Castlevania Discussion; Best Castlevania Ever?

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Welcome!

Here I would like to discuss everything Castlevania related, from the arcade game to the DS games, since it's my favourite gaming franchise.

We got Super Castlevania 4 first, then Castlevania for the NES...and now Simon's Quest has been announced. So, it's a matter of time before the best NES entry in the series, Dracula's Curse, arrives. And Bloodlines should come anytime soon, along with Castlevania X (in the US).

So, which one is your favourite?; Will we ever see Rondo of Blood (Chi no rondo) in the VC? (considering that it was a PC Engine game with a CD); Will we get the US version of Dracula's Curse, or the Japanese game with improved sound and music?

Who is your favourite Belmont? and non-Belmont? Mine has to be Simon Belmont, and Soma Cruz since he represents a clever plot twist in the series.

[kelvingreen]

How about Master of Darkness on the Master System, a Castlevania in all but name.

I haven't played much of the series, so the Virtual Console should allow me to catch up.

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I remember that one, in fact there were many rip-offs at that time.

By the way, what about 3D Castlevania games? It seems that nobody likes them, no matter system or generation...

[neeher]

Haven't played no game of the series before the VC. But i downloaded Super Castlevania 4 and i really like it. Thank you VC!

[hippiecrite]

Castlevania III was the best one out of the old games. It was challenging and the replay value was terrific with the different paths you could take and the different sub characters.

[kelvingreen]

Aren't the DS games quite old-school? And quite well regarded?

I think I might give the SNES one a go, as it seems to be one of the better regarded ones.

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Castlevania 3 was nearly perfect. From stage design, bg music and solid gameplay, this game defined the series and showed the true potential of the NES at that time (the gears at the clocktower are simply superb)

[kelvingreen]

I believe that III is one of the ones being adapted into animated movies by Warren Ellis.

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Originally Posted by kelvingreen

Aren't the DS games quite old-school? And quite well regarded?

Both DS games, as well as the 3 GBA games, are excellent games. But for this poll I considered the "older" titles in terms of years. The gameplay in the DS and GBA games is similar to the "Metroidvania" gameplay (exploring), first introduced in Simon's Quest.

Circle of the Moon: Great game, good battle system, but too dark (specially when you play it in the old GBA)

Harmony of Dissonance: Good game, great visuals, terrible sound quality, but tried to be like Symphony of the Night and failed.

Aria of Sorrow: Maybe the best of the three games; Interesting plot, great visuals, awesome game design, and the best battle system yet to date (Soul System)

Dawn of Sorrow: Improved over the original, plus you got the chance to play the Julius Mode with three characters, Julius, Alucard and Yoko Belnades, in a similar way as the old Castlevania 3; Dracula's Curse.

Portrait of Ruin: Great game, nice gameplay (you can change characters whenever you want) and it feels like the old Bloodlines/New Generation game (because Jhonatan Morris is related to Jhon Morris, the main character of that game). It felt a little bit short, but it's an awesome game.

[DEMON212]

Dawn Of Sorrow. But out of those, IV.