Since I did A LOT of Gaming during the previous Holidays, I decided to do some reviews on the games I finished. What better way to kick these reviews off then with a game that requires you to beat Dracula repeatedly over the head with a long piece of huge solid Metal? 
GAMEPLAY:
This game is a solid remake of Castlevania Rondo of Blood; one of best platform games released in the 90s (if not all time). It follows the original Castlevaina fomula to a T (you go around linear stages beating undead and creatures from myth mercilessly with a metal whip and with missile weapons like daggers, axes, flying crosses, clocks that slow time, and holy water). With that being said, their is nothing extrodinary about it (Only thing fancy is Belmont's flip jump). It's repeatative yes, but the game is challenging enough not to make it boring. As bosses you pretty much face all the Badass creatures and monsters of Legend: The Wolfman, Minotaurs, Giant Sewer Serpents, Frankenstein, the mummy Imotep, Medusa, and even DEATH and DRACULA themselves, so any goth creature of the night would love it . The pace your character moves is not slow but not all that fast either, so a run feature could have really sped up gameplay and made it feel a little more exciting. Fighting all these bosses of legend in a gothic atmosphere really makes you feel like your a Vampire Killer in 1792 Transylvania though .
This game is full of secrets passages, alternate levels, maidens to save, alternate bosses, and a hidden playable character once you save her, so even though the main quest is about only about 8 hours long, you'll find yourself playing the same levels over and over to see what you've missed the first time around. The best part about playing the game however they've included the classics Rondo of Blood AND SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT (you've read right) in one disc if you find them in certain stages (this alone blows the replay value skyhigh).
I find this remake a lot harder than the original however. The Monster are smaller, making them harder targets to hit. There are MANY aspects of the game that will keep you on your toes (like traps, pit falls etc), and healing items are sort of scarce, so if your just playing the game casually and expect to pass it your going TO DIE A LOT and might just throw your PSP out the window during a rainstorm in rage (and PSPs are rare nowadays ). For casual gamers, this might be a turn off, but for the Hardcore, man your in for a challenge. In this game you will die a lot, so learning from your mistakes is required for you to advance.
Graphics:
The intro video still looks pretty damn well even to todays standards, and it's presentation is sinisterly beautiful in a brutal sort of way. The game looks rich in it's Gothicness. It captures the detail of 18th century fantasy Transylvania as if I am imagining it from one of Bram Stoker's books. The castles, full moons, crecent moons, dungeons look all dark and grim as your imagination has thought of it. Although by today's standards the game does show just a tad bit of age when it comes to this department.
Sound:
The 2ND Best part of this REMAKE! Konami really outdid themselves with a whole entire remix of the first Rondo of Blood. Classic Catlevania tunes are redone, and best of all you can ASSIGN your favorite song to your FAVORITE level (Bloody Tears Remix while facing Dracula anyone?). Plus you can unlock the classic tunes from Rondo of Blood AND SOTN by passing the levels, so you have access to them and put them in your favorite Chronicle levels too. The voice acting is pretty convincing. And best of all they redid all of SOTN voice acting as well. Did I also mention it includes a Bloody Tears remix?
Controls:
The main weakness the remake has. A few times I perform Belmont's flip jump when I COMPLETELY didn't need it (this has killed me more times than I am proud to admit). In the Original I had complete control over this. I dunno why the mechanics changed but I feel it's a problem. This could be a huge issue and get fustrating at times... Other than that the control are solid.
Verdict
This game, combined with the two other classics you'll find in the stages of it (along with the "TRUE REMAKE" of Rondo of Blood after beating Boss Rush mode, that's 4 games in one) make you just want to keep it in your PSP and never take it out. It I didn't have any other PSP games to play, I'd play nothing but DxC. Hell I still play it to beat Dracula to a bloody pulp at least once a week. With it's kick ass soundtrack and gothic feel, this is definitely a hidden gem on the PSP (Considering it sold less than 400k copies o.O).
PROS:
Classic gameplay. Challenging. Graphics are pretty good. Gothic environments add to the feeling of the gameplay. Awesome soundtrack. Battles with creatures of Legend.
Cons:
Flip jumps can get annoying at crucial parts of the game. Can get difficult and fustrating at times. Sort of repeatative. No run feature. Graphics are a tad bit aged.
PRESENTATION: 8.5/10
GRAPHICS: 8.0/10
SOUND: 11.0/10 (not exaggerating )
CONTROLS: 7.5/10
LASTING APPEAL: 8.0/10* (If never played Rondo of Blood and SOTN... it's a 9.7/10)
OVERALL: 8.2/10 (Or 9.7/10 including Rondo of Blood and SOTN)
Happy Gaming!
