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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Nov 14, 2017 5:36:56 GMT -5
Hey that's alright. And I'll happily defend it again if you want to have the discussion hehe.
I agree that SotN looks and sounds much better, but usually the gameplay stuff matters more to me.
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Post by Bumpyroad on Nov 14, 2017 6:12:31 GMT -5
If you don't find the whip speed and double-tap for running alright, we'll let you go  |
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Post by GamerL on Nov 14, 2017 7:10:53 GMT -5
Hey that's alright. And I'll happily defend it again if you want to have the discussion hehe. I agree that SotN looks and sounds much better, but usually the gameplay stuff matters more to me. It's more than just gameplay though, the soundtrack in SotN really is top notch and adds a LOT to the overall experience, like its not some superfluous thing, it's a core element of what makes the game great. |
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Post by dsparil on Nov 14, 2017 8:15:05 GMT -5
In CotM's defense, it holds up a little better than HoD because of hardware changes. CotM was too dark for the unbacklit GBA but HoD looks super washed out on anything with a backlight. HoD also trades music for graphics which coupled with the aforementioned seems like a bad decision in hindsight. Below is a post I made about the music. Guess you can't get a direct link on the mobile forum. Started a new game of Final Fantasy V again. I don't think anyone has played the first 5 or so hours of the game more times than I have without ever actually finishing the game. This time I will finish it. Given that most people consider the GBA version of FFV the best version, I sure am glad I got it years ago, boxed and all, before the prices shot up. That said...music wise, while it does try its hardest in utilizing the GBA's sound chip to the best of its capabilities, clearly it isn't sounding quite as good as the SNES version. That made me think: what GBA games were there that actually sounded good? I've played a lot of games and the best it ever got was "okay". Not being an expert on this stuff, I have to ask: was the GBA sound chip low quality or did no developers ever make good use of it? The GBA has two avenues for sound, the new GBA processor and the older GB/GBC processor. The problem is that while the GBA processor can produce better sound and music than the GB processor, it isn't dedicated to the task so using it takes away from the graphics capability for instance. On the other hand, the GB processor can always be used for sound and music when running a GBA game since it's only use as a general processor is for GB and GBC games. A good example is Castlevania: Circle of the Moon versus Harmony of Dissonance. CotM uses the the GBA processor and has nice sound and music. HoD has SotN style "trails" which required all the power of the GBA processor to render and the GB processor got used for sound and music instead. CotM and HoD sadly don't share any compositions, but compare the Clocktower music between the two. |
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Post by GamerL on Nov 14, 2017 8:32:13 GMT -5
HoD definitely suffers in the sound department, but shucks, I have an odd soft spot for HoD, it's such an oddball little game compared to the others, the two castles mechanic, the weird locations of the castle (skeleton caves anyone?) and collecting furniture, I mean what the hell?
It's not even close to being as good as say Aria of Sorrow, but the weirdness of it creates it's own little charm, plus I love how the requirement to get the "true" ending is a homage to Simon's Quest, collecting little pieces of Dracula that Simon missed, what's not to love about that?
Of course one thing that probably helps is I've played the heck out of Aria of Sorrow, but only played HoD a couple of times, so it feels more fresh to me and thus a little more interesting to me than it probably would be otherwise.
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Post by alphex on Nov 14, 2017 9:11:55 GMT -5
The GBA Castlevanias got better with each installment IMO. Aria of Sorrow is actually a contender for the best of the whole series IMO - sure, it's not my fav, but I could respect that argument. With the two before, eh, not really seeing it.
CotM has tiny sprites, double tap to run-mechanics, the special moves are super confusing to pull off (and the game itself tells you pretty much NOTHING about them, only for the final boss being pretty much impossible without them), and I've got years of versus fighting-input experience under my belt, plus it all feels kinda downgraded. HoD has crappy sound and the pacing feels off towards the middle (that damn underground mine), but the gameplay feels much faster and tighter due to the backdash and the larger sprites. Plus I enjoyed exploring the castle using the special abilities - I remember wondering what lies behind that damn rabbit in particular. Really felt fantastic in the truest sense of the word.
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Post by jackcaeylin on Nov 14, 2017 9:31:53 GMT -5
Order of Ecclesia is better than SOTN, mostly due to the difficulty. If a game is too easy, than I consider it as a walking simulator. - edgy comment -
Now, someone must mention Portrait of Ruin and we can close the circle^^
This is maybe a hot take, but I think Pillars of Eternity is better as Baldurs Gate. I haven't played both games since ages, but I had less bugs and weird overpowered enemies in certain situations, if I compare it with Baldurs Gate.
I think Dragon Age 2 surpassed with the amount of bugs, if you compare it with Gothic 3. I never finished an unpatched version of Dragon Age 2, but this was borderline crazy. It certainly surpassed the "established" classic Gothic 3 in that category.
Yours sincerely
Jack Caeylin
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Post by dsparil on Nov 14, 2017 9:41:55 GMT -5
Order of Ecclesia is the best and I would rank Portrait of Ruin above SotN. I think the two character mechanic, the unexpected strength of the pie subweapon (it is the only dark elemental attack) and the castle/level combo in a single area without an overworld map.
SotN is a classic—I even like the cutscenes—but it has an everything and the kitchen sink approach to the mechanics so it doesn't have the unified feel of say AoS or OoE and the souls mechanic.
We've done this repeatedly, but I'd rank the Igavanias as follows:
OoE
AoS
PoR
DoS (though I lost my copy many years ago)
SotN
HoD
CotM (but I still like it)
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Post by alphex on Nov 14, 2017 10:19:50 GMT -5
Now, someone must mention Portrait of Ruin and we can close the circle^^ Not sure if that's what you wanted to hear, but it's the most fun of the Metroidvania Castlevanias for me. All three DS titles are very good, but it had the most distinct environments and the most interesting exploration IMO. |
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Post by jackcaeylin on Nov 14, 2017 10:41:10 GMT -5
Now, someone must mention Portrait of Ruin and we can close the circle^^ Not sure if that's what you wanted to hear, but it's the most fun of the Metroidvania Castlevanias for me. All three DS titles are very good, but it had the most distinct environments and the most interesting exploration IMO. nah, I also liked Portrait of Ruin, I just think that Portrait of Ruin gets less attention in the handheld series, but I am kinda an Order of Ecclesia fan, thus I am kinda limited and I liked the current discussion about the best Castlevania games and if certain Castlevania game is better as SotN. No hating, but kinda fanscreaming in a friendly and rainbow way.^^ as a long time reader, I was kinda nostalgic, because Castlevania is kinda a well loved franchise in this board (aside from Doom) and I think that every handheld Castlevania game is awesome. I played some non-castlevania Castlevania games and some of them are tedious in a bad way like enemies have too much life or really awful dungeon designs. It felt alien to me when people are comparing different Castlevania games and they say: Castlevania B is awful, just play Castlevania K. Yours sincerely Jack Caeylin |
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Post by Bumpyroad on Nov 14, 2017 13:12:46 GMT -5
A bunch of classics from Namco, like Soul Calibur, Ridge Racer, Ace Combat or Tekken(although it's hard to say how well 'established' it was) have been consistently getting better with each newer releases(with some stumbles here and there).
Also Virtua Fighter 4 & 5 hold better against 1, 2 or 3 in my book.
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Post by alphex on Nov 14, 2017 13:24:55 GMT -5
A bunch of classics from Namco, like Soul Calibur, Ridge Racer, Ace Combat or Tekken(although it's hard to say how well 'established' it was) have been consistently getting better with each newer releases(with some stumbles here and there). Also Virtua Fighter 4 & 5 hold better against 1, 2 or 3 in my book. Speaking of versus fighters, Mortal Kombat IX & X. |
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Post by JoeQ on Nov 14, 2017 14:28:28 GMT -5
SotN is a classic—I even like the cutscenes—but it has an everything and the kitchen sink approach to the mechanics so it doesn't have the unified feel of say AoS or OoE and the souls mechanic. Yeah, I agree. I love SotN, but it's gameplay mechanics could use some tightening up and it could stand to be a bit more challenging. Also agree that OoE is the best, haven't played all Igavanias though. |
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Post by GamerL on Nov 14, 2017 20:41:25 GMT -5
The GBA Castlevanias got better with each installment IMO. Aria of Sorrow is actually a contender for the best of the whole series IMO - sure, it's not my fav, but I could respect that argument. With the two before, eh, not really seeing it. Aria of Sorrow is my favorite. |
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Post by alphex on Nov 14, 2017 20:43:03 GMT -5
The GBA Castlevanias got better with each installment IMO. Aria of Sorrow is actually a contender for the best of the whole series IMO - sure, it's not my fav, but I could respect that argument. With the two before, eh, not really seeing it. Aria of Sorrow is my favorite. Sound choice, what makes it preferable over the direct DS sequel for you? |
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