Topic: Are the old CV games even worth finishing?

[kompwars]

After playing the newer CV games like DoS, AoS, HoD, DXC, I decided to play the old, classic CV games, but I'm not so impressed with them. CV3 is so hard that it's not even funny, and simons quest, I dont even know what to do. Whats up with the " what a horrible night to have curse" thing? what's it supposed to do? Why is there towns in that game? Wheres the save points? ( even though i'm using a emu cuz i lack a nes. they dont even sell those anymore do they?" why do i have to buy stuff? its ridiculous. I rly liked SotN though, even though the psp dub is kinda..worse than the original.

[Successor The Cruel]

If they're not your thing, then no. Don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to and don't have to.

[Alutwon]

If you don't at least like super 4 then idk what to tell you lol

[Ahasverus]

If you didn't like them there's not much you can't do about it... but you should really try Rondo of Blood, after playing SOTN you surely are now comfortable with Richter and the game is not that hard, it's massive,  has tight level desing and the music is a joy, you should really play it along with the absolute classic SCVIV of course.  However if you didn't like CV3... I don't know what's wrong with you (jk)

Adventure Rebirth is nice too.

P.S: Call me a heretic, but I just don't like.... Castlevania IV... :/ I've only finished it like 3 times, I know it's a classic though and Ialways recommend it to anyone with interest in the series, but I would rather play Dracula X (Blasphemy!) over SCVIV Silly me

[kompwars]

If you didn't like them there's not much you can't do about it... but you should really try Rondo of Blood, after playing SOTN you surely are now comfortable with Richter and the game is not that hard, it's massive,  has tight level desing and the music is a joy, you should really play it along with the absolute classic SCVIV of course.  However if you didn't like CV3... I don't know what's wrong with you (jk)

Adventure Rebirth is nice too.

P.S: Call me a heretic, but I just don't like.... Castlevania IV... :/ I've only finished it like 3 times, I know it's a classic though and Ialways recommend it to anyone with interest in the series, but I would rather play Dracula X (Blasphemy!) over SCVIV Silly me

I played Rondo already   DXC had 2 versions of rondo and SotN in it   My friend said CV4 was the best in the series..so I'll try it when i have the time. I dont know...I think the reason why I can't beat/like CV2 or 3 is because its on a emulator...and emu's suck. Call me crazy but I rather buy the games and get the full experience with the original console...too bad they dont sell NEs's anymore..Emu controls are just plain bad.

[X]

too bad they dont sell NEs's anymore..Emu controls are just plain bad.

Check out  e-bay or any pawnshops near you for NES consoles and CV games. Those might be your only bet. As for the Emu controls? If you have a controller then simply use that with the Emu. I do.

-X

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Or play them on the Wii via Virtual Console.

[Inccubus]

Definitely worth it to have a controller for your PC. I suggest a PS controller with a USB adapter. They're great for just about any emu. I can understand skipping CV1 & CV2, but do give CV3 a chance. It isn't anywhere near as hard as CV1 and the multiple characters can be a lot of fun. Also, take into consideration that CV4 is actually a remake of CV1, so it's a great alternative along with CV Chronicles which is a remake of CV4 with more of a CV1 feel. I'd also recommend CV Bloodlines for Genesis since it's just an awesome game in it's own right. Eric is incredibly fun to play as and the alternate routes for each character are interesting to discover. However I cannot stress enough how important it is to play these games with a controller instead of the keyboard. Keyboard controls suck. Try playing Street Fighter with a keyboard and see what happens. LOL

[kompwars]

well, I gave Simon's quest a chance, and I guess after playing for a while, It isn't that bad. i like the infinite secondary weapon ammo
I will try CV3 once more too, but the clock tower is a pain

[Profbeanburrito]

Whats up with the " what a horrible night to have curse" thing? what's it supposed to do?

It tells you it's nighttime. And it's friggin awesome

[Shug]

Call me crazy but I rather buy the games and get the full experience with the original console...too bad they dont sell NEs's anymore..Emu controls are just plain bad.

I could not agree more. Now let me tell you from my experience in this:

Short Version: Buy a Wii and play the old games via the virtual console. I highly recommend this approach.

As mentioned by a previous reply: any of the classic systems especially NES, Super NES and Genesis are easily obtained on ebay. You will pay upwards of $50 for a used system. The games will run you around $10 to $25 each for a used copy in decent shape. Plus the time to look for and have all this stuff shipped to you.  If you are a collector of classic games and systems and want mint condition items it can be really expensive from ebay... games may or may not work when you get them, same with the older systems and controllers... just because the ebay listing says "all games and systems tested and are working" does not guarantee anything. At this point you have opened a whole new can of PiTA .....

OR just buy a Wii and you can purchase the first 3 CV's on the NES, Rondo of blood, Super CV4 and the excellent Rebirth title all for about 8 to 15 dollars each on virtual console and all the games looks great on a modern TV even the NES titles. Not to mention a great selection of other classic games from many systems in the virtual console store. You will need the wii "Classic Controller" attachment or a gamcube controller (I use the wii Classic Controller) to play Super CV4 and most virtual console titles beyond the NES and sega Master system generation of consoles.

If it's money issues then emulator is your best option if you have a PC. But as you said and I agree the emulator versions leave alot to be desired from the "experience" of playing the games. IMO

[RichterB]

Well, basically, if you didn't grow up playing games in the '80s to mid-'90s, the difficulty and structure are going to seem rather extreme with many of the older titles. Moreover, the thing is, Castlevania itself has shifted and morphed from what it originally was over the years. At its start and at its core, "Castlevania" was a series about environmental strategy, timing, consequential platforming, and trial & error, whereas it has turned into a series marked more by agility, muscle, super powers, and meandering. (Not that some of the latter titles don't have their points, but the philosophy of the design has changed, which disappoints some who loved Castlevania for what it was: creative and challenging action-platforming). Bottom line is, some of the best entries require you to fail again and again, to learn and have a rewarding experience. No offense meant by any of this, but modern gaming is generally more about getting something over with and instant gratification more often than not.

With that out of the way, I think you'll have the best luck with the following, IN THIS ORDER:

Super Castlevania IV (Easily in the top 3 games in the series, and arguably the best. It plays like Castlevania/Castlevania III at its core, but with far more forgiving and dynamic controls--including the ability to change direction in mid-jump, crawl, swing across gaps, use the whip as nunchucks, a shield, or a dangling trap, and/or whip in 8 directions. In addition, it features amazing level design, atmosphere, music, and special effects. It's a must play!).

Castlevania: Bloodlines (Along similar lines as "Super CV IV," but with a different visual style and cool quirks of its own).

Castlevania: Dracula X *or Dracula XX*(This complete reimagining of "Rondo of Blood" takes the basics of Rondo but leans more toward the earlier games in the series in terms of challenge and design. It features a neat new watercolor/comic-esque art style with new special effects, and it has a more consequential/rewarding use of branching paths, keys, and hostage rescues than Rondo. Some, including myself, feel it is a more enjoyable game than Rondo, despite having less scope overall).

Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth (A Wiiware total reimagining of an early Original Gameboy title that can be simple and fairly modern in its normal modes, or extremely difficult on its harder settings).

Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (A direct sequel to the Original Gameboy's "The Castlevania Adventure" game that features a level select like Mega Man and is a fan favorite. It gets pretty hard in later stages, but it is still considered fairly accessible on the whole).

AND:

OVERVIEW on other "classic" CV games:

Castlevania (The original game is solid, but can be unforgiving and rather plain. It was a good start, and there's nothing really that wrong with it, but it isn't among the best, IMO, despite laying down a great formula).

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (This is the proto-SotN. It has a great mix of the classic style's dangers with the adventure elements of the latter games. Once you learn the basics, it's a pretty manageable and memorable entry. Some obscure puzzles involving magic crystals may give you trouble, though).

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (This is definitely among the top 3 games in the series for its diversity of levels--structurally and visually--and its deep game system of multi-characters and the best branching paths map in the series. If the Clocktower is giving you trouble--while Grant is very useful to add to your party--you can always choose a different route. With all the possible combination of routes and the progress shown on the shifting map, you really feel like you're on a journey in this game--and it's exciting to see where you'll wind up next and what challenges await. I'd stick with it, or at least go back to it after you've played "Super CV IV" and other classics that might ease you in better. While CV#1 is solid, and CV#2 is very interesting, this one, CV#3, really is exceptional and not to be missed. And also, with these old titles, sometimes it's not about beating the whole thing, as it is experiencing the journey and getting as close to the Dracula boss battle as possible on a given series of attempts; then returning later on and increasing your mastery and progress until you do overcome the Count. CV#3 is definitely worth finishing, though).

The Castlevania Adventure (This one on Original Gameboy is for only the most hardcore classic Castlevania fans. While it introduced the flame-shooting whip, it lacks all sub-weapons, features the most sluggish controls in the series, and has a very demanding level design. Still, there's something charming about its challenge and unique visuals/enemy set. Regardless, with where you're coming from, it's wise to stay away from this game until you've gotten through/tried all the other classics)

Castlevania Chronicles *or Castlevania X68000* (A reimagining of the original CV game. Not really worth the time, IMO. While there are some interesting visuals and ideas, this one is pretty mundane, even for a fan of classic CV like myself. EDIT: However, if you want a visual update that is more in line with the first Castlevania, with some unique twists of its own and improved controls, it might be worth a shot. It was created for Sharp Computer/then PS1 in the same way DXC was made for PC Engine/then PSP, and has original and arranged modes).

Castlevania: Legends (The third Original Gameboy game has a cool female lead, and it tries to be special, but just feels unpolished and boring, by and large. Very forgettable, unfortunately).

In SUMMARY:
If someone said they could only play through a handful of 2D CV games, I think I'd say eventually play:
Super CV IV, III, Dracula X, Bloodlines, and II (Simon's Quest).

(You already played Rondo...though I have mixed feelings about that popular entry).

Now, if you were to take the pulse of the this whole board, I'd guess that Super Castlevania IV, Symphony of the Night, Rondo of Blood, and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse are considered the gold standard bearers. (Though, that certainly doesn't mean others aren't worth playing).

EDIT:

Oh, later on, if you haven't played Castlevania 64 or Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, those are worth going through. The best 3D Castelvania games to date, IMO.
They can be rough around the edges, but those Nintendo 64 games had a lot of positive/innovative features that served up CV in 3D:
*Multiple unique characters (up to four in LoD, two in CV64) with alternate levels/bosses
*Full 3D gameplay (ala Mario 64, so it's not "on-rails")
*Multiple endings based on performance
*Level Design features spatial depth (vertical and horizontal--not flat hallways)
*day-and-night cycles with time-sensitive events (like Simon's Quest)
*Weather effects (rain, lightning, moving clouds, and "fog"--the last one likely being a graphical shortcoming that actually helped)
*Dynamic, real-time lighting (next to candles, for instance)
*spot-on atmosphere
*death-defying platforming of all sorts (including ledge grabbing).
*environmental/enemy hazards (medusa heads, spikes, guillotines, buzz-saws, cannons).
*innovative survival-horror/suspense elements
*Vampires that pretend to be human and vampires as regular enemies besides bosses
*status changes, including poison and vampirism
*manageable questing with inventory items (meat, keys, cards, cure ampules, etc)
*interesting, involving plot (characters like Rosa, Vincent, Renon, Malice, Henry, etc)
*3D in-game cinemas
*Some voicing
*Unlockable alternate costumes
*Long and short-ranged attacks (IE: whip + sword)
*upgradable sub-weapons (in LoD)
*There is a useful slide and duck/crawl play mechanic
*Diverse mix of old and new enemies in 3D
(As an aside, it's worth noting that certain Beta video elements didn't get into either game like swinging over gaps with the whip; but it shows that minds were in the right place)

EDIT 2:
Simon's Quest help info: Towns are for gathering information (some of it misleading on purpose), getting healed in the church, or buying/trading/finding items like in the Legend of Zelda. The Night and Day cycle is for multiple reasons. "What a Horrible Night for a Curse" refers to the fact that Simon Belmont is cursed and is slowly dying as he's on this quest, and when it turns nighttime, the enemies become stronger in mansions and outside, the towns are no longer safe havens (filled with ghouls), and certain tougher enemies appear. Also, certain events happen only at night. There is a special dagger weapon that can only be procured at night in a graveyard by making a certain exchange--an info piece you find by questioning townspeople in a certain town [Facts are different than I remembered; I guess only the N64 titles have night-sensitive events. The clues, while they can come from townspeople, don't appear to be the source for the particular event I was referencing]. There are no Save Points; instead, there are passwords you see when you die that you can use to keep your progress. You can level up by collecting enough hearts (which are also currency), though it's not obvious because there are no messages to tell you you've leveled up; though I think the life bar gets bigger. Finally what you are doing is searching out Mansions, where you need to get Dracula's Body Parts (eye, rib, etc) to burn to lift the death curse on Simon, and you need a Stake in each Mansion to open up the hiding place of the Body Part. The Body Parts also give you new abilities, too--like seeing hidden passages or blocking enemy attacks.

[Puwexil]

Castlevania: Dracula X *or Dracula XX*(This complete reimagining of "Rondo of Blood" takes the basics of Rondo but leans more toward the earlier games in the series in terms of challenge and design. It features a neat new watercolor/comic-esque art style with new special effects, and it has a more consequential/rewarding use of branching paths, keys, and hostage rescues than Rondo. Some, including myself, feel it is a more enjoyable game than Rondo, despite having less scope overall).

This is horseshit. Don't for a minute consider playing Dracula X over Rondo. My lord, how could you even consider suggesting this to someone who's trying to get into the older games? Besides being superior in virtually every way that matters, Rondo is far more forgiving than its bastard kin on the SNES, a pretty important factor in this context. If there's one game that'll turn you off stage-based Castlevanias forever, it's Dracula X.

Generally speaking, Super Castlevania IV and Rondo are fine initiations into the original playstyle. Out of the NES games, Dracula's Curse has probably the most wow factor, but the original is still better designed. It's never going to be made irrelevant by later installments.

[Kale]

X was fine, no where near as good as rondo tho

[X]

Also, certain events happen only at night. There is a special dagger weapon that can only be procured at night in a graveyard by making a certain exchange

You could only get this during night time sequences? Funny how I can get this during the daytime too. RichterB's overview is a good read and I'd also recommend you play said games too.

-X