Category: Retro Revamped

Retro Revamped #3: Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

Introduction

Growing up I was always a huge fan of the Castlevania series. It all started for me when I played the first 3 games on my friend’s NES, sometime during the transition between the 16- and 32-bit eras. We spent an entire day getting our young asses whupped by each game, as we illogically jumped from one game to another, losing our progress, but having a hell of a time.

One may ask, Why the hell did it take me so long to play Castlevania? Well I didn’t have an NES growing up, instead relying solely on my Uncle for access to Nintendo’s dominant patriarch console, and unfortunately never got Super Castlevania IV for my SNES. Despite these major oversights, all was forgiven following that fateful day at my friend’s house; I was addicted to the series, now considering it one of my favorite of all time.

Unfortunately, the series in its 2D form has been essentially a no-show since the DS era, and has, of late, been ignored by Konami, who instead prefer to focus on Pachinko machines.

Luckily, the DS games were incredible Symphony of the Night-esque experiences, and kept me busy for quite some time. It is for that reason that I was thrilled when I heard that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s, an ambitious SoTN clone, KickStarter campaign was as success. Though this “MetroidVania” style game is critically adored and widely accepted as the better style of Castlevania, I have always preferred the classic, balls-hard, linear approach to the series.

The last time I was able to experience such a Castlevania was during the PSP’s run, with Dracula X Chronicles, which included a 2.5-D remake of Rondo of Blood, the original Turbografx CD Rondo of Blood, and Symphony of the Night; clearly one of the most epic anthologies in gaming history. Since that experience, I had been starving for more of the classic style of Castlevania, but was left un-satiated. That is, until I discovered that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night had a certain stretch goal that was successfully reached. The reward for reaching one of the game’s financing goals, was an entire classic-style Castlevania game entitled: Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. Needless to say I was twice as excited as I was for even the original Bloodstained announcement, despite the game merely being a means to whet the communities appetite during the primary game’s development.

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What the Streets of Rage 4 Announcement Means to Me… and Thoughts

UPDATE: Check out my first impressions of SOR4 post-release here

When my 3-year old self managed to convince my parents to get me a SEGA Genesis just like my older cousin, one of the first games I received was Streets of Rage 2. Even as a barely functional toddler, it quickly became one of my favorite games on the console; spending much of my time bludgeoning hordes of “Galsia” with steel pipes and incorrectly mimicking the inaudible battle cries of the protagonists while they were performing their special moves on-screen (honestly, who the hell understood what they were saying back in the day?).

As mentioned in a previous post, a different cousin of mine, who was the same age as me, also happened to receive a Genesis and SOR2 the same year, and we played it together everyday following our daily 12:00 PM dismissals from pre-school; She the massive, possibly steroid infused, Max Thunder, and I, the scrawny pre-pubescent boy Skate. These character choices were particularly ironic considering I was big for my age, while she was pretty scrawny back then. As a side note, now she is pretty jacked, perhaps inspired by her childhood favorite Max?

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Retro Revamped #2: Bravely Second: End Layer

Retro Revamped is a series of review articles written about new games that attempt to embody the founding principles of their respective genres, whilst still yielding an experience that feels nuanced and fresh. What constitutes a game that “feels” retro is completely my subjective opinion, and may not have been the intention of the developers.

Introduction

Bravely Default was responsible for renewing my interest in JRPGs, following a prolonged hiatus resulting from burn out. When I first obtained Bravely Default, I held on to it for over a year before jumping in. Why? Well, because I feared I didn’t have the time to invest in an expansive JRPG. At the time this was true, considering I was working multiple jobs and going to school at night. When the doldrums of life were replaced instead by a more sustainable existence, I finally did venture into the world of Luxendarc my life quickly reverting back to my childhood. I went on an RPG binge that continues even now.

After taking a break from the Bravely Default for a while, exploring new JRPGs and childhood favorites such as Phantasy Star, I revisited the game and tied up some loose ends; namely defeating the secret Uber-bosses, The Adventurer and Comrade.

This additional taste of the Bravely world compelled me to finally commit to finishing the sequel: Bravely Second: End Layer; but how would it measure up to the well-regarded original? Would it continue to foster my reignited passion for JRPGs, or would it usher in a new era of RPG-fatigue?

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Retro Revamped # 1: Bravely Default (3DS)

Image result for bravely default cover

Retro Revamped is a series of review articles written about new games that attempt to embody the founding principles of their respective genres, whilst still yielding an experience that feels nuanced and fresh. What constitutes a game that “feels” retro is completely my subjective opinion, and may not have been the intention of the developers.

Introduction

Bravely Default is a spiritual successor to the DS game, Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light, which sought to carry on the legacy created by the original Final Fantasy on the NES. Unlike The Four Heroes of Light, however, Bravely Default, chooses to innovate rather than rely purely on nostalgia and fan-service. This game retains the turn-based elements of antiquity, while enhancing it with an innovative battle system that uses risk-reward as a central tenet.

This game is responsible for reviving my interest in JRPGs, following a 5-year hiatus related to burn out. I grew up in the golden age of RPGs, during the SNES and PSX days and have played hundreds of games in the genre, including some obscure titles. As time went on I had less and less time to spend enveloped in 60-90 hour JRPGs and had to settle for other genres with less daunting playtimes that provide more short-term rewards. Despite lack of time Bravely Default hooked me so fast I was quickly trading valuable sleep for just a “few more minutes,” that quickly turned in to hours.

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