GBA Castlevanias - /vr/ (#11852614) [Archived: 377 hours ago]

Anonymous
7/8/2025, 7:34:34 AM No.11852614
Castlemanias
Castlemanias
md5: b57e1208ad2c3dd14f6c01a35f96072f๐Ÿ”
COTM and Harmony are such an interesting juxtaposition. I know a lot of people complain about Harmony as well, but attempting to be more like SOTN worked well for it, and it's undoubtedly much more polished and immediately more enjoyable to play compared to COTM, and yet, there's something that makes me respect COTM a little more. It's a mediocre game, but mixed in with the rest of the actual-bullshit and lackluster design decisions, there's little hints of almost-proper Classicvania-Bullshit as well, which I can appreciate and is a lot more interesting than just trying to make handheld SOTN.

I know the design shift was worth it, as it eventually gave us Aria, but something about COTM just makes me intrigued in what could have been if KCEK was allowed to make more in their style of Metroidvania. Anyone else feel the same way or have thoughts on the matter?
Replies: >>11852647 >>11852652 >>11852878 >>11853192 >>11853213 >>11853230 >>11853458 >>11853945 >>11856391
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 7:56:56 AM No.11852647
>>11852614 (OP)
>COTM and Harmony are such an interesting juxtaposition.

That's because HoD went out of its way to make sure it did the polar opposite of what CotM did even leading to the opposite flaws sometimes

>CotM: level design scale too big
>HoD: level design too cramped

>CotM: Everything's about item drops
>HoD: Item drops exist but in 95% of cases they don't matter and give you worst stuff than what you simply find in the field

>CotM: no shop
>HoD: shop (though it sucks)

>CotM: Limited movement controls that takes commitment with little air control
>HoD: DASHU DASHU DASHU DASHU DASHU FORWARDU DASH BACKWARDU DASHU EVERYWHERYU

>CotM: So dark you can't see an og GBA
>HoD: My fucking eyes and wtf is this glow around the characters

>CotM: Castlevania music
>HoD: Hey guys, what if, listen to me, what if, get this.... we made that type of music that was off key but ON PURPOSE?!

Oh and I know there is more where that came from I just can't remember right now. it's like someone was mad that someone else made a Castlevania and went on a rage like "nooooo that's the polar opposite of how it was supposed to be!!!"
Replies: >>11852680 >>11853363 >>11853460
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 7:58:25 AM No.11852652
>>11852614 (OP)
I liked CoTM, a lot. I certainly enjoyed it at the time, but in the years since my impression of it has grown more positive. I like it more than HoD and even like it more than AoS and probably DoS too. While those games are great, and even improve on SoTN in a few ways, in trying to be like it they lose overall. CoTM was it's own game, and, while flawed, it was fun and thematic and it stuck out.

Which is kinda the same opinion as yours, OP, but nevertheless i feel that way.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 8:13:19 AM No.11852680
>>11852647
>CotM: Limited movement controls that takes commitment with little air control
>HoD: DASHU DASHU DASHU DASHU DASHU FORWARDU DASH BACKWARDU DASHU EVERYWHERYU
For me, this is the big one. COTM not giving you a dash and instead a tackle that you couldn't really cancel did a lot to the fight design. Like how Hugh is actually a pretty simple boss for so late in the game (or really, just the real final boss given that Dracula is just super jump until you're allowed to fart poison on his eye + bats), but the way you're so committed to your attacks and the roll being so "slow" compared to a dash means it feels incredibly rewarding once you recognize the timing and spacing to whack him as he's coming at you. Paired with trying to dodge his subweapons and super arts, each move starts to feel kinda intense, and that kind of committal is what used to be so distinct about Castlevania. Not to mention, it feels like a distinct choice that the ceiling is too high to see attacks and 100% safely drop back down after a super jump, so you really gotta stay in there.

And then HoD is just dash in dash out like absolutely nothing.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 8:18:31 AM No.11852686
I straight up dislike COTM. It feels and looks like a Vania-like but off brand.
HOD is ugly but it feels like an honest to god CV game. The horrible music was to save ROM space on the early GBA cartridge size, so i can forgive it
Replies: >>11852690 >>11853110
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 8:22:10 AM No.11852690
>>11852686
>The horrible music was to save ROM space on the early GBA cartridge size
I don't really understand this complaint regarding HOD anyways. The number of GBA games with soundtracks that don't sound like hot ass can be counted on your hands. It's all just typical of the platform.
Replies: >>11853110
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 11:10:45 AM No.11852878
>>11852614 (OP)
I really like all 3 GBA Castlevanias equally, honestly. Aria is definitely the most polished but all 3 have different charms about them.
HoD with some palette patches is probably my favorite, though. Even if Aria is the one I replay the most, specially that one roguelike-ish hack.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 11:23:40 AM No.11852883
IMG_4232
IMG_4232
md5: 1a55b80b0ed37f4a2d034216f13c234e๐Ÿ”
Iโ€™m just going to come out and say it.
HoD is better than AoS.

Iโ€™ll die on this hill if I have to.
Replies: >>11852972
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 12:34:26 PM No.11852947
All the arguments against HoD are so dumb and forced, you retards should stick to your favourite youtuber comment section.
Replies: >>11853004
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 1:12:06 PM No.11852972
>>11852883
Agreed. AoS is bland as fuck. The DS are even worse.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 1:50:20 PM No.11853004
1706642942789968_thumb.jpg
1706642942789968_thumb.jpg
md5: 7e233e35a2327af5812aefdd196e28d6๐Ÿ”
>>11852947
There's no better argument against HoD than actually playing the game
Replies: >>11853076 >>11853097 >>11853464
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 2:54:42 PM No.11853076
>>11853004
the castle being big is a plus and exploring it is fun. again, your webm was just made to push the fake narrative you dash and dash into nothing in hod, but since i did play the game i know it's straight bullshit.
Replies: >>11853084 >>11853085
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 2:59:36 PM No.11853084
>>11853076
>unprecedented amounts of padding in the form of endless looping shafts and corridors with nothing in them that lead to dead ends is good, actually
The state of HoD fags
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:00:07 PM No.11853085
>>11853076
>don't believe your lying eyes, HoD detractors
Replies: >>11853106
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:02:33 PM No.11853091
COTM was a logical step because you can't do SOTN on a GBA, so the change up was refreshing. People that wanted SOTN but worse are just fucking unimaginative dullards.
Replies: >>11853105
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:06:54 PM No.11853097
>>11853004
Damn, imagine everything you could have done with all those 30 seconds. That's almost as much time as it takes to wait for 2 captchas when shitposting on 4chan or the length of a tiktok video! This game really does not respect our time.
Replies: >>11853467
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:12:58 PM No.11853105
>>11853091
COTM still followed the SOTN formula plenty, and the qualities about what made it distinct wouldn't really do anything to affect that part specifically. I'd say it's a total disservice or frankly insult to the game to chalk up such changes to handheld limitations.

COTM is just less Metroidvania and more, I dunno, Castleroid. However you'd try to boil down the more pronounced original Castlevania elements down to one word, just to say that Nathan controls more like a classic Belmont whereas Juste and Simon are much more like Alucard.
Replies: >>11853115
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:13:12 PM No.11853106
>>11853085
you could make a webm like that one for every castlevania. there's always some corridor leading to locked doors, thanks the dash you dont even waste too much time.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:15:04 PM No.11853110
>>11852686
>>11852690
You kids missed this little game called Circle of the Moon that came out a year earlier and didn't sound like dogshit for the GBA while still looking good. Or this other golf game from Konami Nagoya of all devs. Or VK2K2 being the only song that sounded good in HoD. KCET are just hacks. https://youtu.be/-I9rW32hgZ0?si=8-O5FFv_tjUXmqw6
Replies: >>11853463 >>11854151
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:16:16 PM No.11853115
>>11853105
SOTN is an audio visual masterpiece. When you think GBA, do you think audio visual masterpiece? I like that COTM is actually a difficult game compared to those sloppy rehashes.
Replies: >>11853118
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:17:19 PM No.11853118
>>11853115
>SOTN is an audio visual masterpiece. When you think GBA, do you think audio visual masterpiece?
When I think of SOTN, I think of a video game, and I think about gameplay
Replies: >>11853121
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:19:34 PM No.11853121
1735124575705066
1735124575705066
md5: 1fa0c535e6c54b1aaf07aded152ac3bd๐Ÿ”
>>11853118
... yeah bro, we played the same game.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:24:02 PM No.11853126
latest[1]
latest[1]
md5: d82785d3beebc03e56cb9454684f5acc๐Ÿ”
CotM and HoD represent this strange dichotomy of the junior team over-performing, and the senior team under-performing.

CotM was made by Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe, the team responsible for the Nintendo 64 titles, whilst HoD, AoS, and every Igavania after was made by the main Tokyo team first responsible for SotN.

The unexpected strong success of CotM as a launch window GBA game, is probably why the Tokyo team was tasked with making a GBA entry to capitalise on that success, but it being less critically well received would be why Aria of Sorrow didn't sell so hot despite being one of the most acclaimed entries.

HoD's issues I think stem from the Tokyo team not understanding the GBA hardware too well, and perhaps being over-ambitious with the map design to the point that they had to arbitrary place lots of dead ends and locked doors for the two sides of the mirror map.
Whilst the soundtrack composition was an intentional choice, part of what informed that was what they thought were the audio capabilities of the GBA, being closer to the GBC, and then the end credits suddenly hits you with starkly higher quality PCM sample audio.
Replies: >>11853136 >>11853208 >>11853215 >>11856145
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:30:48 PM No.11853136
vlcsnap-2023-05-19-23h02m56s164
vlcsnap-2023-05-19-23h02m56s164
md5: 8865fce914b09a11b51a7e0cbf707c36๐Ÿ”
>>11853126
>junior team
>N64 games

This narrative that the 3D games on N64/PS2 were the "lesser titles" while the "main series" was SotN and the handheld games really irks me because it's the opposite of the truth.

SotN's actual name is "Dracula X" the X means that it's a spin-off. Also SotN and the handheld games were the ones with a lesser budget and Iga was always complaining about the lack of budget, a 3D game on N64/PS2 was as primary as anything could be at the time. Low budget spin-offs are for handhelds.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 3:57:25 PM No.11853192
>>11852614 (OP)
I tried both Cotm and HoD but I always get bored, meanwhile AoS got me hooked instantly
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 4:02:04 PM No.11853208
eqw5436
eqw5436
md5: 18fafac66fd74217916570edc9cf1963๐Ÿ”
>>11853126
the junior team over-performing, and the senior team under-performing.
Kobe was a thing much earlier than Tokyo, IGA even said that the Castlevania team not only came out of Kobe but was also part of proto-Treasure as well. The NES Castlevania games were produced by Konami Kobe Unit 1. In reality SotN was conceived as an spin-off, which is why it was was allowed to be so different from the series norm.

https://www.eurogamer.net/unfinished-symphony-castlevanias-keeper-speaks

>the team responsible for the Nintendo 64 titles,
If you look at the credits, the entire dev team is different from CV64.

>why Aria of Sorrow didn't sell so hot despite being one of the most acclaimed entries.
Or maybe because that game was actually dull as hell with a bishie as a protagonist.

>Whilst the soundtrack composition was an intentional choice, part of what informed that was what they thought were the audio capabilities of the GBA, being closer to the GBC
They could have just make it sound like a GameBoy game on steroids, like the Battle Network series or that golf game from Nagoya did. It's fucked up that Belmont's Revenge has considerably a stronger, better programmed soundtrack than it and Aria.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 4:02:41 PM No.11853213
>>11852614 (OP)
I donโ€™t know why I canโ€™t enjoy these but I love Sotn to the point itโ€™s one of the few games I play every 2-3 years like ocarina of time or metal gear solid. I wish I got the same feel and enjoyment but I just donโ€™t. Anyone else feel that way? Everytime I try and start it up I end up shutting it off and just going back to Sotn.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 4:03:25 PM No.11853215
eqw5436
eqw5436
md5: 4d2bc746d092827f86774c4a4b9ae5e7๐Ÿ”
>>11853126
>the junior team over-performing, and the senior team under-performing.
Kobe was a thing much earlier than Tokyo, IGA even said that the Castlevania team not only came out of Kobe but was also part of proto-Treasure as well. The NES Castlevania games were produced by Konami Kobe Unit 1. In reality SotN was conceived as an spin-off, which is why it was was allowed to be so different from the series norm.

https://www.eurogamer.net/unfinished-symphony-castlevanias-keeper-speaks

>the team responsible for the Nintendo 64 titles,
If you look at the credits, the entire dev team is different from CV64.

>why Aria of Sorrow didn't sell so hot despite being one of the most acclaimed entries.
Or maybe because that game was actually dull as hell with a bishie as a protagonist.

>Whilst the soundtrack composition was an intentional choice, part of what informed that was what they thought were the audio capabilities of the GBA, being closer to the GBC
They could have just make it sound like a GameBoy game on steroids, like the Battle Network series or that golf game from Nagoya did. It's fucked up that Belmont's Revenge has considerably a stronger, better programmed soundtrack than it and Aria.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 4:08:31 PM No.11853230
>>11852614 (OP)
CotM is the worst Castlevania
Harmony is not great but still better, also, you can hack Harmony to look okay-er
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/9026/
Replies: >>11853332
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 4:49:13 PM No.11853332
1565645634465
1565645634465
md5: 8c96b3894f0ea3f49a8e729283d9f850๐Ÿ”
>>11853230
>CotM is the worst Castlevania
>Harmony is not great but still better
CotM (C stands for Contranianism) was baby's first CV for many people that's why these nostalgia blinded faggots keep defending this slop
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 5:06:59 PM No.11853363
>>11852647
I really, really like Successor of Fate and Clock Tower Casualty/Causality, Successor of Fate is probably my favorite completely original Castlevania composition that isn't more than 25ish years old

I like both games I wish the nature of internet discussion wasn't about fomenting little wars over nothing because nothing else gets bumped
Replies: >>11853384
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 5:18:29 PM No.11853384
>>11853363
Successor of Fate is amazing. It almost feels wasted on Juste, not because he's not deserving of it, but because it conveys so many different feelings of trepidation, wariness, resolve, confidence, and so on that feels much more fitting of someone who's back in the castle for a second go around, rather than the fresh young Belmont that's yet to prove himself and is just looking for a friend in what he isn't even sure yet is Dracula's Castle.

Granted, it is ultimately a match for his personality, but you don't know that by the time you hear it.
Replies: >>11853437
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 5:49:20 PM No.11853437
>>11853384
I kinda liked it on the principle that he is a descendant of Trevor + Sypha and has magic, so it feels kind of like the theme of a high tech new superweapon going to effortlessly fuck shit up for the first time
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 5:59:58 PM No.11853458
>>11852614 (OP)
NOBODY tought CotM was mediocre until the "BAD THING ALWAYS GOOD / GOOD THING ALWAYS BAD" forced fad contrarianism started by schizos like you perhaps
Replies: >>11853714
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 6:01:37 PM No.11853460
>>11852647
Posta Pasta this is.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 6:03:57 PM No.11853463
1676436355193169
1676436355193169
md5: c638794c4d4e380bf3ae42945dd2bfb7๐Ÿ”
>>11853110
This. "That's the best we can do with this hardware" is kind of a bullshit explanation when you just did better with the same hardware. It was a massive downgrade from the previous game.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 6:04:51 PM No.11853464
>>11853004
Lack of proper fast travels ever area affects this greatly
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 6:05:54 PM No.11853467
>>11853097
>The state of this current board
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 8:07:34 PM No.11853714
1656901269801
1656901269801
md5: 0a7407edcf7fa198f3d1e378034902d2๐Ÿ”
>>11853458
CotM was hard to really evaluate at the time of release because the mere fact that it was a handheld game with quality somewhere between the16-bit games and SOTN was incredibly impressive in itself. Nobody was going to pick nits about castle layouts or double-tapping to run when the overall quality of the game was a guantum leap from the Game Boy games. We had to get a couple more GBA game before there was anything to really make a valid comparison with, unless you wanted to compare it to console versions, which just seemed unfair. At the time, it was clearly the best handheld castlevania game ever made, but that was a title it won by default. Then other, better games got made and it was less impressive though I still wouldn't call it mediocre. It's good, just not as good as Aria.

That being said, BAD THING ALWAYS GOOD / GOOD THING ALWAYS BAD is definitely a thing and needs to stop.
Replies: >>11853954 >>11853962 >>11855671
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 8:11:55 PM No.11853727
Screenshot 2025-03-06 9.15.14 PM
Screenshot 2025-03-06 9.15.14 PM
md5: 1032b3920f136032b3aa97d366e9b37d๐Ÿ”
Replies: >>11855671
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 10:07:59 PM No.11853945
>>11852614 (OP)
>attempting to be more like SOTN worked well for it
Not it didn't, quite the opposite.

>it's undoubtedly much more polished and immediately more enjoyable to play compared to COTM
Not even close.

>It's a mediocre game
HoD is the very definition of a mediocre game.

>the rest of the actual-bullshit and lackluster design decisions
It smells more like you need to improve your skills. You do not throw these words around when the comparison point is fucking HoD of all games, HoD which I must remind is all the nonsense of SotN cranked up to 11.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 10:10:09 PM No.11853954
>>11853714
>It's good, just not as good as Aria.
Aria is actually extremely dull and mediocre.
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 10:11:24 PM No.11853962
>>11853714
>It's good, just not as good as Aria.
Aria is actually extremely dull and mediocre. Circle of the Moon is a more impressive game.
Replies: >>11856156
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 11:39:59 PM No.11854151
>>11853110
Music takes up space. HOTD had to fit a lot in there
Anonymous
7/8/2025, 11:45:01 PM No.11854163
CotM fucked with an already goofy continuity, the castle itself is just huge rooms of bullshit, the enemies are lame. everything about it screams half-assed launch title
Replies: >>11855663
Anonymous
7/9/2025, 5:05:27 PM No.11855663
>>11854163
>CotM fucked with an already goofy continuity
You mean IGA retconned it out in order to allow for the 1999 game that never happened, but do tell us how this game fucked any harder than Legends.
Anonymous
7/9/2025, 5:08:41 PM No.11855671
3818656-castlevania-ii-belmonts-revenge-game-boy-manual-2570917152
>>11853714
> the mere fact that it was a handheld game with quality
>t was clearly the best handheld castlevania game ever made
>the overall quality of the game was a guantum leap from the Game Boy games.

We had a real Castlevania game on game boy though

>>11853727
lol
Anonymous
7/9/2025, 9:18:37 PM No.11856145
>>11853126
>HoD's issues stem from
Igarashi wanting to make yet another Simon's Quest.
Anonymous
7/9/2025, 9:25:34 PM No.11856156
its all so tiresome
its all so tiresome
md5: 0ed9d4ca55e857616955ac709afa1188๐Ÿ”
>>11853962
>BAD THING ALWAYS GOOD / GOOD THING ALWAYS BAD
Replies: >>11856358
Anonymous
7/9/2025, 10:58:40 PM No.11856358
>>11856156
In English, pepe.
Anonymous
7/9/2025, 11:18:45 PM No.11856391
>>11852614 (OP)
I like COTM because it was the first castlevania I played.
I played Harmony next and just completely dropped it for Aria.
It was one of the first games where I was like "oh this is actually shit"