This review, as well as all of my reviews on this forum, are seriously condensed thanks to the forums text limit as well as the inability for most members to actually fully read all the garbage I type out carelessly anyways. If you want intricacies on battle systems or the backstory, feel free to look up a decent PREVIEW on the net and then come back here and read about the good and bad sides of the game. Anyways, on with the "review"...
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Presentation:
*Click. * The GBA is on and its short yet sweet logo flashes across the screen and you are quickly greeted, after two Konami logos of course, with one of the greatest intro songs I have ever heard for a handheld. Right when the eerie choir starts singing words in Latin, you are immediately tossed right back into the world of Castlevania and are quickly reminded of its previous versions on the 8-Bit and 32-Bit days of old. In addition, several other whimsical themes from previous Castlevania titles are redone and placed sporadically through CotM adding a nice spice of familiarity to previous CV lovers.
The game resembles Symphony of the Night in many different ways, but this is not a knock against Circle of the Moon, especially since SotN is possibly the greatest Castlevania title ever made. The save rooms and level up system bares an incredible resemblance to SotN while managing to maintain a completely original style of obtaining new abilities and magic spells. This is definitely one deep game that will keep you entertained for hours. Not only is listening to the game an exhilarating experience, but so is looking at the title on your large GBA screen.
Graphics:
Just about every background is full of luxurious detail and the level layout is typical CV fair, but the castle itself is just massive. Each section has its own theme showcasing new elements and every proceeding section beyond those just beaten makes you utilize your newly obtained abilities. Plus, the enemies that you face as you progress become stronger as you defeat each new boss and these enhanced enemies obtain new weapons that add to the overall visual quality of the titles.
Unfortunately, whereas this game emulates SotN in so many ways, it also comes up short in that respect. I have no doubt that CotM was rushed to make its launch debut this Monday, but the area in which it suffers, which is also the area SotN shined, is the animation department. Alucard was full of animation bliss where every action was beautifully rendered in pure articulated hand-drawn glory. CotM falls short in this respect needing some serious frames of animation when Hugh runs, rolls, or slides under objects. This is my only gripe for the graphics area, but it\'s a big enough one to make note of.
All in all, the graphics are truly great for a handheld title, but there are some areas that appear rushed. Personally, I can\'t wait for the next CV incarnation, which matches and in some ways surpasses the glory that is SotN.
Sound:
One of my favorite aspects, as mentioned above in the presentation section, has to be the music in CotM. The music just adds so much angelical depth to the title complementing the all-around magical aura of the castle. Plenty of remixed songs from CVs of old as well as brand new tracks never before heard were added to CotM to further encapsulate the player into completing the game. Some of the tracks are a bit strange and detract from the aural masterpiece of this game, but others are sure brilliance and since the pallet is so varied and diverse, it’s hard not to have a favorite among them.
My other favorite aspect, other then the music, has to be the sound effects. You can hear the footfalls of Hugh as he quickly dashes throughout the halls of the castle reverberating and echoing off the walls. Hugh also grunts and twinges when he is hit by a powerful attack or dishes out a bit of un-Godly damage to a foe. The shattering of objects can be heard easily as Hugh\'s whip connects with the many candles and flames in the castle as well as the shrills of female enemies falling and burning at your feet. That sounds a tad bit demented and strange, but what the Hell, it\'s Castlevania!
Gameplay:
“Damn.” That\'s the first word I uttered when I took a look at the map screen for the first time and I imagined just how big this damn castle must be. It is literally huge with lots of save points for replenishing energy as well as teleport points for moving about previously explored regions. Believe me, you are going to need every advantage you can find in this castle because these super ghouls and goblins are not easy enemies to defeat.
That\'s right, simply leveling up in CotM will not help you too much in terms of overpowering your foes. Lots of them require the use of your secondary weapons to assist you. There are five separate secondary weapons mirrored from previous CVs that are incredibly useful for defeating different bosses. In addition to your weapons, there are different abilities that can be unlocked as you progress. Each new ability is generally unlocked through the means of defeating bosses. Double jump boots, speed jump boots, and many others are your keys to exploring unreachable areas of the castle as you progress.
Also added to these abilities is something called the DSS system. This system allows new abilities to be learned when you acquire the "card" of specific enemies. These cards are dropped sporadically from certain enemies that carry them and added to a DSS inventory in your item list. Once you combine certain cards of the two different types, both Attribute and Action cards, you can acquire new abilities to enhance your character. Some of these attributes range from an Ice enhancement to your whip to a pair of fireballs that constantly encircle you damaging all that it touches. This system takes place of the magic spell system in SotN and it pretty much eliminates all of the "guess and check" of SotN. Without the cards, no special magic spells for you.
Fortunately, there are many different items to obtain and many card combinations to find. Each new ability you obtain is like a breath of fresh air that inflates new life into the game. The castle exploration and the boss encounters are truly amazing and a testament to Konami\'s brilliance on any game platform.
Lasting Appeal:
Unfortunately, this is where the game comes up short. Once you complete the game, the next game you start up lets you begin just as you did the first time you played, but this time with all the DSS cards as found from previously playing. The only other addition as far as I can see, is the ability to play as different people, but that adds very little into the replay value since the game is still much like that of before. It\'s not like the castle turns upside down or anything and presents all new challenges to the player, which is honestly too bad since I enjoyed the new layout presented in SotN.
Bottom Line
This is quite possibly the definitive reason for going out and buying a GBA. Although Mario Advance is a tried and true Mario title that all will be willing to enjoy once they buy a GBA, Castlevania is a true testament to the GBA’s power. It’s a truly original title worthy of being in any library of any Castlevania fan as well as gaming enthusiasts nationwide. Pick this game up for your GBA. Now.[/I]
Final score: 9.3/10
Not an average
Topic: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Review (Read 594 times)