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New Nintendo eShop releases: Super Smash Bros, Dracula X
It's time, once again, for Nintendo's pantheon to beat the ever-loving snot out of itself. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS headlines this week's Nintendo eShop update, arriving tomorrow with a cast of familiar favorites and eager newcomers. Smashers can currently download the game's free version 1.02 update from the Nintendo eShop in advance of tomorrow's release. Also hitting the eShop this week is a Wii U Virtual Console port of Konami's Super NES platformer Castlevania: Dracula X. Note that this isn't the version of Dracula X that many hold in high regard; the SNES version is a compromised reworking of the PC Engine classic Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Konami has more Castlevania in store for the month of October, announcing that the Game Boy Advance series entries Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance will hit the Wii U on October 9 and October 16, respectively. Other games premiering this week include the anime-based 3DS fighting game Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle, edutainment release Red Riding Hood, and EnjoyUp's Wii U dodge-'em-up 99Seconds. A full list of this week's eShop releases is after the break. [Image: Nintendo]
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood on Virtual Console 'soon'
[Castlevania Dungeon] After years of waiting, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood has been officially confirmed for a Virtual Console release in North America. A Hudson representative told Siliconera that the game was indeed bound for release on the Wii Shop, over a year after it was released as a download in Japan. Hudson (and/or Konami) must have spent all that time implementing the English translation used in the PSP release, right? Nope! The Hudson rep said that "it will not be released in English, however." You'll just have to do your very best to understand how to whip a Medusa head in Japanese.
ESRB rates Castlevania: Rondo of Blood for Wii
[Castlevania Dungeon] According to a recent "T for Teen" classification by the ESRB, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (better known as Dracula X: Rondo of Blood) appears to be heading to the Wii. An OFLC rating of the game back in December already hinted at the possibility of the game arriving on the Wii's Virtual Console (the Japanese version was released in April 2008), but the ESRB rating's description seems to clinch it, citing the "early-90s rendering" of "reddish blood-like bursts." Previously, unless you were a resident of Japan who owned a PC Engine CD in the early '90s (or, more likely, a PSP owner anywhere in the world within the past two years ago), there wasn't an easy way for you to get your hands on "Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo" (Rondo of Blood's Japanese title). But now, it seems that Wii owners outside of Japan will get the chance to check out the game.
Dracula X rated by OFLC
[Castlevania Dungeon] No, the world's most famous vampire wasn't judged unsuitable for families. Rather, it's a long-awaited hint of a localized Virtual Console release for Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. The legendary PC Engine Castlevania game came out in Japan in April 2008, but never made it to the Virtual Console elsewhere. Now, the Australian OFLC ratings board has classified the game, listing Nintendo as the publisher. The impact of this development may be dulled somewhat by the game's availability in both original and remade form on the PSP Dracula X Chronicles disc, but we would enjoy the opportunity to play this game without first purchasing another system, and then unlocking the game somewhere in its remake. [Via GoNintendo]
VC Tuesday: Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
No joke titles, no casual Cho Aniki references, no making fun of the slow release schedule, or any of the usual stuff we do in these -- today is too important, too auspicious an occasion for us to ruin by being jackasses. As of today, Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, the PC Engine Super CD-Rom Castlevania game, which is the narrative predecessor to Symphony of the Night and also the last traditional Castlevania game, is now available on the Virtual Console in Japan.Get here soon, please. Herakles no Eikou IV (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Phelios (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (PC Engine Super CD-Rom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Metal Slug (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
German Castlevania trailer features boobies / human sacrifice
Gametrailers has a new German/Japanese trailer for Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles and it features some gratituous cleavage as well as a bit of the ol' virginal human sacrifice. The trailer appears to be the opening CG scene from the game and it looks appropriately gorgeous. It's only a couple more months until the game is released and vids like this don't make the wait any easier.
PSA: Richter can't swim in Castlevania
High-Score has posted yet another video of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles in action. This time, we see Richter crossing a bridge ... but watch out! That kid can't swim ... Certainly, a shaky boat ride will mean his doom.
The fourth stage of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
As this player from High-Score continues to go deeper into the Dracula X Chronicles, he reveals some of the castle's more challenging dangers. See all sorts of traps attempt to (successfully) kill the player not once ... but twice. See also:The third stage of CastlevaniaThe second stage of CastlevaniaThe first stage of Castlevania
The third stage of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
The latest video from High Score's week-long Castlevania series highlights some of the incredible animation featured in the game. Take particular note to the way the spear-wielding skeleton moves. It's quite articulate. However, we're concerned about Belmont: does he have arthritis? He seems really stiff, don't you think?See also:The second stage of CastlevaniaThe first stage of Castlevania
The second stage of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
Does the Castlevania theme ever get old? (The correct answer is no.) Here's your second serving of your daily Dracula X Chronicles videos for this week. See also:The first stage of Castlevania
SGD '07: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Konami's Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is just one of the many third-party software titles coming to PSP later this year. This Rondo of Blood remake looks nothing like its predecessor -- and for good reason. The graphics on this game are incredible. Certainly, this will move a good number of PSP systems to Castlevania fans that have long played on Nintendo handhelds. Check out the new images below:%Gallery-3224%
Interview reveals Symphony of the Night to include updated vocals
You may remember a little title that got everyone talking a few weeks ago: Castlevania. Ever since its incredible debut, Konami has remained silent on this hotly anticipated revival of Rondo of Blood, the only Castlevania title never to be released in the States. The upcoming Castlevania X Chronicles not only includes a 3D remake of Rondo of Blood, but includes the fan-favorite Symphony of the Night as well. Games Radar has an incredible interview with Koji Igarashi from GDC available, and here are some highlights: After years of working on GBA/DS games, the power of the PSP has been startling: "It's better than what I expected, actually. I'm very happy about the quality. Especially with the graphic quality. The PSP hardware system allows a very high resolution." Symphony of the Night will be getting a few enhancements: "So basically, it's mostly a straight port from the original SOTN on PlayStation. I wasn't happy about the quality of the PlayStation SOTN voiceover, so I'm trying to do something about it on the PSP." Don't forget to check out Games Radar for the rest of this brilliant interview.See also:The Symphony of the Night we won't get
Japanese VC games in the US: Not entirely dismissed!
Game|Life's Chris Kohler conducted a short telephone interview with George Harrison, Nintendo of America's vice president of marketing, and he pulled out a small, offhand item that may be of some interest if it turns out to be anything: Nintendo is not totally against the idea of translating Japanese Virtual Console games for US release. This is by no means a confirmation, so don't convert your Famicom Mother cartridges into candy molds just yet. But we must admit that even a casual admission of the remote possibility of Japanese VC games has us dreaming of a future where imported and domestic Virtual Console games can live together in harmony, on our SD cards.Our ultimate dream of getting a translated (or not) US release of the PC Engine Super CD Rom version of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood is still amazingly unlikely, since we haven't seen any kind of support for old CD based games. But this note from Harrison just made it a tiny bit more likely, and that's enough to keep us going for another day. Plus, there's always the fact that if the poor little PSP can get it, anyone can.[Thanks, BPM!]
Saturday PSP background explosion
TGIS everybody! I'm currently hooked on something other than a video game for once. I'm playing Zombies!!! But I wouldn't let Saturday pass without passing along some backgrounds for your PSP, so I put aside the Zombies!!! for now. This week we have Ratchet, Dracula X and because I'm feeling random, a Kool-Aid Man background. Backgrounds after the jump...
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles & Symphony of the Night heading for PSP!
Remember that awesome game that 1UP was talking about? It's finally revealed! Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles is a completely remastered version of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. This long-forgotten entry in the Castlevania franchise was only available in Japan on the PC Engine Duo, a system I can't even remember existing. The PSP version features a brilliant graphical overhaul, which looks lightyears ahead of any of the DS Castlevania games.Oh, and if that weren't enough, the game comes with a port of Symphony of the Night, considered by many as the best Castlevania of all time.Go past the cut to see a video of the game in action. Expect to see even more of this new PSP-exclusive Castlevania on The 1UP Show tomorrow.[Via 1UP]
Castlevania PSP confimation?
NeoGAF forum goers are wondering if PLAY magazine has confirmed Dracula X: Rondo of Blood for PSP. In the Letter from the Editor page, Dave Halverson says "Can you say Dracula X meets Symphony of the Night". Later on in PLAY's Most Anticipated games of 2007 page Dave lists Dracula X: Rondo of Blood for PSP as his #3 choice. Why would Dave put Dracula X as a PSP game if it wasn't coming to the portable? Especially on a list of anticipated games of 2007. That still doesn't explain his comment about Dracula X meets Symphony of the Night. Maybe Symphony of the Night is coming to the PSP as well, or some new game that combines elements of both. Of course the less exciting prospect could be that he was just referring to Symphony of the Night coming to Xbox 360 and Dracula X to PSP. I suppose we'll just have to wait for an official announcement to find out for sure, but this info is interesting none the less. [Via PSPUpdates]
