Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

[dwarfkicker]

Before I post the link all I can say is that it's about time PSP owners got a Castlevania game.

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3156904

Once upon a time there was a Super NES game called Dracula X. And lo did many Castlevania fans play this game and say unto themselves, "Meh, it's okay, but it sure seems like a step back from Castlevania IV." Many seasons later, unto PlayStation a masterpiece was born, building interest in the series among fans new and old. But also did it prompt Japan-loving users of the Internet to issue forth a decree.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" they bellowed. "Dracula X is but a sham! A pitiful shadow of a first-rate classic called Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, to which your new darling Symphony of the Night is the true sequel!" And there was much amazement in those days, and much sadness, for Rondo's excellence was matched only by its rarity and inaccessibility. Having been released as a CD-based game for the PC Engine Duo, Japan's version of the Turbo CD, it was both difficult to come by and nigh-impossible to download back in the days of 56K modems. Thus were both pirates and legitimate customers stymied.

But the virtuous are being rewarded for their patience, because at long last -- on the 10th anniversary of Symphony of the Night, in fact -- Rondo of Blood is finally making its way to America. And how it's coming over might come as a bit of a surprise: a 3D remake for PSP.

A Completist's Dream

But there's more to Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles than a mere graphically-enhanced version of a long-coveted classic (although that alone would certainly sell the game to most people). According to Konami, Chronicles will also include the original 2D version of the game. And, for good measure, a straight port of Symphony of the Night, featuring full-screen graphics and a touched-up localization. Sorry, kitch addicts -- no more scenery-chewing here.

What Symphony won't be receiving is a 3D facelift; that honor is reserved solely for Rondo. But Rondo's the focus here anyway. Fans have been clamoring for years for a port, a rerelease, a remake, anything, so long as the game makes its way into American hands -- and now it's on the way. Symphony's inclusion is simply a sweet, sweet bonus.

Purists might complain that a polygonal facelift will somehow spoil the feel or gameplay. But even ignoring the fact that the original version of the game will be included for good measure, what we've played of Rondo in 3D feels incredibly faithful, even in its clearly pre-beta condition. Koji Igarashi's team still has a long way to go before the remake is ready for release -- voice clips are missing, the music is still placeholder-only, secrets (including a playable Maria Renard) have yet to be added -- but even so, the addition of a third dimension does nothing to change the gameplay. Normally, 2.5D games feel slower and floatier than their flatter predecessors, but Rondo was a slow, precise game to begin with; the controls feel spot-on, even moreso than in the current gold standard, New Super Mario Bros.

Rondo of Awesome

The upgraded visuals have a slightly more "realistic" element to them, but the look is still classic Rondo. The opening stage, the burning ruins of a town straight out of Simon's Quest, is clearly precisely that. The bosses no longer look like simple sprite chains, but they behave exactly the same (and kick your ass just as hard). The heroes have earned a visual overhaul, too -- fan favorite Ayami Kojima has returned to bring both Richter Belmont and Maria out of their awkward anime phase. Richter now sports a blue tailcoat similar in style to a British Redcoat uniform (wholly fitting, given the late-18th-century setting), and Maria now looks like the 12-year-old she's supposed to be (an improvement over her original chubby-eight-year-old appearance).

For those who have never played Rondo, it's best to think of it as the midpoint between the classic level-by-level school of Castlevania design and the modern free-roaming structure popularized by Symphony. Rondo technically has only six stages, conquered in a start-to-finish fashion, but that doesn't really do justice to the intricate, secret-laden world that Richter must conquer. Each stage has a "prime" version, an alternate path whose entrance is hidden. Each prime stage has its own boss (usually much more daunting than the standard boss), and it's by exploring these extra routes that players unlock the game's numerous secrets, like the ability to play as a young Maria. Although the game is linear, players are given the opportunity to choose any available level between stages, which makes repeated exploration a breeze.

Rondo introduced a number of concepts that have been retained in subsequent chapters of the series. Multiple characters, obviously (once Maria is unlocked the characters can be swapped out at the level select screen), but also item crashes (the ability to trade a large number of hearts for a powerful-screen filling attack), subweapon retention, and more. And all of these elements will be retained for the PSP version; despite the new look, Chronicles is shaping up to be a fantastic and faithful rendition of Rondo.

Which is to say, it's an exceptionally-crafted action game whose circumstances unfairly limited its audience. Konami is targeting a fall release date, giving the team plenty of time to polish an already promising (and ambitious) collection. Undead or not, Chronicles should be a godsend for both PSP owners hungry for great content and Castlevania fans who don't really feel like shelling out $150 for one of the series' best chapters.

Be sure to check out tomorrow's 1UP Show for more exclusive gameplay footage, and also look out for the March issue of EGM for comments from Castlevania overlord Koji Igarashi and more hands-on impressions of the game.

Richter redesigned:

http://media.1up.com/media?id=3182427

Screenshots:

http://www.1up.com/do/media?cId=3156895&sec=IMAGES

Video:

http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3156895&type=game&sec=VIDEOS

 

[Aazealh]

Dang, why does it have to be for PSP?

I really hope they port it to another platform (i.e. one that I own). In any case, it's a great news for PSP owners.

After checking out the video and screenshots, I can't say I'm a big fan of the new graphics for Rondo. I'd rather stick to the original 2D, but since it's included that's pretty cool. SOTN as a bundle makes this a great deal too.

 

[dwarfkicker]

Now I feel justified in my purchase

 

[Aazealh]

Yeah I bet you do. I'm wondering how well this is going to sell though. People are already playing these games on PSP using homebrew emulators so...

 

[dwarfkicker]

What makes purchasing this so much better is the fact that Symphony of the Night is part of it. I was too young to enjoy the original style of Castlevania from the Nintendo days. Symphony was the first one I played when I got a PS1 and from there came the 3D games (3D games = shit). It's nice to finally play a classic game to see how well I do.

Though I really wanted to play Aria and Dawn of Sorrow but I didn't have the GB Advance or DS to play them. Portrait also looks good, and the finally boss fight is something that catches my eye. Shame I won't be able to enjoy any of them.

 

[Aazealh]

Yeah, that's always been the problem with companies releasing titles from a series on different platforms. Not everybody can afford to buy 2 or 3 consoles everytime, sometimes just to play a couple of games.

I'd really like to see remakes (and not just ports, though I'd take ports of CVII and III) of the first 3 Castlevania games for NES, but that's asking a little too much I'm afraid.

 

[handsome rakshas]

I really don't know how to feel about this guys. I've always dreamed of having an official copy of Rondo but I wanted to play it on the big screen. The inclusion of Symphony is nice, but PSP owners could be playing that right now if they wanted. Same with Rondo. The question I have is what version of Symphony will they use. For the JP version will they use the JP Saturn version with the bonus features? If so, that would warrant a purchase from me. I'm not completely disappointed with this release I just was expecting something a little more.

 

[Aazealh]

A version of SOTN with the Saturn bonuses but the quality of the PS1 version for the rest would be great, but since the main focus is Rondo here I don't think you should be expecting too much.

 

[dwarfkicker]

It's like Symphony that's being released on 360 live arcade. A slightly updated port of the PS1 game. Though I would love to play the Saturn version not just for Richter's new playable look or playable Maria, but for the two new areas no matter how small or minor.

 

[dwarfkicker]

Forgive me for the double post, but showing a new post wouldn't cause this to be overlooked. Official trailer at gametrailers.com:

http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=4298

Yay for FMV style cutscenes.

 

[TheSkyTraveller]

Well, I'm happy. Being the owner of a PSP and only 5 games, I can finally add something else good to my wimpy collection.

 

[TriFrog]

yea I sad its on PSP
All PSP has thats good for them are remakes it seems though.
But since this Chronicles has Rondo of Blood on it, it really has made me consider getting it and a PSP, just so I cant play it without a half-assed emu.