The Shrine

Just picked this up during my break today. Didn't even know it came out yesterday. Can't wait to get home and play it! (now that I FINALLY fuckin beat FFXII after 95 hours last night).

You didn't pre-order it? It came with a kick-ass pre-order bonus

The deal was not available in Canada. Unfortunately.

Dolph wrote:The deal was not available in Canada. Unfortunately.

Really? So the pre-order package that I have sitting at home sealed since I haven't gotten around to it that I picked up from my bud's EB for pre-ordering the game wasn't actually available to me?

Zeus wrote:

Dolph wrote:The deal was not available in Canada. Unfortunately.

Really? So the pre-order package that I have sitting at home sealed since I haven't gotten around to it that I picked up from my bud's EB for pre-ordering the game wasn't actually available to me?

Fuck EB games then. There were several people inquiring about the deal at the local EB games here (including myself, I was very interested in it), and they said it wasn't available in Canada.

How much did you spend on it? I can pick it up off Ebay for 60, I want to see how much extra I'll be spending.

Visually it's one of the most stunning Castlevania games I've played.

It seems to take advantage of the DS' graphical capabilities a bit more then the previous Castlevania game did.

The gameplay is split between your Belmont type hero and a female caster. She of course takes more damage, but she has a crap load of spells that do insane damage, likewise your male hero can take a good beating, but some enemies require magic to take down, and his offensive capability is 100% melee. I haven't gotten that far, but I do like it thus far.

I have not played it myself, but the last Castlevania game was arguably the best (and others have argued it as the second best, when not the best) as far as Castletroid games go. This one seems to promise to be even better. I do wonder if this one will have a Julius Mode type thing like the last one? That kicked ass =)

I want to play this one so bad, but unfortunatly I am very VERY broke right now 8^(

Dolph wrote:

Zeus wrote:

Dolph wrote:The deal was not available in Canada. Unfortunately.

Really? So the pre-order package that I have sitting at home sealed since I haven't gotten around to it that I picked up from my bud's EB for pre-ordering the game wasn't actually available to me?

Fuck EB games then. There were several people inquiring about the deal at the local EB games here (including myself, I was very interested in it), and they said it wasn't available in Canada.

How much did you spend on it? I can pick it up off Ebay for 60, I want to see how much extra I'll be spending.

If you have any questions about that kind of stuff, just ask me. Any good pre-order bonus i make it a point to find out about.

It was a free pre-order bonus, so I got it just for putting $5 down on the game at my bud's EB. I don't even have to pick up the game and I can still get my $5 back. I may, though, reward Konami by picking it up new (I get 90%+ of my stuff used, which means the publisher don't see any of my coin) for releasing such a kick-ass pre-order bonus for a game I'm going to get anyways. This, in a very small way, makes up for the art book (10th Anniversary one) I got ripped on when I pre-ordered Symphony back in the day. They cancelled that a week or two before the game came out.

I keep about $10 - $15 floating around on pre-orders at EB at all times to take advantage of stuff like this.

Since I didn't even know it was coming out, no I did not pre-order it.

So I beat the game.

Plot-wise it picks up years after Castlevania: Bloodlines. So you get to find out the fate of those 2 guys that were in that old Genesis classic.

Graphically again, I think it's one of the best looking Castlevania games. I do miss the CotN artwork for all the characters(Let's face facts, SotN Alucard/Maria was sexy), but I'm not gonna bitch about the new anime appearances and facial expressions the characters take on either.

Gameplay is really fun, your ally's health is in the form of the MP meters, so when it's gone, your ally is gone for about 10-15 seconds. Your ally is there basically for extra damage, no downside to having him/her out 95% of the time, there are occasions where you might wanna just solo certain bosses, because your ally of course doesn't know to get out of the way, or in some cases just plain can't.

I don't want to spoil the final boss, but good golly it was a fun fight. A LITTLE cheesey how they tried to work it in, but awesome none the less.

And yes, when you beat the game you get a Richter/Maria(Kid Maria, no boobies!) mode, and also 2 other characters you met during the main plot.

Edit: Ok wow, I just played the 2 secret characters, their game is extremely different, and makes use of the touch screen for their attacks =o

Eric wrote:(Kid Maria, no boobies!)

If only I were Japanese, I'd find her sexy =)

Ok Richter & Maria vs the Final Boss is honestly one of the funnest experiences I've had in a long time.

The manager of the EB Games here got me the Collectors Edition Castlevania for Christmas. THAT is why he said they weren't getting any in!!! This is the best lie ever! =)

Though I wonder, what would have happened if I actually bought it on Ebay? =P

Anyways, unfortunately, the stylus is for the original DS, not the DS Lite, so it will have to remain just a decoration.

the girlfriend got me a copy of this game for valentines day.... and I finally beat it last night (well, finally beat it with the good ending). All I can say is that the sisters are an unexpectedly awesome extra. Also! So my amazing girlfriend got this for me for Valentines day..... but get this..... she was able to get her hands on the preorder anniversary bundle thing too! WTF! Apparently there are some still sitting around sleepy ol' Regina.