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Castlevania: PoR preorder bonus [update 1]
If you're a Castlevania fan, then it tends to follow that you dig the music from the series as well, and Konami knows it. If you preorder the newest installment, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, from EB Games or GameStop, they'll throw in a bonus disc, the Castlevania 20th anniversary soundtrack -- a compilation of the best the franchise has to offer, musically. No word on a track listing, but the anticipation is half the fun. Tragically, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin doesn't release until December. In the meantime, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow was re-released this month, so fresh copies are available at many stores. If you can't wait to get your whip on in PoR and missed DoS (shame on you), snag one while you can. [Via NeoGAF][Update 1: Fixed a typo]
Castlevania heading to PSP?
One of my favorite games on the DS is Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. The series has always mesmerized me, ever since I started playing the Game Boy Advance games. Konami gave me a huge castle to explore, and tons of ways to traverse through it, and I loved it. Unfortunately, I missed what people call the best Castlevania game ever: Symphony of the Night. Yes, it's coming to Xbox 360, but wouldn't it be absolutely lovely on the PSP screen? 1UP spoke with Koji Igarashi and forced the issue:1UP: Castlevania series seems to always stick to the Nintendo handhelds, the GBA and DS. So I'm wondering, do you see yourself doing any PSP Castlevanias in the future? I mean, Konami seems to support the system pretty well -- so I'm wondering if you're personally interested in doing a PSP game. And in the very least, would you want to bring Symphony of the Night to the PSP, given that Sony is eager to start offering PS1 games for download? Igarasahi: I think the PSP is an interesting platform with a big and beautiful screen, so I would like to put my hands on a PSP version. As for offering SOTN, yes, I would love to provide it as a download if the users would want that.This is where, if I were the interviewer, I would turn into a rabid dog and scream "YES!!!" while potentially frothing at the mouth. But the love for the PSP doesn't stop there. It appears that Igarasahi-san wants to develop original games for the system as well:1UP: Can you just clarify your comments about developing for the PSP? Igarasahi: Basically, I would like to move to a multiplatform basis, so PSP is included as one of my targeted platforms.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Japanese site up
There are few people allowed to crack whips other than Devo (they just do it so well). Fortunately for the gaming world we are more than happy to see a member of the Belmont family authoritatively crack one in the name of beating down one of time's most ferocious night stalkers -- vampires. Even though being able to live forever would be pretty cool, we aren't huge fans of sucking blood or having our blood sucked, so they must ultimately be destroyed. The poor Belmont family has been trying to do this for years and they do it so well, it almost looks like an art. Then again, if they were to ever fully succeed in killing off these blood suckers, what or who would they fight next? We see where you are going with this and no, cowboy-space-vampires riding pink mechanical horses across the galaxy is not a good idea. Sorry. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is really catching our eye and we recently found out that the Japanese site for the game is up. As usual, knowing Japanese would help while exploring it.
Konami pits DS against PSP
This winter, Konami is hedging their bets by releasing a flurry of games on both the PSP and the DS. The upcoming titles Marvel Trading Card Game (trading cards for a handheld? really?) and Xiaolin Showdown will be released for the competing platforms, and Konami is also debuting a pair of games based on the animated series Winx Club. But their real winner, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, is exclusive to the Nintendo DS -- and a good thing, since it makes heavy use of the Nintendo handheld's touchscreen. Anyone wanna guess which console's games will win in this deathmatch? Where did we leave those sales figures ....
Gamespot lists its most anticipated TGS 2006 handheld games
I think I can actually begin to feel the excitement of the Tokyo Game Show emanating to me through the internet. And it seems Gamespot feels the same as they've listed their most anticipated games to be shown at TGS.They listed four handheld games they are most excited about are Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Lumines II, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, which just so happens to be the only Nintendo DS game to make the list. Take that you blasted Nintendo fanboys!(Via Gamespot)
Speculating on the Virtual Console [Update 1]
Play-Nintendo has a "reliable list" (yeah, we know how those are) of games that are rumored to be on the Virtual Console. But it looks reasonable, and in fact, some of the titles are already confirmed by various sources. Their list is packed with classic titles, and some of them (oh, Castlevania, how we love you) are expected but still exciting, and others many of us still play on lazy Sunday afternoons (Ocarina of Time, anyone?) If this list turns out to be the real deal, we may have to take some extended breaks from our actual Wii games. A fanboy's life is full of difficult choices. Play-Nintendo also reports that their "source" confirmed five brand new games for the Virtual Console, but they couldn't reveal the details. We'll see. What are you dying to see? Frankly, we think Super Mario Bros. 3 is a necessity, if only because we know there'd be videos everywhere of fanboys reenacting scenes from The Wizard. If you could add any three games to this list, what would you choose? Full list after the jump.
Crack that Whip -- Castlevania coming to Wii?
The Belmont family has been with us for quite some time now and fans are ready to see the series continue on next-gen systems. Who wouldn't want to crack a whip Wii style? In an interview at Leipzig, Koji Igarashi (aka IGA) mentioned the possibilities of a Castlevania game coming out on the Wii stating that he has a few ideas for it. This news came as a relief considering that he had snubbed the idea at E3 saying that a person can't "whip" for long periods of time. Maybe not but we are willing to kill our arm muscles to find out. [Thanks Andrew!]
Castlevania: PoR gameplay footage
First we brought you the trailer -- now we offer a look at the actual gameplay of this exciting Castlevania title. Watch closely to see both characters in action. Anyone else simply dying to get their hands on this? Whips and spells and portraits, oh my!
New trailer for Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
The latest installment in Konami's long-running Castlevania series is looking pretty tight, but it's the new gameplay additions that get us excited. Not only do we get twice the vamp-hunting goodness, but the potraits in the castle act as portals, allowing Jonathan and Charlotte to take the fight to new dimensions. Now that's dedication.
Production company ready to whore out Castlevania
According to GameDaily Biz, production company Project 51 has snatched up the animation rights to the Castlevania series. And what's already in the works? The company plans on developing DVD movies, a TV series, and a theatrical release.But, before you dismiss this as some half-assed effort to cash in on a storied video game franchise, Project 51 is planning to work with Konami's Koji Igarashi to keep things all good in the vampire hood.The company says: "Castlevania has horror and action, but at its core is a great story about a family that has fought against Dracula for hundreds of years. We want to be true to the characters and stories that [the fans] enjoy, but we want to bring people beyond the game fans to it."For those unaware, Crystal Sky Pictures got the movie rights for Castlevania last year and Paul W.S. Anderson has already been announced as director and writer for the picture which is scheduled for release next year.
Symphony of the Night on XBLA!
Fans of androgynous vampires rejoice, 1UP reports that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -- widely regarded as the best in the series, and frequently listed in various "greatest games of all time" lists -- is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. It is, unfortunately, the Playstation version which does not include the Saturn's bonus area. Still, this is incredible news for Castlevania fans and gamers everywhere -- enough to wash away the taste of the awful 3D Castlevanias perhaps? Oh, and Konami is planning quite a few more classics as well (Time Pilot, anyone?). Hit the read link for the whole story.[Thanks Joe(dragonjoe) and Rivithed
Symphony of the Night to be heard on XBLA
At last, every miserable little pile of secrets that owns an Xbox 360 will be able to experience Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a game considered by many to be the best in Konami's esteemed franchise. According to the September issue of EGM, the game is scheduled to hit Xbox Live Arcade in early 2007. It'll be a torturously long wait, though it leaves us time to ponder how exactly a Playstation (and Saturn!) classic will slip under XBLA's 50MB Limbo pole. It seems likely that by next year, the size requirement will have been given a significant bump by larger memory cards and hard drives. After all, we doubt fans would be pleased if anything were to happen to the game's wonderful soundtrack in order to cut down on space.But enough talk. Have at you![Thanks soco and doomx24!]
Castlevania celebrates 20th year of vampire violence
Aside from usually being an absolute blast to play, the Castlevania games can have the strange effect of prompting one to engage in rather dubious debates regarding some of its more colorful traditions. Certainly, the startling presence of gold coins inside candles and chandeliers is a popular topic, as is the nebulous gender of whatever whip-wielding protagonist winds up exploring Dracula's anarchic abode. There's also the more obvious question as to whether or not Castlevania works in 3D, a question which once lured me into the following (and very real) conversation:"Hey what did you think about Castlevania: Lament of Innocence? I thought it was a bit crap.""Well, the level design was far too repetitive, but the atmosphere was really true to the series. As an action game, it works pretty well -- I must admit, it has an ace combat system.""It has an Ace Combat system?""That's what I just said.""Meaning you fly your Belmont around and shoot down vampires?"Luckily (?), that particular version of Lament of Innocence never saw the light of day, though if it did, it would likely be mentioned in 1UP's great series retrospective. To celebrate Castlevania's 20th year of existence, the article delves into the pivotal points, the exacerbating enemies and the obscure oddities that litter Dracula's castle. It's well worth a read, especially if you enjoy masterfully written subtitles. Castlevania: Waltz of Discontentedness -- where are you?
Comic-Con Castlevania Hands-on
In the words of Napoleon Dynamite: "Luckeey!" IGN reported something that makes us green with envy; they are playing Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and we aren't. /me sighs. I believe that Mark Bozon, the author of this article, put it rather well when he wrote "From what we've played thus far, it really isn't a question of whether or not Portrait of Ruin is amazing, rather it's a question of just how amazing it is." If you have been dwelling in your basement over a game of DnD and don't know what we are talking about, check out some of the videos and screenshots for this game and drool with us. For those of you who are already Castlevania fans, this seems like it will hold up to your expectations. If you aren't already homies with the Belmont family, no worries. Castlevania is something everyone can enjoy as a veteran to the series or a n00b.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin in action
We couldn't be filled with more envy right now as we watch the above video where a human being, a human being who is not one of the DS Fanboy staff, was able to play a build of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. This occurred during a supposed Nintendo press event held this month. Highlights of the video include tag-team gameplay, acquisition of beef jerky, and running from Behemos.
Castlevania movie: "The whip is still in it"
New details have emerged about the upcoming Castlevania movie. For one, the Belmonts won't be making their big screen debut for at least several more years since director Paul W.S. Anderson is still filming Resident Evil: Extinction, which he plans to follow up with his remake of Deathrace 3000. Producer Jeremy Bolt describes Castlevania's plot as a Dracula origin story that integrates the Belmont's history. Bolt promises that there will be plenty of references to the NES games, despite the movie providing "a whole new spin to Castlevania." Thankfully, that 'new spin' doesn't mean the Belmonts will now be packing heat (à la neo-vampire-hunter Blade) -- we hope. "The whip is still in it," says Bolt.
Up to 7,000 PSOne-to-PSP titles by 2007, reports UK PSP Magazine
"Riiiiiidge Raaaaacer!" Kaz Hirai's famous declaration at Sony's E3 media breifing might not have garnered much applause, but, according to UK PSP Magazine, there are plenty of other emulated PlayStation titles (for the PSP) that will. These five AAA titles should be available when the emulation service launches: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VIII Silent Hill Tomb Raider In addition, UK PSP Magazine reports that up to 7,000 PlayStation titles will be available for download by the end of 2007. Say what?! 7,000! Yes folks, it's possible -- Wikipedia: "As of March 2005, there were 7,743 software titles available (this figure counts games released in multiple regions as separate titles)."Forget PSOne, the PSP has officially become the first, truly portable PlayStation. We knew the thing would find its calling sooner or later...
Portrait of Ruin drops the touchscreen stuff and hints at Wi-Fi
In having a chat with Koji Igarashi, the man behind the upcoming Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for everyone's favorite handheld, Game Informer managed to squeeze such deliciously sweet juice from the man as if he were a large citrus fruit. On second thought, that analogy is a bit gross. Forget I ever wrote it.So, onto the things that matter then? Game Informer put the man to work, grilling him as if they were the police who were holding their prime suspect in a double homicide. The first thing they started questioning him on was touchscreen functionality in the new game, something that this blogger felt was an unecessary addition to the gameplay in Dawn of Sorrow. Like any respectable individual, he is able to recognize his own mistakes."My concern was over the Castlevania pure action gameplay, which you actually had to stop and let the user use the stylus to do something. So now that it's approximately two years after the launch of the hardware, I took it easy (laughs)." Later on he commented that "It felt a little uncomfortable after beating a boss to get your stylus out and draw a magic seal. It seems to stop the moment of pure action."Naturally, Game Informer would bring up something about Wi-Fi connectivity, and Igarashi commented that he was thinking about implementing a single unlockable level for some co-op gameplay. He also said that he thinks he's able to implement full co-op into the game, but wants to tackle the challenge of successfully utilizing any co-op this time around before attempting such a huge task.
Castlevania's Koji Igarashi: Microsoft don't get us
Embedded at the end of an interview with Game Informer, Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi hints at just why Microsoft's 360 can't grab that Japanese market they so desperately sought. Apparently, Japanese gamers only like three games, because as Igarashi says, "... if Japanese developers would say they're working on Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest or Metal Gear maybe, then I guess Japanese consumers would take it [Xbox 360] seriously and consider purchasing it."I never understood the fascination by Microsoft to try and conquer Japan. I always believed that they should have just gone by the Field of Dreams mantra: If you build it, they will come.Back to the real point of the interview, Igarashi said that a co-op Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for DS Wi-Fi is not out of the realm of possibility. He says, "It's not confirmed yet because I haven't started work on it. That's why I can't confirm. But actually I'm thinking about preparing a special unlockable stage where you can do co-op over Wi-Fi. Technically speaking, I think we are able to do something like co-op, yes."[via Eurogamer]
Portrait of Ruin painted
Today saw a huge update in news for the latest vampire-slaying title from Konami. The game takes place during World War II and features not one protagonist, but two. Jonathan Morris plays the role of the requisite vampire slayer and Charlotte Orlean plays the part of the young girl with a knack for the magical arts. Turns out all the victims of the war, whose spirits have been left to roam the Earth, seek to bring Dracula back to life, being led by a pair of vampiric sisters. What's most interesting is the duo dynamic; both characters are free for use at anytime and can even combine their powers to form team attacks to defeat over 100 different enemy types. Each character will have their own equipment and unlockable abilities. Being developed by Koji Igarashi and the development team behind Dawn of Sorrow, you can bet we'll be keeping a close eye on this one up until its release this Fall.Now, all this sounds well and good, but we really need to see this series come back from the horrific Saturday Morning cartoon art style. I really can't take any more of these androgynous characters that look like they were ripped from an episode of Yugi-Oh. Where are the inspired concepts and Victorian beauty inherent in the franchise's previous stylings such as Symphony of the Night and Super Castlevania IV? Dracula looked so menacing and evil, yet held an awkwardly graceful and beautiful presence that almost made you want him to win. What do you think of the art direction?
