Castlevania Symphony of the Night: One Enchanted Evening

If you're a fan of Castlevania, you probably know that talking about all the viable games in the canon is like reaching into a coffin full of sticky gummy bats: picking the best one may be time consuming and a bit sticky. 

The entire series has about 20 (quite similar) games, but only a few gems worth snagging.

There's a lot of 'vanias to mull over, but the one thing I always felt to be true is that the series is at its best when exploring an interesting castle via a clever map layout.

!!!

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This was my queue to finally dig into my retro video games box, and find the very first Castlevania that used an on-screen map to help players navigate a maze-like castle: A PS1 classic named Castlevania Symphony of the Night.

I placed my aged PS1 on a predetermined angle to properly load the game (that laser was always a bit finicky), excitedly slid in my copy of SOTN, and gently closed the disc cover (took me a few tries due to a sticky flap button).

But enough talk, let's have at this.

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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 2D side-scroller first released in 1997, on the original PlayStation. The game differs a lot from its early classic installments, and is consider the best in the series, because of its open-ended design and infusion of RPG elements, that include exploration, leveling up, and a robust equipment system.

Strap your cloak on, and help Alucard (a dhampir), stop Dracula's eternal spite of mankind by banishing his demonic dad back to the realm of Daimakaimura. Ok, I'm overlooking several plot points and tidbits, but this is an adventure game after all, and as cool as the story is, it's all about "The Adventuring".

I haven't played this game in over 10 years, but its colourful graphics and smoothly animated sprites are just as impressive as they were in 1997. And as soon as the first musical crescendo signaled the beginning of the adventure, I was ready to delve into this retro goodness, once more (or for the sixth time, to be precise).

Groove that Stakes the Heart

The music contained within this game is legendary. When I heard it the first time, I paused the game to check if there was an entire orchestra shoved into my PS1. Moody. Melodic. Transcendent. The compositions are unique and unexpected, yet super refined. No filler here. Many of the tracks contain rocking guitar work, bouncing bass, enchanting violins, jazzy drums, gripping angelic choirs and subtle (and not so subtle) piano pieces.

This melange of instruments creates some of the wildest and most entrancing music ever produced for a video game. You'll find yourself wanting to pause in the various places of the castle just to hear the entire track play out. I wont jive more, just listen to my favourite track: The Tragic Prince. Do it!

Curiously, all the spoken dialog in the game sounds like it was recorded inside a cone-shell placed at the bottom of a large decrepit dresser. I'm not sure where the producer found the English voice talent, but the spoken dubbing is seriously comical. Luckily, there isn't a lot of voice-overs in the game. And none of the sound FX share the same issues (woo!).

Candlelight Fantasia

The game's graphics are on par with the music: SOTN creators meticulously crafted every inch of the castle with incredible attention to detail. Every room and area of Dracula's Castle feels and looks different. Although many of backgrounds are 2D and hand-drawn, many of the architectural textures have pronounced depth and are so articulate they almost look photo-realistic.

The backgrounds are filled with all manner of Gothic relics, statues, odd contraptions, ghastly trinkets and memorable architecture. I cannot think of another 2D game where I would stop playing just to examine a painting, a piece of furniture, or just take in the symmetrical nature of the stage props. Many outer rooms also extend beyond the actual field of play, to reveal rooftops held by angelic statues, inner-workings of machines, or hanging skeletal remains of previous adventurers. Neat.

Because this game came out at the pinnacle of the early 3D craze, the developers did render certain objects in 3D, but the end result was a bit lackluster and quite unnecessary since 95% of this game was hand-drawn. Although effects such as the scrolling sky found in the Royal Chapel stage, and the river of flowing lava in the Catacombs, add a flavorful dimension to the game, and complement the 2D art quite nicely.

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 Bloodstained Lineage

At first, Alucard won't have immediate access to many areas of the castle, but as you level him up and explore, more of the map will reveal itself to you. Still, many items are cleverly hidden requiring you to examine your surroundings closely. Wooden plank blocking the way? Lure an explosive barrel hurling skeleton. Background gears sound strange when hit? Try locking them with repeated attacks. There's an inconspicuous looking-glass atop of a tower? Well... look through it! And don't forget to break odd-looking walls!!

The castle may seem like a jumbled mess, but after an hour spend inside the devil's dwelling, you'll find yourself wanting to explore every inch of the game. And the rewards for doing so are well worth the effort. Items. Items. And items. Listing all the weapons, armour, and trinkets would take an entire span of this review, so I'll only mention a couple curiosities: A sword that summons undead warriors, a cape that turns Alucard semi-invisible, and shoes that discretely increase his height (?).

There are also some unique finds, which will allow Alucard to morph into a wolf, a bat, and take form of a mist cloud. Several Familiars will join the fight (providing that you'll find them): a faerie, that debuffs Alucard's negative stats and heals him; a little mischievous devil, with a flair for elemental attacks; a living sword which floats around, always poised to attack; a ghastly skull and a little cute bat.

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Of Dhampirs and Men

Alucard can equip a shield in one hand and a sword/mace/brass knuckle in the other. He can also put on stat-increasing/element resistant items in the form of capes, masks, armour, helmets, and numerous rings. Being a bad-ass half-vampire, he can also perform secret techniques that range from feeding on spilled blood for a quick HP regen, teleporting in a column of fire, to blatantly sucking life energy from his opponents. (Soul Steal for the win!)

Dracula's castle is truly an occult bazaar full of strange critters and monstrosities: demonic knights, possessed marionettes, poltergeist swords, merman, flea-men, ghastly goblins, elemental spirits, slimes, and many more – it's a compendium of evil mythological lore made real by crafty Japanese game-makers. Some of the bosses are truly stunning, and are so huge that the screen cannot contain their sprites. 

Special mention must go to Granfaloon aka The Legion (a gigantic sphere made entirely of ghastly nude bodies), and Galamoth (an armour-clad supernatural behemoth that attacks with electricity).

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I could go on, but the delights of this game are best when tasted on your own. Go on, play this 2D Danse Macabre before it vanishes along with the fading moonlight.

Castlevania: SOTN gets five majestically howling Wargs out of five.

But wait! Just when you think it's all done, there's another Castle that literally 'inverts' the gameplay!!!

I'll let you figure out that one.

Also, Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards... you may leave now, no need to thank me.

shake it off!

Developer: Konami

Publisher: Konami

Platform: PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PS3, Xbox 360, PSP

Released:1997

Genre: Action-Platformer-RPG

Growing Up Gamer: From Bits to Infinity

I'm leisurely lounging on my couch, enjoying a laid-back Saturday afternoon. Sipping some juice. Playing Super Mario World. Letting my mind wonder in 2D lands. And an unexpected ring-tone tugs my awareness back to reality.

A quick glance at my surroundings confirms there's nobody home but me. I lift the nettlesome receiver.

“I got the game!”

 “... Which game?”

“You know which game, bring your controller now!”

“... You got Street Fighter II, no frigging way!”

 “Yes! And you need to come now!”

My shoes fly onto my feet, 20 seconds flat. I'm out the door, zipping pass the elevator, almost plummeting down the stairway. Two minutes from the time I put down the phone, I'm already at my friend's house plugging my controller into his Super Nintendo. Grinning excitedly because of the upcoming PvP match.

It Began on the Streets 

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The next two months are spent studying eight unique road warriors, and mastering their intricate thumb-scraping moves. The year is 1992. A decade that was my wondrous entry into the worlds of video games. My initial system of choice: Super Nintendo (with Super Mario World already packed in).

Time was abundant those days, my friends and I would rent games and play them until dawn. Always scouring our neighbourhoods for obscure video game and VHS rental shops – and there ware many. If you wanted to try newly released games, you'd have to hit up The Arcades: Places know as inclusive covenants of amicable characters with diverse gaming skills and knowledge. A lot of gamers I know -- and later became friends with -- I met at the arcades, and the various anime clubs that were slowly popping up around town.

The only way to get gaming news back then was by spending allowance money on the monthly Game Pro/EGM Magazine. And if you were interested in imported games, anime, and comic books, the 'zine of choice was the legendary GameFAN Magazine. Between browsing magazine shelves of our local Scrum Mart, and frantic joystick bashing at the local arcades, we still found time to watch every episode of Video Arcade Top 10, and Game Nation. Yeah, TV was the only way to siphon gaming related news. Radical.

Launched Into Space 

 

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Time rolled on, and so did technology. In mere four years 16-bit consoles jumped from 32 to 64-bit. Games became larger, more encompassing, and rich in content. Despite the hasty technological progress, gaming was still considered something only odd nerdy people did. Until the first ever commercial for a video game was shown in movie theatres: Final Fantasy VII.

This Square Enix title summoned a hype of Bahamut proportions. Now, everyone was talking about video games. No doubt, gaming was clearly becoming a mainstream hobby. The release of Hallo on the original Xbox only solidified that fact – and brought reluctant PC gamers to the console market. Microsoft and Sony—with its PS2—continued dominating the gaming industry. Developing and releasing a plethora of wicked and awesome games.

With the advent of the Internet, online capabilities finally descended onto home consoles. Playing video games was no longer an experience shared with a handful of dedicated friends; gaming has gone global. The Big Three: Xbox360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii, were the precursors of change. And each gaming system evolved from a gamer-only platform, to inclusive family-friendly entertainment hubs.

And Latched Onto Our Souls  

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When playing recent Gen8 super machines, it is clear that gaming has ingrained into our habitual behaviour. Instant access to online sharing tools, integration of relevant social media platforms, reworked iterations of established titles, and we are primed to blast off into digital realms yet uncharted. A new level of collective gaming is now stimulating our synapses. We are witnessing a creation of a new limitless cyberspace horizon.

But after a dramatic all-night session of online play, I sometimes reminisce about the simpler time. A time when being a gamer meant you were confined to a basement room. A game-filled hideout where only a handful of your nerdy friends would want to visit. Very few people understood your hobby, and even fewer knew the difference between a Sega Genesis, and a Super Nintendo. And you were glad for it. Here is one last CHEER to the wonder and fun of Retro Gaming!

GAME ON!

Thunder Force V, Glimpse of Shooter Heaven

To enjoy this review fully you'll need to put on a pair of nostalgia specs. If your monitor becomes a bit finicky and rough around the edges, don't fret, that's just the early 1998 resolution: a way-back realm of low polygons and rough CG compression.

Today we enter the house of PlayStation. Pop the flap open, place the black disk onto the reel—make sure to hold it by its sides—and press in the circular Power button. Let's begin our venture into another classic shooter: Thunder Force V.

Touted as the greatest shooter series amongst its numerous fans, Thunder Force V first came out on Sega Saturn in 1997, and got its well deserved PS1 port the following year. Thunder Force V deserves its spot in the limelight for three reasons: it has wickedly articulate mechanical designs—a la Gundam, lots of gnawing skirmishes, and a kick-ass hard-rocking soundtrack.

I was going to write how utterly and undeniably awesome Thunder Force V is, but as soon as I started playing it an unprecedented nostalgic feeling swept over me.

It's 1998, I'm 18 and chilling at my friend's house. He tells me to check out this new Japanese shooter he just got, and plumps the game disc into his PS1. He takes a few steps towards me to hand me a controller, but accidentally trips on the system's power cord, pulling the entire PS1 off of the TV shelf...

We spent the next 20 minutes trying to secure a near busted flap so the laser would read the disk. Two well placed Hobby Japan magazines later, and we're finally playing Thunder Force V. An hour into the game, we're staring at the screen mesmerized by the game's up-beat tempo, iconic design, while thumping our feet to some of the most irresistible rock/metal tunes to grace a video game.

I wasn't kidding when I told you to put on those nostalgia specs.

Playing shooters on the PS1 was almost ceremonial in my friend circles. Because everyone I knew had their system “chipped” to play imported and copied games; our combined game libraries were overflowing with obscure titles. We'd play games before and after school, sometimes popping into a friend's abode at lunch or during a spare class.

Sometimes the good ol' Playstation would get finicky and not load certain games, or unplugging a controller would delete the memory card, but that didn't matter to us. Replaying games would mean more time spent with our favourite hobby. Sometimes we would stop playing to scrounge for some leftover pasta in the kitchen—which we would usually overcook due to not paying attention. Most times though, it was all about gaming till dawn.

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Getting together for some gaming was a familiar scene for the entire PS1 life cycle. It was a time of socializing in smaller less intrusive groups. And a time when the gaming industry was at the pinnacle of innovation—not technologically by creatively. Although I do not resent today's focus on sharing of our digitized persona, I do believe that to appreciate something artistic to a greater length one must observe and share the experience of it with another person present. Passively playing video games with close friends seems to be a forgotten hobby these days. Luckily my PS1 is still spinning all its games.

I hope you enjoyed spending time dodging bullets in the Den of Shooters. If you're curious about this often overlooked genre of games check out my feature on the origin of shoot 'em ups: Inside The Bullet Hurricane.  

Developer: Technosoft

Publisher: Technosoft, Working Designs

Platform: Sega Saturn, PlayStation

Genre: Shooter

Released: 1997

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts Review

I've recently rummaged through my old games and found this dust-encrusted gem: Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. After giving the cartridge a quick wipe, I promptly plugged in my Super Nintendo, and was swiftly transported to the good ol' 16-bit realms.

Now follow my inquisition all the way
                                                          down
                                                                         into the Ultimate Demon World Village.

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts was first released in 1991 for the SNES, and is a follow up to its predecessor Ghouls 'n Ghosts for the arcade & Sega Genesis. In this ghoul-infested title, you adorn the garb of Sir Arthur: a royal knight tasked with saving his betrothed from the clutches of evil.

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The game's controls consist of two buttons: jump and shoot - simple. But the demon resides in the decals, as Sir Arthur's ample ironclad body is capable of double jumping. I'm not sure how an armoured knight is able to jump at all, but he can. It must be all that magical Holly Grail mead.

Navigating each of the seven stages demands killer 2-D gaming super skills. The double jump seems like an amazing feature, but trust me, you'll die often by miss-timing the second button press. It will take some practice before you understand the trajectory of Arthur's airborne acrobatics: press a button too soon, land on an enemy; press a button too late, fall into a chasm.

Once mastered, timed jumping becomes second-nature and unravels plenty of fiendish ways of traversing. And travel you will, because this classic action platformer has plenty of darkly, side-scrolling vistas, and monster mayhem to get through. You'll slay fiends in graveyards, sunken ships, inferno flooded dungeons, twisted fortresses, and even infiltrate a ghastly livid garden.

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My all-time favourite levels are the scrolling wreaked towers, churning inside a demonic garden, and navigating snowy mountain peaks while avoiding avalanche clouds, frosted giants, and starved wolves - plenty of fun to be had in these demonic lands.

Each stage is filled with, not only ghouls and ghost, but numerous other fiends: merman, fire-spouting plants, wolves, demonic executioners, and good ol' Firebrand demons. Luckily, Arthur can find armour upgrades that power-up his weapon(s). By finding a blue armour upgrade a simple throwing lance can become a piercing missile. Find the gold armour, which allows you to charge up, and your missile can be a lightning strike.

Get hit once, and off your armour goes leaving Arthur in his briefs. One more hit in those and it's a trip to the bone yard for our brave knight.

Wanna hug?

There's plenty of upgradeable weapons to find--daggers, axes, torches, crossbows and sickles--you only need to jump around to reveal the hidden chests containing those bounties. Yes, you make chests appear not by digging but by jumping in specific areas. Don't fear the reaper, the rip-rolling, chip-tune, organ-infused, soundtrack will have you bouncing ghastly-time. 

Pacing is important because of, well you know, the time that ticks away as you progress. And each stage ends with a large guardian blocking your path. Ever seen a possessed caterpillar, or a frosted levitating demon, or a dastardly three-headed dragon offspring? You will, if you're dedicated enough. I hope you'll take this spooky themed romp through the Demon Village. Now allow me to dissipate into the void murmuring "They don't make them like they used to."

                        jumping
Have fun double            and don't forget to "Take a key for coming in!"

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Platform: SNES, PS1, PS2, Xbox (Capcom Classics Collection Vol 1)

Released: 1991

Genre: Action-Adventure