Gaming Lounge

[IndyGo]

I wish I could say something on this matter, but I don't think I played enough Castlevanias to warrant enough experience and own input...

On the whole matter about stiff controls and whether it adds challenge, I could say though that it depends on the game's direction in means of control mastering curve and how you're made to use it. With many tools you're bound to run on a game that seems too easy or doesn't really take much advantage of these tools incase the gameplay's kept simple (like Kirby-games), if comparing to games that give you only simple controls and forces you to master 'em up in many kinds of situations calling for brains and mastery of these skills. (Like Donkey Kong Country, Super Meatboy, Rayman Origins). I could thus see why games like SC4 seems rather mundane due newfound accessibility and easiness due 8-directional whip which renders the tactical use of items you found sometimes pointless.

Dunno tho, like I said I haven't played enough Castlevanias to really have a strong own input on this matter (at least to say if the stiffness of jumps is one of the primary grounds for Castlevania's iconic gameplay control)

[TomGuycott]

I apologize for my vehement stances on things lately. Stress from work is displacing into other elements of my life, and it shouldn't, so I'm sorry. My opinions still stand, however, just with less animosity.

As for the accidental control theory Koopaul, I'd assume they would have fixed them by CV3 if they thought they were wrong, and without any real evidence that could only be speculation.

[Koh]

@Kriven: My tactic is just to ignore it. It's no different than having to deal with the ghetto/loud kids when I was in high school for me; just ignore it and move on. I don't let it get to me. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me," is the saying both my sister and I were raised on. That said even if the jumping controls may have been accidental, they must've known there was a problem there when they changed it on SC4, or else they would have had no reason to change it if everyone was praising it. It'd be like if Nintendo decided to change Mario from a sidescroller to a top-down Zelda like game after it was praised as a sidescroller. Actually, that's a bad comparison, because the inverse happened with Zelda for the 2nd game. At that point, however, there was no established, set playstyle for the game.

Doesn't everyone see what's happening in this situation? It's no different from when StarTropics 2 removed the gridsnapped, stiff control from the first game. In my opinion, it was the best decision, because Mike constantly slides around like he's on ice when you're trying to turn, and there are so many instances where Mike just slides into enemies because he feels the need to stay locked down on his imaginary sidewalk. Despite the large amounts of praise this loosened up control scheme received, some of the players of the first game complained that it should've been kept stiff, blaming it on things like missed jumps and etc. It becomes a personal preference at that point.

[NICKtendo DS]

The eShop just updated in Europe and it appears that there's 30% off on all NSMB2 DLC.
If this is their way of celebrating one trillion coins, I am gravely disappointed. While I got the Gold Classics Pack for free (a pack created to celebrate 300 billion coins, mind you), I have bought every single pack as soon as I could. I have them all, so me, the loyal Mario fan willing to throw money at them like a dirty old man throws his cash at a stripper, have no use for this "special offer".
Is this my reward for checking the coin counter like some obsessed maniac for I could not contribute more than the 9.999.999 coins I already collected?
I know I'm in no position to demand anything (though the word exists in "supply & demand", so...), but this is the Golden Mario statue all over again.

P.S. Still waiting for 3D Classics Sonic the Hedgehog. How long must I wait to play the most re-released game ever?

[Koh]

P.S. Still waiting for 3D Classics Sonic the Hedgehog. How long must I wait to play the most re-released game ever?

First time I'm hearing of this. It got me excited to check out, so I just googled it and...I don't know why I was expecting a remake. It's just an updated port XD. That's okay I guess; people can play it on the go who never had the chance to play it before.

[NICKtendo DS]

It plays better on my 3DS than my original Mega Drive, so that's one thing. Another is that the Jap version had 50Hz mode and 60Hz mode, so I guess the same'll happen overseas (yay 60Hz). Fisheye mode and stereoscopic 3D are fun little gimmicks as well.
I do think it's a bummer you can't unlock Tails like you can in some mobile device port, not sure which device/OS it was. I love extra stuff.

[Helmo]

Pal Sonic is tooooooo slooooooow

[TomGuycott]

Although if that was the case, Koh, why did the Dracula X games use physics inspired by classic Castlevania? CV4 was a deliberate change to make it feel fresh and new, also to compliment the very acrobatic style of whipping introduced. The classic jumps wouldn't have worked as well for that scheme.

[Koh]

I suppose not, but I also feel like it was done for the sake of control. That's the most important term here: CONTROL. You feel like you're in control of Simon Belmont. Not the evoked feeling of "the game is a cheating bastard."

[Vipershark]

I know I'm coming into this discussion late but I just wanted to state the fact that castlevania 1 and 3 are terrible, castlevania 2 is great (though heavily flawed), and the DS castlevanias (and the latter two GBA castlevanias) are the best games in the series by far

[Phantom Killah]

Whatever happened to Flipnote Studio 3d? I thought that was supposed to be out by now

[NICKtendo DS]

Whatever happened to Flipnote Studio 3d? I thought that was supposed to be out by now

In a Nintendo Direct it was said it got delayed.

[Gors]

I know I'm coming into this discussion late but I just wanted to state the fact that castlevania 1 and 3 are terrible, castlevania 2 is great (though heavily flawed), and the DS castlevanias (and the latter two GBA castlevanias) are the best games in the series by far

While I like all of them (except 2 which is a clusterfuck of a game), the enemies in those DS/GBA Castlevanias are still not 'fit' for the gameplay style imo, except for bosses.

And I don't retract anything I said here regarding about Castlevania here, as that's part of the game, to be honest. It's hard, but it's not impossible. I like them because of the challenge, design and music; also pointed by everyone here, it's fair. I still think that comparing an obviously shit game (such as Action 52) with Castlevania was a dense move though.

But to each their own. That's why Castlavania changes a lot between games; there are classic games, Metroidvania games, a fighting game (which was dumb but w/e). Koji Igarashi himself said that those games get stale easily so that's why the genres change somewhat regularly.

[Koh]

It's a form of fake difficulty...handicapping the player with bad controls/physics. It didn't overpower the game's well thought out design, but it was still bullshit, in many people's opinions. Arcade games that were based around quarter pouring...most of those had true difficulty, due to the fact that they wanted you to pour quarters in, so there'd be a million enemies or projectiles on the screen. However, the control was mostly fluent and responsive, and skillful players would be able to run on the same quarter. Given a choice, most people would probably choose a game that's hard, yet has fluent control over a game that handicaps them, and is still hard.

[BullockDS]

IMO, CV1's gameplay didn't translate well to Simon's Quest; the SQ world was designed to be more open yet the mansions often require overly methodical platforming and trial-and-error deductions (which would be more at home in a faster-paced and more flexible platformer... Like CV4), both of which rarely suit the rigid gameplay. Combined with the unrefined pseudo-RPG aspects (particularly the grinding and losing Hearts at game overs), I can say that SQ is a better example of a gameplay style that artificially cripples the player and thus a better example of fake difficulty (the NES-era cryptic bullshit doesn't help either).

Now, I should also clarify: I find the gameplay of CV1 frustrating; it's annoying to have an attack delay and an unchangeable jump, but like Gors, I think it's at least worked around in a fashion that comes off as fair; other than CVX68000 (AKA Chronicles) and Bloodlines, later CVs that have "Classical" style gameplay don't accommodate the gameplay as well as CV1 did (CV3 had some bullshit level design and boss moments, and Dracula X... Urgh).