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LTTP: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

C

Crusader

Banned
I preordered it when it came out but college and general apathy for the game prevented me from beating it till now.

It's pretty-much a mediocre game with some awesome elements, mainly the music, the finale and being able to pie Richter Belmont in the face. Too bad you had to slog through samey, featureless levels, and battle the same damned sprite rips that've been appearing ad nauseum since at least 2002 (with some Dracula X bosses now ripped, I guess for the series' "20th anniversary" theme.

God, I hope Dracula X Chronicles and Contra 4 are successful, so it may finally dawn on Konami to take IGA and his hackery and give em the boot.
 
ChazAshley

ChazAshley

CharAznable's second cousin
CHARLOTTE-OH! - JONATHAN!

i hate those retarded circus levels. Who designed those?

but I liked the game overall, but I like the metroidvania games so I'm bias.

i don't like super metroid though... yeah I don't get it either.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
I don't think the rehashed sprites is the worst thing; I think it's the fact than many of the have little context within their environments. Those Frozen Shades in the icy caverns of SotN were awesome. Within the dry, temperature-controlled library in PoR, not so much.
 
C

Crusader

Banned
_dementia said:
SotN, too
Click to expand...

True, but it all the sprite-ripping in SOTN didn't seem so annoying for some reason, probably because it was the first time, rather than...like...the sixth (fifth in a row).

Oh, and don't forget the medieval spear knights in the pyramid. How...Egyptian!
 
L

lyre

Member
The only reason to play new CV games are fighting the bosses but unless you restrict yourself, they're pushovers as well.

And buying DXC will only give them (Capcom of course) the impression that bad 3d to old games is what fans want. Though I do support the notion of Wayfoward making a brand new CV platformer. :D

The Lamonster said:
I just bought this game but I haven't played it yet. As long as it's as good as DoS, I'm game.
Click to expand...
It tries, but fails in the end. It's only notable for fanservice but to go through 8+ bland levels for it, is not worth it.
 
B

brandonh83

Banned
I initially agreed with all the complaints in the OP, but this is a game that seriously grew on me. When you approach the game with a completionist frame of mind, it seriously becomes much more challenging, rewarding, and fun.
 
ChazAshley

ChazAshley

CharAznable's second cousin
Protip:
for all of you jojo fans, once you get the time stop ability, throw knives, bwaka knives, and such.
 
T

TreIII

Member
As was something I pretty much expected, I had more fun with "Richter Mode" than I did with the real game, just like I enjoyed Julius Mode more in DoS.

If IGA would try doing more to make those "side games" more of an actual game, we'd probably have truly great games on our hands. But alas...

So yeah, I'm also in the camp of wishing that Konami would give WayForward the keys to the CV-mobile, for at least a spell. If they can make Contra awesome again, when Konami's own brass couldn't, surely they could do something similar for CV...
 
I

Iam Canadian

and have the worst user name EVER
I'm in the minority here, but I actually preferred this over Dawn of Sorrow. The level designs aren't really any better or worse than any other Metroidvanias. In fact, I'd even say the level design is superior to Harmony of Dissonance and Circle of the Moon; the castle and the portraits were more streamlined without so many "filler" areas. The game was also more challenging than Dawn and I think it's the hardest Metroidvania aside from Circle. The bosses are actually relatively tough this time around, which is good to see. The soundtrack was phenomenal.

I also prefer Portrait's bonuses over Dawn's. Okay, Julius Mode was fun, but Richter was just as good. Plus, Portrait also gave us the Sisters and Old Axe Armour modes. Portrait's hard mode was also actually hard (unlike Dawn's where I couldn't even tell the difference) and the level cap was a great idea.
 
A

alphajammer

Member
I'm with you on this one. I enjoyed Portrait much more than I did DOS. Certainly more than Circle or Harmony. Aria of Sorrow is still king in my book though.
I'm quite excited to hear that the next Castlevania DS will be getting away from the anime style introduced in Dawn.
 
I

Iam Canadian

and have the worst user name EVER
alphajammer said:
I'm quite excited to hear that the next Castlevania DS will be getting away from the anime style introduced in Dawn.
Click to expand...

Wait, it is?

Is it going back to the Kojima art?
 
O

Oh! My Car!

Member
The level design in this game is about as disjointed as Harmony's, if not worse. Large empty rooms, long stretches of... nothing. Cut'n paste enemy sprites. Yeah, it's the shame shitty old game repackaged again.

Though, the level cap is a welcome addition, it has a good set of extras, and you can kill that douchebag
vincent
over and over again.
 
V

viciouskillersquirrel

Member
You know, I never actually finished this one, despite obsessively unlocking EVERYTHING in the glorious splendour that was DoS. I kept getting owned by
Dracula and Death's explosion attack/ and Dracula's wall crush attack once he absorbed Death's soul. Is it possible to beat these jive turkeys without having the twins power up your whip?
 
S

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
One thing that drove me nuts is how certain one-of-a-kind items with no apparent value when you get them are later used in quests.
 
C

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Stumpokapow said:
One thing that drove me nuts is how certain one-of-a-kind items with no apparent value when you get them are later used in quests.
Click to expand...

haha yes! That sucked. I sold stuff like the "nun's habit", only to find out later you needed that and other stuff for sidequests. A secret ploy to get people to use the online item swap

btw my favorite tune in this game is the one in the desert level, what's the name of it again?
 
V

viciouskillersquirrel

Member
No one answered my question before.
IS it possible to defeat Dracula/Death and True Dracula without powering up the Vampire Killer? Does it have any effect on the ending?
 
A

Auron_Kale

Member
I loved this game (I spent many morning/evening BART rides playing and beating this game). I probably had the most fun with mastering the unique subweapons, like the paper airplane and the cream pie. Nothing like
pie'ing Richter in order to unlock the Vampire Killer.
Also, Richter & Maria mode was great fun as well as obtaining 'Greatest 5'.
 
S

Sagitario

Member
I think DoS is better but I do love PoR...

The soundtrack of this game is excellent, it has a bunch of nice extras and an incredible replay value...
 
E

ethelred

Member
I found Portrait of Ruin disappointing coming off the high that was Dawn of Sorrow... but OH MY GOD the music in the game was so freaking good. Michiru Yamane showed here, just as she did in Curse of Darkness, that she's still got it, she's still at the top of her game. So many excellent, memorable songs. And having Yuzo Koshiro contribute a handful of tracks was just icing.

I think these are my favorite songs in the game:
• Invitation of a Crazed Moon
• Jail of Jewel
• Hail from the Past
• Victorian Fear
• The Gears Go Awry
• Silent Prison
• Chaotic Playground
• Dance of Sadness

That's not counting Iron Blue Intention. It just wouldn't be fair otherwise. And the soundtrack's Theme of Simon 2007 Edition is, I think, the very best version of that song, and there have been a number of good arranges.
 
A

AlternativeUlster

Absolutely pathetic part deux
I couldn't beat the vampire dude after beating his "daughters" and then I just left it alone because the level design was nowhere as fun as Dawn of Sorrow.
 
E

ethelred

Member
_dementia said:
Is that really the name of the song? PoR came out in 2006.
Click to expand...

The soundtrack came out in 2007, though... and as the song is just on the soundtrack and not in the game itself, they went with 2007.

Just to be clear, there is a version of Theme of Simon in the game, but that version is an arrangement done by Yuzo, and it's sort of his own unique take on the song. However, the 2007 version on the soundtrack was done by Yamane and it's really more of a homage to the original Theme of Simon.
 
R

Rezbit

Member
ChazAshley said:
i don't like super metroid though... yeah I don't get it either.
Click to expand...

I feel sick...

But seriously, the game was pretty crap. I didn't mind Aria and Dawn, they were nice extensions of Symphony (which still smacks all of the Metroidvanias), but the cheesiness and reused game design was just too much.
 
M

Magicpaint

Member
brandonh83 said:
I initially agreed with all the complaints in the OP, but this is a game that seriously grew on me. When you approach the game with a completionist frame of mind, it seriously becomes much more challenging, rewarding, and fun.
Click to expand...
Bingo. (except I loved it from the start :p)
Personally, I liked this a little bit more than DoS.

I agree with everyone that says the music is phenomenal. DoS' OST was a bit of a let down, so it was great to have not just Yamane back on board, but to also have Koshiro was amazing and the result was fantastic.
 
C

cartman414

Member
Rezbit said:
I feel sick...

But seriously, the game was pretty crap. I didn't mind Aria and Dawn, they were nice extensions of Symphony (which still smacks all of the Metroidvanias), but the cheesiness and reused game design was just too much.
Click to expand...

Aria and Dawn were more streamlined, so I disagree there.

ETA: OT, but Tomm Hulett was in charge of design of Contra 4. He chose WayForward to handle coding.
 
Z

Zhengi

Member
I actually loved PoR and thought it was a great game. I had a lot of fun trying to complete the bestiary(?) and grabbing all the items from them as well. I really loved the art style too and the game was generally fun for me.
 
T

The_Dude

Member
Iam Canadian said:
The game was also more challenging than Dawn and I think it's the hardest Metroidvania aside from Circle. The bosses are actually relatively tough this time around, which is good to see.
Click to expand...
Seriously? I thought that, outside the final boss and the hidden dungeon, it was probably the easiest of all the handheld Castlevanias. Some of the late game bosses were laughably easy (the Mummy in particular). I actually had trouble with some of Dawn of Sorrow's bosses.
 
M

Magicpaint

Member
The_Dude said:
Seriously? I thought that, outside the final boss and the hidden dungeon, it was probably the easiest of all the handheld Castlevanias. Some of the late game bosses were laughably easy (the Mummy in particular). I actually had trouble with some of Dawn of Sorrow's bosses.
Click to expand...
PoR's hard mode is actually challenging, and it has the level cap; so as an overall package, it still provides more challenge than DoS.
 
S

SovanJedi

provides useful feedback
_dementia said:
SotN, too
Click to expand...

Actually that's not quite true - Gaibon and Slogra were rejigged sprites for Symphony of the Night with better colouring and different animations. Not exactly rips in any case. Their non-3D appearances after that game, though, used rips of these sprites.

And as for Portrait of Ruin? I didn't think there was anything wrong with it as such. The graphics were nice, the design was solid, some of the bosses were truly excellent, the music was lovely... but the sum of all the parts was, I felt, one of the most forgettable experiences in the Castlevania series yet. It's getting to the point where the Metroidvania series of games are getting very old now, and really need a good kick up the backside to reinvent the series into something more interesting.

Also, while the much-hated turn to anime style artwork for Dawn of Sorrow didn't bother me in the slightest, I felt that it was much more insulting in Portrait of Ruin as people actually were expressing themselves with cartoony emotions and poorly thought-out one liners (having Jonathan tell Death - who by the way now looks more like Skeletor in his middle-age years - that he can still "kick his ass" was really groansome), and I can only hope they really do ditch this style and go back to the original, softer and more gothic style of before.
 
F

fubarduck

Member
I tried to beat this game a couple of days ago (had been sitting right at the end for months) and the save game freaking disappeared from my original cartridge!!! =( =( =( x 100

Guess I am downloading a save game and finishing it on my flash card so I can see the ending.
 
S

SovanJedi

provides useful feedback
fubarduck said:
I tried to beat this game a couple of days ago (had been sitting right at the end for months) and the save game freaking disappeared from my original cartridge!!! =( =( =( x 100

Guess I am downloading a save game and finishing it on my flash card so I can see the ending.
Click to expand...

You're not really missing an awful lot with the ending, but the final boss was pretty damn cool. And tricky too.
 
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