32_Footsteps's Full Review: Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon for Game Boy Advan...
Given the raves you hear about this game from other people, you would have thought that this game would have been the toast of E3 2001. Oddly enough, though, Konami only set up one booth, well off to the side, with the game set up. I still wonder to this day why they did that, although it might be to make more room for the giant screen constantly showing cut scenes from Metal Gear Solid 2. So I picked up Konami's unheralded hit, to see if it could really compare to Symphony of the Night, one of the top games for the Playstation.
The game starts with you controlling Nathan Graves, inheritor to the famous Hunter Whip of previous Castlevania fame. To the surprise of nobody with a knowledge of video gaming history, Dracula has risen. Again. And you have to fight him. Again. This time, though, you're also out to save the fellow who taught you to hunt vampires, Morris Baldwin, all while competing with his son, Hugh. The plot is really just the minor distraction that Konami has put in every single Castlevania game since the second, but it is handled alright. My only problem is that none of these guys is a Belmont. The Belmonts (Simon, Trevor, Richter, et al) are the vampire hunters. Who are these interlopers?
But with that aside, the game's action is absolutely classic Konami. Dropped into the middle of the dungeon, you are given free reign of the castle, to find the items and become stronger so that you may deliver a righteous beating to Dracula... with a whip. Well, if you can get over that goofy idea that a vampire would fear thick leather, anyways. But the game flows rather smoothly, helped out by the absolutely clean controls. The feel of the game is exactly like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which is easily the best Castlevania game. Indeed, with the sprawling castle, with secrets that are tricky to find even late in the game, gives a classic, slightly claustrophobic feel, somewhat like Metroid did back in the day.
One thing about the game that really helps it is the Dual Setup System, which is the game's magic. Hidden in the game are 20 cards, 10 for elementals and 10 for actions. These combine for 100 different spells, which do add in another level of strategy. I mean, do you combine Mandoragora and Venus for a Luck bonus, and hope that luck carries you through an area? Do you prepare Mars with an element, to have your whip transform into some other form? Overall, good use of the magic system is vital to get through the game, and it does add alot to the way you can get through it.
However, that's just the first time. What is the triumph of the game is that the game actually has four different ways to go through it. You have the standard mode, in which you're moderately strong and even in all categories. You also have a mode in which magic is useless, one in which magic is basically the only useful thing, and one in which you quite literally live on your luck alone. Quite simply, you can literally take months trying to get through this game in every mode. It has been a long time since any action game has given me this many reasons to keep returning to it.
The game also manages to prove that the Game Boy Advance has broken away from the greatest problem plaguing earlier Game Boy incarnations. Namely, the music doesn't blow chunks. I actually, when alone, leave the sound on. While the sound isn't as crisp or as enjoyable as music on the consoles, I find the simple fact that I can listen to the music refreshing. The sound effects are similarly clean, and I'm honestly thrilled that I no longer have to ignore half of a portable game. Even the sound of the spinning whip is excellent. Overall, it's worth keeping the sound on.
However, we get to the primary flaw of the game. As most people know, the Game Boy Advance is not backlit, and even with a brightly colored game, like Chu Chu Rocket!, it can be difficult at times to see the screen. Well, to keep with the mood of a game involving killing vampires and demons, Konami decided to use a decidedly dark pallette. The end result of this, though, is what appears to be black graphics on a black background. You have to be in an extremely well-lit room, while somehow avoiding glare, to really see what is going on in the game. Granted, once you find the perfect spot in the room, while standing in the crane position to avoid the glare, the graphics are excellent, clear while packing in alot of action. The only problem is that you do have to stand in the crane position in the middle of stage lighting.
One other flaw I find is that several of the abilities in the game, related to the DSS cards, require a controller sequence to activate. However, unless you already know what the sequence is, you won't know how to activate it. There are no clues, either within the game or in the instruction booklet (for the curious, it is a half circle on the control pad, from down to forward to up, followed immediately by the attack button). I don't know who first figured out the sequence, but thanks. Otherwise, Konami, in their forgetfulness, would have made this game inadvertently much harder.
However, even with those glaring (and glare) problems, I simply cannot stop playing this game. The levels are huge, the game actually presents a challenge in four different forms, and the action is simply classic. While I would implore Konami, in the future, to consider graphics design more carefully, especially on a system with natural light problems, I think that this game is a mandatory buy for Game Boy Advance owners. Also, for the next Castlevania GBA game, put up more booths at E3. Don't rely on word of mouth alone for such a great game; give it the attention it deserves.
wdkilo Store Castlevania (Classic NES Series)Game Boy Advance - NEW AUTHENTIC USA RELEASE OF THE GAME. BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED!INCLUDES EVERYTHIN...More at eBay
Nintendo's Classic NES Series for the Game Boy Advance brings back many memories for old school gamers. CASTLEVANIA is no exception. This classic was ...More at GameQuest Direct. com
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