Castlevania (Nintendo 64) – Review

Certain transitions simply arent meant to succeed. Whether it is a book being adapted for the big screen, a singer tempting fate in acting or vice-versa, there will always be cases where the newly created product or effect will tarnish the initial reputation. As the Playstation and Nintendo 64 gradually left the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo to rest in peace, it became a common practice to take video game series, which had made themselves well known on 8 and 16-Bit systems, and to create three dimensional sequels for them. Among these sequels can be found highly successful titles such as Super Mario 64 or The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. This, however, isnt to say that every sequel to bring a series in the third dimension has been well received. When Konami followed in this trend, it did so by introducing, among others, its whip slashing, vampire hunting line of games known as Castlevania. The result, Castlevania 64, shows that the series is better off remaining a two-dimensional side-scroller.

The fact that over ten sequels branded with the name Castlevania have been released does not mean that newcomers to the series will be lost in an ever-continuing plot that complicates itself with every new game. This is one of the positive aspects of the series, as it has always been faithful to offering players a story that doesnt get in the way of gameplay. In Castlevania 64's case, the plot is as simple as they come. Dracula has awakened from a century of enforced sleep and it becomes the players mission to journey into the Counts castle in Transylvania and destroy him. While other games in the series are connected through their stories, Castlevania 64 offers no ties with any of the previous sequels.

Before embarking on this quest, the game offers the choice of two playable characters. The first of which is Carrie Fernandez, a young girl who uses magical projectiles as her main weapon. The fact that this long range weapon can be charged up handicaps the character since an ordinary shot will not make any noticeable damage and fully charging a shot will leave Carrie vulnerable for a few seconds. The second character found in Castlevania 64 is Reinhardt Schneider, a descendant of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters whose members have starred in most games ever since the series beginning on the original Nintendo. Reinhardt uses the traditional whip as his weapon of choice and making use of it isnt always trouble-free due mostly to the targeting system the game offered. Ocarina Of Time had only been released a month or so before and anyone who had played both games couldnt help but notice how drastically different the targeting system in each was. While Ocarina Of Time's system was simple to make use of and see, Castlevania 64 was programmed with a terrible targeting system. Reinhardt will always target an approaching enemy and not always the same as the player attempts to attack. This often leads to confusion, as the character will slash his whip through thin air while taking damage. Im not sure whether those who created Castlevania 64 were new to the world of 3D programming or if they simply wanted to rush through certain parts of the game. What remains however, is that they could have learned a thing or two from Ocarina of Time.

I was initially attracted to this game when playing its third level for the first time, called the "Villa", in which either Carrie or Reinhardt would venture into what seemed to be an old abandoned mansion. Upon entering, it was obvious that the main hall was a cheaply plagiarized version of a room found in Resident Evil. Still, Castlevania 64 offered the freedom of movement Capcoms survival horror title lacked and the idea a haunted mansion attracted me. Sadly enough, this was the only and somewhat short level of the sort, as the other sections of the game consisted of the same poorly designed platforming sequences.

What was once the series strong point now becomes its primary weakness, as Castlevania 64 seems determined to preserve its 2D predecessors platforming aspect in its entirety. This could have been done with more subtlety now that the series realism has been pushed up a notch, yet floating rocks and levitating platforms are seen everywhere. To complement this are the controls which in no way help the experience. Never quick to respond or stop any movement, they can become a real nightmare for anyone without a memory card to save the games progress. Attempting to jump and hold on to a ledge is a challenge that will most likely force the most patient of gamers to lose his calm. In fact, the combination of slow and inaccurate controls with an insane level of difficulty in most areas will give players the desire to offer the controller as a sacrifice to the nearest wall.

Another area that greatly suffered in Castlevania's first 3D installment is sound. Players remembered previous games in the series for offering memorable tunes. Unfortunately, since this game took its three-dimensional nature a little too seriously, it sacrificed music in favor of ambient sounds. For example, the first level, set in the forest outside Draculas castle, offers only the sound of the wind, the main characters fast pace and the rustling of skeletons rising from the ground to satisfy the auditory senses. For one or two exceptions, the musical themes found in levels, that actually have any music in them, are average at best.

Seeing as how the sequels following both Castlevania 64 and Castlevania: Legacy Of Darkness dropped the three-dimensional aspect altogether, it is safe to say that Konami realized its errors and adopted the classic line "Why mess with the good things?" Hence, this proves that the third dimension isnt always the savior it claims to be when attempting to offer game series another shot at glory for a new generation. The game is rated 5.5 out of 10.

Castlevania (Nintendo 64) – Second Opinion

I'm going to admit something right off the bat: I'm not the most dedicated follower of the Castlevania series. I know little, if any, of the genealogy of the Belmonts. All I know about the series is the ongoing story of vampire hunters on a quest to return the haemovorous Dracula to a state of dormancy. Castlevania 64 follows the same story. After playing the game, I wish I had adorned myself with a garlic necklace beforehand.

Jon's review did a pretty good job in describing some of the technical woes abundant throught out the campaign, as well as the frustrating challenge level. Yet I found the technical flaws as a part of the aggravation rather than a side order. One ingredient was the camera system—on foot, it was at its best, inconsistently manageable. At its worst... it got me so angry, there were times when soap seemed like a nice snack. I don't like it when a camera has more control over me than I have it, especially during boss battle and pivotal jumping sequences.

It can also be said the targeting system didn't do much to improve things. Jon wasn't kidding about the cumbersome nature of Reinhardt's whip. Building words onto his à la Scrabble is unnecessary. Yet, I found some improvement with Miss Fernandez—writing about her struggles would only be fair (and I'm not doing this because of the modern era of gender equality).

Carrie's magic, when fully charged, is an effective long-range projectile that can lock onto, home in on, and damage multiple enemies in one shot. Once launched, Carrie's not as vulnerable as Jon claims her to be—she's equipped with paddles as a secondary, close-range weapon for use during her recharge period. Under certain circumstances, this missile-paddle combination works pretty well.

However, the lock-on system isn't as user-friendly as it should have been. There is no freedom in choosing specific targets, and this gets irritating in crowded areas and boss conflicts. I wanted to use the long-range shot on what posed the greatest threat, regardless how far away it is. Instead, it attacks the closer, weaker enemies first, eventually fading before doing any damage to my desired target. This, I felt, was a silly decision on the programmers' part.

With such technical errors for a 1999 Nintendo 64 release, it's easy to ask, "Isn't the 4.5 rating a little high?" Yes, but Castlevania 64 did have its moments. Whatever voice work found in the game was better than it's been given credit for, and the violin solo on the menu screen was beautiful. But what I liked most was the subtle Catholic undertones in the otherwise atheistic medium known as video gaming.

Judging Castlevania 64 as its own game, it is a symphony as beautiful as playing Beethoven's Fur Elise on a kazoo. Comparing it to other, similar games on the Nintendo 64, Castlevania 64 would be more grating on the ears. It only takes one sentence from Jon's review to sum up Castlevania 64: "[The Castlevania] series is better off remaining a two-dimensional side-scroller." Castlevania 64 is just not the proper introduction of the ongoing struggle of human vs. vampire into 3D. This is one game I don't expect to see rise from the grave anytime soon. Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Castlevania (Nintendo 64) – Consumer Guide

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood, Animated Violence

Parents will note that, although not as graphic as many games released on the market nowadays, Castlevania 64 does offer its share of violence, blood and dead bodies. However, the language found in the game represents nothing to worry about. Basically this game lives up to its "Teen" rating, as it would be inappropriate for young children while offering nothing too gory to restrict it to a more mature audience.

Fans of the Castlevania Series will be disappointed with this game as it fails to live up to the success any of the previous games have received.

Bad controls and a frustrating level of difficulty will most likely alienate Platform fans. This failed attempt at creating a 3D game for a popular franchise will be forgotten easily and only looked back upon as the black sheep of the family.