Topic: Pandora's Tower (New Castlevania-esque Wii title)

[RichterB]

There's a new title in the works in Japan called Pandora's Tower: Until I Return to Your Side for Wii, and it seems to be a combo of Castlevania, Rygar, Zelda, and ICO. Some of it looks pretty interesting--especially for a new IP. The character has a whip and a sword, and is able to solve puzzles and swing across gaps with IR pointing with the whip. The game world is a series of towers. Ganbarion is the developer and it will be published by Nintendo in Japan on May 26, 2011. No NA/EU release announced yet.

Vids:
Pandora's Tower: Official Gameplay Trailer
Pandora's Tower - Wii - Gameplay Trailer

[Dremn]

I've been looking forward to this, and I'm definitely getting some strong Castlevania vibes from this game as well.

Take notes Konami.

[Abnormal Freak]

Where's the Castlevania resemblance exactly? All I see is more hack 'n' slash bullshit, and none of the game's audiovisual design is Castlevania-esque either.

[RichterB]

Where's the Castlevania resemblance exactly? All I see is more hack 'n' slash bullshit, and none of the game's audiovisual design is Castlevania-esque either.

See fine print: "...it seems to be a combo of Castlevania, Rygar, Zelda, and ICO." It isn't "Castlevania" in terms of Super Castlevania IV or Castlevania 64...but it's not too much less Castlevania than Lords of Shadow was, given its fantasy bent and 3D hacking/slashing. And some of the anime/fantasy feeling is not unlike things IGA might try. The reason I emphasized CV in the topic thread is because it seemed like something CV fans might resonate with--it has a "whip" and said whip does dynamic things like in Castlevania. Very few series use a whip-like device in their main gameplay outside of Castlevania, Rygar, and God of War. And I liked the no-brainer idea of IR pointing to latch onto swing points, which I thought would be cool for a Castlevania or Castlevania-related game ever since I experienced the Yoshi controls in Mario Galaxy 2. It's said that the whip in this game keeps track of how long you have to advance, like in Shinobi PS2's sword.

Anyway, Abnormal Freak, I usually see eye to eye on a number of things with you--you bring the meat to a topic--and of course I'm still looking for a TRUE BLUE modern Castlevania action-platforming game in 3D with all the right atmosphere and gameplay. In the meantime, I'm always on the lookout to see if other games are stealing some mechanics-based thunder, if nothing else. I mean, when I played Rygar for Wii (originally on PS2), I was wondering why LoI didn't take notes on the platforming and swinging. I'm still for CV64 being the basic framework, but I digress.

[Abnormal Freak]

I guess it's just that "Castlevania" and "hack and slash" still don't resonate together in my mind, ha. We've had three such games, but I can't understand why the series has gone in that direction. To me it's like someone seeing the new Dylan Dog movie and seeing another similar movie and going, "IT'S PERFECT FOR DYLAN DOG FANS!" when to me, "Dylan Dog" is the comics and movie Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man). ;)

[赤月]

The hero does wield a weapon strikingly similar to the Vampire Killer.

Pandora's Tower - Chain gameplay

I could just picture Richter taking out his enemies in this fashion if he is to go 3D.

Really hoping this game will make it overseas!!

Scythe!!
[Wii] Pandora's Tower - パンドラの塔 君のもとへ帰るまで - Using the scythe

[Abnormal Freak]

chain ≠ whip

;)

[赤月]

chain ≠ whip

I suppose, it lacks a proper handle

[Abnormal Freak]

And a morning star.

But I'm just being a dick at this point. :O

[赤月]

And a morning star.

But I'm just being a dick at this point. :O

I noticed haha
but i like