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The DS Life: Sleepy underground
We've featured "subway gamers" in the past, and we've also posted images of sleepy gamers, but this week, through the magic of candid photography, we have a scene that captures both of those elements together. It doesn't sound that amazing, right? Well, join us past the post break to see why we thought this photo is so special!
Gaming to Go: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Surprised? The Castlevania series typically isn't associated with speedy, high-intensity gaming, so I can say with utter honesty that I had no intention of writing about IGA's latest delicious Metroidvania whenever I finally got my hands on Order of Ecclesia. The game has surprised so far in being pretty different from its immediate predecessors in both combat and environments, the combination of which is like a clean, refreshing punch in the face.It's hard, guys. Really hard, in fact, but with the kind of irresistible challenge that'll have you firing up your DS at every free moment to try and beat that next boss or just make it through the next level without failing too miserably. In that regard Order of Ecclesia is surprisingly well-suited for this week's edition of Gaming to Go, as in at least the first half of the game you'll encounter numerous levels which can be run through and completed without losing vast amounts of time. Whether you'll make it to the end of that level alive is an entirely different matter, mind you, but that's half the fun! Want to hear more? Click the big button down there and see why masochism is good.%Gallery-22992% #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >>
DS Daily: Seriously? This castle? Again?
Sorry folks, but we just can't get Castlevania off of our minds this week. One of the things we appreciated most about Order of Ecclesia was its proposal that we traverse environments that weren't all located in a castle (or an inverted one, for that matter). But, regardless, there has been plenty of GBA and DS installments in the franchise leading up to this one. Which of the portable Castlevania titles could you do without or find to be the worst of the bunch? For those of you who aren't Castlevania nuts, have you played any of the games before? Why not?
DS Daily: The Order
With Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia releasing on the DS this past week, how many of you have jumped into the latest Castlevania title? Have you finished it yet, ready to offer your opinions on the game's overall worth? Are you planning on picking it up? Or, do you think the frnachise needs a reboot or some other overhaul to freshen up what you think is a stale series? Let's talk Castlevania!
Top 5: Castlevania Games
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Top_5_Castlevania_Games'; This week marks the release of the highly anticipated Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Poised to be more than the usual Metroidvania-romp, Ecclesia's glyph system coupled with great diversity in environments and level layout (we're apparently not stuck inside the castle anymore) has all of us whip-enthusiasts drooling with anticipation. To be honest, Konami could slap the word "Castlevania" on a box of assorted animal feces and we'd still pre-order. Here's the part where I'm supposed take a cheap shot at Castlevania Judgment, but admit it: no matter how many times we all spit on the brawler, we never seem to stop checking out movies or screenshots. Castlevania has us whipped; pardon the hideous pun. Assuming I haven't lost all credibility after the Mega Man list, here's another stab at ranking the best of a legendary franchise. Unlike most other Top 5's, this list is not necessarily Nintendo-specific. Take a gander, and try to pretend that you don't know what number one is. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
TGS08: Castlevania: Order of Awesome Trailer
With Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia due out in Japan and the U.S. later this month, the Tokyo Game Show represents the last major event at which Konami can show the game off; and shown it off they have, with this spectacular trailer.The first minute and thirteen seconds consists of Order of Ecclesia character/location art, so if it's gameplay you're after, you'll want to skip to around one-third of the way through. Though why you'd want to skip Castlevania art is utterly beyond us.%Gallery-22992% Like Castlevania? We do -- to an embarrassing degree. Check out our impressions of Order of Ecclesia from E3, settle in for a trailer, or go Behind the Boxart with a Konami graphic designer. But enough talk -- have at you!
TGS08: Bouncing beatdowns in Castlevania Judgment
Oh, if only we could always start the morning with hot Death on Death action ... well, we'd at least be more inclined to like Castlevania Judgment. Alas, it's only shiny and new this once, and hereafter, all Death v. Death deathmatches will be, as they say, played out.But for a moment, for one bright, shining, purply-explosions moment, Castlevania Judgment was beautiful. Now we're back to bursting muscles, wacky shorts, and flawed gameplay. But buck up, little campers: there's a bit of news on the Order of Ecclesia/Judgment DS-Wii connectivity front. We knew the DS title's heroine, Shanoa, was unlockable in Castlevania Judgment, and as we speculated, so is Aeon -- both through the DS/Wii game connection. In the DS game, Wii connectivity adds a hard mode and raises your level cap in one mode to a whopping 255. Do we need to be so badass? Oh yes. Yes, we do. Gallery: Castlevania Judgment
DS Daily: Castlevania: Double Order of Games
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia looks to be another in a long line of perfectly wonderful side-scrolling handheld Castlevanias -- possibly, even, a slightly fresh take on the series. Pretty much the best thing we can say about Castlevania: Judgment on the Wii is that it connects with Order of Ecclesia. In fact, even as ridiculous Castlevania fans, we're on the fence about Judgment, yet we're tempted to buy it just because it gives us bonuses in Ecclesia.Does the promise of Ecclesia's awesomeness make Judgment any more of a purchase candidate for you? Or are you willing to do without the connection bonuses? %Gallery-22992%
Point/Counterpoint: Does Castlevania need new blood?
We're about a month away from getting our hands on the third Castlevania game on the DS, and yes, we are enthused. We loved the last DS game, as we did the one before it ... and the three Game Boy Advance games before that. Producer Koji Igarashi has definitely found his recipe for Vanias, and he's changed very little since hitting upon the combination of side-scrolling action, free-roaming exploration, and light RPG elements that made Symphony of the Night such a startlingly new experience ... back in 1997.Let's be clear: both of the bloggers participating in this debate love them some Castlevania. But the issue of the series' increasing potential for staleness is a real one, and worth discussing even just as a thought exercise. Has Metroidvania run its course? Read on and find out ... what two people think.%Gallery-22992% NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; }
Joystiq hands-on: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Classic 2D Castlevania is here to stay. At least, that's how we feel after playing the latest in the series to hit the Nintendo DS, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. While the game stays true to the flat-faced games we've seen in the past, there's enough here in this little square cartridge to make things feel fresh ... blood fresh. One of the elements that stands out the most in this new Castlevania is the glyph system. In order to carry out actions, characters absorb glyphs (which are usually either weapons, i.e. a rapier, or magic, i.e. flying fire balls) and assign them to the X and Y buttons. You can equip the same glyph more than once, making things slightly more economical. You have a green bar under your red health bar -- this is a magic gauge. This depletes as you use your glyphs, but refills quickly as soon as you stop performing any actions with them; it basically regulates your attacks, so you won't be able to mindlessly breeze through the game.%Gallery-22987%
Killer Fish and the Order of Ecclesia
Konami really wants us to get accustomed to Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, for some reason. It's as though they think we won't embrace the title or something, since they keep waving around screenshots and soundtracks. We're surprised they're not shipping free demos and complimentary massage oil or something to potential buyers at this point. But listen, we're not complaining. We'll watch Shanoa beat down fish any day of the week. It's very important to keep those killer fish under control, you know.%Gallery-22992%
IGA talks Castlevania, plays Castlevania
IGN has several minutes of new gameplay footage of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, showing off new environments, new enemies, and new glyphs, which include a hammer, a giant scythe, and magical attacks like ice and fireballs. According to IGN, it's Koji Igarashi himself on the controls, playing his own game. Surprisingly, his playthrough looks like pretty much anyone else's -- Igarashi takes damage from normal enemies fairly regularly. Maybe he was just nervous with a bunch of IGN guys staring at him.He also spoke in a video interview (available via the sidebar in that video player) in which he describes the premise behind Order of Ecclesia, including who the Order is and what Shanoa is doing invading the demon castle. While describing the differences between this and past Castlevanias, IGA also says that the animation of the enemies has improved. He must be referring to the ones that have new sprites!IGA reveals the extra modes in Ecclesia: a hard mode accessible by completing the game, and a mode with a higher (255) level cap unlocked by beating that hard mode -- or by connecting Judgment on the Wii with Order of Ecclesia.
An audible peek at the Order of Ecclesia
Castlevania soundtracks are often so delicious, and from the taste Konami has offered up, Order of Ecclesia will take its rightful place as the successor to the franchise's long legacy of awesome. Check out the soundtrack page, and be sure to click the links (in white) that allow you to sample the tracks. They're all catchy, but number 10 on disc one is a good place to start. Conveniently, it's also likely to be the first link you'll click.[Via 4cr] Gallery: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Like Castlevania? We do -- to an embarrassing degree. Check out our impressions of Order of Ecclesia from E3, settle in for a trailer, or go Behind the Boxart with a Konami graphic designer. But enough talk -- have at you!
Support your Order of Ecclesia
Dearest Shanoa,We cannot tell you how pleased we were to see new pictures from the front. It has been too long since we were able to gaze upon your icy features and battle prowess, and we are happy to be afforded this new opportunity. We can only hope you are safe and warm, especially at night. We don't hear much of your battles against the eternal and unnameable evil here and we are hungry for any details on the Order of Ecclesia. Please send word when you can. Keep your eyes out for glyphs, and stay safe. Love forever,Your fans, who are, as ever, awaiting your releaseP.S. We have enclosed a turkey and some pot roast, as we have heard that food is scarce in the field.%Gallery-22992% Like Castlevania? We do -- to an embarrassing degree. Check out our impressions of Order of Ecclesia from E3, settle in for a trailer, or go Behind the Boxart with a Konami graphic designer. But enough talk -- have at you!
GC 2008: Konami news roundup
Konami sent out three new DS game announcements for Europe at the ongoing Games Convention, so we thought we would provide it all at once in digest format. Along with the announcements, there's a bunch of art and screens to look at as well. You'll find galleries after the break.Before we get started, however, check out that Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia art. It's easily among the best Castlevania art we've ever seen. Time Hollow, the time-traveling adventure game from Shadow of Destiny creator (and Suikoden IV producer) Junko Kawano, is coming to Europe this November! The magic-themed Animal Crossing-esque communication game Tongariboushi to 365-nichi no Mahou is being released in Europe as Enchanted Folk and the School of Wizardry. Winx Club Secret Diary 2009 -- pretty much Diary Girl in a Winx Club theme -- coming out in Q4 of this year. Media: new screens for Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, in addition to the new games!
Castlevania: Preorder of Ecclesia
Konami's Japanese special edition of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, consisting of the game, a soundtrack CD, and a leather book cover with a notebook, is way awesome. It's currently only available for preorder from the Japanese Konamistyle store at a cost of 8,410 yen ($77), but the use of the English title and logo on the book cover is a very promising sign. This is just the latest piece of leather to be associated with the series -- Simon Belmont's original costume was totally leather, as is the original form of Vampire Killer (and the version sold online) and, of course, Koji Igarashi's hat.See also: Promotional Consideration: Behind the Boxart%Gallery-22992%[Via Famitsu] Like Castlevania? We do -- to an embarrassing degree. Check out our impressions of Order of Ecclesia from E3, settle in for a trailer, or go Behind the Boxart with a Konami graphic designer.
Castlevania boxart: Order of Colada
Further proof that Konami's decision to dump its anime-inspired art direction was the right choice for the Castlevania series! This boxart for Order of Ecclesia, revealed at the game's Amazon product page, puts the previous two entries' covers to shame, especially the Konami's Best packaging for Dawn of Sorrow.Also, we're amazed (and a bit confused) to see that the game will feature a giant plastic cocktail sword as a wieldable weapon! Why fumble with a vampire slaying whip when you can brandish a rapier that doubles as a drink stirrer?Jump past the post break for comparison shots of the previous two Castlevania DS games' boxarts!See also: Promotional Consideration: Behind the boxart%Gallery-22992%
Castlevania trailer: watch it again for the first time
The last Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia trailer certainly made the game look good -- but, in the form we saw (taken by pointing a camera at a screen at Konami's E3 booth), the trailer itself could have looked better. This direct-feed version of the OoE trailer corrects that single issue, leaving nothing between you and awesome monster fighting.The trailer features a bunch of new monsters, and a bunch of monsters reused from previous Castlevanias. But that's okay, because not only do we expect it, Konami got those sprites right the first time! You can also see Shanoa doing wacky glyph-based attacks like turning into a were-panther. But enough talk -- have at you!
Castlevania, Chocobo, and Valkyrie coming in October ... to Japan
The Japanese release date for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia might not seem like useful information to you readers out west, but the desperate, Castlevania-starved gamers among you will at least now know the exact day their import copy will begin its trans-Pacific journey towards their hands -- October 23rd, 2008.Furthermore, considering that the US release for Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin was only three weeks after Japan's, we also now have a general idea of when Order of Ecclesia will see its stateside release -- mid-November.Square Enix also has two titles scheduled to hit Japan during the tenth month, Valkyrie Profile: The Accused One (October 2nd) and Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: Labyrinth of Time DS+ (October 30th), the latter being a roguelike remake of Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.Perhaps the publisher will keep the promise it made back in March to aim for simultaneous worldwide releases with its new titles? It's unlikely, but we can dream ...%Gallery-22992%%Gallery-27055%
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia grapples a new trailer
The Castlevania series has found a great home on the DS, and despite the fact that it's side-scrolling action in every game as usual, there's usually some kind of twist to spice up the action. The new trailer for Order of Ecclesia shows exactly that, as Shanoa the vampire slayer uses a grappling hook to shoot around the level and reach unreachable areas. Every fan of the series should be on an ultimate high for the game's imminent release in Q3 this year. Why, the fast slingshot action almost makes up for sluggish gameplay and boring combat, evident in all Castlevania games. We love Castlevania here at DS Fanboy. It looks great!%Gallery-22992%
