Topic: Can I give my two cents on what CV means to me?

[Superhunter]

Hi there, I've been a lurker on here for about 7 years, mainly because it's the closest thing to a CV news site that seems to exist. I see a lot of posts regarding "is LOS a real CV," or "is ______ game cannon," and it kind of bugs me. Castlevania always has been the one video game series that I really care about, the only one that I look for when I see things like "the top 100 games of all time." I like most first got into it when my cousin introduced me too symphony of the night, I was 8 or nine years old, and I've always been a kid who loved monsters, to quote Stephen King, "I was born with a love for the night, and the unquiet coffin."
But what I've always loved more, what has always been my fantasy dream job (next to a Jedi knight," is to be a monster hunter, someone who sees the death and the evil reaked upon humanity by these beings from our worst nightmares, and stands up. Proclaims no more and risks everything, even his soul to try making the world a better place, an archetype in their own right.
What I see castlevania to be, is a tribute. A tribute to the person of any age who wishes that they could stand up and stop the darkness, a tribute to the kid that wished he could be more than what he is, a hero, and mainly, I beleive Castlevania to be the ultamite monster movie, Frankenstien, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mummy, the Wolfman, hoards of zombies, giant spiders, and menacing Steel, heartless, knights. It's the its every universal monster movie all rolled into one, but instead of a bunch of teenagers and townsfolk getting slaughtered...there is one man who stands above all the rest, a man who is destined, from time immimorum rise, and destroy the creatures from out darkest nightmare. A Belmont.
What these games come down to is the never ending battle between good and evil, a human clan divinely condemned to forever destroy the forces of darkness, and that is something I feel no other game can do. Now of course this has not been handled well at all in the past several years, in my opinion Iga, being that he is from the culture he is, in his last few games turned the series into something more like a Japanese anime, with ridiculous characters and laughable plots. Cox in my opinion, while there were a few things he really hit right, I think he missed the point of what the series truly represents, my hope is that the next two games will capture the spirit that I feel these games are ment for.

That's how I feel.
P.s I'm only 17 and I know many of you have almost twice as much experience with the franchise as I do, please critique me, I want others opinions!

[Nagumo]

Now of course this has not been handled well at all in the past several years, in my opinion Iga, being that he is from the culture he is, in his last few games turned the series into something more like a Japanese anime, with ridiculous characters and laughable plots. 

The original Castlevania was inspired by an anime called Vampire Hunter D.

[e105beta]

The original Castlevania was inspired by an anime called Vampire Hunter D.

Did it really? I find that a little hard to believe, at least for the first couple of games.

Sonia Belmont is totally a shout out to Doris Lang, though.

[Nagumo]

Well, the look of the game was inspired by classic horror movies, but the concept of the game and the movie seems to similar to be a coincidence. Not to mention it's probably where they got the idea of the main character using a whip, choosing Dracula as the big bad (Count Magnus Lee), and the ending where the castle crumbles is also ripped straight from the movie. There's no way those similarities were accidental.

[e105beta]

Well, the look of the game was inspired by classic horror movies, but the concept of the game and the movie seems to similar to be a coincidence. Not to mention it's probably where they got the idea of the main character using a whip, choosing Dracula as the big bad (Count Magnus Lee), and the ending where the castle crumbles is also ripped straight from the movie. There's no way those similarities were accidental.

I can definitely see the homages, now that you point them out.

[crisis]

mai waifuu Nagumo is right; I even recall IGA being asked in an interview if the series had some inspiration from Vampire Hunter D, although his answer was kinda vague, he didn't deny it.

Ayami Kojima even did some illustrations for VHD in the past

[Aridale]

I think the initial idea of the game was based on VHD but as it was fleshed out it got more toward classic monster movies and farther from VHD. But no ones ever officially denied it was inspired by D

[Ratty]

Yeah the original VHD movie has a lot of delightful scenes for the Castlevania fan that just scream inspiration. Always thought the second one was kinda dumb though. OP you should really watch the first Vampire Hunter D.

Also as a fellow lifelong Creature Feature fan I can appreciate your love of the classic monster influences in the games. But you can't say that a Japanese game suddenly "became too Japanese". And let's face it, the franchise would get stale if they didn't explore new things. Not to mention the Universal and Hammer horror films just don't have as much cultural cache as they did even 20 years ago. The resurgence of popularity in the Universal films (which led to the creation of the Hammer films) in the 60s and 70s was due to them being rerun on late night local television, something which stopped in the late 80s with wider distribution of cable TV and the advent of infomercials. Most people today simply haven't seen these movies and as such they're increasingly irrelevant to the pop culture discussion. The popular view of monsters, vampires in particular, has changed. That stinks but hey, at least the movies are now more readily available than ever for those who do want to watch them.
 
One of my most favorite movie influences/references in Castlevania isn't even from a Hammer/Universal movie. But from 80s Chinese horror comedies. Which were very popular in Japan for a time and also inspired Hsien-Ko/Lei-Lei, my favorite Darkstalker.

Mr. Vampire II Trailer

Castlevania OoE - Mini-boss Fight - Jiang Shi

Also I made a topic about film influences in Castlevania you might enjoy if you missed it the first time. http://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/index.php/topic,4941.msg102858.html

PS- I really wish I could find a video of a 1980s Japanese AIDS PSA in which Dracula says that even his is afraid of AIDS, but alas I cannot.

[Sumac]

But from 80s Chinese horror comedies. Which were very popular in Japan for a time and also inspired Hsien-Ko/Lei-Lei, my favorite Darkstalker.

It took quite a lot of time for Jiang-Shi to appear in the series.

[Profbeanburrito]

What I see castlevania to be, is a tribute.

Tribute!? You steal men's souls and make them your slaves!

[Lelygax]

Tribute!? You steal men's souls and make them your slaves!

Genius! lol

Cox: Akumajou Dracula and Castlevania are two different things.
Me: So thats mean that Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow are part of your story? xD

(In the case that someone dont understand, they used the name Castlevania even in Japan for these 2 games)

[X]

Welcome to the dungeon Superhunter  I also see castlevania as a tribute to those classic monster movies as well as being inspired by VHD. I was introduced to the series via CV II: Simon's quest and the classicvanias to me, are the epitome of Castlevania itself. I do enjoy playing the Igavanias from time to time as they retain most of what Castlevania is, I won't touch LoS again. I will see what Mirror of Fate and LoS 2 are like before I try them out. Here's hoping I won't be disappointed.

[Superhunter]

Okay I see what everyone is saying, I too enjoy VHD, and totally get cV being based of it, but strictly looking at the first few games, the universal creature features are what seem most prevalent.
Also I apologize, I didn't mean it that the series "became too japananese" I meant the storylines themselves did, which is of course understandable, which just makes me wish even more that konami did with this series what do many other studios have done. Remake the games all the time, like they did with SCIV, all in all these games have been an inspiration too me, an in a way do have all of you. Ive litterally been reading this forum at least twice a week since I was like 14, so I just want to say thanks everyone, and let's see where this series goes!

[beingthehero]

[X]

Hahaha. Never ever would've realized. Drac's CV II look is almost identical to Count Lee's look. Nifty.