-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
DF Retro Let's Play: Castlevania 64! Is It Really A Series Low Point?
- Thread starter nbnt
- Start date
I appreciate John articulating why he likes this game. I probably never will, bought it the day it came out and it was a HUGE disappointment (like lots of legacy titles first 3D iterations from this console generation). I think he is very correct in saying the association of tight, well-designed linear challenges is what makes Castlevania and that probably is exactly why it didn't appeal to me.
On this same note, I actually really do have fond memories of and enjoy Goemon 64! Wasn't it the same team?
On this same note, I actually really do have fond memories of and enjoy Goemon 64! Wasn't it the same team?
That's interesting. I bought into the hate of this game because I always assumed it was really, really bad. But it looks decent in this video. I agree with John that sometimes games get disparate reputations for no apparent reason.
Any DF patrons here?
Edit: Was wondering how patrons know how best to get in touch with the DF team. The video is not up on their website.
Edit: Was wondering how patrons know how best to get in touch with the DF team. The video is not up on their website.
It isn't and it never will.
The lowest point of the series is Curse of Darkness
EDIT: Can't wait to get back home and watch the video
The lowest point of the series is Curse of Darkness
EDIT: Can't wait to get back home and watch the video
Better then all the mercurysteam games, judgement, simon's quest, the first & third gb game, Dracula X (SFC), Haunted Castle and some of the PS2 games.
I've always felt that the perception of the game was unfairly colored due to IGA taking ownership of the series and him making it clear what the "real" Castlevania games were, and as a result, this game (well, games, considering what Legacy of Darkness is) fell by the wayside. The truth is that it's a rather ambitious 3D game that does very well in transplanting the aesthetic of the series while being able to do some really cool things with level design that simply weren't possible in 2D. Yeah, it definitely does have some stiff platforming due to the jumps being all-or-nothing and it does have a fair few sections of frustration (all I have to type is "magical nitro" and at least one person on the internet will break into PTSD), but this video does a great job of illustrating why it's far better than its unfairly cultivated reputation would lead you to believe.
N64 Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon and Goemon's Great Adventure were made by Konami's Osaka team and Castlevania by their Kobe team, if I'm remembering correctly.
I'm glad I rented Castlevania 64 instead of buying it.
Whoa this was unexpected from DF. Can't wait to watch it.
I have a weird history with CV64... I was so hyped for the game before release, wanted to it so bad, then it came out and I got it, but NEVER played it. It stayed in my collection unplayed for many years, until I sold my retro collection and with them it went.
One of those games I'll always have nostalgia and a sweet spot for despite never playing it, haha.
I have a weird history with CV64... I was so hyped for the game before release, wanted to it so bad, then it came out and I got it, but NEVER played it. It stayed in my collection unplayed for many years, until I sold my retro collection and with them it went.
One of those games I'll always have nostalgia and a sweet spot for despite never playing it, haha.
Ah ok. Konami Kobe did the Saturn port of SotN, right? it's been forever
I'm forgetting this stuff, too. Looking it up, I see KCE Nagoya for that version.
Oh wow, that timing!
I actually did it last week because I never gave it a fair shake.
And yeah, the game has its fair share of issues and frustrating parts, but I surprisingly enjoyed the experience overall. I agree with John that the game got kind of an unfair reputation, it's actually not that bad.
Also, speedruns are a fun watch, give it a shot!
One last thing I'll say, fuck Nitro, fuck it so bad.
I actually did it last week because I never gave it a fair shake.
And yeah, the game has its fair share of issues and frustrating parts, but I surprisingly enjoyed the experience overall. I agree with John that the game got kind of an unfair reputation, it's actually not that bad.
Also, speedruns are a fun watch, give it a shot!
One last thing I'll say, fuck Nitro, fuck it so bad.
That was Nagoya. Konami Kobe did the 64vanias and Circle of the Moon. They were pretty good with atmosphere.
Tell me about it! I had an entire community ostracize me and a few other for being fans of this game.
And now i'm finally going to watch the video.
Come on, son.
Lords of Shadow 1 had some pretty incredible combat.
N64 gets more hate than it deserves, but LOS was a VERY good game.
Me too. Keep in mind I made this as an experiment. I had one day to make a video before e3 so a full Retro would have been impossible. This is just a bonus thing.
I'm often around! We just fixed the Patreon glitch! Sorry about that issue. Don't hesitate to DM me!
That's fine- different strokes for different folks and all that- but it WAS the highest selling castlevania game of all time when it released, might still be.
Mercurysteam did a good job with it, even if it took castlevania in a much different direction.
LOS2 was a steaming pile though, no argument here.
I've never found either of the N64 Castlevanias remotely appealing, played them for like half an hour each and dropped them immediately but it's interesting to see an alternate perspective on them.
it probably still is though i'm not sure if that is THAT valuable of a metric for a game being excellent or not.
LoS2 is better than the first because it has vastly better combat. Also, LoS1 has a really rough first third and a fuck awful DLC finale.
Anyway, in terms of C64 - particularly the re-release which gives the game some much-needed content, I really liked it but I would have been miffed if I'd paid cartridge prices back in the day.
Anyway, in terms of C64 - particularly the re-release which gives the game some much-needed content, I really liked it but I would have been miffed if I'd paid cartridge prices back in the day.
Castlevania has a ton of entries. It's been around since the NES era with some pretty acclaimed entries- Castlevania III, SoTN, CoM, AoS.
Lords of Shadow just blowing past them all in sales as quickly as it did with solid critical scores says a lot, especially since every other 3D Castlevania (remember the PS2 ones?) just failed to make any impact.
The game is very good, even if what it does is very different than what came before.
I really enjoyed Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness for some reason. A highly flawed game to be sure, but there's something intriguing about it that compelled me to stick with it. Unlocking different characters, the day/night cycle, and the weird secrets made it interesting.
I feel like the small tweaks in Legacy of Darkness made for a much better game, plus Cornell's campaign is better. Just don't play it in hi-res mode or it crawls. The villa area is one of the most memorable, with its adventure game elements and garden chainsaw maze.
I have a soft spot for this game, it had a genuinely creepy atmosphere and was pretty faithful in overall tone, if not gameplay.
I hated LoS. I had preordered the game full of hype at a big budget 3D vania, but when I came to play it I didn't care for the combat much and I cared for the awful fixed camera areas even less. And much as I love Patrick Stewart, I didn't care for the plot or his narration of it either. I disliked it so much I never even completed it, I think I gave up early in some level full of spiders.
Castlevania 64 is really the way I wish the series had gone forward with for 3D, obviously with some refinement.
Looking at the footage I think I'm beginning to see the appeal of these games, if only in terms of the atmosphere.
Finally watched it. Great video but damn Dark1x you got me on my nerves sometimes (You ignored most whip powerups, didn't take some jumps with enough speed and barely used the short sword) xD I guess i have given this game too many hours.
Yes, Castlevania 64 is under appreciated. The game did some experiments and got so many things right. Konami Kobe were masters in atmosphere (Circle of the Moon, by them, is another one that nails the Classicvania feeling) and managed to add some genres to the mix (survival horror and tomb raider-ish platforming and exploration) the camera is also interesting and works as intented. It's a very memorable game with a really explosive first level that introduces you to everything (Bosses, combat, exploration, light puzzle solving, hazards, fall damage...)
A few details from Legacy of Darkness if you ever want to play it:
Yes, Castlevania 64 is under appreciated. The game did some experiments and got so many things right. Konami Kobe were masters in atmosphere (Circle of the Moon, by them, is another one that nails the Classicvania feeling) and managed to add some genres to the mix (survival horror and tomb raider-ish platforming and exploration) the camera is also interesting and works as intented. It's a very memorable game with a really explosive first level that introduces you to everything (Bosses, combat, exploration, light puzzle solving, hazards, fall damage...)
A few details from Legacy of Darkness if you ever want to play it:
- The camera can be controlled with the D-Pad. If you're emulating it you can map the D-Pad to the R-Stick ad get dual stick-like camera controls
- LoD slightly changes the tone of the atmosphere, intensifiying the blue tint. My guess is that it's related to the fact that Cornell (nicknamed Blue Moon) is the main character.
- It features some classic tunes like Vampire Killer (Shortly) or The Sinking Old Sanctuary.
I played through this game as a kid without a memory card, so the save crystals were entirely inaccessible (they were faded out). If my character died in a level, I would need to restart the entire level. Yes, including Castle Center with the Mangradora and Nitro. I had to beat the game with the better character, Carrie Fernandez, in order to get through the game.
But I still completely loved Castlevania 64.
When I borrowed it from my cousin, I also got the strategy guide, which I also loved. I read through every once in a while, even after giving the game back.
Regarding the format of the DF video, I don't mind it, except sometimes the video would mention something like "there's a day and night cycle like in Castlevania 2" and suddenly I'm watching twenty-five seconds of CV2 footage while I'm really trying to look at CV64. Too many lengthy cuts to other games like that honestly frustrated me enough to skip to the end of the video. Even if it's a boring part of the game (which it wasn't), I still want to see the gameplay. I could do without that, or at least have the footage cut down to 5, maybe 10 seconds.
But I still completely loved Castlevania 64.
When I borrowed it from my cousin, I also got the strategy guide, which I also loved. I read through every once in a while, even after giving the game back.
Regarding the format of the DF video, I don't mind it, except sometimes the video would mention something like "there's a day and night cycle like in Castlevania 2" and suddenly I'm watching twenty-five seconds of CV2 footage while I'm really trying to look at CV64. Too many lengthy cuts to other games like that honestly frustrated me enough to skip to the end of the video. Even if it's a boring part of the game (which it wasn't), I still want to see the gameplay. I could do without that, or at least have the footage cut down to 5, maybe 10 seconds.
We did this video as a test in terms of editing time and whatnot so it lacks a bit on the insight aspect, but next time we'll be way more prepared and present. It actually was a ton of fun to do for us off mic!
Also allows John to sometimes focus on games that might not warrant its own full on retro episode
Also allows John to sometimes focus on games that might not warrant its own full on retro episode
I feel as though I had way more fun with Lament of Innocence than most. Felt very much to me what a 3D Castlevania should feel like.
I'm so curious to finally check out Lords of Shadow one of these days. It looks fantastic tbh.
Can't really do N64 polygons anymore. C64 looks whack.
