Well, Dracula X Chronicles is dissapointing...

Discussion in 'General Gaming' started by Jasonkhowell, Oct 26, 2007.

  1. Jasonkhowell

    Jasonkhowell Well Known Member

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    I was sort of hoping they would at least do a decent job, but it seems like doing a simple collection isn't easy for Konami, is it? Well, lets look at it:

    -The Remake of Rondo is accurate to the original, but maybe a bit TOO accurate. The game is still very hard at times, and the controls are plain annoying at times when compared to the original Rondo. The graphics are pretty muddy for a PSP game (Something I hoped they would do a better job on from the previous pre-release shots), and can really be distracting at times. The music is pretty good, though (Remixes of the original).

    -My big issue is how they handled the SoTN port: No fucking fullscreen or even a simple stretch mode? That is just damn lazy, and a poor choice (If there is a stretch mode, I have not found it). The quality of the translation is WORSE, at least due to the new voice actors. Music stalls quite a bit and sounds far worse now, and the screen looks blurry.

    Its good to note that I have not unlocked the original Rondo of Blood yet, so I cannot give my impression on it, although I am sure it has a similar case to SoTN with the screen width issue. The method of switching games is also poor, since you have to go to a menu to select the game, and then switch it over. It then has to load, which can take a full minute at times.

    Folks, this is not a good collection. I was excited when this was first announced, happy that I could finally play SoTN and the original Rondo on the PSP with enhancements. The SoTN port sucks, and is leagues better on the 360 (Hell, does the PSN version of SoTN allow stretching?). The remake has been the only good thing so far.
     
  2. Dot50Cal

    Dot50Cal Moderator

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    Are you kidding? The graphics look great.

    [​IMG]

    SOTN has two viewing options. One that fills the height of the screen and its original aspect ratio. The new voice actors sound fine to me, fairly faithful to the original except Alucard who sounds a bit younger now.

    I'm liking it a lot, though its hard as hell. I killed the boss on Level 4 but he killed me at the same time :|
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2007
  3. GaijinPunch

    GaijinPunch Lemon Party Organizer and Promoter

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    ??? The remake graphics have looked ass from day one.

    Not having full screen is pretty understandable (I assume there's a border, so the game can support it's native resolution?) and no stretch mode... well, I would applaud that. Thou Shalt Not Stretch Pixels is the first commandment when it comes to 2D games running on their non-native platforms. Most companies break it though, and the results are awful. Honestly I'm shocked that Konami would do something that makes such sense. The other commandments, unfortunately, are much more regularly broken and have equally awful results.

    As for the difficulty: Is it as hard or harder than the original? I didn't think the original was that hard. I've only played through the whole thing a couple of times, my last being a one-credit clear. There are more than a few extends in the game, and any boss can be whacked if one knows the pattern. XX on the SFC is a far more difficult game.
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2007
  4. Dot50Cal

    Dot50Cal Moderator

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    Maybe if you are expecting PS2 level stuff, but Im quite satisfied with what they delivered. This is the PSP afterall. The textures are fine due to the nature of how you play the game (side scroller). Models are fairly detailed as well. What were you expecting?
     
  5. Jasonkhowell

    Jasonkhowell Well Known Member

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    I can understand them not doing fullscreen. However, the problem is that they talked about it being built up for the PSP. If what I heard is true, then the PSN Store version of SoTN has a stretch option (Which should have been included. Its pretty bad when the 360 version and other collections on the PSP support this, but not one that would benefit from it). I know that it does look uglier in stretch, but I can't stand having sides of the screen in black or with wallpapers. Eh, at least they gave the option for a better wallpaper instead of using the horrible default one.

    With Rondo, the main issue is the control. Richter still plays like the classic games, and goes (in my opinion) slower then the Rondo version. I've always hated the classic Castlevania controls, so my opinion may be a bit different then others on the issue.
     
  6. Dot50Cal

    Dot50Cal Moderator

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    Last edited: Oct 26, 2007
  7. GaijinPunch

    GaijinPunch Lemon Party Organizer and Promoter

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    I'm pretty harsh when it comes to 2D games becoming 3D...especially when they retain their 2D style gameplay. I think only a few look good...none better, as it were.
     
  8. Jasonkhowell

    Jasonkhowell Well Known Member

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    Well, I unlocked Rondo. Its been awhile since I played the PC engine version on a emulator, but wow...This is better then the remake. Hell, you can tell that Richter is far faster and controls better (Seriously, what gives Konami? The Remake's controls just plain out suck!)

    I guess the collection has its perks. I can justify the $30 price for Rondo and it's remake, but I recommend playing Symphony elsewhere.
     
  9. MottZilla

    MottZilla Champion of the Forum

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    Wow harsh indeed. I love DXC. The remake works well, the graphics are nice. So far I don't see what all the whining is about. Maybe loading takes so long because you have an original PSP, but for my on the Slim it's never THAT long. It's kinda weird that it's 3D yet a 2D game, but it works well enough I think. My main annoyance is the lack of a No wallpaper/blank wallpaper for the original games.

    Really I don't see any of your points myself. Nice graphics, nice sound, controls well. Only cost 30 bucks too. Now I just want to see CV3 Dracula's Curse remade. In 2D preferably.
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2007
  10. GodofHardcore

    GodofHardcore Paragon of the Forum *

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    a massive comp disc of all the castlevanias in HD high res 2d sprites......

    that'd be heaven
     
  11. Carnivol

    Carnivol Dauntless Member

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    The graphics are rather ass, especially when compared to other companies' 2.5D efforts.

    The Rondo of Blood emulation (in the PC-Engine unlock) is rather good, most of the time. But as soon as you get many objects on screen, the game will slow down much more than it did on original hardware.

    The translation of Symphony of the Night is indeed tenfolds more sucky than anything I've been exposed to recently. It's as if the only goal of the "re-translation" was to make sure it was not the same as the old
    translation.

    The actors in Rondo of Blood (remake) are mostly okay, with the exception of Dracula and Shaft, that for some reason sound like a couple of dudes in their late 20s. (Subtitles in CG intro is also ass)

    The acting in Rondo of Blood (PC-Engine) is some of the worst shit I've ever heard. (Subtitles in the intro is also ass)

    The new acting in Symphony of the Night isn't exactly top notch either (But I think that can be blamed on a rather unpolished and shitty script), and for some reason it even sounds different from Rondo of Blood. (Text routine during cutscenes with speech is also ass, as it just constantly feeds the textbox with text, instead of somewhat synchronizing it with audio)

    Other complains I have for this package is:

    Remake
    -Should've had some sort of arrange mode option(s) to set various rules (not being able to jump through SOLID ceilings, for instance. Evt. some solid length/no-air-turn jumping option, that'd be sweet for the hardcore. And what about some upgraded CV4/SotN whipping action?)

    Original
    -That incredible slowdown could've been avoided, it's not as if the PSP doesn't have the power to fully emulate the platform.
    -Not have it as an unlockable, atleast not when the package tries to sell itself off as a compilation with original and remake.

    Symphony of the Night
    -Option to not use the horrifying retranslation (QUIT -> DECIDE/CANCEL)
    -Option to maintain the 4:3 aspect ratio in stretched mode when the PSX changes screen resolution (God damn it looks ugly with the border and stuff when the game changes between 320x240 and 256x240)
    -Should've been a "built up from ground" port to the PSP, and not infact just the PSX version (Heck, besides the new file structure, a tacked on PSP ELF that is probably just a special version of the PSP PSX emu and a couple of renamed files, the only real difference is the new stuff for Maria and that the audio is stored in AT3 and FMVs in PMF/h264 instead of XA and STR.)
    -Richter and the supposed new Maria mode should've been availabe from start, I can't count the amount of times I've played through Symphony of the Night with Alucard up 'til now, and it's actually starting to get a bit annoying having to do it again to try out one of the new features.
    -Not have as a hidden item in the game, should've either been available from start or by beating the Original or Remake.

    Dracula X/Vampire's Kiss
    -Would've been sweet if they actually included this game in the compilation too, as that one is pretty damn sweet and in many ways a much better execution in terms of gameplay than what Rondo of Blood is. (And it's much more "classic/traditional". Which is ofcourse what people wanted when they ended up getting this package)


    Though, ofcourse, bottom line is that it's worth the $30 it costs, it's just that it's not as darned perfect as some people seem to've hyped it to be.
     
  12. Flyinghigh

    Flyinghigh Peppy Member

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    do they still speak german at the beginning?
     
  13. MottZilla

    MottZilla Champion of the Forum

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    Yes there's still german at the beginning intro. It has english subs though opposed to japanese obviously.
     
  14. Jasonkhowell

    Jasonkhowell Well Known Member

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    Caught up in the original rondo with the remake (Level 4). Damn, some of stuff in the remake was poorly designed. Main example is a boulder puzzle in Chapter 4: You have to jump on boulderrs that goes down the stairs in order to get to the next level of steps. With Maria, it isn't a problem due to her double jump. However, the boulders are smaller then they were in the original rondo, so you cannot use them as easily for elevation while playing as Richter. That, and the stairs have that horrible animation for going up steps, so movement is rather fucked while you are dodging skeleton spines that are coming down.

    I don't know, i'm just getting a feeling of "fuck you" from IGA on this level...

    Edit: FINALLY got through that level with Maria. I backed up a quick save on my PC so I wouldn't have to do the damn stage again if I lost all my lives, but I didn't need it. If you are going to play Stage 4, do it with Maria.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2007
  15. MottZilla

    MottZilla Champion of the Forum

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    Jason, you are supposed to go down where the rocks fall. It's not death. Then you go right and up an elevator system which is how the rocks then come down those stairs. Going up on the boulders is the hard way. The section is actually very easy. Stage 4 is not hard as Richter.
     
  16. Jasonkhowell

    Jasonkhowell Well Known Member

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    Woah, I didn't realize that. I thought the hole might have lead to another area, but I never really tried. Just tried it, and yeah, it was much easier. Still, the boulder were a bit smaller this time around.
     
  17. Jasonkhowell

    Jasonkhowell Well Known Member

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    Well, I got up to Dracula. There were a few differences here and there from Rondo, but the biggest one comes at the end *MAJOR SPOILERS*





    The battle with Dracula is different. Instead of his normal two forms you are used to from Symphony, he morphs into a third form at the end that is damn hard. You pretty much have to do the first two perfectly without wasting your items and at least 1/2 health by the time you fight his third form, or you will have no chance. Hell, I have yet to beat it (His bats at the end always get me). Granted, I am playing as Richter, so it is a bit harder then with Maria.
     
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