Castlevania
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Joyswag: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
Since we've already reviewed Castlevania: Harmony of Despair -- check it out! -- there won't be an XBLA in Brief preview this week. In its place is this giveaway, in which five entrants will receive a code. To enter: Leave a comment telling us your favorite Castlevania game ever. You must be 13 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person. This entry period ends at 6:00PM ET, Thursday, August 5th. At that time, we'll randomly select five grand prize winners to each receive a download code for Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (ARV $15). [Code requires an Xbox Live account to redeem.] For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.
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 Puzzle: Encore of the Night debuts on App Store
Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night is now available in North America. Unlike the last bizarre, potentially embarrassing Castlevania spinoff, Judgment, nobody has to see you buy it, thanks to digital distribution! "With a timeless flagship title like Castlevania, it was essential to maintain the integrity of the franchise, while at the same time offering updated content to consumers," said Joe Morris, Konami's Vice President of Mobile Content and Social Networking, about the game that retells the events of the most beloved Castlevania game, Symphony of the Night, as a falling-block puzzler. If you want to find out for yourself how well this complete departure maintains the franchise's integrity, the game costs $5. %Gallery-98023%
Summer of Arcade XBLA games dated and priced
Microsoft's suggestion for how to pass those hot summer afternoons: spend 1200 Microsoft Points ($15), repeatedly. The company released the official dates and prices for the XBLA games in this year's Summer of Arcade promotion -- or, rather, dates and price, since they all share the aforementioned 1200 MSP price tag. Like last year's Summer of Arcade, purchasing all five games in this year's lineup entitles the buyer to a 1200-point rebate (essentially buy four, get one free). Additionally, if you buy three of the five, you'll get 400 MSP back! As for the release schedule: Limbo: July 21 Hydro Thunder Hurricane: July 28 Castlevania: Harmony of Despair: August 4 Monday Night Combat: August 11 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light: August 18
Preview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
It's difficult to comment on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow as a product of the long-running (and now rebooted) gothic action franchise. Abandoning large-scale exploration in favor of linear action -- which was itself abandoned when Castlevania: Symphony of the Night debuted in 1997 -- Lords of Shadow invites comparison to God of War more than any other modern game. That's an admittedly tiresome shorthand as far as game previews go -- "It's like God of War but with whip-swords!" -- but it's still useful in conveying how Lords of Shadow plays. Your attacks are sweeping and imprecise, yet bolstered with enough combos and violent flourishes to make you feel in charge. Castlevania's sub-weapons return to your repertoire as well, with the first two levels of the game allowing you to quickly dispatch a flying dagger into approaching enemies. The resulting explosion of bloody mush is a fair indicator of the game's disgusting, wonderful violence. Even the most trivial battle, such as Gabriel Belmont's tutorial tussle in a rain-slick village under siege, is given a certain gravitas by the game's tight camera and atmospheric visuals. And if there's one thing that brands Lords of Shadow as a promising 3D Castlevania game, it's the effort that's gone into creating dark, imposing environments that feel like they extend far beyond the boundaries of the level. Developer MercurySteam has delivered an impressive showcase of scale and animation here, with even the lowly warg becoming a pouncing cause for concern. So yeah, it's a few steps up from recycled Game Boy Advance sprites. %Gallery-95596%
What is a Castlevania Puzzle trailer? A miserable little pile of footage
We're conflicted about this Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night trailer and, by extension, about the iPhone puzzler itself. On one hand, we like Castlevania and we like falling block puzzle games, and think that the RPG elements cribbed from Symphony of the Night could make this one enjoyable. On the other hand, it seems ... profane to crack the brilliant Symphony of the Night open and repurpose it in this manner. Maybe it's just us, but seeing Symphony of the Night's sprites and plot reduced to motivation for matching blocks makes us squirm a bit. We wouldn't be so offended if it weren't such a highly revered game -- even if it were other Castlevania. Castlevania Bloodlines Puzzle would be weird, but not offensive. We must keep in mind that the existence of this game in no way impugns the real Symphony of the Night. We should also remember that this is hardly the first Castlevania game to reuse sprites from another.
'Castlevania: Harmony of Despair' resurfaces in OFLC rating
An OFLC rating provides further evidence of the existence of Konami's rumored multiplayer XBLA Castlevania title, Harmony of Despair. The Australian ratings board now lists a rating for Harmony of Despair, specifying it as an "X-box" game. The listing also includes the caveat that the "Gaming experience may change online," suggesting online multiplayer is a feature of the game. While the rating information isn't a confirmation of the precise details we heard previously -- that Harmony of Despair is a side-scrolling "Metroidvania" for up to six players, featuring heroes from throughout the series -- it is confirmation that there is some kind of game with that name for Xbox 360; making any details we've heard that much more likely. [Via 1UP]
But enough talking on your iPhone! Have at Castlevania Puzzle!
The beloved Castlevania: Symphony of the Night has undergone a dark metamorphosis into an iPhone puzzle game. Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night is sort of a Castlevania version of Puzzle Quest, with a bit of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo mixed in. Alucard fights his way through Dracula's castle as before -- but now defeats enemies in a match-three falling block puzzle game. You can upgrade Alucard's weapons and equipment to change his stats in the puzzle game -- for example, IGN notes that a new sword could increase the damage done to enemies by successful matches. The unholy blend of Symphony of the Night and addictive puzzle gameplay could very well steal men's souls and make them its slaves. There's no precise release date, but IGN notes it'll be out "very soon."
Rumor: Castlevania 'Harmony of Despair' is 2D, 6-player XBLA game
A trusted source has told Joystiq that "Harmony of Despair," the title of a recent European trademark, is indeed a Castlevania game. Our source indicates that the game will be a 2D multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade title, featuring six-player co-op and a versus, fighter-style survival mode. These details follow a recently-pulled post on never know tech, which purported to showcase screenshots of Harmony of Despair. The site described the game as a "Metroidvania" side-scroller, featuring characters from recent Castlevania games. The characters, however, appeared to be rendered as tiny GBA/DS-esque sprites, and the game camera is apparently capable of being zoomed out to reveal entire levels (presumably in place of a map screen; or to show multiple characters in different rooms). So it looks like we might be getting the long-awaited 2D "high-definition" Castlevania, after all. Although, "just make the GBA sprites really small on the screen" isn't exactly the technique we were hoping for.
EU Harmony of Despair trademark hints at new Castlevania
Siliconera dug up a European trademark filed by Konami for something called "Harmony of Despair," and they correctly point out that it certainly sounds like another Castlevania game. Since the classic Symphony of the Night, Castlevania games are often subtitled with music-themed "X of X" titles, including Lament of Innocence and Aria of Sorrow, and the upcoming Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. There's no indication in the trademark exactly what the game will be (it's just marked as "video game software" and related services), and while Dawn of Sorrow, the series' first DS title, gave an acronymic hint to the system, obviously Harmony of Despair doesn't. Wait -- "H.D."? It must be for the rumored iPhone HD releasing later this year! Mystery solved!
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow began as remake of NES original
Sure, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was always meant to be a Castlevania game, but that's only part of the story. Last night, David Cox, producer of the game at Mercury Steam, revealed to us that his studio's title was originally pitched to Konami as a 3D remake of the very first game in the franchise. "The original concept was to remake the original, classic 8-bit game in 3D," Cox said. "That was our original pitch, funny enough -- with Simon Belmont and everything." While the nostalgic NES gamer in us would probably have swooned over such a project, we're actually kind of glad this one became Lords of Shadow. It is looking really good, after all.
Impressions: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
It wasn't the playable demo I'd been hoping for, but I did watch an awful lot of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow gameplay yesterday. The footage was screened during the Konami Gamer Night 2010 event and was narrated by the game's producer, David Cox, from developer Mercury Steam, as a remixed version of a Super Castlevania IV track played in the background. (Cox would later tell me that I'd "feel chills" when I heard the finished game's updated, fully orchestrated takes on many classic tunes from the series.) Lords of Shadow looks absolutely incredible. From the opening seconds of the preview, there was no questioning that this was a Castlevania game -- a proper, "next-generation" Castlevania with visuals that immediately drew comparisons to God of War III. Now, again, I don't know firsthand how well Lords of Shadow plays, but there was nothing in the footage to indicate that the final product wouldn't be anything less than a competent action-adventure. In fact, it showed the promise of being a great one. %Gallery-90088%
European Nintendo downloads: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, Muscle March ... Flashlight
All right, we didn't think there would be anything that could distract us from the release of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood -- but here we are, on the day of its European release, with pretty much all our focus elsewhere. And no, the object of our gaze isn't Muscle March, as amusing as that is. It's ... Flashlight for DSiWare. It's ... a flashlight. You pay 200 DSi Points for something that displays a solid color on your screens. We kind of knew it would arrive someday, since there are a million of these on the iPhone, but still. A flashlight. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (Turbografx CD-ROM, 1 player, 900 Wii Points) Milon's Secret Castle (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Muscle March (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) Car Jack Streets (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points) Flashlight (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Flips: The Enchanted Wood (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Libera Wing (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points) Photo Dojo (DSiWare, 1-2 players, 200 DSi Points)
VC in Brief: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TG-16)
As far as imports go, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is a pretty sweet one. For $9, it's a great game to add to any Castlevania fan's collection and plays quite well on the Wii: casual players get a forgiving save structure and stage system, while the hardcore fans get the same tried-and-true gameplay. Rondo of Blood is suited for quick pick-up sessions or even long marathon outings. Basically: you should play this game. It's good -- seriously good. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (Turbografx-16 CD-ROM, 1 player, 900 Wii Points) Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer VC in Brief as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.
NintendoWare Weekly: Rage of the Gladiator, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Today's Wii downloadable releases look like they'll work nicely together. When Medusa heads have murdered you enough times in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, you can switch over to Rage of the Gladiator and smash them in first person! %Gallery-86449%
New 'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow' screens, artwork
Click to Enlargania This post may not offer any new Castlevania: Lords of Shadow details, but you can find new pictures and art in the gallery below. Those looking to do creature comparisons should check out the enemy renders -- the warg from Symphony of the Night has certainly grown in both size and definition. %Gallery-86910%
European Nintendo downloads: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Dracula: Undead Awakening
This week, European Wii and DSi owners can download the same game on either system: a ported version of Chillingo's iPhone shooter iDracula: Undead Awakening. Unfortunately, it's hitting on the absolute worst day ever to release a WiiWare game about fighting Dracula. Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points) Reel Fishing Challenge (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Dracula: Undead Awakening (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points) Bird & Bombs (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Dracula: Undead Awakening (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Electroplankton: Marine-Crystals (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Electroplankton: Varvoice (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Zoo Frenzy (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth out in Europe next week
By now, European Wii owners probably feel like they've been waiting for Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth since the actual 16-bit generation. We're happy to report that, according to the Nintendo Channel, the WiiWare reimagining of the Game Boy's Castlevania: The Adventure will be released in Europe next Friday, February 26. As always, it's a rare treat to know ahead of time when a WiiWare game's coming out -- especially when it's a game someone out there may actually be interested in buying. Everyone, buy the Rebirth games so we can get a Parodius or Mystical Ninja Rebirth! [Via GoNintendo]
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.
David Cox details the 'epic yet sad' score of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
In an interview conducted last summer with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow producer David Cox, we found out that the much loved Castlevania: Symphony of the Night music composer Michiru Yamane wouldn't be joining the team at Konami to compose the upcoming game. What was unclear at the time, however, was who exactly would be assigned the task of creating the game's score. David Cox explained to Joystiq this morning that Oscar Araujo, a Spanish symphonist, has been granted that burden. "Our composer for this game is Oscar Araujo who is a Spanish composer. He is creating a very epic yet sad and melancholy score that perfectly suits the game and emotion that we are aiming for." While Cox added that he's "a big fan of Yamane-san's work," he admitted that her music wouldn't have been a great fit for Mercury Steam's take on the Castlevania series. It certainly doesn't hurt that, according to Cox, she's no longer an employee of Konami. "Yamane-san left Konami quite some time ago as I understand it. She is currently working freelance, though I am not 100% sure. "Yamane-san has a style that fits perfectly to the previous Castlevania games but this game is very different to those more recent 'vania's in style and direction. I don't think I would be doing her any favours by including her music in the game." He also pointed out that we'll understand his point more clearly when we "eventually get to see the game." With any luck, that'll be sooner rather than later. %Gallery-65043%
