Nitz the Bloody
12-07-2006, 12:21 PM
Picked up my copy of the latest NDS Castelvania yesterday, and have been playing as much as I can ever since. The handheld Castlevanias have been among the best portable games ( hell, games PERIOD ) released in recent years, and Portrait of Ruin is no exception. While the basic formula of combining platforming action, Metroid-style exploration, and RPG-style progression and customization remains the same, the game remains unique enough not to feel like a rehash.
The main gimmick of the game is that you control two characters; a melee fighter named Jonathan, and a spellcaster named Charlotte. This may not sound particularly interesting until you start playing through the game, and find various places where you need to utilize the characters' abilities simultaneously. One devilish puzzle involved having to control both characters on motorcycles at the same time, alternating between manuevers so that both characters and their vehicles would survive the trip. Typically these puzzles have been more simple ( summon both characters to push a pillar out of the way, or press down on a heavy switch ), but it all gives the game a unique feel without detracting from the time-tested Castlevania formula.
Beyond that, it's pretty standard Castlevania, but is unbelievably polished; the graphics, sound, and control are virtually perfect, and the gameplay is utterly addictive. The castles keep getting bigger and bigger, and exploring every nook and cranny becomes habitual. Even the storyline is pretty good for a handheld game, even if it requires a degree of knowledge of the obscure " Castlevania: Bloodlines " for Genesis. Hunting vampires with a whip has never been this fun, and I say that about every Castelvania since Symphony of the Night. They keep getting better.
Buy this game. :)
The main gimmick of the game is that you control two characters; a melee fighter named Jonathan, and a spellcaster named Charlotte. This may not sound particularly interesting until you start playing through the game, and find various places where you need to utilize the characters' abilities simultaneously. One devilish puzzle involved having to control both characters on motorcycles at the same time, alternating between manuevers so that both characters and their vehicles would survive the trip. Typically these puzzles have been more simple ( summon both characters to push a pillar out of the way, or press down on a heavy switch ), but it all gives the game a unique feel without detracting from the time-tested Castlevania formula.
Beyond that, it's pretty standard Castlevania, but is unbelievably polished; the graphics, sound, and control are virtually perfect, and the gameplay is utterly addictive. The castles keep getting bigger and bigger, and exploring every nook and cranny becomes habitual. Even the storyline is pretty good for a handheld game, even if it requires a degree of knowledge of the obscure " Castlevania: Bloodlines " for Genesis. Hunting vampires with a whip has never been this fun, and I say that about every Castelvania since Symphony of the Night. They keep getting better.
Buy this game. :)