Suikoden (PS1) (PS3)

 

Now I get it, the painter painted the cover of the game!

Well, I was waiting for the Suikoden remaster to come for the Switch, but for some reason as of writing it has gone two weeks and it seems to be stuck somewhere. Didn't really bother since I'm waiting for the Xenoblade Chronicles X to come out this following week and that is a 100 hour commitment at least. So I decided to continue the playthrough I started in 2024, but never finished (don't recall why, but it didn't take me 8 hours to finish). Was recommend this by the one driving me to work at the saw mill back in 2013 so I got them for the PS3. Konami's own RPG-series.

So your the son of a high-ranking General in the Empire. The Golden Emperor Barbarossa have been turning evil for some reason and his closest advisor, the sorcerer Windy is whispered to be behind it. One day you meet up with Ted, a friend and after some mission to check the taxes of a northern village Windy intercepts you and kills Ted since he carries the Soul Eater Rune. Before being killed Ted gives the rune to you so now you gotta escape the might of the Empire. You join up with an resistance group lead by Odessa Silverberg and Flik and Victor. After a mission your hideout is found out and Odessa is killed. The rest gives leadership to you so you start the Liberation Army.

So you have to gather the 108 Stars of Destiny in order to stop the Emperor and Windy. It's a fun game and is not only an RPG, but also a base builder and strategy game (although the strategy is kinda minimal). Yes, a strategy game where you take control of the Liberation Army and have to lead them to victory by choosing the right attack or use special things like Ninja's to get information on the plans of the enemy, Merchants to make the enemy army turn to your side and so on. Fun distractions, if it wasn't for the reason that your 108 Stars of Destiny can die in the battle for some reason (seems mostly RNG). 

Really, the most trouble with the game is probably the 108 Stars of Destiny. You gotta collect them all, but of course some of them are missable or hidden behind side-quests and so on. So I used a guide through it all. Maybe when I replay it on Switch I might play it more legit, since it was so slow on the PS1 with reloading and so on. Actually, I spent most of the time gambling with Gaspar to accumulate enough gold to keep the Stars of Destiny you could take with you upgraded in armor and equipment. A pity that the max amount was only 999 999, but it at least forced you to constantly use it since the end-game allows you to hit that amount fairly easy just by battling monsters. 

Cause that cost a lot. Also interesting in that level grinding isn't really a thing in the game. Characters get EXP depending on how tough the monsters are according to their level which allows you to easy level up a character that have lagged behind, but the cost to sharpen the weapons is really step at the end and matters more. But just save/restore the save if you succeed on the gambling and since each time you win you can gamle it all the winnings add up really fast.

In the end I had fun, but as the end credits roll and each of the 108 Stars of Destiny gets a small note like in Skies of Arcadia I just can't feel for all of them since frankly, I've forgotten most of them. Skies of Arcadia only had what, 22 characters in your crew? That's manageable, 108 isn't. Especially since very few of them has any story beside joining. A bit of waste I think. Well, some returned for the sequel which I also have, but I might not finish it since as mentioned, in 4 days Xenoblade Chronicles X is supposed to be released and this took me 26 hours and I would suspect that Suikoden II would take the same amount of time. 

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Castlevania Dominus Collection) (Switch)

 

The moon rises yet again!

The final of the three DS games on the collection. And I've played it not that long ago after playing through the Advance Collection since I just wanted to continue the stories. Pretty much the same as last time, except that I actually had to play the game legit from beginning to end. And I recalled that in a normal play, the game is hard. Went through a lot of potions and meals I tell you. 

Overall, it get's better as the game went on, but it's a bit obnoxious. A lot of item and glyph grinding to finish quests or even get enough levels to stand a chance. Cause you gotta do the quest of the villagers to get useful items like the more effective potions and armors. At least the castle actually feels like fully explored compared to Portrait of Ruin. Nice with a lot of voice clips, both the intro scene, all the villagers and a lot more monsters having voices beyond the succubus.

So of the three, I actually end up with Portrait of Ruin the best. Didn't think that back in the day. It's more fun to play through and the choices of weapons and such is more interesting. 

The Dominus Collection then. It was really good. The main three games are good either way, I've only played around the Haunted Castle bonuses on there since it's bit much for me with the arcade feeling of it. One thing I was bothered with was that the three main games wasn't in release order of Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order Ecclesia. No they put it in Order of Ecclesia, Portrait of Ruin and Dawn of Sorrow. I get that they where going for in-game chronology order since Order of Ecclesia is 1888, Portrait of Ruin 1944 and Dawn of Sorrow something like 2036. You get art and music so it's all nice. Some people wished for Symhony of the Night and Rondo of Blood, and I would like that too, but hopefully there will be another collection... and I would like the 64-games as well to see if with a better controller I might get around it. Or Konami can give me a Mystical Ninja collection so that I can have Mystical Ninja 64 Starring Goemon at home.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (Castlevania Dominus Collection) (Switch)

Time to break out the whip again!

Well, continued with the other game in the series, Portrait of Ruin. Nothing much to add from the last time I played it. I somehow enjoy this game a bit more than Dawn of Sorrow this time around. I actually almost 100 % the main game by grinding all items from the monsters and such, I got through the Nest of Evil around level 65 compared to the level 80 I was on my first playthrough. Probably got lucky since the Castlevania III cameos got into a loop where I could stand in a corner and whip Trevor until he died, beat Grant after that and Sylpha was rather easy after that moment. Didn't take 8 hours this time, but it was enjoyable enough. It might have to be due to the music, I prefer the music in this game than Dawn of Sorrow, it is more "forceful" here compared to the other game. 

That and the customisation of the main characters. It's fun to change sub-weapons and such compared to the soul system of the last game. The only one that would probably need some work though is Charlotte since it's a lot of changing around spells and such for her being good in special situations. Jonathan is a lot better. Maybe it's the fact it's a whip-wielding hero with options. Or that the quest system is actually rewarding in revisiting area beside grinding. Although, one quest I realised doesn't jive with modern life and that was to talk with Wind when it's between 12 and 1 (am or pm). I work or sleep at that point, I had to do that at midnight between Friday and Saturday pretty much expanding the game for a couple of days. My whole weekend was off after that... god I'm getting old! 

Some things I realised I like less with the game is the map, the castle map is so small, hardly any secret rooms and the left side of the castle map is empty. Usually the map covers the whole screen. And the paintings are pretty much a straight line with a loop back to the beginning. And the fact that the second half of the painting is just the same first maps again is rather boring. But it's a solid game, and there is no touch screen shenanigans that hold Dawn of Sorrow back... at least in the main game.

There is the sisters mode that exclusively plays with the touch controls on the DS. They did the stick option like the in Dawn of Sorrow for the ice breaking ability. It works rather well, I find that Loretta's Ice magic being the best option to traverse the castle since you only need to aim direction. compared to Stella's slash attacks where you need to mov the cursor back and forth. Didn't finish it, I thought I just needed to reach Brauner to finish the mode, forgot you needed to defeat the bosses in each painting in order to get near Brauners sanctum. Maybe I will play the alternate modes some other time when I play through all the games. Less grinding for most of them since there is no items to get.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Castlevania Dominus Collection) (Switch)

 

They are all here!

Well, I didn't think they would port the DS games when I played through them after the Advance collection, but here we are and I had to get them right after the Direct. And I finished Dawn of Sorrow three days later. And I had a better time it seems than last time. Is it that I played it on Normal Mode? Is it due to not having to use touch screen controls? Maybe the bigger screen? Who knows, I enjoyed myself greatly this time either way.

It's the same story so no need to add to that from the last time, so let's go on how the game play. And as mentioned there are improvements. The Magic Seals work using button prompts now, wish they weren't there at all like in Julius mode, but it's workable. Didn't have that much of trouble when I trained up some of the seal combos. They are also nice enough if you miss the first attempt they highlight which buttons to press. Thanks for that!

Then the screen, since it was a duel DS screen in the original they decided to put all three beside each other with the main screen being the gameplay and the others being a status screen and a map. Diminish the need to shuffle around the other screens. Played it mostly on handheld mode due to using the TV for other things. The screen is bigger than my 3DS so no problem with that. It works fine. You have the option to change the screens for example emulate the DS screen set up, but not a single lone screen. I don't know why, at times I would like to have the whole screen with just the battle, for example bosses since I don't need the map and mostly you don't need the status screen. A bit of complaint online about this as well.

I won't play Portrait of Ruin right now since Nintendo also released the next Famicom Detective Club the same week so that will be the weekend game, but I will continue the Dominus Collection after that.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Metal Gear Solid Master Collection vol. 1) (Switch)

 

Someday you go through the rain
Someday you feed on a tree frog
This ordeal, the trial to survive
For the day we see new life! I give my life
Not for honor, but for you
Snake eater
In my time there'll be no one else
Crime, it's the way I fly to you
Snake eater
I'm still in a dream, snake eater!

The last of the PS2 duology of Metal Gear Solid-games. Wrote about it back in 2017 and probably haven't played it since then. Would have gotten the 3DS version if they hadn't pulled it from the 3DS eShop before taking the whole store down. Same story, Naked Snake is sent into the Soviet Union to extract a scientist named Sokolov that have worked on the secret weapon that will be able to launch nukes all over the globes. But Snake is betrayed by the Boss, the special forces commander that taught him everything so he has to get back, rescue Sokolov, destroy the weapon and kill the boss.

Quite the departure from the other Solid games since we now are mostly outdoors and that the main mechanic is using the camo to hide and take your time. Hunt and get resources. And they are as of writing in late 2023 on the way to remake the game for modern consoles (non-Nintendo that is). Don't know why since it still looks good. Snake looks his best here and actually have facial expressions, which makes Big Boss the most fun Snake to watch. That it has homages to James Bond movies is rather fun as well. 

It had other interesting ideas like the fight with the Sorrow. He basically sends the souls of all enemies you've killed along a river you have to walk through, so the more you killed the harder that section is (if you don't do the easy way out by drowning yourself to force the to be continue screen in order to use the revive pill). I recall I didn't kill anyone when playing my PS3, but here I killed a lot more people and the bosses (the bosses especially since I was just tired of them at this point, especially when the Fear constantly regained stamina for some reason). I think it was a reference to the part in the first Metal Gear Solid when Liquid says Snake enjoys the killing... and I know in one playthrough I didn't kill anyone making the comment really weird.

Works perfect on switch, load times seems to be minimal compared to the PS3 version making this an optimal version to play. Missing the trophies though when you have things like the frogs that doesn't do anything I guess... or maybe there is a camo you will get, but it would be nice with an indicator.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Metal Gear Solid Master Collection vol. 1) (Switch)

 

I give my life
Not for honor, but for you
Snake eater
In my time there'll be no one else
Crime, it's the way I fly to you
Snake eater
I'm still in a dream, snake eater!

Continued with the second game and last time playing was 8 years ago. Funny enough that post have been limited due to sensitive content... I think it's due to writing the T-word, but it might just be the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo trying to stop the spoilers being exposed. Anyway, same story and it feels more current than ever. We have discussions about AI that flood the internet with images and movies and whatnot and then we have the EU:s law for Chat Control (proposed by the Swedish commissioner no less) that feels like a first step in monitoring every conversation and then erase unwanted information, just like the plan the Patriots have for GW. So the political and social implications regarding the internet and everything they hint at actually come true, how people create their own filter bubbles and how truth distorts itself around them to fit their beliefs and so on. It's rather chilling.

But how is the game? Still good. Funny how Kojima once again copied the Snake Plissken movies by doing pretty much the same game again, but with added meta commentary why they are alike. Sad a third "Escape from" movie wasn't released. Maybe that I find the Plant-stage rather boring in comparison to the military base at Shadow Moses that I might prefer the first game. It might also be due to Raiden and his bickering girlfriend, I get that it build character, but how often can you hear the question "do you know what day tomorrow is?" without getting irritating? In the tanker you at least has Otacon that is tolerable.

So, PS3 or Switch? Well, I will probably play more on the Switch since it's a hassle to start the PS3 and get the controllers charged up so that you can play on the sofa. But... the trophy system tells you some things you can do, like take photos of the ghosts since they point it out and there is really no hint about it in the Switch version so that is maybe just guides. Then again, it's just for bragging rights and no actual benefit for the gameplay what I know. A bit of a long load time entering Codec-conversations though, I assume it has to do with the 3d-animation of the characters cause there was no problem with it in the first game.

Metal Gear Solid (Metal Gear Solid Master Collection vol. 1) (Switch)

 

What a thrill
With darkness and silence through the night
What a thrill
I'm searching and I'll melt into you
What a fear in my heart
But you're so supreme!

New Year! Old Games in new Packages! This time around we are in for the spy thriller that is the gaming worlds answer to James Bond, Metal Gear Solid. I haven't played the original version of the game before since I first played the GameCube remake, The Twin Snakes and that was apparently several years ago. Same story, but since I've been watching a lot of Escape from New York since then I think I get what was the inspiration. Funny how it came closer in the sequel Escape from L.A. to line up with this games story and it was released almost at the same time. 

So this remaster, works fine. The graphics are a bit dated and I'm more inclined to say that the GameCube version is probably better... or rather they are better, I can actually see the faces of everyone. Not only better graphics, but I actually like the reading from the voice actors better in Twin Snakes. In this Colonel Cambell just threatens Snake to do it, almost screaming at him. In Twin Snakes it's a bit more diplomatic making it feel like I'm caring for the old man so that when he tells me about his niece or how he is getting sidelines by the higher ups, I feel he is as lost as I am. And then we have Cam Clarke hamming it up and it's glorious. And at least the GameCube version have their real names since the original pretty much uses aliases for all except David Hayter.

Still interesting to play it. I recall people saying that by taking later improvements from Metal Gear Solid 2 the game become too easy in Twin Snakes and I can believe it. I had a hard time getting out of the first area. I tried the Japanese special version which had a very easy mode which consisted of an assault rifle with unlimited ammo which got me through the first area and into the base, but I went back to the original game. So I actually played more as a spy avoiding confrontation since I didn't have any weapons, and then I had to "level up" my stats after every boss (meaning I got more health and could carry more ammo). Of course, the Twin Snakes makes the fight with Ocelot a bit more realistic compared to running back and forth in the room trying to get a shoot at him.

Overall, it works fine for me, don't know if the jank in movements is due to lowered frames per second or if it was the original game. And for a on the go experience I might play it more often... but the GameCube game will probably be a better version, if they don't release it on the Master Collection vol. 2. Would love that of course and maybe I can finally get rid of one GameCube game. At this pace my PS3 collection have a higher chance of getting stored away than the Nintendo game.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Turtles in Time (Arcade) (Switch)

 

They're heroes in a half shell and they're green!

The second arcade game of TMNT games. Now Kraang appears on live television and steals the Statue of Liberty so the turtles suit up and fight on some construction that takes them to the sewer where Shredder sends them true a time portal to prehistoric time so the turtles gonna fight their way back to stop Shredder and his evil plans. After prehistory they end up on a pirate ship captained by the mutants from the second TMNT movie and then a train ride in the wild west. If I wouldn't know better it sounds like the music for this stage sounds like Sunset Riders? And coincidently they both came out in 1991. The boss is the alligator dude.

If it's the alligator dude I read in the comics he apparently was some small time thief that stole a crystal ball from a witch and while in New York dropped it into the sewer where he encountered the witch again and was turned into the alligator dude (I don't recall his name). That was terrifying as a kid and the worst part was that the comic was at least a 2-parter and we only had the first issue. So I don't know what happened.

After that they travel to the future, first a futuristic city on earth where they fight Kraang on a highway and then a starbase from the year 2100. After that back to 1991 and the final confrontation with Shredder. A much easier game, proven if not by a much lower death count. Started with 101 (added an extra life by accident) and ended on 52, almost 25 lives less spent on this game, and it felt like I did a lot better as well. A better game overall than the last game. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) (Switch)

They're the worlds most fearsome fighting Team!

Something short, the Arcade version of the Teenage Mutant Turtles game on the Cowabunga Collection for the Switch (and other platforms). A fire burst out in Apil's apartment so the shelled crusaders set out fighting through hordes of footsoldiers and mousers to rescue April and later on Splinter from Shredder, Bee-Bop and Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, Kraang and... the rest of the bosses I don't recognise. After April's apartment it's the streets of New York, above and below followed by a factory that is the entrance to the Technodrome where the final confrontation of the Shredder. After his defeat the Technodrome explodes, our heroes escape and the game is over.

I was a huge Turtles fan as a kid, which is strange since we didn't have the series, but our neighbour had several of the episodes taped on a VHS. The ones I recall is one where some crazed scientist invents a machine that freezes people (where the ending is Donatello hanging frozen over a pit of acid or something) and one episode where a vase contained a genie (?). We got some comics from my cousins that also had the NES-game. The comics was based on the TV-series and not the original comics run or something. I got a Raphael toy with a motorbike that turned into a helicopter as well. And I saw the first two movies when we borrowed it from the neighbour when they came out.

Not much say about the game, short, brutal at least for one player (but it's solved with infinite continues). Started with something like 108 continues that ended somewhere just above 40. Would have liked a bit more recovering frames after each hit since I got pummeled over and over by the last bosses. No stake with the arcade version, but still,  quarter muncher is a rather telling description of the game.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)

 

Seems a lot like the characters from Bloodstained.

The final Castlevania-game for the DS and the last entry into the old lore of the series (besides Castlevania: Judgment, but that's a fighter game so doesn't count... and I don't have it as well) before rebooting it with Lords of Shadows. It was also a return for the art style they used on the GBA games and updated the sprites so it wasn't just a copy-paste of previous games.  It is also hard as hell playing from the start since the enemies pack a punch and you can't take anything. Great then to start the game from level 71 and pretty much every equipment and glyph taking away a lot of the grind making it a rather smooth experience.

Story is that since the Belmonts disappeared after the event of Symphony of the Night and Nostradamus prophesy predicting that they shouldn't return until the year 1999 and the final battle with Dracula different orders appeared in their stead to stop Dracula whenever he showed up in the meantime, one of is the Order of Ecclesia, led by the alchemist Barlowe. He has help from Albus and Shanoa, "step-siblings" that lost their parents to the darkness that swore to fight evil. They have created the Dominus glyph which will end Dracula once and for all, but at the night of the ritual Albus interrupts it and steals the glyphs for himself as he was promised to be the one receiving Dominus. The interruption makes Shanoa loose her memories and emotions as well her combat skills so Barlowe trains her quickly to get back the glyphs so that they can defeat Dracula.

Her travels across Transylvania takes her to the village Wygol who's citizens have been kidnapped by Albus and imprisoned in crystal. Rescuing them all and absorbing the seals is the way to get the true ending since by doing so Shanoa absorbs part of the blood that the citizens possess since they are in fact the Belmont Clan in hiding, but without any powers to stop the darkness. At a confrontation in an abandoned mansion Albus is able to absorb the three Dominus Glyphs after studying Shanoa, but is overtaken by the soul of Dracula which the Glyphs are powered by. Shanoa defeats him and get the glyphs back, but the soul of Albus is absorbed by the glyphs and tells Shanoa that he did this because Barlowe promised him that he would be the vessel of Dominus in order to save Shanoa and that the Glyphs are powered by her memories and emotions as well, meaning that Barlowe lied to them. Confronting Barlowe and he is shown to be in league with Dracula and as he is defeated sacrifices his life to destroy the seal upon Dracula's soul so that he can return and his castle shows up again.

Alone Shanoa braves the castle and its dark secrets. At the top of the castle she confronts the resurrected Dracula and as he is about to unleash one final devastating attack, Shanoa assembles the three glyphs of Dominus and defeats him, but to the cost of her soul. Until Albus soul intervene by finding Shanoa's memories and emotions, giving them back to her and then taking her place as the soul sacrifice needed. Shanoa is alive and can finally smile and be happy (and cry) and the game ends.

I won't cry... *sniff*

This game is rather good. Gathering glyphs can be a hassle and it's not always clear what they do by reading the name and description, but it is easy try it around and you got at least three different set-ups compared to Dawn of Sorrows two, a pity the armour isn't switchable in the same way. You finally got to travel the lands of Transylvania for the first time since... is it Castlevania II, III or Bloodlines... maybe Castlevania 64... Curse of Darkness? It has been a while at least. Villagers to talk to get quests and such is rather enjoyable, at least more intuitive than Wind blocking Jonathan from certain rewards that can be helpful to defeat Brauner and rescue his daughters. Also interesting tidbits like the demon possessed child Anne and Danielle the old vampire hunter woman that found vampires along her grandfather... might that have been Richter Belmont? Now, some of you might complain that I played it to easy what with level 70+, but I compensated by the no-hit challenge with bosses instead. If you are able to defeat a boss without taking damage, you get a medal. Equip the Death Ring that boost your stats through the roof, but a single hit kills you, then go to town on the bosses. First two just spam attacks before their first attack, but after that it gets harder, the crab boss being the hardest early boss since it's more about avoiding attacks until you can activate the elevator in the lighthouse to smash it. I thankfully forget all this to after that boss, up until I tired out in Dracula's castle with the shadow man and after that just raced to the finish. 

I recall really hate you the first time through.

Other content is an Albus mode where you play as Albus, attacking everything with your gun and that's it. A bit of a let down compared to the four different modes in the last game. You also get hard mode and such. Music is alright, the best thing though is that you have the option to play any of the tracks from the original Castlevania by buying records and playing them. A bit cumbersome since any room that is a passage between areas reset the music and it is a bit of hassle to go into the item menu and look it up. Still, I found it fun and the rapid flu glyph is amazing to speed things on.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)

 

Well, New Generation works rather well for this game

The second DS game and continuation to the Mega Drive Castlevania: Bloodlines. And as of writing... and probably forever, the closest game in the timeline before the Battle of 1999, the event that destroyed Dracula for good mentioned in Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow. And we're never gonna see it due to IGA leaving Konami and Konami... being Konami. The lore of these games was fascinating. In this game you play as Jonathan Morris, the son of John Morris that defeated Dracula in Bloodlines (who in his turn was son to Quincy Morris that stabbed Dracula in the Bram Stokers Dracula, which is strange since I recall that he was a suitor for Lucy and therefore didn't have any children?) and Charlotte Aulin. It's the end of the second world war and Dracula have appeared so the church has contacted Jonathan to investigate. Turns out that it isn't Dracula, but a vampire named Brauner with his two daughters that summoned the castle which he intends to use in order to destroy the world (he also looks a lot like count Olroc from the silent movie Nosferatu).

On this adventure you also meet Vincent the priest that sells you potions and such and Wind, the ghost of Eric Lecard, the other main player of Bloodlines that died while fighting Brauner in order to stop Dracula's resurrection, which caused his daughters to follow him into the castle and Brauner believing them to be the reincarnations of his daughter's that died in World War 1. Brauner is a painter and have trapped the castle as well as Dracula with his paintings that acts as portals to the worlds painted. You have 18th century english town, a derelict mansion in a forest, a pyramid in the desert and a gravity defying ruined town and circus. So the painting concept allows us to go beyond the usual castle interior that have been standard since Symphony of the Night or something like that. Nice change of pace, Sadly four more stages, which are like mirrored versions of the first ones. Kinda boring, but the bosses is Wolfman, Medusa, the Mummy and Frankenstein, the classic monster villains as well as a staple of Castlevania bosses.

Next us is the fight against the daughters which can be skipped if you found the sanctuary spell and uses that to cure them off their vampireism so that they can help you unlock the Vampire killer. Brauner doesn't take that lightly, but he goes down easy and then Death shows up and kills Brauner and resurrects Dracula that you know have to fight both at the same time. Played it on normal and don't get how I could have so much problem with this as a kid. I mean, I finished it at level 43, when I think I grinded to level 80 or something like that. Maybe mostly for the Nest of Evil, a gauntlet of enemies and bosses from Dawn of Sorrow, and thankfully no stupid magic seal making them so much more fun to fight. There's also other modes, you can play as the sisters that search for their father, a Richter Belmont mode... which isn't that special when the main guy also is a whip wielder. There's also Hard modes and a Living armour mode. Get's overkill on it, but it has a lot to replay the game for.  Takes 8 hour as well. Mostly gets out of the game after 4 hour when I hit the Mansion and Circus level since they are the most boring. 

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)

 

At least better than the box in the box version

So, got an urge to replay Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow after playing the Castlevania Anniversary Collection with the game Aria of Sorrow that this is a sequel too. And since I already had a file why not play a New Game + version? Stupid me of course choose Hard Mode. Game starts out somewhere in Japan as Soma Cruz having a... date (?) with Mina Hakuba when suddenly a woman named Celia Fortner shows up and summons a couple of monsters to kill Soma so a new Dark Lord can be chosen. Arikado shows up and hands Soma a knife to fend them off. Celia disappears and Arikado mentions that she is the high priestess of a cult bent on resurrecting the dark lord to prove that... God is good? Well, obviously the cult is crazy.

So Soma with the help of Hammer tracks down the cult to their castle and apparently Arikado have appeared as well together with Julius Belmont and Yoko Belnades. Celia has found two more Dark Lord candidates, Dimitri and Dario and its Soma that gotta stop them. Dimitri is the first one encountered and he has the ability to copy others ability. And he seems to die and Soma absorbs his soul?

Well, that looks painful

Continuing across the castle you find Dario that have the power of fire and hides at the top of the castle. If you beat him here you get the bad ending since the trick is getting the Paranoia soul and use it to enters the mirror in the throne room to fight the demon hiding there to take away Dimitri's powers. With that you gotta confront Celia that seems to have taken Mina and sacrifice her to force Soma into the role of the Dark Lord. If you have equipped Mina's talisman Arikado for some reason appear before its to late and shows that it's a doppelgänger that taken the form of Mina, but this unleashes the dark soul that enters the Doppelgänger and Dimitri is reformed. They head to the abyss and Dimitri sacrifices Celia to gain dominion of a demon that backfires and turns him into an abomination. Which Soma kills, everyone gets out, the end.

I haven't played this game since I got my 3DS (which I can see since there isn't any note in the records of this game) which means that it gotta be at minimum 11-12 years since. Why is that? Mostly because like everyone else I dislike the forced touch screen controls. It's fine with breaking the ice and such, but the damn magic seal. It's so hard to know what you did wrong and there's also a damn time limit. Thank God the final boss didn't have it. Don't know how many times I had to use up potions that I shouldn't have to draw that stupid seal correct. 

I hate you!

It took me somewhere around 8 hours to play through (but then I got all souls before starting the game). Getting the second bad ending (failing to equip Mina's talisman before seeing "her" sacrifice) unlocks Julius mode like in the prior game where you run around as a classic Belmont whip wielding hero, but this time you can get Yoko and Alucard as well and the final boss is Soma that acts like Dracula. Noticed I had a save right before the boss and did some grinding and then defeated Soma. Just about 9 hours. I restarted and played a bit in the beginning of the game and it's kinda fun so that might be future playthroughs if I play through it again, especially since I don't have to use the touch controls. Also, the art is a bit of hit and miss. I've gotten used to it, but it was a bit jarring to go from the previous games art style to a more... I can't say "anime-esque" sine that is true of the GBA games as well, but a more... cartoonish look maybe? Music also... not that many good tracks actually, the wizard lab is nice, but otherwise it's the old tracks like Vampire killer and Bloody Tears that sticks out, as well as the final boss battle theme against Soma with Illusionary Dance as its theme.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Castlevania Advance Collection) (Switch)

 

In the Vampire Hall of Fang, Yeah! 

There's not a vampire zanier than! 

Duckula!

Continued and finished the third and last game of the Advance games. And yet again I summarised it rather well last time. Same observations and the same problem that I start and let it go. Not 7 months like last time, but a week. It goes well until a certain point in the game where every monster is overwhelming in the new area until a couple of bosses later, the giant that takes the giant bat to be exactly. Then the games get easier and you rack up a lot of EXP and levels making the end easier. I could probably extend the game another 10 hours with getting all the souls or playing as Julius to get the Belmont-feel.

What did they do to enhance the game then? Used the same thing from Circle of the Moon and added a pop-up for all the souls, meaning every monster. And a beastiary, but like Harmony of Dissonance not that practical when there is one in game. Great to replay these games after 6 years.

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Castlevania Advance Collection) (Switch)

Crack That Whip!

Continuing the Castlevania Collection we got Harmony of Dissonance, Juste Belmonts fight against Dracula. Playing through it again and reading my thoughts I feel the same way for the game. Everything from graphics and music is as mentioned. The added thing was... a monster book? Why? There is one in game? The explanation of the different sub-weapons combinations is rather nifty. They also added a marker for collectable items and relics so that you know which area they are in, but the magic books are not part of that, also a rather strange decision. Not much to say, solid game.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Castlevania Advance Collection) (Switch)

Whip it Good!

Time to replay Circle of the Moon on the Switch with the second Castlevania collection released by Konami. Still a great game. Every moment is enjoyable... well, maybe not the hard sections of the game where I constantly gets pounded by the enemies, mostly at the harder bosses. So there isn't much to say about the game particularly. This version on the other hand has some nifty updates that I'm proud that I identified in my original post. They added a monster book and an explanation for what every card combination did so that you knew how to use them. They also added a notification which you can turn on and off where you hit a monster with a card it will show so that you know who to grind. All great improvements. Only irritating thing with that is that it show for every hit and if you try to look at the right part of the map the note obscures the right parts of the map.

Overall, still good.

Addendum: I found the game at my parents attic so I have the original, as well as the Wii U virtual console... I buy these games all to many times over.

Sunsetriders (Switch)

Ride em Cowboy!

As mentioned a couple of time I watched every video from the Clan of the Gray Wolf and their 16-bit gems. One of them being Sunsetriders for the SNES and Mega Drive. The music caught my ear and I really wanted to try it out, now 9 years later the arcade version is released on the Switch. A shoot'em'up with cowboys fighting their way through the wild west in search of wanted criminals. Now, it only takes 30 minutes to play through it if you are really easy on the continues... which I am. Great visuals and music and good gameplay. What would elevate this is the multiplayer option where you can be up to four people shooting it out. Now, I don't have that option. I tried to get my sisters to play it home during midsummer, but it never came to be. So I played it on my own. 

Fun game, but it probably is best played with others since the chaos of several shoots fired and someone stealing upgrades or money is always fun. Plus you all will laugh at the last one dying. Still, can at least enjoy the music on my own.

PC Engine Core Grafx Mini

It has finally arrived!

Finally got it, supposed to get out back in march, but thanks to the global pandemic it was obviously postponed. As a bonus it came right before I went on summer vacation. I've mostly seen people talking about the American release (since most Youtubers I watch are Americans), the TurboGrafx-16 mini, and I gotta be honest, it looks bad. I get why they changed the colours from the original PC Engine, but how could they make it so big and bulky? At least Europe got the Amazon black and blue. Funny enough the smallest of the mini consoles I have, but the most games on it... technically. It sports 57 games on the back-cover, but the thing is that some of them are the same game, but both a japanese and an english version. And some of the Japanese-only games are with japanese text and sound... meaning that I can't actually play them. The two games most effected are Snatcher and a game called Necromancer. Both very text heavy so that makes it rather impossible to play them. The german voice for Castlevania: Rondo of Blood isn't a problem since I know enough and it's just the intro.

Now, some information that I tried to find was how many controllers are there in the package? Just one, you were supposed to buy at least one more to get the most out of the console. And if you wanted to go all in you could get the multitap and buy three more so that five people could play games like Bomberman and Dungeon Explorer. Now, the pandemic shut down that idea as well so I have just the one. Although I thought that it's basically a NES-controller with some added turbo-configuration I though I would try some of the other controllers I had laying around. Now, I only got the Sega Mega Drive Mini controllers with USB-connections and they didn't work. So when the logistics of Konami is solved I will probably pay for 4 more controllers and a multitap. Gotta need some spare at least. The d-pad is a bit harder than the NES mini, but overall works like normal. Greath lenght on the cable so no need for extensions.

Like the Sega Mega Drive mini you can get to the game menu from the games, but this time holding both the Select and Start button... or Select and Run button. Save stats goes a long way and you can choose different backgrounds. They also decided to divide up the games for the PC Engine and the TurboGrafx-16 (I assume the European releases were rather insignificant or that the PAL format really messes with the games) so you gotta switch them around to get to the games. Interesting choice and since they have doubles I get why they did that. They also play little animations while starting up the games, reflecting if it was a huecard (the cartridge the first games come on) or a CD-ROM game. 

Speaking of the games, I've got a couple of them before on Wii and Wii U (and the Switch arcade archives). As mentioned, some games that are completely in Japanese I can't play if I wouldn't do something drastically like putting in some translation patch (which I won't do since I'm not that technical). Other games don't need it, Castlevania or some of the shooter games since the words don't affect how you play the game. I started up snatcher and the visuals and music are fantastic but a lot of text and words in Japanese and as the game starts... you gotta chose words to progress and I can't read it. And it is pretty much a visual novel I gather? Might just youtube someone playing the Sega CD version. You got a lot of shooters like Salamander (the arcade original of Life Force, which I gotten 7 times... and some times twice on the same console). With this I might finally finish Neutopia and Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, but since it's the Summer (as of writing) I might play Ys 1 & 2 again, especially since I just learnt that Ys IX is coming next year.

Playing some of the games and looking at it... probably had I not gotten the games on Wii and Wii U it would probably be the best way to experience these games for someone who haven't played the games. It was a bit more pricey, but I think it's worth it. This is at the moment also the last mini console I will get unless they release a Nintendo 64 mini (I'm not touching the Playstation mini). 

Castlevania Season 2 (TV-series)

Showtime

Finally have a Netflix-account so I could watch the second season. Basically the good guys decide to go to Belmonds old mansion to get information from the archives below the mansion that survived people burning it down. There they also finds things like the morning star and so on. And they do that for 5 episodes out of 8. Episode 6 they fight of demons from Dracula's castle that found them in their library, and then the last they bring Castlevania to their location and then the fight begins.

In the meantime we followed the real stars of the seasons and that is Isaac and Hector, Dracula's generals that wage the war for him. Both human forge masters that creates the minions that are part of the army from the corpses of the killed humans. Hector an outcast necromancer that created pets out of dead animals and then killed his parents as they beat him. Issac a slave that killed his tormenter, a holy knight that beat him with a belt which caused him to constantly flail himself. Now, Hector was the protagonist of a PS2 side game Curse of Darkness which I never played, but was interested in playing, but it didn't get that positive reviews at the time. 

So Dracula gives them the control of the army that upsets the other vampire lords, but they are rather ineffectual until Carmilla shows up that have been part in many Castlevania games and begins plotting by ensnaring Hector in a scheme to overthrow Dracula since his plan to eradicate humankind would end badly for the vampires as well. Meanwhile Isaac in his undying loyalty for Dracula kills one of the vampire lords that where also trying to usurp Dracula's throne. Interesting played by Peter Stormare. Carmilla is able to persuade everyone to attack a certain town, but planned to take the castle for herself and as her own troops began entering the good guys forcefully transports the town right to their location. And finally the battle begin.

And what a battle... all to the sound Bloody Tears. It's the only instance the music is from the game, but what a sound, what a scene. And then the battle with Dracula that raged all over the castle, and Dracula that made one act of compassion by throwing Issac through a portal to the desert to spare him from being killed by the heroes. The battle rages onward and ends only when Alucard and Dracula end up in Alucards bedroom from when he was a child and Dracula once again finds his humanity and realise how his hatred pushed his son away, leaving him open for Alucards killing blow. And that just episode 7. Episode 8 is just the aftermath. Isaac killing some slave traders and beginning to build his own army, Carmilla enslaving Hector so that she can create her own army and Trevor and Sylpha leaving the Belmond mansion and Castlevania to guard its secrets while they travel the land to heal it. And it ends with Alucard sitting in the castle crying and seeing visions of his parents from happier time. Love it, and in march the third season hits (which is incidentalley when I write this so it should be around the corner).

Castlevania: The Adventure (Switch)

Mortal terror reigned
Sickness now then horrible death
Only Lucy knew the truth
And at her window
Nosferatu

I got this for the 3DS, but never finished it... or rather played it at all. Part of my collectors OCD that gets me to get it to play someday. Part of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection I got it again and this time, I actually played it and finished it for the first time. A gameboy game so we will probably see some changes to the formula. It stars a Christopher Belmont some 100 years before Simon Belmont and it's his turn to fight off the evil count. There is no subweapons and instead you can upgrade your whip to shoot fire balls. At least there is no stairs this time around... instead you get ropes. It's gonna be that kinda game.

Apparently not that well received at launch. First off it's rather short with only four stages. And then it's the difficulty. And really there is only one stage that is ridiculously hard, and it's hard. The third stage is the torture chamber and begins with an area with a spiked ceiling that you have to traverse. Then follows a segment where you have to climb up while a spiked floor follows and then a spiked wall hunts you from the right to left. Insane stuff. The game also have a problem with lag with both monsters and candles. But at least it has a Dracula transformation.

Die Monster! You don't Belong in this World!

It was apparently remade as Castlevania Rebirth for the Wii Eshop (which no longer work), and I got it through my Wii U, but I never finished it. Maybe someday since I got a bit of training with all these old-school Castlevania games. Back to this game. Graphics decently for a Gameboy game. Music alright, mostly rearranged version of old songs I think. A good thing is that you actually can choose if you want the game displayed in Black & White, Green or colour. Why couldn't the 3DS fix that for its gameboy games? Would I recommend this game? Not as standalone, and the third stage is absurdly hard if you would do it legit (THANK GOD for save state). 

Super Castlevania IV (Switch)

Only a woman can break his spell
Pure in heart who will offer herself
To Nosferatu

Choosing Blue Öyster Cult's Nosferatu lyrics below the game cover was just a fun bit and the only vampire song that I had at the front of my mind, but it seems to have suited up better than expected with the curse mentioning in the second verse, the ship in the third and then the fourth is the refrain again (although had it been the first verse again it would have been even better) for the remake. Good choice on me. Back to the game. I completed it lastly back in 2014 for the Wii U and wrote of it here.  Much faster this time since I didn't spend a couple of months fighting Death. 

Pretty much a reimagining of the first game. Better graphics and music higher quality and certain songs are really good, but I miss certain songs from the original game like the music for the stage toward Death. Better gameplay since you have more control than ever and it's rather refreshing after the earlier first games. So game is better in most ways. The only thing now I would say is a bit disappointing is the ending battle with Dracula. Don't get me wrong, battling him is intense (reminder to myself, get the cross as a subweapon for Dracula next time compared to the holy water) and when Simon's theme kicks in at the end of the game it is awesome. But why isn't there a second transformation? Every game (besides Castlevania II) have had Dracula transformations. It began in the first game so why not here? On the other hand I'm glad it wasn't that hard. Still, games good.