Castlevania Dungeon Forums
The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: Sinful on May 20, 2012, 01:13:34 PM
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The DS Castleroids are games I always wanted to have and play ever since I heard of the first one. Right off the bat I assumed that they would be way better then the GBA ones (only the first two of which I played & beat when they were new). And though my tastes vary greatly from others, I wonder what others think about this?
I do own all 3 for the DS (almost forgot too, lol, due to me finally getting into the classic vania games. And in a big way too), so it's inevitable that I'll get to them soon enough and especially as I start to hunger for more new Castlevania content. So what I want to know is if others were more let down with the DS games then the GBA ones, or more impressed overall?
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to be blunt, harmony and aria take after symphony in more crafty and interesting ways while dawn and portrait take advantage of their outsource in symphony and steep into kleptomaniacal territory.
circle and ecclesia are exceptions with circle's overall clumsiness and ecclesia's handling of combat/evasion tactics, new resources, and inventory condensation
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I like all three GBA games more than all the DS ones, personally.
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The gba games are better imo. The DS games are good but the gba ones are better.
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I like them all equally, to be honest. ^^
Except for CotM.... but only because I´m still too stupid to play this game ;)
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IMO, the gba games are pretty different from eachother, while the three DS games look, feel and play pretty much the same. The gba are more interesting to me because of that, but at the same time I'm one of the few people here who actually think that Dawn of Sorrow is a better game than Aria. I'm really torn between the gba and the ds vanias. There's some awful level design and recycled areas in both Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia though.
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They're all worth at least a play. ;D
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It depends highly on what you want out of the game. The DS games all feature smooth animation and good combat and generally polished gameplay.
I find the GBA games to be far rougher and less perfected, but at the same time, they really capture the atmospheres of Super Castlevania IV and Symphony quite well. They feel like solid evolutions of Symphony's formula, whereas the DS games felt more like variations on a theme by comparison.
Neither is truly better overall in my eyes, but I do favor the GBA games for capturing the mysterious ill-defined "Castlevania Feel" better than the DS trilogy.
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Hmm, things didn't go as I expected it seems? Most so far seem to prefer the GBA games more overall... not that this should put a dent in my high expectations for these games, it does make me wonder?...
One of my main interest is these games are the graphics/atmosphere. In particular I'm happy to hear of some outside of the Castle areas.
They're all worth at least a play. ;D
Well yeah, the ways I see it is that if you a big enough Castlevania fan, you'll eventually play through all of the Castlevania & related (ie. Kid Dracula) games. But for me being a vania fan, it's also nice to hear others thoughts on what what they think, prefer, hate, etc. too alongside playing the games. Otherwise I wouldn't be here.
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The GBA ones are better and for one HUGE reason.
1) Level Design... It seemed once it they got to making the DS games they started to get more and more lazy and resorted to copy and paste square rooms more and more.
Circle of the moon, harmony and aria had interesting level designs and far more unique rooms.
That alone to me means a lot. Everything else was just icing, I picture Aria getting a symphony of the night graphical make over and it makes me joyous inside.
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The GBA games have amazing atmosphere, and for HoD and AoS at least, pretty good graphics. (HoD actually focused on the graphics, thus leaving the music to suffer a bit)
the gba games really feel like legit sequels and inheritors to the metroidvania design, while the DS games really feel like cheaper cash ins just riding on the metroidvania bandwagon. The generic anime art stylke used for PoR and DoS doesnt help either, and neither does the fact that both have not only a terrible art style, but equally terrible 'sequel' stories. their atmosphere is also just really nonexistant. I would really recommend Dawn for Julius mode, and ONLY for Julius mode. Just ignore that the Soma main game exists and play the CV3 homage story. Which, actually has a story, unlike aria. Julius mode here takes place after Soma's bad ending.
TLDR, play them all, they all have their worth, but if you have to pick, go for the GBA ones first. At least Aria, because Dawn is a direct sequel to it, so you should really play it first.
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The GBA games have amazing atmosphere, and for HoD and AoS at least, pretty good graphics. (HoD actually focused on the graphics, thus leaving the music to suffer a bit)
the gba games really feel like legit sequels and inheritors to the metroidvania design, while the DS games really feel like cheaper cash ins just riding on the metroidvania bandwagon. The generic anime art stylke used for PoR and DoS doesnt help either, and neither does the fact that both have not only a terrible art style, but equally terrible 'sequel' stories. their atmosphere is also just really nonexistant. I would really recommend Dawn for Julius mode, and ONLY for Julius mode. Just ignore that the Soma main game exists and play the CV3 homage story. Which, actually has a story, unlike aria. Julius mode here takes place after Soma's bad ending.
TLDR, play them all, they all have their worth, but if you have to pick, go for the GBA ones first. At least Aria, because Dawn is a direct sequel to it, so you should really play it first.
Very Valid points all aboard I especially agree with the story/atmosphere mentions.....
Dawn and the other DS versions really came off cartoony in the story itself whereas Aria had such a dark tone to it in line with castlevania of old even though it's set in the future.
The atmosphere too, I remember in aria where you are in the chapel area and you see the swirling clouds with lightning...So amazing for the GBA.
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I played all three GBA entries and the first two DS entries. From my experience, the GBA games were better in most areas except maybe graphics. The DS games feel more repetitive and feel like they're cutting corners. They're still fun, but not as meaty.
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From my experience, the GBA games were better in most areas except maybe graphics.
That's one of the biggest reasons the DS games bummed me out so much. I was like, "Finally, the games are on a system again that'll handle SOTN-caliber graphics," and while they delivered on good looks, the games themselves were just...bland. The GBA ones are all really fun, so it really bothers me that the DS ones are lesser...especially DOS which had so many long corridors with nothing interesting happening in them. Worst. castle design. ever.
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I think it's important to remember that many of us played the GBA games before the DS ones. By the time DoS and especially PoR came out, the novelty had sort of worn off. Because of that I tend to prefer the GBA games as a whole. I do think Dawn is better than Aria, but Portrait and Ecclesia just weren't that interesting to me. They're still great games - probably some of the best action games on the DS, but there's no denying I would've liked them a lot more if the formula hadn't been EXHAUSTED by the time of their release.
Still, you can't go wrong with these games. They're too easy (yes, even Ecclesia IMO) but they're fun for what they are.
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I really just dont understand how anyone can find Dawn better than Aria.
I dont just mean plotwise, but even visually, musically, atmospherically, and gameplaywise. Aria just felt more fun to me. The castle in DoS just felt boring and generic. The souls in DoS didnt feel much more fun than in AoS either. And merging the weapon system with the soul system was the worst decision ever, because rather than just hiding the weapon for you to find, or leaving it for hard mode, it forces you to sacrifice souls. Therefore turning the game into a grindfest of epic proportions. And not only that, but for it's final level up, you must sacrifice a boss soul, of which there are only 1 of. It was stupid.
at least Julius mode was ok. (though Julius felt really watered down, and there was no excuse for that solid black outline)
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aria is crunchier and craftier. area structure and enemy placement matters and is appropriate. dawn has some alright bosses, but the game is overall more loose and still falls victim to the copy & paste.
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Hm. I like DoS because it felt like - dare I say it - Aria 2.0. Or Aria the way it should've been. I TOTALLY realize that I'm probably the only one in these forums with this opinion, but to me it felt more, dunno, polished I guess? Also, I love grinding so that might have something to do with it. And the boss battles in DoS are among my favourites in the entire series.
Now, before you all hate me, understand this: Aria arguably has a much better soundtrack, and story obviously. And it's darker, which I like. And yeah, there are some questionable/lazy level design in DoS, but Aria had that darned Floating Garden thing which didn't sit well with me. Neither did the ballroom or the inner quarters. Many people seem to hate the castle design in DoS but I actually preferred it over Aria.
Make no mistake though - both games are very good IMO. Aria is a 8.5/10 in my book. Dawn however, is a 9/10.
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I like the GBA games better because I enjoy all three of them. They are unique enough to each have a distinct look and feel. Cotm has a nice hybrid of metoidmania and classic castlevania. AoS introduced the tactical soul system and had good mystery vibe going for it. HoD brought a Belmont back into the lead role and had fast paced gameplay and a cool art style. PoR and DoS look too similar in style and design and its a very generic design. PoR was the worst offender with the mirrored portraits. They are not bad games overall but the copy pasted style is very drab. OoE actually had a much darker style and is my favorite of all six titles. There is still some repeating rooms and themes but it wasn't as bad as what had been done prior. Outside of OoE I find myself replaying all 3 GBA games more frequently.
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Hm. I like DoS because it felt like - dare I say it - Aria 2.0. Or Aria the way it should've been. I TOTALLY realize that I'm probably the only one in these forums with this opinion, but to me it felt more, dunno, polished I guess? Also, I love grinding so that might have something to do with it. And the boss battles in DoS are among my favourites in the entire series.
Now, before you all hate me, understand this: Aria arguably has a much better soundtrack, and story obviously. And it's darker, which I like. And yeah, there are some questionable/lazy level design in DoS, but Aria had that darned Floating Garden thing which didn't sit well with me. Neither did the ballroom or the inner quarters. Many people seem to hate the castle design in DoS but I actually preferred it over Aria.
Make no mistake though - both games are very good IMO. Aria is a 8.5/10 in my book. Dawn however, is a 9/10.
Dawn had it's moments.
IMO the best stage was the Condemned Tower. the music there was also my favorite track, aside from into the dark night, or whatever that one boss track was called. Gergoth himself was also a real neat boss. and DoS DID bring us one of the best Bloody Tears renditions. But again, while I like certain parts of it, I just dont like all of it as much as I do Aria.
I dont mind grinding, but in DoS I found myself force grinding because I wanted a certain weapon. So it got tedious. Then it asks me to sacrifice a boss soul, and I grumble, because I really like my abaddon soul, or my Gergoth soul.
The clocktower was nice, didnt quite dig the clocktower music though.
Hated the laboratory.
hated the story with a PASSION. Hated the art style, hated Soma's redesign. (which unfortunately, partially carried onto HD.)
I guess I would rate Aria a 10 and Dawn a 8. it's enjoyable, but when I compare it to Aria, it just falls flat for me.
but hey, OPINIONS!
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Gergoth himself was also a real neat boss.
Yeah, Gergoth is probably my favorite boss in the entire game. I actually died a few times before I got it right, which shocked me considering how the rest of the game is not very challenging at all. The Puppet Master was a pretty cool concept too, though I never had any trouble killing it.
On a similar note, I really liked the Brauner fight in PoR. It had a pretty clever and unique design. Looking back at all the Metroidvanias, there were some great potential in the boss fights, but many of them ultimately fell flat because there were no strategy involved whatsoever. Or maybe I was just ridiculously overleveled (which I always am because of my tendencies to grind like crazy in these kind of games).
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In OoE most of the bosses required real strategy, you couldn't just grind yourself to victory like in many RPGs.
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In OoE most of the bosses required real strategy, you couldn't just grind yourself to victory like in many RPGs.
Yeah, Ecclesia is the obvious exception here. (Oh, and Circle of the Moon. The Twin Dragon says "hi")
But to be honest I think that the boss battles in Ecclesia weren't as interesting, design-wise, as the ones in Dawn and Portrait. It made up for it by being more challenging though.
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Yeah, Ecclesia is the obvious exception here. (Oh, and Circle of the Moon. The Twin Dragon says "hi")
But to be honest I think that the boss battles in Ecclesia weren't as interesting, design-wise, as the ones in Dawn and Portrait. It made up for it by being more challenging though.
These two are perhaps my favorites or at least in the top for mv's. With OOE you had that feeling that no matter how muched you leveled up it did not matter, and Circle was what in my opinion what harmony should of been but better. Circle had a much better system with the dss but it was so hard to obtain some of those cards :(
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I will go with the GBA games, for me Aria of Sorrow is the best Castlevania game from all those released on GBA and DS and I also have a sweet spot for Circle of the Moon.
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While I love them all, I'll be honest and say that I prefer the DS games over the GBA titles, even if the GBA titles arguably felt like there was differing variety. DoS for me was an upgraded version of my favorite GBA title, just with more customization and replay value...and I liked the soundtrack better. (The artwork and story...not so much.) I loved the duel system in PoR and had a lot of fun with it: I just wished it would have been a co-op experience. And OoE is my favorite out of all the DS titles (and arguably the GBA titles as well): loved the glyth (SP?) system, the music, what they attempted with the map/exploration, such as the fact that we went to other places than just the castle: the only thing I'd wish they'd done was actually link the places like they do in the castle to make it feel more natural? I suppose. Loved the music, liked the story, LOVED the boss fights...and both PoR and OoE had two of my favorite Dracula fights. (I loved the Death/Dracula collab and someone must have really loved King of Fighters when they made OoE, which is awesome since it's one of my all time favorite fighting games. ;D)
So yeah: the DS titles for me.
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I'm gonna go have to go with the DS games here. I loved CotM, the music was great, the castle was great, but it did have some drawbacks. The DSS system was annoying for me, having to memorize which cards went well together was a pain. The game also had a couple strange spikes in difficulty at certain points in the game. Still, I look back on the title fondly. HoD was not good for me. This is by far the worst "metroidvania" in my eyes. Minus a couple songs, the music wasn't anything special, the castle had a couple nice areas but it was mostly bland and repetitive to me. Juste seemed too close to Alucard and it kinda bothered me also, and that blue outline... I enjoyed AoS. The music had some nice tracks, it looked nice, and the game was fun to play. I wasn't a huge fan of the story, the japense stuff never really sat right with me, but I liked having guns.
When it comes to the DS games, they just seem superior to me. The music in all of them is awesome, they look good, they play good. DoS is the weakest of the three to me, seeming too much like a rehash of AoS, but I really thought that Julius mode was great. I don't hate PoR like many others seem to, the soundtrack is probably my favorite of the three DS games, and all the different types of level themes made it interesting for me. Also, that has to be my favorite final boss battle in a Castlevania game. Dracula and Death at the same time was a great idea. OoE was great of course, as most people here seem to agree on. The game had everything going for it and it was just a lot of fun to play. Also as a side note, I don't grind to level up or attempt to collect every soul or anything in these games, so that could have an impact on my outlook of them.
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I'd say there's strengths and weaknesses found throughout them all--many things the GBA games do well, the DS games don't and vice versa. But gameplay-wise (in general), I tend to prefer the GBA ones, which I suppose is what should matter most. There's also some exceptions because it's not totally possible to perfectly generalize all the DS games together or all the GBA ones together: for example, DoS tends to have some aspects of gameplay that still harken back to AoS since it still has an exploration-rich castle, and CotM tends to have some problematic gameplay aspects like the difficulty of getting good card drops and the double-tap run. Meanwhile, the DS games seem to have music I prefer and the graphics are obviously improved. While AoS has one of the strongest stories, OoE has a strong one as well, so that cuts through a generalization. The thing is, I tend to like the gameplay of all of them at such a high level that saying I like one more than the other isn't really a diss at the game I like less.
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With Dawn of Sorrow, grinding was never a problem for me... Soul Eater Ring + Three 7s + Maxed out Ghost Dancer soul (didn't even bother with Dead Warrior) = souls dropping like crazy... I got all the souls, and all the weapons, and if I had to sacrifice boss souls to prevent me getting the Chaos Ring, the story (when you're equipped with Claimh Solais and Valmanway) is able to be beaten in 3 hours, to where you can nab all the boss souls because they're automatic drops... My only problems with Dawn of Sorrow is that the story is mediocre, the souls aren't as good as they were in Aria, and the game is too easy, even on Hard Mode... Tho I am enjoying Julius Mode, as it's a really nice challenge... I don't have a problem with the castle layout... heck, my favorite area of the castle is the Demon Guest House, because there was obviously a lot of thought put into it's rooms... yeah, it's suffers from copy and paste, but with certain enemy placement, every room is different, and looking at the map design, it looks and feels like a little apartment complex within the castle, and it works because that's what it is... as for what I like better, the GBA or the DS games, I feel both are a mixed bag... I haven't gotten around to Portrait or Order yet, but I can't wait to play them because they seem to offer a variety in the gameplay... I didn't really Harmony, as the music and castle design threw me off, I really enjoyed Aria, and right now I'm playing Circle... and my favorite is Circle, just because it offers a fun challenge, and is more challenging than the other metroidvania handhelds...
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I personally see it like this:
Order of Ecclesia > Aria of Sorrow > Circle of the Moon > Portrait of Ruin > Dawn of Sorrow > Harmony of Dissonance
All worth playing, but some you should dive into first, especially from the GBAvania library.
With Dawn of Sorrow, grinding was never a problem for me... Soul Eater Ring + Three 7s + Maxed out Ghost Dancer soul (didn't even bother with Dead Warrior) = souls dropping like crazy...
Except you had to grind for those things. Three 7s on a lesser level.
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The GBA games edge out those on the DS. Well, for the most part- HoD is definitely the worst of all six while OoE is at least in the same league as AoS and CotM.
I'll admit, Circle of the Moon was my first Metroidvania so I may be a little biased here. I really like this game. The castle is large, has a bunch of secrets, and houses some intimidating boss fights. Your character feels weighty and movement around the castle is enjoyable. Enemy placement actually changes depending on your progress, which was a neat touch. The music direction is also excellent, especially for the (albeit few) original tracks- Castlevania could afford to have music that sounds more in line with Fate to Despair and Proof of Blood. Nonetheless, there is a general lack of animation frames and certain enemy sprites are frequently recolored and reused throughout. Some people also criticize the game's palette and how dark it is, but this is something I valued. It worked for this game and seemed appropriate.
Harmony of Dissonance is the only Metroidvania that I sincerely dislike. Juste's design is the worst of all the Belmonts and his spriteset is terrible. The music quality is bad, especially when you consider that this compromise was supposedly done for the visuals, which are gaudy and ugly. Many enemy sprites are simply downgraded Symphony/Rondo designs, the default castle is small and lacks breakable walls and compelling secrets, and the "B" castle is too similar to the original to be all that fun to run through. The plot is pretty ridiculous too- Alucard Belmont's jealous amigo, who happens to be a ninja, is brainwashed by Dracula's dismembered organs and runs off with his girlfriend. Err...
Aria of Sorrow is excellent, plain and simple. Whereas HoD struggled for a cohesive identity and opted to just ape Symphony up front, Aria is a focused experience presentation-wise. Along with many of the enemy types being unique, the game manages to look and sound significantly better than HoD. The castle design is very smart: the game environment is large, varied, and contains little recycling. The plot is also surprisingly ambitious and progressive, especially given the rest of the series. The game also has many things to do/collect, thanks to its weapon and soul systems. It represents a quantum leap over Harmony, in my opinion.
DoS, while an acceptable sequel, is inferior to its predecessor in terms of castle design, art design, and plot. PoR, though fun, really reeks of "Saturday Morning Castlevania". The characters are obnoxious and look terrible, the castle is right up there with Curse of Darkness as one of the worst in the series, and the game shamelessly recycles assets (moreso than the other DS games). Also, it's not as technically sound as the other games- it's more prone to slowdown and crashes.
OoE is generally more somber and, barring some of the townsfolk, has better and more appropriate characterization. The tone definitely does not feel as homogenized as the previous two games due these traits as well as the improved artstyle. Level design can be a mixed bag, as a good portion of the outdoor areas are used at least twice/have blatantly repeating rooms. However, I really like the endgame castle and how dense it is. It's varied, dangerous, and has a bunch of interesting abilities to go after. OoE is also the first Metroidvania since CotM to have any semblance of difficulty to it, which is something that I appreciated.
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DS Castleroids overall better then GBA Castleroids?
No.
That is not to say I do not enjoy them, but the DS games are wholly more lackluster works than the GBA games.
Part of this is due to timing. When the GBA games had come out, the Symphony formula was still unique and relatively untrodden territory. By the time the DS games came out, that path had been heavily trampled under the GBA games, and there were only so many ways to keep it new. Ecclesia managed to shake things up a bit with slightly improved graphics, classic/castleroid hybrid level design, a host of new enemies with fewer reused enemies, and an upped difficulty level, but I'd still be hard pressed to rank it in my top 5 games in the series.
But equally culpable is that the first two DS games smacked a bit of hubris, more so than previous entries. If not hubris, then my next word choice would be laziness.
Dawn was basically Aria made into a Saturday morning cartoon while trying to somehow be a sequel. Portrait was even worse in that regard. By the time Portrait had been out for a few months, it was evident that things needed to change, and Ecclesia was the result. Ecclesia is leagues better than either of it's predecessors, but still can't quite measure up to the GBA games.
All three of the GBA games make my top 10 at least, but only Ecclesia can manage that feat from the DS trilogy.
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Having been in I wanna say 6th grade when I played SotN, I was definitely quite impressionable and absolutely loved it. Still though, me and my best friend preferred playing as Richter and not using his OP item crashes to keep the CV challenge and nostalgia there. I was in either in 8th grade or high-school when the GBA series came out, and I distinctly remember liking CotM for being a solid entry to the series, hating HoD for what I PERSONALLY felt as being a boring, uninspired water-down version of SotN (although I LOOOOOOVED the NES-esque music), and of course fapping to AoS like we all did (and I mean "all" loosely). That being said, when I bought the DS games, I was amazed at what I PERSONALLY felt was the greater level of quality and game-play.
That strikes me as odd, since being that young would suggest that I should have been more biased to the games that made a bigger impression on my life. From an analytical perspective at my current age of 26, CotM, HoD, and AoS indeed do have the biggest distinct difference between them (and hence an actual identity), whereas you could definitely lump DoS, PoR, and OoE into the same mold. And, as many others have pointed out in this thread, the GBA series seems to have better innovations. Nevertheless, I still, for some reason, prefer the DS generation of portable CV's to the GBA generation. In particular I love the fact that PoR gave us a partner system where both partners are active at once (although it took another 5 fragging years for a true multi-player CV game...) and that we got 7 total characters to play as in PoR.
And just for the record, having seen some battle-lines drawn between Castlevanias vs Metroidvanias, I prefer (and play) both. They are a refreshing change of pace to keep things from becoming stale and I feel their distinctive styles, as with the possible style of LoS, will ebb and flow as time goes on. Look at how popular the retro Megaman game was. We might see the same for Castlevania, or maybe a new game will take the series by storm. LoS may or may not have done it, but Konami finally seems to have fired off a 3D Castlevania that has gained at least somewhat approval from the consensus after striking out with CV64, CV:LoD, CV:LoI, and CV: CoD.
Also Chummers I've done my best to keep these from becoming icebergs of text, but long-winded has always been my downfall, even with an English Major.
If you're here for the TL; DR version the best I can do is: I played GBA series as a kid but don't like them as much as the DS series even though the GBA series is arguably more original. I see the IGA-verse as the other side of the Castlevania coin and play both archetypes with equal love. And sometimes that coin lands on its narrow edge, which might be the LoS style."
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GBA for me. Those games still feel rougher and more atmospheric compared to the smooth and glossy affairs on the DS. Probably as much to do with the limitations of the GBA architecture as much as anything else, although the first two DS entries also felt dumbed-down and riding on the coattails of what had come before. I won’t go into detail, but I felt a sense of series fatigue while playing Portrait of Ruin. The GBA entries felt significantly different from one another.
What helps the GBA’s case also, is that I feel that Aria of Sorrow is the best Castleroid entry in the series. The Tactical Soul system was an outstanding achievement from IGA and his team, built in beautifully to the storyline and offering practical means to advance in the game. I’m not one for collectathons, but Aria changed all that. There was just a feeling that you had to collect all those souls and see what they did, see what they offered. Every single one, for better or worse.
There’s also a pacing to the game that just feels right to me.
Aria is the one Castleroid I do enjoy replaying time and time again. There’s just something mystical about it. Maybe it’s the Japanese-based storyline, its pale, pastel-like colours; perhaps the map layout itself, the strange hollow-feeling-like areas like the Underground Waterway, Forgotten Garden or Chaotic Realm. The musical score doesn’t seem to be very highly regarded by fans but I absolutely love it for what it is.
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The musical score doesn’t seem to be very highly regarded by fans but I absolutely love it for what it is.
Not sure why you seem to think that. You would actually be hard-pressed to find a CV fan who doesn't think that Aria has a great soundtrack.
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I mostly only really like the tracks by Soshiro Hokkai in Aria like Premonition. So you can just take that.
ofc I like Yamane's tracks too but they don't put up as strong as an impression. I like Top Floor and etc iirc.
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I think what makes Circle more appealing is that aside from collecting cards, it's the only GBA game that tries to infuse Classicvania into the Igavania style. While it is, for the most part, a weird experiment that makes the game atrociously harder than it needed to be, it really does set it apart from the other portable titles that literally try to outdo SOTN. Problem was the areas in the game being horrifically boring. HoD fixed that but created the problem of confusing map navigation due to the inverted castle sections. Aria was basically an upgraded SOTN as well as Dawn. Portrait.... ugh. OoE, however, stood out more as the game wasn't trying to redo the whole "castle collect0thon" like the previous installments did. It is in essence the true spiritual successor to the classicvania games. I thought it would be impossible to bring back the difficulty of the old games mixed in with the super abilities of the newer characters and gameplay, but that game did it. I don't know how, but it did it's job well.
So if anything, I would have to say that because of OoE alone, it's better than the GBA games. Because it was, to me, a successful hybrid.