Topic: What is Castlevania for you?

[X]

Your link is broken there Lelygax. Got another address that'll work? I'm not sure what you were trying to link to.

[Pfil]

To me, Castlevania is what defined my tastes in everything, or put in another way, it is the only thing that I found in my life that reunites everything I love. Haunting, gothic scenery, the best music in the world, based on classical, baroque, with touches of metal, jazz... great gameplay, be it with death pits or a gigantic castle with a lot of RPG elements (that's my favourite kind but I love both); and when it got perfect for me, it even added full anime look to the formula.
And I'm glad to read that so many people find the music to be the most or one of the most important parts.
For me, without the music it just isn't Castlevania, no matter how beautiful the stage and the characters are.
Music is the first thing I like, then there's the gothic, haunting, romantic horror look.
If I have those two elements I'm already happy and I love the game.
But as Judgment and CV:HD have proven, it's better to have the full package in the game, with gameplay and story.
I'd love to have death pits inside MetroidVania games, and I have no problem in the games being difficult, though I'm OK when they are easy too, that doesn't change how much I like a game.
And... what is a man? If he looks like Juste Belmont, it's something I want to take home when I return and display besides my bed lamp 

[Lelygax]

Your link is broken there Lelygax. Got another address that'll work? I'm not sure what you were trying to link to.

Sure. Fixed and here is a quote:

crisis - I found this really touching, IDK if its because the way that you expressed this.

X-

(click to show/hide)

Pfil - Now I want to whisk you away for that kind of answer S2

[Belmontoya]

@Pfil

I feel the same way as you when you said that Castlevania defined your tastes in everything. In fact, Castlevania was the first thing I remember attaching myself to. When I got Castlevania 1 on NES I was so young I think it took a year or two before I passed level 1. But I would play for hours regardless, just soaking up the atmosphere, the artwork, gameplay, and music.

For me, I would have to say that every element is equally important. I could not put an emphasis on the music over the artwork or the gameplay, even as a musician, because each component is tailored for the other and they all feed off of each other. When you are playing a quality Castlevania game, these elements mesh in a seamless and breathtaking way. But if I played a Castlevania with amazing music that lacked in every other department, I would be disappointed. I think the gameplay programming is as much an art form as the music is, just like the artwork and everything else.

My best childhood memories are sneaking out of my bedroom in the middle of the night to play Castlevania while my mom was asleep. I would sit in the darkness usually alone or with my brother and play for hours. These moments would make me so happy I would be on the verge of goosebumps. Castlevania has been in my blood for so long, it transcends what the definition of a video game conventionally is for me.

It's wonderful that we all have a place here to express that.

[Pfil]

I agree so much with those feelings Montoya!
In fact, Castlevania is the sum of all perfect components, because every Castlevania quality title is a merging of excellent music, aesthetic look and gameplay, be it more action oriented or more RPG oriented.
And I totally understand what you say about CV 1. I started with SotN, but I was SO CRAZILY attached to it that I went looking for every other game in the saga. And while it was like, I don't know, 2002 maybe? when I played the rest of the games, I still find even today that the NES trilogy has some of the most hauntingly beautiful graphics of all time, with its horror romantic approach that is at the same time scaring, fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful.
I agree it's wonderful we have this place to express ourselves, because many people would think we are weird when we love so much something they just can't understand.
+1 to you! 

[GuyStarwind]

To me Castlevania is the tale of the struggles of the Belmont family vs Dracula and his minions. For the events in the game itself I believe this is the best way to describe it...

"To hold the CV title, it oughtta have Gabriel waltz into Dracula's castle, thrash all sorts of halloween baddies that bleed from the eyes, climb a clock tower while getting pelted by medusa heads, smack Death across the face, eat nachos with Alucard, trudge through the castle's basement, fight the legion, super jump your face into the ceiling, get to the throne room, and ruin Dracula's anus after he's done throwing those glowing fireball-rocks at you."

That's from a gamefaq conversation when LoS 1 was still coming out. Shame not all of it came to pass. Obviously it's silly but I really do think CV is about a guy(preferably Belmont) with a whip in a giant castle fighting a variety of monsters.

[Briraka]

To me, Castlevania is the monster mash, be they from movies, mythology, or religion, in video game form. The art must contain a theme of gothic horror, either the more Hammer horror structure of the early titles, to the big lavish architecture of post Dracula X.

The music could range from the atmospheric soundtrack of Super Castlevania, Rondo's more up beat techno music, Harmony of Dissonance's chiptunes, to Judgement's rocking tunes. Although if you were to ask me, my ideal CV soundtrack would be one with arrangements similar to the ones in the 8-bit games with an acoustic/orchestral instrumentation.

Gameplay-wise, I prefer the classic-vania's. It's not that I don't like exploring, but I tried out PoR, HoD, and SotN but I could never get anywhere because I didn't grind enough to get through a certain part, or I just got lost. I mean seriously? Slogra and Gaibon as the FIRST boss in SotN?

[X]

I mean seriously? Slogra and Gaibon as the FIRST boss in SotN?

Yeah they were kinda down-graded since their first appearance in SCV4. A shame really since they were quite tough prior to SotN.

[JR]

I've never thought of any entry in the series as not being a Castlevania game, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have ideal characteristics in mind. To me, the stuff I'd like to see would be a Belmont going through a Hammer horror-inspired Castle to battle Dracula, with infectious music, and a seamless combination of platforming and combat (and not one separated from the other, either, but having both elements blended perfectly, like the early games).

[A-Yty]

Attitude, action, atmosphere.

[Dark Nemesis]

Action platforming, Gothic atmosphere, the kind of music we had since Castlevania 1.

[Inccubus]

O_O TESTOSTERONE O_O

[Dremn]

Great platforming, a little bit of forward thinking when dealing with enemies and obstacles, great music, gothic imagery, and one dude strutting through a castle with a vampire killing whip. All of this in perfect harmony, not divided into sections in the level design.

Castlevania always felt like a big obstacle course, it's just the player's wits versus the game. That's pretty much why I keep coming back to the original games. The first game is a great example of near perfect game design that bases it's design around the limitations of the player, and I wish Konami would create more games like it. ReBirth pretty much nailed everything I love about the series.

[Lelygax]

Wow, a lot of people sharing thoughts, even more than I expected, thanks guys.

[The Silverlord]

Dark forests and full moons, rolling fogs, chilly looking lakes and distant mountains, decrepit landscapes, crumbling masonry.  Creatures of the night like mermen, skeletons and undead knights;  superstituous townsfolk, mysterious and powerful characters like the Ferryman or Death; enigmatic, motivated individuals like Alucard or Renon.

Good versus evil, strength and courage, resolve; simple but powerful themes.  Excitement, immersion and atmosphere. A sense of the scale and weight of the quest, with deeply rewarding gameplay.

Traversing down the entry hallway smashing monsters and candles with Vampire Killer playing.  Symphony even turned the lights out for a bit, and had the fantastic Dracula's Castle theme playing.
 
The final stairway to Dracula's chamber.  Hard fought for and you feel tension!  CV IV did this last section masterfully, with great build up and atmosphere and the Room of Close Associates theme playing.  Symphony also featured the staircase which was higher up and you needed soul of bat form to get up there.  Amazing that Dracula wasn't there!

So many more moments, very lucky to experience them and here's to many more!