Sunday, October 27, 2024

Haunted Castle Revisited (Switch, 2024)

 

This is, believe it or not, the first new Castlevania game in like ten years. The last one was also a remake of an early game with Castlevania Adventure Rebirth. This uses basically the same engine and is similarly barebones with mostly left-to-right 2D stages. That said, it's a new Castlevania game. That alone is a big deal. Even though it's another 30 minute long game, it's another nice bonus on the new collection and a vast improvement over the original arcade game.

Simon and Selena are just married and on their way home when...

::sky darkens, lightning flashes, Bowser-swoops-in theme from the beginning of Mario RPG plays::

Sudden Dracula out of nowhere!

Right off the bat, this game looks pretty nice, and gets rid of Simon's side-clutching injured-man limp. We've got a nice-ranged whip here and the controls are considerably better than the original. Of course, Super Castlevania IV whip-control hasn't made a return, because it never returns for some reason. Can only whip in two directions, as usual.

The music in this remake is pretty damn good. Haunted Castle already had the skeletons of some great tunes that just needed some fleshing-out, and this remake does that. Here's stage 1, probably the most popular track in the OST.

This game has something huge that the arcade version didn't: Candles. Special weapons are actually useful here since you've got no shortage of hearts to get from candle-whipping.

We've also got the crystal orb powerups from Castlevania Adventure Rebirth. First one turns the whip into a chain whip that does 2x the damage. You'd think the next one would make you fling fireballs like in the past, but nope. Instead it just gives you a super-whip that is even longer and more damaging, but only lasts for about 20 seconds before it goes back to normal chain whip. I'd have rather had the fireball power.

Medusa looks awesome in this version. The graphics are this interesting kind of mix of 2D and 3D, with a lot of the enemies having 3D models.

The overworld map screen returns, and it's still one of the more interesting aspects of the original Haunted Castle. They did a good job with it, and at least it gives arcade players a hint as to how far they got after they game over for the 12th time.

Stage 2 is the runup to Dracula's Castle, so it looms in the background. Right behind another one of those sexy statues.

Sahagin is back, yet again. Will their time EVER come?

Most importantly of all, this game gets rid of the lack of continues, the high difficulty, and the weird sacrifice-lives-for-health mechanic, which allows it to be a much better game. It still isn't great, but it's good, and it's something. From a series that has given us a lot of nothing for a long time now. The only real downside to this game is that it's way too easy. I'm not into super-difficult 'Vanias (have never really had a great time with CV3) but a super-easy one that just rolls over for you is at the other end of the "not great" spectrum. Ideally you want something that lands in the middle with a good balance, where you feel challenged enough to be having fun when you win the fights.

Bone Drgn is a very different fight from the original because you've got all these platforms to leap around on to avoid it.

Inside the castle, things get extra spooky. I instinctively want to farm Axe Knights to get their souls like in the Sorrow duo-gy.

The third boss is where I took my first death of the game (yeah, halfway through) and it wasn't from being hit, it was from the time limit running out while I played it extra-safe. Time limits in games are something I could really do without and I'm glad they're a thing of the past...except in these rare cases where they still pop up. I had four total deaths over the course of this playthrough and three of them were due to the time limit expiring. I don't mind losing fights and trying again but I do mind suddenly croaking because of a time limit I wasn't even paying attention to / being rushed along.

Stage 4 theme - Probably the most "menacing" theme in the game.

And it should be menacing, because this level is home to WCW Superstar The Yeti!

Don't let him double-team you, Simon!

Oh damn! They're going for the double-team!

Simon manages to fight them off in time. Whew.

Next is the giant stone golem boss, which is a good opportunity to employ axe spam. The axe has become one of my favorite weapons in any game series, thanks to the Castlevanias this year. Not just because of how fun it is to aim an arc weapon, but also because it's usually something that can hit multiple times as it passes through foes. Which is always cool in a game.

Oh no! The Yeti is sneaking in from behind for the double-team! Leave Simon alone, ya double-teaming bastard!

Oh no!

NO! NOOOOOOO!

After escaping that harrowing ordeal, we've got basically one full level left, and it's where most of the challenge in this version is.

There's an elevator from hell that I skipped over in the arcade version. Suffice to say you're fending off waves of foes as the elevator flies upward at unsafe speeds.

There's also a section with blade traps. No real Clock Tower level to speak of though. The original Haunted Castle didn't have tight enough controls to be able to pull off a level like that to begin with.

Fronken-Steen is an interesting fight because every so often he'll get charged up (by Doctor Frankenstein on the right there) and sprint across the screen with an unavoidable attack. So you have to whip the Doctor when he starts charging up in order to stop this from happening. Also gnomes are attacking during all of this. ...wait a minute, what's going on with that timer? It's getting very low.

Yep, another timer death. These timer deaths have gotten real old and I only had a couple of them.

Stage 6 is just the collapsing bridge of doom. Too bad The Yeti doesn't show up HERE so he could plummet to his death. Double-teaming bastard.

Simon finds Selena unharmed (and apparently about to be sacrificed).

...That statue on the far right of the screen there probably wins for sexiest statue in this game. What a pose.

Dracula wields the Threaded Cane from Bloodborne. Winning is a matter of jumping n' whipping. Incidentally, all the Castlevania this year has really made me want to do a Bloodborne replay...yet again.

Dracula's final form is a bunch of giant faces, though the key here is to whip the orb that's flying around, which is Dracula's soul. This fight was enough to hand me a non-timer death.

That's it for this game, another one in the books. Dracula was brimming with personality in this one and kinda leapt off the screen. Not a bad 'Vania at all and good to get a new one after all this time.

Our heroes watch the castle sink into the lake, then Selena takes off to use her new-found celebrity to hook up with Craig Ferguson.

Simon in the audience: "You deserve it, honey! Go get 'em! I'll be back at the village practicing my axe throws!"

Winning the game gets you one bonus, a stage select. Well, it's something. Now you can replay your favorite (...?) Haunted Castle stage while your wife rides Craig Ferguson like a big bull.

Of course, there's a Bloody Tears remix in this somewhere. They're over here making Castlevania look easy. Why can't we get games like this more often? Only took ten years.

Favorite track in the game is Stage 6, like the original. Great remix here. This makes me want to see more new 'Vanias. What do they even have left to remix, though? Maybe the other two Game Boy ones? Maybe Vampire Killer for MSX2? Or better yet, maybe we can get an entirely new 'Vania at some point? Here are two ideas:

-1899 game starring Quincey Morris and his friend John as they take on Dracula. Quincey of course later names his son after his ally, leading to Bloodlines starring John Morris taking place in 1918.

-1999 game starring Julius Belmont, also a prequel to some of the existing games. Really surprised this one never got made.


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