Well known today for its brutal difficulty and being the originator of the Belmont Strut, Castlevania is one of the rare classics that lives up to its legacy. In fact, I never touched a single Castlevania game until just a few years ago, and rather than going straight for Symphony of the Night (arguably the series most popular title), I figured I was better off starting from the very beginning and working my way through for as long as I could tolerate it. This game has aged like wine and has become something of an annual replay for me along with a few other games in the series, usually around October because... Draculas.
The controls in this game are very deliberate. The jump is stiff, heavy, and cannot be broken out of, making each leap something you must commit to completely. The pace at which Simon moves is steady, both fast enough to avert danger yet lacking in just enough mobility to only narrowly avert disaster. The whips speed and hitbox are well defined, making each boss encounter a calculation of how many strikes you can land before pulling back. Subweapons not only make a palpable impact in terms of raw damage output, but have clear advantages and disadvantages in how they augment the trajectory of your attacks. It all feels clunky the first time you pick it up, but subsequent playthroughs feel like slipping into a warm bath. It's perfect.
I am now going to invoke one of the most tired tropes in game criticism and compare this to Dark Souls, only in reverse, because Dark Souls is the Castlevania of action RPGs.
Castlevania teaches the player through trial and error, with repeat jogs through levels becoming a bit easier each time as you start to learn the rhythm of it. You get a better feel for what subweapons you might need, or how much health you should have before a specific obstacle or encounter. Finding hidden money bags to build towards lives right when you need them, or carefully metering out the hits you can take before that next wall chicken start to shift control from the game to the player. It's one of the few games I think plays better every time I sit down with it. This is, essentially, the same way I view the Souls series. You learn whatever stretch of the level you're stuck on and when you get a handle on it and make that perfect run through, it feels amazing. It's a compelling loop that encourages you to keep trying rather than pushing you away.
I know, I know, comparing a game to Dark Souls is, well... heinous, and I should be punished for my crimes. Just be thankful I'm not reviewing Castlevania 2, or you might have to put up with me insisting those games are equally as obtuse.
There's precious few things I can really fault Castlevania for. Some instances of slowdown cause really interfere with your ability to avoid hazards, and a few stretches between checkpoints are needlessly grueling. The level with the fleamen is a bit dull once you realize all you need to do is hold right, as it's otherwise a straight line that you have to start all the way back at if you screw up. Really, these are all minor complaints. Castlevania is so tightly designed that I really need to stretch for something bad.
I've given a few other versions of this game a shot as well, and in particular I really like the X68000 and Chronicles versions. Of course the original is easily accessible through the Castlevania Collection today, which I think is well worth picking up for this alone.
The controls in this game are very deliberate. The jump is stiff, heavy, and cannot be broken out of, making each leap something you must commit to completely. The pace at which Simon moves is steady, both fast enough to avert danger yet lacking in just enough mobility to only narrowly avert disaster. The whips speed and hitbox are well defined, making each boss encounter a calculation of how many strikes you can land before pulling back. Subweapons not only make a palpable impact in terms of raw damage output, but have clear advantages and disadvantages in how they augment the trajectory of your attacks. It all feels clunky the first time you pick it up, but subsequent playthroughs feel like slipping into a warm bath. It's perfect.
I am now going to invoke one of the most tired tropes in game criticism and compare this to Dark Souls, only in reverse, because Dark Souls is the Castlevania of action RPGs.
Castlevania teaches the player through trial and error, with repeat jogs through levels becoming a bit easier each time as you start to learn the rhythm of it. You get a better feel for what subweapons you might need, or how much health you should have before a specific obstacle or encounter. Finding hidden money bags to build towards lives right when you need them, or carefully metering out the hits you can take before that next wall chicken start to shift control from the game to the player. It's one of the few games I think plays better every time I sit down with it. This is, essentially, the same way I view the Souls series. You learn whatever stretch of the level you're stuck on and when you get a handle on it and make that perfect run through, it feels amazing. It's a compelling loop that encourages you to keep trying rather than pushing you away.
I know, I know, comparing a game to Dark Souls is, well... heinous, and I should be punished for my crimes. Just be thankful I'm not reviewing Castlevania 2, or you might have to put up with me insisting those games are equally as obtuse.
There's precious few things I can really fault Castlevania for. Some instances of slowdown cause really interfere with your ability to avoid hazards, and a few stretches between checkpoints are needlessly grueling. The level with the fleamen is a bit dull once you realize all you need to do is hold right, as it's otherwise a straight line that you have to start all the way back at if you screw up. Really, these are all minor complaints. Castlevania is so tightly designed that I really need to stretch for something bad.
I've given a few other versions of this game a shot as well, and in particular I really like the X68000 and Chronicles versions. Of course the original is easily accessible through the Castlevania Collection today, which I think is well worth picking up for this alone.