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The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: Lord Moe on April 17, 2009, 02:19:45 PM

Title: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Lord Moe on April 17, 2009, 02:19:45 PM
Seriously, Stage 9 is so face meltingly frustrating. And then there's the last stage, which luckily isn't as hard. But at least in the first Castlevania, if you made it to Dracula and died or got Game Over, they placed you right near him so you could face him again. It didn't take away from the difficulty of the game.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Gecko on April 17, 2009, 03:10:09 PM
That's why I never beat that game. I got near the end, but it had a sudden insane increase in difficulty, and after many MANY attempts at getting through that level, I was ready to kill someone without remorse, so I turned it off, and gave up completely after a few tries later on.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Alutwon on April 17, 2009, 06:59:52 PM
Yup thats how Konami made money. Castlevania was so hard but so addicting that one had to keep putting quarters in the machine. They kept the difficulty with 3.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: True Sorrow on April 17, 2009, 07:40:51 PM
Yup thats how Konami made money. Castlevania was so hard but so addicting that one had to keep putting quarters in the machine. They kept the difficulty with 3.

Errr, it was a NES game, there were no quarters involved : | The only relation it really has to sales is that with the increased difficulty finishing the game will take a longer time, resulting in more gameplay value than otherwise. Nothing to do with quarters.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: PFG9000 on April 18, 2009, 01:42:02 AM
To this day I don't find CV3 nearly as hard as CV1.  The only part of CV3 I have trouble with is the Doppleganger fight.  Everything else is pretty decent.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Successor The Cruel on April 18, 2009, 02:44:24 AM
If you're up to using emulators, I recommend giving the Japanese version of the game a shot. It's easier than the American one.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: cecil-kain on April 18, 2009, 07:30:51 AM
So much of CV3 is having the right character along to assist you --different characters being useful to overcome different obstacles.  I'd like to see a hack that allows you to keep all 3 spirit helpers --or better yet --a X chronicles style redux.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Lord Moe on April 18, 2009, 07:59:28 AM
If you're up to using emulators, I recommend giving the Japanese version of the game a shot. It's easier than the American one.

really?

I might consider doing this, lol
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Profbeanburrito on April 18, 2009, 10:11:02 AM
In Reply To #8

And playing it with Grant on the Japanese version makes it way too easy. For every attack he throws daggers, and it doesn't take any hearts! It can't get any easier than that
Personally, I love the challenge that CV 3 has. I wish games were still as challenging as the NES days
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Munchy on April 18, 2009, 02:43:34 PM
In Reply To #1

Agree wholeheartedly. I only legitimately beat the game sometime last year. Fuck that stage so hard.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Alutwon on April 18, 2009, 07:30:00 PM
In Reply To #4

The original was an arcade game. Thats why I said 'kept'.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Juno106 on April 18, 2009, 08:32:25 PM
No it's not. Haunted Castle was released in 1988 while the First Castlevania for the Famicom was in 1986.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Alutwon on April 18, 2009, 09:14:00 PM
So it was. Sorry, ignore everything I said.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Xain on April 19, 2009, 07:23:44 AM
Man those last few levels where frustrating. while the last level was short, it was just filled with cheapness. i swear, if i didn't have alucard with me i would have not gotten past the room with the collapsing floor and the bone pillars. and those bats by the pendulums were dicks. But after many many tries and memorization i beat the game.

but....then it restarted....harder this time....pretty much mocking my victory....fuck CV III. (eventually ill tackle hard mode) 
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Marty Belmont on April 20, 2009, 07:43:20 AM
In Reply To #1

it's even HARDER on the Wii VC version because dracula's beams he shoots in his final form are more like Sprays instead of "Beams" and they're much harder to dodge.
but I've come Maddingly close to beating him. (hit him with Sypha's flame attack 6 times before faling into a pit, or getting him down to 3 bars using the axe)
 so I've pretty much considered the game beaten with Sypha.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: PFG9000 on April 21, 2009, 06:37:55 AM
In Reply To #15

They actually changed the game for the VC version?  It's not a straight rom/emu port?  Are there any other differences in the game?
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: shelverton. on April 21, 2009, 09:49:36 AM

I was obviously a more skilled gamer when I was younger, cause I could beat CV3 without much trouble back then. Nowadays I get about halfway through before things start to get frustratingly difficult. Same thing with many of the Mega Man games. I guess it's a combination of age and less time to practice my skillz!

Games these days aren't nearly as punishing, they're just kinda... long.

Number 1 reason for not finishing current generation games is utter boredom, unfortunately.

Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: DoctaMario on April 21, 2009, 12:38:22 PM
I never found CV3 as tough as CV1. For me, there are some boss fights that are pretty tough (Death, Doppelganger) but by and large, I don't find the stages themselves to be overly difficult. <_< >_> <_<
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Profbeanburrito on April 21, 2009, 05:49:09 PM
I never found CV3 as tough as CV1. For me, there are some boss fights that are pretty tough (Death, Doppelganger) but by and large, I don't find the stages themselves to be overly difficult. <_< >_> <_<

Yeah I agree. CV1 is a lot more difficult I think. In fact I think its probably the most difficult for me.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Marty Belmont on April 22, 2009, 12:17:54 PM
In Reply To #15

They actually changed the game for the VC version?
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Lord Moe on April 22, 2009, 02:10:44 PM
I never found CV3 as tough as CV1. For me, there are some boss fights that are pretty tough (Death, Doppelganger) but by and large, I don't find the stages themselves to be overly difficult. <_< >_> <_<

As a whole, CV1 might be harder. But I don't think CV1 has anything as hard as Stage 9 (though Stage 4 from CV1 is also very annoying).
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: DoctaMario on April 22, 2009, 10:54:15 PM
In Reply To #21

Stage 9 is one of those situations, like with most of the stage based CV games where once you figure out where you're supposed ot be and at what time, it's like clockwork. It's just a matter of getting to that point.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Bizarro Belmont on April 23, 2009, 08:13:13 AM
Dear God, I played this again for the first time in 15 years since my friend got it on the VC. I got further than when I initially di at the age of 7 but still had a helluva time.

My friend's on that last level. He's gonna have a ball.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: X on April 25, 2009, 12:38:32 PM
CV III is a real B@#$H near the end. Over the years I got so good at it that now it doesn't matter who I finish the game with. I've seen all four endings and still enjoy the game every now and then.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: X on April 25, 2009, 12:40:07 PM
CV III is a real B@#$H near the end. Over the years I got so good at it that now it doesn't matter who I finish the game with. I've seen all four endings and still enjoy the game every now and then.

-X
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Baigan on May 08, 2009, 01:02:15 PM
Castlevania in the old days wasn't meant to just be BEAT. You were really lucky to have actually seen Dracula. It made him more badass and mysterious. Worst thing he ever did was talk.

I thought it was just my imagination about the harder Dracula in Wii Console. The beams seem to..linger longer. Hard to "jump over." You need more perfect timing.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: A n t r a x x on May 08, 2009, 01:21:05 PM
I've always said this is one of the hardest in the series; thankfully it's also one of the funnest.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Marty Belmont on November 19, 2009, 09:48:40 PM
Seriously, Stage 9 is so face meltingly frustrating. And then there's the last stage, which luckily isn't as hard. But at least in the first Castlevania, if you made it to Dracula and died or got Game Over, they placed you right near him so you could face him again. It didn't take away from the difficulty of the game.

at least you can pick up an axe before the pendulums, which Makes Dracula's 3rd form easier.

and when you DO beat dracula (for the first time which I did today) that i consider to be the ultimate pinnacle of video game satisfaction.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Jayfeather on December 11, 2009, 02:30:11 PM
I do recall this gaming being very hard until I beat it, A task the took 4 years of playing on and off.  I think the levels on the Alucard/Grant path are among the hardest.  The Aqua-Shrine and The Mine are the only two levels I'm not 100% sure I could beat at any given time.  I think getting though the mine as Sypha would be one of the hardest challenges the that game has to offer,  Granted to get Sypha there means your on the 2nd Quest, or you've cheated.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: MarquisX on December 14, 2009, 11:43:56 AM
CVIII is tough but it's quite beatable. All you need is some practice. Use Grant to get around if you have too much trouble. But, yeah....the end of stage 9 with the ravens  and Doppleganger drives me nuts.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Profbeanburrito on December 15, 2009, 04:00:08 PM
I think the hardest part of CV3 is the doppleganger. The whole game is a challenge, and I love that. I've found that the easiest way to beat it thought is with Alucard. His fireballs are a little week, but you can fly around and avoid some hits as a bat, as long as you have the hearts for it.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Jayfeather on December 15, 2009, 07:19:07 PM
I do remember the first time I beat it,  I spammed  Sypha's Lightning attack and hid up on the left ledge the whole time.  I also know a cheap defensive trick that you can use to prevent yourself from getting trapped on either the left or right ledge:  Transform while the dopleganger is in mid air and watch him drop like a rock after he fallows.

There are a couple spots where mummies + boomerang = lots of extra lives and a high score, it can be though,  but one heart can score you 3000 points easily if you stand between the spawning points and jump over the boomerang when it returns. You get 1up for every 50000 points.  Judge for you for yourself weather or not its worth it... 
"Help Me" is a lot faster.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: MarquisX on December 16, 2009, 03:57:40 AM
The Doppelganger I would try to take out with a triple shot Holy water. But you have to not get killed most of the stage to the end to have that option. Or If Grant's doppelganger was equipped with an Axe (or Dagger?) you can just duck and spam attacks while the double throws the weapon over and over in the same spot while you are safe. Or it’s just a lot damn good luck.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Jayfeather on December 16, 2009, 07:16:01 AM
I've been trying to play though all the levels recently.  The second part of the Aquarius level on the second quest takes the award for Hardest Level I think,  Water Rising, enemies Spawning from 3 directions.  This is the ONLY level I have yet to beat on the second quest.  I even tried Game Genie, and still can't beat it.  Knock back factor plays the biggest role, Thank God for save states right now (In this case, purely for saving and coming back later) because I can take about 10 minutes of it before I have to stop.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: MantapusProductions on December 16, 2009, 09:26:55 AM
i hate the really long climb useing the falling blocks.
its not even that its that hard it just takes soooooooooo long
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on December 16, 2009, 05:29:55 PM
Yeah, only with Grant though.  With Alucard if you saved the hearts in the earlier section you can fly up to the platform with the candle (press A in the air for extra lift).
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: Jayfeather on December 16, 2009, 08:54:33 PM
Try it using only Sypha on the 2nd Quest...
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: The Last Belmont on December 31, 2009, 12:28:17 PM
Seriously, Stage 9 is so face meltingly frustrating. And then there's the last stage, which luckily isn't as hard. But at least in the first Castlevania, if you made it to Dracula and died or got Game Over, they placed you right near him so you could face him again. It didn't take away from the difficulty of the game.

III is more forgiving in the sense that you have a lot more to work with not just said Belmont plus a handful of subweapons. With Sypha the last 2 stages are really easy. The first one took me longer than 3 because of stage 5. Just like C3 stage 5 is punishingly difficult and the boss is the toughest boss in the game in my opinion.

I think the hardest part of CV3 is the doppleganger. The whole game is a challenge, and I love that. I've found that the easiest way to beat it thought is with Alucard. His fireballs are a little week, but you can fly around and avoid some hits as a bat, as long as you have the hearts for it.

I agree the doppleganger took the spotlight for hardest boss in this installment. You have to have the cross or the axe and a double or triple shot to even stand a chance with Trevor.
Title: Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse gets so stupidly difficult near the end
Post by: The Last Belmont on December 31, 2009, 12:29:22 PM
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