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Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Dracula x (j) front.jpg
Japanese box art
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Director(s) Toru Hagihara
Producer(s) Yoshiaki Yamada
Composer(s) Akiropito
Keizo Nakamura
Tomoko Sano
Mikio Saito
Series Castlevania
Platform(s) PC Engine, Virtual Console
Release date(s) PC Engine
JP October 29, 1993
Virtual Console
JP April 22, 2008
NA March 15, 2010
PAL March 19, 2010
Genre(s) Platforming, Horror, Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution Optical disc, cartridge, download
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (悪魔城ドラキュラX 血の輪廻 (ロンド) Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo?, lit. Devil's Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood) is a platform video game developed by Konami for the PC Engine. It is set in the fictional universe of the Castlevania series, where the protagonist Richter Belmont goes to save his lover Annette, who was abducted by Dracula. Due to the enhanced capabilities of the PC Engine CD-ROM² with the Super System Card which greatly expanded the PC Engine's memory, anime cutscenes and voice acting were added to the game. It was released in Japan on October 29, 1993. A direct sequel to it, the critically acclaimed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, was released in 1997.
Contents
1 Gameplay
2 Plot
3 Development
3.1 Audio
4 Versions and re-releases
4.1 Castlevania: Dracula X
4.2 Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
5 Reception
6 References
Gameplay
Richter fighting the Behemoth.[1]
The objective is to guide the primary player character Richter Belmont through nine stages,[2] with four alternate routes,[3] as he searches for his kidnapped beloved Annette and ultimately confronts Dracula in his castle.[4] Richter makes use of a whip as his main weapon and one of six sub-weapons: an axe, a dagger, holy water, a grimoire, a pocket watch, and a cross.[5] While exploring the castle, Richter can rescue four maidens, including Annette's young sister[6] Maria Renard who then becomes a playable character.[5][7] She attacks using her doves and one of six sub-weapons: a cat, dragon, cardinal, turtle, egg or musical notes.[5] She is more agile, can do a double jump, and can do twice the amount of damage that Richter does in each normal attack because the doves she shoots out return to her and therefore can do a second hit of damage on the way back, but she takes much less damage than Richter before she dies.
Rondo of Blood incorporates elements from the earlier Castlevania games which typically featured linear gameplay and a member of the Belmont clan as the protagonist, and the later entries which emphasized untimed exploration of the environment.[8] Rondo of Blood makes use of untimed stages with a clear beginning, but more than one ending to some levels; this then affects the subsequent environment, monsters, and boss monster that the player character encounters at the end of the level.[8] Items such as money, hearts, and food can be found scattered throughout the areas.[9] Rondo of Blood also features the Item Crash ability reused in subsequent Castlevania titles, which allows a sub-weapon to be used in a super attack.[7] Its direct sequel, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, reuses many of the monsters.[8]
Plot
Taking place in 1792, Rondo of Blood is set in the fictional universe of the Castlevania series. The premise of the series is the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula. The protagonist is 19-year-old Richter Belmont (Jin Horikawa), heir to the whip Vampire Killer and Simon Belmont's direct descendant.[10] He comes to the castle after his beloved Annette (Atsuko Honda) is kidnapped by Dracula's servant Shaft.[11] Two times throughout the game, Dracula's trusty lieutenant, Death, attempts to stop Richter before he reaches Dracula. Along the way, Richter frees Annette's sister[6] Maria Renard (Yōko Teppōzuka), an orphaned 12-year-old who was taken to the castle with her and insists on joining him;[10][12] Terra (Hiromi Murata), a nun who mistakes him for a manifestation of God;[13] Iris (Akie Yasuda), the daughter of the village doctor;[14] and finally Annette.[15] After defeating Shaft and Death, Richter confronts Dracula (Hiroya Ishimaru) and vanquishes him.[16] The castle then collapses into the sea.
Development
Rondo of Blood is the tenth installment of the Castlevania video game series.[2] Produced by Konami, Rondo of Blood originally saw only a Japanese-exclusive release on the PC Engine on October 29, 1993.[2][3][17] Later, a port was released on the Wii for the Japanese Virtual Console on April 22, 2008; as an import, it became available in North America on March 15, 2010 and in the PAL region (Europe and Australia) on March 19, 2010.[18]
Audio
For the audio, Rondo of Blood makes use of Red Book Audio along with the onboard soundchip, allowing for better musical quality.[19][20] Akira Souji, Keizo Nakamura, Tomoko Sano, and Mikio Saito composed the soundtrack of Rondo of Blood.[21][22] The songs from Rondo of Blood, "Overture", "Beginning" and "Opus 13", appeared on a pre-order bonus CD for the 2006 Nintendo DS game Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.[23]
Konami Style published the two-disk soundtrack of the remake of the game, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, on November 8, 2007.[24] The songs "Vampire Killer", "Beginning", "Cemetery", and "Divine Bloodlines" were rearranged; it also included a bonus track of an English-language version of "Nocturne" from Symphony of the Night.[24] Within The Dracula X Chronicles is an option which enables players to choose songs from Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night to play in the background.[4] These songs are found in the form of records hidden within the game.[9]
Versions and re-releases
[show]Castlevania: Dracula X
Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss
Castlevania: Dracula X
Castlevania: Dracula X, known as Akumajou Dracula XX (悪魔城ドラキュラXX?) in Japan and Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss in Europe,[25] was developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.[3] While the plot is similar to Rondo of Blood and it uses many of the latter's graphics, it featured a different art style, redesigned levels, and altered gameplay elements (such as having only two alternate levels and Maria as a nonplayable character).[3][20][26] It was released on 21 July 1995 in Japan, in September 1995 in the USA, on 22 February 1996 in Europe.[25] and on 22 June 1996 in Australia as an uncensored release.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
[show]Castlevania:
The Dracula X Chronicles
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle (悪魔城ドラキュラ Xクロニクル Akumajō Dorakyura Ekkusu Kuronikuru?, lit. "Devil's Castle Dracula X Chronicle")[27] is a 2.5D remake of Rondo of Blood for the PlayStation Portable.[7] It includes the original game and a port of its sequel, Symphony of the Night, as unlockable content.[1] Symphony of the Night included the option to play as Maria (as did the Sega Saturn version, but based on Rondo of Blood version), as well as redone scripts, sound effects and new voice acting.[28] Gameplay in The Dracula X Chronicles remains largely unchanged from Rondo of Blood.[29] However, a Boss Rush mode was added; completion of it three times unlocks the mini-game Peke.[30] It was released in North America on October 23, 2007, in Japan on November 8, 2007, in Europe on February 15, 2008 and in Australia & New Zealand on April 9, 2008.[31] In 2008, the North American edition was re-released as part of the "Greatest Hits" label while the Japanese edition was re-released on July 15, 2010 under the "Best Selection" label.[31]
Reception
Reception to the PC Engine's Rondo of Blood was positive. 1UP described Rondo of Blood as "a beautifully crafted action game in the classic Castlevania style" and a "long-coveted classic".[32] IGN awarded the Wii port its "Editors' Choice" and described it as enjoyable and "worth the wait".[8] Nintendo Life rated it 9/10, praising the level design, soundtrack, graphics, and level difficulty.[19] Rondo of Blood was awarded Best Japanese Action Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[33]
On the release of the SNES port, Famicom Tsūshin scored Dracula X a 24 out of 40.[34] It received a ranking of 73.75% from Game Rankings, based on four reviews.[35] Dracula X received mixed reviews from critics. Some reviewers labeled it as "an incredibly inferior port"[28] and "an inferior attempt at a conversion."[8] IGN's retrospective on the series referred to it as "still one of the best traditional Castlevania games", and that it "holds its own" in terms of graphics, including a brighter color palette and Mode 7 graphics, but suffered from weak A.I. and bad level layout.[3]
Critical reaction to the remake, The Dracula X Chronicles, was generally favorable. Metacritic listed The Dracula X Chronicles as 80/100 while Game Rankings gave it an 81.40%.[36][37] Reviewers praised the updated visuals, enjoyable soundtrack, inclusion of Symphony of the Night and other bonus content.[1][29][38][39] The high level of difficulty was noted by reviewers as potentially frustrating for players unused to it,[1][29][39] and the voice acting drew criticism as "soap opera fare".[29] Conversely, GameSpy called The Dracula X Chronicles "a solid remake", but considered it unnecessary and "worse than the original".[40]
References
^ Jump up to: a b c d jkdmedia (November 13, 2007). "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles – PSP – Review". Game Zone. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c Thorsen, Tor. "Castlevania: Rondo of Blood drips onto VC, Rage of the Gladiator strikes WiiWare". Gamespot. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Bozon, Mark (January 18, 2008). "Castlevania: The Retrospective – Page 4". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Joyny, Patrick (February 2, 2007). "Previews: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles". Gamespy. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Weapons/Spells – Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles Guide". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Low, David (January 14, 2006). "Franchise Mode #11 – Castlevania, Part 1". PALGN. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c Parish, Jeremy (February 1, 2007). "Castlevania PSP Preview for PSP from 1UP". 1UP.com. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Thomas, Lucas M. (March 26, 2010). "Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Review". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b "Items – Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles Guide". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Konami (2007). Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles –Instruction booklet. p. 4.
Jump up ^ Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami). PlayStation Portable. (October 23, 2007) Dracula: That young lady has a certain "connection" with my old foes...the Belmonts. Bring her alive. I have a most amusing idea. / Shaft: By your command.
Jump up ^ Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami). PlayStation Portable. (October 23, 2007) Maria: Are you that man Annette was talking about? / Richter: You know about Annette? Where is she? / Maria: We were together when they brought us here, but now... / Richter: I see... / Maria: Don't worry, I'll help you! [...] Richter: Ha! No, no. Just...be good, go home, back to your mom and dad. They're worried about you. / Maria: ...No, they know I'm safe with you. / Richter: ?! / Maria: They can see it from Heaven. They were killed.
Jump up ^ Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami). PlayStation Portable. (October 23, 2007) Tera: Oh God in heaven! You've answered my prayers! / Richter: It's dangerous here. Hurry up and run! / Tera: Such majesty. You can only be... the manifestation of God Himself! Oh, great Lord! Your servant, Sister Tera, thanks you with all her soul!
Jump up ^ Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami). PlayStation Portable. (October 23, 2007) Iris: Just relax. My father's a doctor...
Jump up ^ Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami). PlayStation Portable. (October 23, 2007) Annette: Richter... Richter, it's you! / Richter: You're all right. [...] She'll be in danger either way until I settle things with Dracula. And so will you, Annette... Just get as far away from here as you can. / Annette: All right.
Jump up ^ Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami). PlayStation Portable. (October 23, 2007) Dracula: Impossible... You've beaten me? / Richter: I'm a Belmont. That's my job. / Dracula: H-Humanity will call me back again. It always does. Its desire is insatiable... / Richter: You're right. We never learn. But we'll have to someday. And in the meantime, if you do come back, someone like me will be waiting.
Jump up ^ "Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo — Release Summary". GameSpot. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Casltevania: Rondo of Blood for the Wii". Gamespot. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Dillard, Corbie (March 16, 2010). "Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (virtual console) review". Nintendo Life. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Whalen, Mike; Giancarlo Varanini. "The History of Castlevania – Page 7". Gamespot. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ Raiga: Strato Fighter (Media notes). Pony Canyon, Inc., Scitron Digital Contents Inc.. 1991.
Jump up ^ Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.). Scene: staff credits. (1993)
Jump up ^ Kohler, Chris (November 10, 2006). "Exclusive: Castlevania Music CD Track Listing!". Wired.com. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Gann, Patrick. "Akumajou Dracula X Chronicle OST". RPGFan. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b "Castlevania Dracula X — Release Summary". GameSpot. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Low, David (January 14, 2006). "Franchise Mode #11 – Castlevania, Part 2". PALGN. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
Jump up ^ "悪魔城ドラキュラシリーズ総合サイト - 1995" (in Japanese). Konami. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
^ Jump up to: a b Kumar, Matthew (January 3, 2008). "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles PSP Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Burt, Andy (October 23, 2007). "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles review from GamePro". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2010-04-13. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Secrets – Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles Guide". IGN. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for PSP". Gamespot. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ Parish, Jeremy (October 23, 2007). "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles". 1UP.com. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
Jump up ^ Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide. 1995.
Jump up ^ NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: 悪魔城ドラキュラXX. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.345. Pg.29. 28 July 1995.
Jump up ^ "Castlevania Dracula X for SNES". Game Rankings. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles". Metacritic. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for PSP". Game Rankings. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ Workman, Robert (October 26, 2007). "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles Review". GameDaily. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Cabral, Matt. "Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles". Games Radar. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
Jump up ^ Hall, AJ (October 23, 2007). "GameSpy: CAstlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles – Page 1". GameSpy. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
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posted by Super Mario man Nov 17 2013 03:11 GMT
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posted by Super Mario man Nov 16 2013 13:19 GMT
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Castlevania CotM boxart.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe
Publisher(s) Konami
Designer(s) Ko-G
Artist(s) Kazuko Fujihara
Composer(s) Sotaro Tojima
Hiroshi Mitsuoka
Series Castlevania
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release date(s)
JP March 21, 2001
NA June 11, 2001
EU June 22, 2001
AUS June 22, 2001
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Japanese: 悪魔城ドラキュラ Circle of the Moon Hepburn: Akumajō Dorakyura: Sākuru obu za Mūn?, Devil's Castle Dracula: Circle of the Moon[1]) known simply as Castlevania in the PAL region, is a video game created by Konami only for the Game Boy Advance. Published as a launch title in 2001, Circle of the Moon belongs to Konami's Castlevania video game series, the premise of which centers on the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula. Circle of the Moon focuses on Nathan Graves and his quest to rescue his kidnapped mentor from Dracula.
Contents
1 Gameplay
2 Plot
3 Development
3.1 Audio
4 Critical reception and legacy
5 External links
6 References
Gameplay
Circle of the Moon makes use of a 2D side-scrolling style of gameplay, similar to many of the previous Castlevania video games.[2] The objective of Circle of the Moon is to lead player character Nathan Graves through a monster-filled castle as he searches for his kidnapped mentor.[3] Like many of the previous Castlevania protagonists, Nathan uses a whip to attack and defeat enemies, alongside secondary weapons—an axe, cross, holy water, dagger and stopwatch—only one of which may be carried at any time by the player.[3] Hearts, typically found within candles, determine the amount of any secondary weapon carried by him.[2] Circle of the Moon follows a nonlinear style of gameplay: at the beginning of the game, Nathan can only traverse certain areas of the castle; by obtaining various abilities, such as becoming able to run, double jump, and wall kick, he gradually explores the castle.[3] He will also encounter rooms with the ability to teleport him across portions of the castle and rooms which will restore his health and allow the player to save his or her progress in the game.[2] The game also automatically updates the castle map to reflect Nathan's progress through it.[3]
Circle of the Moon incorporates elements found in role-playing games.[4] Nathan possesses various statistics: hit points, the amount of damage he can withstand before dying; magic points, how often he can cast a magical attack; strength, the power of his physical attack; defense, his resilience to damage inflicted by the monsters; intelligence, the recovery speed of magic points; and luck, the frequency with which items are dropped by enemies.[2] Defeated enemies drop various items and equipment, and provide experience points; after reaching a predetermined amount of experience points, Nathan will level up, and his statistics will improve.[3] The defeat of boss enemies allows the player to acquire new abilities to progress further in the game.[2]
Unique to Circle of the Moon is the Dual Set-up System (DSS), based on magic cards found throughout the game that belong to one of two categories: Action and Attribute.[4] Each of the ten Action card takes its name from one of the gods and goddesses from Roman mythology, and determines the type of magic being performed, while the ten Attribute cards take their names from creatures from Greek and Roman mythology, and add an effect to the magic.[2][4] To produce a magical effect, the player combines one card from each of the two categories, for a total of one hundred different combinations.[4] In "The Battle Arena"—a certain area of the castle which consists of seventeen rooms filled with stronger versions of monsters found elsewhere in the castle—Nathan's supply of mind points is drained, causing the DSS cards to become temporarily unusable.[5]
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon has four alternative modes of gameplay, which must be completed in order as completion of one mode unlocks the code for the next. Once the player has finished Circle of the Moon for the first time, he or she receives a code that can be entered as his or her name when starting a new game; this code will start the game in Magician Mode, in which Nathan has decreased strength and defense, but increased intelligence and begins with all twenty DSS cards.[5] Fighter Mode does not permit the use of DSS cards, but increases his strength and endurance.[5] Shooter Mode allows a higher maximum of hearts he can carry, but gives a penalty to strength, defense, and hit points.[5] Thief Mode reduces Nathan's strength and defense, but increases his luck greatly.[5]
Plot
Taking place in 1830, Circle of the Moon is set in the fictional universe of the Castlevania series. The premise of the series is the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula. Circle of the Moon's protagonist, however, is Nathan Graves, whose parents died a decade ago to banish Dracula.[6] Morris Baldwin, who helped in Dracula's banishment, trained him to defeat Dracula and the monsters; Morris ultimately chose him as his successor and gave him the "Hunter Whip", to the displeasure of Hugh, Morris' son who trained alongside him.[6][7]
At an old castle, Camilla, a minion of Dracula, revives him, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Morris, Nathan, and Hugh. Before they are able to banish him again, Dracula destroys the floor under Nathan and Hugh, causing them to plummet down a long tunnel. Surviving the fall and wishing to find his father, Hugh leaves Nathan behind. Nathan proceeds to search the castle for his mentor.[8] Along the way, he learns that at the next full moon, Morris' soul will be used to return Dracula to full power.[9] He also periodically encounters Hugh, who becomes more hostile as the game progresses.[7][10] Eventually, Nathan encounters Camilla, who hints that she and Dracula are responsible for the changes in his personality.[11] Nathan vanquishes Camilla in her true form and meets up with Hugh once more. Upon seeing him, Hugh immediately attacks him with the goal of proving himself to his father through Nathan's defeat; Nathan, however, realizes that Dracula is controlling Hugh.[12] Nathan defeats him, and Dracula's control over Hugh breaks.[13] Confessing that he doubted his self-worth when Nathan was chosen as successor, Hugh tasks him with Morris' rescue.[14]
Arriving at the ceremonial room, Nathan confronts Dracula, who confirms that he had tampered with Hugh's soul to cause the changes in his personality.[15] They begin to fight and halfway through, Dracula teleports away to gain his full power. Hugh then frees his father and tasks Nathan with Dracula's banishment.[16] Nathan continues the battle and defeats Dracula, before escaping the collapsing castle to reunite with Morris and Hugh. Nathan is declared a master vampire hunter by Morris. Hugh vows to retrain under Morris due to his failure.
Development
Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe, Circle of the Moon was designed as a launch title for the Game Boy Advance.[17] At the 2000 Tokyo Game Show, a playable demo of it debuted, which featured two selectable player characters: Hugh and Nathan.[17] The option to play as Hugh did not appear in the final version of the game.[2] Circle of the Moon was published by Konami in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, and as Castlevania in the PAL region on June 22, 2001; it also saw a Japanese-only re-release under the "Konami the Best" label on November 3, 2005.[18]
Audio
Circle of the Moon's score was composed by Sotaro Tojima and Hiroshi Mitsuoka. It consists of numerous remixes of tracks from earlier games, such as "Vampire Killer", "Aquarius" (from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse) and "The Trick Manor" (also known as "Clockwork Mansion"). Also included are some original pieces such as "Fate to Despair", "Awake", and "Proof of Blood".
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon & Castlevania: Concerto of Midnight Sun Original Soundtrack
No. Title Length
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23. "鎮魂歌"
"血脈の印"
"A VISION OF DARK SECRETS"
"Inversion"
"awake"
"THE SINKING OLD SANCTUARY"
"Clockwork"
"戦慄"
"ゲームオーバー"
"fate to despair"
"Aquarius"
"カラクリ館"
"Big Battle"
"Nightmare"
"Vampire Killer"
"幻想的舞曲"
"proof of blood"
"鎮魂の丘"
"circle of the moon"
"プロローグ"
"タイトルバック"
"Name Entry 2K2"
"宿命を継ぐ者" 1:12
0:37
0:45
0:47
1:32
1:51
1:23
0:54
0:09
0:42
1:18
2:23
0:56
1:31
0:52
1:06
1:22
1:51
1:03
1:47
0:24
1:17
1:27 24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45. "攻防"
"慟哭参道"
"ひかりごけの洞窟"
"架橋龍水道"
"礼拝堂の空"
"因果律機械塔"
"骸骨魔窟"
"悪魔城の中心へ"
"愛しい人"
"闇に忠誠を誓う者"
"決戦"
"エピローグ1"
"Game Over"
"闇の化身"
"宿敵"
"エピローグ2"
"宿命を継ぐ者"
"マイペースな物売り"
"漆黒の扉"
"ナイトヘッド"
"VK2K2"
"礼拝堂の空 (アレンジバージョン)" 1:46
1:12
1:48
1:21
1:12
1:11
1:17
1:12
1:51
1:07
1:19
1:22
0:08
0:43
1:17
1:53
1:04
0:32
0:55
0:55
1:11
2:15
4:19
Critical reception and legacy
[hide]Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 89%[19]
Metacritic 92 of 100[24][25]
Review scores
Publication Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly 9.5 of 10[19]
Game Informer 8.75 of 10[20]
GamePro 5/5 stars[21]
GameSpot 9.6 of 10[2]
GameSpy 82 of 100[22]
IGN 9.0 of 10[3]
Nintendo Power 5 of 5[19]
Gaming Target 91[23]
RPGamer 7 of 10[4]
Awards
Publication Award
GameSpot Editors' Choice[2]
IGN Editors' Choice[27]
Circle of the Moon was positively received, selling a total of one million copies in the month following its North American and European release, 500,000 of which in Japan.[28] It was rated the 108th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.[29] On the review aggregate site Metacritic, it is the twelfth-highest rated Game Boy Advance title.[25]
Craig Harris of IGN called Circle of the Moon "one of the best playing Castlevania games released", calling the gameplay "very long and extremely challenging without being frustrating or a chore to zip through". However, he noted that due to the dark graphics, the game was "difficult" to see, and that the character animations looked as though "they've been ripped out of a GBC development".[3] GameSpot.com gave it 9.6 out of 10.[2] GamePro rated the game 5.0, their highest rating, stating that it closely mirrored the most highly acclaimed Castlevania game, Symphony of the Night with its rich graphics and branching story.[21] Gaming Target heavily praised the smoothness of the animations, though too cited a lack of replay value and dark graphics. In addition they gave praise to the game's DSS system, describing it as the best new feature of the title.[23] RPGamer also praised the new system, calling it a "breath of fresh air" when combined with the existing ideas from previous entries in the series, though in contrast felt the game had significant replay value due to its various additional modes and the strengths/weaknesses related to each that required new strategies. Despite their criticism of the plot and recycled elements, they summarized the title as "Konami's Second Symphony".[4] GameSpy stated that while the graphics were a problem, they more readily attributed the issue to the Game Boy Advance itself than the game, adding "it's a horror game about Dracula, don't you want ample light around you anyway?" They also praised the game's music and sound effects as appropriate for the title, though criticized the lack of decent artificial intelligence on the part of the enemies.[22]
Despite the game's success, series producer Koji Igarashi, who had not been involved in its production, was highly critical of the game. When developing follow up title Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, he cited in an interview several flaws he felt should have been rectified in Circle of the Moon's design, primarily its control scheme and the dark appearance of the graphics on the Game Boy Advance. He additionally criticized the DSS card system, stating that it "did not match with the world Castlevania had established over a long period of time", though admitted he felt it was a good system.[30] In 2002, Circle of the Moon was removed from the series timeline,[31] a move met with some resistance from fans.[32] Igarashi noted the reason for the removal as not due to his non-involvement with the games, but instead the intention of the game's development team for Circle of the Moon to be a stand-alone title.[33] Some reviewers have argued that his criticism of the game was unwarranted and his recent installments did not match up to Circle of the Moon.[who?]
External links
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon guide at StrategyWiki
References
^ Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.). (23 October 2007) Japanese: 悪魔城の城主、邪心の神、ドラキュラ伯爵の復活であった。 Konami translation by Ken Ogasawara: Dracula, lord of darkness, master of the devil's castle, walks among us.
^ a b c d e f g h i j Jeff Gerstmann (June 7, 2001). "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b c d e f g Harris, Craig (June 14, 2001). "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". Ign.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b c d e f Alley, Jake. "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon review". RPGamer. Crave Online. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
^ a b c d e "Secrets – Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Guide & Walkthough". ign.com. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
^ a b Konami (2001). Castlevania: Circle of the Moon – Instruction booklet. pp. 20–21.
^ a b KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Hugh: Damn! Who asked you for help! / Nathan: I couldn't just leave you there, could I? / Hugh: Don't think that you defeated it. It was the power of that whip. / Nathan: Hugh.../ Hugh: You could never beat me in training. Never once! But father named you the successor and gave you the Hunter Whip. Your parents and my father banished Dracula together and those fond memories clouded his judgment. Don't forget that!
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Nathan: We have to find Master / Hugh: I'll go. He's my father. Nathan, you'll be in the way. Just get out of here. / Nathan Graves: I want to find Master as much as anybody.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Necromancer: Child, before I finish you, I will tell you some news. Your precious Master is already in our power. / Nathan: What!!! / Necromancer:That old man will feed us with his soul. The rite has been prepared and we only await the full moon.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Nathan: Hugh! Are you alright? / Hugh: What are you doing here? Are you trying to take my glory? / Nathan: Wha? What are you talking about? I just want to save Master. / Hugh: You're in the way! I will defeat Dracula myself and then...
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Camilla: The one who was with you...he was more honest with himself. Even MY MASTER approves of him. (giggle) / Nathan: What? What have you done to Hugh?
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Hugh: I am superior to you. I will defeat you to prove myself to father. / Nathan: You are being controlled by...Camilla? No... by Dracula!
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Nathan: Stop Hugh! I don't want to hurt you! Hugh!!/ Hugh: Nathan? (moan) I' I'm... I'm alright now. / Nathan: You are yourself again.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Hugh: Nathan, I'm sorry. I was envious of you./ Nathan: ? / Hugh: When father named you the successor, I was afraid I was worthless. I wanted...needed the recognition. / Nathan: Enough. / Hugh: That probably was the dark weakness that father saw...in my soul. Why he chose you. / Nathan: Stop it Hugh! / Hugh: It's alright. Even I realize now that father was right in his decision. Don't make me embarrass myself further. Allow me self-pity for now. Help father now. I am entrusting his return to you. / Nathan: I accept.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Dracula: What an emotional display. But don't' fool yourself. Even you must have darkness upon your soul. / Nathan: What? / Dracula: To be superior. To be honored for your singular accomplishments. / Nathan: ! / Dracula: ...to be loved by all...to get the glory even at the expense of others. That is what your friend craved. I just increased that desire, that power. / Nathan: You despicable blight! How dare you toy with his soul. I'll get you for that.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Morris: Chase him! Don't let him escape! Urgg... / Nathan: !! /Hugh: I'll take care of father. You go after him. / Nathan: ...right. Get Master to safety. / Hugh: Nathan, banish Dracula and then make sure you get out. / Nathan: I will.
^ a b Staff (2000-09-22). "TGS 2000 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Hands-On". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
^ "Related Games – Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
^ a b c "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Reviews and Articles for Game Boy Advance - GameRankings". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ Fitzloff, Jay. "Game Informer Online". Game Informer. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b Staff (2001-06-12). "Review: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b Bub, Andrew. "Reviews: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)". GameSpy. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b Noad, Derek (2001-06-18). "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon review". Gaming Target. UGO.com. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
^ "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (gba: 2001): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b "All Games By Score". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
^ "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for Game Boy Advance - MobyGames". MobyGames. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ "IGN Game Boy: Games, Cheats, News, Reviews, and Previews". IGN.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ Harris, Craig (2001-07-23). "Castlevania Breaks Half a Mil". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
^ "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power 200. February 2006. pp. 58–66
^ Minkley, Johnny (2002-07-18). "Konami's vampire Harmony". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
^ "CASTLEVANIA" (in Japanese). Konami. 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
^ Staff. "55. Koji Igarashi". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
^ Kalata, Kurt (2006-07-26). "Tales from The Crypt: Castlevania's 20th Anniversary Blow-Out". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
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Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Castlevania CotM boxart.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe
Publisher(s) Konami
Designer(s) Ko-G
Artist(s) Kazuko Fujihara
Composer(s) Sotaro Tojima
Hiroshi Mitsuoka
Series Castlevania
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release date(s)
JP March 21, 2001
NA June 11, 2001
EU June 22, 2001
AUS June 22, 2001
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Japanese: 悪魔城ドラキュラ Circle of the Moon Hepburn: Akumajō Dorakyura: Sākuru obu za Mūn?, Devil's Castle Dracula: Circle of the Moon[1]) known simply as Castlevania in the PAL region, is a video game created by Konami only for the Game Boy Advance. Published as a launch title in 2001, Circle of the Moon belongs to Konami's Castlevania video game series, the premise of which centers on the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula. Circle of the Moon focuses on Nathan Graves and his quest to rescue his kidnapped mentor from Dracula.
Contents
1 Gameplay
2 Plot
3 Development
3.1 Audio
4 Critical reception and legacy
5 External links
6 References
Gameplay
Circle of the Moon makes use of a 2D side-scrolling style of gameplay, similar to many of the previous Castlevania video games.[2] The objective of Circle of the Moon is to lead player character Nathan Graves through a monster-filled castle as he searches for his kidnapped mentor.[3] Like many of the previous Castlevania protagonists, Nathan uses a whip to attack and defeat enemies, alongside secondary weapons—an axe, cross, holy water, dagger and stopwatch—only one of which may be carried at any time by the player.[3] Hearts, typically found within candles, determine the amount of any secondary weapon carried by him.[2] Circle of the Moon follows a nonlinear style of gameplay: at the beginning of the game, Nathan can only traverse certain areas of the castle; by obtaining various abilities, such as becoming able to run, double jump, and wall kick, he gradually explores the castle.[3] He will also encounter rooms with the ability to teleport him across portions of the castle and rooms which will restore his health and allow the player to save his or her progress in the game.[2] The game also automatically updates the castle map to reflect Nathan's progress through it.[3]
Circle of the Moon incorporates elements found in role-playing games.[4] Nathan possesses various statistics: hit points, the amount of damage he can withstand before dying; magic points, how often he can cast a magical attack; strength, the power of his physical attack; defense, his resilience to damage inflicted by the monsters; intelligence, the recovery speed of magic points; and luck, the frequency with which items are dropped by enemies.[2] Defeated enemies drop various items and equipment, and provide experience points; after reaching a predetermined amount of experience points, Nathan will level up, and his statistics will improve.[3] The defeat of boss enemies allows the player to acquire new abilities to progress further in the game.[2]
Unique to Circle of the Moon is the Dual Set-up System (DSS), based on magic cards found throughout the game that belong to one of two categories: Action and Attribute.[4] Each of the ten Action card takes its name from one of the gods and goddesses from Roman mythology, and determines the type of magic being performed, while the ten Attribute cards take their names from creatures from Greek and Roman mythology, and add an effect to the magic.[2][4] To produce a magical effect, the player combines one card from each of the two categories, for a total of one hundred different combinations.[4] In "The Battle Arena"—a certain area of the castle which consists of seventeen rooms filled with stronger versions of monsters found elsewhere in the castle—Nathan's supply of mind points is drained, causing the DSS cards to become temporarily unusable.[5]
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon has four alternative modes of gameplay, which must be completed in order as completion of one mode unlocks the code for the next. Once the player has finished Circle of the Moon for the first time, he or she receives a code that can be entered as his or her name when starting a new game; this code will start the game in Magician Mode, in which Nathan has decreased strength and defense, but increased intelligence and begins with all twenty DSS cards.[5] Fighter Mode does not permit the use of DSS cards, but increases his strength and endurance.[5] Shooter Mode allows a higher maximum of hearts he can carry, but gives a penalty to strength, defense, and hit points.[5] Thief Mode reduces Nathan's strength and defense, but increases his luck greatly.[5]
Plot
Taking place in 1830, Circle of the Moon is set in the fictional universe of the Castlevania series. The premise of the series is the eternal conflict between the vampire hunters of the Belmont clan and the immortal vampire Dracula. Circle of the Moon's protagonist, however, is Nathan Graves, whose parents died a decade ago to banish Dracula.[6] Morris Baldwin, who helped in Dracula's banishment, trained him to defeat Dracula and the monsters; Morris ultimately chose him as his successor and gave him the "Hunter Whip", to the displeasure of Hugh, Morris' son who trained alongside him.[6][7]
At an old castle, Camilla, a minion of Dracula, revives him, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Morris, Nathan, and Hugh. Before they are able to banish him again, Dracula destroys the floor under Nathan and Hugh, causing them to plummet down a long tunnel. Surviving the fall and wishing to find his father, Hugh leaves Nathan behind. Nathan proceeds to search the castle for his mentor.[8] Along the way, he learns that at the next full moon, Morris' soul will be used to return Dracula to full power.[9] He also periodically encounters Hugh, who becomes more hostile as the game progresses.[7][10] Eventually, Nathan encounters Camilla, who hints that she and Dracula are responsible for the changes in his personality.[11] Nathan vanquishes Camilla in her true form and meets up with Hugh once more. Upon seeing him, Hugh immediately attacks him with the goal of proving himself to his father through Nathan's defeat; Nathan, however, realizes that Dracula is controlling Hugh.[12] Nathan defeats him, and Dracula's control over Hugh breaks.[13] Confessing that he doubted his self-worth when Nathan was chosen as successor, Hugh tasks him with Morris' rescue.[14]
Arriving at the ceremonial room, Nathan confronts Dracula, who confirms that he had tampered with Hugh's soul to cause the changes in his personality.[15] They begin to fight and halfway through, Dracula teleports away to gain his full power. Hugh then frees his father and tasks Nathan with Dracula's banishment.[16] Nathan continues the battle and defeats Dracula, before escaping the collapsing castle to reunite with Morris and Hugh. Nathan is declared a master vampire hunter by Morris. Hugh vows to retrain under Morris due to his failure.
Development
Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe, Circle of the Moon was designed as a launch title for the Game Boy Advance.[17] At the 2000 Tokyo Game Show, a playable demo of it debuted, which featured two selectable player characters: Hugh and Nathan.[17] The option to play as Hugh did not appear in the final version of the game.[2] Circle of the Moon was published by Konami in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, and as Castlevania in the PAL region on June 22, 2001; it also saw a Japanese-only re-release under the "Konami the Best" label on November 3, 2005.[18]
Audio
Circle of the Moon's score was composed by Sotaro Tojima and Hiroshi Mitsuoka. It consists of numerous remixes of tracks from earlier games, such as "Vampire Killer", "Aquarius" (from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse) and "The Trick Manor" (also known as "Clockwork Mansion"). Also included are some original pieces such as "Fate to Despair", "Awake", and "Proof of Blood".
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon & Castlevania: Concerto of Midnight Sun Original Soundtrack
No. Title Length
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23. "鎮魂歌"
"血脈の印"
"A VISION OF DARK SECRETS"
"Inversion"
"awake"
"THE SINKING OLD SANCTUARY"
"Clockwork"
"戦慄"
"ゲームオーバー"
"fate to despair"
"Aquarius"
"カラクリ館"
"Big Battle"
"Nightmare"
"Vampire Killer"
"幻想的舞曲"
"proof of blood"
"鎮魂の丘"
"circle of the moon"
"プロローグ"
"タイトルバック"
"Name Entry 2K2"
"宿命を継ぐ者" 1:12
0:37
0:45
0:47
1:32
1:51
1:23
0:54
0:09
0:42
1:18
2:23
0:56
1:31
0:52
1:06
1:22
1:51
1:03
1:47
0:24
1:17
1:27 24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45. "攻防"
"慟哭参道"
"ひかりごけの洞窟"
"架橋龍水道"
"礼拝堂の空"
"因果律機械塔"
"骸骨魔窟"
"悪魔城の中心へ"
"愛しい人"
"闇に忠誠を誓う者"
"決戦"
"エピローグ1"
"Game Over"
"闇の化身"
"宿敵"
"エピローグ2"
"宿命を継ぐ者"
"マイペースな物売り"
"漆黒の扉"
"ナイトヘッド"
"VK2K2"
"礼拝堂の空 (アレンジバージョン)" 1:46
1:12
1:48
1:21
1:12
1:11
1:17
1:12
1:51
1:07
1:19
1:22
0:08
0:43
1:17
1:53
1:04
0:32
0:55
0:55
1:11
2:15
4:19
Critical reception and legacy
[hide]Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 89%[19]
Metacritic 92 of 100[24][25]
Review scores
Publication Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly 9.5 of 10[19]
Game Informer 8.75 of 10[20]
GamePro 5/5 stars[21]
GameSpot 9.6 of 10[2]
GameSpy 82 of 100[22]
IGN 9.0 of 10[3]
Nintendo Power 5 of 5[19]
Gaming Target 91[23]
RPGamer 7 of 10[4]
Awards
Publication Award
GameSpot Editors' Choice[2]
IGN Editors' Choice[27]
Circle of the Moon was positively received, selling a total of one million copies in the month following its North American and European release, 500,000 of which in Japan.[28] It was rated the 108th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.[29] On the review aggregate site Metacritic, it is the twelfth-highest rated Game Boy Advance title.[25]
Craig Harris of IGN called Circle of the Moon "one of the best playing Castlevania games released", calling the gameplay "very long and extremely challenging without being frustrating or a chore to zip through". However, he noted that due to the dark graphics, the game was "difficult" to see, and that the character animations looked as though "they've been ripped out of a GBC development".[3] GameSpot.com gave it 9.6 out of 10.[2] GamePro rated the game 5.0, their highest rating, stating that it closely mirrored the most highly acclaimed Castlevania game, Symphony of the Night with its rich graphics and branching story.[21] Gaming Target heavily praised the smoothness of the animations, though too cited a lack of replay value and dark graphics. In addition they gave praise to the game's DSS system, describing it as the best new feature of the title.[23] RPGamer also praised the new system, calling it a "breath of fresh air" when combined with the existing ideas from previous entries in the series, though in contrast felt the game had significant replay value due to its various additional modes and the strengths/weaknesses related to each that required new strategies. Despite their criticism of the plot and recycled elements, they summarized the title as "Konami's Second Symphony".[4] GameSpy stated that while the graphics were a problem, they more readily attributed the issue to the Game Boy Advance itself than the game, adding "it's a horror game about Dracula, don't you want ample light around you anyway?" They also praised the game's music and sound effects as appropriate for the title, though criticized the lack of decent artificial intelligence on the part of the enemies.[22]
Despite the game's success, series producer Koji Igarashi, who had not been involved in its production, was highly critical of the game. When developing follow up title Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, he cited in an interview several flaws he felt should have been rectified in Circle of the Moon's design, primarily its control scheme and the dark appearance of the graphics on the Game Boy Advance. He additionally criticized the DSS card system, stating that it "did not match with the world Castlevania had established over a long period of time", though admitted he felt it was a good system.[30] In 2002, Circle of the Moon was removed from the series timeline,[31] a move met with some resistance from fans.[32] Igarashi noted the reason for the removal as not due to his non-involvement with the games, but instead the intention of the game's development team for Circle of the Moon to be a stand-alone title.[33] Some reviewers have argued that his criticism of the game was unwarranted and his recent installments did not match up to Circle of the Moon.[who?]
External links
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon guide at StrategyWiki
References
^ Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.). (23 October 2007) Japanese: 悪魔城の城主、邪心の神、ドラキュラ伯爵の復活であった。 Konami translation by Ken Ogasawara: Dracula, lord of darkness, master of the devil's castle, walks among us.
^ a b c d e f g h i j Jeff Gerstmann (June 7, 2001). "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b c d e f g Harris, Craig (June 14, 2001). "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". Ign.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b c d e f Alley, Jake. "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon review". RPGamer. Crave Online. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
^ a b c d e "Secrets – Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Guide & Walkthough". ign.com. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
^ a b Konami (2001). Castlevania: Circle of the Moon – Instruction booklet. pp. 20–21.
^ a b KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Hugh: Damn! Who asked you for help! / Nathan: I couldn't just leave you there, could I? / Hugh: Don't think that you defeated it. It was the power of that whip. / Nathan: Hugh.../ Hugh: You could never beat me in training. Never once! But father named you the successor and gave you the Hunter Whip. Your parents and my father banished Dracula together and those fond memories clouded his judgment. Don't forget that!
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Nathan: We have to find Master / Hugh: I'll go. He's my father. Nathan, you'll be in the way. Just get out of here. / Nathan Graves: I want to find Master as much as anybody.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Necromancer: Child, before I finish you, I will tell you some news. Your precious Master is already in our power. / Nathan: What!!! / Necromancer:That old man will feed us with his soul. The rite has been prepared and we only await the full moon.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Nathan: Hugh! Are you alright? / Hugh: What are you doing here? Are you trying to take my glory? / Nathan: Wha? What are you talking about? I just want to save Master. / Hugh: You're in the way! I will defeat Dracula myself and then...
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Camilla: The one who was with you...he was more honest with himself. Even MY MASTER approves of him. (giggle) / Nathan: What? What have you done to Hugh?
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Hugh: I am superior to you. I will defeat you to prove myself to father. / Nathan: You are being controlled by...Camilla? No... by Dracula!
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Nathan: Stop Hugh! I don't want to hurt you! Hugh!!/ Hugh: Nathan? (moan) I' I'm... I'm alright now. / Nathan: You are yourself again.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Hugh: Nathan, I'm sorry. I was envious of you./ Nathan: ? / Hugh: When father named you the successor, I was afraid I was worthless. I wanted...needed the recognition. / Nathan: Enough. / Hugh: That probably was the dark weakness that father saw...in my soul. Why he chose you. / Nathan: Stop it Hugh! / Hugh: It's alright. Even I realize now that father was right in his decision. Don't make me embarrass myself further. Allow me self-pity for now. Help father now. I am entrusting his return to you. / Nathan: I accept.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Dracula: What an emotional display. But don't' fool yourself. Even you must have darkness upon your soul. / Nathan: What? / Dracula: To be superior. To be honored for your singular accomplishments. / Nathan: ! / Dracula: ...to be loved by all...to get the glory even at the expense of others. That is what your friend craved. I just increased that desire, that power. / Nathan: You despicable blight! How dare you toy with his soul. I'll get you for that.
^ KCEK. Circle of the Moon. (Konami). Game Boy Advance. (2001-06-08) Morris: Chase him! Don't let him escape! Urgg... / Nathan: !! /Hugh: I'll take care of father. You go after him. / Nathan: ...right. Get Master to safety. / Hugh: Nathan, banish Dracula and then make sure you get out. / Nathan: I will.
^ a b Staff (2000-09-22). "TGS 2000 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Hands-On". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
^ "Related Games – Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
^ a b c "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Reviews and Articles for Game Boy Advance - GameRankings". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ Fitzloff, Jay. "Game Informer Online". Game Informer. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b Staff (2001-06-12). "Review: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b Bub, Andrew. "Reviews: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)". GameSpy. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b Noad, Derek (2001-06-18). "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon review". Gaming Target. UGO.com. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
^ "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (gba: 2001): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ a b "All Games By Score". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
^ "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for Game Boy Advance - MobyGames". MobyGames. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ "IGN Game Boy: Games, Cheats, News, Reviews, and Previews". IGN.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
^ Harris, Craig (2001-07-23). "Castlevania Breaks Half a Mil". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
^ "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power 200. February 2006. pp. 58–66
^ Minkley, Johnny (2002-07-18). "Konami's vampire Harmony". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
^ "CASTLEVANIA" (in Japanese). Konami. 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
^ Staff. "55. Koji Igarashi". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
^ Kalata, Kurt (2006-07-26). "Tales from The Crypt: Castlevania's 20th Anniversary Blow-Out". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
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Castlevania: Bloodlines (NA)
Vampire Killer (JP)
Castlevania: The New Generation (PAL)
Castlevania: Bloodlines
North American box art
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Producer(s) Tomikazu Kirita
Composer(s) Michiru Yamane
Series Castlevania
Platform(s) Mega Drive
Release date(s)
NA March 17, 1994
JP March 18, 1994
PAL March 20, 1994
Genre(s) Platforming
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution 8-megabit cartridge
Castlevania: Bloodlines is the only Castlevania video game released on the Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed and published by Konami, and was first released in North America, on March 17, 1994. Its Japanese title is Vampire Killer (バンパイアキラー Banpaia Kirā?). This version featured a considerable amount of violence, with the American port containing a surprising amount of blood and gore for a game of its "GA" rating. The European and Australian titles were censored and both titled Castlevania: The New Generation.
Contents
1 Gameplay
2 Plot
2.1 Setting
2.2 Characters
2.3 Story
3 Development
4 Audio
5 Reception
6 References
Gameplay
Eric LeCarde fighting the first miniboss, a Hellhound.
As with most early Castlevania games, players proceed through each level, defeating enemies and collecting gems (hearts in previous games) to power special weapons (in this game, the axe, boomerang, and holy water). Each stage is sectioned, and has a sub-boss battle in the middle, with a main boss battle at the end. Some items will increase the power of the characters' weapons. Some portions of the game split into different paths, depending on which character is chosen. John is able to swing past huge gaps with his whip, whereas Eric must use a different route by performing high jumps by using his spear.
Bloodlines is also noteworthy for its abundance of special effects, such as the Atlantis Shrine's water reflections, the swaying tower of Pisa, and large multi-jointed bosses. The final stage even uses effects to add challenge, such as playing upside-down or playing while the screen divides up into sections. The "Item Crash" feature (from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood) makes its return in Bloodlines.
Plot
Setting
Unlike most Castlevania games, Bloodlines is one of the first games in the series that does not take place exclusively in Dracula's castle or even Romania. In addition to the first level (Dracula's castle in Romania), there are another five levels set in other European countries — Athens, Greece; Pisa, Italy; a weapon factory in Germany; the Palace of Versailles, in France; and the fictional Castle Proserpina in England. Despite the change in setting, however, the game still features the now-archetypal designs of Castlevania games. The player starts in the ruins of Castlevania (the first half of which is taken from the first NES game), which is a recurring theme in later titles.
This game attempts to bridge the Castlevania games with the Dracula novel written by Bram Stoker, which the series had only been loosely connected to previously; John Morris, the main player character, is said to be the son of Quincey Morris, one of the novel's heroic characters.
Additionally, the Countess Bartley is loosely based on the actual historical figure Elizabeth Báthory. The witch who resurrects her in the game's backstory is Dorottya Szentes, who in reality had connections to Báthory. (Just as the name "Bartley" in the English versions of the game is a mistransliteration of Báthory, the name "Drolta Tzuentes" is a corruption of Dorottya's name.)
The game's backstory also references the real-life death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, suggesting that the assassination had been ordered by the Countess.
Bloodlines' story weighs heavily on Portrait of Ruin, which stars John Morris' son Jonathan as the main character. John Morris dies sometime between 1917 and 1944 as a result of his reliance on the Vampire Killer whip and the fact that it saps the energy of its non-full-blood Belmont users (John had been injured in the fight with Dracula in 1917 and his reliance on the whip never allowed him to fully recover from his wounds).
Characters
Artwork used for Japanese, European and Australian game cover versions of Castlevania: Bloodlines
John Morris (ジョニー・モリス Jonī Morisu?) Born on December 12, 1895, in Texas, USA, is the current wielder of the Vampire Killer whip. "John Morris has been summoned by fate to slay the Countess Bartley before her diabolic plan can be fulfilled. Like all of his forefathers, he is wise in the ways of vampire slaying and is skilled with the legendary whip."[1]
Eric Lecarde (エリック・リカード Erikku Rikādo?): Born on May 3, 1892 in Segovia, Spain, he uses the Alcarde Spear (アルカード・スピア Arukādo Supia?). "Eric Lecarde, master lanceman, has volunteered to take his friend's place in the hunt. However, he hasn't told John the real reason behind his appetite for vengeance: the Countess turned the love of his life, Gwendolyn, into a vampire." [2]
Story
In 1897, the long war between humanity and Dracula came to an end, as Dracula was laid to eternal rest by Quincey Morris, a descendant of the Belmont family. Peace was restored to Europe, until the outbreak of the First World War, which transformed the continent into a dark world filled with massacre and violence. At the beginning of the war, on June 1914 at Sarajevo, the Crown Prince of Austria was assassinated. It was said that a strange beautiful woman was involved, within the shadows. It was Elizabeth Bartley (エリザベート・バートリー Erizabēto Bātorī?). In order to revive her uncle, Count Dracula, she conducted an unholy ceremony which caused the war, giving her possession of human souls from Europe.
The game itself takes place in 1917. The characters are John Morris, a descendant of the famed Belmont and Morris families who obeyed his fate to fight vampires day and night, and Eric Lecarde, whose girlfriend was transformed into a vampire when Elizabeth was revived. After Drolta Tzuentes (ドロテア・ツェンテス Dorotea Tsentesu?) resurrected Elizabeth Bartley, they traveled across Europe to conduct the resurrection of Count Dracula. John Morris and Eric Lecarde followed them. Even though the resurrection of Dracula was a success, the vampire hunters defeated him, and his allies.
Development
Castlevania: Bloodlines underwent censorship during localization to PAL regions in Europe and Australia. The word blood was kept out of the title at the time. Therefore, the title was altered to Castlevania: The New Generation. When the game starts, the blood from the bottom of the title screen was changed to water. Another thing that was changed for the title screen is that the North American and Japanese versions had blood dripping effects from the title to the blood pool, but in the European version, the title screen just faded in through pixelated text and had no blue water dripping effect. The zombies were changed from pink to green to make them less gruesome. In the European version, Eric's spear does not impale him after he dies. There was a rearrangement of enemy placement as well, making the difficulty either easier or harder depending on where in the game the player is. Also, only some sub-bosses use the life bar meter to show damage, whereas others don't.
Eric's facial features were more feminine (i.e., bishōnen) in the Japanese version. When brought to North America, his facial design was changed in the intro to seem more masculine. Oddly, although also changed for the European and Australian versions intro, his feminine face was kept for the cover of those releases.
The game was originally released as a side story of Castlevania series.[1]
Audio
The music of Bloodlines was composed by Michiru Yamane, who later garnered acclaim for her score for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and subsequent handheld Castlevania adventures. Though she once admitted to have worked under extreme pressure and deadlines,[2] this soundtrack met the standards of the previous entries and is highly regarded on its own for its gloomy atmosphere.[citation needed] The music for the second level, titled "The Sinking Old Sanctuary," was reused in later Castlevania games, Circle of the Moon, for the Game Boy Advance, and Legacy of Darkness, for the Nintendo 64.
The main themes for each of the first levels of the three NES Castlevania games (Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, Beginning) are accessible in-game with a code and can be played in the sound test as well. Also, Nothing to Lose (the Castle Keep theme for the NES Castlevania) was played in the final part of the first stage. Theme of Simon (from Super Castlevania IV) plays after defeating Elizabeth and before the battle with Dracula.
Reception
[hide]Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 81.88%[3]
GamesRadar named Castlevania: Bloodlines the 8th best Genesis game of all time out of a list of 25.[4]
References
Jump up ^ Page 33, Rondo of Blood Strategy guide book
Jump up ^ "It was my first title for the series ever, and I was under a lot a pressure." – Michiru Yamane, from the Castlevania: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Art Collection
Jump up ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/genesis/563315...
Jump up ^ GamesRadar staff (April 17, 2012). "Best Sega Genesis games of all time". GamesRadar. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
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posted by Super Mario man Oct 20 2013 13:29 GMT
posted by Super Mario man Oct 20 2013 13:27 GMT
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