Topic: NNC - Castlevania Rondo of Blood playthrough

[Kusanagi]

Hey everybody, Kusanagi here representing my group No Name Commentaries.

Myself and 3 others decided to do a commentary channel, and what better game for me to start with then my favorite, Castlevania Rondo of Blood. Since it's a castlevania game, I thought I'd share it here with you guys. I'm planning to do more castlevania playthroughs in the future for our channel, so hopefully you guys will enjoy them.

(On a side note, I hope I posted it in the right section. I'm counting on the Admin to move it if Im mistaken, and sorry for the trouble)

Anyways, here they are:
part 1
Killing a sea serpent with water [Castlevania Rondo of Blood part 1]
part 2
Pointing out the obvious [Castlevania Rondo of Blood part 2]
part 3
That's quite the accent you got there [Castlevania Rondo of Blood part 3]
part 4
ERRUPTING, BURNNNING, FINGERRR!!! [Castlevania Rondo of Blood part 4]
part 5
Derp derp Faail [Castlevania Rondo of Blood part 5]
part 6
Shaft is getting his grove on [Castlevania Rondo of Blood part 6]
final part
Dramatic finish! [Castlevania Rondo of Blood part Final]

[Patashnik]

I watched the first few minutes and it looked like it's definitely gearing up to be a good play-through ( you and your friends has some decent camaraderie  together, quite a humorous dynamic  with varying opinion). I had to stop  myself from watching too much however, as I have yet to play rondo of blood and would rather finish the game first before really delving into a recored playthrough.


so once I've finished the darn game or get a change to get a copy ( could emulate it I suppose for the pc engine version as I heard the snes and other versions butchers it..... what's the psp port like?) I'll definitely would like to see the rest, keep up the good work =D (maybe do a commentary of SOTN so I wont feel guilty of watching someone else play a game as I've already finished it XD)

[Kusanagi]

I watched the first few minutes and it looked like it definitely gearing up to be a good play-through ( you and your friends has some decent camaraderie  together, quite a humorous dynamic  with varying opinion).
I had to stop  myself from watching too much however, as I have yet to play rondo of blood and would rather
finish the game first before really delving into a recored playthrough.


so once I've finished the darn game or get a change to get a copy ( could emulate it I suppose for the pc engine version as I heard the snes and other versions butchers it..... what's the psp port like?) I'll definitely would like to see the rest, keep up the good work =D (maybe do a commentary of SOTN so I wont feel guilty of watching someone else play a game as I've already finished it XD)

Bee's look on things is pretty much on the opposite spectrum when it comes to Castlevania, so Im glad to hear that the difference does work  I actually got into Castlevania because I watched a playthrough of the game, and since then I've become a big fan for the franchise. Either way, Im sure you'll enjoy the game if you enjoy any of the classicvanias, or just a big castlevania/action platformer fan 

Anyways, the snes version is much different that Rondo of Blood because of its overall stage layout and the maidens you save in game (kind of debating if we will also lp that version). Better to get the pc engine version, or if you could go for the psp version. The psp version in particular has the whole game translated, so all of the cut scenes have subtitles to make things easier (both the German and Japanese dialog). Course, either version works, since the cutscenes aren't that much and you can more or less get the plot.

I'll gladly do Symphony of the Night for the commentary group, but only thing at the moment is sorting out how to record it properly. Once I figure that out (and Im sure I will), then Symphony of the Night will come very, very soon.

[PFG9000]

so once I've finished the darn game or get a change to get a copy ( could emulate it I suppose for the pc engine version as I heard the snes and other versions butchers it..... what's the psp port like?) I'll definitely would like to see the rest, keep up the good work =D (maybe do a commentary of SOTN so I wont feel guilty of watching someone else play a game as I've already finished it XD)

Do you have access to a Wii?  The Virtual Console version is probably your best bet.  I have that, the PSP version, and an emulated copy of the PC Engine original.  The Wii is the best because it's legal and hassle-free, and because the game is meant to be played on a TV.  The PSP screen isn't the best due to ghosting issues, and even if you play your PSP on a TV, it won't be fullscreen.

[Patashnik]

Do you have access to a Wii?  The Virtual Console version is probably your best bet.  I have that, the PSP version, and an emulated copy of the PC Engine original.  The Wii is the best because it's legal and hassle-free, and because the game is meant to be played on a TV.  The PSP screen isn't the best due to ghosting issues, and even if you play your PSP on a TV, it won't be fullscreen.

hmm... I could get my hands on one second hand for reasonably cheap... I'll look into that thanks PFG9000,

Kusanagi:
also yea when you get time doing a SOTN walkthrough  would be pretty boss, (I am thinking of doing a hard mode walkthrough perhaps myself.. level 1 restriction, not sure if I will stream it or put it up on you tube in segments..but atm just a pipedream) Good luck =D

[Kusanagi]

Do you have access to a Wii?  The Virtual Console version is probably your best bet.  I have that, the PSP version, and an emulated copy of the PC Engine original.  The Wii is the best because it's legal and hassle-free, and because the game is meant to be played on a TV.  The PSP screen isn't the best due to ghosting issues, and even if you play your PSP on a TV, it won't be fullscreen.

Drat, I forgot to mention the Wii version. Good call there PFG.
The Wii version as he mentioned works better for your TV if you want the full emulation on a console without any minor issues. Generally any version of the game is good to get, only comes down to how you game and your preferences.

hmm... I could get my hands on one second hand for reasonably cheap... I'll look into that thanks PFG9000,

Kusanagi:
also yea when you get time doing a SOTN walkthrough  would be pretty boss, (I am thinking of doing a hard mode walkthrough perhaps myself.. level 1 restriction, not sure if I will stream it or put it up on you tube in segments..but atm just a pipedream) Good luck =D

Level 1 restriction hard mode? That would be interesting to see. If you ever put it up on youtube, I'd definitely like to see it. I've only gotten to play through Symphony of the Night once, since the second two times my data got corrupt halfway through the first castle. But I still have the gist of where most of the stuff is, and it would be fitting to do it since its 4 years after Rondo of Blood's events.

Now I just need to sort out how to record it properly... (<- a stickler for video quality).

[Bloodreign]

Do you have access to a Wii?  The Virtual Console version is probably your best bet.  I have that, the PSP version, and an emulated copy of the PC Engine original.  The Wii is the best because it's legal and hassle-free, and because the game is meant to be played on a TV.  The PSP screen isn't the best due to ghosting issues, and even if you play your PSP on a TV, it won't be fullscreen.

Not only that, but the original voice acting's in it, love that old charming nonunderstandable by me dialogue the characters had, such chemistry that the new voice acting couldn't repeat.

[Kusanagi]

Not only that, but the original voice acting's in it, love that old charming nonunderstandable by me dialogue the characters had, such chemistry that the new voice acting couldn't repeat.

Rondo of Blood had a voice change in the PSP port (The DXC remake did, but the original port along side it)? I know that Symphony of the Night had voice changes, but last I checked the Rondo of Blood port just has subtitles and they kept the original voices. As far as I know, the only problem is the ghosting issues (and for me that wasn't much of an issue).

But I can agree for one thing that the voice change in general didn't work as well as the original. Especially Alucard's way too young voice actor. I much preferred their original voices, even if the lines were cheesy 

[Bloodreign]

No, the PSP port didn't retain the original voice acting, it too was updated as it was translated, and the Japanese acting is also updated.

[Kusanagi]

No, the PSP port didn't retain the original voice acting, it too was updated as it was translated, and the Japanese acting is also updated.

Oh I see, now that'll be something I'll need to look into when I have time. Curious though was it for the better or worse for you (just specifically to the Rondo of Blood port)?
My initial playthrough I didn't notice a thing, though that's probably because it was my first time to ever play the game.

(very slow in my response - my apologies - studies got real busy, but now Im back xD)

[Corpsecrank]

I got to about the fourth part of this when I played it and I just stopped because the control was to painful. I wish this game wasn't so old and clunky because it is pretty much the best of the original style of games. It really feels like I am playing through an nes game again and that is just hard to do these days lol.

[Kusanagi]

I got to about the fourth part of this when I played it and I just stopped because the control was to painful. I wish this game wasn't so old and clunky because it is pretty much the best of the original style of games. It really feels like I am playing through an nes game again and that is just hard to do these days lol.

If you were coming from the metroidvanias or SCV4, I honestly can't blame you. Some find it hard to adjust to the old school stiff jumping and all that, and that's just preference for better controls. Granted Rondo of Blood isn't as stiff in controls as the first 3 castlevania games, it still can turn off some players if they're use to the future games. For me I find the controls of the classics work fine as they are (but then again I started from Dracula X Chronicles), and anyone curious about classic gameplay should try it.

Others do see SCV4 as the best of the classicvanias, so give that one a go (if you haven't already). The controls there are much better than Rondo of Blood's; considered the pinnacle of great castlevania style control until Symphony of the Night came in and perfected it. Im yet to try SCV4 other than on my phone, but I plan to play that game, and record it for No Name Commentaries (what NNC stands for, a little late to mention that xD).

[X]

No, the PSP port didn't retain the original voice acting, it too was updated as it was translated, and the Japanese acting is also updated.

Rondo of Blood PSP port does contain the original Japanese voice acting. It was on that setting before I changed it to the English localization option.

[Bloodreign]

Rondo of Blood PSP port does contain the original Japanese voice acting. It was on that setting before I changed it to the English localization option.

Not on my copy, it doesn't sound the same at all. It's been a good while since I last played it (ooooh well over a year or so, too much other games to play these days) and from what I remember, it got updated along with SotN's voice acting. I'll have to get unlazy and check again.

Edit: After a little investigating (ok playing of the game) the original VA for Rondo is in there. Keep in mind I had to dig through a ton of NES, SNES, Genesis, and SMS games (I keep my PSP games together as I don't have the best setup for a game collection) to test this out. Sounds pretty compressed though (I remember Richter's Japanese voice very well, used him to make sure) from what I remember.

Also thanks X, you got me to play a CV title for the first time in well over a year. Now back to Parodius!

[Kusanagi]

Not on my copy, it doesn't sound the same at all. It's been a good while since I last played it (ooooh well over a year or so, too much other games to play these days) and from what I remember, it got updated along with SotN's voice acting. I'll have to get unlazy and check again.

Edit: After a little investigating (ok playing of the game) the original VA for Rondo is in there. Keep in mind I had to dig through a ton of NES, SNES, Genesis, and SMS games (I keep my PSP games together as I don't have the best setup for a game collection) to test this out. Sounds pretty compressed though (I remember Richter's Japanese voice very well, used him to make sure) from what I remember.

Also thanks X, you got me to play a CV title for the first time in well over a year. Now back to Parodius!

This slow responding of mine really needs a fixing (Then again, I've been playing Harmony of Despair way too much  )

I've always left mine on the Japanese settings so I was pretty sure the original voices were the same. Although I haven't played the psp port in a while (played the pc emulated version for the recording), guess this pretty much confirms that the original voice work was used. I totally forgot about the English voices, hahaha.