Jeremy Parish

NES Works #15: The Other Castlevanias (Patreon)

Published:

2020-10-07 13:00:05

Imported:

2024-04

Tags:

castlevania msx nes works gaiden

Content

Apologies for being a bit of a liar. This episode was not on the upcoming video release schedule I posted a few weeks back—Elite has been pushed back a few weeks. It's just that I started working on the next Metroidvania Works episode and realized the brief overview of Vampire Killer I posted in Metroidvania Works several months back didn't really get as deeply into the workings of Vampire Killer as I think it should have in order to lay the groundwork for Castlevania II... and, on top of that, I've been intending to put together a companion Castlevania video that encompasses all the alternate versions of Simon's journey for a long time now. So here we go.

This episode is unique in that it's been through three different revisions. Initially, I was going to put Vampire Killer in one episode and the other three games in a follow-up, but upon further consideration I didn't really feel nine minutes of standalone Vampire Killer material was THAT much more informative than the four minutes given over to it on Metroidvania Work. So I did a second episode with Haunted Castle appended, which clocked in at just under 12 minutes. But that felt a little awkward, so I went ahead and added the other two games as well, which brings us to our current 21-minute form. (This also accounts for why I'm wearing different clothing in the host segments.) I definitely don't have time to create additional work for myself like this, but you know, for Castlevania I'm willing to make an exception. This once.

Edit: I threw in a 90-second bonus at the end this morning to bring the running time to 22:30. Because why the heck not.

Anyway, hopefully you don't mind a bit more Castlevania content this Halloween season than advertised.

Files

Vampire Killer / Haunted Castle / Castlevania IV / X68000: Another Castles | NES Works Gaiden #15

Halloween season is here once again, and you know what that means: Time for more Castlevania-themed NES Works videos. It's the Pumpkin Spice of retrogaming YouTube videos. This year, we're looking at the OTHER Castlevanias—that is, the other games that relay the exact same story as the original Castlevania (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nealF8LlXxs), tracking Simon Belmon's trek through Dracula's castle. All of these games cover the same narrative and gameplay beats. Vampire Killer for MSX is in some ways the game most like Castlevania—it was produced in tandem with the NES game, using many of the same gameplay assets—yet also the least like it. So contradictory! Haunted Castle feels like the mutant version of the NES game. Not the kind of mutation that leads to super powers like the X-Men. The kind like when that guy falls in the toxic sludge in RoboCop. Super Castlevania IV—well, no need to belabor the point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eXtQVjv3uE And finally, Castlevania Chronicles, the final (and arguably) greatest exploration of Simon's journey. Mercilessly difficult, but so artfully crafted and filled with inventive moments that you can't help but want to keep dashing yourself helplessly against its proverbial rocks. Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! And be sure to check out the Retronauts podcast (http://www.retronauts.com), where I (and many others!) tackle a much wider array of classic gaming topics each week.