Topic: Missed out on SOTN. What's the best Metroidvania that can substitute?

[Inccubus]

Think he means which is the closest as far as content and resemblance to SOTN goes, not a list of all metroidvanias available, although I could be wrong.

I know that and my suggestion was to play them all regardless. And when I mentioned my favorites I meant that to also reflect his question.

Strictly speaking the closest to SotN on technical terms is DoS. Similar graphic quality, most similar game play.
However, the setting and story is probably the most bland out of the six choices.

[Anglachel]

Would they be worth getting now though? To be honest, I only played the GBA titles, the PS1 games, and Lords of Shadow. Would any of you recommend that I get a DS and play through the DS titles?

[Mike Belmont]

Would they be worth getting now though? To be honest, I only played the GBA titles, the PS1 games, and Lords of Shadow. Would any of you recommend that I get a DS and play through the DS titles?

Absolutely yes . Get a DS or 3DS (or 2DS), so you can play those games. If you like the metroidvania style, you will feel just like home with DoS, PoR and OoE. Also, if you enjoy AoS, then you will enjoy DoS too, ´cause they share the same Soul System. You can see trailers and gameplays on the Internet.

[Anglachel]

Absolutely yes . Get a DS or 3DS (or 2DS), so you can play those games. If you like the metroidvania style, you will feel just like home with DoS, PoR and OoE. Also, if you enjoy AoS, then you will enjoy DoS too, ´cause they share the same Soul System. You can see trailers and gameplays on the Internet.

I'm a fan of all things Castlevania.  Linear, Metroid style, 2D or 3D, it's all good to me. Grew up with Circle of the Moon and moved on from there.

[Mike Belmont]

I'm a fan of all things Castlevania.  Linear, Metroid style, 2D or 3D, it's all good to me. Grew up with Circle of the Moon and moved on from there.

Then I am sure that you will like and enjoy all of the DS vanias . Also, the NDS has plenty of great games to play (Contra 4, Megaman ZX and ZX Advent, both Zeldas, Nanostray 1 and 2, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days...)

[Shiroi Koumori]

Would they be worth getting now though? To be honest, I only played the GBA titles, the PS1 games, and Lords of Shadow. Would any of you recommend that I get a DS and play through the DS titles?

Yes. Play through all the DS titles. They are good.
Get a ds/3ds xl so that the screen would be bigger. hehehe.
Get a ds if you want backward capability with GBA games.
Get a 3ds if you want to play newer 3ds games.

[Inccubus]

The very first game in the series to have the barest glimmer of metroidvania flavor was Vampire Killer on MSX.
Then after that it was CV2 which is closer to Metroid, but simpler and flatter.
You know the rest.

[son_the_vampire]

I'd consider either of the DS games a good substitute.

[zangetsu468]

Even DoS Julius mode is a hack job. The spritework is terrible- youve got Alucard squeezed right outta SotN into the DS, and Julius with a solid black outline. Also, the mode is unbalanced as shit. Julius is nerfed from Aria

CV reuses sprites, doesn't concern itself with balance and Julius is OP in AOS

Alucard is almost worse than his CV3 incarnation

If he's almost worse then he's still better.
He comes in handy when wanting to superjump and fight Death.

Yoko... first she's animated very weirdly- second- she uses up way too much magic to be useful at all.

She's a hottie and her spells are very useful (also for Death)

And by the time you are halfway through, everything suddenly becomes retardedly difficult because it's designed for Soma without any balancing factor for Julius and Co.

Retardedly difficult.. And which retard is playing the game? Balance has never had a place in CV

Also, Soma is a disappointingly shit Dracula fight.

It's the same fight as Rondo, a game which everyone seems to worship. I don't see how this fight is so bad. If anything it's better because Soma summons monsters to fight by his side.

[Flame]

CV reuses sprites, doesn't concern itself with balance and Julius is OP in AOS

that's a lie. CV has always been balanced. It's designed the way it's designed. it isn't by chance that it's hard. it's hard because it's supposed to be. Unbalanced would be the US CV3 that scales enemy damage per stage, so by the end, even skeletons do tons of damage because why not. (that was US CV3 right?) also sprite reuse is fine when kept to a minimum, and in the NES games, any reuse was generally not too noticable because the stype and other sprites fit the same style and look. But games like DoS or PoR have MUCH better detail than Rondo and Symphony, and therefore you get a very harsh clash of these very detailed bosses and enemies, and then, a rondo skeleton. Also, AoS Julius is unbalanced because he was just tossed in as a bonus mode with little regard for balance. It's just for fun and nothing else. They HAD to make him playable. play hard mode with him. I guarantee it gets harder.

She's a hottie

irrelevant.Doesn't make her animations any less awkward and bad.
 

and her spells are very useful (also for Death)

i always found her just too energy hungry to be useful.

Retardedly difficult.. And which retard is playing the game?

U wot m8

 

Balance has never had a place in CV

that's an outright lie. This isn't Dark Souls.

It's the same fight as Rondo,

Oh really? I don't recall Dracula in Rondo using the giant axe soul, or having a Gaibon familiar. The ONLY similarity they have is Soma Teleports, and has that Rondo final form. Aside from that, they are nothing alike other than the music.

I don't see how this fight is so bad.

because Soma fights no different than he plays. It's just aggravating, that after all the hype of fighting Soma, he's just lazy. he doesn't use any new moves, He doesn't even fireball if I remember. ALL of his moves, are in-game souls. With the exception of his transformation. And even then he still uses souls like Abbadon. i expected some more originality in how he attacks.

 

If anything it's better because Soma summons monsters to fight by his side.

that doesn't make it better. it's interesting, but not really better. if he were to summon anything, i'd wish it was some monster we never saw. Something ORIGINAL. Also it's kind of telling that they needed a familiar to attack you, because his  moveset is so piss poor.

[zangetsu468]

that's a lie. CV has always been balanced. It's designed the way it's designed. it isn't by chance that it's hard. it's hard because it's supposed to be.

Oh really?
The CV Chronicles Clock Tower, the cogs that keep rolling down the stage which deduct 1/4-1/3 lifebar and the boss who can jump around the stage quicker than Simon can turn and just throw parts of the clocktower at you.

The CV 64/ LOD Hard mode stage where Reinhardt carries the TNT having to not fall off platforms, be crushed by the mechanisms and avoid 5 x 2 sets of bone pillars and avoid enemies.

The Final Boss of Dracula XX (unless you've mastered the game)

The knights in the Clock tower of CV1

I'm not even going to comment on CV3

All the other games are hard because they're supposed to be, that doesn't mean they're necessarily 100% or perfectly balanced.

Julius Mode in DOS is the equivalent to Hard mode. It's supposed to be difficult. With MV's platforming takes a back seat and the game is harder in other ways.

Also, AoS Julius is unbalanced because he was just tossed in as a bonus mode with little regard for balance. It's just for fun and nothing else. They HAD to make him playable. play hard mode with him. I guarantee it gets harder.

I've played hard mode with Julius on AOS, it took me under a couple of hours to finish the game, and a few hours to ransack the entire castle.
This is not even close to being difficult. Hell, Hard mode with Soma is probably easier than normal, there are more weapons in the game like Death's Scythe and it's not that noticeable in difference.

irrelevant.

Objection!

Now we're playing Phoenix Wright

Doesn't make her animations any less awkward and bad.

It makes her sprite more appealing.
I grew up playing MVC 2 using Morrigan so I guess my standards are lower... (why is it always the pretty ones?)
 

i always found her just too energy hungry to be useful.

That Ice move is Death's Bane, for real.

that's an outright lie. This isn't Dark Souls.

If Dark Souls were 2d it very well could be.

Oh really? I don't recall Dracula in Rondo using the giant axe soul, or having a Gaibon familiar. The ONLY similarity they have is Soma Teleports, and has that Rondo final form. Aside from that, they are nothing alike other than the music.

Similar in essence, meaning it feels like the final fight.. Not down to every detail. It's more reminiscent of Rondo than say Dracula XX (aside from Dance of Illusions) which was a remake.

because Soma fights no different than he plays. It's just aggravating, that after all the hype of fighting Soma, he's just lazy. he doesn't use any new moves, He doesn't even fireball if I remember. ALL of his moves, are in-game souls. With the exception of his transformation. And even then he still uses souls like Abbadon. i expected some more originality in how he attacks.

It's Soma, he's the new Dracula. I don't see this being an issue. I like that it's different to other Dracula fights.
Though I will say in terms of MV, POR/OOE were much better Dracula fights.

that doesn't make it better. it's interesting, but not really better. if he were to summon anything, i'd wish it was some monster we never saw. Something ORIGINAL. Also it's kind of telling that they needed a familiar to attack you, because his  moveset is so piss poor.

Not really, it just makes it more varied because you're attacking other monsters. It makes logistical sense because Soma supposedly absorbed all of their souls.

[zangetsu468]

And yeah, harmony isn't the super masterpiece, but he said the closest to sotn and hod is probably the most faithful clone. NOt the best experience for sure.

I like Harmony a lot at the time, after COTM it was just far too easy.