Favorite Castlevania Games?

[DivinePaladin]

Xeon said:

DivinePaladin said:
I've definitely heard phenomenal things about Rondo of Blood in particular. (And obviously 3 and 4, but RoB seems to be a cult hit or something.) I know I've also got a buddy who loves the LoD games too, and while they weren't necessarily the most original games they seemed enjoyable.

I'm not at all familiar with the PS2 ones though. I vaguely recall hearing about a crappy Castlevania fighter but I thought that was Dreamcast. What do the PS2 ones entail?

The PS2 ones are Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness.  I believe Curse of Darkness was also released for the Xbox.  I don't think there was a Dreamcast fighter.  There was actually a Dreamcast 3D game but it was cancelled.  You may be referring to Castlevania Judgement for the Wii.

Yep, as soon as I read "Judgement" I knew that was the one. Maybe I misremembered the platform because it looks like a DC game. (Zing!)

Veknoid_Outcast said:

Oh man, you're going to LOVE Castlevania.

I still need to play a bunch, but I can recommend the following:

(snip)

Good luck!

I've seen a lot of AoS love as well lately. I'm glad this is a rare series where there are gems sprinkled everywhere, so that if I go in order it should be mostly enjoyable from cover to cover. 

Mbolibombo said:
I prefer the first one actually.

But honestly, all 2D Castlevania games are something else! Cant go wrong with any of them

If you are in to 2D plattformers I have bunch of great tips for you, there are so many hidden gems on the NES/Famicom in this genre that people forgot to play.

I can't say I'm a NES collector but I do love me some 2D platformers in general, although not necessarily particularly NES ones. I've been playing way too many of them lately though, so my Castlevania kick probably won't start for a month or two. I was mainly curious what everybody thought before I go and do some heavier research!

Veknoid_Outcast said:

Oh man, you're going to LOVE Castlevania.

I still need to play a bunch, but I can recommend the following:

Aria of Sorrow - this is my favorite, and the first game in the series set in the future. The customization options are great, the boss battles are spectacular, and the visuals crisp and clean. In fact, you can't go wrong with any of the Castlevania games on GBA, including Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance.

Portrait of Ruin - it might not be the best DS Castlevania, but the dual character mechanic is a lot of fun.

Rondo of Blood - before Symphony of the Night changed the Castlevania formula, Rondo of Blood mastered the old formula. Branching paths, thrilling boss fights, careful platforming, etc. The opening scene on a horse-drawn wagon is just jaw-dropping.

Castlevania 64 - I'm serious! It's good! Good story, larger-than-life boss fights, a huge world to explore. Definitely a hidden gem of the series.

Symphony of the Night - the seminal Castlevania game, after the original of course. Transitioned the game from an action platform game into something of an action RPG. This game is legendary and with good reason. An all-time great hero - Alucard - plus tons of secrets and Easter eggs, puzzles and riddles, and amazing enemy encounters.

Good luck!