Topic: Do you really think SCV4 is as good as everyone says? (I do)

[darkwzrd4]

Whip swinging, whip fluttering and a dedicated sub weapon button.

All thing that made SCV4 great, but were abandoned with regard to later entries. Genius!!! Those things and whipping in 8 directions are unique to that game, but should have been used on other games. The two things that made the whip overpowered in the game were the length after the second upgrade and being able to whip enemies through walls.

[X]

I personally think that the length is where it should be. Any shorter and it's no-longer the fully-powered vampire killer.

[Belmontoya]

I left out mid air jump control and jumping on and off of stairs.

[Maedhros]

Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.

CV4 brought real innovations to game play. Many of which had never been done before in a game much less a Castlevania.

Rondo brought a map system, alternate character and anime cinemas. Dracula's Curse brought alternate paths and characters. Bloodlines borrowed from CV4 and Dracula's curse. None of these games expanded on the way you actually play the game like CV4 did.

CV4 wins in innovation. It wins in graphics IMO. And it wins in music IMO. And the presentation of the game is incredible on top of everything else.

Nostalgia. Right.

The keyword being IMO. The only expansion of gameplay CV4 brought was multi-direcional whipping (which made the game easy as fuck, because it's overpowered) and better air control/jump on stairs.

I'm actually glad that multi-directional whipping was dropped for subsequent games. Make the subweapons relevant while trying to design the stages again, instead of using the whip to kill EVERYTHING, even bosses.

It was in some ways a downgrade from CVIII. It had some cool stages here and there, but I think it's one of the easiest classic CVs (it's not a complete cakewalk, though).

It was the first CV game of many people. Nostalgia IS a factor when you're trying to choose your favourite game.

[Belmontoya]

Wrong again. Whip swinging brought in all new types of gameplay elements. And the ability to throw sub weapons while whip swinging because of the dedicated sub weapon button. And mobility while being crouched DID expand the gameplay.


A downgrade from CV3!? CV3 made very few changes on game play from CV1 other than alternate characters with different abilities.

The sub weapons in CV4 were still relevant, especially when upgraded.

Nostalgia has nothing to do with it when we're comparing it to other 20+ year old games. Anyone could pull the "nostalgia" card with any game. I played all of these games back when they were hot off of the press. I have the same warm fuzzy memories about all of them starting with CV1. My first game was Cv1 and I attained them all in release order. CV4 has no special nostalgic place in my heart other than being the best CV ever made.

[Maedhros]

Wrong again. Whip swinging brought in all new types of gameplay elements. And the ability to throw sub weapons while whip swinging because of the dedicated sub weapon button.

A downgrade from CV3!? CV3 made very few changes on game play from CV1 other than alternate characters with different abilities.

The sub weapons in CV4 were still relevant, especially when upgraded.

Nostalgia has nothing to do with it when we're comparing it to other 20+ year old games. Anyone could pull the "nostalgia" card with any game. I played all of these games back when they were hot off of the press. I have the same warm fuzzy memories about all of them starting with CV1. My first game was Cv1 and I attained them all in release order. CV4 has no special nostalgic place in my heart other than being the best CV ever made.

Whip swinging, I forgot that. Kudos for that too.

Nope and nope for the others. Bloodlines made multi-directional whipping better, making it a bit limited, specially vertically.

[Belmontoya]

Bloodlines made nothing better. Limiting a super fun control mechanic is the wrong angle. All they needed to do was make the enemies stronger or make walls actual walls. Bloodlines also managed to suck the fun out of whip swinging as well. And yes crouch walking did add to the game albeit in a more modest way. 

[Abnormal Freak]

The whip is the worst damn part about Bloodlines. Poorly programmed, hardly fun. I love the game, but I usually play as Eric.

If you wanna praise a limited multi-direction whip, the X68000 game did an awesome job of it.

[Maedhros]

The whip is the worst damn part about Bloodlines. Poorly programmed, hardly fun. I love the game, but I usually play as Eric.

If you wanna praise a limited multi-direction whip, the X68000 game did an awesome job of it.

I was talking about the idea of limiting it.

@Montoya
I'll simply say that I don't agree with you and carry on.

[Belmontoya]

@ Maedhros

Oh, Reginald! (High Quality)

[Ratty]

Let's just try to make sure we all keep calm and respect each others right to differing opinions and tastes guys.

[DoctaMario]

Bloodlines made nothing better. Limiting a super fun control mechanic is the wrong angle. All they needed to do was make the enemies stronger or make walls actual walls. Bloodlines also managed to suck the fun out of whip swinging as well. And yes crouch walking did add to the game albeit in a more modest way.

Agreed. I like Bloodlines but I don't get how it's better than CV4 in any way and I've been running into a lot of people lately who think it is.

[Dracula9]

My guess is that it's the "feel" of it. While CVIV has that timeless classic horror atmosphere, Bloodlines is very comic-book-esque and dark in that regard. It's its own kind of goofiness, I guess.

I don't think that remotely one-ups CVIV, myself, but that would be my assumption as to one of the answers to that.

[X]

Both bloodlines and the X68000 CV both had multi-directional whip attacks though they were limited when compared to SCV4. In Bloodlines you could whip straight down or up at 45 degree angles only. In the X68000 CV you could only whip straight down or downwards at an angle. Clearly the idea for a versatile whip was there, but the programmers never carried over its full functionality. I also agree that the whip swing in bloodlines wasn't nearly as useful as it could have been. And it's unfortunate that there was no whip swinging in the X68000 CV.

Agreed. I like Bloodlines but I don't get how it's better than CV4 in any way and I've been running into a lot of people lately who think it is.

This might be a result of the 16-bit console wars. We all know just how fanatical the Genesis fans were. But that doesn't speak for everybody.

[The Silverlord]

I think it's mostly nostalgia.

Or maybe, when held up to the other games, for some Castlevania IV just does things better, has more character and grace, and a greater atmosphere.  Here, you even said so yourself:

I agree that SCV4 does have, indeed, the best atmosphere of the series. So many little details that it's still astounds me every time I play. The music compliments the game really well too ...

You must be suffering nostalgia.