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Ok, so I said I was leaving Epinions, but as Annexation told me, "She calls you back. She always calls you back." Damn the man, he was right... but I didn't think it would happen so soon. Yet after spending the past few hours perusing the site -- reading, rating, and commenting -- I got a nostalgic feeling, and knew that I would end up where I am now: writing.

I am inclined to think that the restoration of our Update and Delete functions to us is mostly to thank for this piece, but it's more than that. It's what Fragglemom talked about in her opinion from Oct. 29th -- community. That's the reason I loved it here so much in the first place... all of you. It obviously wasn't the money, as we only got 1¢ per user-rating back when I joined... and I'm obviously not returning now because of the money, as we presently garner a phat 0¢ per any-rating.

Nope, I'm writing this because of you guys. Guys like Annexation, who finally got me to check this place out after twisting my arm for the 10th time. Guys like Fragglemom ("guys" obviously being non-gender), who has consistently brought a smile to my face. Guys like Hard_To_Please, who I will always have fond memories of. And so many more of you, whether listed in my WOT or not. You all are the reason this is being posted.

Will I ever delete the harsh "farewell" opinion I wrote before this? Most likely not. I still do not trust the Niraliban, and I want them to know that. Yet, as with any terrorist, directly changing something about my life as a result of their actions is handing them a victory, no matter how small -- and I won't allow that to happen. It is on that note that I present to you the outcome of one of the most admirable moves ever made by Konami: Castlevania Chronicles.

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Castlevania Chronicles (CVC) isn't exactly what I had in mind way back when I used to fantasize about Castlevania remakes on the PlayStation. On such occasions, which often necessitated a change of underwear, I imagined a game (even with the same name) that was a compilation of at least the first three Castlevania games on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), and perhaps even Super Castlevania IV and Castlevania Dracula X from the SNES (Super NES). What we have here is a far cry from the nerdy daydreams of a die-hard [side-scrolling] Castlevania fan, yet still a pleasantly unexpected and thoroughly enjoyable addition to the U.S.-released Castlevania library.

First of all, let me warn you that CVC is far from being for everyone. If you don't like CV games, you won't like this. If you don't like 2D games, you won't like this. And if you don't like old-school action, you definitely wont like this. But if the birth of your game-playing (assuming you play at all, that is) was back in the days of the NES and Sega Master System, back when big hair was cool and Nixon had a memory, then chances are you'll jump on this game like a horny poodle on an unsuspecting leg. Especially when that leg only costs you $20.

CVC is the definition of old-school. It's not 3D, it's not something that hasn't been done many times before, and the graphics are far surpassed by CV: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation), and even SCV4 (SNES, as mentioned above). But that's exactly why I love it. In this modern world of videogames, it seems that nearly every game on a system that can support 3D games has to be 3D. For those of you who have played either of the CV games on the N64 (Nintendo 64), you know how utterly wrong such a paradigm can be. Just look at CV:SofTN (above) -- that game is a side-scroller, and one of the all-time best-sellers for the PlayStation.


Alright nerd, just tell me more about the game.

Fair enough. I tend to get carried away with games I like, especially series.

Story
Nothing special here. Typical to a CV game, a cult has resurrected Dracula from the grave, and you must venture forth to defeat him again. Do so, and you will bring eternal peace to the land -- "eternal" as in "until another cult comes along".

Action
Any of you who have played a CV game on the NES will recognize the action in this game (and those who played CV1 will even recognize parts of some levels). Move left, move right, jump, whip left, whip right (yeah that's right, badkittyM, I said "whip"), and use special weapons, which you need to collect hearts for (from candlesticks, not from corpses). It's pretty simple. See a ghost? Whip the ghost. See a bat? Whip the bat. See someone bound in black leather, in a provocative pose? Whip the... wait, nevermind. Work your way through each level, killing various curséd creatures, and fight the boss at the end. Couldn't be much easier.

Difficulty
Except that this game is hard. Even to the old-schoolers like me, it will take a lot of patience and level-memorization to finally send Dracula back to Satan's teat. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" is the rule of most CV games. If you can't handle repetition, you should look elsewhere. Even with the adjustable difficulty and number of lives (see below), this game will still keep you tied up for a while (try not to break that controller when you fling it against the wall).

CVC is hard, for one, because of the number of lesser enemies. No matter how much you whip and nance around (jump), you will run into them. And any physical contact means damage for you (although some of the weaker monsters will also be dispatched by such encounters). Additional difficulty is found in the environment itself -- spikes, pits, large gears, slicing pendulums -- everything seems out to get you.

Of course, the game is also hard because of the bosses at the end of each level. If you beat a boss on the first try, chances are it's because you've played a lot of CV games before, and are used to the action. For most bosses, it will take many tries, which means repeating part of the level again -- yet another challenging aspect of the game.

However, with both levels, small enemies, and bosses, one thing will lead you to success -- patterns. It's often beneficial to sit back, relax, and just study how things move in various parts of the levels. Try killing only what you have to... just dodge whatever comes at you, even if it means that you die on your current life. Seeing how things interact is invaluable in any CV game.

Graphics and Sound
Here's where many people will be turned off. Like I mentioned earlier, the graphics aren't on par with the expectations of many gamers today, who judge games based mostly on eye-candy. Anyone who saw CVC being played, and didn't first glance at the system, might think it was just some old SNES game. But, like an elderly woman with no teeth, this game can take care of you -- I mean take really good care of you -- if you know how to properly enjoy it.

As for the sound... it's honestly not as good as I was hoping. The sound effects are just fine -- crisp, clear, well-sampled, fitting, and all that -- but the music leaves something to be desired in some areas. Several of the songs are awesome, especially to the avid CV fans like myself, who will most likely recognize them as the remixes they are. Yet many are just bizarre and downright un-catchy, making you hope (like a whöre who just got done with a virgin) that the next score will be better. Fortunately, this does not detract from enjoyment of the game itself.


Special features

Arranged mode
If you choose to play Arranged mode instead of Original, you can have adjusted difficulty and player-lives settings. (For the first time through, I would definitely suggest playing on Easy with 5 lives.) Plus, this mode changes your character from some yellow guy to some d00d in black and red. Who they are is never explained, except perhaps in the manual... read it if you feel so inclined. (Yet based on the time period when this game came out on the PC in Japan (1993), I would imagine they're both suppsed to be Simon Belmont.) Also -- the most noticeable difference in Arranged mode -- the music changes. Original mode has original music, and Arrange mode has remixes. For both sets, the comments made above about the music in general apply.

Full-Motion Videos (FMVs)
Woo-ha. What PlayStation game would be complete without these bad boys. The opening video shows the cult resurrecting Dracula, and the ending one shows -- well, play for yourself. Also, there is a bonus video, showing an interview with the executive producer of the CV series. His name? Don't know, don't care. If for some god-awful reason you find yourself wanting this information, first punch yourself repeatedly in the groin area, then turn to the internet for your answer, 'cuz you won't find it here. The interview itself is somewhat interesting to watch, but once was enough for me. Although that producer guy is a real mooky* mofo... which heightens the entertainment value.

The unlockable (don't read if you don't want to know)
After completing the game, you can play a special mode in which you go through a chosen level and try to beat it in the quickest time possible. It will keep track of the high scores, and store them on your memory card. The name of this mode will not be given, for the sake of those who are trying to skip this paragraph so as not to have their surprise ruined. Yeah, Merry mutha fûckin' Christmas, early. At least I gave you more than Nirav is likely to by 12/25.


Overall
I find it very impressive that Konami would go through with such a venture. This was definitely "for the fans", as I'm sure they will make far less money with this game than they would with another Symphony of the Night-type. I can only hope that it does well enough for them to make a CVC2.

To any fan of the CV series, this is definitely worth the $20. For anyone else, rent / borrow it. You never know... you may just stumble upon a new favorite series.



* "Mooky" is a word introduced to me by Annexation. For an idea of what "mooky" entails, see my profile page, and follow the link to Annexation's "The Unofficial Epinions Dictionary - Volume 1". (Be sure to go to Volume 1, not Volume 2).



Recommended: Yes