koji igarashi
Latest
'Bloodstained' revives the spirit of 'Castlevania' on June 18th
After a long, long development cycle, the spiritual successor to Castlevania finally has a tangible release date. ArtPlay and 505 Games have announced that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will hit PS4, Xbox One and PC (both GOG and Steam) on June 18th, with the Switch version arriving a week later on June 25th. The extra time may have paid off -- the team made a point of showing how the side-scrolling action RPG has evolved over the past year, with spruced-up artwork and more overall panache.
Joystiq Streams: A graveyard smash in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night [Relive the stream!]
True story: Joystiq Streams was going to broadcast Shovel Knight, the pixel-y, Metroidvania-y, Mega Man-y game coming to Wii U, PC, and Mac this spring, with Yacht Club Games today. Unfortunately those plans fell through at the last minute, leaving the Streams crew desperately thirsty for 2D art and the exploration of interconnected, lushly animated environments. We crave double jumps and locked doors and wacky save rooms! Only one thing could possibly slake our thirst: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Starting at 4PM EST on the Joystiq Twitch channel, Joystiq's Richard Mitchell will play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night from the beginning, right when Richter Belmont and Dracula are in the thick of Aaron Sorkin-style banter. Anthony John Agnello will hang in the chat, feeding your questions to him. Some other guests may join us as we play. Dracula's castle is unpredictable. Crazy things happen. Joystiq Streams broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST on the Joystiq Twitch channel. [Images: Konami]
'Metroidvania' should actually be 'Zeldavania'
Koji Igarashi, longtime producer of the Castlevania series, is generally the person most of us associate with establishing the exploration-driven formula of Konami's vampire-slaying franchise. The rhythm of the series – uncovering a vast world map as you slowly acquire new abilities to traverse it – has become so iconic that players created a word for its signature style: Metroidvania. The portmanteau reveals Castlevania's similarities to Metroid, Nintendo's beloved sci-fi series, though Igarashi said during a GDC panel that the inspiration for Castlevania's now traditional formula was from another Nintendo series: Zelda.
Frustration at social gaming focus drove Igarashi to leave Konami
When longtime Castlevania mastermind Koji Igarashi announced his departure from Konami earlier this week it came as a surprise, but thanks to a Polygon interview we now know what drove the developer away. "The more hardcore the game ... the less suitable it is for the casual market," Igarashi stated. "Unfortunately, I'm good at making core experiences, so it was two years of making a game that leaned too 'hardcore' for the social market. So it was canceled. Then I'd try again and be canceled. And again and be canceled." Igarashi claims this cycle repeated several times before he decided to call it quits. He also notes that fans were constantly clamoring for more of the 2D, exploration-focused Castlevania games that made him famous, but that Konami's new direction wouldn't allow for such projects. Though Igarashi is unsure of his next move, he does have some idea of what his next game might be. "If you just look at my strengths, most likely it will be an action game," the developer told Polygon. "Of course, fans would like a 2D exploration sort of game, a Metroidvania-type game. That's definitely something i'm interested in to make them happy." [Image: Wikimedia Commons]
Longtime Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi leaves Konami
Koji Igarashi, longtime producer of the Castlevania series, announced his departure from Konami over the weekend. Igarashi's last day at the publisher was March 15, and marked the end of a career at Konami that spanned over 20 years. "I've decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make - the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well," Igarashi said in a statement to Polygon. The man affectionately called "IGA" by fans began his time with the dark action-adventure series as assistant director of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on PlayStation. His involvement in the series has since dwindled, as developer Mercury Steam took it over with 2010's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. "Leaving Konami was a big decision, and not one I took lightly - I've spent my entire career there, made many friends, and had a lot of great opportunities - but I hope all the gamers and fans who have supported me in the past will join me in being excited about what comes next. Wish me luck," he added. Igarashi will present "There and Back Again: Koji Igarashi's Metroidvania Tale" at the Game Developers Conference this week in San Francisco, tracing the "experiences and methodology" of the series over the last 15 years. [Image: Konami]
Interview: Getting to the core of Otomedius Excellent
Last week, Konami released the inscrutable Otomedius Excellent in North America. You might have missed the release, as it was delayed until the absolute busiest game release season of the year, allowing it to fly into retail undetected. It's a Gradius-inspired side-scrolling shooter for Xbox 360 starring anime girls dressed as spaceships. It was released in both standard and limited editions, the latter including your very own Otomedius pillowcase. Naturally, we had questions. Questions like "Pillowcase?" and "what?" After the break, Konami staff, including producer Koji Igarashi -- who you may know from a certain other whip-smart Konami series -- help us understand Otomedius Excellent.%Gallery-139092%
Review: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
I'm pretty sure that if I could get a peek at Castlevania: Harmony of Despair director Koji Igarashi's Netflix queue, I'd find that his most recent rental would be the 1993 comedy Groundhog Day. Much like Bill Murray's Phil awakes every morning in Punxsutawney, PA to find that it's (spoiler alert) Groundhog Day, the characters in Igarashi's latest game -- a cast from 'Vanias past -- find themselves repeating the same trek through the same six castles over and over and over again in an attempt to find or buy better items and beat the bosses faster. Sometimes, they won't even be able to find the boss before the timer runs out. Virtually nothing is explained, it reuses background tiles and sprites from years-old games and is, frankly, not fun at all if you intend to play it alone. Save your $15. Buy this, this or this instead. (But not this.) Played with friends, however, Harmony of Despair is actually ... kinda fun.%Gallery-95867%
Castlevania Judgment's final characters revealed
The last three playable characters in Castlevania Judgment's cast (hit the break for a full list) have been captured in screenshots and await your perusal in our gallery. Sypha Belnades is located ... somewhere in the messy explosion above, which is being caused by Legacy of Darkness protagonist Cornell, who appears in his werewolf form. The trio is rounded off by Grant Danasty, who, in true Castlevania Judgment tradition, looks nothing like his former self. Now, we wait for the game with ... not-so-bated breath, actually.%Gallery-27187%
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.
TGS 08: New Castlevania title announced
Another next-gen (don't forget this one!) Castlevania title has been announced for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Koji "IGA" Igarashi, producer of every single Castlevania title since 2002, showed a brief 10-second teaser involving a blonde dude and a glowing red sword. The game's story involves a "cursed fate" that's placed upon a kin ... in other words, a typical Castlevania plot. No other information, such as gameplay details or a release window, was provided, but since IGA himself was surprised at a public announcement at this stage, it is suggested the game is still in very early development.[Via Joystiq & IGN; image credit: ITmedia]
TGS 08: Konami whips out Castlevania for PS3, Xbox 360
Konami is showing off a teaser for an upcoming Castlevania title on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 at its TGS booth, reports ITmedia (translation). The 10-second clip features your typical creep wielding a glowing-red sword and includes some text about a father, his family and a curse -- and, predictably, no hints about actual gameplay. Series producer Koji Igarashi was apparently as surprised as we all are, claiming he didn't expect Konami to make the game announcement this soon. IGA didn't elaborate further, leaving the door open for just about any imaginable outcome (we're gonna go ahead and rule out beach volleyball). At least it can't get any worse for the series ... right? [Via IGN; image credit: ITmedia]
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.
GC 2008: Castlevania Judgment reserved for 2009, mysterious character appears
The latest Castlevania Judgment screens, fresh from the Leipzig showfloor, feature a new character not previously seen in the title. "Aeon" is probably one of the fighters produced by manga artist Takeshi Obata, who was drafted in by Konami to provide character designs. Alternatively, he could be from the DS's Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. "Aeon" is not a name we're familiar with from previous instalments of the franchise, and neither Google or the Castlevania Wiki could shed any light on our confusion. Shanoa, the heroine of Order of Ecclesia, is already accessible in Judgment, so we wouldn't rule it out.Whoever Aeon is, you can see more of him here, here and here. In other news, Koji Igarashi confirmed to IGN that the title will now ship to the U.S. in 2009. Grab your stake, hit up our gallery for new shots, and then trek past the break for a new trailer.%Gallery-27187%
Igarashi talks Castlevania Judgment, doesn't explain why the game exists
Click for larger image Back at E3, Spencer over at Siliconera got the chance to chat with Koji Igarashi, the man behind Castlevania (from Symphony of the Night on, he's been like, the main dude). Instead of asking questions like "Are you on drugs to have come up with Judgment?" or "Am I being Punk'd, is this game seriously real?" Spencer took the time to be a professional and ask some serious questions about the game.For one, Igarashi is not happy with the media labeling Castlevania Judgment a "fighting game." Instead, he thinks of it more as a 3D action game. Labeling aside, there are some cool things you can do in the game. Apparently, different characters can interact with environmental objects in their own unique way. For example, Simon can use his whip to fling candelabras. While we played the same game at E3, we sadly didn't have Igarashi to chat with. Head on over and read the rest of the write-up for some other fun facts about the upcoming fighter.%Gallery-27187%
Igarashi definitely looking at WiiWare; we plead for 2D Castlevania
If Castlevania Judgment leaves you confused and alarmed, you can relax a litle; it seems Koji Igarashi spent a lot of time at E3 telling people that this whole WiiWare thing looks pretty cool. Just the other day, we heard from Wired about budget issues and the impact Mega Man could have on Castlevania, and now MTV Multiplayer further word with Igarashi on WiiWare. "I'm definitely interested in WiiWare and I think it's one of the areas that 2D can still be very strong at. I'm very much looking into that."It seems Mega Man 9 really is going to determine the fate and future of a certain style of gaming, so it's a good thing it looks so completely awesome. We have little doubt that a great Castlevania title on WiiWare could cause just as much excitement, and probably yield the same results. Let's just hope Konami figures that out, too.[Via Joystiq]
Spotted@E3: Igarashi hard at work on next Castlevania sequel
The poor guy must have been tuckered out from carrying that whip around all day. The last three press events we've been to that he was at, he was wearing the same white shirt, cowboy hat, boot and whip getup. Do you think he opens his closet in the morning and just has dozens of duplicates of that outfit all lined up and ready to go?We just hope he's not tired from all the Castlevania Judgement Wii-mote shaking action. That can really take quite a toll on the body.
Basically, Order of Ecclesia looks rad
There's a lot of truth to the complaints many have made about producer Koji Igarashi's direction with the Castlevania series -- mainly that every new entry seems like a slight update to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's (1997) template -- but we've never let that get in the way of us taking in every bit of vampire-slaying media each new Castlevania title. As a team focused on digging up news on Nintendo DS games, we sift through dozens of videos and screenshots, glossing over most of them. With IGN's hands-on impressions and direct-feed clips for Order of Ecclesia, however, we took in every word, every second of animation. They're all embedded past the post break for you to do the same, of course!And, for those of you who are still grumpy about Order of Ecclesia possibly feeling too much like previous installments, you'll be happy to hear this bit from IGN's preview: "Between the glyph system's reliance on magic, the 'out of the castle' feel of the game, and the all new enemies, this is the first time since Symphony of the Night that a free-roaming version of the game hasn't felt like a direct clone of Symphony of the Night."%Gallery-22992%
Wii Fanboy Poll: Castlevania coulda, woulda, shoulda?
The official announcement of Castlevania Judgment has given us all kinds of mixed emotions. Change can be a good thing, but whatever happened to, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?" We've pointed out before that only a minority of fighting games are actually good, as much as we love the genre. Then there's this whole 3D business that might cause some worry. On the other hand, though, we have promises of Wi-Fi battles, DS-Wii connectivity, and the neat idea of laying the smackdown with some of our favorite 'Vania characters. What do you wish we were getting with Castlevania Wii? Something familiar, something new, or maybe just something new that's not a fighter? Cast your vote after the break.
Castlevania Judgment to feature Wii-DS connectivity
Konami has finally lifted the coffin lid on Castlevania Judgment, the Wii-bound installment of the long-running vampire vanquishing venture. If you missed the Nintendo Power reveal, know that Judgment allows players to "slash, stab and whip their way across a variety of stages and environmental elements," and play as several characters from the franchise's illustrious history. Also, it's a 3D fighting game, "certain to thrill old and new fans of the franchise." Of course, not every connection with real Castlevania games will be severed -- in fact, you can hook up the upcoming DS game, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, to "unlock bonus gameplay content." Castlevania Judgment will also support head-to-head (Belmont-to-Belmont?) play via Nintendo's online service, perfect for those times when you just want to lash out at internet strangers. Whips! They did it again.
Konami confirms our worst fears: Castlevania Judgment for Wii
Okay, maybe we're all doom and gloom about Konami's decision to take the Castlevania franchise into the fighting game genre, but we were fine with things just the way they were. We could play a billion Dawn of Sorrows and be content for the remainder of our days. Times change, though, and so do games.Castlevania Judgment is a reality. But, beneath its graphics and long list of Castlevania alum that comprise the game's roster of playable characters, there are some things that just might surprise you. For one, the game is totally Wi-Fi compatible. You can take the game online for some head-to-head action. Also, the title will work with the upcoming DS title, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, to unlock "bonus gameplay content." And those motion-sensitive controls? Yeah, they were spot-on. You'll be attacking with gesture-based controls, utilizing both the Wiimote and nunchuk.Castlevania Judgment will release this fall for the Wii.[Via press release] Any way you slice it, Konami bringing Castlevania to the Wii is big news. If you thirst for more, check out Born for Wii, in which Castlevania was the latest title to be featured. Konami also has some other Wii titles in the works, such as Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked! and Rock Revolution.
