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[Matlock]

So easy, so straightforward, so familiar. After playing LoI and AoS, this seems extremely old hat to me.

Not to mention the fact that if you have holy water, you rule the game.

Meh.

 

[Wario64]

Super Castlevania IV > SOTN

 

[radios shipping overview]

SOTN still easily trumps the GBA three with its production values and polish. There's just so much to see and hear and do. But yeah, there are several better Castlevanias.

 

[clipunderground]

Super Castlevania IV > SOTN

:rock

 

[Mejilan]

I've played through SotN more than any other CV game, I think. But I liked AoS, Rondo of Blood, and SCV4 more.

 

[Dice]

What do you expect? It was pretty much the design base for those other games you mentioned. Don't complain that a game is simplistic compared to it's sequel. This is like saying MGS isn't all it was cracked up to be because you're comparing it to MGS2.

 

[Tenguman]

After playing LoI and AoS, this seems extremely old hat to me.

Maybe it seems old-hat because it's *gasp* 6 years older than those games?

 

[Nintendo Ate My Children]

Niche game is released
Niche game is the best game ever
Years pass
Niche game isn't so great
You like niche game? What a tool.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.

 

[Matlock]

What do you expect? It was pretty much the design base for those other games you mentioned. Don't complain that a game is simplistic compared to it's sequel. This is like saying MGS isn't all it was cracked up to be because you're comparing it to MGS2.

MGS > MGS2, you fool.

 

[Dice]

Actually I agree, but only because it replicated MGS1 except with bad level design and story. I was just trying to think of a similar example of expanded gameplay and challenge from a base concept.

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

MGS > MGS2, you fool.

Ah, but if you'd played MGS2 first, you'd be dissapointed at how much simpler the gameplay of MGS was. All the missing details, the instant-on alarm, nobody has eyes...

Maybe that's why we have Twin Snakes

 

[akascream]

If it wasn't built up so much by everyone as the end all be all of games, people wouldn't have such high expectations.

 

[Ranger X]

And well, Aria of Sorrow is not all that of an amelioration of Symphony of the night... SOTN is still the best "metroid style" Castlevania game around. Bigger, better, more polished.


And well, people are often deceived when they go back to discover old games. They never have the right hype. When you were in the buzz of SOTN when it came out, it was fantastic. If you discover it today, for sure it's not going to be as cool as the fans of the game told you because they bathed in the initial buzz...

 

[Kiriku]

Well, after playing through all the Castlevania games released after SOTN, I still hold SOTN as the best Action RPG Castlevania ever.

 

[crumbs]

I can understand not being impressed by an older game, but AoS is like SotN Lite. Outside of the soul system, it doesn't have the depth of SotN.

 

[The Promised One]

SotN is one of the best games EVER, IMO. Did you make it to the upside-down castle? I've know a lot of people who were disappointed with the game, thinking it too short, until they found out that getting to Richter is only first half of the game. The game has so much depth in so many areas, it amazes me to this day. I've played through the game like 2o times at least, and still, every time I play through it again, I notice new details.

Awesome, awesome game!!

 

[ge-man]

I would certainly put Super Castlevania 4 above SotN, but I do think that it is the best of the RPG like Castlevanias. For me, its one strike comes from being a weak challenge. The exploration was done quite well, however.

editon't apologize. That paragraph looked like shit.

 

[Ranger X]

Grand Turismo is my best rpg


(ok it's just a joke sorry ge-man )

 

[Neutron Night]

SOTN is BY FAR the best Castlevania game. It makes a mockery of the crap that came before it, and it still far superior to all the games that came after it, no matter how much they attempted to mimic it. Do you have any taste?

Oh, I played Super Castlevania 4, it sucked. Standard old-school action crap, fun optional. I think not.

 

[The Faceless Master]

MGS > MGS2, you fool.

exactly

 

[Socreges]

SoTN might have been my favourite PSX game.

I can see playing the GBA ones hurting your enjoyment of it, though. Not that they're better, but just so similar.

 

[The Promised One]

Rondo and CV4 are tied for second place IMO. The reaper in both those games was awesome. I remember when I first got my SNES for XMAS, and after playing Mario all day, I pooped in CV4 to try it out. I was totally floored at how awesome it looked, and how great a game it was. That room with the spinning background make me queasy.

 

[Kuramu]

SotN is one of the best games EVER, IMO. Did you make it to the upside-down castle? I've know a lot of people who were disappointed with the game, thinking it too short, until they found out that getting to Richter is only first half of the game. The game has so much depth in so many areas, it amazes me to this day. I've played through the game like 2o times at least, and still, every time I play through it again, I notice new details.

Awesome, awesome game!!

I had no idea about the upsidedown castle until i saw mention of getting, like, 189%, and i was like wha? It was a while ago, but i forget, was it all that obvious that you needed to fight him a second time?

 

[Mercurial]

I actually enjoyed Castlevania 64 the most. Really, I did.

 

[The Promised One]

I had no idea about the upsidedown castle until i saw mention of getting, like, 189%, and i was like wha? It was a while ago, but i forget, was it all that obvious that you needed to fight him a second time?

You don't fight Richter twice. You have to equip these two rings you find at the Big Clock face in the middle of the map. This leads to Maria giving you a special pair of glasses. Wearing these glasses while fighting Richter will allow you to see an orb floating about the room. Destroy the orb in stead of Richter, and you'll set him free from Shaft controling his mind. This leads to the upside-down castle, which is an exact duplicate of the normal castle, but with completely new bosses, and mostly new enemies. not to mention a slew of more (and insanely cool) weapons, armor, and other such items. The best two swords in the game IMO, are Narsil (found by killing a Fire Demon, and luckily having it drop the sword), and the Rune Sword (by getting lucky when you kill the Do-Do bird).

The Final enemy is Dracula (big-surprise). The largest % I've gotten (aside from the outside the castle cheat-glitch) is 200.6 . Awesome, awesome game.

 

[boutrosinit]

So easy, so straightforward, so familiar. After playing LoI and AoS, this seems extremely old hat to me.

Not to mention the fact that if you have holy water, you rule the game.

Meh.

This news is DUMB.

 

[Matlock]

Okay, just beat the Scylla. The graphics and sound is still pretty damn hot, but the game is so familiar to me now, I don't feel that rush of discovery that I get when I buy a new game.

Plus, I really liked the soul system in AoS. It's a pain not having it here (instead having touchy, non-responsive SF-type moves for equivalent moves).

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

the game is so familiar to me now, I don't feel that rush of discovery that I get when I buy a new game.

I hope you don't prefer the constant floor\ceiling\floor shooting of Metroid Fusion

 

[Mejilan]

I hope you don't prefer the constant floor\ceiling\floor shooting of Metroid Fusion

Power Bombs are YOUR friend.

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

Power Bombs are YOUR friend.

Let's all be impressed that I put up with the bullshit long enough to get 'em.

 

[Matlock]

"Sense of discovery" was referring to the feeling you get when you buy a new game. "Wow, this is new! Gotta look at this! Awesome! How do I do this?" That whole barrage.

 

[Mejilan]

Getting the Power Bombs didn't require much floor/ceiling/wall shooting at all!

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

"Sense of discovery" was referring to the feeling you get when you buy a new game. "Wow, this is new! Gotta look at this! Awesome! How do I do this?" That whole barrage.

And the soul system was enough to clinch it?

AoS was good, but all it does is try to emulate SotN as much as possible.

I'd take the huge amount of weapons of SotN over the souls from AoS anyday.

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

Getting the Power Bombs didn't require much floor/ceiling/wall shooting at all!

The game holds them back until the latter third. If Fusion wasn't in my pocket when I was bored and away from SotN I would have never finished it.

 

[Mejilan]

Yes, I'm well versed in all things Metroid. I know all about the Power Bombs. Just making sure you do, thanks.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

lol! who is that? that shit is funny dude

 

[Operations]

Quite the contrary, I found LoI easier and more boring that SotN. Even the N64 Castlevania Legacy of Darkness had better puzzles and was a little bit longer (I finished LoI in 6 hours with 100% my fist time through). LoI was a HUGE dissapointment.

 

[GDJustin]

I'm AMAZED that no one has mentioned SotN's soundtrack yet. Not only is it my favorite Castlevania soundtrack, it's my favorite game soundtrack EVER. And I've played a lot of RPGs. The music is sooooo good. I haven't played the game in years and I still know every note of some of the tracks.

 

[Alucard]

Awesome, awesome game. But maybe I'm biased...although I will say that I was pretty underwhelmed with the game at first. Then the first hour passed...then the second...then it became my favourite game ever, period. I would try to tell people why I think it's so utterly amazing, but I know my words would be wasted.

And if you find the game too easy, use the code to up the difficulty.

 

[Matlock]

I'm AMAZED that no one has mentioned SotN's soundtrack yet. Not only is it my favorite Castlevania soundtrack, it's my favorite game soundtrack EVER. And I've played a lot of RPGs. The music is sooooo good. I haven't played the game in years and I still know every note of some of the tracks.

I like LoI's a bit better. Soundtrack, that is.

 

[Malakhov]

Sotn is the bomb.
One of the best psx games evar.

 

[belgurdo]

Thank God I'm not jaded. It allows me to enjoy all games in a series equally.

 

[bjork]

Like other's said, without SotN to copy from, you wouldn't have the GBA CV games you like.

SotN is a really solid game that's still great today, but I guess it boils down to a matter of opinion in the end.

 

[Cmdr. Solrak]

Agreed to above.

 

[Gattsu25]

SOTN is BY FAR the best Castlevania game. It makes a mockery of the crap that came before it, and it still far superior to all the games that came after it, no matter how much they attempted to mimic it. Do you have any taste?

 

[ourumov]

Super Castlevania IV > SOTN

I agree.
SOTN was great but nothing compares to Simon Belmont ownage...

 

[Tabris]

SOTN was all about style!

It wasn't about beating the game, it was about how you went about beating the game.

Enemy infront of you? equip alucard sword then do a hadoken to disappear and reappear behind the enemy to slash them. Then equip the sword that stretchs out into mid-air because of the other enemy that just wandered infront of you. I mean just an example.

There's so many different -stylish- ways you can go about playing the game. It's all about the style. Sure, you can just run around with alucard shield + shield rod and defeat everything, but that's not what the game is about.

Style! Learn it and love it.

Combine that with the best castlevania soundtrack ever, absolutely amazing artstyle and solid quick paced gameplay and you have a stellar game. The only complaint anyone can have towards the game is "too easy". I completly agree, but you can find so much challenge if you try playing the game without equiping the uber equipment.

Anyone who says straight-foward, I'm guessing didn't get to the upside-down castle.

 

[TheGreenGiant]

it introduced Alucard. Nuff said.

 

[Gattsu25]

didn't CV 3 introduce alucard or am i remembering wrong?

 

[b00duh]

didn't CV 3 introduce alucard or am i remembering wrong?

nope, you are right