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The effects of re-releases on classic game pricing
In a survey of (presumably) eBay prices for rare and collectible games, MTV Multiplayer's Jason Cipriani illustrates what re-releases of these games do to their resale value -- and, by association, to the people who hoard these game for profit. As it turns out, re-releasing rarities like Dracula X affects game collectors negatively in the same way it affects normal people positively -- by making the games more easily available, thus driving down the cost of copies in the original format. Won't someone please think of the jerks trying to make a profit from their rare games? To use another Castlevania example, Castlevania Chronicles: Cipriani found a three-year high price of $70 for the 2001 PlayStation release in 2007. Two years later, after the game's release on PlayStation Network, physical copies dropped to a low price of $26.93. The people who just wanted to play the game could now get it for six bucks, leaving the PS1 discs for collectors only. It's not as simple as a re-release dropping the value globally, however: the data shows some weirdly fluctuating prices, like Persona 2: Eternal Punishment on PlayStation, which seems to have gone up in price significantly following a reissue. Perhaps interest rose when buyers got the idea that it was even possible to buy an old Atlus game.
Deal of the Day: Castlevania for $20 at Amazon
We haven't heard much about Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles as of late, but that's probably because everyone's been hunkered down playing it. For those who haven't, however, have we got a deal for you! Right now, Amazon has slashed the price on the game to only $20 with free shipping.Our very own Nick Doerr gave the game an 8.5 when he reviewed it, and even said, "If you love Castlevania, this is the definitive game to get." Well, there you have it; if you're a Castlevania fan, this should definitely be in your library. Via CAG
Joystiq pumpkin-carving contest - vote on the finalists!
Over the last week you've gotten a sneak peek at some of the entries into our pumpkin-carving contest. Now we've whittled down the entries to only 25 finalists and, believe us, picking those 25 proved to be quite a chore! Now it's your turn to select the 10 winners, each of whom will receive one copy of the beautiful 2.5D Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP, courtesy of our pals at Konami.Peep the 25 finalists after the break, and vote for your favorites by selecting your favorites in our handy, embedded poll at the bottom. When you're all done, take a leisurely stroll through the gallery to take in all of the entries. We'll close the poll and select our final winners tomorrow, Halloween day, at 6pm ET. Good luck!%Gallery-9433%
Joystiq pumpkin-carving contest (win Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles!)
Next week is Halloween, which means many of you are putting the finishing touches on your video game-themed costumes, while decorating your haunted mansions with video game-themed jack-o'-lanterns. Since you're already at it, why not enter our pumpkin-carving contest for a chance to win the perfect Halloween game, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles? We're giving away ten copies of the beautiful 2.5D PSP game, a remake of the heretofore Japan-only Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, to the winners. Did we mention it also includes the PC Engine Duo original and a new port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Well, it does. So get carving!The rules are simple: Carve a video-game themed pumpkin. Send a picture of your pumpkin, in .jpg format, to contests AAT joystiq DAWT com. (Be sure to take an additional picture with the word "joystiq" written on a piece of paper somewhere. If you're selected as a winner, we'll ask to see this other photo to ensure that you haven't submitted someone else's carving as your own.) Deadline for entries is noon Eastern Time Monday, October 29. Twenty-five (25) finalists will be selected by Joystiq staffers based equally on creativity and originality. Out of those finalists, ten (10) winners will be selected based on reader votes. You may enter as many carved pumpkins as you like, so long as they're all somehow related to video games. For the full details, peruse the official rules here.
Konami ad plays Ellis Island; changes Belmonts to Beaumonts
An official Konami advertisement for Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles in magazines talks about "the Beaumont family's quest to destroy Dracula," the only problem being that anybody who has played a Castlevania game in the last 20 years would know it should be the Belmont family. Oops! The error is kind of funny considering the amount of eyes that probably saw the ad before it was sent out, and it's not like we're talking about a new franchise here.We could go into a spiel right now about the incredible amount of people in the industry who know next to nothing about the products they're hawking -- but why bother getting serious. This reminds us of another hilarious ad from earlier this year for Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam on the Sony Wii. Good times in advertising.[Via Wired]
Castlevania pre-orders escorted by 8-bit Belmont
At least 4 times more powerful than your average, two-bit vampire slayer, the pixelated protagonist of early Castlevania adventures will accompany Gamestop and EB pre-orders of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles. An "8-bit Simon Belmont figure" not only makes the PSP's Rondo of Blood remake more desirable, but also illustrates how far the series has come, shifting from side-scrolling vampire killer to... prettier, side-scrolling vampire killer.Oh well, if $30 doesn't net you any change on October 23rd, at least it grants you access to Dracula X Chronicles' bonus game, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Fang you very much, Konami.[Via PSP Fanboy]
Joystiq impressions: Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
At long last, we were able to get our hands on Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles at Konami's E3 booth. This upcoming PSP-exclusive remake of Rondo of Blood is easily the best-looking handheld Castlevania to date. Although far away from being the best looking PSP title to date, the game offers a visual feast for those that have become accustomed to the excellent, but somewhat visually underwhelming DS offerings.The old roots of the game can be easily seen in the game's somewhat antiquated controls. Richter feels stiff, missing the quick movement of recent Castlevania stars. Regardless, we found ourselves compelled by the classic Castlevania gameplay. The creatures are well-designed, and the music is even more stunning.As revealed earlier, Dracula X Chronicles will include three games: the new 3D remake, the original 2D game, and a newly enhanced Symphony of the Night. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to see Symphony of the Night in action. But even without that, it appears that Dracula X Chronicles will offer a significant, meaty adventure. There are multiple paths through levels, and at completion, another character will be unlocked. Eventually, players will be able to remix the music of the game, reassigning levels with songs of their choice. From what we've seen, we can say the game is drawing close to completion. Expect Dracula X Chronicles before the end of the year.%Gallery-4765%
Hands-on: Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles
At long last, we were able to get our hands on Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles at Konami's E3 booth. This upcoming PSP-exclusive remake of Rondo of Blood is easily the best-looking handheld Castlevania to date. Although far away from being the best looking PSP title to date, the game offers a visual feast for those that have become accustomed to the excellent, but somewhat visually underwhelming DS offerings.The old roots of the game can be easily seen in the game's somewhat antiquated controls. Richter feels stiff, missing the quick movement of recent Castlevania stars. Regardless, we found ourselves compelled by the classic Castlevania gameplay. The creatures are well-designed, and the music is even more stunning.As revealed earlier, Dracula X Chronicles will include three games: the new 3D remake, the original 2D game, and a newly enhanced Symphony of the Night. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to see Symphony of the Night in action. But even without that, it appears that Dracula X Chronicles will offer a significant, meaty adventure. There are multiple paths through levels, and at completion, another character will be unlocked. Eventually, players will be able to remix the music of the game, reassigning levels with songs of their choice. From what we've seen, we can say the game is drawing close to completion. Expect Dracula X Chronicles before the end of the year.%Gallery-3224%
PSA: Richter can't swim in Castlevania
High-Score has posted yet another video of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles in action. This time, we see Richter crossing a bridge ... but watch out! That kid can't swim ... Certainly, a shaky boat ride will mean his doom.
The fourth stage of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
As this player from High-Score continues to go deeper into the Dracula X Chronicles, he reveals some of the castle's more challenging dangers. See all sorts of traps attempt to (successfully) kill the player not once ... but twice. See also:The third stage of CastlevaniaThe second stage of CastlevaniaThe first stage of Castlevania
The third stage of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
The latest video from High Score's week-long Castlevania series highlights some of the incredible animation featured in the game. Take particular note to the way the spear-wielding skeleton moves. It's quite articulate. However, we're concerned about Belmont: does he have arthritis? He seems really stiff, don't you think?See also:The second stage of CastlevaniaThe first stage of Castlevania
The first stage of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
It might have sexy, modern 3D graphics, but its gameplay is decidedly old-school. High Score's week-long Castlevania feature goes through the first five levels in the game. Bust out the old whip, and get ready to destroy everything in your sight.
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles opening cinematic
The Dracula X Chronicles is bringing classic Castlevania gameplay to PSP ... in style. In celebration of their upcoming "Castlevania Week," High-Score has uploaded the opening cinematic to the upcoming PSP exclusive. Certainly looks atmospheric, no? High-Score is promising even more great stuff next week, including interviews, and a look at the remastered Symphony of the Night that's included on the UMD. When you're done watching the intro, don't forget to check out some of the screenshots from our updated gallery. %Gallery-3224% [Via Gamespot]
Castlevania's Koji Igarashi: 2D games will never die!
Bringing his GDC presentation, "The Light and Dark Sides of 2D Game Production," to a flag-waving close, Konami's Koji Igarashi defiantly declared (via an enthusiastically projected slide) that "2D games will never die!" Though the Castlevania designer's train of thought seemed to switch several times during the talk -- no doubt exacerbated by the wonky on-the-fly translation -- his point eventually emerged as a light at the end of the tunnel.Igarashi explained that as 3D games grow more complex and require greater effort from artists, 2D games provide an advantage by being easier and cheaper to design. Though he argued that the perspective generally allows players to better judge distance in action games, he was largely focused on the production side of things. Pixel art and backgrounds can be reused throughout multiple titles, he noted, allowing designers to spend more of their time on other aspects of the game.A unique challenge for modern consoles, however, is adapting to the much higher display resolutions. More on-screen pixels means more detailed art, in which case drawing beautiful 2D assets might become just as strenuous and laborious as creating 3D character models. As such, Igarashi is treating the upcoming 2.5D Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles as an experiment -- can the dynamic presentation of 3D titles and the cost-effective design of 2D gaming get along? We'll find out later this year.%Gallery-2095%
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles unveiled for PSP
After six years of nonstop support for Nintendo's portable devices, Konami is finally branching out to Sony's side of the handheld market with Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles -- a port of the PC Engine Duo's Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. The title, announced at their annual Gamers' Day press event, contains not only a graphically-enhanced version of Rondo of Blood with a 3D facelift, but the original version as well as -- are you ready? A straight port of the legendary Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, complete with full-screen graphics and a newly glossed over translation. 1UP managed to wrangle the exclusive on this portable bombshell with a hands-on preview, complete with screenshots and video. Seeing as how Rondo of Blood is regarded as one of the best in the series, this is an absolute no-brainer for fans. The inclusion of Symphony of the Night serves to make it one for fans of video games, period.Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles is currently slated for a Fall, 2007 release.
