Castlevania Bloodlines

[StanJr]

I just played and beat Castlevania Bloodlines this week. I had heard a lot of hype about it being the best Castlevania of its generation (against Castlevania IV and Dracula X), but I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed by a few points:

 

No Belmonts, the whip guy's name is Morris? The hearts are replaced by jewels. Set in 1917 its a bit too modern for my tastes (a Castlevania level taking place in a German munitions factory?) The ending is NOTHING AT ALL like what the Prologue in Symphony of Night suggests, no Richter, no showdown in the castles, etc. (What the fork is up with that?). No dreaded knife secondary weapon?

 

That said, the game is plenty fun, and I like the spear guy best, but it just doesn't have a completely "Castlevania" feel, despite Death, the flea men, and other "Castlevania-esque" stuff.

 

Am I missing the point? Is the game over-hyped? And just where DID that Prologue in Symphony of Night come from anyway?

 

[Ze_ro]

The hearts are replaced by jewels

 

I never understood why they used hearts the way they did anyways. What do hearts have to do with secondary weapons? I remember the first time I was playing a Castlevania game, I had taken some damage, and then saw a heart and though "Oh good, that'll bring back some health"... and of course, it didn't.

 

--Zero

[JB]

I just played and beat Castlevania Bloodlines this week.  I had heard a lot of hype about it being the best Castlevania of its generation (against Castlevania IV and Dracula X), but I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed by a few points:

You seem to be a tad confused, especially given the rest of your post...

 

The PCEngine CD title Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, AKA Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, is commonly cited as the best of the series. The SNES game Dracula X was a poor remake of RoB).

 

CastleVania: Bloodlines is a diffrent game entirely.

 

The ending is NOTHING AT ALL like what the Prologue in Symphony of Night suggests, no Richter, no showdown in the castles, etc.  (What the fork is up with that?).  

Well, since Richter is long dead by the time of Bloodlines...

 

And just where DID that Prologue in Symphony of Night come from anyway?

From Rondo of Blood.

 

 

Make sense now?

[StanJr]

which only leads to MORE confusion since it clearly says in the Prologue of Symphony of Night "At the End of Castlevania: Bloodlines"

[Dones]

At least the game is one of the many great titles for the Genesis. The N64 castlevanias have become the black sheep of the series. * jokingly * Konami doesn't even acknowlegde they exist. * jokingly *

[ubersaurus]

Morris is supposed to be a belmont. His name just changed over the years, and in an attempt by konami to say that the vampire hunter from the dracula book was in that bloodline too, you get morris.

 

Personally, I like playing Bloodlines alot more then Super Castlevania 4. And the n64 ones are alot better then the reputation they've gained. They have some good ambience and mood, and a good enough game engine.

[StanJr]

At least the game is one of the many great titles for the Genesis. The N64 castlevanias have become the black sheep of the series. * jokingly * Konami doesn't even acknowlegde they exist.  * jokingly *

 

You mean there were Castlevania games for the N64...

[JB]

which only leads to MORE confusion since it clearly says in the Prologue of Symphony of Night "At the End of Castlevania: Bloodlines"        

I think the final stage of Rondo of Blood was supposed to be called Bloodlines, or something. Hence, "Final Stage: Bloodlines".

Never beat RoB, so I'm not sure.

[Dones]

You mean there were Castlevania games for the N64...      

 

LOL Can you believe that? They actually bothered....

 

Seriously they weren't that bad (the console did get two games after all). What's interesting is that Legacy of Darkness is a remake of Castlevania 64. It's almost as if someone at Konami felt he needed to redeem himself. IMO Konami didn't put enough resources in their N64 development. Their other N64 games were mediocre too.

[StanJr]

Yeah, I read up on them and other than some different levels and characters, its pretty much two games out of one. Gee I wonder why the N64 died off....

 

Still, I am on a quest to own as many of the American Castlevania games as I can find, so one day I'll have to add them to the collection. Luckily in 10 years they will be $2 at a Flea Market somewhere.... I hope....

 

So is the ending of SNES Dracula X the same as the end of Rondo of Blood?

(last I checked a Rondo was a large thick bottomed cooking pot, or that stupid thing the Jawas rode in Star Wars Special Edition, why would either of those be full of blood and in a Castlevania game is beyond me... )

[Ze_ro]

Morris is supposed to be a belmont. His name just changed over the years

 

Is this the same Morris Baldwin that Dracula abducts at the start of Circle of the Moon?

 

--Zero

[JB]

Yeah, I read up on them and other than some different levels and characters, its pretty much two games out of one.  Gee I wonder why the N64 died off....  

As I understand it, it was an example of selling what I consider a public beta. Not a common practice in the console industry, but it happens sometimes.

CV64 came out in the US, they polished it up, released it in Japan, then brought the japanese version back to America.

 

I give them points for at least TRYING to fix their mistake.

 

Still, I am on a quest to own as many of the American Castlevania games as I can find, so one day I'll have to add them to the collection.  Luckily in 10 years they will be $2 at a Flea Market somewhere.... I hope....  

Ripoff, given that Best Buy was giving them away free a few years ago.

 

So is the ending of SNES Dracula X the same as the end of Rondo of Blood?

No idea.

 

(last I checked a Rondo was a large thick bottomed cooking pot, or that stupid thing the Jawas rode in Star Wars Special Edition, why would either of those be full of blood and in a Castlevania game is beyond me... )

A rondo is a kind of dance.

RoB started the pattern of naming Castlevanias musically(Symphony of the Night/Nocturne in the Moonlight, Aria of Sorrow, et cetera).

[Dones]

Morris is supposed to be a belmont. His name just changed over the years

 

Is this the same Morris Baldwin that Dracula abducts at the start of Circle of the Moon?

 

--Zero

 

Good question. I lost track of the story after the good ending in Symphony of the Night.

 

PS. Konami should have let Maria as a playable character in PS1's CSOTN just like they did with the Saturn version.

[ubersaurus]

Morris is supposed to be a belmont. His name just changed over the years

 

Is this the same Morris Baldwin that Dracula abducts at the start of Circle of the Moon?

 

--Zero

 

Nah, that was a different guy. This dude's last name was Morris.

 

By Circle of the Moon, Konami decided for whatever reason that Belmonts weren't the only ones who could kill Drac.

[Ze_ro]

Apparently, anyone with a whip is up to the challenge

 

Maybe Indiana Jones will give it a shot.

 

--Zero

[Mord]

By Circle of the Moon, Konami decided for whatever reason that Belmonts weren't the only ones who could kill Drac.

 

Give them a couple years. They'll probably decide to release a game explaining why.

 

 

--

Mord

[JB]

PS. Konami should have let Maria as a playable character in PS1's CSOTN just like they did with the Saturn version.

She's not there because she wasn't quite ready. Same reason the other 2 map areas aren't there.

 

SotN/NitM was forced out the door incomplete. They had a deadline to meet, and darn it, they were going to meet it(which is odd since it was way early for them to have been targetting Christmas, which is the usual reason for forcing games out).

 

The people porting the PS1 version to the Saturn had the time to finish things and enable them, as well as add a few new features.