Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth

I just remembered that this game launched last year but I forgot about it. I'm finishing up my semester and I think it's time to download this game.

[Goes to download]

It's supposed to be a remake of the Gameboy game, but with updated graphics. I'd actually prefer older graphics, but Castlevania did find a nice look with 32-Bit level sprites, so I'll keep an open mind. Initial Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth thoughts in a few hours.

[Next morning]

The game appears solid enough, I only managed to beat 3 levels last night before I fell asleep. It's full-on Castlevania nostalgia trip, and the game even has an option to play with Castlevania 1-style jumping. I prefer the ability to slightly move in the air. I don't really enjoy the artificial challenge of poor controls, but Castlevania has always been an exception. The monsters don't move too fast anyway, only Medusa Heads and crap like that really present a problem.

The graphics and sound are both nice, but a little bland. It's almost like playing a watered-down Rondo of Blood. Just as I'm typing that, I realize that Rondo of Blood was, in fact, released for the VC and it's 100 points cheaper. Go buy that if you want a Castlevania game, but The Adventure ReBirth still offers a fun experience.

[A few hours later...]

I came home determined to play more Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, but I decided that 9 dollars for Rondo of Blood was too good an offer to pass up. So, you can get 2 really good Castlevania games for 19 bucks. That's still cheaper than some sort of collection disc they might release. You can certainly emulate Dracula X: Rondo of Blood using Magic Engine, but I've found the sound to periodically get really fuzzy. I don't own a PSP either, so that was out of the question. But having Rondo of Blood on my Wii is only a click away from Mega Man 9 and 10, and that's pretty cool.

I had to move Adventure Island: The New Beginning to the SD card to make room to download the Rondo of Blood CD Rom from the Wii Store. I hope the sound quality is nice, judging by the large file size (273 blocks!) it should be on par with The Dynastic Hero.



[and, finally]

The sound quality is fantastic, I'm also pleased to see they didn't translate the game. I prefer not knowing exactly what the characters say, but I do understand a bit of German and a little Japanese, plus I'm sure the pictures explain exactly what's happening anyway.

Rondo of Blood is hard, I remember it being easy. I must have been using save states, but the game is as fresh as ever. Super Castlevania 4 comes close, but doesn't quite measure up. Plus, despite the kawaii factor, Maria is really fun to play as. She moves like Alucard in Symphony, and is much stronger than Richter. You can unlock her in Stage 2, just get the key from the second candle after the first pit while being chased by half of the behemoth. The graphics and level design are top notch, and even though it's basically a linear platformer, you'll feel like you're exploring a large castle because of the multiple paths, secret levels, and optional secrets.