Topic: Don't say 1999: What's your dream Castlevania project?

[Crying Freeman]

I'm sort of pissed that LOD wasn't remade like Starfox/ Lylat Wars was for the 3ds.

The camera issues and a higher framerate with more solid graphics would have solved ALL of the 64 titles' issues imo.

The issue with Castlevania in 3d is that gaming became more geared toward casual and/or blockbuster title players.
In CV64/ LOD if you fell from too high or down a pit, you died, period. Even by the time of LOI in the few pitfalls they had you'd simply lose life. Even though LOS wasn't the most easy game on the harder setting, it went down the "checkpoint" route which is okay for longer stages, but having this employed for different forms of bosses makes me shudder every time.

Castlevania is the one series I believe where the first instincts (64 iterations) were basically the best and got it right. Sure some things could be ironed out, but mostly those games suffered from an at times awkward camera and slightly stiff gameplay which LOD improved drastically upon imo. These issues could've been solved and in terms of gameplay in the grand scheme, all the characters were missing was a backdash imo. You're right that if they'd continued down this line they would've made a winner.

A remake of those games would be great! If it happened I'd hope they wouldn't have the GoW style attack system and over-epicness that LOS had. The attacks in 64 were pretty stiff, but it helped the CV feel: The control in the NES games is pretty stiff. A situation where you're as epic an action hero as Gabriel doesn't leave any suspense to your battles. I'm not to familiar with the Dark Souls series, but from what I've seen I think that'd be a good template.

And you're spot on with the mainstream nature of games. I'll admit, I do really love games that are easy to play through that I can beat in 1 sitting, but I prefer games like Ninja Gaiden NES and CV where you have to be skilled at the game in order for them to be a breeze. I like short games with a lot of replay value, and games like the ones mentioned above work perfectly because of the difficulty: You're equipped with what you need, so get skilled with what you have. But I do love how easy Valis 1 for Genesis is because it's a game with a story and world I like, great for downtime with a familiar game. I can beat CV and NG no problem, but I do have the risk of dying and getting annoyed.

[Shiroi Koumori]

Such a shame. It'd be so awesome to have Alucard waking up again for whatever reason, runs into Maria again, or a descendant. Something I loved about Alucard was how you can tell he was constantly tormented by his dhampir-ism, the eternal life, and his having to fight his father, but he never bitches or moans about it like almost evey character like that. He's so accepting of everything, like his dialogue at the end of SotN

(click to show/hide)

"It must've been painful for you" "Indeed" and "The blood in my veins is cursed. Twould be best for this world I was to disapear forever." Instead of making his problem everyone's problem like so many characters in media do. Something else I like was when I beat SSotN it was my first time hearing the Japanese dialogue, and the emotional tone he has when you beat Dracula hit me cus I wasn't expecting it after his calmness throughout the game.

He also isn't a generic quiet protagonists, where he's cool cus he's quiet and mostly unemotional. He's like that because of what he's been through and what he has to face. He's accepting of it and numb from it. I might be looking to deep into it, but Alucard has so much potential for future games.

This is where good fanfiction comes in. And what everybody else should learn when creating a protagonist.
"Alucard has so much potential for future games" --> Alucard fans will agree with this statement.

[TatteredSeraph]

This is where good fanfiction comes in. And what everybody else should learn when creating a protagonist.
"Alucard has so much potential for future games" --> Alucard fans will agree with this statement.

Yup!  As a fellow Alucard fanclub member, I am in complete agreement.  The same in general goes for the Sorrow arc.  I find Soma a fascinating character, who bounces off of Alucard/'Arikado' beautifully.  Yup, Shiroi and I are in need of some good fanfiction fixes atm!

[son_the_vampire]

Hmm, a good OP
 
I want a redone Harmony of Despair. 2016 style. More Chars, levels, etc.

Storyline wise, Id want a project where all the plot holes are filled and all the tie-ins between games are made.

[Crying Freeman]

For Alucard stories or fanfics, would a sequel to SotN or prequel to meeting Trevor work better?

[TatteredSeraph]

For Alucard stories or fanfics, would a sequel to SotN or prequel to meeting Trevor work better?

Both are good.  However, there seem to be more SotN-era than CV3 era fics as a whole.

[Crying Freeman]

Both are good.  However, there seem to be more SotN-era than CV3 era fics as a whole.

I can see how that makes more sense, easier to come up with ideas for that era. I'll prob check some out soon

[Shiroi Koumori]

Yup!  As a fellow Alucard fanclub member, I am in complete agreement.  The same in general goes for the Sorrow arc.  I find Soma a fascinating character, who bounces off of Alucard/'Arikado' beautifully.  Yup, Shiroi and I are in need of some good fanfiction fixes atm!

Oh yes! 

I can see how that makes more sense, easier to come up with ideas for that era. I'll prob check some out soon

Please do. We'll be waiting.

[coinilius]

After playing Lament of Innocence, I really wanted a game that was a direct follow up to it - something that took the play style and refined it, with a story that revolved around Leon chasing down leads on Mathias in foreign lands, defeating other creatures of darkness... I know the ending of LoI says that Mathias and the Belmont's wouldn't meet again for hundreds of years, but surely some kind of confrontation between Leon and Mathias could be contrived.  I just like the idea of using exotic, medieval era locations as settings for the levels, perhaps with confrontations with other, lesser (though still powerful) vampires along the way.

[zangetsu468]

After playing Lament of Innocence, I really wanted a game that was a direct follow up to it - something that took the play style and refined it, with a story that revolved around Leon chasing down leads on Mathias in foreign lands, defeating other creatures of darkness... I know the ending of LoI says that Mathias and the Belmont's wouldn't meet again for hundreds of years, but surely some kind of confrontation between Leon and Mathias could be contrived.  I just like the idea of using exotic, medieval era locations as settings for the levels, perhaps with confrontations with other, lesser (though still powerful) vampires along the way.

Personally, I believe an LOI sequel with another Vampire antagonist would be better. Walter served well as an antagonist which also threw a massive spanner into the works, being that

(click to show/hide)

his power became Mathias' property

after his defeat at the hands of Leon.

A sequel where Leon, having mourned the loss of Sara but also of his closest comrade, explores the vast open world of Wallachia in hopes of finding the scent of Mathias' trail.
I'd prefer it involve another Vampire altogether as the antagonist, perhaps a female, ruthless, cold, void of compassion and callous in nature. 2 playable characters, Leon and Rinaldo. Point of the journey to be assisting people whose love ones have been turned by the main antagonist, let's call her "The Queen".

The twist: every vampire you destroy is feeding the Queen's power to another level. The only saving grace is the power of the VK, fuelled by Sara's undying rage to prevent those who are destined to suffer the same fate as her from becoming tainted in the first place.
- around 5 villages and open environments Leon visits
- A main vampire terrorising each; once they die, the villagers are healed of vampirism.
- Little does Leon know that destroying them fuels the Queen's power, rendering her insanely powerful
- Joachim makes an appearance, either as a playable character, or a villain working under the Queen (resurrected by a pact with her) or both
- Leon and Rinaldo team up for the final battle
- in the ending sequence Leon and Rinaldo sense something is awry when instead of the Queen dying, her soul is absorbed into a vortex by an unknown force.
- Mathias watches in the distance with the shadow of Death by his side while he absorbs her soul into the Crimson Stone, acquiring all of her powers; including those of the other vampires she sired.
- The final scene is Leon burning with rage running into what appears to be the Forrest of eternal night, towards a castle.. The camera pans up from the earth, behind Leon, to a full moon (which is the same way LOI started - only with a moon crescent rather than a full moon) while the words "The End" materialise, leaving the player on the edge of their seat, not knowing what will happen for the next 300 years before Trevor Belmont's appearance.

[Crying Freeman]

After playing Lament of Innocence, I really wanted a game that was a direct follow up to it - something that took the play style and refined it, with a story that revolved around Leon chasing down leads on Mathias in foreign lands, defeating other creatures of darkness... I know the ending of LoI says that Mathias and the Belmont's wouldn't meet again for hundreds of years, but surely some kind of confrontation between Leon and Mathias could be contrived.  I just like the idea of using exotic, medieval era locations as settings for the levels, perhaps with confrontations with other, lesser (though still powerful) vampires along the way.

That ending was such a lazy thing. I don't even know why it had to be said, and it actually kills A LOT of potential for interesting plots and settings like you just said. I mean, why even set LOI with that far of a gap between it and CV3 if that time won't be used for more stories? It would've made more sense to just have LOI a century or so before CV3 and say they'll finally clash again the next century. Your ideas are what Iga should've had in mind.

[DragonSlayr81]

My dream CV project? Okay, to be honest, I have quite a few:

1. Waltz of Oblivion- I've been tossing this one around for a LONG time. It deals with the time right before the Belmonts go into hiding(early 1800s), and features Richter(a little older) and an event that puts the final nail into the coffin(hehe) regarding their ability to wield the whip(until Julius, that is). Basically, the gist of the story is that Dracula's collective minions(monsters and evil humans sympathetic towards the Dark Lord) gather in their master's absence to devise a plan to rid the Belmont family from the equation. They know that the Belmonts are the only true threat to their Dark Lord, so if they can rid the Belmonts(or hinder them in some way), it would provide Dracula enough time to gain power without anybody standing in his way.

Richter has been having nightmares since the events of SotN, and can sense the taste of darkness within himself. The Dracula loyalists know this, and it will be vital to them cursing the Belmont lineage(Richter's descendants) from touching the Vampire Killer whip. In the meantime, not having a heir himself(just yet, that is, though the darkness within may be to blame), he has found a distant relative(a Morris) that he is training as his apprentice. Eventually, the Dracula loyalists attack Richter's hometown and Richter and his apprentice venture off to their lair beyond the ruins of Castlevania. I think the Dracula loyalists, I once named, were comprised of various monsters, and in tradition of the series, real life killers thought to be vampires(Clara Geisslerin was one, I know for sure).

Basically, it was a sequel to SotN.

2. Brothers Belmont- This one took place between Belmont's Revenge and the first CV, dealing with two Belmont brothers and focused more on how the Belmont lineage chose it's "successors" that would wield the VK whip. Sons of Soleiyu, Jesche(the older) and Alex(the younger) were close, and during the Rites of Succession, Jesche was chosen as the wielder of the Vampire Killer whip. Meanwhile, all is silent since the vanquishing of the Dark Lord Dracula, but a carriage rolls into Wallachia carrying Countess Bartley, vampiric niece of Dracula. She commands creatures of the night to attack the countryside and Jesche ventures off to defend his homeland. But, he disappears and the Belmont family is worried, as the monster attacks seem to be getting worse. Alex sets out to discover what became of his brother and try to stop the growing darkness that has shrouded the land.

I wanted something with more of a family dynamic. Focusing on what happens when you bring brothers, sisters, moms, dads, aunts and uncles into the picture. The Belmont family is a FAMILY for a reason. That aspect always interested me and I always wanted to see it explored a whole lot more(thought it looks like we will never get to see it).

3. Game-of-Thrones-vania- Not specifically like Game of Thrones, but more echoing aspects of my previous idea, a focus on family. This is the idea I tossed around before more recently regarding a rivalry between the Belmont family and the Dracula family(yes, family). Introduce brothers Mircea and Radu, as well as Vlad the Monk(who actually turns on his brothers dark ambitions to aid the Belmonts). Focusing on the rise of Dracula(my origin took some concepts for LoI, but kept the setting around the 1400s with Dracula actually being Vlad III, not Matthias Cronqvist or Gabriel Belmont). Though, my concept was that Gabriel Belmont(yeah, I know) was a companion to Vlad III(Dracula) and brothers-in-arms. Gabriel and his men betray Dracula after witnessing his cruel ways against a Turk camp, and leaves Dracula to be captured and imprisoned by the Turks. Dracula meets an old man within the depths of the prison, an undying infidel that's entire existence is a mockery of all that is holy. The man(Alhazred) teaches Dracula ways of the darkness and the path to attain more(the location of Scholomance). The meager powers allow Dracula to escape and be taught the ways of darkness. He enters Scholomance as a man and leaves as the Dark Lord. Returning to his homeland, he grants his gift to his brothers(who at the time were fighting for his throne), then seeks revenge on those who betrayed him. Many of the men in Dracula's company, including Gabriel(and a Denasti) were killed.

It basically leads up to a revisionist version of CV3, Trevor still being Gabriel's son(like LoS), who was away while his family was slaughtered by Dracula. And when I mention family, I also mean Denasty/Denasti, Belnades and such, all clans that will hold a great importance to the story. Lots of family business, betrayal and such. And how Vlad's own brother turned against the Dracula family to join and aid the Belmonts, perhaps someone of the Belmont clan(a brother or cousin) is lured by the darkness and tries to betray Trevor? Some real good backstabbing stuff afoot!

4. Castlevania: The Movie- This is something I've thought of after watching a movie this past holiday season. I'm a simple man when it comes to adaptations. For a CV movie, I always thought you should work with the basics, and in CV's case, that means Simon Belmont. My idea would be a Princess Bride take on CV. If I had the ability to time travel(and money), damn! Okay, my idea is, 1986, six-year old Jules(Julius) Belmont is home on a dark stormy night as the door bell rings. His parents open the door to find a gruff-voiced man in a duster coat and cowboy hat standing in the rain. It's old Uncle Jonny(once called Jonathan) Morris(played by Sam Elliot). Familiar with the parents, he goes inside to see Jules and give him a very special present, a book on their ancestry. Jules fingers through the book with cool pictures of monsters and heroes, then asks Uncle Jonny to tell him about them. Jonny then tells the story of Simon Belmont and how the Dark Lord Dracula was resurrected during a black mass as a great Easter celebration was happening in town. Dracula's demonic army attacked the celebration, in which our young hero Simon took up the Vampire Killer whip and ventured off to Castlevania, the castle of Dracula. All the while, between the majority of footage of Simon, we see cuts of something outside Jules's house, lurking in the trees and bushes. Uncle Jonny's story concludes with Dracula's defeat, but he warns that it wasn't the last the Belmonts seen of Dracula. Eventually, the lights go out and Uncle Jonny goes to see if Jules' parents are alright. He finds them dead and monsters(skeletons and werewolves) roaming the house. He pulls out the VK whip and starts kicking ass. He returns to Jules to find a vampire attacking him. Jules(who wears a cross), presses it onto the vampire's face as Uncle Jonny finishes it off. It basically starts with Jonny taking Jules in to train him to carry on his family's legacy(dun dun dun... set up for 1999).

But yeah, this one, I wanted it to feel like an 80s horror adventure, even with 80s-esque arrangements of the CV theme songs. 

[coinilius]

That ending was such a lazy thing. I don't even know why it had to be said, and it actually kills A LOT of potential for interesting plots and settings like you just said. I mean, why even set LOI with that far of a gap between it and CV3 if that time won't be used for more stories? It would've made more sense to just have LOI a century or so before CV3 and say they'll finally clash again the next century. Your ideas are what Iga should've had in mind.

Thanks Crying Freeman!  Personally, I'd like to see the game start fairly soon after LoI, with Leon and Rinaldo investigating the Cronqvist Estate and uncovering the secret entrance to Mathias's 'black library' - where he kept all his forbidden tomes and undertook his alchemical experiments.  From there they uncover clues which lead Leon to travel across the medieval world, encountering other powerful Vampires while trying to track down leads on Mathias...

Of course, globe hopping in those days was a much more involved and time consuming activity... I'd have Leon actually change in appearance as the game progresses, looking older and harder the further into the game you get, throw in some costume changes as well, perhaps revisit the ruins of Walter's castle...

[The Bizarre Trooper]

My dream Castlevania project.

Castlevania: Phantom Blood.

You play as Alucard, Soma Cruz, Shanoa & Simon Belmont, the story take's place after the end of their stories (SotN, DoS, OoE & CVII: SQ), they are at peace with themselves, untill someone is messing with the time Stream, it's up to Soma, Alucard, Shanoa & Simon to team-up to fix time itself so they can resume their own timelines!

The team mechanics would be similiar to Portrait of ruins but with 4 characters in the graphics and gameplays of LoS 2 in an open world taking place in Castle Dracula.

In the game you can upgrade each of the 4 characters for e.x.: You can upgrade the VK from it's leather whip to it's beam of light from CV64: LoD, You can fully upgrade Alucard and Soma's weaponries & Shanoa's Glyphs powers, not only that but you can also upgrade the 4 characters with core skill's, abilities and combativities!

Plus if you beat the game on hard mode you unlock alt. skins/outfits such as: simon get's his LoS - MoF skin and his Chronicles outfit, Alucard get's his LoS2 skin and his CV3 outfit, Soma get his AoS outfit and Shanoa get's her Judgement outfit!

If you beat the game you unlock Boss rush to test your boss fight abilities!

If you beat the hardest dificulty, you get a secret cutscene!

and who is the final/main antagonist? well i'm not going to reveal it.... not yet!

[The Bizarre Trooper]

Personally, I believe an LOI sequel with another Vampire antagonist would be better. Walter served well as an antagonist which also threw a massive spanner into the works, being that

(click to show/hide)

his power became Mathias' property

after his defeat at the hands of Leon.

A sequel where Leon, having mourned the loss of Sara but also of his closest comrade, explores the vast open world of Wallachia in hopes of finding the scent of Mathias' trail.
I'd prefer it involve another Vampire altogether as the antagonist, perhaps a female, ruthless, cold, void of compassion and callous in nature. 2 playable characters, Leon and Rinaldo. Point of the journey to be assisting people whose love ones have been turned by the main antagonist, let's call her "The Queen".

The twist: every vampire you destroy is feeding the Queen's power to another level. The only saving grace is the power of the VK, fuelled by Sara's undying rage to prevent those who are destined to suffer the same fate as her from becoming tainted in the first place.
- around 5 villages and open environments Leon visits
- A main vampire terrorising each; once they die, the villagers are healed of vampirism.
- Little does Leon know that destroying them fuels the Queen's power, rendering her insanely powerful
- Joachim makes an appearance, either as a playable character, or a villain working under the Queen (resurrected by a pact with her) or both
- Leon and Rinaldo team up for the final battle
- in the ending sequence Leon and Rinaldo sense something is awry when instead of the Queen dying, her soul is absorbed into a vortex by an unknown force.
- Mathias watches in the distance with the shadow of Death by his side while he absorbs her soul into the Crimson Stone, acquiring all of her powers; including those of the other vampires she sired.
- The final scene is Leon burning with rage running into what appears to be the Forrest of eternal night, towards a castle.. The camera pans up from the earth, behind Leon, to a full moon (which is the same way LOI started - only with a moon crescent rather than a full moon) while the words "The End" materialise, leaving the player on the edge of their seat, not knowing what will happen for the next 300 years before Trevor Belmont's appearance.

.....you sir... are...a....F***ING GENIUS!!!!! This is just brilliant! Now THIS is a game i would play non-stop!!!!