Joystiq

New Nintendo eShop releases: Toki Tori 2, Castlevania

JC Fletcher — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST

Two Tribes has let its baby bird leave the nest; Toki Tori 2, the subject of a sudden delay last year, will be available today on the Wii U eShop.

Meanwhile on 3DS, the biggest release is a game from 1987, the original Castlevania. It's out on the eShop just in time to be a few weeks late to promote Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate. A couple of former retail games, including the adorable Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove, are also available, as is some DLC for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity.

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New Nintendo eShop releases: Toki Tori 2, Castlevania originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preorder Castlevania: Mirror of Fate at GameStop, get 3DS case

Mike Suszek — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:30:00 EST

By preordering Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate at GameStop, you'll receive a transparent (translucent?) 3DS case. There's nothing in the GameStop listing that notes a 3DS XL case as an option in the preorder bonus, however.

Preorder Castlevania: Mirror of Fate at GameStop, get 3DS case originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Hymn of Blood is a fanmade web series about Simon Belmont

JC Fletcher — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:30:00 EST

The Castlevania movie project alluded to by actor Michael Dorn turned out not to be the resurrection of any of the past "official" movie works. Castlevania: Hymn of Blood is a fan series on the "START" channel on YouTube, produced by Warp Factor 2; it just happens to be a fan series with Michael Dorn in it.

As an unofficial fan series, Hymn of Blood is able to remix the Castlevania canon however it sees fit, which begins right from this first episode. You can see two more after the break.

Continue reading Castlevania: Hymn of Blood is a fanmade web series about Simon Belmont

Castlevania: Hymn of Blood is a fanmade web series about Simon Belmont originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Castlevania movie returns from the grave, with Michael Dorn

JC Fletcher — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:30:00 EST

The Castlevania movie is back. Actually, it's unclear which Castlevania movie is back, whether it's the Paul W.S. Anderson version, the James Wan version, the animated movie, or something else entirely. All we know is that there is one, and Michael Dorn from Star Trek: The Next Generation plays a werewolf in it.

"It's a fun little part. It's four days, and I'm playing a werewolf that's been around for a gajillion years who works for this vampire," Dorn told Startrek.com. "It's not too far from Worf because there's a lot of killing and jumping and sword fights and everything." Dorn said that fellow Star Trek alum Marina Sirtis got him involved with the surprisingly existing film project.

We've contacted Konami to learn more about this film project, but the publisher said it could not confirm anything about the project. We'll let you know as soon as we can verify the presence of waiter skeletons.

The Castlevania movie returns from the grave, with Michael Dorn originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: New 3DS Castlevania to debut at E3

Jordan Mallory — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:30:00 EST

A new Castlevania game will be announced for the 3DS during E3 next month, according to Dutch site n1ntendo, as translated by neoGAF. The project will reportedly be exclusive to Nintendo's handheld and already has Castlevania: Lords of Shadow producer David Cox and director Enric Alvarez attached - according to information that supposedly comes from a leaked E3 schedule for Konami.

Cox did tease that he was spending time "in the land of Dracul" last April, though his Twitter responses to this latest rumor call the idea "misinformed," reiterating that "the truth is ALWAYS better than fiction!"

Rumor: New 3DS Castlevania to debut at E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 May 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania whipped up in Minecraft

JC Fletcher — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST

Nick Hagman took a break from his hobby of performing incredible retro gaming feats with a dance pad, to perform an incredible retro gaming feat in Minecraft. Why yes, that is the entire world of Castlevania explorable in pseudo-3D, and yes, it does make us want to play some Vania right now.

Castlevania whipped up in Minecraft originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Egoraptor's Sequelitis analyses Super Castlevania IV

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

The art of game design is a subtle, delicate craft that requires expertise, dedication and ingenuity to truly master. It's a skill that also goes largely uncelebrated, considering that the best game design is often unnoticeable when properly implemented.

Sequelitis, a new YouTube series from Awesome Series creator/animator Egoraptor, takes a hilarious look at the philosophy behind game design by comparing an original title to one of its sequels. The latest episode (above) takes a look at the differences between Castlevania and Super Castlevania IV, and how changing the whip and jumping mechanics fundamentally altered the game's structural underpinnings. It's a fascinating and remarkably entertaining way to learn about game design, so be sure and check out the first two episodes when you're done here.

Egoraptor's Sequelitis analyses Super Castlevania IV originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Mario Bros. Crossover gets a makeover in Version 2.0

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:30:00 EST

The 2.0 update for Super Mario Bros. Crossover, coming in Q1 2012, gives the homemade blend-em-up a bit more flash and a wider spectrum of nostalgia. And the new SNES and Gameboy visuals don't detract from the game's real purpose, which is to destroy that aloof minion Lakitu in new and interesting ways.

Super Mario Bros. Crossover gets a makeover in Version 2.0 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: A miserable little pile of minutiae

JC Fletcher — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:15:00 EST

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the very first Castlevania game -- one you likely didn't play, since it came out only on the Japanese MSX computer. But luckily for millions of fans worldwide, it was ported to the NES, a system with much wider appeal, and touched off a franchise that has enraptured fans of movie monsters, whip-wielding barbarians, fur-coated bishounen, and frustration.

In honor of that anniversary, and the relative obscurity built into its circumstances, we've rounded up some aspects of the series that may have gotten lost in the labyrinthine reaches of your brain, like a delicious pot roast hidden behind a brick wall.

[Image via The Arcade Flyer Archive]

Continue reading Castlevania: A miserable little pile of minutiae

Castlevania: A miserable little pile of minutiae originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra gets in the video game concert game

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST

Hey, Video Games Live isn't the only contender in the market for orchestral performances of ludological accompaniment, you know. The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra -- for those unfamiliar with their Midwest geography, that's Dayton, Ohio -- is putting together a game-themed show, aptly titled PLAY.

Continue reading Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra gets in the video game concert game

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra gets in the video game concert game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Harmony of Despair DLC adds pyramid power

JC Fletcher — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If you and your band of vampire hunters have completely mastered everything Dracula has to throw at you in Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Konami has the cure for your terminal success: DLC! This week, a new pyramid-themed level is available from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points. And if you were concerned that the game wasn't gothy enough, more good news! The level is called "Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire."

Konami also announced that more playable characters would be forthcoming as DLC. Seasoned whipmaster Julius Belmont, magic user Yoko Belnades, and animal tamer Maria Renard will be added to the game at an unspecified later date. They'll be a sacred gift when they arrive!

Gallery: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair ("Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire" DLC)

Continue reading Castlevania: Harmony of Despair DLC adds pyramid power

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair DLC adds pyramid power originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mega64 tickles Dracula's rib with Simon's Quest parody

JC Fletcher — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

As Castlevania: Lords of Shadow approaches, Mega64 celebrates the series with a tribute to the crystal-tradingest, corpse-huntingest game in the series, Simon's Quest. The "villagers" are as incomprehensible in real life as in the game, but one "extra" still manages to steal the show.

Continue reading Mega64 tickles Dracula's rib with Simon's Quest parody

Mega64 tickles Dracula's rib with Simon's Quest parody originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How disc swapping works in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for Xbox 360

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If you haven't heard, the Xbox 360 version of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will ship on two discs (Limited Edition pictured above). Here's a tip: You can save yourself some precious disc-swapping time if you install at least Disc One to your hard drive.

Although Lords of Shadow's story is told in an episodic, linear fashion, you'll want to revisit earlier levels to find missing collectibles and beat any additional challenges. Without installing, you'll have to swap discs every time you want to revisit earlier levels. However, if you've installed the data, you won't ever have to swap discs again; you'll be able to continue playing with just Disc Two in the drive. It's an interesting way of overcoming the DVD format's size limitation -- a clever trick that could be employed by future multi-disc releases.

How disc swapping works in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for Xbox 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow LE out in October

JC Fletcher — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Amazon sent out word of a Castlevania: Lords of Shadow limited edition a bit early this week by releasing a mockup image of the package. Now the retailer has boldly tweeted (if one can do something called "tweeting" in a bold manner) release info for the limited edition, pricing it at $79.99 on PS3 and Xbox 360. The image is exactly the same as this week's mockup, meaning that we will get that nice hand-painted artwork on the box (that looks a lot like the work of longtime Castlevania artist Ayami Kojima) along with the soundtrack and artbook, that were shown before.

The Amazon listings also show a Halloween release date for both the standard and limited editions, though we're hesitant to confirm any release dates from retailers as "official" without checking in with Konami -- which we're doing now.

Amazon: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow LE out in October originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST

Since we've already reviewed Castlevania: Harmony of Despair -- check it out! -- there won't be an XBLA in Brief preview this week. In its place is this giveaway, in which five entrants will receive a code.

To enter:

Leave a comment telling us your favorite Castlevania game ever.
You must be 13 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
Limit 1 entry per person.
This entry period ends at 6:00PM ET, Thursday, August 5th.
At that time, we'll randomly select five grand prize winners to each receive a download code for Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (ARV $15). [Code requires an Xbox Live account to redeem.]
For a list of complete rules, click here.

What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition.

For more info on our policy, click here.

Joyswag: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Randy Nelson — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

I'm pretty sure that if I could get a peek at Castlevania: Harmony of Despair director Koji Igarashi's Netflix queue, I'd find that his most recent rental would be the 1993 comedy Groundhog Day.

Much like Bill Murray's Phil awakes every morning in Punxsutawney, PA to find that it's (spoiler alert) Groundhog Day, the characters in Igarashi's latest game -- a cast from 'Vanias past -- find themselves repeating the same trek through the same six castles over and over and over again in an attempt to find or buy better items and beat the bosses faster. Sometimes, they won't even be able to find the boss before the timer runs out. Virtually nothing is explained, it reuses background tiles and sprites from years-old games and is, frankly, not fun at all if you intend to play it alone. Save your $15. Buy this, this or this instead. (But not this.)

Played with friends, however, Harmony of Despair is actually ... kinda fun.

Gallery: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Continue reading Review: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Review: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night debuts on App Store

JC Fletcher — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:05:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night is now available in North America. Unlike the last bizarre, potentially embarrassing Castlevania spinoff, Judgment, nobody has to see you buy it, thanks to digital distribution!

"With a timeless flagship title like Castlevania, it was essential to maintain the integrity of the franchise, while at the same time offering updated content to consumers," said Joe Morris, Konami's Vice President of Mobile Content and Social Networking, about the game that retells the events of the most beloved Castlevania game, Symphony of the Night, as a falling-block puzzler. If you want to find out for yourself how well this complete departure maintains the franchise's integrity, the game costs $5.

Gallery: Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night

Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night debuts on App Store originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Summer of Arcade XBLA games dated and priced

JC Fletcher — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Microsoft's suggestion for how to pass those hot summer afternoons: spend 1200 Microsoft Points ($15), repeatedly. The company released the official dates and prices for the XBLA games in this year's Summer of Arcade promotion -- or, rather, dates and price, since they all share the aforementioned 1200 MSP price tag.

Like last year's Summer of Arcade, purchasing all five games in this year's lineup entitles the buyer to a 1200-point rebate (essentially buy four, get one free). Additionally, if you buy three of the five, you'll get 400 MSP back! As for the release schedule:

Limbo: July 21
Hydro Thunder Hurricane: July 28
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair: August 4
Monday Night Combat: August 11
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light: August 18

Summer of Arcade XBLA games dated and priced originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST

It's difficult to comment on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow as a product of the long-running (and now rebooted) gothic action franchise. Abandoning large-scale exploration in favor of linear action -- which was itself abandoned when Castlevania: Symphony of the Night debuted in 1997 -- Lords of Shadow invites comparison to God of War more than any other modern game.

That's an admittedly tiresome shorthand as far as game previews go -- "It's like God of War but with whip-swords!" -- but it's still useful in conveying how Lords of Shadow plays. Your attacks are sweeping and imprecise, yet bolstered with enough combos and violent flourishes to make you feel in charge. Castlevania's sub-weapons return to your repertoire as well, with the first two levels of the game allowing you to quickly dispatch a flying dagger into approaching enemies. The resulting explosion of bloody mush is a fair indicator of the game's disgusting, wonderful violence.

Even the most trivial battle, such as Gabriel Belmont's tutorial tussle in a rain-slick village under siege, is given a certain gravitas by the game's tight camera and atmospheric visuals. And if there's one thing that brands Lords of Shadow as a promising 3D Castlevania game, it's the effort that's gone into creating dark, imposing environments that feel like they extend far beyond the boundaries of the level. Developer MercurySteam has delivered an impressive showcase of scale and animation here, with even the lowly warg becoming a pouncing cause for concern. So yeah, it's a few steps up from recycled Game Boy Advance sprites.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (E3 2010)

Continue reading Preview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Preview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What is a Castlevania Puzzle trailer? A miserable little pile of footage

JC Fletcher — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:15:00 EST

We're conflicted about this Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night trailer and, by extension, about the iPhone puzzler itself. On one hand, we like Castlevania and we like falling block puzzle games, and think that the RPG elements cribbed from Symphony of the Night could make this one enjoyable.

On the other hand, it seems ... profane to crack the brilliant Symphony of the Night open and repurpose it in this manner. Maybe it's just us, but seeing Symphony of the Night's sprites and plot reduced to motivation for matching blocks makes us squirm a bit. We wouldn't be so offended if it weren't such a highly revered game -- even if it were other Castlevania. Castlevania Bloodlines Puzzle would be weird, but not offensive.

We must keep in mind that the existence of this game in no way impugns the real Symphony of the Night. We should also remember that this is hardly the first Castlevania game to reuse sprites from another.

What is a Castlevania Puzzle trailer? A miserable little pile of footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Castlevania: Harmony of Despair' resurfaces in OFLC rating

JC Fletcher — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:40:00 EST

An OFLC rating provides further evidence of the existence of Konami's rumored multiplayer XBLA Castlevania title, Harmony of Despair. The Australian ratings board now lists a rating for Harmony of Despair, specifying it as an "X-box" game. The listing also includes the caveat that the "Gaming experience may change online," suggesting online multiplayer is a feature of the game.

While the rating information isn't a confirmation of the precise details we heard previously -- that Harmony of Despair is a side-scrolling "Metroidvania" for up to six players, featuring heroes from throughout the series -- it is confirmation that there is some kind of game with that name for Xbox 360; making any details we've heard that much more likely.

[Via 1UP]

'Castlevania: Harmony of Despair' resurfaces in OFLC rating originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 May 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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But enough talking on your iPhone! Have at Castlevania Puzzle!

JC Fletcher — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:30:00 EST

The beloved Castlevania: Symphony of the Night has undergone a dark metamorphosis into an iPhone puzzle game. Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night is sort of a Castlevania version of Puzzle Quest, with a bit of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo mixed in.

Alucard fights his way through Dracula's castle as before -- but now defeats enemies in a match-three falling block puzzle game. You can upgrade Alucard's weapons and equipment to change his stats in the puzzle game -- for example, IGN notes that a new sword could increase the damage done to enemies by successful matches.

The unholy blend of Symphony of the Night and addictive puzzle gameplay could very well steal men's souls and make them its slaves. There's no precise release date, but IGN notes it'll be out "very soon."

But enough talking on your iPhone! Have at Castlevania Puzzle! originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Castlevania 'Harmony of Despair' is 2D, 6-player XBLA game

JC Fletcher — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST

A trusted source has told Joystiq that "Harmony of Despair," the title of a recent European trademark, is indeed a Castlevania game. Our source indicates that the game will be a 2D multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade title, featuring six-player co-op and a versus, fighter-style survival mode.

These details follow a recently-pulled post on never know tech, which purported to showcase screenshots of Harmony of Despair. The site described the game as a "Metroidvania" side-scroller, featuring characters from recent Castlevania games. The characters, however, appeared to be rendered as tiny GBA/DS-esque sprites, and the game camera is apparently capable of being zoomed out to reveal entire levels (presumably in place of a map screen; or to show multiple characters in different rooms).

So it looks like we might be getting the long-awaited 2D "high-definition" Castlevania, after all. Although, "just make the GBA sprites really small on the screen" isn't exactly the technique we were hoping for.

Rumor: Castlevania 'Harmony of Despair' is 2D, 6-player XBLA game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU Harmony of Despair trademark hints at new Castlevania

Mike Schramm — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:00:00 EST

Siliconera dug up a European trademark filed by Konami for something called "Harmony of Despair," and they correctly point out that it certainly sounds like another Castlevania game. Since the classic Symphony of the Night, Castlevania games are often subtitled with music-themed "X of X" titles, including Lament of Innocence and Aria of Sorrow, and the upcoming Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

There's no indication in the trademark exactly what the game will be (it's just marked as "video game software" and related services), and while Dawn of Sorrow, the series' first DS title, gave an acronymic hint to the system, obviously Harmony of Despair doesn't. Wait -- "H.D."? It must be for the rumored iPhone HD releasing later this year! Mystery solved!

EU Harmony of Despair trademark hints at new Castlevania originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow began as remake of NES original

Randy Nelson — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

Sure, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was always meant to be a Castlevania game, but that's only part of the story. Last night, David Cox, producer of the game at Mercury Steam, revealed to us that his studio's title was originally pitched to Konami as a 3D remake of the very first game in the franchise.

"The original concept was to remake the original, classic 8-bit game in 3D," Cox said. "That was our original pitch, funny enough -- with Simon Belmont and everything."

While the nostalgic NES gamer in us would probably have swooned over such a project, we're actually kind of glad this one became Lords of Shadow. It is looking really good, after all.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow began as remake of NES original originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Randy Nelson — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST

It wasn't the playable demo I'd been hoping for, but I did watch an awful lot of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow gameplay yesterday. The footage was screened during the Konami Gamer Night 2010 event and was narrated by the game's producer, David Cox, from developer Mercury Steam, as a remixed version of a Super Castlevania IV track played in the background. (Cox would later tell me that I'd "feel chills" when I heard the finished game's updated, fully orchestrated takes on many classic tunes from the series.)

Lords of Shadow looks absolutely incredible. From the opening seconds of the preview, there was no questioning that this was a Castlevania game -- a proper, "next-generation" Castlevania with visuals that immediately drew comparisons to God of War III. Now, again, I don't know firsthand how well Lords of Shadow plays, but there was nothing in the footage to indicate that the final product wouldn't be anything less than a competent action-adventure. In fact, it showed the promise of being a great one.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Konami Gamers Night 2010)

Continue reading Impressions: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Impressions: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Nintendo downloads: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, Muscle March ... Flashlight

JC Fletcher — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:15:00 EST

All right, we didn't think there would be anything that could distract us from the release of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood -- but here we are, on the day of its European release, with pretty much all our focus elsewhere. And no, the object of our gaze isn't Muscle March, as amusing as that is.

It's ... Flashlight for DSiWare. It's ... a flashlight. You pay 200 DSi Points for something that displays a solid color on your screens. We kind of knew it would arrive someday, since there are a million of these on the iPhone, but still. A flashlight.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (Turbografx CD-ROM, 1 player, 900 Wii Points)
Milon's Secret Castle (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Muscle March (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)
Car Jack Streets (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
Flashlight (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Flips: The Enchanted Wood (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Libera Wing (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
Photo Dojo (DSiWare, 1-2 players, 200 DSi Points)

European Nintendo downloads: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, Muscle March ... Flashlight originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VC in Brief: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TG-16)

David Hinkle — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:15:00 EST

As far as imports go, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is a pretty sweet one. For $9, it's a great game to add to any Castlevania fan's collection and plays quite well on the Wii: casual players get a forgiving save structure and stage system, while the hardcore fans get the same tried-and-true gameplay. Rondo of Blood is suited for quick pick-up sessions or even long marathon outings. Basically: you should play this game. It's good -- seriously good.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (Turbografx-16 CD-ROM, 1 player, 900 Wii Points)

Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer VC in Brief as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.

VC in Brief: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TG-16) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Rage of the Gladiator, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

JC Fletcher — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:45:00 EST

Today's Wii downloadable releases look like they'll work nicely together. When Medusa heads have murdered you enough times in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, you can switch over to Rage of the Gladiator and smash them in first person!

Gallery: Rage of the Gladiator (Nintendo Media Summit 2010)

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Rage of the Gladiator, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

NintendoWare Weekly: Rage of the Gladiator, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New 'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow' screens, artwork

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST

Click to Enlargania
This post may not offer any new Castlevania: Lords of Shadow details, but you can find new pictures and art in the gallery below. Those looking to do creature comparisons should check out the enemy renders -- the warg from Symphony of the Night has certainly grown in both size and definition.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (3-2-2010)

New 'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow' screens, artwork originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Nintendo downloads: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Dracula: Undead Awakening

JC Fletcher — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:15:00 EST

This week, European Wii and DSi owners can download the same game on either system: a ported version of Chillingo's iPhone shooter iDracula: Undead Awakening. Unfortunately, it's hitting on the absolute worst day ever to release a WiiWare game about fighting Dracula.

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Reel Fishing Challenge (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Dracula: Undead Awakening (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Bird & Bombs (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Dracula: Undead Awakening (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Electroplankton: Marine-Crystals (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Electroplankton: Varvoice (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Zoo Frenzy (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)

European Nintendo downloads: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Dracula: Undead Awakening originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth out in Europe next week

JC Fletcher — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:15:00 EST

By now, European Wii owners probably feel like they've been waiting for Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth since the actual 16-bit generation. We're happy to report that, according to the Nintendo Channel, the WiiWare reimagining of the Game Boy's Castlevania: The Adventure will be released in Europe next Friday, February 26.

As always, it's a rare treat to know ahead of time when a WiiWare game's coming out -- especially when it's a game someone out there may actually be interested in buying. Everyone, buy the Rebirth games so we can get a Parodius or Mystical Ninja Rebirth!

[Via GoNintendo]

Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth out in Europe next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Rondo of Blood on Virtual Console 'soon'

JC Fletcher — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:45:00 EST

[Castlevania Dungeon]

After years of waiting, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood has been officially confirmed for a Virtual Console release in North America. A Hudson representative told Siliconera that the game was indeed bound for release on the Wii Shop, over a year after it was released as a download in Japan.

Hudson (and/or Konami) must have spent all that time implementing the English translation used in the PSP release, right? Nope! The Hudson rep said that "it will not be released in English, however." You'll just have to do your very best to understand how to whip a Medusa head in Japanese.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood on Virtual Console 'soon' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Cox details the 'epic yet sad' score of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST

In an interview conducted last summer with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow producer David Cox, we found out that the much loved Castlevania: Symphony of the Night music composer Michiru Yamane wouldn't be joining the team at Konami to compose the upcoming game. What was unclear at the time, however, was who exactly would be assigned the task of creating the game's score. David Cox explained to Joystiq this morning that Oscar Araujo, a Spanish symphonist, has been granted that burden.

"Our composer for this game is Oscar Araujo who is a Spanish composer. He is creating a very epic yet sad and melancholy score that perfectly suits the game and emotion that we are aiming for." While Cox added that he's "a big fan of Yamane-san's work," he admitted that her music wouldn't have been a great fit for Mercury Steam's take on the Castlevania series. It certainly doesn't hurt that, according to Cox, she's no longer an employee of Konami. "Yamane-san left Konami quite some time ago as I understand it. She is currently working freelance, though I am not 100% sure.

"Yamane-san has a style that fits perfectly to the previous Castlevania games but this game is very different to those more recent 'vania's in style and direction. I don't think I would be doing her any favours by including her music in the game." He also pointed out that we'll understand his point more clearly when we "eventually get to see the game." With any luck, that'll be sooner rather than later.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

David Cox details the 'epic yet sad' score of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESRB rates Castlevania: Rondo of Blood for Wii

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

[Castlevania Dungeon]

According to a recent "T for Teen" classification by the ESRB, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (better known as Dracula X: Rondo of Blood) appears to be heading to the Wii. An OFLC rating of the game back in December already hinted at the possibility of the game arriving on the Wii's Virtual Console (the Japanese version was released in April 2008), but the ESRB rating's description seems to clinch it, citing the "early-90s rendering" of "reddish blood-like bursts."

Previously, unless you were a resident of Japan who owned a PC Engine CD in the early '90s (or, more likely, a PSP owner anywhere in the world within the past two years ago), there wasn't an easy way for you to get your hands on "Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo" (Rondo of Blood's Japanese title). But now, it seems that Wii owners outside of Japan will get the chance to check out the game.

ESRB rates Castlevania: Rondo of Blood for Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upcoming Castlevania's 'lead' console is PlayStation 3, Konami producer says

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:30:00 EST

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow may be in development for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, but the game's producer David Cox recently pointed out via his Twitter account that the "PS3 is the lead platform" for the upcoming game. That isn't to say the Xbox 360 version will be lesser for the fact, as he quickly followed up his statement with the assurance that "the game is identical on both formats [Xbox 360 and PS3]." He's also noted a few times recently that we'll be hearing more about the game sometime "soon," so in lieu of no new information, at least be contented with the thought that you'll get some additional Castlevania deets sometime in the near future. Maybe.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Upcoming Castlevania's 'lead' console is PlayStation 3, Konami producer says originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania's last 'Rebirth' -- as a pachinko machine

JC Fletcher — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:30:00 EST

You may never have watched six minutes of promotional footage for a pachinko machine before, but that's about to change. After the break, we have a long trailer for the Castlevania pachislot (pachinko + slots) game released in mid-2009, with lots of cutscene footage showing the game's story. Yes, there's a story, featuring Trevor Belmont challenging Dracula with the help of the sorceress Angela, a character created expressly for this game.

This game takes us briefly into a weird alternate universe in which gambling machines are marketed and followed like video games. For example, clicking the far-left link in the navigation bar on the official site will bring up a series of desktop wallpapers. And if you liked the music from the trailer, you can buy the soundtrack. To the pachinko machine.

[Via Chris Cummings]

Continue reading Castlevania's last 'Rebirth' -- as a pachinko machine

Castlevania's last 'Rebirth' -- as a pachinko machine originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Luigi's Mansion + Castlevania = Mansionvania: Vacuum of Sorrow

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:45:00 EST

We'll have to file this one under the "Games That We Wish Existed" category, as the screen you see above is little more than a pixelart mash-up of Luigi's Mansion and the Castlevania series. Masterfully created by Shane Gill for his PixelJoint page (and spotted by the folks at Tiny Cartridge), the piece is the living embodiment of what we wish the DSiWare service played host to more often.

Alas, we don't believe we'll be seeing "Mansionvania: Vacuum of Sorrow" landing on Nintendo's digital distribution service anytime soon -- but we can at least point to it next time someone asks what we'd like to see available for download. "That! Go make that! That 2D pixel game with the vacuum-wielding Luigi! And enough with the calendars already!"

[Via Tiny Cartridge]

Luigi's Mansion + Castlevania = Mansionvania: Vacuum of Sorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Castlevania ReBirth, Pilotwings, Oregon Trail

David Hinkle — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST

Nintendo's been on quite the roll recently, providing plenty of content in its weekly offerings -- and today is no different. There are ten new titles to check out, including high-profile downloads such as Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Oregon Trail and -- finally! -- Pilotwings on the Virtual Console. Head past the break to check out the full list.

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Castlevania ReBirth, Pilotwings, Oregon Trail

NintendoWare Weekly: Castlevania ReBirth, Pilotwings, Oregon Trail originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dracula X rated by OFLC

JC Fletcher — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:15:00 EST

[Castlevania Dungeon]

No, the world's most famous vampire wasn't judged unsuitable for families. Rather, it's a long-awaited hint of a localized Virtual Console release for Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. The legendary PC Engine Castlevania game came out in Japan in April 2008, but never made it to the Virtual Console elsewhere. Now, the Australian OFLC ratings board has classified the game, listing Nintendo as the publisher.

The impact of this development may be dulled somewhat by the game's availability in both original and remade form on the PSP Dracula X Chronicles disc, but we would enjoy the opportunity to play this game without first purchasing another system, and then unlocking the game somewhere in its remake.

[Via GoNintendo]

Dracula X rated by OFLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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