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Akumajo Dracula - Ubawareta Kokuin (DS)

Mejilan said:
What's more irksome is that as much as the N64 games were maligned, they made for MUCH better 3D Castlevania's than IGA's atrocities.
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I don't agree with that for a second. LoI is far more fluid in the control department. It also keeps the focus on action, as opposed to finding levels and switches, which really hurt the pacing of the N64 games.
 
nincompoop said:
I talked a lot of shit about LoI in the past even though until recently I had only played for about an hour before I got bored and quit. Then a few weeks ago I picked it back up on a whim and found that it didn't suck nearly as bad as I was expecting. It was a deeply flawed yet thoroughly enjoyable experience, much like all of Iga's 2D games (yes including SotN). I still probably won't bother trying to find CoD though.
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I actually played through the game twice
the second time as the hidden character who was actually pretty cool to play as IIRC
trying really desperately to find something redeemable because I love Castlevania so much but it was probably one the most underdeveloped and disappointing games I've played this side of Product No. 3.
 
nincompoop said:
It was a deeply flawed yet thoroughly enjoyable experience, much like all of Iga's 2D games (yes including SotN)
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Yeah that was my experience too. Not much different from the handled ones minus the nice 2d art. CoD is an improvement gameplay wise though... you should check it out if you liked LoI.
 
Well, to be fair, I wouldn't really classify SotN as IGA's, exactly. He was involved in SotN, but he wasn't heading up the CV teams at that point in time, and it wasn't his brainchild. Similarly, he had nothing (or very little) to do with the N64 games or CotM (or, I think, the older GB games). HoD, AoS, DoS, and PoR are definitely his, though. As well as Dracula X Chronicles (which may or may not have been outsourced?) and the PS2/Xbox games.
 
I admittedly didn't read the whole topic, but just wanted to put my two cents worth in. I've been hoping for a new DS Castlevania announcement and hope this one is real, I'll be there day one if so.

I love the Metroidvania style, but to be honest, all the castles kinda blur together at this point. PoR mixed things up with the portrait levels, but it felt like they were still not varied enough and I couldn't help but be annoyed at the Mario 64-esque "level hub" setup.

What I really want to see is a Metroidvania in the same style as recent entries (I honestly don't care who does the art... the oldschool stuff was better, but the anime stuff is acceptable to me) but GET OUT OF THE CASTLE. I'd like to see the adventure span many outdoor areas and puzzles, with mini-dungeon areas, similar to Castlevania 2, then finish the adventure off with a smaller but better-designed castle where we take on Drac.
 
I could probably beat it again rather easily, but I don't know if there's any way to pause it during the credits. And I don't feel like doing it again and again to make sure I've captured the credits accurately. Though, I do recall a few funny typos in the credits roll.
 
SantaC said:
how exactly? A useless character switch system, repetive level design and lackluster abilities.
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awesome boss fights, a stellar yuzo koshiro soundtrack (it's not yamane), the entire nation of fools level, a great balance of linearity versus metroidvania level design. the only downer is the dull character designs, but i really don't factor that in when playing a freakin' castlevania game. the character switching was a useless gimmick, yeah, but how did that detract from the core gameplay? lackluster abilities -- again, who cares? the design, the challenge, and the progression was spot effin' on. i consider the whole experience very close to if not on par with sotn, which is saying a lot, because the ds as a gaming platform fuckin' revolts me.
 
Drinky Crow said:
awesome boss fights, a stellar yuzo koshiro soundtrack (it's not yamane), the entire nation of fools level, a great balance of linearity versus metroidvania level design. the only downer is the dull character designs, but i really don't factor that in when playing a freakin' castlevania game. the character switching was a useless gimmick, yeah, but how did that detract from the core gameplay? lackluster abilities -- again, who cares? the design, the challenge, and the progression was spot effin' on. i consider the whole experience very close to if not on par with sotn, which is saying a lot, because the ds as a gaming platform fuckin' revolts me.
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I always thought Portrait got the balance between linear and Metroidvania wrong. Not to mention that the DS' own Dawn of Sorrow eclipsed SotN in my book.
 
I think Portrait of Ruin was an underrated, excellent title...if not in its design, than in its entertainment value. But i feel like a Castlevania game hasnt really innovated or pushed in its design since Aria of Sorrow. DoS and PoR were fine refinements, but something new's gotta be introduced in this one...
 
Drinky Crow said:
awesome boss fights, a stellar yuzo koshiro soundtrack (it's not yamane), the entire nation of fools level, a great balance of linearity versus metroidvania level design.
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I don't disagree with most of that, but... Yuzo's six tracks really made the soundtrack to that great an extent for you? I mean, I think two of his contributions (Gears and Invitation) are two of the best songs on there, but still.
 
I just saw the pics for the first time today. I can't believe that I missed this thread. :|

So, were these pics proven to be fake or what?
 
castle007 said:
I just saw the pics for the first time today. I can't believe that I missed this thread. :|

So, were these pics proven to be fake or what?
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No answer either way, I believe.
 
Barakov said:
No answer either way, I believe.
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Which is strange since GAF is usually good with digging up dirt. Does no one else care? I freaking love the metroidvania games and if we can get anything out of IGA even approaching the Sorrows games (or the battle of 1999), I will be a contented squirrel.
 
Deku said:
They had mood and atmosphere
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Though I can say that LoI had a more engaging combat system than the two N64 games, I can't say I enjoyed playing it more and I didn't even enjoy the combat more. It was just too much. The 2D games are heavy on action but not 100 hit combo-heavy. It made all of the enemies seem like less of a threat, too.
 
brandonh83 said:
Ugh I thought this thread came back for a good reason! Damn you castle ;)
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Ditto. Why bring up this topic, unless there was something really good to report on it?

Any way...when's Konami Gamers Day? Or has it already happened...?
 
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