Topic: The Demon Castle War, aka the infamous 1999 game.

[Fofa]

A part of me would like to see the 1999 game made, but there's also a part of me that thinks Konami would screw it up, whether it's the story or the gameplay. I also have this little theory that the Demon Castle War was left to be ambiguous, letting the viewer interpret how the big battle went for themselves. At least that's how I see it.

[Lashen]

This is going to end up like Alien vs. Predator; by the time this game actually comes to fruition, there will be no hope for anything beyond disappointment.

[Sumac]

After the idea was mentioned in previous games, it was obvious that whatever game Konami cook up, it will never be as good as whatever people had imagined. Creating such game could lead only to dissappointment in some part of the fanbase.

They should have create this game before mentioning it or give very very vague description of the events, so people wouldn't imagined it as something beyond epic. Sadly with AOS plot it was rather impossible.

[crisis]

if you guys want a 1999 game so bad then just support this

Castlevania: 1999 Demon Castle War (Teaser)

[Phoenix7786]

I forgot about this thing. I forget if that Dracula was made from scratch?

[SiFi270]

I don't know... I already have my own idea how this happened, and if they make a game of it my theories would be ruined forever, mainly because my idea involves characters from the Touhou series appearing.

It isn't as nonsensical as it sounds, I swear.

[DarkPrinceAlucard]

It isn't as nonsensical as it sounds, I swear.

Then care to lay out the story of said game for us?

[SiFi270]

Well, it isn't really a story so much as it is certain details, but...

It all hinges on Sakuya, who I believe to be a Belmont because of her weapons of choice (throwing knives and a stopwatch that affects time itself) and the rumors of her being a former vampire hunter. Because there's a heavily implied connection between her and several characters who live or lived on the moon, I also believe that both she and Julius went there as part of the whole "sealing the castle in a solar eclipse" dealie, where she found the luna dial, a golden stopwatch that has a wider variety of time powers, but stops her from aging. There are more details about it in my fanfiction, which I'm off to shamelessly advertise now that I have enough posts for that.

[Zetheraxza]

Before I elaborate on my criticism, I just wish to point out that even though the Sorrow serie is part of the original timeline, I somewhat see it as the extended-Castlevania series. Personally, I believe the game ended in 1999, with the final battle and there was no reincarnation of Dracula through a new being and the Castle was not trapped during the solar eclipse by the Hakubas but utterly destroy it. I personally see Sorrow series as a "What-If" scenerio in terms of it's story, don't get me wrong though. Aria of Sorrow was my first Castlevania game and is always going to be memorable for it's great story and gameplay.

Now, my only problem with the 1999 Demon Castle War's storyline is the fact unlike other Belmonts, and even though Dracula was never at his true potential is that in this final battle, Julius successfully defeats Dracula and ends up in a 36 year-old amnesia. Personally, I believe that was fake. Because after this huge battle and the exposure to the Media and the European/Japanese government trying to secretly contain this event to the world's population, Julius fakes his amnesia and probably acts as a victim for the sake of his safety and the dark information about the 1000 year old supernatural feud. Julius never hid the whip in the Castle, that's what the huge trenchcoats are for. It's an important weapon to the Belmonts that defeats the notorious of all villains and derp, imma hide mah whip to the damn castle and not use it against lesser enemies or just incase there is something much deadlier (Galamoth). No, because Soma was an important role of a perticular event, he decided to give out his limited information such as his name. Both Arikado and Julius know about these conspiracy theories.

[crisis]

That is some interesting theories Zarathustra, however the main reason I believe Julius sealed Vampire Killer within the castle was because it's the Bane of the Children of the Night, the ultimate weapon that absolutely no demon can stand against it; Dracula's castle being the ultimate symbol/conduit of evil, so by sealing the Holy Whip, the forces of Hell would forever be kept in check. Of course, he didn't anticipate the castle reemerging in 2035 when sealing it, since Dracula was forever destroyed.

and yeah DoS does say that upon Dracula's death Vampire Killer has weakened [but it's true power hasn't entirely been lost], whatever that means. DoS had a lot of wacky plot details to begin with anyway.

[Flame]

The Whip weakening was an AoS plot point, once Soma destroyed Chaos and got rid of the castle. (I still see it as having been completely destroyed and it's remaining energies sucked back into it's eclipse alternate dimension)

[Dark Nemesis]

Aria was an interesting game and it was also having an interesting scenario. I like ad support the idea for a reincarnation of Dracula, but like most people if not all, i believe that Dawn wasn't necessary to be made. It's only a waste of time, since it doesn't contribute anything to the series, other than making more plot halls.

 I believe that the series should have end with Aria and instead of expanding the sorrow universe to focus on the plot halls between LoI up to the Demon Castle War. Order of Ecclesia  was on the right side, but unfortunately, it came to late to save any of the mess.

 I want to believe that after LoS trilogy, it will return back to 2D style or at least give the chance to fill the gaps on the series. I don't care if they are going to give them back to Iga or someone else, as long we are going to get some answers, of what happened at the missing years, like OoE did.

[Sumac]

I want to believe that after LoS trilogy, it will return back to 2D style or at least give the chance to fill the gaps on the series. I don't care if they are going to give them back to Iga or someone else, as long we are going to get some answers, of what happened at the missing years, like OoE did.

I can't subscribe to this point of view. Basically it sounds like "let the games be shit, but we will have answers". As much as I really want to see Old Timeline completed, low quality of the games was the reason for the current situation and the reboot. I don't want quality of the series to be sacrificed again after LOS trilogy. Castlevania was in decline long enough and its time for the series to rise again, even if old canon would be forgotten and sacrificed in the process. This is the choice between past and the future and in this case I personally like to see Castlevania moving forward.

[Dark Nemesis]

I can't subscribe to this point of view. Basically it sounds like "let the games be shit, but we will have answers". As much as I really want to see Old Timeline completed, low quality of the games was the reason for the current situation and the reboot. I don't want quality of the series to be sacrificed again after LOS trilogy. Castlevania was in decline long enough and its time for the series to rise again, even if old canon would be forgotten and sacrificed in the process. This is the choice between past and the future and in this case I personally like to see Castlevania moving forward.

As always, you are getting things the wrong way, first, it wasn't the directors decision for what platform the games will come out, but the companiy's. So don't complain about low quality, when it was the company's fault. Second don't forget that the series started as 2D and they began their attempt for 3D, when 3D became a trend. Third, there was the 2D Castlevania games and the 3D Castlevania games, i can't see why they can't continue to exist together?

 Without past, you have no future and those who have forgotten their past, are doom to live it again. Also if you were getting the time to read the new interview with Yamane, you would have read that what Konami does now with the series is some experimenting and also learn some other interesting things.

[Flame]

As always, you are getting things the wrong way, first, it wasn't the directors decision for what platform the games will come out, but the companiy's.

last i checked, IGA worked for Konami. He IS part of the company. But it WAS his decision to constantly reuse sprites and game assets wherever possible that decreased the quality of games past Symphony of the Night, with some exceptions. Especially later entries like PoR and DoS which effectively almost killed the franchise, and Castlevania Judgement, which drove the nail into the coffin.

So don't complain about low quality, when it was the company's fault.

Let's put it this way. If they gave free reign to IGa again. What do you think he would do? He would blow whatever budget they give him, and he would never be able to deliver on the same scale as LoS. So his budget would be lowered again, and his bad practices would resurface. One of the many problems was not just asset reuse, that was the least of anyone's worries- The biggest problems were gimmick driven gameplay. He always designs the gameplay gimmick first, and THEN he builds the game around that and tries to force the story to fit it. It works alright when he makes original stories, but once he starts making 'sequels' to other games in the timeline, he finds a way to screw it up bad.



DoS is just terribly written and terribly presented, and started a horrible trend where IGA tried to appeal to younger audiences.

PoR was nothing like Bloodlines, and is a disgrace of a sequel, and suffers the worse case of asset reuse in the entire series.

 LoI had an interesting premise, but was plagued by dungeon crawler syndrome, with flat uninteresting maps, and somewhat stiff controls. Not to mention sub-par graphics for the time period it came out. And then the small story problems that arise, such as Mathias being totally absent from the entire game, only to show up at the end and reveal his betrayal, and somehow expect us to really feel anything other than "Oh. Ok. so that's where Dracula came from".

And CoD- Well, it took the tolerable problems that LoI had with it's level design, and multiplied it tenfold, making BIGGER, FLATTER levels. And introducing a rather stupid plot, that only furthers the "anyone can defeat Dracula" problem that has ever plagued the series. (I dont care if the game says "he was bestowed with a fraction of Dracula's power so that's why!" No. it's bullshit.)

Do I even need to start on Judgement?

IGA's judgement was failing, and by the time he made another GOOD game, OoE, and then CV the Adventure Rebirth, it was too little too late, he had already doomed himself.

Second don't forget that the series started as 2D

So did every other videogame franchise from the 80's and 90's that now enjoys frequent 3D games. (except Mega Man)

And they began their attempt for 3D, when 3D became a trend.

It was not just a "trend" it was a breakthrough in technology, that actually allowed a third dimension, WITH good quality. Look at some older 3D systems, they could not hold a candle to what the N64 and PS1 (and even the Dreamcast) All because they started 2D and went 3D when it went big, means nothing. The series evolved and grew. it's natural.

 

Third, there was the 2D Castlevania games and the 3D Castlevania games, i can't see why they can't continue to exist together?

They can. Just don't let IGA near them, or keep him on a very short leash. At least make sure to keep his very bad development habits in check.

 

Without past, you have no future and those who have forgotten their past, are doom to live it again.

We are talking about a "storyline" here. nothing else. if the classic continuity must be sacrificed for the series to be reborn again and refreshed for the modern day, then so be it. As it is there is just too much baggage. the only people who bought the games IGA released were the fans, and his attempts to bring in new ones failed. It's a similar problem with Mega Man. There are too many series and too many protagonists to be able to successfully "relaunch" it.

Also if you were getting the time to read the new interview with Yamane, you would have read that what Konami does now with the series is some experimenting and also learn some other interesting things.

And LoS is one of those experiments, and it has done tremendously well, and while Cox and MS will make no more CV games after LoS2, I do hope that the bar of quality that LoS has set, is not lowered back down to the low standards we previously had.