Topic: 64 Vania Fans Only Post, Please

[Malus]

I want some constructive posts here so please if you have nothing constructive than don't post. First for whatever reason I've been racking my brain for the past several years and just can't understand why these games are so hated and despised when they are so different from all the other castlevania games. Their New, fresh and unique compared to the PS2 games even though their a decade old. Their also difficult, which is in part why their replay value is good. Most Fans of the series in my opinion don't like being scared. That's why the 64 vania's are not popular because IMO they are without a doubt the most evil, and scariest games in the series, bar-none. Their evil games, barren, with a coldness and lack of warmth, sense of dread and decay, not cozy and bright and filled with eye candy like Lament of Innocence and the DS games. I also believe that the majority of people have sub-par taste, another reason they aren't appreciated. But mostly because there is something spooky about them that most vania's don't have, most vania's are colorful, not the 64 games. Most vania's have upbeat music, not the 64 ones. There's something about castlevania that for some reason is no longer dark, and full of evil, but is full of eye candy and is all warm and cozy. But the 64 vania's even if they have some weaknesses imo are gritty and full of darkness and death. For example, in the storeroom in the Villa there is a Morbid portrait of some kind of monster or whatever, I think it is of The devil.

just some thoughts, remember these are just opinions I'm not presenting them as anything else, some thoughts would be appreciated.

[X]

I'm actually rather fond of playing LoD once in a while. When the game first came out ie CV64 many people were expecting a block buster but felt let down because the game was moved into the realm of 3-D rather then sticking to the TTT 'Tried , Trusted and True' method. Now that a little more time has passed by and other (not so good) 3-D vania's have been made it is quite easy to accept CV64/LoD. My personal interest in playing the game is mainly just to listen to the music score. There are some really good tracks in the game.

-X

[Malus]

Thanks for the post, very constructive. Yes I agree another thing the CV64/LOD have going for them is a good soundtrack. First most fans on this site, IMO, were bottlemilked and fed as little vania pups on Symphony. I'm not going their, I'll get crucified because I know deep down no matter how bad I want them to equal or exceed Symphony it just won't happen. I know that, however why the PS2 games get the soft landing and if anything are praised and why the 64 ones get crucified that's what I'm I have difficulty with. See, I feel that the last good game released for Castlvania WAS the 64 games. Super Castlevania 4 was great, Symphony IS impossible to find a genuine fault with, the first 3 games were very good, and then the 64 games, after that mostly down hill. I did like Circle of the moon though.

once again, my opinion is that even though those 64 games have some camera problems and may have some graphical slowdown and what not, their still great games because their in many ways very similar to the old vania classics. I firmly believe that once IGA got his hands on the series the series has gone from GREAT to mediocre. The games are rushed out, no vania since the 64 ones are in development for much longer than a year at most, and their all mostly un-inspired trash, In my opinion.

[Malus]

Another thing. EVERY STAGE in the CV64/LOD IS DIFFERENT!

every single stage in lament of innoncence and curse of darkness are you guessed it, THE SAME!

yet why do those PS2 games which look Plastic looking compared to the more varied textures of the 64 games get the soft landing?

They suck so bad that it actually is Painful for me to play them. I feel pain from the complete lack of any sense of soul. Those PS2 games are souless, FIGHTING games! Yes the fighting is Okay but everything else is completely lackluster save for the music score. And yet they don't get crucified for being at best absolute mediocrity.

imo

[Gecko]

The first 64 game kind of disappointed me. It just felt so incomplete. Then Legacy of Darkness came out, added tons of cool stuff to the camera and overall gameplay including new characters as well as the stories from the first one and blew me away! Legacy of Darkness is great!

The atmosphere is perfected(especially with the addition of the ghost ship at the beginning), the levels are improved(but mostly the first one which used to be incredibly dull and boring to me), the powerups are cooler, you get sub-weapon upgrades, and the graphic quality is much better! Legacy of Darkness is among my favorite games of all time! Its predecessor however, is not.

[Malus]

Thanks for the constructive response. I understand what your saying in regards to Legacy being an improvment. However, in some ways I still kinda like 64 over it. Reason being that I like playing as carrie and she is more powerful in 64 over Legacy. When you charge and release her orb its homing properties are stronger and more accurate than in Legacy. I also Like the original Tower of Science, and Tower of Sorcery more, but overall I agree that legacy is the better version. But in some ways I kinda like 64 more. Funny but true.

[Donvermicelli]

I could post an entire wall of text as to reasons why I liked CV64/LOD but I could summerize the most important factor into one word: Malus.

[Malus]

I agree Malus is a very awesome character in castlevania history. It just don't get a whole lot better than that, and who do we have to thank, KCEK, not IGA!

I believe that its time for IGA to take a back seat an let other teams and people make castlevania games, even if they continue to be Castlroids. Malus is an awesome dracula though, I love Reinhardts bad ending with him on the horse, eyes glowing. I wonder how he ends up killing Reinhardt, probably through poison.

[Shadowserg]

I like this games very much, they are ones of my favorite Castlevania ever.

[JR]

I've never quite understood the hate that the 64 CVs have gotten over the years. I liked both games a lot, and I know it sounds dumb, but these two games and the Zelda games are really the only reason I still have my N64 (Mario and Goldeneye were great, but still not enough for me to keep the system by themselves). I thought they were fun, challenging enough, and interesting. Sure, there were some things that could've been better, but I think the good far outweighs the bad here.

I also enjoyed Lament of Innocence. Although going through similar rooms became boring sometimes, I still had fun. But Curse of Darkness is definitely one of my least favorite Castlevania games ever. Although I still want to go back and play it the way I play every CV (finding EVERYTHING), I don't know how much I'll actually enjoy it.

[Thunderbrand]

I enjoyed both the N64 'Vanias. They were unique, fresh ideas at the time, had good storylines and an excellent musical score. I still play LoD every once in awhile. Fun game.

[DoctaMario]

Big 64 games fan here. I actually like CV64 better in the level design department. Truly, the only thing LoD has over it is more content and better camera control. In terms of the final product though, CV64 feels like a much more cohesive effort.

[Malus]

In Reply To #12

Big 64 games fan here. I actually like CV64 better in the level design department. Truly, the only thing LoD has over it is more content and better camera control. In terms of the final product though, CV64 feels like a much more cohesive effort.

I believe we see eye to eye here. First let me say that I don't even like the camera in LOD as much in 64 because its too close to the character. In 64 its a little bit further back. Carrie is much more fun in 64, her orb attack is much better. The menu music is better in 64, darker, the overall game feels a bit softened in Legacy, were 64 is darker more uncut.

Level by level, I'd say that the forest of silence has a better vibe on 64, castle wall is same, villa is same, etc, until the duel-tower, which I like more on 64. Tower of execution might win out on Legacy, but I'm not crazy about that level anyway. Clock tower is better on Legacy, imo, but Carries stages are more difficult and better on 64. Tower of Sorcery actually looks better in 64.

Overall 64 is more uncut, and a bit darker, cornell is boring his stages suck.

its all about the whip toting vampire hunter Reinhardt and Carrie, great characters I lean Carrie cause I like her stages more, and she's very powerful in 64, were as in legacy she's underpowered.

to each his own.

[uzo]

The "Only People Who Agree With me Can Post" thread. What a novel idea.

Lame.

CV64 is a crappy game IMO. Shnider doesn't deserve to wear the secret Simon costume, and those games "shouldn't exist" as far as most people are concerned.

I find it funny how this spoken minority of people who like the 64 titles congregates on forums, making it seems like people actually liked those game.

Oh crap, I forgot to agree with you.

[Clara E. Leet]

The "Only People Who Agree With me Can Post" thread. What a novel idea.

Lame.

CV64 is a crappy game IMO. Shnider doesn't deserve to wear the secret Simon costume, and those games "shouldn't exist" as far as most people are concerned.

I find it funny how this spoken minority of people who like the 64 titles congregates on forums, making it seems like people actually liked those game.

Oh crap, I forgot to agree with you.

The entire last two paragraphs here are completely unnecessary. Having an opinion is fine, but keep your flamebait out of it.