Topic: Chronicles Simon

[Ratty]

Actually Alucard's hair is light-blonde; it's a misconception that it's white.

Maybe I need to replay SOTN again then, it's been about 3 years. Been waiting to get the RCA cables for my Saturn before I replay it though :I

[thernz]

I think it was supposed to give Juste a sort of mystic quality.

It's a bit weird because Alucard is magical as well, but he has platinum blonde hair, which is actually still pretty normal for a person, but Juste is just showing Alucard up. I think in the end, it was probably just for the sake of aesthetics, matching the hair with the rest of his stark reds and silvers. And Juste's red and white palette is pretty distinct compared to everyone else.

[Ratty]

And Juste's red and white palette is pretty distinct compared to everyone else.

As one disapproving modder put it "Bishojo Santa Clause"

Also wait, if it's blonde how did he go from short black hair to blonde hair while he was asleep? I dunno guess I'm just taking hair too seriously in a game featuring the undead lol.

EDIT: I guess as far as Alucard is concerned it's not that mysterious. If Dracula can change his visage so drastically between appearances I think we can safely assume his son can at least control his hair length and color. Blonde would help him more strongly identify with his mother*. Why he would make it longer and therefore less practical for fighting we may never know, though I'd guess it's because he's just that badass.

*Or Sonia any association with which he'd want to hide from Trevor. "Say that whip looks awful familiar... You're a vampire hunter? Wha Sonia Belmont was your mom? And you never knew your father? ...Hi! Congratulations I'm your long lost dad! Just been sleepin in this coffin your whole life. ...Yep."

[thernz]

considering how alucard has platinum-blonde hair in the latest pachinko game which is a retelling of dracula's curse, i'm guessing he canonically no longer ever had black hair ever since kojima redesigned him.

it's not like castlevania has ever really been consistent about appearances. look at how many times simon changed hair colors.

[Ratty]

considering how alucard has platinum-blonde hair in the latest pachinko game which is a retelling of dracula's curse, i'm guessing he canonically no longer ever had black hair ever since kojima redesigned him.

it's not like castlevania has ever really been consistent about appearances. look at how many times simon changed hair colors.

*nods* Yep

[Flame]

I think the white hair on Juste is supposed to accentuate that he inherited magical abilities from the Belnades in his blood. I mean, yeah, bit late in the line that the Belmonts finally got some of that, but if Sypha's magical powers were a recessive trait, or if the Belmont side was just more dominant, it could make sense if Simon can get red hair that Juste could inherit magical powers.

In other words, "Its magic I aint gotta explain white hair"

[JayDominus]

Any JUSTifications on Juste's white hair and how it's "not just to be an Alucard clone" shatter when you take the silhouette that appears when he's jumping, just like with Alucard.

Seriously, I liked Harmony of Dissonance more when it was called Symphony of the Night and was on PSX.

[VladCT]

'Cept Al had platinum blond hair instead of silver white. :V

[beingthehero]

And Soma also had the silhouette in DoS.

[Dark Nemesis]

What do you think guys?

[thernz]

Yeah, he has an after-image effect, but he also can dangle his whip, and with the right conditions, he can shoot fireballs. And when he's on an incline, he poses like a Belmont.

So I guess Juste is actually Simon-Alucard-Christopher.

[Facehead]

To me personally, I actually like the Chronicle Simon design, though I don't think of it of it when I think "Simon Belmont". Don't get me wrong in comparison to his earlier designs it makes vast improvements, though, not in a "Simon Belmont" way.

To briefly explain myself, he looks more suited to be a anti-hero or villain then a Holy man on a mission to defeat Dracula. I personally think he should more look something among the lines of Gabriell or Trevor(ps2), but that's just my opinion. But hey, anything beats the captain n depiction of Simon.

[Johnny]

I'm not fond of a number of things in his design:

1. The overuse of leather in his neck (makes him look like an S&M enthusiast).  I can deal with the Roman-style studded leather skirt, but not the neck buckle things.  The other games that have him in leather have it up to his neck, but never as a leather-with-metal-buckles-turtleneck thing.
2. The furry black boa stuff he's wearing (it would've been better if it were an actual animal skin, like a gray wolf skin or something)
3. The 3-inch heels he's got in his pointy boots. Also, the pointy boots.
4. It's not that it's red hair... it's that it's bright red hair.  Slightly more brown but still red would've been fine, like his Judgment hair color (which is kinda a wine/burgundy color) or auburn.
5. He's wearing tights.  Leather tights.  Studded black leather tights.  That's just too far gone, for me.

Here is what I like about his design:
1. The gloves are well done.  I like seeing him with full gloves (even if they are open at the fingertips, which is kinda not cool) instead of just bracers.
2. It's nice that they kept the "off-center" design on his armor from the older iterations of his costume.
3. The use of red in the armor is really cool.  Kinda gives it a Simon's Quest air.
4. I dig the leather straps on the boots, even if I don't like the black fur, the heels, and the tips.
5. The chains and metal work are done well, as is the sheath for his sword/subweapons.

What do you think about it fitting the class of how a barbarian should look overall? This has always been criticized with Alucard, Richter and other characters in that artform have always been criticized for looking too feminine and not tough enough. However, this seemed ok for the most part due to the time frame being the Victorian era. As the overall look, expressions, etc. does it fit how you think a barbaric vampire hunter from the mid 1600s should look? Mostly if you consider the original Castlevania and Castlevania 2 box art as well as Super Castlevania 4 for the SNES which posed a more realistic and less cartoony look to Simon, how does this compare in your eyes Jorge from an artist's perspective? In other words, how appropriate is the entire design beyond just Castlevania aside from just your likes and dislikes. I'm curious.

Now in regards to other Castlevania games Jorge, what would go through your mind if you made a comparison of Chronicles to Super Castlevania 4. If you had a SNES and a PSX with two TV sets alongside each other and played both games (or two emulator windows) what exactly in comparison could you say pleases you more about Super Castlevania 4. Is it the detail of animation in SCV4 like stair climbing, the design, the details, which aspects would you say?

[Tavis Belmont]

Simon's Chronicles look is actually my favorite of his. I think it's a nice mesh of the original, while making him feel tied to the (at that time) growing number of Kojima-drawn cast. I still think Trevor was her best interpretation, though. Richter's Dracula X look would probably be a close second to me. As for Juste, I liked his look, but it didn't like the flowing white hair. Belmont hair just seems to change throughout the years to every color on the spectrum. I'm still waiting for a green-haired Belmont.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

What do you think about it fitting the class of how a barbarian should look overall? This has always been criticized with Alucard, Richter and other characters in that artform have always been criticized for looking too feminine and not tough enough. However, this seemed ok for the most part due to the time frame being the Victorian era. As the overall look, expressions, etc. does it fit how you think a barbaric vampire hunter from the mid 1600s should look? Mostly if you consider the original Castlevania and Castlevania 2 box art as well as Super Castlevania 4 for the SNES which posed a more realistic and less cartoony look to Simon, how does this compare in your eyes Jorge from an artist's perspective? In other words, how appropriate is the entire design beyond just Castlevania aside from just your likes and dislikes. I'm curious.

Now in regards to other Castlevania games Jorge, what would go through your mind if you made a comparison of Chronicles to Super Castlevania 4. If you had a SNES and a PSX with two TV sets alongside each other and played both games (or two emulator windows) what exactly in comparison could you say pleases you more about Super Castlevania 4. Is it the detail of animation in SCV4 like stair climbing, the design, the details, which aspects would you say?

You're asking me directly?

Um... there are some problems with the Chronicles (X68000) version of Simon that CV4 doesn't have.  Mainly, X68000 Simon looks like he's got a back problem.  He's hunched forward, walks somewhat funny, and moves slowly even though his frames move quickly.  That is to say, he's doing a full set of walking sprites but doesn't walk as far when he's animated.

He looks like he's got Scoliosis or something.  CV4 Simon doesn't have those issues.  He stands more upright and has a more loose walking animation (I think it's the arms).
CV4 Simon has way too much leg muscle, though.  He's got some muscle gams on him.