Mmmmm, minor essay time! You make a lot of great points in this video. I think it's fair to label the game as inconsistent, but I personally see it the other way around. It's a package that offers a lot of flexibility and options. Feel like breaking the game? Then by all means go for it, skipping those difficult sections with Alucard or Grant. Or you can instead take the risk and play out those hard parts normally. You're welcome to cheese the Doppleganger with Sypha's ball spell, or you can try to figure out a riskier pattern with Trevor instead. Are you up for an even greater challenge? Then try the second loop.. or don't, it doesn't really matter, the option is at least there. Castlevania III isn't the same kind of tightly knit romp you get with Castlevania Bloodlines or even the original Castlevania, but what it lacks there I feel it more than makes up for in variety. It's the all-you-can-eat buffet of Castlevania games! Eat a lot, or eat very little, it's up to you. I do think Castlevania III is the kind of game that gets better with time and experience. It has a very high skill ceiling cap compared to the others in the series, and so while it can still appeal to newer players, it has an absurd amount of longevity for more experienced players seeking a greater challenge. You mentioned not being familiar with the regional differences, so I'll try to shed some light on that. I personally find the Western release more interesting from a gameplay standpoint, thanks to these changes: - There were hitbox tweaks, a good example being the first skeleton boss. In the Japanese version you can't whack his head, but in the NA version you can. This means you can sit and duck on the rightmost platform in the NA version and actually connect with your whip. - The mummy projectiles weave up and down in the NA version, much like the original Castlevania, making them more difficult to deal with. - The rightmost blocks on the Cyclopes fights are filled in on the Japanese version. They are not in the NA version, allowing the Cyclopes to walk through them. This requires you to jump back over the Cyclopes and deal with his running motions much more often, and this makes the fight much more tense. - Enemies appear in more locations in the NA version. - Bone pillars shoot faster in the NA version, making that vertical stretch in the red tower much more difficult. - Loop 2 is significantly more difficult in the NA version, replacing medusa heads with these bouncing skulls that bob up and down randomly and are extremely tough to deal with. A select few enemies are beefier and harder to deal with, and there are more enemies overall. - You take more damage in the NA version. For example, on the final stage, a single hit will take five blocks of health. In the Japanese version, it's four. - Grant's unlimited dagger has been removed and now has a short-range knife making close combat more challenging. He can still use the dagger as a sub-weapon if you want the benefits of Japanese version Grant, but now it has to be used manually and it uses hearts, balancing things out. You can still use the dagger and the axe on walls and ceilings just like in the Japanese version, you just have to have them as sub-weapons. - The hydra boss on Sypha's water level shoots fire straight in the NA version. In the Japanese one, their fire moves towards wherever you are on screen, making this one of the few parts that is harder to deal with in the import version. - I believe some sub-weapon placements have been cycled around. - There are some checkpoint differences, the big one being at the Dracula fight. Instead of respawning at the bottom of his stairs, you get sent back to the previous checkpoint. This is one of the major changes that is pretty much universally seen as a negative in the NA version. - There are probably other changes I am forgetting, but it's nearly 5AM as I write this. There are aesthetic differences as well with some being more subtle than others. The jumping demon boss has more visual detail in the NA version. The hunchback replacements in the Japanese versions are normal hunchbacks in the NA version, looking like they do in the original Castlevania. The zombies on Stage 1 are slightly more hunched with arms reaching out in the NA version. I am pretty sure there are other small changes. Regarding the music, I do find the USA version much more moody which I think fits the world more naturally. I do like the Japanese soundtrack for its more "in your face" tunes, thanks to the extra sound channels and its generally beefier sound. My personal biggest issue with the game is the reuse of boss fights (Cyclopes, Mummies, Big Bat, etc), but it's a minor gripe. A couple of more things that I shouldn't even bother commenting on (but I am going to anyway): - Frankenstein's hitbox (16:48): For this fight, all you have to do is whack him in the legs. The reason you were missing when jumping is that the hitbox for the head area is in fact not the head, but the neck, which is why you were missing. It's a quirky place for the upper end of its hitbox, but it's the same on both forms of Frank that you showed in the video. I understand the point of the, well, point in the video, but it's sort of moot though since you can simply stand and whip the legs. - Grant's finicky wall climbing (16:10): In the example given in the video (walking on a ceiling and then attempting to climb up along the side of a hanging block), I believe you need to hold diagonally upwards (or downward if you are climbing down) and Grant will automatically grapple properly. Then you slowly move from that diagonal direction to "up". Then when you want to climb up and around to your standing position, you rotate slowly towards the direction you want to go. You *never* want to let go of the d-pad or the A/B button (whichever is required to latch on, I don't remember)--that's when you slip and fall. You should be able to do it consistently 100% of the time, it's just about knowing exactly how to do it. It feels fickle at first, but mastering it is satisfying and makes you feel like a boss. PS: If you ever want to take a look at the NA version in the future, I can lend you my cart for a bit. If anything it will give you a better idea of what some of us had to deal with growing up.

@OmegaTyrant

4 жыл бұрын

"You take more damage in the NA version. For example, on the final stage, a single hit will take five blocks of health. In the Japanese version, it's four." This part is inaccurate, the progression of damage in the NES version starts at 2, goes to 3 when you reach the Pirate Ship or the Marsh, then caps out at 4 from the Leviathan at the end of stage 7 onward (unless you're Sypha or Grant, in which case you take an additional bar of damage from everything), while in the Famicom version damage is enemy-based instead of progression-based throughout the entire game (for example Dracula's first form only does 2 bars of damage in the Famicom version). As for more noteworthy changes in the NES version: -Boss Alucard's fireballs are much faster and since damage is progression-based he now deals 3 bars of damage instead of 2 (he is still piss easy though as you can still just jump and whip his head then whip all his fireballs as soon as he shoots them). -The awful slowdown against the Hydra in the Famicom version is no longer present in the NES version due to the change with their firebreath attack. -The Bone Dragon King is only vulnerable by his head (this also applies to the regular Bone Dragons), and he leaves the first fight with a lot more health (at 6 bars of health now instead of 2), which makes the second fight more tense as the rising water is much more of a factor when he takes more hits to finish off. -The Leviathan now shoots three much larger fireballs in a more spreadout pattern that makes them a lot more difficult to evade and destroy, though he only does high jumps now, washing out the difficulty from the improved fireballs. -Progression-based damage means the Doppelganger now deals 4 bars of damage instead of 3, making it very hard if you're not cheesing it (and cheesing it is pretty much required to beat it if you're not playing Trevor). -Dracula's first form moves around much slower and so it's much easier to avoid being put into situations where damage is unavoidable, but progression-based damage means he deals 4 bars of damage instead of just 2, so the change in difficulty is a wash. -Dracula's final form can now angle his lasers in any direction, removing the blindspots in the Famicom version, and the lasers were changed into a straight line about four times as long, making them a lot harder to jump over. -For some regular enemy changes, the Bone Pillars, Axe Armors, and Bone Dragons all have more health (requiring two more powered up whip hits to kill). Additionally the Cross will now bounce off the Axe Armors like in the original Castlevania. Overall while a lot of people complain about the difficulty changes in the NES version and claim it's too much or "unfair", I'm very much in agreement that most of the gameplay changes were for the better and prefer playing the NES version (I much prefer the Famicom's music though).

@DisdonnPlays

4 жыл бұрын

As a speedrunner, there's some utility to Sypha's Ice magic to actually skip similar amount of stuff to Alucard/Grant at times, but there's not as many of these but her ice magic is also op and kills enemies easily... And then there's the wrong warp...which is...hilarious. EDIT: Oh god ok, forgot about the Flame Spell talk for a second...Flame spell is actually super more powerful than the whip vs Dracula (and some other bosses) dealing almost as much as a critical in CV1 in some cases (phase 2 of Dracula can be annihilated in a matter of seconds with flame spell) And Alucard gets the clock, which has some utility, but is overcosted. Grant, sadly, got nerfed from the Famicom version, where his weapon was a throwing dagger rather than a simple stab

@DisdonnPlays

4 жыл бұрын

And if you want to see what i mean about the wrong warp: www.speedrun.com/cv3dc/run/yl00epxy

@riggel8804

4 жыл бұрын

Haha, I see someone has a favorite game. Thanks for all the clarification. This is the only Castlevania game I haven't beat (32 bit or earlier...I take it back. I haven't beat the arcade version either.). I've tried to play through it twice and, inexplicably, I get bored. I want to like this game but for some reason I just don't . I have all the posters to the other Castlevania games hanging on my wall like trophies. Castlevania 3 is a stain on my record. I want to beat just to say I have beaten it. p.s. I can't pick a favorite. At any given moment I might say Castlevania 1, Rondo of blood (PC engine) or Castlevania Chronicles. I feel like Rondo of Blood is the objective choice (I think it's in top 10 for best game ever made) but I am blinded by nostalgia.

@mrmadmight266

4 жыл бұрын

Gameplay and Talk What about the european version though?do you know anything about that one?

"Considering this track plays on a haunted ship, one would have to assume that the ship is haunted."

@TrevRockOne

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, some of the things this guy says are real head-scratchers.

The Japanese version is actually generally seen as the easier version. The international version is generally harder, the enemies hit harder, the player characters are nerfed and you have less health. The international version also has no battery back up, just a password if i recall correctly.

@OmegaTyrant

4 жыл бұрын

Only character directly nerfed in the NES version is Grant, who had his throwing dagger attack replaced with an extremely short-ranged stabbing attack. A few Crosses and Holy Waters were replaced with Knives and Axes though, which indirectly nerfs Trevor and Sypha. Health is additionally the same, instead what is done is that damage output is no longer enemy-based, but based on the level instead like in the original Castlevania, where you start out taking 2 bars of damage from everything in the beginning, then take 3 bars of damage throughout most the game, then take 4 bars of damage when you reach the Leviathan. As a result the first few levels are actually easier in the NES version, but then everything else tends to be more difficult, with the final few levels being substantially harder. Another source of the difficulty increase is some enemies were made tougher like the Bone Pillars and Axe Armors taking two more hits, some screens have more difficult enemy placement/presence, and a lot of the bosses were made harder; the Cyclops actually walking under platforms now, the mummies' bandages having a wavy trajectory that can't be avoided by just ducking and whipping, Alucard's fireballs being faster and dealing an extra bar of damage, the Bone Dragon King only being vulnerable by his head and leaving the first fight with more health, the Leviathan's fireballs shooting in threes and being much larger, the Doppelganger dealing an extra bar of damage, and the lasers from Dracula's final form being able to aim at you in any direction while being about four times as long. The Hydra was made easier though as they can no longer aim their fire down at you to hit you while ducking, but then it also got rid of the awful slowdown in the Famicom's version of that fight, making the fight actually playable. Then Dracula's first form is a lot slower and it's much easier to avoid being put into situations where getting hit is unavoidable (he no longer moves before the big flame pillar disappears), but in the Famicom version he only dealt 2 bars of damage while he deals 4 bars in the NES version, and he has low enough health that you can usually kill him before you take more than one hit, so it's a wash in difficulty there.

@Pennaz

4 жыл бұрын

@@OmegaTyrant Didn't they also remove a few checkpoints? From what I remember if you get a game over against Dracula in the famicom version you start right before the fight (like castlevania 1), but in the NES version you must start from the beginning of the stage .

@OmegaTyrant

4 жыл бұрын

@@Pennaz Yeah the checkpoint at Dracula's staircase is removed, so if you die against him you have to go back to the prior level section (though getting a game over in either version sends you back to the beginning of the stage). That, combined with bats being in the Pendulum room, all enemies dealing 4 bars of damage, and Dracula's third form being much harder, makes the ending significantly more difficult in the NES version. That's the only case though where a checkpoint was removed in the NES version. The Cross in Dracula's hallway was also replaced with a Knife and there's no other Cross in the whole level, so unless you bring one with you from the prior level and don't die at all you won't get to use it against Dracula. It doesn't really matter though since the Axe is the optimal weapon against Dracula, but if you're using Sypha, not having easy Lightning (which replaces Crosses for her) will certainly up the difficulty against Dracula if you're reliant on her.

@DeskoDev

4 жыл бұрын

The Japanese version has no battery backup either. Besides the cartridge version of 1, it's the only Japanese version without saves.

@GoldieTamamo

4 жыл бұрын

@@OmegaTyrant NES Alucard is so tragically underpowered in his attacks, compared to Famicom Alucard, he practically only exists for his bat-form's various exploits in the Western version. Likewise, Grant suffers so much from lacking free throwing daggers, because they're what make the air on his vertical jumps and his climbing ability most worthwhile. They both essentially just exist to make getting hearts from candles easier for Trevor, and to hold onto the stopwatch for him. It's funny, Sypha out of all the three is the most overpowered and least nerfed, and yet seems to always be the least popular, perhaps out of the sheer complexity of her kit. One thing you forgot to mention about Dracula, though, between versions: His third form fires longer laser beams in the NES version, rather than lightning bolt projectiles, in the Famicom version, meaning you have less of a margin for error for avoiding his attacks in the NES version. NES is Definitely the harder of the two.

I said it once, I'll say it again... You and gaming historian are the absolute best... Also...focusing on aspects of gaming other forms of entertainment cannot replicate- awesome point, especially for those who are obssessed with graphics and visuals...

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Ben!! I was a bit worried about that specific line as I didn't want anyone to think I was dismissing story/narrative as an important aspect of certain games. But no one has freaked out yet, so I guess it landed as intended haha :)

12:28 Wait, what?! I've been playing this game since I was a kid (I'm 38 now and still play it from time to time) and I never knew this! I thought the multi-shots were exclusively in walls or random drops from enemies! But now you tell me I can force them to appear? Okay, to be fair, I almost never use specials on regular enemies or candles, preferring to save the heart ammo for bosses so I do have a good reason for not figuring that out. EDIT: Yes, they nerfed Grant in the North American release, making the throwing knife a special weapon like Trevor's and making Grant's primary attack a tiny knife thrust with less range than the leather whip but does decent damage.

As always: great content! I like how one can watch your videos, disagree with your conclusion but appreciate your criticism nontheless. That shows how good you are in not only analysing but also in expressing / reflecting your thoughts!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it Lee, thank you!! :)

The flame spell is AMAZING in damage compared to the whip. Dracula melts to it

Thankfully Akumajou Densetsu is now officially available in the US thanks to the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. For me, it's the way Castlevania III is meant to be played. The main reason the American version was gimped up so much is because Nintendo didn't want kids to rent a game for a weekend and be able to beat it in that time.

I was totally looking forward to this review since you posted the notice last week. Great job! Hands down one of my favorite games from my favorite game series. Hell, I even own a Dracula’s Curse t-shirt with the box art on front.

@gurgamous

4 жыл бұрын

i need that shirt

Friend, Sypha's flame is a boss destroyer. Don't underestimate it.

@OmegaTyrant

4 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't say it's a boss destroyer but it's certainly better than presented in the video; Flame does twice as much damage as the powered-up whip and reaches slightly farther while covering significantly more vertical space. It's decidedly inferior to Lightning, but is definitely not an inferior whip on its own (though Trevor's subweapons with double and triple shot outdamage it).

@GoldieTamamo

4 жыл бұрын

Point-blank triple lightning orbs to the face outright maim the Cyclops boss.

@theironmarshmallowg3932

4 жыл бұрын

I used her to beat Dracula’s first two forms with the flame. Then used Trevor with the axe to finish him.

One of the top ten nes games, that I discover recently!

Another great entry in the Castlevania saga... My first Castle-game... so many years ago... It was an epic adventure... so difficult but so enjoyable... Thanks once again for you effort :)... It's always a pleasure to watch your job ':^) Never give up!!!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video!

A fantastic video as always. I aim to formulate my thoughts as easily as you do.

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

You are too kind :) I take a LOT of notes while playing...

Excellent, as always. I hope you do more games in the Castlevania series.

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video! More Castlevania is on the way :)

Thank you for this very deep review of the game. You do not fail in putting the positive and negative aspects of the game into light. Well done !

Great summary of what made this game special and props for focusing on the Famicom version in particular as it by far has the superior soundtrack. The VRC6 chip is put to brilliant use for sure. You just earned a subscription from me, keep up the great work.

A lot of the bosses are better in the western version; in the cited Spirit battle for example, the mummies' bandages have their wavy trajectory so you can't dodge them by just crouching and whipping in place, while the Cyclops will walk under platforms so he can't be avoided by just standing on them, and the Leviathan shoots three much larger fireballs. The difficulty is additionally more levelled out as it uses the "all enemies deal the same damage based on the point of the game" system, though some may not like how difficult the final few levels can get. As for Alucard, a vital ability his bat transformation grants that wasn't covered is that you can switch to Alucard and transform into a bat at any time, even if you're in knockback after being hit. Thus you can use Alucard to save you if you got hit into a pit or mistimed a jump, a very big boon he grants you over Sypha and Grant. In fact because of that and his ability to skip any difficult/tedious platforming section for a meager heart cost, I think he is the most useful partner for someone good enough to handle the combat with Trevor; Sypha's extra combat edge with her spells is mostly excessive if you're good at the game, and Grant is decidedly inferior in combat to Trevor and can't skip as much as Alucard while being just as helpless in knockback as Trevor/Sypha are. Because of that, even though he is definitely the weakest character on his own, Alucard is my preferred partner, especially if I'm tackling the NES version's hard mode, where being able to use him as a Stopwatch holder also becomes relevant. For one more note regarding your difficulty with the Frankenstein's Monster, you don't need to whip his head to hurt him, hitting him anywhere hurts him, so you were making it a lot more difficult on yourself than it had to be. As long as you get to the fight with enough health to take more than a couple hits, he is pretty easy and you can beat him by just mashing it out with him.

@TheT3rr0rMask

4 жыл бұрын

For reasons like that, the few updated enemy sprites and the cheat codes I think the NES version is superior. To me it just feels like the complete game while the Famicom version feels like a very late pre-release build in direct comparison

@OmegaTyrant

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheT3rr0rMask Yeah it is a bit surprising to me how many people act like the Famicom version is so superior and "definitive"; yeah its music is great but the gameplay is quite a bit worse in a lot of places, and to just call it "cheap difficulty" seems to just be whining about difficulty in general, while the cheat codes are a great addition. I understand NES Castlevania can be too difficult for the average player, but then if it's too hard there's even an easy mode cheat code! They're still going to have a really hard time finishing the game though considering how brutal NES Dracula is and not being able to start at his staircase after death, but the 10 lives cheat will certainly be more than enough to get them that far.

@xenxander

4 жыл бұрын

Sypha also takes one more point of damage than Trevor if you notice, and that's a pain as well (more frail) The instruction booklet even says this about her.

Dracula’s Curse (Japanese version) is the best of the three original NES Castlevania games. All three of the companions are literal game changers.

Love this game, picked up my own copy (use to rent) when I bought the top-loader at a Guam K-mart -- still have both to this day.

I've been looking forward to this one :)

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

It was looking forward to you :)

I was hoping for this : -)

You're gonna love Rondo of Blood once you get round to it. It's incredible if you love classic castlevania. It has everything good about the NES games but with so many tiny subtle improvements that add up to it feeling the most smooth and responsive castlevania game. And you don't die when you fall in pits, you just enter different levels. There seems to be dozens of different secret full length levels, and so every playthrough is very different. And the super attacks are very useful.

@CyberDragon10K

4 жыл бұрын

Rondo and Super IV are on the easier side, so it'll be interesting to see what Kris thinks of the rest of the package if/when he gets around to those.

This is my 2nd favourite Castlevania, after Rondo of Blood.

@akhandtripathipyz9888

2 жыл бұрын

Rondo of blood is my favourite too but castlevania 3 is really not a very good game maybe my top 15 favourite castlevania

This is the best classic-formula Castlevania ever made. Fight me! :P Seriously though, I love this game, but I never thought about some of your criticisms. They make a lot of sense from a game design perspective.

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Lets rumble!! :P

@k1productions87

4 жыл бұрын

It definitely adds a bit more gameplay variety and potential replay value than the original. You can experiment with different paths, rather than only having the one defined order of only six stages

Yeah, I can't really argue with this assessment. I love this game, but the horror of Castlevania is less in the atmosphere and more in the absurd enemy patters. I never minded when they gave you a breather, though...but yeah, you notice it when it happens. Sometimes it's a head scratcher, but when it's the last boss (in any game) it can be okay in a way. If your nerves are a mess at that point you may be your own worst obstacle so that when you break through you still feel accomplished. Nevertheless, you are left a little dumb founded when that happens and when a lesser boss/area is tougher than a latter boss/area. It'll definitely have you feeling the true "curse of Dracula", heh.

Hands down my favorite game on the NES. And in my Top 5 games of all-time. I absolutely love this game. I’d say that my fav 3 Castlevania games would have to be Dracula’s Curse, SotN and Rondo. Great video btw. You always teach me something new.

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

You put this piece of trash next to classics like SOTN and Rondo?

I think one of the worst feelings in the world is when you want to enjoy something, but it doesn't let you. I desperately wanted to enjoy Dracula's Curse because on the surface, it's perfect. Beautiful colors and pixel art, fun gameplay, superb music, replayability, it has it all. But the dodgey controls and platforming, irregular difficulty spikes, and absurd stage lengths, for me made it an ordeal, not a thrill ride.

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

Me too, I hated my time with this game, and I kept forcing myself to play it because everyone says it's the best Castlevania. Eventually I grew some sense and gave up, why play something you don't enjoy?

once again great video, you're very good at objective reviewing

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words :)

Fantastic video. I'm going to echo a lot of what people said and say you should probably give the US cart a shot, maybe for a separate vid in this series. Also, if you haven't yet, I recommend checking out last year's Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. I also think that would go well as a vid in this series.

Looking forward to the SOTN review.

@michaelkelley4188

4 жыл бұрын

Me too! :)

Could you eventually play Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, this game’s spiritual successor?

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

I wasn't planning on it, but as folks keep bringing it up, I did finally buy it. I must say, it gives a great first impression!

@PhyreI3ird

4 жыл бұрын

@@implantgames Ooh, glad to hear it. Watching this video has me really interested to hear your thoughts and critiques on it if you do decide to make a video on it.

@DesertRainReads

4 жыл бұрын

@@implantgames Curse of the Moon is brilliant. I love that game, Brilliant Void is my favorite song from it.

My personal favorite Castlevania.

The character re-balancing is definitely one of the reasons I prefer the international release. Grant is less overwhelming without the throwing dagger and even Sypha is indirectly toned down due to the reduced frequency of ice and lightning magic drops. Sadly, there's no "decent Alucard" version. Even with one lousy character, however, this is still my favorite of the series. I love it for its variety, pizzazz, and sheer brutality.

Not sure I’ve ever seen a review so perfectly capture this game. Great job. IMO take out level 7 and it’s a 9/10. I play CV 1 just to avoid the hassle of 3 when feeling the itch to replay, mostly due to level 7. It’s too much of an investment and restarting is the worst. Oh well.

With all its hard difficulty, cheap moments and everything, I still play it to this day, is so fun!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

It is charming for sure :)

This game is incredibly unforgiving at times from what I've seen.

Freeze spell can allow Syfa to OHKO any enemy the ice touches and to turn flying enemies into platforms.

...brown bricks? EDIT: nvm, I'm pretty sure it was "ground bricks". My bad!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Haha, it was "round bricks" which isn't really correct either. I was impressed with the columns, and the shading/depth applied to make them seem round. "Curved bricked" probably would been a more accurate way to say it :)

@DonnyKirkMusic

4 жыл бұрын

MINE CRAP

Glad someone agrees with me, being a Brit I haven’t the emotional attachment to NES games most Americans seem to have so when I am told this is one of its greatest games it left me bewildered, unfairly hard at times and no real flow. Much prefer Castlevania 1 out of the NES games.

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

100% agree with you, although I also think the soundtrack is bad too, especially when compared to C1's soundtrack

Castlevania 3 one of my favorite games on the NES. Yes this game is a complete mess with the difficulty.....but yeah. IDK why even the japanese version has passwords instead of a save battery like Simon's Quest but well Konami stuff. The OST is amazing in both versions although the VCR6 wins in my books. The first level is a great introduction and if you're the patient guy and just throw the holy water to every candle can get the triple shot and cheese the second level like a boss. All the subweapons barring the dagger are great in this game in every way. The melodies really fit the levels except for one Riddle sounds more like a final boss theme (like in Adventure Rebirth) and strangely Pressure it's played on the greek ruins level from Alucard's route. Both routes level 7 are hard but yeah Alucard's route is just bs difficulty i remember being stuck for hours in one section and the autoscroll is just obnoxious. Sypha just breaks the game and Grant too but the final phase of Dracula boy is just easier with Trevor at least for me. Also i love that Dracula's 3rd phase was based on Pazuzu the demon wind king. Yeah the american release is just harder overall cause of one big tradition from the og Castlevania......the enemies just hit you harder every 3 levels and Sypha/Grant lose to 5 blocks of energy thanks to their frailty although yeah they break the game so it's fair in a sense. Great review as always Kris keep up the good work man ;)

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

Bruh you say that it's one of your favorite games then go on to mention its biggest flaws?

@bossviper2833

2 жыл бұрын

@@samitamimi9714 Because he can like the game even with its flaws?

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

@@bossviper2833 Yeah I know but he mentioned more bad than good

I wonder, if we saw this story in a movie format, would we see Alucard recruited last?

Your channel fuckin' rules, bro. I'd love to see you do videos on the Original 6 Mega Man games on NES.

Did anybody else get a notification for Super Castlevania IV earlier and it's still a private video?

Hey Kris, good review as always. So how would you rate the first three Castlevania games compared to each other? Castlevania 1 over 3 over 2? Would you recommend buying them for nowaday prices? I guess they are much more expensive here in Europe than the United States, though. Thx for your review(s).

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Peter, glad to hear it! Yes, would order them as you have above. I think CVI is the best designed of the bunch, with the fewest issues overall, and II is the worst. I tend to ignore value when reviewing games. I paid $68 for Akumajou Densetsu and I'd say I got more than $68 worth of entertainment out of it. However, I don't mind repeating the same level for a couple of hours while screaming profanities at the TV. Others might not find find this to be a valuable way to spend their time or hard earned money, if you know what I mean :D

@petermaasz

4 жыл бұрын

I know what you mean. Rumors say that there are even people out there who think video games are nothing for grown up men. I disagree. :DI'm already excited for your next review/game.

What'd you think about this same game in the harder version when you beat it the first time around??

Aaah yes... The best Castlevania!!! Akumajou Densetsu finally!

Great review on an overall excellent NES game. I played the Japanese one too, but would like to own the US one, along with SOTN. I don't remember too much about it from when I played it, so I can't comment further. Have a great Thanksgiving!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Happy Thanksgiving J!

6:37 I think the slow down is a Nice natural unvoluntary drama and action adrenaline touch

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

Nintendo fans defending Joy Con drift be like:

clocktower, I believe, is meant to represent the harpsichord. an instrument that rivals the organ in the good ol' gothic monster feel, but is heavily used in baroque music, which - again, I believe - was the intention of the composers

@NearLife4life

4 жыл бұрын

then again, you could be completely right...those pedal tones do scream organ!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Oh man my knowledge of instruments is weak haha, but I challenge myself to learn and get better at talking about game music. Perhaps it is a harpsichord? There are some Castlevania covers played on the harpsichord on KZread and it certainly seems to fit the bill!

@NearLife4life

4 жыл бұрын

@@implantgames at any rate, you run a great channel and I thoroughly enjoy your reviews!

Is the beginning theme on stage 1 different on japanese Version to USA versión? And Also clocktower? Japanese sounds better?

Back when this game was released video gamers didn't really examine games like today. Castlevania 2 is looked at poorly now but back then, it was pretty cool. I don't think game design during the nes era was considered as much as it is now. Now every part of a level seems to have to fit perfectly in the overall game to keep a player's attention. The reviewer does bring up some good points about castlevania 3. I didn't use the extra characters a lot but it was fun trying to get them and see the different endings.

I bought this game as a kid. Still one of my favorites of the castlevania series. The song Rising is another good tune. And no the western version doesn't let Grant throw unlimited daggers. He jabs a knife instead.

so good but so tough!!

ClockWork is my favorite in the series(thus far, iv'e only beat 1,2, and Super IV within the last week for the first time). IT is CATCHY!

My favourite castlevania. And favourite game on the NES.

Love this game! Bloodlines is best, though!!

They did change Grants dagger in the NES version, but once you learn to use it, it's even more broken then the throwing dagger.

@willmistretta

4 жыл бұрын

Fantastic against axe knights and bone pillars for sure.

@chrisstone-streetlightinte5629

4 жыл бұрын

@@willmistretta Also can completely destroy the cyclops bosses in seconds...

BTW Grant’s weapon was changed in the international release.

"Day-ger"

@StrangeDad

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah. What's up with that?

@broom2839

4 жыл бұрын

Alyoucard

Yeah umm, how to put it with regard to Sypha: Flame spell: "Double the damage of an upgraded whip strike, with a taller hitbox for hitting enemies' feet through floors" Thunder spell: "Up to six times the damage of a single upgraded whip strike, depending on how many of the three homing orbs strike a target" Freeze spell: "Basically lets you sequence break by jumping on top of frozen bats, axes, fireballs, ravens, etc., lets you one-shot all regular enemies, including otherwise invincible ones, makes water not push you--is in general a speedrunner's best friend" Set your starting name to URATA and master that vampire-slaying witch trap.

i dn't recall the first portion of this video from castlevania 3

Great review. I really like this game but it is a game that I never had as a child so there is no nostalgia attached to it. There are a few reasons that keep me from loving this game and I think you touched on them all. The overall difficulty can be brutal and unfair sometimes.

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jay!

This game has a lot of nostalgia for me. Have been playing it since I was about 5 years old. While I truly agree with what you have to say. Parts being broken, cheap etc. This game was so hard, you really had to find the cheap broken aspects sometimes if you wanted to stand a chance. The international release is really balls to the walls difficult. For gods sake, when you lose to Dracula you get sent back 2 rooms instead of below where the fight takes place! Your joy in the stair parts of the game baffled me. LITERALLY the stairs are the toughest part of the game. That only creates challenge, not depth, it was moments like that you had to learn how to cheese the game with sub weapons, TOO BAD the controls make it nearly impossible to use them. Something I don't think people think about, I legitimately believe the 2 main routes; "Sypha / above ground" is truly the "easy" path, and the "Alucard / underground" is MOST DEFINITELY the "expert" path. Even after playing both many many times, the latter is still way more difficult. If you believe that Sypha's abilities cheese the game, then stick with the fire ability. Its still plenty challenging if you do that. The soundtrack here is truly the best 8-bit one there is. The famicom version takes the cake in sound quality. But the NES version still found a way to be unique and amazing, as clearly demonstrated in the song "Rising", which was the only version to include Arpeggios. The NES soundtrack has the nostalgia, but the famicom has the quality. For nostalgia's sake this is by far my favorite Castlevania game, AND NES game. When I think of it I think of the fact that it took 10 years to beat. So as I grew and learned pivotal things in my young life, this game was there, ready to kick my ass and make sure I knew I had plenty of learning to do still!

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

I might just be the only one who doesn't like the soundtrack, sure, Beginning is great, but other than that it all felt boring to me.

great game

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is one of my favorite NES games and I adore the heck of it. nevertheless I do agree with most of the points you bring, specially the ramp up difficulty gets borderline frustrating mid game and it becomes practically unbearable on later stages. Still, it does deserve it's position as one of the great NES games of that time for something you said: it's one of the most difficult game you want to play. Hopefully one day there'll be a remake of it that addresses the problems and polishes the inconsistencies while maintaining what makes it get a fixed place on the ones that have had the opportunity of playing it.

I think the point of different charachters is that they are like the games difficulty setting in the same way Nintendo has Funky Kong in Tropical Freeze

I feel the opposite when it comes to Grant. He feels underpowered in the north American version so I rarely use him. With the throwing dagger, the character feels a lot more balanced.

@atijohn8135

4 жыл бұрын

Grant is way too overpowered in Japanese release because of the throwing knife. And in the American release his knife deals DPS I'd say equal to the whip (it deals less damage, but it's faster), but you must literally stand next to the enemy to even deal damage. Grant is still a little tiny bit better than Trevor in the American release in most cases (only exception would be some bosses), although he is an optional character, so I guess he should be a little bit better than Trevor. Sypha is also much better than Trevor, her flame spell deals actually more damage than the whip, her orb as it is stated in the video is completely overpowered, her freezing spell lets you kill literally every enemy in one hit, her sword deals DPS I'd say equal to Grant's dagger (but with more range). Alucard on the other hand is completely useless in dealing with enemies in both versions. His weapon deals damage equal to the whip only when you are literally one pixel to the enemy, and even then it's not guaranteed all three of his projectiles hit the enemy. He is only useful at the falling blocks section, but... these sections are only present, when you specifically take the path that includes Alucard anyway...

Hey Kris i just saw you bought the Japanese cart because of the extra sound functionality, what console did you play this on? was it the NT Mini?

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

The RetroUSB AVS actually. I would love an NT Mini but never had the $$$ when it was available for sale.

It's the NES. There are so many games on there that don't even do anything worthwhile and still run like junk - it's really difficult to determine whether a slowdown is down to pushing the hardware that hard, or whether that's just a quality issue. That being said, it's not that different on last-gen and modern consoles either, is it.

It took me a while then I got why you sound so familiar. You sound exactly like Tom Segura, the comedian. Legit.

Oh, don't worry. The Western version nerfed Grant's weapon from one of the most broken ones into the worst in the game. The mummy got buffed too; it's a lot tougher, but (besides damage) I prefer the buffed fight compared to the Japanese version; the projectiles are harder to whip.

wish they included this as the 2nd castlevania game on the nes classic as opposed to simons quest, even though I enjoy that one as well. Draculas curse is hands down the supreme castlevania experience on the nes

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

Woah woah easy there, you seriously say that this piece of garbage is better than Castlevania 1?

@gurgamous

2 жыл бұрын

@@samitamimi9714 ...YES

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

@@gurgamous agree to disagree

I'd like you to go back to the scoring system that you used before in your channel. Numeric scores help me have a more precise idea of your thoughts on the game. What score would you give to each game in the original Castlevania trilogy, for example?

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

I would give CV and CVIII a 3/5. Good games, but I would have a difficult time recommending them to the average person do to the reasons noted in each of the videos. Their appeal is somewhat limited to a specific niche of the gaming scene, which is why I wouldn't rate them any higher. CVII would be a 2/5. Impossible without a guide, boring with a guide. Thankfully, it isn't very frustrating to play, so it ranks higher than something like Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (GBA) or CD-i Pinball, which are turds :D Not sure if this is the information you were looking for, but there you go!

@quadpad_music

4 жыл бұрын

​@@implantgames - Yes, that´s just the info that I needed!! Oh and btw, if someone asked you why do you think it´s important for a game to be accesible to most people, how would you answer? Why do you think it´s a negative thing for a game to be aimed towards a narrow niche? I ask this because I´m not really sure about why this criteria is considered so important among many game reviewers, and I´d like to define my opinion on it.

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't answer the accessibility question because it is too vague :P The quality of CVIII is inconsistent, which is why the appeal is limited, rather than universal.

@quadpad_music

4 жыл бұрын

@@implantgames - Oh, ok. I'd imagine I was misunderstanding the idea. Thanks again for your answer!!

In the Western version, Grant's dagger is very short, even worse than Syfa's staff, but is very fast. If you have NES Advantage with Turbo, holding down B will stun-lock the Area 9 boss, the Doppelganger, and the pesky bubbles that take 32 hits worth only 500 points. The soundtrack is OK given the limitations, actually quite good. Main difference is some enemies take fewer hits in the Japanese release, as with the Chain Whip (Trevor), it takes six hits for the Bone Pillars that shoot fireballs, versus only four in the Japanese version. The Japanese version does feel a bit easier. However, the Western version has the advantage of entering specific names to start with a certain character at Loop 2, or you can enter HELP ME for eight extra lives per continue. Alucard is under-powered, especially since the Watch does not work on any boss, unlike the Bat and Medusa in the original Castlevania. Generally, destroying enemy projectiles offer no points in video games, a rare feature in CV1 most players do not talk about or notice.

Replay value of Draculas Curse makes it one of my favorites.

TSO, yeah!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

One of the few concerts I've ever been to :)

I don’t think you’re really wrong about anything here but I still find this game to be more fun to play than the first. I’d go so far as to say it’s my second favourite NES game. Though given I’d call Fire Emblem 2 my favourite I might be the problem here.

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

I'm actually quite curious here because look, coming from someone who adores Castlevania 1, I absolutely hate this game, and nearly every complaint I have with it is often labeled by people as "you're not wrong but the game is still great", and I'm like, what's even good about it??

Great rundown, Kris! If you (or your viewers) are curious about the differences on offer between this and the US version, I got you covered: kzread.info/dash/bejne/dniuyZOYYdC2d5s.html

Best castlevania game

Best CV

If the difficulty felt unbalanced you should try the NES version. It's harder but way more balanced. Plus some enemy and boss sprites are improved and it includes cheat codes not in the Japanese version. IMO it's the superior version, feeling more complete. Plus not to fanboy but I can't believe you think the games awful :( it's phenomenal for NES standards with tons of replay value and I fail to see how the other characters make the game lose focus when their abilities add nothing but variety and encourage exploration of the paths and the character's usefulness. Plus if you want a "jump and whip" only game then just play with Trevor- you don't HAVE to pick a side character and thats where the different choices and options for each playthrough comes in for a beautiful package. The game was definitely made by people who knew what they were doing

Super Castlevania IV next please!

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

It is next!

I played this game recently and I didn't enjoy it as much as the 1986 castlevania if any one isn't looking at this with the eyes of nostalgia it is not a very good game

I've never played the Japanese version. There are mistakes, cheap shots, and inconsistencies, for sure, but this is still one of the best NES games to my taste.

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

Why though? Like, what's even to enjoy about it?

@pizzarat6145

2 жыл бұрын

@@samitamimi9714 I think I can understand why you don't like it and it's ok, it's not like I think you're crazy cause you don't. To me there is something incredibly satisfying about finding the rhythm of the game and learning the patterns of the enemies. I also like the simplicity of the NES controller. Once you stop seeing the limitations of the C3 as stifling and more like obstacles to overcome it's a very filling 8bit experience.

I think the difference in opinion you and much of your audience share regarding the game's character variety really speaks to Castlevania III's ability to make a very personal experience for each player.

.... Never played any Castlevania games on the nes... I should have played them as I'm 36 and "I was there" when they got released... Ah well. I'll tackle them as I wait for your review of Super Castlevania and Bloodlines! 😉

@dmas7749

4 жыл бұрын

i was not there but i enjoy 1, 3, Rondo and Bloodlines all a great deal 4 too but i don't enjoy them as much

6:43 you should check out NG III and Vice Project Doom more they're also has hardware pushing limit effect on it 7:06 should give the US version a try though the OST is at least as good if not a bit downgraded

Check out Retro Gamer 3's fan game CastleVania: Bloodbath. It's based on CV3.

Took me 28 years to beat his game and CV1... sports, girls, drinking, partying, got in the way.

This is a great review, but I wish you reviewed the US version. Several of the places where you show the game being too easy were fixed. Some things didn't change, though, like the strange choice to force players to watch acid slowly dissolving blocks for thirty seconds at a time.

i'm definitely with you there as part of the small crowd that prefers Castlevania 1 over this game, the difficulty feels too punishing at times, the platforming feels too tight, game often asks too much of the player and that difficulty can whiplash for no good reason as well as the lack of balance on the multiple characters, but it's still a lot of fun unlimited continues for life

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

Castlevania 1 for real is amazing

@dmas7749

2 жыл бұрын

@@samitamimi9714 i don't return to NES games a lot, Classicvania is one of the exceptions

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

@@dmas7749 only the first one

@dmas7749

2 жыл бұрын

@@samitamimi9714 3's good too

I still like it. However, I do like the first one more.

I've played and finished all platforming 2D Castlevania games, and I join you opinion here. It is, to me, the greatest Castlevania game ever made. Rondo of Blood is fantastic as well, but I don't like the manga-inspired style of the custscenes or the more pop-sounding music of that game. Akumajo Densetsu rocks so hard though. It has those great baroque harpsichord tunes.

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

So you're saying you think Castlevania 3 is the best one?

@IAmTurbogfx

2 жыл бұрын

@@samitamimi9714 Yes, well, in my opinion of course ;-)

@samitamimi9714

2 жыл бұрын

@@IAmTurbogfx hunh, each to their own I guess

I think I like the original Castlevania slightly better, but Dracula's Curse is still awesome.

This is one of the best games ever made.

Dracula’s Curse is a great game, even though I’ve never played it before on the NES. Not as good as the original Castlevania, but a marked improvement over Simon’s Quest - especially the new characters to work with! Another exceptional video to watch after a long day.

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jonathan! I'm surprised at how many prefer CVI over CVIII, but it seems to be more common than I thought.

Hooray for 30 years of Castlevania 3,or Dracula 3 cause i belive that's the game's codename. The amount of damage on the japanese release depends on the enemy itself,while in the international versions it depends on how far you are along the game. also,another interesting thing on the version available on the recent Castlevania anniversary collection is that for some reason, some graphics like the zombies were redesigned. and also,the tittle screen was going to look completely different. This is probably my favourite of the NES castlevania games,but i do admit i get sick of it halfway through it due to some stages dragging for too long while being annoyingly hard. I'm glad you chosed the japanese version since that's just the better version overall,and i much prefer the JP soundtrack over the international one.

Looks like he avoided the most challenging stage in the game, the rising water level.

Can you look at Yoshi's Safari🐊

I hated the death Tetris segments as a child, how orange everything was, and how difficult stairs were to “catch.” Stairs are fixed in Castlevania IV. Much more manageable difficulty.

@implantgames

4 жыл бұрын

As I practice Castlevania IV... it is amazing how awesome it is to just walk left or right and automatically go up/down stairs. And how pressing up lets you land on them. Little touches for sure, but they make the gameplay so much smoother.

@lh9591

4 жыл бұрын

implantgames The whip upgrade seems to make the other weapons obsolete to some people(egoraptor) but I like how in IV it is now a supplement. No longer it is necessary to have holy water to defeat Death, but it makes it easier.