after mountains of pathetic, sub-par, kindergarten level DS/GBA games, castlevania is finally back, full force!
1) the style weakly mimics SOTN. I am not even a huge fan of SOTN to begin with. I respect it and I realize that it dared to be different and really stood on its own. the DS and GBA games were just garbage though. they were nothing more than a poor man's SOTN. everything was watered down and could never come close to the original muse. instead of the series advancing, it actually de-evolved in every way. bottom line, if im going to play a SOTN style castlevania game, im going to play SOTN. not these cheap, third rate, dumbed down, knockoffs.
2) the story. the old games were simple. they did not need a complex plot. SOTN tried to introduce more of a story than the previous instilations. It wasnt bad actually. but, over time with each game, the story got more confusing, corny, filled with plotholes, and just insultingly far-fetched. they spend more time snowballing their convoluted, poorly told story than optimizing the video game experience.
3) the gameplay. To be honest, these games are boring and insultingly easy. They are just totally lacking the intense gameplay of the classics and there is virualy no challenge. The new super Mario bros on the DS is more challenging and intense than any given DS castlevania game. When I play a castlevania game expect ball-busting difficulty. Casltevania is not for casual gamers who like to have their hands held throughout half the game, have health powerups dropped on them ad nausiem and have enemies that simply walk up to you slowly to get killed. Its sickening. It desecrates the series' most sacred tradition.
So, this is what we have had until this point. Was I skeptical about Dracula X? yeah, I was. But surprisingly this game is very, very good. It dispenses with all the nonsense that has held the series back. The story is not shoved in your face, the challenge is back, and it goes back to the old, more linear formula. It is so refreshing and it makes me wonder why konami has been fooling around with all these kiddy castlevania games and completely alienating the fans of the classics. Now, not only is this an amazing game by itself but it also has some other great features going for it. You can actually unlock SOTN and the original Dracula X. so, over the past decade we have gotten almost a dozen sub-par castlevania games and now we get 3 amazing castlevania games all in one. I think that this calls for celebration, how about you?
Now let me just address the morons who criticize this game. People have been whining about how "UHHG!!! ITZ 2 HArD!! PorTriat o RUEIN PWNS tIS." Those kinds of people are truly pathetic.
1) this game is not even close to being as hard as the classics. Its tough enough, but its far from being impossible. The only reason people find it hard is because it actually has something called "difficulty." I know you guys aren't accustomed to such things but maybe you should just grow a pair and actually develop some hand-eye cordination.
2) whining about difficulty is not a valid complaint for a game. Reducing stars on a game because you lack the coordination, skill or experience with the franchise in order to beat it, is just sad. You people are the scourge of reviewers. Learn how to play a game, and then come and talk to me. Until then, feel free to play your five-year-old level ds games like dawn of sorrow.
3) whining about difficulty in a castlevania game is like whining that guilty gear plays like a 2D fighter. I mean, what did you expect? Do you know ANYTHING about the franchise? This is what the series has always been. This is what it should have been doing for the last 10 years. how can you have the gall to whine about it? Its like playing a contra, megaman, or ninja gaiden game and whining that theyre too hard. It makes you look like a noob and a total ignoramus.
4) if you don't like to be challenged, than stick to younger audience games. Theres nothing wrong with that. I love kingdom hearts 2 and its easy as crap, even on expert mode. Can you still enjoy it? Yes. is it fair to call it a bad game because its too easy? No. If you are only wanting easy games, than don't throw yourself into a franchise that capitalizes on painfully difficult gameplay and try to review it (especially referencing the abominatble newer games that don't even deserve to be part of the series). You don't what you are talking about, you don't know the series, you don't understand the appeal of challenging games and you have no right to talk bad about it. Its shameful.
To sum things up, this game is a masterpiece. Its not the best of the series, in my opinion, but its probably second. If you have a PSP, than this is a must have. If you are a castlevania fan, this is a must have. If you are new and open to the series and are willing to accept the difficulty, this is actually a good place to start. If you are a fan of the DS games and you are willing to step out of you comfort zone and play a game that actually has some balls, than you too are welcome to the party. Amazing game, 9/10.