My quest to beat Castlevania

[Austin]

Ninja Gaiden is probably my favorite NES game. It's really tough towards the end for someone unfamiliar with it.

[mbd30]

Stage 99+, very impressive. I imagine once you master the second loop you can play indefinitely. Fascinating to watch someone else play this game so differently than I do.

 

Is this your vid?

 

I wish! No, that is Tom Votava, probably the greatest NES player in the world. He has another amazing series of videos where he gets over 700k in Adventure Island.

[mbd30]

I tried for a no death run just now. I always bite it at the giants bats, usually twice. I'm curious, have you guys beaten Ninja Gaiden? That's a game I've never gotten far in. Seems tougher than CV, though I could be mistaken.

 

I love Ninja Gaiden. I actually have a no-death, sword-only run on Youtube. I'm far better at it than I am at Castlevania.

 

[toptenmaterial]

I love Ninja Gaiden. I actually have a no-death, sword-only run on Youtube. I'm far better at it than I am at Castlevania.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvtBOHDwKig

I bow to you, sensei! You honor us.

 

Here is an interesting article about Castlevania that I read last night, sort of an analysis of the game itself. It suggests that Ninja Gaiden was Techmo's answer to it.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/www.usgamer.net/amp/at-30-castlevania-may-be-dead-but-its-influence-lingers-beyond-the-grave

 

EDIT: I skipped through some of your vid. You make it look effortless! It's funny, filming the old CTR seems to give it a 3D effect because of the curve of the screen.

Edited March 7, 2017 by toptenmaterial

[mbd30]

Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania are very similar. Except

 

I bow to you, sensei! You honor us.

Here is an interesting article about Castlevania that I read last night, sort of an analysis of the game itself. It suggests that Ninja Gaiden was Techmo's answer to it.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.usgamer.net/amp/at-30-castlevania-may-be-dead-but-its-influence-lingers-beyond-the-grave

EDIT: I skipped through some of your vid. You make it look effortless! It's funny, filming the old CTR seems to give it a 3D effect because of the curve of the screen.

 

Interesting video. Yeah, Ninja Gaiden is like Castlevania but with a much more nimble protagonist.

[lushgirl_80]

I've said this before probably,but my trick to beating Dracula is to stand in the middle of his coffin as it's the easiest to dodge his fireballs that way.

 

Use my trick and you'll see how easy this game really is.

[toptenmaterial]

@lush I'll try that out. For me to kill him I really need to be perpetually in motion to get away from his teleports. I'll try it your way.

 

Now, off topic: I'm thinking of getting PlayStation TV. To tie this in, it does have at least a couple Castlevania games. It's also cheap as hell right now. Is it still supported? Have you guys played it? Any thoughts?

[Joe C.]

 

I love Ninja Gaiden. I actually have a no-death, sword-only run on Youtube. I'm far better at it than I am at Castlevania.

 

Good stuff man

[toptenmaterial]

.

Edited March 8, 2017 by toptenmaterial

[toptenmaterial]

 

So in Castlevania, I had a couple of cracks in the clock tower without the stop watch. Couldn't do it! Holy shit!

 

I think I'm going to start tackling these difficult sections without the water or stop watch and get myself up to snuff. I'm thinking the upper three bosses and all of level 6. I could try level 5 but life is too short.

Edited March 8, 2017 by toptenmaterial

[StanJr]

If you hurry in the clocktower you can get onto a set of stairs so that even if the flea men hit you, you don't get knocked off. I use the stop watch, but i don't farm hearts so I usually only get one or two uses. I now have my bridge pattern down again, so I am getting past the bats with little trouble.

 

Let me know how that thing goes with taking out Frank, the Reaper and Drac sans water.

 

Meanwhile, with the holy water trick on Drac's second form, I an now back to fighting shape. Made it to Frank last night in the second loop. Sadly, I took too many hits in the forest before Frank's hole, and lost the water, so despite several frustrating attempts, I was unable to defeat him. But I'll get there. Practice, practice, practice.

 

CV3: made it a little further, 8-02, just two stages from Drac!

Edited March 8, 2017 by StanJr

[toptenmaterial]

If you hurry in the clocktower you can get onto a set of stairs so that even if the flea men hit you, you don't get knocked off. I use the stop watch, but i don't farm hearts so I usually only get one or two uses. I now have my bridge pattern down again, so I am getting past the bats with little trouble.

 

Let me know how that thing goes with taking out Frank, the Reaper and Drac sans water.

 

Meanwhile, with the holy water trick on Drac's second form, I an now back to fighting shape. Made it to Frank last night in the second loop. Sadly, I took too many hits in the forest before Frank's hole, and lost the water, so despite several frustrating attempts, I was unable to defeat him. But I'll get there. Practice, practice, practice.

 

CV3: made it a little further, 8-02, just two stages from Drac!

Awesome! You're back in the saddle again!!!

 

Usually my failure in the clock tower isn't getting knocked off, it's taking hits at 4 damage per hit. With the 2 skeletons in the second room it's a 50/50 chance that I'll eat one hit. With the clock that part doesn't matter because I breeze past the flea men.

 

I did the 3rd stage with the triple cross and fucked up everything in sight! I wonder if it will be effective against Frank.

 

It's a wonder how much replay value there is in such a short 30 year old game.

[StanJr]

It will not be effective against Frank. I've taken every sub weapon into that battle and only the Holy Water gets me out alive. But have a go at it anyway!

 

The trick to the skeletons on the second floor of the clock tower is to ascend the stairs quickly, IMMEDIATELY jump left and slash. You'll almost always take out the skeleton and his bone and push the skeleton above back to the left so he doesn't hit you with his bones. Then ascend again and pull the skeleton closer and jump/whip him to take him out. At least that's what I do. I save my clock ticks for the flea men if necessary.

 

Tonight I made it back to the mummies on the second loop, but lost my holy water so it was just me and the trusty knife, which the mummies laugh at and then destroy you. But I did discover a Moai head I didn't know about on the way to the Mummies. It shows up below the ledge where you can get the boomerang. You just have to walk to the far right. So still a win!

 

No luck on CV3: I lost 2 lives in the clock tower and called it a night.

[toptenmaterial]

What's a maoi head? Sounds exotic!

 

I did beat Frank and Death with the cross. A little disclosure here, I used some save states, first in the cavern where I knew I'd get my ass kicked (and did) and right before Death. I did have the triple shot and spammed Frank with it (nearly as cheesy as holy water). No way I would have accomplished it firing off a single one or possibly two. Death was harder and I did a save state before that fight and leaned on it heavy, took three tries because of the posthumous sickles that hone in on you after you wipe him out. I did piss poor in level six and decided I had lost the momentum.

 

That knife in the mummy room gets me a lot, I often forget about it and it throws me off my guard. Today I picked it up and beat the mummies with only one bar of health left- unacceptable!

 

I'm going to try your advice with the two skeletons in the clock tower, then just time clock in from there. When I get to Drac's room and I have any damage I usually just chuck myself off the ledge and start fresh. I think there is a porkchop in one of the clock rooms with the bird men but I'd probably get killed getting it.

 

How's the difficulty in CV 3 right now? Is it ridiculous?

Edited March 9, 2017 by toptenmaterial

[StanJr]

Well done on Frank. Yeah, I can see a triple boomerang working there, but getting there with a triple boomerang isn't terribly easy (there's not one boomerang in that whole level that I am aware of). I used to take on the Reaper with the boomerang, but found the holy water much less risky.

 

There is a porkchop in the clock tower, but it will cost you about 12 hearts to try and get it, if you are lucky. Screw that porkchop. There's a doubler too. Also screw it.

 

Well done on those mummies. You are a better mummy slayer than I!

 

CV3 is going great. Only gets dicey for me when I get to the castle. The red tower is really tough and some of the bosses are brutal (the triple threat of mummies/hammer ogre/dragon man is brutal if you don't get there with holy water or lots of health). The main difference is that the difficultly in the levels is ramped up compared to Castlevania. You get to the boss fights with much less health than I am used to. Then the bosses are brutal. But having Grant with me allows me to skip large chunks of levels because he can climb walls and get to the exits faster. Having much fun making a go of it, though!

[StanJr]

The Moai heads are secret treasures you can only find in the second loop. The first one is on the second level where you are riding the platforms in the medusa head room. You just ride the first platform and it appears out of the floor under you.

[toptenmaterial]

Thanks for compliment! To be fair, I never would have retained my cross without the save states. I'm only scratching the surface of 3. I got Grant and am in the forest; I'm not playing regularly. My impression of it so far is that the size and scope of the game is very large for NES.

 

I started playing Belmont's Revenge, and it is indeed quite good. I'm using my hacked Wii with a flatscreen. There is slight lag so I'll have to compensate for that but it's quite playable. My one year old was dancing to the music!

 

EDIT: I finished the mummies on one bar of health, I went into the battle full.

Edited March 9, 2017 by toptenmaterial

[Eltigro]

Because I can never seem to get to Death with the holy water, the triple shot cross (and some lucky dodging) is the only way I've ever beaten him. I usually tried to keep as many in the air at different heights as possible to help kill the flying scythes, and use both hits from them and the whip to whittle away at the boss.

 

I believe I've beaten Frank with the dagger before, but it also required luck. Frank himself is never the problem for me, it's dodging fireballs and igor that usually trips me up. I know I've beaten the mummies with it, but I was spamming it like crazy and had both of them on one side of me so I didn't have to worry about dodging things from both directions.

[toptenmaterial]

@Stan and others, serious question, what's the best way to deal with the owls in the mad forest in 3? With the cross it's not an issue but they usually tag me at least twice before then.

[StanJr]

Just jump and whip as they appear. They eyes will appear, then the body, then they will attack. As soon as you see the body, jump and whip. You can reach the first two that come at you by doing this. Then get the boomerang, and the rest of that forest is easy.

 

I tried going the Alucard way and recall how much I hate the mummy enemies that plague that route. Back to the ghost ship for me!

[toptenmaterial]

I actually could not beat Dracula tonight in CV 1 for the first time in a few days (I play it all the time now). Just really tired I think. Timing is everything.

 

Side note: have you guys played Super Mario Land 2?

[toptenmaterial]

Why, oh why, is Dracula giving me trouble again? Didn't beat him today either. So strange. Perhaps it's nerves, as I'm under a lot of stress. He's getting me with his teleporting. What's the trick for when he's right on top of you? I must be walking the wrong way.

[StanJr]

I just walk back and forth and avoid the edges since you can get trapped. I tried lushgirl's strategy, but he kept appearing on top of me, so I went back to my old "meander about" tactics and they work as good as any. If he appears under you, just get out of the way and get ready to whip the fireballs when he opens his cape. Try again on the next appearance. He rarely appears in the same spot twice, but he can appear nearby. I think his destination must be tied to your movement in some way, but I cannot pinpoint exactly what that is.

 

I tried CV3 with Syfa tonight and didn't get as far as I did with Grant. Going to try an Alucard run next, although I hate that path.

[toptenmaterial]

Beat the curse, thank Christ. I just stay in perpetual motion and try my luck. Was hit three times by the first for and took down birdman without taking a shot with single water drops, a water and a few whips to the dome.

 

I also took a Valium for my nerves. It helps.

[StanJr]

Lapses are normal. Don't sweat it. I get that way too. I have to stop playing a game if I get to the point where I feel like I should be able to play better than I am and refuse to accept cheap deaths or failure to progress. I just get frustrated and do not advance the cause. I was getting that way with CV3 this go round which I why I started trying different routes. Take breaks as needed. You've already come a long way!