"Dracula X" for the SNES

[mbd30]

Note that I still haven't played either the original "Rondo of Blood" for the Turbo Duo or the SNES "Dracula X". But I know that the SNES game is supposed to be a huge huge step down compared to the original "Rondo".

 

Would a decently faithful port have been possible given the limitations of the SNES and having to squeeze a CD ROM game into a cartridge? And if they couldn't bring it to the SNES, I wonder why no port for the original Playstation alongside "Symphony of the Night" (rather than waiting so long to release it for the PSP). It's always hyped as being the greatest Castlevania ever.

[Austin]

Yes, it absolutely could have been done on the SNES. Just look at Castlevania IV--that probably has the same amount of stages as (if not more than) the DUO Rhondo of Blood. It should also be noted that the "CD ROM" elements are primarily just in the form of CD audio as well as voice-acting on the cutscenes. I have no doubts that everything else could have been duplicated perfectly (The soundtrack in the SNES version itself is also very good, a nice alternative to the original's CD audio).

[Kiddo]

Note that I still haven't played either the original "Rondo of Blood" for the Turbo Duo or the SNES "Dracula X". But I know that the SNES game is supposed to be a huge huge step down compared to the original "Rondo".

 

Would a decently faithful port have been possible given the limitations of the SNES and having to squeeze a CD ROM game into a cartridge? And if they couldn't bring it to the SNES, I wonder why no port for the original Playstation alongside "Symphony of the Night" (rather than waiting so long to release it for the PSP). It's always hyped as being the greatest Castlevania ever.

 

The degree of it being a "step down" is rather exaggerated, really. A good amount of the people who trash it simply do so for it not being like the original Rondo. Amongst the more legitimate complaints such as the ridiculously difficult level design and a few downgraded graphics (Mostly in the item crashes - I just shook my head at how the Cross item crash looked), most of the complaints are simply complaining about changes for the sake of complaining about changes.

 

I think a more faithful port might have been possible - most of the changes in the SNES Dracula X were purposeful design changes to distinguish it from the PC Engine CD version, particularly the level design and the lack of playable Maria. The anime-esque cutscenes probably couldn't be done, but they aren't all that necessary anyway. They also already converted a good chunk of the soundtrack onto SPC for the SNES Dracula X as it was - and IMO it actually sounded rather good, for all the people who mope about "CD quality music", the SNES Drac X music is actually a fairly comparable rival to the PC Engine's Poppy soundtrack.

 

A Playstation port would probably just have lead people wondering why they're making an "outdated" game on the Playstation, though; I mean, that practically happened to Symphony of the Night as it was, before the "2D is dead" fad died down and people saw it for the innovative, revolutionary game it was.