TGS 08: Konami whips out Castlevania for PS3, Xbox 360
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Oct 9th 2008 at 12:29PM }
Series producer Koji Igarashi was apparently as surprised as we all are, claiming he didn't expect Konami to make the game announcement this soon. IGA didn't elaborate further, leaving the door open for just about any imaginable outcome (we're gonna go ahead and rule out beach volleyball). At least it can't get any worse for the series ... right?
[Via IGN; image credit: ITmedia]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Oct 9th 2008 12:33PM
Another sub-par 3d castlevania game!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Fernando Rocker @ Oct 9th 2008 12:36PM
I hope is a 2D Metroidvania game with the same amount of Bestiary as the DS games (more than 150 enemies in Portrait of Ruin, with excellent design).
Heh (Mr. ESC, living in the hearts of us all) @ Oct 9th 2008 12:48PM
I agree with nando, if this ends up more like the 2D games then I'm sold.
Vidikron @ Oct 9th 2008 12:55PM
I'd too would prefer a true 2D game. But I'd also accept a game with a 3D engine but with 2D gameplay... like NSMB on DS or the Dracula X remake on PSP. What I don't want is some 3D game like God of War or Ninja Gaiden. Those games handle that area fine.
Megadanxzero @ Oct 9th 2008 1:01PM
To be honest Fernando, 150 enemies isn't that impressive considering the fact that they've been re-using half of the same sprites since Symphony of the Night. Although, to be fair, Portrait of Ruin had a lot more new enemies than Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia looks like it has even more.
I'm gonna remain optimistic for now. I've still yet to play any of the 3D games, since I only started liking Castlevania after Aria of Sorrow and only played the DS ones (And SotN) after that. I'm sure they can't be THAT bad though... Right? ;-;
Ghen @ Oct 9th 2008 1:55PM
I want all 2D games to translate into galaxy versions of themselves. Mario did platforming best last year, hands down.
DangerMouse @ Oct 9th 2008 1:58PM
Portrait of Ruin had a clusterfuck of re-used enemies and sprites, pasted over ugly levels. It looked more like a Castlevania mugen game than an official one. Dawn of Sorrow was a much more quality in nearly every aspect, except the story went all abc family. Still, that's the closest to match SOTN.
DangerMouse @ Oct 9th 2008 2:04PM
Also, i wouldn't mind a 3D game in a 2D playing field, but if it looks like what Drcaula X on the PSP did, then i'll pass. The animations were hideous. If they did something like donkey kong country did, with high quality models and animating them in 2D, then it might look okay.
Vidikron @ Oct 9th 2008 2:09PM
I still liked PoR quite a lot. It seems to catch a lot of flak, but the gameplay is pretty much identical to the previous games all the way back to SotN. Yes, it would be nice if they didn't recycle so much of the art work, but there's really no competition for these games so I'll take what I can get at the moment. Even at their worst they are better than most games today and some of the only 2D games left.
rockstargodzu @ Oct 9th 2008 2:10PM
SFIV seems to be working. I don't see why they don't just go 3D models in a 2D perspective? Or at least do high res sprites like Odin Sphere.
I'm hoping for something like that, but I guess we'll see.
Jack @ Oct 9th 2008 2:45PM
Speaking of Metroidvania has anyone seen the DS version of Spiderman: Web of ShadowS?
Fernando Rocker @ Oct 9th 2008 12:33PM
Very nice...
I have been playing Portrait of Ruin all this week, in preparation for Order of Ecclesia.
And now another Castlevania game is announced! I hope it keeps the same Metroidvania formula.
=p
John Perkins @ Oct 9th 2008 12:42PM
Please be a side-scroller. Please, please, please.
We already have enough 3D hack and slash games, give me a next gen Symphony of the Night and I will give you my money. Sounds like a fair trade.
DiggyStyle @ Oct 9th 2008 1:04PM
John, Just thinking about something like that made me pee a little. Oh what a glorious day that would be!
harusame @ Oct 9th 2008 1:57PM
"We already have enough Metroidvania games, give me a next gen Super Castlevania and I will give you my money. Sounds like a fair trade."
fix'd
John Perkins @ Oct 9th 2008 2:55PM
@harusame - Super Castlevania, Castlevania II, hell, I don't care. Just don't give me Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden with Belmont and Dracula textures.
Hashbrown Hunter @ Oct 9th 2008 12:43PM
I think a 3D Castlevania could work, but they definitely need to work on it after the PS2 games.
DarkTetsuya @ Oct 9th 2008 1:25PM
I have two N64 games and a PS2 game that beg to differ.
2D or bust!
Mr Khan @ Oct 9th 2008 12:48PM
Weird. Based on Igarashi's hints, i figured their next step was a Megaman 9 concept clone
Though they did make the completely unforeseen decision to do Judgement, so i suppose their actions are hard to read.
eilegz @ Oct 9th 2008 12:48PM
Well at least this will turn out to be better than "judgement" wii thing.
Lets hope IGA release more 2d castlevania for DS
Kael @ Oct 9th 2008 12:49PM
I didn't expect they were making another Castlevania game in addition to Judgment and Ecclesia. Is there a video of the trailer? It's a bummer that there are no details on how it plays yet. I know we all want it to be a sidescrolling Metroidvania, but since we know they're making Judgment, we know they're not thinking clearly. I know I'm not alone in thinking another attempt at a 3D action game would pretty much be a waste of time.
serotoninzero @ Oct 10th 2008 1:15AM
2D or bust!
Ian @ Oct 9th 2008 1:03PM
2.5D would be fantastic. New Super Mario Bros style would be awesome. 3D models with 2D gameplay.
Demo @ Oct 9th 2008 1:07PM
Lament of Innocence was a pretty good game. It just wasn't Castlevania.
Superstar90 @ Oct 9th 2008 1:11PM
If it's disc based, it will probably be 3D :(
I want an HD sidescroller for XBLA/PSN...
Seriously, no 3D... and no fighting game!
ZaxCG2 @ Oct 9th 2008 1:24PM
Like most are saying... 2.5D. Think Smash Bros., New Super Mario Bros, etc.
Superstar90 @ Oct 9th 2008 1:52PM
I kinda don't want 2.5D. I like it to look like a cartoon animated game... look how gorgeous the new KOF and SF2HD are.
But I'll get it as long as it's not fully 3D.
ronald.raygun @ Oct 9th 2008 1:14PM
did Igarashi finally get his dream and is now the protagonist in this game?
does he go everywhere with that hat and whip?
BPMOmega [gamertag] @ Oct 9th 2008 2:13PM
That'd actually be pretty amusing to have IGA as a playable character. At least as an easter egg.
Courtney @ Oct 9th 2008 1:20PM
I just played Symphony of the Night a couple of months ago and was blown away by how good it was. In design, fun and depth, it far exceeded many modern games. I would totally get behind a revival of that style of Castlevania.
ZaxCG2 @ Oct 9th 2008 1:23PM
1. Get a DS.
2. Play any Castlevania title.
3. ???
4. PROFIT!
ZaxCG2 @ Oct 9th 2008 1:21PM
If Igarashi knows whats best for him he'd better do it 2D. Yes... 2.5D is MORE than welcomed. But its not castlevania if its 3D...
Vidikron @ Oct 9th 2008 2:01PM
Heh... a 2D game in HD would be a lot of work for the artists, but I really wish they would attempt to do it at least once even if I end up having to pay a premium for the game when it's done. I've got to think that it would be gorgeous. But, yes, I'd take 2.5D. I think games like NSMB have their own unique good look.
Kael @ Oct 9th 2008 1:23PM
It warms my heart to see everyone's in complete agreement here.
Noshino @ Oct 9th 2008 1:25PM
sigh, Igarashi, like Inafune, is one of those developers who is not trusted by their companies and so are given low budgets.
Seriously, Resurrection looked freaking awesome back then!
http://castlevania.classicgaming.gamespy.com/Games/res.html
and Im not sure whether it was also Resurrection or not, but he mentioned this idea about a village also being affeted, it just sounded so cool...
eilegz @ Oct 9th 2008 1:30PM
now if nintendo could release a GOOD metroid title like those castlevania and not those Unreal and DOOM wannabe (prime series)
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Oct 9th 2008 1:48PM
Finally, someone who agrees. I know it's an unpopular viewpoint, but I hated the Prime series. Oh well.
Just like Castlevania, all the good new Metroids are on handhelds, and I just don't enjoy handhelds nearly as much as sitting at a console with a comfortable controller on a nice big HDTV.
Vidikron @ Oct 9th 2008 2:03PM
You two aren't the only ones. I don't care for the Prime series either. I'd much rather play Zero or Fusion on the GBA than any of the Prime series.
Mr Khan @ Oct 9th 2008 2:04PM
For better or for worse (for better, imo) they were a somewhat different animal. Especially 3, but 3 was the odd one out because of the space travel transitions, which cut into the adventure aspect of it quite a bit
Prime 1 really recaptured the same aura of greatness that Super Metroid had, then expanded upon it.
Anticrawl @ Oct 9th 2008 2:24PM
The Prime series has ended, no use bitching about it now.
XDragon @ Oct 9th 2008 1:33PM
2d...i'm in!
3d...i'll need to see videos of game play but i wouldn't be as interested.
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Oct 9th 2008 1:41PM
2D or GTFO!
Anticrawl @ Oct 9th 2008 2:00PM
Give us hand painted hyper detailed 2d characters and backgrounds or give us nothing!
BPMOmega [gamertag] @ Oct 9th 2008 2:16PM
Heh, looks like we have another SoulCalibur situation here...
PS3/360 will get the "traditional" entry in the series, while Wii gets the spin-off.
Though, unlike with SoulCalibur, I don't think either game will shape up too well. Especially if the PS3/360 Castlevania turns out to be another 3D game, like the ones on N64 and PS2/Xbox.
Brad Mecoli @ Oct 9th 2008 2:35PM
lesse...
wielding a glowing-red sword and text about a father, his family and a curse.
That plus the image I can conclude that the protagonist will be Alucard, and it will be awesome.
Maverick Saturn @ Oct 9th 2008 3:11PM
2D on PS3 and 360? Its Bionic Commando all over again :O
AtomicPlayboy @ Oct 9th 2008 3:16PM
I'd be perfectly happy, actually ecstatic, with a SoTN remake a-la Bionic Commando:Rearmed. I've played all the subsequent Metroidvania titles, and none have surpassed the original. Just give me some updated graphics, tighten up the controls a little (analog?), and throw in a few new secrets/creatures/weapons, and I'll gladly pay $50.
Dirty @ Oct 10th 2008 3:23PM
Im hoping they make it similar to the new diablo. With 4 players on one screen fighting and lvling up. Now that would be BAD ASS! But i feel like its just gonna be another ruined castlevania game.
Ron @ Oct 9th 2008 3:18PM
Honestly, though I loved the 2D games more, I'm kinda hoping they go with a 3D look this time around. Especially cosidering the graphical capabilities of the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3. I'd love to have a Castlevania games with alittle bit of Hack n' Slash gameplay, with some strategic elements, and man some dynamic physics would be pretty awesome. Hopefully my prayers are answered, because I'm all burned out on the 2D stuff.
tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 9th 2008 3:29PM
Why does everyone want ANOTHER 2d castlevania? Just go play one of the billion castlevania 2d games on all the nintendo handhelds. I want to them to try and make a competent 3d castlevania for once and stop rehashing SoTN all the time.