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Gametrailers' "The Castlevania Retrospective"

B

brandonh83

Banned
It was so great, the first part. Kinda bummed that Super Castlevania IV is saved for part two though. Really do think people who are turned off because LOS isn't another Metroidvania should watch this and see how the series actually originated.
 
S

Segata Sanshiro

Member
brandonh83 said:
It was so great, the first part. Kinda bummed that Super Castlevania IV is saved for part two though. Really do think people who are turned off because LOS isn't another Metroidvania should watch this and see how the series actually originated.
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I got my eye on you, son.
 
B

BatDan

Bane? Get them on board, I'll call it in.
Nice, they finally made another one!
Judging from the preview of the next one, I hope they at least acknowledge Rondo of Blood and how it's a vastly superior game to Dracula X.
 
I

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
Glad to see the Retrospectives return. They quit doing them for a while. I downloaded them and made DVD's out of them!

Looks like the Castlevania one is so new you can only get to it from the front page, and it's not added tot he retrospective page yet. Silly lazy web designers. ;P

http://www.gametrailers.com/retrospective/?rdir=1
 
P

Phenomic

Member
Good video indeed but I wonder why they waited so long instead of doing them up to the release of Lords of Shadow which I thought they did for most games in the past. Still going to watch them even after I beat Lords though.
 
S

szaromir

Banned
I'm somewhat unfamiliar with the series, will be cool to learn what's the fuss with the series (though I won't play it anyway)
 
S

szaromir

Banned
Phenomic said:
Good video indeed but I wonder why they waited so long instead of doing them up to the release of Lords of Shadow which I thought they did for most games in the past. Still going to watch them even after I beat Lords though.
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I don't think it's their role to hype up upcoming games. I imagine these videos are a nightmare to edit and take forever.
 
W

WrenchNinja

Member
Phenomic said:
Good video indeed but I wonder why they waited so long instead of doing them up to the release of Lords of Shadow which I thought they did for most games in the past. Still going to watch them even after I beat Lords though.
Click to expand...
Lords of Shadow was originally supposed to come out near the end of the month, so GT were going to do the retrospective leading up to it. But Konami moved Lords of Shadow to the beginning of the month later on, so GT just continued with their plan to do it across October.
 
F

Foffy

Banned
szaromir said:
I don't think it's their role to hype up upcoming games. I imagine these videos are a nightmare to edit and take forever.
Click to expand...

Imagine the nightmare it'd take if they go into an episode about timelines, like with they did with Zelda. :D
 
H

Henchmen21

Banned
Hellshadow said:
Yeah, thx for the link.
I loved Castlevania 1 and 3, hated 2 though.
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You know, I don't disagree with that.

Watching this retrospective, I realize something. They mention Zelda 2 while talking about Simon's Quest. I think I read somewhere that someone had mentioned all the similarities between those 2 games (hell I could probably make a bullet list with all the things they have in common). But where Zelda 2 is hated atleast it feels like a complete game. CV 2 just feels to me like it was half-way done when it was released. The level design is bland & boring. The bosses (what few there are) are ridiculously simple. To be honest, the only things I like about this game are Bloody Tears, Simon's sprite, The box art, and the basic premise behind the story i.e. Simon being cursed by drac and needing to reassemble him.
 
K

Kard8p3

Member
Phenomic said:
Good video indeed but I wonder why they waited so long instead of doing them up to the release of Lords of Shadow which I thought they did for most games in the past. Still going to watch them even after I beat Lords though.
Click to expand...

I unfortunately listened to the latest Invisible Walls and they explained why they're doing the retrospective now. Apparently for most of the year they were under the impression that Lords of Shadow was coming out in late october so they planned accordingly. When the release date was announced it was too late to adjust things.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
brandonh83 said:
It was so great, the first part. Kinda bummed that Super Castlevania IV is saved for part two though. Really do think people who are turned off because LOS isn't another Metroidvania should watch this and see how the series actually originated.
Click to expand...

The type of action game that Castlevania LoS is has very little similarity to the type of action game that the series originated as. I mean, you might as well accept Castlevania LoS is not Castlevania.

That does not mean it is a bad game
 
R

revolverjgw

Member
Nice, these GT Retrospectives are a treat, as usual I'm chomping at the bit for the next part.

Castlevania 1 was an incredible experience back in the day, the game was just so much more atmospheric than anything else on the console at the time. That and Rygar are pretty much the two games most responsible for making me love gaming.
 
K

~Kinggi~

Banned
I like to imagine if a game like Lords of Shadow were brought back in time to 1986 when these games were around, what the reaction might be. Probably banned for witchcraft.
 
P

Prime crotch

Banned
Amir0x said:
The type of action game that Castlevania LoS is has very little similarity to the type of action game that the series originated as. I mean, you might as well accept Castlevania LoS is not Castlevania.

That does not mean it is a bad game
Click to expand...
For a series like Castlevania I find it hard to talk about its essence when the series was so evenly split by genre changing and the most common element being a gothic horror atmosphere, which LoS certainly is.
 
B

brandonh83

Banned
Amir0x said:
The type of action game that Castlevania LoS is has very little similarity to the type of action game that the series originated as. I mean, you might as well accept Castlevania LoS is not Castlevania.
Click to expand...

It definitely is its own thing. But the series originated as a 2D sidescroller with shitty platforming and pretty brutal combat, in that you get hit four times and it's over, and getting thrown back everytime you get hit, etc.

But to me the very essence of the series is a Belmont going through levels beating the hell out of creatures of the night with a whip, and this game carries that on, and it's not another Metroidvania. I do think this is closer to what the series used to be about in the NES days but naturally people may feel free to disagree.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
Prime crotch said:
For a series like Castlevania I find it hard to talk about its essence when the series was so evenly split by genre changing and the most common element being a gothic horror atmosphere, which LoS certainly is.
Click to expand...

There are really only two main types of Castlevania games (although with LoS, there are now three), and those are only segmented really by the speed of their action. It's not that complicated or divergent at all. Even the old 3D ones followed a very specific formula directly connected to the old ones. There is a lot more uniting the Castlevania series than "gothic horror atmosphere", in my opinion.
 
B

brandonh83

Banned
Darkmakaimura said:
Thanks for the compile. I gotta watch these again.
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Do it. When it shows him hiding under his covers when he boots up the first game and goes "....oh shit..." I almost shit myself
 
P

Prime crotch

Banned
Amir0x said:
There are really only two main types of Castlevania games (although with LoS, there are now three), and those are only segmented really by the speed of their action. It's not that complicated or divergent at all. Even the old 3D ones followed a very specific formula directly connected to the old ones. There is a lot more uniting the Castlevania series than "gothic horror atmosphere", in my opinion.
Click to expand...
A Castlevania pre-Symphony of the Night was not the same game as afterwards, the essence changed, and hopefully with this new title it will again.
In LoS's case it has roots in Lament of Innocence wether directly or indirectly, since it ressembles God of War; and combat in both games have similar features.
I haven't played it yet, other than the demo, but I see no reason to not consider LoS a Castlevania title.
 
Yoshichan

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
VERY high quality Retrospective.

Still not as good as RE quite yet, but very good nonetheless.
 
L

luka

Loves Robotech S1
electroshockwave said:
Thanks for posting this. And on a related note, the AVGN Castlevania episodes from last year.

Part 1: Castlevania
Part 2: Castlevania 2 & 3
Part 3: Super Castlevania IV, Dracula X, Castlevania 64
Part 4: Bloodlines, SOTN, portable games
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I love this one. The montage at the end always makes me sad for some reason. :(
 
D

DRock

has yet to tasted the golden nectar that is tag
I nostalgia'd hard watching that. That music, that gameplay :D
 
T

The Bookerman

Member
Prime crotch said:
A Castlevania pre-Symphony of the Night was not the same game as afterwards, the essence changed, and hopefully with this new title it will again.
In LoS's case it has roots in Lament of Innocence wether directly or indirectly, since it ressembles God of War; and combat in both games have similar features.
I haven't played it yet, other than the demo, but I see no reason to not consider LoS a Castlevania title.
Click to expand...


Lament of Innocence has more in common with Devil May Cry than God of war.
 
J

jett

D-Member
The Bookerman said:
Lament of Innocence has more in common with Devil May Cry than God of war.
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LoI had a simple 3-button combo and a 5-button combo and nothing else, that I can remember. I don't think either DMC or GoW should be compared to it. :p
 
A

Anth0ny

Member
I love these retrospectives.

Although I'm embarrassed to say I've never played through a Castlevania game. I want to play the first one on NES as soon as possible.
 
R

Red

Member
Anth0ny said:
I love these retrospectives.

Although I'm embarrassed to say I've never played through a Castlevania game. I want to play the first one on NES as soon as possible.
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It's a good series. The titles I've played all seem to blur together, which makes it hard for me to call it great, but each entry is solid and worthwhile. Taken individually they are definitely fun experiences, but I'm really glad LoS has taken steps to change things up. It's about time.
 
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