Topic: The worst idea Castlevania's ever actually had?

[DragonSlayr81]

^^^ Ah yes, the 1990s, when everything was going for the EXTREME route. Remember, it was the era where you had Biker Mice from Mars, Street Sharks, Wild C.A.T.S, Spawn, Pitt and The Maxx! 

[Lumi Kløvstad]

^ I think you mean they were going for the XTREME!!! route. Because... you know... marketers tried to sell incorrect spelling as being "hip", "cool" and "radical".

I miss "radical". Truly a TOTALLY TRIPINDICULAR expression.

On topic (somewhat): Would it be fair to say that after Symphony of the Night tried to play things more or less completely straight and serious, it wasn't really until Circle of the Moon that the series made a habit of it?

[Flame]

^^^ Ah yes, the 1990s, when everything was going for the EXTREME route. Remember, it was the era where you had Biker Mice from Mars, Street Sharks, Wild C.A.T.S, Spawn, Pitt and The Maxx! 

Dont forget Batman Beyond, which is totally 90's Xtreeeeeme, with the Cyberpunk and the electric guitars... The Bad-Ends...

[DragonSlayr81]

LOL, just looking though NeoGAF and I saw this thread:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=462127

XTREME!!!

Also Aeon Flux....

[beingthehero]

From that thread:



This brought back so much nostalgia. ;_;

[DoctaMario]

Me personally, I think when they started emphasizing RPG elements over actual game skill is when I started losing interest. Not to say that challenge is the ONLY thing that matters (because it's not, and I STILL play SoTN in part because it's NOT that challenging sometimes) but it takes some of the immediacy out of them game when your character is WAY stronger than the enemies you're facing. And if you have trouble with a specific spot, heh, just level up a bit and you're good. I'm not saying the games have to be CV1 hard, but I wouldn't mind feeling like the enemies are more than just speedbumps.

[Sumac]

Dude, the motorcycle skeletons were the perfect gauge of the camp of the 90's games.

Voice acting absorbed all camp in SOTN.

As I see it, Symphony was the first Castlevania to take itself completely seriously. The motorcycle skeletons were an indicator that the N64 games were not trying to be completely serious, and were more about fun than canon, as the series was still in that phase

By the way, CV64 plot was rewritten several times. There is a theory that initially game should have take place in the begining of the XX century. Hence motorcycle skeletons wouldn't look like anachronism.

Dont forget Batman Beyond, which is totally 90's Xtreeeeeme, with the Cyberpunk and the electric guitars... The Bad-Ends...

Batman Beyond wasn't that "extreme" and in many regards was an awesome series.

[Flame]

Perhaps not too extreme, but comparing it to the original series, it was far darker and more edgier in the way it approached things. Especially when you consider the original idea the network gave Bruce Timm and co. Was to make a a teen batman that kids could relate to. (that's teen Bruce, mind you. In High school.) Like, almost half of Terry's rogues gallery would die. (or suffer fates worse than death)

Also, the cyberpunkish setting and style really feels 90's, where it was still something that was "edgy" and "dark".

or maybe I just dont know what im talking about, but whatever the case may be I loved the fuck out of Batman Beyond. Its a pity how underutilized it is by DC. I mean, the beyond universe, or rather, a similar one- was canonized to the comics, but either way it gets such rare love.

[Sumac]

Especially when you consider the original idea the network gave Bruce Timm and co.

Yeah, I know about that. It is wonder that they managed to develop a good series out of this "concept".

[TreasuryRoom1984]

Aria and Dawn, i'm looking their way. It's protagonist, come on now.

[Fofa]

I'd say it's a tie between the slew of Metroidvanias that came out following SotN (because it stales the series when it could be trying new styles of gameplay and wears down the audience) or the "inverse areas" (because they're are clearly padding and show laziness on the part of the developers).

[crimsonmist]

presenting the classicvania heroes as they appeared in captain n. they look too distanced from the incarnations of the mainstream games.

[Fofa]

presenting the classicvania heroes as they appeared in captain n. they look too distanced from the incarnations of the mainstream games.

Oh yeah, I think we all forgot about that. I still stand by my theory that SotN was made to atone for that show did to Alucard.

[Gunlord]

I wish I could like Castlevania Judgment, but no matter what it always strikes me as the most ill-conceived CV installment I can think of.

[KaZudra]

Worst Idea?

Putting IGA in charge.

The series in it's prime made 3 Best games in a row

Super Castlevania IV

Dracula X/XX

Castlevania Bloodlines

The 2D formula was only gonna improve there, then

SoTN, the most Overrated of all titles releases.
Since it was so successful, the direction went from making more intense games to SoTN Copy-Paste til this day.

yes, the music only got better but the formula was quickly getting old.