Classic Halloween
Posted by: j_john | From: October 31, 2004
Today I am playing the recently released "Classic NES Series" GBA game, "Castlevania" and waxing nostalgic.
Since the release of the GameBoy Advance in 2001 I have picked up all three of the new GBA releases in the Castlevania series, prompting some friends to inquire about the reasons behind my dedication to the classic Konami franchise. So, in honor of the great holiday that is Halloween, I've decided to take a look at my history with the whip-cracking Belmont clan.
In the summer of 1988, after saving up enough money from pool-cleaning jobs, I was able to proudly purchase my first game console, the legendary NES. Many of my friends had already been playing games like Metroid, Kid Icarus, and Double Dragon, so I decided to buy something nobody else had--the vampire and monster-themed Castlevania. I fondly remember studying the enemy movements, figuring out the patterns and limitations of our hero, Simon Belmont.
I must admit I never was able to finish the game, since save features hadn't been invented yet, and I wasn't allowed to occupy the TV with my gaming for too long. However, those early gaming memories stayed with me, and I was intrigued by the adventurous changes the series took for the first NES follow-up, "Castlevania II: Simon's Quest." The next sequel (1990's "Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse") took things back to its more action-oriented roots, yet introduced a variety of playable characters, such as the son of Dracula, Alucard.
"Super Castlevania IV" debuted on the updated SNES in 1991, and proved to be a worthy addition to the series, allowing greater control of the trademark whip, and it sure looked a lot prettier than previous installments. There were a few games after that I never got to play ("Dracula X" being the most notable), but I was drawn back in during the fall of 1997 when "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" came out on the Sony PlayStation. C:SOTN is now considered to be the definitive 2D action-adventure title, and thankfully I was able to experience the brilliant depth and RPG elements, in addition to some memorably horrendous voice-acting. (Playing through C:SOTN again last year reminded me how much I still love Castlevania.)
Back to the future--I have continued to be impressed by how much fun I have playing the GBA Castlevania games with their legendary obtuse subtitles: ("Circle of the Moon", "Harmony of Dissonance", and "Aria of Sorrow"). Even though I am perpetually asked to maneuver the latest hero through a vast castle in order to destroy the immortal Dracula, I take up my whip and get going up those steps. I know that seeing that dude go up in flames will still put a smile on my face and remind me of the joys I had playing my first game over 15 years ago.
Man that game was hard! I cursed it out many times and never beat it...
Posted by: gene at November 1, 2004 10:54 AM
Gene, you should have a special rating (controllers) for the difficulty of games. Of course, I suppose Madden woudl be like an 18. :)
Posted by: Mikey at November 2, 2004 8:57 AM
I was doing a crossword in Creative Loafing last week and one of the clues was "Castlevania console." I quickly inked in "NES." Also recently, I was asking a friend for GBA recommendations and one of the first things he said was the Castlevania series. Though I don't have history with Clan Belmont, I will begin one soon.
Posted by: curt at October 31, 2004 6:17 PM