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The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: RichterB on March 12, 2015, 06:44:21 PM

Title: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: RichterB on March 12, 2015, 06:44:21 PM
There's been a lot of gloom and doom about where Castlevania should go, or if it's stuck in a tomb.

I just wanted to ask what is the minimum level of a game you would accept for Castlevania at this point?

For example: After the whole LoS endeavor, rightly or wrongly, one doubts Konami would try a big-budget 3D Castlevania as a follow-up effort. So, let's say Konami decided to make a download-only 2D linear game like Super Castlevania IV in visuals and gameplay (so slightly more advanced than Rebirth), but with only 5 or 6 levels, and charged between $8-$10 for it. Is this something fans at large would accept? Or does it have to have modern visuals, sprawling levels like CVIII and/or Rondo, or be a Metroidvania with a lot of varied things to collect and places to explore?

And I'm not talking "Comeback" as in Castlevania becomes mainstream or all your dreams are fulfilled; I'm just saying that in your mind, you feel like the Castlevania itch has been scratched in a satisfying way that gives you hope for the future.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: Nagumo on March 13, 2015, 01:43:03 AM
I'm going to be greedy and say at least a 2D and 3D game. If it has to be a compromise with LoS games on consoles and something different on handhelds then that would be fine with me.

Regarding a download-only 2D game, 5 or 6 levels would technically be fine, but as such a game would cater mostly to nostalgic fans, I think it's fair to say unless the game was designed for really hardcore players, like Akumajo Dracula for the X68000, it would probably be too short and forgettable, like Rebirth. Therefore, although I have no problem with such a level of difficulty, I think it would be more fun if they would expland on the RoB formula, because I think the type of game design it has lends it the best to replayability. So, it might be a more fulfilling experience in the long run.     
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: K.G. Morder on March 13, 2015, 08:19:11 AM
a big budget game would be nice, and have the added bonus of getting attention.

a 2D download only wouldn't hurt, as long as its good, but even if it were on all platforms, might not really garner much attention.

I agree with nagumo on this, that a bit of both would be a healthy option.

that said, I doubt LoS would have turned them off from big budgetvanias. If anything it just convinced them to be more careful. After all, LoS1 WAS still a success. the reason LoS2 went bad was because of troubled development.

Hopefully, it would convince them to make their next big budget effort internally. or, do it externally, but have Kojima more involved as supervision/advisement. He wasn't that involved in LoS, (barely) but it still seemed to help, if only to sell the game
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: zaxiou on March 13, 2015, 09:34:24 AM
As much as it hurts me to say this, right now Castlevania's in the same state as Alien IP was after Colonial Marines. The best course of action with minimum efforts for Castlevania to come back would be to take a break and introduce a new, and by new I mean return to SOTN roots 2D Castlevania with a mario-maker esque level editor in 2016. The best way however would be a faster paced Souls game titled Castlevania made by Fromsoft but I don't think Konami now will take any risks unless Kojima himself coerces them to. Either that or a title by Platinum.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: K.G. Morder on March 13, 2015, 10:03:39 AM
I wouldn't say it's as bad as Colonial marines.

I'd compare it more to Megaman or Metroid. As in, they are unsure of how to revitalize CV to bring it permanently into the modern age. More Metroid though IMO.

And SotN is hardly the "roots." something like rebirth was more akin to the roots.

level editor would be nice though.

And Fromsoft games, (Souls particularly) are hardly fast paced. they are much more slow and methodical.

platinum sounds nice, but I wouldn't be too sure about that.

IMO, they should throw it at Kojima. surely he can do something (not to mention get all the money)
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: zaxiou on March 13, 2015, 10:26:11 AM
By SoTN roots I meant back to SoTN like games, like the DS ones. Too bad it won't be by Iga but not much we can do about it there.
Bloodborne is a lot faster than the previous souls games, I'm sure they can make even faster paced titles. But the chances of that happening's still pretty low. I hope something similar to Alien Isolation happens, an unexpected good reveal out of nowhere that too by an unexpected dev team. Kojima'll be too busy with Silent Hills and his MGS1 remake which he want to make unfortunately.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: piscesdreams on March 13, 2015, 11:13:21 AM
Honestly, a good followup of the same size and caliber as Adventure Rebirth would work for me. Dunno about the fans, but for me that would do it.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: theplottwist on March 13, 2015, 11:18:41 AM
Honestly, a good followup of the same size and caliber as Adventure Rebirth would work for me. Dunno about the fans, but for me that would do it.

Maybe a bit more ambitious than Adventure Rebirth for me, like branching paths.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: Shinobi on March 13, 2015, 11:24:47 AM
If a team which now known as Treasure who is responsible for making Super Castlevania 4 returns to make a new Castlevania, my life is complete and die in peace.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: piscesdreams on March 13, 2015, 12:35:31 PM
Maybe a bit more ambitious than Adventure Rebirth for me, like branching paths.

I would love that. Adventure Rebirth did have some long levels. But a game like that with alternate routes and hidden stages would be choice. I would love a game at least as long as SCIV with branching paths.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: KaZudra on March 13, 2015, 01:00:21 PM
After Hard Corps: Uprising, I've been wanting to see how Arc System Works would do for a Castlevania in terms of Visuals.
as for design, I thing the game should be in stages, with Super CV 4 in mind but with many branching paths
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: The Silverlord on March 13, 2015, 01:26:07 PM
I still feel Lords should have been released as a new IP.  Whatever the original intention was and/or its resemblence to the series (CV or not CV?), I think it would still have sold well, and it would have been a brave new IP from Konami; theirs, a company lacking the creativity it was once renowned for in the arcades and on MSX and early consoles.

Would it have been a risk to go its own? New IP the likes of DMC, Bayonetta, Dead Space or Demon's Souls still seem to fare OK.

However much we're told that game development is more expensive in this day and age, I yearn for Konami to get back to some of those roots; freedom, and creativity. They should take heart I feel for there are many indie developers out there today with relatively small teams who are developing some cracking stuff, and perhaps driving just as Konami did early on. 

On this issue of dead IPs: of course, the likes of Gradius is dead in name . . . but how many kids today have even heard of it? There's nothing to say a Gradius wouldn't be successful today in an age of more mainstream shmups like Resogun and Geometry Wars.  A Gradius today is almost akin to a new IP for many, many potential players who are, frankly, unaware of the series' existence.  So if there's this perception that the likes of Gradius or Goemon are dead, I think there's a new fanbase out there to go and win over. Those characters and mascots are not out of touch or out of date IMHO. A game featuring Pentarou? Why not.

PSN, Xbox Live and Steam are a great platform for reasonably priced games, and there's nothing to stop Konami getting stuck in with some solid games and being creative.

It may come to that if the AAA bubble bursts.

However, with PS4 selling like it is, and Konami being Konami, I think a CV on that platform means an opportunity to make money. And it may mean a game featuring Pentaru is forced to take a backseat. ;)
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: The Silverlord on March 13, 2015, 01:40:39 PM
It may probably be a Lords of Shadow Trilogy remaster, going by current trends . . .

. . . but if any, I'd love to see a Simon's Quest style adventure, possibly as a PSN/Live release. Completely new. I played Way Forward's Bloodrayne last year and while I hated it at first, it really grew on me--these are the kind of games/platform Konami could really do something with/could reach out for new fans with.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: Kingshango on March 13, 2015, 04:32:04 PM
Unfortunatly, Castlevania will make it's comeback either on iPhones or Patchislots.


On the bright side, if demand is high for it, maybe when the Iphonevania comes out maybe Konami will port it ot other handhelds if demand is high for it.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: piscesdreams on March 13, 2015, 06:14:02 PM
Unfortunatly, Castlevania will make it's comeback either on iPhones or Patchislots.


On the bright side, if demand is high for it, maybe when the Iphonevania comes out maybe Konami will port it ot other handhelds if demand is high for it.

That sounds like my personal hell.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: K.G. Morder on March 13, 2015, 11:31:01 PM
I still feel Lords should have been released as a new IP.  Whatever the original intention was and/or its resemblence to the series (CV or not CV?), I think it would still have sold well, and it would have been a brave new IP from Konami;


the problem I have with that idea is that it then would be too derivative of Castlevania. And much like Kojima asked why it wasn't a castlevania, people would instead bitch about "why didn't they just make a new castlevania"?

I wouldn't mind (and would encourage) a similar IP to LoS focusing on Dracula, but not necessarily him vs Belmonts, (I think LoS2 had potential on that front) but LoS really isn't it. IMO its damned if it does, damned if it doesn't. one way it isnt castlevania enough. the other, it's TOO castlevania.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: The Silverlord on March 14, 2015, 05:02:37 AM
the problem I have with that idea is that it then would be too derivative of Castlevania. And much like Kojima asked why it wasn't a castlevania, people would instead bitch about "why didn't they just make a new castlevania"?

I wouldn't mind (and would encourage) a similar IP to LoS focusing on Dracula, but not necessarily him vs Belmonts, (I think LoS2 had potential on that front) but LoS really isn't it. IMO its damned if it does, damned if it doesn't. one way it isnt castlevania enough. the other, it's TOO castlevania.

Agree with you on the "damned it you do, damned if you don't".

Just can't help thinking that had LoS been set out as a new IP (with different characters and named references), it would avoided all potential misgivings with the fanbase, and it would have been free to establish itself as a new adventure. The protagonist doesn't even need to become "Dracula" as such: just a man who has been used, becomes corrupted and a thing of darkness.  A new IP may have even earned Konami some brownie points for being creative in establishing a new series, away from its bastion of CV, MGS, Silent Hill, and PES.

But they tried to deliver a new direction, and the Lords of Shadow was still a very good game.  Credit to Konami for trying to be creative with their IP (even if it was just to try and get more sales/become more mainstream).
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: K.G. Morder on March 14, 2015, 10:30:08 AM
but thats the thing, from the start it was being developed as a castlevania game, and even after Konami told them to make it a New IP, it was STILL being worked on like a Castlevania game in all but name. Which wouldn't have changed anything. story would have been the same, save for some names being different, and people would bitch if this "GoW clone" was supposed to "replace" castlevania, or question why they didn't just make a castlevania instead of a knockoff IP.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: piscesdreams on March 14, 2015, 11:42:53 AM
Personally, I wonder what LoS would have turned out like if they went with the original style as the Simon Belmont trailer.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: X on March 15, 2015, 01:34:53 AM
Quote
Personally, I wonder what LoS would have turned out like if they went with the original style as the Simon Belmont trailer.

Assassin's Creed: Castlevania?

Quote
Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?

Personally a feel a CV classicvania game with SCV4's mechanics (play-style) would be a good place to start. SCV4 was a SNES one-hit wonder and has never been successfully repeated since. Bloodlines came close however the limitations of the Genesis system itself and the lack of a full 8-way whip system made it pale next to it's SNES counterpart. Having around fifteen stages or so (like CV III) would be enough, and this would allow for many branching paths as well as not having the game be too short in the long-run. But not have the levels be overly drawn out like they were in Adventure rebirth. Sometimes a stage can be just a tad too long for ones' liking.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: Chernabogue on March 15, 2015, 02:00:09 AM
Give me either 2D, 3D, Classic, Metroid, LoS -- I don't care. I just want it on PC or consoles, no Pachislot or Mobile shit.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: zaxiou on March 15, 2015, 03:36:35 AM
Personally, I wonder what LoS would have turned out like if they went with the original style as the Simon Belmont trailer.

A lot shorter I bet. Kojima made them lengthen the game by focusing on character arcs and story etc. I'm guessing the Castle itself would've been a huge focus instead of everywhere else.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on March 15, 2015, 09:29:01 PM
Assassin's Creed: Castlevania?

This made me laugh. Thanks, man.

I prefer one 2D/3D game for the 3DS/ithingies and a 3D one for the PS4/Xbone/PC.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: GuyStarwind on March 15, 2015, 10:25:51 PM
I've said it a million times now. Just give me a whip cracking Belmont, a giant castle, and some good CV baddies.
Title: Re: Minimum Level of a Game for a Castlevania "Comeback"?
Post by: pimp dracula on March 16, 2015, 01:26:55 AM
Start again from scratch, like SNK did with King of Fighters.

- If they are making a 2d game, they should use new sprites, preferably hand-drawn.
- Hire professional writers. LoS had potential but disappointed us with the sequels.
- Develop the game from low-key. No excessive marketing or advertisments and no fan-services. Just focus on the main aspect of the game for awhile. If the game becomes critically success, make another and sell it to ma.