Castlevania DS: Art Style of Ugliness
by Christopher Grant 
{ Apr 20th 2006 at 8:59PM }
Remember when Nintendo Power teased us with promises of a new Castlevania title for Nintendo's dual screened juggernaut? You were excited, weren't you? You maybe even clapped your hands together, quietly, at the thought. Now that it's here, we want to go back to that more innocent time, before Ayami Kojima's gothic, androgynous artwork that has come to define the Castlevania franchise was substituted with leftover character design from [fill in preferred Saturday morning anime series here].
Alright, so we don't like it, but what about you dear reader?
[Thanks, Brian; via DS Fanboy]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
christoph @ Apr 20th 2006 9:02PM
Is it going to affect the way the game plays? No? Then I don't care.
Chris @ Apr 20th 2006 9:13PM
Gameplay is always more important than the actual art style. If Dawn of Sorrow's gameplay was any indication, I'm pretty excited about the next Castlevania game to hit the DS. Besides, I'd rather have a developer experiment with new ideas and styles than stay with the same territory that was already fleshed out before.
There was much backlash over the new art style of the Wind Waker but now many people came to love it so much that they're dismissing Twilight Princess for returning to a style more reminiscent of Ocarina of Time.
fawazr @ Apr 20th 2006 9:16PM
The second one, though crappy, IS more accessible. I'd hate to be whipped to death by some prettyboy wearing a tacky blue and red outfit.
Cosmos @ Apr 20th 2006 9:18PM
Who had the bright idea to change the style anyways? I can't imagine anyone sitting at a table with renders of the same character in different styles, and picking that horrible, cheesy anime style over the gothic style.
LaughingMan @ Apr 20th 2006 9:18PM
Lets see we either get the way over the top Japanese Goth aesthic or the Yu-Gi-Oh (however it's spelled) "Bear Drive Car? How can this be?" style. Either way we, uh, win?
At least there isn't anything steam powered in these games yet. Japanese love steam. And Seeds. And Full Metal anything.
baR_n1 @ Apr 20th 2006 9:37PM
Ninty can say they are targeting the "non-gamer" all they want, but you know where their bread is buttered. Selling to kids pays the bills, simple as that. Castlevania isnt a game for your girlfriend or decrepit old grandma, its a milk-money title, and that old goth style just doesnt appeal to the children of today.
CV_Otaku @ Apr 20th 2006 9:38PM
I'd prefer a company try some different things. I mean, let's face it, the gameplay is important. Let's stick with that.
As a Castlevania fanboy (note the name) I can't help but get giddy over any new venture into the realm. I'll reserve judgment for after it comes out. Even Castlevania 64 had some redeeming qualities.
Nushio @ Apr 20th 2006 9:40PM
Next thing you know, characters fuse, and have giant robots which build themselves into way more gigantic versions of themselves.
And shoot stuff from the hands. Japanese dig shooting stuff from hands too.
While we are at it, why not add a sidekick, a busty girl as in Blade Trinity.
I prefer the old style than the new one in case it wasn't obvious, but "I like balloons" was such a tempting answer...
Rabish12 @ Apr 20th 2006 9:42PM
#2: Gameplay is most important than art style, but that doesn't mean that the art style shouldn't be considered, and considering the fact that art style has virtually no effect on gameplay (especially in a game like Castlevania) it's really a moot point. They've basically taken the great style of they'd had before away from their fans, and in return we've gotten nothing.
As for Wind Waker's style being accepted, that sort of comparison only works if there hasn't already been a game using that sort of style, but Dawn of Sorrow already did. Besides that, we aren't looking at a leap to a more artistic way of portraying characters like Nintendo had with Wind Waker, but rather a far less artistic way of doing so. With Wind Waker, Nintendo was making a game that looked unique when compared to virtually anything else on the market. With Castlevania they're doing the opposite and just making their stuff look more generic.
Seroth @ Apr 20th 2006 9:46PM
Kojima's art may look more artsy, but I'm tired of all her characters LOOKING LIKE THE SAME PERSON. Seriously, most of her characters look too similar, and they're all girly men. I'm waiting for the manly Castlevania heroes to come back. With the newer art style in Dawn of Sorrow, Soma actually looked more like a man. Hammer was actually a man, too.
I actually prefered the art style of Circle of the Moon. I thought that was pretty good.
Milton Bradley™ @ Apr 20th 2006 9:52PM
Why is this a surprise to everyone, if not most of you?
Konami has said that they wanted to grab more attention with the new "anime-like" artwork. Apparently, Japanese sales are declining for the Castlevania series so they've change the design a bit to catch the non-Castlevania gamers.
Funny thing though. The first one was of course, Dawn of Sorrow. Yet, Curse of Darkness(PS2) continued on with the gothic-style artwork. So while the others are getting the gothic treatment that everyone loves & cares for(like myself), the DS/GBA will probably have the anime-styling.
Imadogg99 @ Apr 20th 2006 9:53PM
"1. Is it going to affect the way the game plays? No? Then I don't care."
I don't know about you, but if a game series I've always loved to play stuck with the same great gameplay, but the main character was now changed to have a penis growing out of his neck... I would certainly care.
Alkaiser @ Apr 20th 2006 9:55PM
First off, I hate gothy stuff, so good riddance. If they made Alucard into a robot I wouldn't mind.
Second, how often do you seen anything close to resembling the picture on the left in any of the Castlevania games? Once, maybe twice. It frankly DOESN'T MATTER.
Sure it looks lame when you look at the artwork. But little to none of that is in the game. I'm pretty sure the sprites you control are going to look just about exactly the same. Look at Amano's watercolor drawings of the early FF characters. Do they even resemble the characters in the game? Not at all.
Chill, people. Hopefully the game's as good as the last one on the DS, and if this is all you have to gripe about, in terms of your favorite game not coming out as you'd hoped, consider yourself lucky.
renaldo @ Apr 20th 2006 10:04PM
I miss the first Castlevania's art style.
AnimalTaglits @ Apr 20th 2006 10:08PM
I LOVE balloons!
Capt. Castellanos @ Apr 20th 2006 10:11PM
i always liked the gothy feel, but i think too many other games tried to rip it off, so they go in another direction. just keep the fun creepyness of the rest of the game.
Artimus @ Apr 20th 2006 10:12PM
Ummm...we're judging this based on artwork? Who cares? Do we have some screens to judge by?
I mean really, does this kind of art matter at all? I cannot believe there's an actual rant and poll on this site about this. Goodness, take a chill pill. Rantstiq is more like it!
(And to #6, this isn't a Nintendo game, they have no input into it. So stop saying they're dumbing down their games when they have NOTHING to do with it.)
reid296 @ Apr 20th 2006 10:18PM
Anime is SO over used these days. It was alright at first, but it's sort of annoying now.
mike @ Apr 20th 2006 10:19PM
Oh i get it.. it's the same guy that's been doing the Street Fighter artwork all these years.. these are like SF Alpha designs..
IOW.. plain graphics but beautiful animation..
Chris @ Apr 20th 2006 10:23PM
#9: Likewise, the change in art style doesn’t ruin the game too much. While comparing the official game art side by side, I agree with your viewpoint on the new style versus the old one. But when you compare screenshots from Symphony of the Night to Dawn of Sorrow on the Nintendo DS the differences seem less apparent. Other than the GUI, the backgrounds and sprites seem about at the same quality. It’s just a little easier to make out the colors used in Dawn of Sorrow and its a little less gothic. The fans aren’t losing too much in the end. It still plays a whole lot like well-received Symphony of the Night and the art direction of the new installments hasn’t strayed too far from its roots. The backgrounds are about at the same level.
And in response to your second point, I really loved the intro movie for Dawn of Sorrow. Despite the less detail in the character design, it was still able to give off a pretty solid impression. Most of the monsters in the game don’t really seem any more generic than those in the past Castlevania games. I can imagine Gergoth fitting in quite nicely if moved to another Castlevania title.
Pal @ Apr 20th 2006 10:25PM
Art style can greatly effect the whole game. Concept designs are made to give everyone else on the production team something to aim for, or at least resemble in spirit. If Crash Bandicoot substituted, oh, Fei Fong Wong, we wouldn't have such sweeping/engaging music in Xenogears.
Style can direct anything. Add LEDs to a computer fan and it's an instant hit with modders. Add spoilers to a car and they're tagged a street racer. It's only a fan, and it's only a Civic, but it has style to convey it otherwise.
Don't shrug off art! *goes back to 3D modeling*
csokn @ Apr 20th 2006 10:27PM
You hate gothy stuff? I take this to mean you hated Symphony of the Night. Therefore, I hate you.
Look, people. It's called source material. The reason they used the gothic art style was because that's what the book was, that's when the actual Dracula lived, and that is how it has been treated forever. It's not like they are scouring Myspace and seeing goth kids as a target market. If it is gothic style architecture and clothing, it's all good by me. I thought that DoS was well drawn even if it was quite animesque.
If Castlevania: Super Robot Adventure was released, we'd be flipping out in the reverse. I'd love a return to SOTN visuals, but I won't be angry unless they botch the gameplay or change the entire source style.
striderhayasa @ Apr 20th 2006 10:32PM
WTF?! What's with the retarded redesign? I agree that the gameplay is more important than anything else but with Windwaker, at least the redesign made sense in terms of showing superior cell shading and animation on gamecube. What's the logic behind such a bad redesign?
Emory @ Apr 20th 2006 10:50PM
Castlevania Powered Up!
This seems like an attempt to get a younger demographic into Castlevania on the DS. Konami will hopefully retain the classic style for the console games... which is a damn shame, considering the handhelds are so much better.
striegs @ Apr 20th 2006 10:56PM
The new art style is definitely less visually striking than that of many previous Castlevania titles, but I doubt that creating "anime-esque" concept art will alter the final graphics of the actual game in any respects. If you took either of the two characters at the top and shrunk them down into sprites a few dozen pixels high, you wouldn't be seeing all that much of a difference. You definitely wouldn't be able to discern whether or not their concept art was gothic or anime-inspired.
As for the environments, we're still talking Dracula's castle here. You'll never see a Belmont wreaking havoc throughout Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, slaying hordes of Oompa Loompas as he goes. Unless Konami's gone off the deep end, I can assure you that you'll still be creeping your way through dark, decrepit hallways, covered in the blood of a thousand gruesome beasts, as you whip topless female hellspawn into submission. Kind of like what I do on Friday nights.
Seroth @ Apr 20th 2006 11:02PM
"You'll never see a Belmont wreaking havoc throughout Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, slaying hordes of Oompa Loompas as he goes."
But that'd be pretty damn awesome!
Seriously, the anime art style isn't new. It's more "classic" than the Kojima style art! It was the art style used in Rondo of Blood, and it looked even sillier then (Maria looked like something straight out of a lolicon hentai).
LK @ Apr 20th 2006 11:06PM
Discussing just the art and not the game itself, I have to say Kojima's stuff is miles ahead of the other, more generic art style to the right.
The pose for the art on the right is stiff, the colors are subdued, and the character himself lacks detail while wearing too many belts at the wrong places.
Perhaps the actual poster/cover art would look better than that crap on the right side, but for now, the work on the right lacks the "oomph" of Kojima's work. I just hope the picture on the right only represents a concept art and not a final piece for a cover/poster.
Rare Hare @ Apr 20th 2006 11:08PM
while the new art style is a bit lame, i like ballons more than i hate the art.
Snurp @ Apr 20th 2006 11:12PM
There will probably be a grand total of four places where we would actually see this kind of artwork in/around the game:
1. On the case cover
2. On the instruction manual cover
3. Whenever the character speaks
4. On the stats screen.
When it comes to something like this, the art is one thing, the actual character in gameplay is another. Just look at Dawn of Sorrow. I seriously doubt it will be the metrofest that some are fearing, Although I do have to say that that particular look is rather questionable...
The ZeroCorpse @ Apr 20th 2006 11:33PM
Anime style simply sucks.
Every character is nearly identical. Gag. It's like anime is based on what every 12-year-old is capable doodling in their notebook.
Animagnum @ Apr 20th 2006 11:47PM
Chris Grant -- stop whining.
Conn @ Apr 21st 2006 12:03AM
Considering the main attraction of the anime art style was the ability to show emotions clearly (for me at least), I'm happy at the art style. The new art is used for mugshots only, which- surprise surprise- are there to show emotion.
It's not like the characters will look like this in-game. Besides, I think Ayame Kojima is a talented artist, but some of her work for Castlevania is going overboard on the whole gothic style. It looked great in Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow, but I think it's way too.. 'busy' in the Curse of Darkness art.
Brandon @ Apr 21st 2006 12:13AM
They both suck. The first one is in your face "BAD ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gonna tear your arms off and rape your empty sockets right before gnawing your face off! Do you still hear them, Clarice? Do you still hear the lambs?" While the second is just, I don't know how to describe it, bland and uninspiring. I don't have a problem with anime style, just that, its like a blue guy with a red jacket. I thought we got past two color characters...
Anyway, I still prefer the second to the goth guy even though both choices pretty much make me want to cripple myself.
Nmaster @ Apr 21st 2006 12:17AM
How 'bout you shove the insults up your ass until you see some in-game screenshots and learn more about the gameplay?
Insomnia Bob @ Apr 21st 2006 12:38AM
I'm siding with everyone else who's said "gameplay > art".
The only Castlevania games I can remember that showed off this 'gothy art' style were on PS2 or X-box, and I consider both developmental abortions. SOTN was quite possibly the best game of the DECADE, and Konami's followup games had nothing in common with SOTN, aside from whips and undead things in a castle. (GBA games aside)
I love the Castlevania series. Mostly, the SOTN inspired games. And frankly, I'd much rather have sprites and character animations that were pleasant to watch than really spiffy box art. That cover art is from Curse of Darkness, and as I recall, not only was that game widely regarded as crap, but the main chracter didn't look a whole hell of a lot like that.
J @ Apr 21st 2006 12:46AM
"Ninty can say they are targeting the "non-gamer" all they want, but you know where their bread is buttered. Selling to kids pays the bills, simple as that. Castlevania isnt a game for your girlfriend or decrepit old grandma, its a milk-money title, and that old goth style just doesnt appeal to the children of today."
Nintendo has nothing to do with this. Konami make Castlevania games.
had2comment @ Apr 21st 2006 12:56AM
"Makes me sick in my mouth" is being much, much too generous.
Havok @ Apr 21st 2006 1:14AM
Holy crap, hello Pok?n. I really hope Konami re-thinks this "great" idea of theirs. Please don't fuck up Castlevania for us, it's to close to my heart and I'll die.
Pal @ Apr 21st 2006 2:53AM
I'm an art student commenting here, but I hope that at least one of you know that "gothic" as an art form has nothing to do with "gothic" as in MySpace.
Look at the churches. Look at the art. That's gothic. If you hate "gothic" stuff, you probably mean the kids, not the art itself. It's beautiful stuff, along with the Romanesque. My top two art periods that I wish still existed in the mainstream.
Norguard @ Apr 21st 2006 2:57AM
...actually, guys, Vlad Tepes (Tse-pesh) or "Vlad the Impaler" lived in the mid-16th century. He missed the early gothic era by a few hundred years. ...I mean, he was just short of living into the Renaissance. So "Dracula", even though he didn't actually 'live', anyway, didn't live in the Gothic era. Romania and its surrounding lands weren't even that caught up in the European movements. Look at early Russian architecture, compared to the Britains' at the time.
Stoker wrote from his imagination, and that's where these character designs are coming from. Both of those designs are 'anime'. One's gritty, the other's colourful and minimal. They both suffer from 'misunderstood-girlyman' and 'bishoujo-itis' (yes, they're both cute, young girls) and look like a Japanese swing on gothic, and a Japanese swing on a Japanese swing on gothic, respectively. Surprise?
If you're going to march to Konami on a crusade about art style, bring Simon Belmont back with you. Tell him to dress like he did for Simon's Quest. He looked like He-Man in chainmail with half plate on top. There's a man who means business - who can kill a festering zombie or two without having to stop to fix his ridiculously convoluted hairdo.
...actually, while you're at it, tell Simon to bring back his half-RPG, truly free-roaming world from his second game, while you're at it. I miss it, so.
jadenguy @ Apr 21st 2006 4:07AM
there are several factors to really consider here. first, the time period of the games here are quite different. all of the portable CV happen after the year 1999. so that means nobody dresses in cloaks and giant victorian dresses and stuff. that would be inappropriate. in all actuality, robots would actually BE more appropriate. don't give konami ideas. so anyhow, the 'gothic' style might not be appropriate with all of it's classical/vulgar interpretations in the air. second, those pictures aren't exactly the most fair comparisons. the one on the right looks for more sketch, and thus far less detailed. and why harsh on the new artist just because it's change? i mean, kojima sometimes comes off as an amano fangirl with her art. seems pretty derivative sometimes. and i personally think that clamp makes hands down the best everything, except maybe i like azumanga daioh better for the comedy/moe factor. anyhow, don't harsh on change, just try it first.
Rafi @ Apr 21st 2006 4:39AM
Yes, well...though the gothic style is totally awesome, I think you're being a bit to harsh on the second one. I think for some strange, drug induced reason, that it'd fit the DS style more. No, not kiddy, but...simple colours, sharp lines, that sort, like Bleach, and Guilty Gear. The more gothic style would look totally awesome on PSP. Where is the PSP version?
Gareth @ Apr 21st 2006 6:14AM
I'm telling you now, Anime is gonna end mankind!
Mark my words!
Zero_ @ Apr 21st 2006 6:29AM
Regarding the people who are saying "Gameplay > Art". Ofcourse, that is true, however, it's more like "Gameplay = Art", because as someone stated above, art and design can influence -alot- of things.
Do you think Barret from FFVII would have been liked as much if he was a skinny, short, white man? Do you think Chrono Trigger would have been as good if Akira Toriyama didn't do that art? Do you think Terra would have had a mysterious, yet highly catchy theme song if she was fat? Art can influence alot of things to do with the game, and simply can't be inferior than gameplay, it's just as good
Regarding Castlevania, wowsers. That's a huge difference, obviously, the old style is much, much better, however, I think it would be better if the two artists collaberated and had the colouring of Kojima but the more 'crisp' look, as alot of Kojima's design do look very similar.
jay @ Apr 21st 2006 6:34AM
I prefer the 2nd. I don't know why, never liked older Castlevania games but love the latest ones with this art style. Coincidence? hell yes.
striderhayasa @ Apr 21st 2006 7:20AM
lol @ Norguard. I agree 100%! Simon was diesel back in those days. Definately not someone to screw around with unless you looked like Arnie in Conan.
As far as the art goes, look, I'm an artist, have been for over 20 years and it's my profession. I know about off days when some character designs can just come off wrong. Those designs I don't show unless it's to prove a point. That design is terrible. Even if the story takes place in the future that's no excuse for bright blues and reds and a girly-man design for a CASTLEVANIA game. Who says, cloaks, lace and the like aren't being worn today. I just walked by the Trocadero here in Philly a few days ago and half the people in line looked like they could be in a castlevania game.
If you really want to be ill about it. Screw all of the characters in Dawn of Sorrows, because Alucard was the best. Gorgeous animation, great design and awesome voice samples. 100% percent gothic. Soma can go to hell and never come back for all I care and Julius's design is ok at best. He runs like he has a sausage stuck up his butt. Better character design IS needed this time around.
Martin @ Apr 21st 2006 8:59AM
Did anyone play Dawn of Sorrow? same art style... A few pictures of character designs doesn't mean that they are going to be cell shaded with huge balloons when they get annoyed.
Deuce @ Apr 21st 2006 9:36AM
Ugh, I hate both art styles. The pale, silver-haired androgynous prettyboy thing worked for Alucard, he being an inhuman half-vampire and all, but I never dreamed Kojima would go on to draw the Belmonts that way too. They're supposed to be a clan of rugged, red-blooded whip-toters, not a bunch of effete metrosexuals.
Why can't we have the gothic art style for the architecture, but draw the Belmonts as dark-haired, square-jawed badasses in armour, like our ole' boy Simon?
Norguard @ Apr 21st 2006 12:25PM
Strider and Deuce, I'm glad you guys agree. Technically, real gothic would have been half plate or full platemail, like Simon in the days of yore. Alucard's backward style (to match his backward name) has more to do with 'The Crow' than it has to do with knights in ornate, awe-inspiring castles and churches.
Post 1999 is fine... ...but if I were a Belmont, and I swore that I'd only fight these things with a whip, a knife and some sanctified water, I'd also swear to wear something that would actually protect me long enough to get close enough to actually use those things. ...otherwise it'd be "This is my boomstick!".
There you go. Replace the new, Freddie Prinze Belmont Jr. with Ash - complete with the breastplate. I know he'll make short work of those demons - and spew forth cunning one-liners whilst doing it.
jholdaway @ Apr 21st 2006 3:07PM
Wow lots of comments.
One thing to keep in mind is that the DS is a much smaller screen than on TV. This means that cleaner lines look better than lots of detail.