Koji Igarashi launches teaser site(Castlevania successor?!)

[Eric]

http://swordorwhip.com/

I am giddy. =D The last 2D Castlevania was Order of Ecclesia wayyyyy back in 2008. =/

[Julius Seeker]

That's fairly awesome! Back to the 8-bit pallet too? Shovel Knight really did a great job bringing 8-bit graphics for the current decade. I think Iga can do it too.

Aside from a return to classic graphics, I would love to see another Dracula's Curse style game, or at least a Super Castlevania style one. One that focuses on the action and skill, rather than grinding and level ups just so bosses don't take 3500 hits.

[Eric]

You found all the level-up based Castlevania games grindy? :o

[Julius Seeker]

Very much so. Since Super Castlevania, my biggest memory of the series is grinding for cash and exp. I wasn't a fan of it at all. While I do love RPGs, I find exp and cash mechanics are a needless chore to add into Castlevania games.

You could say Castlevania is divided into two different series within the same franchise. The original I am a fan of, the later one I am not. Then there are the 3D ones, which I really have no opinion or interest in.

[Eric]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ig ... -the-night

Here we go, Kickstarter is live!

[Eric]

The common trend that unites all Kickstarter devs it seems heh.

[Eric]

Annnnnnd funded, that was fast.

[Zeus]

As Mighty No 9 proved, just because the big publishers don't believe it don't mean there ain't no appetite for old-school gaming.

And Order was the last 2D-playing Castlevania? What do you consider Mirror of Fate?

[Eric]

What do you consider Mirror of Fate?

Trash.

Order was the last Castlevania Koji Igarashi was involved with.

[Zeus]

What do you consider Mirror of Fate?

Trash.

Order was the last Castlevania Koji Igarashi was involved with.

But it was 2D, wasn't it?

[Eric]

What do you consider Mirror of Fate?

Trash.

Order was the last Castlevania Koji Igarashi was involved with.

But it was 2D, wasn't it?

Yes, but that's irrelevant, it was awful. You don't include Zelda's Adventure(CD-i) in the discussion when you talk about gaps between Top-Down Perspective Zelda games do you?

[Zeus]

Yes, but that's irrelevant, it was awful. You don't include Zelda's Adventure(CD-i) in the discussion when you talk about gaps between Top-Down Perspective Zelda games do you?

That was a European-only, licensed game made completely independent of the IP owner. All the Lords of Shadow games were made with an in-house developer overseen by Kojima who was in charge of all Konami console development at the time (this fell under that umbrella)

[Eric]

Yes, but that's irrelevant, it was awful. You don't include Zelda's Adventure(CD-i) in the discussion when you talk about gaps between Top-Down Perspective Zelda games do you?

That was a European-only, licensed game made completely independent of the IP owner. All the Lords of Shadow games were made with an in-house developer overseen by Kojima who was in charge of all Konami console development at the time (this fell under that umbrella)

You say tomato, I say tomato....that doesn't translate well into text! I have no idea why you're arguing with me about this lol. The last GOOD 2D Castlevania was Order of Ecclesia(And Koji Igarashi's last Castlevania), and I dismiss anything after it because they were trash. If you liked Mirror of Fate because Kojima was loosely involved more power to you.

[Zeus]

Yes, but that's irrelevant, it was awful. You don't include Zelda's Adventure(CD-i) in the discussion when you talk about gaps between Top-Down Perspective Zelda games do you?

That was a European-only, licensed game made completely independent of the IP owner. All the Lords of Shadow games were made with an in-house developer overseen by Kojima who was in charge of all Konami console development at the time (this fell under that umbrella)

You say tomato, I say tomato....that doesn't translate well into text! I have no idea why you're arguing with me about this lol. The last GOOD 2D Castlevania was Order of Ecclesia(And Koji Igarashi's last Castlevania), and I dismiss anything after it because they were trash. If you liked Mirror of Fate because Kojima was loosely involved more power to you.

I've only played the first Lords game, it was amazing. I played a little of Mirror but not enough to have a full opinion. My bud finished it and he thought the original 3DS version was great with a good challenge but the remake was made too easy. And he's the biggest Castlevania fan out there, I trust his opinion on this one.

Personally, I still think Aria is the best of the Metroidvania games. It was amazing

[Eric]

This looks fantastic.

[Oracle]

Castlevania Symphony of the Night surpasses all the other metroidvania games. SotN is the pinnacle, period. I eagerly look forward to my annual November 11th single-sitting 200.6% completion run this year.

And now - TAKE MY MONEY. Totally getting this game.

[ManaMan]

I'd say Super Metroid is just as good as SotN.

[Oracle]

I'd say Super Metroid is just as good as SotN.

Fair enough, I'd agree. My wording should have been more specific, I wasn't really considering anything outside of the castlevania IP.

[Replay]

The common trend that unites all Kickstarter devs it seems heh.

Not all, just the major developers who created games that founded the industry, who are now getting the long dick from scabby greedy publishing CEOs who don't give a damn about developers.

Video games have matured. They slightly out-revenue movies now.

That has produced a situation and industry where a lot of greedy fat-fuck jackoffs who can't make a game themselves and don't care about gamers have piloted themselves into positions of power in the industry, telling devs who have hit home runs out of the park over and over what mismanaged focus groups say gamers do and don't like.

I say - good for Igarashi.

I'll be buying into Bloodstained and he's gotten $5m off of the Kickstarter, which is very clearly enough not just to finish the project, but for him to establish his own development company, maybe even publishing company, if he wants and tries to and is frugal about his costs.

I'd rather have a million Igarashis running the industry than a single Bobby Kotick - CEO of Activision and notorious for his role in trying to fire, withhold $100m from, and legally fuck over the devs who did Modern Warfare.

[ManaMan]

This looks fantastic.

I was expecting 2D sprites not 3D/2D. Probably will still be good though. Classic soundtrack.

Now I want to play Super Metroid again to see if it *was* just as good. I haven't played it since I was in college.... 2000? Wow. I played through SotN again last year and liked it a lot. Easier than I remember it being though. Almost too easier compared to some other Castlevania games.

[Eric]

This looks fantastic.

I was expecting 2D sprites not 3D/2D. Probably will still be good though. Classic soundtrack.

Now I want to play Super Metroid again to see if it *was* just as good. I haven't played it since I was in college.... 2000? Wow. I played through SotN again last year and liked it a lot. Easier than I remember it being though. Almost too easier compared to some other Castlevania games.

I'm kinda glad it's not sprites, all of the sprite based kickstarters I've backed are taking years to come out lol. This looks great to me, the artistic style captures the essence of a Castlevania game, character movement looks smooth, and of course the music is on point.

[Julius Seeker]

Igarashi's Mario level:

[Replay]

Igarashi is brilliant, I think there is every reason to have high hopes for this. I also think the art is fantastic and that the team's work on shaders will bear lots of fruit.

I will still never forget the first day I saw the original Castlevania. I had just come to my friend's house, he was playing it - and played through the spike-crushers on level 2, dying once to them I think. I thought, "Wow, how brutal and hard for the player, but what a brilliant piece of level design" - especially how I watched how the second one had subtly different timing, but allowed the player to duck under it.

He has formed so many of our ideas as a culture about what a platform game should be - for me personally, a great, great many. I *still* play SoTN from time to time and have pined never to have another outing in the night of such depth and scope - the Game Boy games never really appealed to me; I need AAA graphics on my gaming journeys to the night and underworld.

[Replay]

I mean, honestly, it's hard to complain about screenshots like this:

[Eric]

E3 gameplay!

[Julius Seeker]

Coming to Switch, which is the ideal platform for this kind of game.

[Julius Seeker]

Well, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is off to a good start for an indie title. Selling 100,000 units in its first week.

[Eric]

Oh that little game is goddamn excellent.

I beat it my first playthrough in 90ish minutes, it wasn't terribly dificult, but there's multiple difficulties and if you sacrifice your potential allies at the end of the stages you can drain their powers and play the main char differently.

Very awesome game

[Zeus]

So what was that little 8bit game released on the Switch? A bonus for early buyers only?

[Eric]

So what was that little 8bit game released on the Switch? A bonus for early buyers only?

If you backed it at a certain tier you got it free, it was basically Castlevania 3 but more modern take, and not nearly as difficult/punishing.

I think you can still purchase it separately.

[Julius Seeker]

You can purchase it separately. And yeah, I was surprised to discover the game was a modern take on Dacula's Curse, which is one of the few Castlevania games I go back to for relays (the other being Super Castlevania, and I intend to do Symphony of the Night again sometime, I believe I have it on Vita).

[Replay]

How is this thing? Worth the price of admission? People keep saying it's good.

[Eric]

How is this thing? Worth the price of admission? People keep saying it's good.

The actual Kickstarter game doesn't come out until next year. Curse of the Moon is out and worth admission price.

[Julius Seeker]

If you are a fan of traditional style games - and I think most of us here at tows are - then this is a game for you.