Dracula but merely an impostor of him, though his dressing and personal atmosphere is very Dracula-ish.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on August 23, 2015, 06:31:31 PM
I like the concept that the "Dracula" which vampire hunters first meet at throne room is not real Dracula but merely an impostor of him, though his dressing and personal atmosphere is very Dracula-ish.

I liked that twist as well.
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Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: piscesdreams on August 23, 2015, 06:53:07 PM
I'd have to say Legacy of Darkness. Though I'd really need to play the 2 n64 games again to decide for certain. But I honestly really liked them when they released, but I can understand the elements that drive people crazy. It's kind of a guilty pleasure.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on August 23, 2015, 07:00:59 PM
"What's your Favorite" thread, with a twist.
This probably should go on the "Classic Castlevania Threads".
I'll move it there, later.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Gunlord on August 23, 2015, 07:19:07 PM
I got your back, Jorge :D

I'm not sure if it counts, but my favorite 'unpopular' Castlevania would probably be Legends. I know it gets crap for messing with the timeline and all, but I thought it had pretty nice music and action for a Gameboy game.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: theANdROId on August 23, 2015, 07:25:29 PM
LoD all the way!  (Also happens to be the one that has the most realistic depiction of Dracula, according to Game Theory (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDGCnw3qu98)!)
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on August 23, 2015, 07:48:13 PM
I got your back, Jorge :D

I'm not sure if it counts, but my favorite 'unpopular' Castlevania would probably be Legends. I know it gets crap for messing with the timeline and all, but I thought it had pretty nice music and action for a Gameboy game.

Legends did hved a lot of good going for it. The soundtrack is really good, and a female main Belmont hasn't been done before or since. Plus, its control emulates SC4's without the multi whip well. I do really like Sonia too, wish she didn't have to be retconned.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on August 23, 2015, 09:09:56 PM
For me, it's a tie between Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania Legends.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: X on August 23, 2015, 09:14:15 PM
CV64/LoD. That's pretty much it for me.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Gaawa-chan on August 24, 2015, 12:48:52 AM
Which games do you consider to be unpopular?

Edit: Also, if everyone is saying CV64/LoD... can they really be considered all that unpopular?
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: JR on August 24, 2015, 01:13:29 AM
I'd say CV64. I had no gripes about that game when it came out, and still don't now. (Liked LoD as well, but it seems to get more recognition anyway) Any issues the game had are minor to me, and the game still kept the right feel of the series.

After that, I'd say Adventure. It gets crapped on quite a bit, but honestly, I'd pick it over Legends. For some reason, Legends is my least favorite of the GB games.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 24, 2015, 05:51:58 AM
LOD is the best 3D Castlevania imho, no bs. I reckon I've played it as much as if not more than SOTN.

I also love Vampire's Kiss aka XX, which many Rondo purists seem to despise. VK>Rondo imo.

I do like COD but I also see its shortcomings which I don't for the titles above.

I hear people saying Legends but not sure what else is hated.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on August 24, 2015, 07:52:15 AM
Which games do you consider to be unpopular?

Edit: Also, if everyone is saying CV64/LoD... can they really be considered all that unpopular?

Basically the games developed by
KCEN:
SotN Saturn, Legends
And
KCEK:
64, LoD, CotM

You can also include games like Adventure, CoD, or Dracula X/VK/XX, even Harmony of Dissonance gets some flack or is ignored compared to the other GBA and DS games.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 24, 2015, 08:35:03 AM
@Freeman Cotm really? I've never heard this, I've only ever heard people praise it. Back in the day when IGN's reviews weren't blockbuster oriented they gave it 9.6
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on August 24, 2015, 08:38:45 AM
@Freeman Cotm really? I've never heard this, I've only ever heard people praise it. Back in the day when IGN's reviews weren't blockbuster oriented they gave it 9.6

By unpopular I didn't necessarily mean games that were reviewed poorly or are disliked by people, I meant the ones outside of the popular ones like SOTN, sc4, Dracula's Curse, Robdo etc. CotM is an excellent game, hell its my favorite on the GBA, and its like by most fans, but its sort of in the underground area of CV games, overshadowed by other metroidvanias like Aria.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 24, 2015, 08:45:02 AM
By unpopular I didn't necessarily mean games that were reviewed poorly or are disliked by people, I meant the ones outside of the popular ones like SOTN, sc4, Dracula's Curse, Robdo etc. CotM is an excellent game, hell its my favorite on the GBA, and its like by most fans, but its sort of in the underground area of CV games, overshadowed by other metroidvanias like Aria.

Yeah true as much as I liked it I would say AOS>HOD>Cotm

Cotm captured the feel of the oldschool mixed with the new perfectly imo though
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Jago on October 28, 2015, 09:48:21 AM
I actually liked the n64 ones a lot they have a nice ambient and scary atmosphere and never had that much of an issue with the camera even when playing it on an emu on the keyboard.

and I love los2 a lot.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on October 28, 2015, 10:10:49 AM
I actually liked the n64 ones a lot they have a nice ambient and scary atmosphere and never had that much of an issue with the camera even when playing it on an emu on the keyboard.

and I love los2 a lot.

Agree completely with C64. People who complain are ppl who heard things but didn't play them. One of the last CV games to go for horror rather than batshit insane anime action.

Can't say I've played LOS2, but I need to at some point.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on October 28, 2015, 01:38:09 PM
CastleVania Legends, and Dracula X on SNES,

SNES Dracula X is much better than Rondo IMO.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on October 28, 2015, 04:58:24 PM
CastleVania Legends, and Dracula X on SNES,

SNES Dracula X is much better than Rondo IMO.

DracX is better. Rondo is great too, but the jumps have more weight and fluidity to them, the backflip is much more useful,  hitting things is much more satisfying because of the sound effect, which is more of a "punch" than a little flick(sounds so weak in Rondo). Plus I like how there are more levels in the castle, though I miss levels like the River and stage 2' from Rondo.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: coinilius on October 28, 2015, 05:42:49 PM
Dracula X for the SNES definitely - I really enjoyed that game when I played it for the first time recently, after having played Rondo of Blood, and frankly I enjoyed it more than I did RoD (I also enjoyed RoD).  I've been playing through all the Castlevania games in 'chronological' order, putting all games on the timeline regardless of canonicity, and it's the Classicvania's that I've been enjoying the most and Dracula X (Vampire's Kiss) is basically the last gasp for the Classicvania's until I hit Bloodlines.   

I also didn't mind Castlevania: The Adventure,  but Belmont's Revenge is just so much better a game.  I was hoping I would have liked Legends more, because I like Sonia and her being written out of history just raises her profile in my eyes, but I think I enjoyed Legends the least out of the three GBVania's - it's levels just seemed to drag on too much.

Just finished Circle of the Moon and that game was great!  Haven't reached the N64 games yet but am hoping that they will be underdogs that I can get behind as well.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on October 28, 2015, 06:14:04 PM
Love that there are some Dracula X/ VK fans here. Looks like I'm not the only one!
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: coinilius on October 28, 2015, 09:50:10 PM
I should also add - I actually didn't mind Haunted Castle once I got past the first level of it.  It actually seems to get easier the further through it you progress, except for some spikes here and there.  Of course, I used save states to cheat to be able to actually progress, but I do think that if the games difficulty had been balanced more and been a little more forgiving, it could have been a much better remembered game.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on October 29, 2015, 03:43:23 AM
I should also add - I actually didn't mind Haunted Castle once I got past the first level of it.  It actually seems to get easier the further through it you progress, except for some spikes here and there.  Of course, I used save states to cheat to be able to actually progress, but I do think that if the games difficulty had been balanced more and been a little more forgiving, it could have been a much better remembered game.

I wonder if there are different versions of the game. The first time I played it I got up to the 3rd or 4th stage (I think?) without losing more than 1 life.

The next time I played it I found the first stage really difficult for some reason.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: coinilius on October 29, 2015, 04:23:05 AM
There are 2 versions of it but both of them are pretty hard, just one is slightly less hard.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on October 29, 2015, 08:57:29 AM
I should also add - I actually didn't mind Haunted Castle once I got past the first level of it.  It actually seems to get easier the further through it you progress, except for some spikes here and there.  Of course, I used save states to cheat to be able to actually progress, but I do think that if the games difficulty had been balanced more and been a little more forgiving, it could have been a much better remembered game.

I enjoy it too, just that difficulty curve. It's like megaman where you have to have a lot of trial and error. I love and hate this kind of difficulty because it's unfair af, but once you learn the game and know everything about it, you feel like a badass playing it. It's a really fun game, graphics and music are great, and it's interesting picking up a sword alongside the whip and morning star. But yeah, more forgiving = better impression on players.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on October 29, 2015, 08:59:54 AM
I wonder if there are different versions of the game. The first time I played it I got up to the 3rd or 4th stage (I think?) without losing more than 1 life.

The next time I played it I found the first stage really difficult for some reason.

There are. I believe version M and B. I don't know which is which, but the easier one gives you like 5 health bars in place of lives and continues. The other version is like 2 hit death but you get lives and continues. The consensus is that the former one makes the game much more playable because you're aloud to actually get hit, but just be careful.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: coinilius on October 29, 2015, 04:10:02 PM
Version M and K are the different names - and yeah, I think even if it had just given the player more lives and continues and the 5 health bars, it would have been a lot better.  Even if you could just sit there pumping money into it to keep continuing it would have helped, as once you learn where things are and when you're about to get cheap-shotted by a ghost that flies out of an enemy you've just killed straight into your face, you can learn when to duck or jump etc.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on October 31, 2015, 06:33:20 PM
Version M and K are the different names - and yeah, I think even if it had just given the player more lives and continues and the 5 health bars, it would have been a lot better.  Even if you could just sit there pumping money into it to keep continuing it would have helped, as once you learn where things are and when you're about to get cheap-shotted by a ghost that flies out of an enemy you've just killed straight into your face, you can learn when to duck or jump etc.

That's it! I have to say, HC would probably be in my top 3 arcade games but I haven't played it enough. With the right version I'll give it a good play through.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 04, 2015, 12:05:38 AM
That's it! I have to say, HC would probably be in my top 3 arcade games but I haven't played it enough. With the right version I'll give it a good play through.

I thought it was pretty damn awesome, especially the music when I first played it back in the early 2000's.

I often wonder if the fact Simon has a wife inspired part of the Worlds of Power "Simon's Quest" book where he mentions his wife being kidnapped by Dracula: http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/collect-wop.htm (http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/collect-wop.htm)
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: X on November 04, 2015, 12:33:19 AM
Quote
I often wonder if the fact Simon has a wife inspired part of the Worlds of Power "Simon's Quest" book where he mentions his wife being kidnapped by Dracula: http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/collect-wop.htm (http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/collect-wop.htm)

Could very well be. I've read that book but I've completely forgotten about that one tid-bit.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 04, 2015, 12:53:23 AM
Could very well be. I've read that book but I've completely forgotten about that one tid-bit.

The last time I read the book was 20+ years ago, though I have many flaws memory doesn't seem to be one.
If it serves me right, Simon defeats Dracula (as per Cv1) but doesn't scatter his ashes to the 4 winds. Thus the count is not fully defeated and the curse he puts on Simon is still persistent, in addition to his wife Linda Entwhistle not being rescued.

The maiden he sees (spiritual entity) as per SQ who tells him to collect the body parts of Dracula, is actually his wife in this story.

I also seem to recall that one of the body parts in WOP is "the brain" (and I was sure one was a fang/tooth) being the element (or both) which conflicts with the game itself.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: X on November 04, 2015, 09:53:11 AM
Quote
I also seem to recall that one of the body parts in WOP is "the brain" (and I was sure one was a fang/tooth) being the element (or both) which conflicts with the game itself.

Haha, now THAT I do remember. And I also remember thinking as I read that section; "A brain? Don't remember that in CV II"
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 04, 2015, 02:36:09 PM
Haha true...Timothy Bradley that was the kid's name.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: The Puritan on November 04, 2015, 02:51:12 PM
Order of Shadows. I thought it was a great effort considering the platform they had to work with. I wouldn't have minded a heavily Remixed/Remastered version of the game for actual handhelds.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: coinilius on November 04, 2015, 04:22:07 PM
Order of Shadows. I thought it was a great effort considering the platform they had to work with. I wouldn't have minded a heavily Remixed/Remastered version of the game for actual handhelds.

I really liked Order of Shadows as well - I played it on my computer on an emulator so that probably helped (trying to play it on an actual old phone would be a lot harder), but considering when it was made and what it was made for, it turned out quite well.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on November 05, 2015, 03:04:34 PM
I remember being kind of impressed by OOS. The soundtrack was awesome, the graphics were appealing, and getting multiple weapon pickups is a great addition. Can't say I've played it, and the gameplay looks pretty slow, but seems fun enough. Really wanna play it
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 08, 2015, 06:12:01 PM
I would love a re-release of OOS for 3DS. This would tide me over nicely until the next game...(Dreaming much??)
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: coinilius on November 08, 2015, 06:16:53 PM
It would have to be released as Wiiware as it's not a very big game.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 08, 2015, 07:05:07 PM
It would have to be released as Wiiware as it's not a very big game.

Ahh all the more reason for me to spend my $1.50 which I just can't get rid of!
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: MooMilk on September 14, 2016, 10:08:25 AM
My favorite unpopular Castlevania is Castlevania Adventure. But only with my CVA Quick Fix patch. It fixes the walking speed and weapon degradation when hit problems and makes it more playable.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on September 15, 2016, 04:30:16 PM
CotM, Dracula X for the SNES, and Legends.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Crying Freeman on September 18, 2016, 05:35:08 PM
My favorite unpopular Castlevania is Castlevania Adventure. But only with my CVA Quick Fix patch. It fixes the walking speed and weapon degradation when hit problems and makes it more playable.

I've played using the patch and it does make the game so much more fun! I understand why they made the walk speed slow, but I don't understand the weapon downgrades. The game would still be pretty damn challenging with no downgrades because of the platforming, but your patch deos turn a good (at least in my mind) game into a great one
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Kaneda on January 06, 2017, 06:40:04 PM
Dracula X is my favorite of the unpopular CV games. Runner-ups are the 64 games and Vampire Killer.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: X on January 07, 2017, 10:35:13 AM
Quote
Ahh all the more reason for me to spend my $1.50 which I just can't get rid of!

If you were over here in NA then you could get a Coke from a machine for that exact amount of change. Then you'd be rid of it, lol.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on January 07, 2017, 07:31:08 PM
Dracula X is my favorite of the unpopular CV games. Runner-ups are the 64 games and Vampire Killer.

This is the second unneccessary necropost we've had on this thread.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Lumi Kløvstad on January 07, 2017, 10:24:54 PM
Necroposting here is less frowned upon than it is in the "main" boards since this sub-board exists to keep repeat topics from cropping up in the main boards. Necroposting does no harm and serves to keep the same topic from showing up over and over again, so I say let the plebs practice their low-grade necromancy here.

Or do you really prefer winding up with 50 of these threads? This thread is good. Let the zombie live.

Unless it tries to bite you. Then kill the fuck out of it.
Title: Re: Favorite "Noncanon" Vania
Post by: Lumi Kløvstad on August 02, 2018, 07:05:12 PM
Some minor thread necromancy here, but I didn't feel like making a new version of something which already exists on the Classic Threads category.

I'm gonna say, despite the wonderful and rigorous discussion we've had over the last 24 hours about Legends, that, somewhat oddly, my favorite "unpopular" or noncanon game is actually Order of Shadows.

It's playable fanfiction of the highest order, and one of the few games of any format I ever enjoyed enough to write a proper review for. (http://www.chapelofresonance.com/fanworks/articles/alec2.html) Man, I miss the Chapel of Resonance... And how long has it been since I've gone by Alec? Time flies.

Still, fullest kudos to Konami USA for making something that looked, played, and felt like a proper Castlevania on a 2007 era flip phone Java platform-- that's no easy feat. Essentially everything wrong with it and every compromise made comes down to the fact that this is a game that was on a platform probably best known for running trademark-infringing clones of Snake, but viewed through the other side of that same lens, it's amazing how much they were able to pack in to something which, frankly, was in no fit condition to run a game as complex as Castlevania.

I actually STILL have the phone I ran the game on for that review. It doesn't work because all of AT&T's back end software changed in the eleven freaking years since I bought the phone, but I still have it. I was utterly unwilling to part with it. I also dug God of War Betrayal on that same device for the exact same reasons.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Succubus on February 08, 2019, 06:36:06 AM
I like most of the unpopular Castlevania games, of the ones I've played at least.

I played through Haunted Castle via the Japanese PS2 release and turned all the lives into health. I didn't find it especially difficult, and it was fun, even if it is an admittedly sloppy game.

All three NES games are classics. People who whine about the "terrible" controls can plug off. It may be the worst of the three, but Simon's Quest is still good.

I actually like Circle of the Moon more than Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow. The latter two are just too derivative of SotN. Circle of the Moon has more originality than the other two GBA games, and I like that it puts up something of a challenge.

Legacy of Darkness is the best 3D Castlevania game I've played thus far (and I suspect it'll remain my favorite of the 3D ones). Haven't played the first N64 Castlevania yet.

Dracula XX is no Rondo, but shouldn't be compared to Rondo so much to begin with, since it's basically an entirely different game. It's not among the best of the classic games, but it's still fun.

Castlevania Adventure is straight up good. I'll never understand why people talk as if it's garbage. Yes, you move slow. Big deal. The controls are tight, the level design is solid, the music is great, and the difficulty is healthy but fair and surmountable.

As for the unpopular ones where I agree with the consensus, Castlevania Legends deserves its reputation. I like the characters, story, and music just fine, but the gameplay is junk. The worst is how the game handles spawn points. You scroll that point off screen by one damn pixel and back and there's the enemy again. I hate that kind of nonsense. I'm also pretty meh on Lament of Innocence.
Title: Re: Favorite "Unpopular" Vania
Post by: Roki on February 09, 2019, 07:14:11 AM
I think my favourite unpoular CV game is 'Akumajou Dracula X68000', or 'Original Mode' in 'Castlevania Chronicles'. People give it shit for having scaling difficulty and a soundtrack made of MIDI files, but I don't mind that. Enemies should get tougher in later stages. As for the MIDI soundtrack, I think that the SC-55 versions of the MIDI files are some of the best music in the series. Seriously, just listen to Simon's Theme, it's so good!