I’m not going to lie: I was pretty moved by the AVGN’s Castlevania tributes. I knew what he was feeling. The games of our early lives crash-land into our unprotected, still-mushy child-brains, burning in those truer-than-life images and carving out an everlasting affinity with the powers of human-game interaction. In a good game, the illusion was perfect, our discoveries were real, and we were doing things before we’d even imagined them … it’s a pretty special feeling that I hope most of us share.
Yeah, every gamer needs a precious few of these touchstone games–the kind that kindle an instant fondness in one’s heart with little more than a screenshot, a few bars of BGM, or simply by holding the box.
But we can’t have them all. There are a lot of games I wish I didn’t miss, and ones that just came too late. But you know what? My roots run the thickest in the 8- and 16-bit era, and it’s never too late to go back. So why not Castlevania?
Well, Death was a bit of a bitch on NES… so I skipped ahead a few.
I’m sure people will be playing Super Castlevania IV on the Nerd’s recommendation a lot sooner than on mine–or thanks to its fitting #66 on Nintendo Power‘s “Top 200 games on a Nintendo console”–but I just have to give the game my Problem Gaming Seal of Approval. (Especially now that I’ve beaten it, which was no small task, and would have been mystifying unless I downright LOVED it.) If there was ever a Top 1,000 games list, 666th wouldn’t be high enough for this one.
Expectations ran high for the first wave of games on Nintendo’s new grey-hot machine. Konami, being what they are, wanted to be first in line for the spot of top third-party developer… and they played their highest card to do it.
Thus, a new Castlevania, and an instant classic, is born.
A 1991 release, SCIV is, in most every aspect, at least 2 SNES generations ahead of its time. What I’m trying to say is, it was more like playing a 1993 or 1994 game from the way it made use of the platform. The game planning was ridiculously good, the graphics and score a full-throttle assault on the new box, the ideas fresh, and the whole thing as much an upgrade as it was a standalone success. Simon Belmont’s theme in the first level, with its rock organ so perfectly rugged yet melodious, is my new anthem; my future trigger for a wave of nostalgia.
I used to like Rondo of Blood the best of all Castlevanias to date, but now I’m forced to reconsider. Both are the beautiful, linear gauntlets of pain that I love; but … it’s a hard call now. You can watch the Nerd’s great video, or listen to me prattle on… but most of all, you should just play it.
problemgamer
