Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)

[noobish hat]

i should probably add that all my other games are saving perfectly.

[JP]

I've had no problems with mine at all. Could it be a problem with your memory stick? Mine is running on 3.90 M33-3.

[noobish hat]

3.90? that's the firmware right? mine's on 3.80 i think. maybe the disc is damaged? there's other problems too, like sometimes when i fall through a hole and i should land on the level below, but instead the screen flicks to black and the whole thing crashes.

[JP]

Sorry, yeah it's the custom firmware I'm running.

From what you are saying it does sound like the disc itself. Are you having problems with any other games or is it just that one?

The loading that you mention is standard and there aren't any subs for the bit at the beginning for some reason so at least you don't need to worry about those.

[Eight Rooks]

Just to vent - dear God this is going back to the shop so fast. Guess I'm just not hardcore enough, eh? Totally with Eurogamer on this - Rondo of Blood is, well, a bit rubbish, and solely the province of nostalgia freaks who've overdosed on merciless pattern recognition with a main character who handles like an octogenarian asthmatic to the point they actually think it's fun. I can't even get SotN unlocked, so that was a waste of a trade-in. And there I thought I'd surely end up with something more fun than Crisis Core.

EDIT: Indeed, I hate this so much I'm considering trading in both DS 'Vanias along with it, since I never could get past the Death fight in PoR anyway, and at least that way I might finally be able to pick up something worth owning.

[JP]

If you're just after SoTN (It's the real reason this release exists) then download a save to open it up. The older, more linear Castlevania games were never really that good after SoTN to be honest.

[elkatas]

The older, more linear Castlevania games were never really that good after SoTN to be honest.

* elkatas slaps John Parry around with a big trout *

[Eight Rooks]

If you're just after SoTN (It's the real reason this release exists) then download a save to open it up. The older, more linear Castlevania games were never really that good after SoTN to be honest.

That's... actually a really good point. Huh. I stand (sort of) admonished.

[JP]

Lol they were good at the time but I personally think they don't really hold up well now but the real Castlevania is still fantastic now. I'm sure people will disagree but it really is the highlight of the franchise for me.

I got fed up of Rondo fairly quickly so ended up downloading a save. It was good because I could go into the game and delete the saves so I could start again but all the games were unlocked.

I'll give Rondo another go sometime I'm sure.

[SuperBeatBoy]

Madness. I personally prefer the old 2d sidescrollers myself Super Castlevania IV, Bloodlines, Dracula's curse & Rondo of Blood, even though ive finished SOTN about 10 times. So i disagree that they've aged badly.

[noobish hat]

despite now owning 3 copies of sotn, i've not actually dug into it yet, so for me circle of the moon is still at the top of the castlevania pile of awesomeness. i've been playing some of the other castleroid style games and i think, as a lot of people do, that it's getting a bit old now. i really enjoyed the original castlevania on the famicom mini recently and i remember castlevania 3 on the nes was great too. i'd like to see (and it would have made a better remake of rondo) a 2d castlevania in the style of viewtiful joe, really fantastic artwork which actually looks like ayami kojima's drawings, detail and killer action. it would be a good style for a 2d metroid on the ds too. maybe i'm alone in wanting this art style, but it seems to me that if they made some games that really brought to life the artwork of the likes of kojima, amano and metal gears artist who's name i forget, it would look terrific.

[SuperBeatBoy]

Circle of the Moon is next to Simon's Quest/Castlevania 64 as one of the worst Castlevania Games ever. :/

[Eight Rooks]

Don't get me wrong - I do agree the Metroidvania style has its faults (Can't get past something? Just grind your way up a few levels!) and that it's becoming just a tad long in the tooth. But I really don't see how anyone can seriously, honestly just... "enjoy" Rondo. For me, a character simply must control at and respond in what feels like an appropriate pace, not plod... plod... plod... at a speed only a fraction above the most basic enemies. That's not even getting started on not being able to attack anywhere but straight forward/back without using a special weapon. I don't mind old-school gameplay; I loved Shinobi on PS2, for example, but one-hit-kills, bottomless pits, and other such archaic restrictions are only bearable when you know, you know, you know the game's given you absolutely everything you need to beat them. Not artificially crippled you.

I'm sure it is a true test of skill. I'm sure it is perfectly doable. Much like GunValkyrie, though, just because people force themselves to learn broken or outdated mechanics doesn't make them any less broken or outdated. If you get off on that, fine, I'm happy for you. But the medium moved on for any number of good reasons, none of which are any worse because they've alienated you.

[noobish hat]

Circle of the Moon is next to Simon's Quest/Castlevania 64 as one of the worst Castlevania Games ever

this coming from a man who didn't like earthworm jim...

[SUMIRE]

I thought Castlevania on the N64 was great back in the day. The re-issue one anyway.