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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.
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.
Deal of the Day: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for $19
If you're one of the few who have a PSP and do not have Castlevania: The Darcula X Chronicles, then we advise you to definitely avail of this bargain. Amazon lists the game at $18.99; back in January the price dropped down to $20 but steadily went back up. We're glad to see the deal return.Anyway, this is a really good deal considering you're actually getting two games. The first game is a remake of the former Japan-only Rondo of Blood, and the second is a port of the uber-popular Symphony of the Night. Need more convincing? How about we sink our vampiric teeth into your neck. How 'bout that?[Via CAG]
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
The return of Richter Belmont in Rondo of Blood
Ever since Castlevania was announced for PSP, many people have been asking a few questions. Firstly, why remake Rondo of Blood? Easy: it's the only Castlevania game to never have met a US release. As revealed in an IGN interview with Castlevania's producer, Rondo of Blood is the crucial "turning point" in the series. While many loved the changes made in Symphony of the Night, most gamers have missed out on many of the finer details of the classic's story, simply because Rondo of Blood was never released. (Castlevania X for the SNES was a "port" of sorts. However, it strayed significantly from its origins.)Rondo of Blood takes place 5 years before Symphony of the Night, and explains many origins of the characters found in the revered PS1 classic. Players will be treated to seeing Richter Belmont, "the last Belmont," fighting Dracula himself. Who is Shaft and how does he control Richter in Symphony of the Night? Who is Maria Renard? These questions will be unearthed through Rondo of Blood.While Nintendo's handhelds have met great additions to the Castlevania franchise, the future of the series may stay on the PSP. When speaking to IGN, Koji Igarashi revealed his love of the platform. "If the PSP version of Castlevania does great ... [doing sequels] is something I'd love to take a look at."See also:Tales From the Crypt: Castlevania 20th Anniversary Blowout from 1UPPlaying Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner: Part 1 & Part 2
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]
