It took me nearly fifteen years to get past the first few screens of Metroid. I first attempted to play it when it came bundled as an extra with Metroid Fusion (if you linked the GBA up to the Gamecube and Metroid Prime. I gave up after ten minutes. Next, when the remake of Metroid came along, Metroid – Zero Mission, I attempted to play Metroid again (it came as an extra). Half an hour into it, I gave up. Subsequent attempts ended in quick failure until I purchased a NES Classic! Here, I used the save system to carefully progress through the game. It was still as frustrating as ever…but I managed to get through it (without a guide!). Continue reading
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Quick Review : Probotector (NES) (The European Version of Contra !!!)
My Contra journey ends at the beginning…with the European version of Contra! Yes, us Europeans didn’t like violence in video games in the 1980s. Instead of two musclebound heroes shooting legions of a foreign army, here we have two robots shooting…other robots! However, that doesn’t detract from the sheer thrill of this game. It’s the shortest of the three, but it’s just as difficult (apart from the disappointing last boss). Continue reading
Quick Review : Super C (NES)
It’s strange, going from a video game sequel to its predecessor, rather than vice versa. Before purchasing the NES Classic, I always wondered what came between Contra and Contra III (strangely, the NES Classic doesn’t have the original Contra included…). It seems to me like Super C is often forgotten in favour of its precursor and its sequel, but make no mistake about it, Super C was just as exhilarating, thrilling and downright frustrating as Contra III, to no surprise. Continue reading
Quick Review : Castlevania III – Dracula’s Curse (NES)
THIS is how you do a sequel. Expand the number of levels and playable characters, and give the player a branching path. Oh, you also make it INCREDIBLY difficult. I though the original was tough, but this…this is infuriatingly difficult at times. If I thought that battle with Dracula was tough in the original, than I had no idea what was coming up with III’s version of Dracula. It took me hours to defeat him!
Just like the original, the challenge is sometimes unfair, but never so unfair that it made me give up (although I did consider it at times…). There are moments where enemies appear from nowhere, knocking you to oblivion. It’s as tough as nails, but there’s always the possibility to surmount it. The longevity/repeatability is appreciated, as next time I pick it up I’ll take a different path (and experiment with other characters). It’s surely the finest “pure” Castlevania out there (I consider SotN and its ilk to be impure Castlevanias…)…but dare I play Castlevania II?
Hammy’s Rating: 5/5
Click here for my Quick Review of Bloodstained : Ritual of the Night
Click here for my Quick Review of Bloodstained : Curse of the Moon
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania (NES)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania – Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania : Aria of Sorrow
Quick Review : Castlevania (NES)
Sometimes, you’ve got to go back to the beginning. Thanks to the NES Classic, I did…and what a game to start the franchise! The gothic atmosphere fills the player with dread and uncertainty. You’re sucked in almost immediately…and the insurmountable challenge keeps calling you back. Yes, it’s unfair at times. Yes, the rigid controls constrain your ability to dodge and kill enemies. But there is always a small chance that you can succeed…
Unfortunately, there are only 6 levels, worth half an hour of gameplay if you played it from start to finish without dying (an impossible challenge?). It’s a damn shame that the game is so short. From playing its remake to playing the original, you can see the potential in those 6 levels. But that potential isn’t realized until Castlevania III…
Hammy’s Rating: 4/5
Click here for my Quick Review of Bloodstained : Ritual of the Night (XBox One)
Click here for my Quick Review of Bloodstained : Curse of the Moon (Switch)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania – Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania : Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania III – Dracula’s Curse (NES)
Quick Review – Bloodstained : Curse of the Moon (Switch)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is Castlevania in all but name. So why play a homage when you can play the two classic Castlevania games on the NES? Because, first of all, this game rips entire sections of gameplay, enemies, and gameplay mechanics from those two classics. Mutiple characters to play? Yes. A mysterious castle? Yes. Multiple routes through levels (yes, I know Dracula’s Curse didn’t do that, but Rondo of Blood did). However, sometimes the familiar is comforting, relaxing, even invigorating. And Curse of the Moon is the perfect update of the classic 2D Castlevania side scroller. You may not be able to control your jumps, just like in the originals, but overall, the controls feel more organic and less restricted. Each character brings something to the table, and the multiple endings offer replayability. Do you ignore the chance to take a new character, embrace the character or kill them? Each possibility offers a different ending (and I haven’t got the true ending yet!).
A positive change to its inspirations is Curse of the Moon’s difficulty. It is difficult, but nowhere near as difficult as the NES classics. It’s a fairer challenge as well (you can even turn off the annoying “jump backwards when you get hit” mechanic if you so wish!), with more chance to show off your skills than being overwhelmed by random bulldoo-doo. I’d think twice about going through the NES classics again, due to their difficulty, but I’m already on my second playthrough of Curse of the Moon!
Hammy’s Rating: 5/5
Related Reviews
Click here for my Quick Review of Bloodstained : Ritual of the Night
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania : Aria Of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania (NES)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania III – Dracula’s Curse (NES)
Click here for my Quick Review of Castlevania – Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
Hammy Reviews 