Topic: What are your current thoughts on the Dracula X Chronicles?

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Also Jorge, I linked that interview to provide context to what I already know, which I related just now. It was the best I could find, at the moment, of the subject at hand, but if you can't take me by my word then go right ahead. I thought it was a pretty clear explanation.

I don't have anything against the redone stage 5', on its own. It's a level in a Castlevania game, and it fits DXC's aesthetic. I just think it's not as memorable, for better or for worse, as the original hodgepodge. I think it adds more than it detracts.

The quote from the interview still doesn't say it was some kind of programmer joke or something.  It was something I did not know and, although the interview clears up a few things, it's still a fact that the stage is taking aspects from other stages and piecing them together.  Hey, I like the stage too, in both the original mode (that made no sense) and the DXC mode (which makes more sense).  My only qualm with what was said was with regards to the SNES version's little conversation prior, to which the only aspect that was mentioned was the aesthetics.

You know, this (by Claimh Solais):

Original RoB alternate stage 5. Compare it to DXC's alternate stage 5. You'll see how terrible RoB looks in comparison when it comes to level design. DXC also added the Hydra and Annette boss battles, which was awesome.

To which you replied with:

Stage 5' is a bored developer's joke to begin with. It's intentionally made as ridiculously tough as possible, hastily assembled from existing assets. I can't but love it for that. Trying to make it a "legitimate" stage is kind of... point-missing, which I mentioned. Op. 13 is preferable to Red Dawn any day of the week, too.

The interview you quoted afterwards does not really say it's a 'bored developer's joke', which was what I called to question in my response, and it also does not excuse the hodgepodge graphics that you seem to love so much, to which I ask again... why is it OK for Rondo to do it and not for other games to do?

Meanwhile, people discard DraculaXX's stages, which were (aside from a background in the final stage) pretty alright.

[Puwexil]

You're pretty caught up on exact wording there. If it helps, the developer was bored by the ease of the rest of Rondo, thus he made a quick, ruthless stage without even pretending to unify or justify it visually. The joke is that the stage made it into the game. I don't know why that isn't hilarious.

Also come on, I already explained my stance. I find the stage fascinating by the mere fact that it exists, the story surrounding its creation, and how it's pretty balls-hard to play through (this is not a cry for Rondo to be more difficult in general). And yes, it being an alternate choice to the "proper" stage is crucial, as well. It's awful on paper, but I like it in context, as an aside and a bit of history.

I dunno if that's addressed to me, but what's this about Dracula X? I only joked how I like Peke more than it (which is true).

[thernz]

I heard about that story too. iirc it was very late toward development, as if the game itself was basically complete excluding Stage 5'. They pretty much just slammed in a challenge stage. It doesn't particularly justify reused assets, though I doubt they wanted to hassle the graphic designers for some unplanned stage that popped up, but I thought the layout and challenges were enough to offset that. Not exactly a "cohesive" stage, but it's obviously meant as a bonus challenge level.

It doesn't reuse layouts like PoR does when it reuses backgrounds, and it's really the layout and level design reuse that bothers me than the actual reuse of backgrounds for those instances anyway.
I think I prefer DXC's though. I think it has a more focused overall structure and hey, has an extra boss. Though aesthetically, I find it pretty boring. Not sure if I prefer new and boring or curious hodgepodge lol.

[Successor The Cruel]

why is it OK for Rondo to do it and not for other games to do?

While he's not, Peklo, Beingthehero already explained a crucial difference between Portrait of Ruin and Rondo of Blood. There is a big difference between a single unlockable extra stage (note: extra, meaning it's not needed to complete the game), and Portrait of Ruin's mandatory large areas that comprise a hefty percentage of the game.

And actually, I think Rondo's extra stage is intriguing because it creates stage areas out of settings that often weren't explored or used much, like the room right before the Shaft battle, the room before the Minotaur fight, the sunset portion of the lake bridge, and the Shaft battle room. It's reusing backgrounds, but it's mainly reusing ones that were hardly used.

To tell you the truth, I also find Rondo's stage more visually pleasing and interesting than DXC's....... cave : /
Then again, I'm a sucker for bright, colorful stuff, so... (you should see my shoe collection)

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - Stage 5'

Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles Stage 5'

Fun fact, this video ^ belongs to Kupo : )

My goodness, the music in Rondo of Blood is much more interesting.

[John Capricorn]

I thought it was great.  One of the best games on the PSP.

[Claimh Solais]

The above probably makes it obvious why I didn't particularly care for Yuri Lowenthal's casting as Alucard in the new version.

If we stuck Robert Belgrade in Judgment and HD over Yuri, then, well... it would've been terrible. And I think we can all agree that Yuri Lowenthal matches Alucard more anyway. He should have a younger type of voice, considering his look. Sticking Belgrade's voice over Alucard's portrait and then animating the mouth, it seems unnatural.

And please don't bring the Japanese voices into this, considering that 95% of them are terrible. Play LoI and CoD in Japanese and you'll see what I mean. The Dracula X series is the only time they were ever done right. :\ And Soma.

[thernz]

But Alucard is unnatural.

[Puwexil]

"We can all agree"? I just didn't! What a weird thing to say.

Likewise, why shouldn't we discuss the Japanese voices if it's relevant? No one was even talking about Lament and Curse, which do have pretty substandard performances across the board, in comparison with the English counterparts. Okiayu should be considered though for his role, which isn't bad at all. He's good at playing detached stoics, whereas Lowenthal comes across as whiny. It's just not good casting.

[Claimh Solais]

The "we can all agree" thing is something I say a lot. I'm not actually implying that we all actually do agree. My mistake.

Lowenthal as Alucard doesn't sound whiny. While he may in tons of his other roles, I think this is the role that was hit spot-on. Don't get me wrong though, I do like the original voices, just not as much as the new ones. The original voices are what drew me back into the series anyway. (as in I liked it a little, lost interest, played SotN again and I was back into it, a lot, mainly cuz of the voice acting).

LoI and CoD were used by me as references that the Japanese voices are terrible. :\
And I said the Dracula X series was the only time they ever got it right (as in RoB, SotN and DXC). That includes Okiayu and Al's other Japanese voice, Mamoru Miyano. And Soma was done right also.

[BMC_War Machine]

I thought it was a great game! im a hardcore fan of the 2D versions, but if others are done like this in 3D (PLEASE MAKE CV4 3D!!!) then i'll welcome it with some open arms!

[Nycterida]

In many ways DXC was a gift to the fans, what's not to like about it? Usually I prefer 2D than 2.5D, but the game was and still is great.

As for the ports of the classic games... I didn't like the new voices of SOTN at all. Nothing wrong with them, but not very good either, I just didn't see the point in changing them. I'd like it more if they kept the originals, just because it would be the authentic version of SOTN.

[Dominus]

^^ I my opinion DXC was the game to conmemorate the 20 anniversary of the franchise, even if it came later, there is just no way that PoR was suposed to fill that role

Regarding to the voices, I have quite a distaste for the original ones, I think they suck (except for the succubus that its so bad that its good). Maria specially gives feels to me like when you scratch a chalkboard with your nails

[kompwars]

I like Dracula X chronicles, since it was fun and it had 2 other games that i really wanted to play ( sotn) and it had a language setting, which made stuff more interesting. The only thing i didn'tlike about it was that ITS TOOO HARD. sorry, ima newcomer, but its kinda too hard. Dracula took me 3 days to beat, and death was just..cheap. he was worse in the original rondo. And i thought dracula only had 2 forms -.- they took out WHAT IS A MAN on thesotn part. damn i always wanted to hear that line.

[kompwars]

sorry for double post, but i forgot something to add on. The extra stage 5 stage was complete bull%$^$ The bottom path is impossible for the first part cuz u cant jump over the water so u DIE, and the second part with the two golden swordsman is impossible too. i just rly hated that stage. Also backflip is just stupid, why can't he double jump? backflip is so pointless. And why does richard die when he falls into water? He's the legendary belmont why can't he swim? he can survive being impaled, clamed, tackled, and getting hit by draculas flaming balls(lol) but he cant survie water? wth?
and why is maria stronger than richard?

[Claimh Solais]

@kompwars

1) The bottom path isn't impossible. There's some things that you have to pay attention to.
2) The golden swordsmen aren't impossible, just ridiculously hard. Once you learn their moves, they'll be a little easier to dodge, since they're still annoying (expletive)s.
3) Richter (not Richard) has backflip cuz Maria has double jump. Backflip isn't pointless, as its a very good evasive move. Learn to use it and the stages are less impossible.
4) He can't swim cuz Trevor teamed up with Alucard in 1476. He never learned to swim and thus couldn't pass his abilities on to the next generations.
5) Maria is called the "easy mode" of the game for a reason. She's there for the beginners who can't handle Richter mode.