How to play a whole game franchise on your Pandora

[Jourdy288]

Dibs on Final Fantasy!


This post is just here whilst I'm working on it...


EDIT2: Woot, nearly finished, just need to add more descriptions.

Final Fantasy I


Platforms: NES, MSX, PSX, GBA WonderSwan Color


The first in the long, revered Final Fantasy, which was originally supposed to be the last. Square Co. was retiring from the game business, and Hironobu Sakaguchi was decided it would be their final game, a fantasy. Fate, however, and aggressive advertising by Nintendo managed make the games popular enough to be a success. It was this game that set a new standard for console RPGs, and is an iconic franchise down to this day.

Final Fantasy II


Platforms: NES, MSX, PSX, GBA, WonderSwan Color


Final Fantasy II is the second installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is notable for being one of the first story-intensive RPGs released for a console system, and for being the first game in the series to feature many elements that would later become staples of the Final Fantasy franchise, including chocobos and a character by the name of Cid. Final Fantasy II is also unique for eliminating the traditional experience-based advancement system, instead favoring a system wherein the playable characters' statistics increase according either to how much they are required, or how much they are used...


The story concerns the adventures of four youngsters from the kingdom of Fynn named Firion, Maria, Guy and Leon. Maria's, Guy's, and Leon's parents are killed during an invasion by the army of The Emperor of Palamecia, who has summoned forth monsters from Hell in his quest to dominate the world. Fleeing the Emperor's monsters, the four are attacked and left for dead. Firion, Maria, and Guy are rescued by Princess Hilda of Fynn, who has established a rebel base in the nearby town of Altair. Eager to prove their value to the resistance movement, the three remaining youths undertake a variety of missions against Palamecia and join forces with a variety of allies not only to defeat the Emperor, but to locate Maria's missing brother Leon as well.(From finalfantasy.wikia.com)

Final Fantasy III


Platforms: NES


In the original NES version of the game, the player controlled four generic Light Warriors, four children without distinct identities, who literally fall into their adventure and upon finding the Wind Crystal were granted its power in order to save the world. Though their genders are never made note of, it is assumed that all the children are male. Over the course of their journey, the Light Warriors are joined by several support characters who join the party, but do not actually fight; instead, they offer help on the world map. (From Finalfantasy.wikia.com)


This is my favorite Final Fantasy, probably because it was the first I ever played.

Final Fantasy IV


Platforms: SNES, PSX, GBA, WonderSwan Color


Final Fantasy IV is the fourth game in the Final Fantasy series. Originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the game was subsequently re-released for the PlayStation, the WonderSwan Color, the Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS. It was originally released in North America as Final Fantasy II...The most powerful nation in the world, the Kingdom of Baron, begins utilizing its unparalleled air force, the Red Wings, and its legions of Dark Knights to attack peaceful nations in search of four Crystals, each corresponding to a different classical element. Cecil Harvey, a Dark Knight and leader of the Red Wings, begins to question the king's motives after forcibly stealing the Water Crystal from the wizards' town of Mysidia. Upon questioning the king, Cecil falls from grace and is stripped of his rank and sent, along with his friend, the Dragoon Kain Highwind, to deliver a package to the village of Mist. (From finalfantasy.wikia.com)

Final Fantasy V


Platform: SNES, GBA


The game centers around a group of four strangers brought together by circumstance to save the Crystals that have mysteriously begun shattering one by one. Eventually it is revealed that the villain Exdeath is behind this, as part of a plan to both release himself from his imprisonment, and to gain the power of the Void, a realm of nothingness which could bestow absolute power on one able to resist being absorbed by it. The four thus turn their attentions to defeating Exdeath and stopping the Void's unstable energies from consuming their world. (From finalfantasy.wikia.com)

Final Fantasy VI


Platform: SNES, GBA


A thousand years ago, three gods known as the Warring Triad descended to the world, and eventually began war for dominance that became known as the War of the Magi. To fight for them, the gods transformed humans and animals into creatures called Espers, giving them intense magical power. After a long war, the gods realized their war was destroying the world and turned themselves to stone, their final wish that the Espers prevent their power from being abused. The Espers took the gods' petrified remains and fashioned a new dimension to live peacefully away from humans, and to hide the gods from them.


In the present, the world has experienced a technological revolution, while magic has faded into legend. To the south, the Gestahlian Empire lead by Emperor Gestahl, discovered the entrance to the Esper world and kidnapped several of the creatures. Using machinery, the Empire found a way to drain the Espers of their magical energy and imbue humans and machines with this power, resulting in the phenomenon known as Magitek. Using Magitek to overpower the armies of other nations, the Gestahlian Empire conquered the southern continent and began to push into the north with the ultimate aim of world conquest.


(From finalfantasy.wikia.com)

Final Fantasy VII


Platform: PSX, NES (Unofficial hack)


Final Fantasy VII is the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series and was released in 1997 by Square Co., Ltd. and shows to be the most popular. It was directed by Yoshinori Kitase, written by Kitase and Kazushige Nojima, and produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi. It was the first game of the Final Fantasy series to be developed for the PlayStation rather than a Nintendo system, and the first game in the series to be ported to Windows. Additionally, Final Fantasy VII was the first Final Fantasy title with entirely 3D (polygonal) character models, although the majority of environments were two-dimensional prerendered maps (excepting the World Map and battle screens, which were rendered in full 3D)...

An energy manufacturing mega-company known as Shinra, Inc. is harvesting the sheer life energy of the Planet (known as the Lifestream) as a simple fossil fuel. The Lifestream is processed and made into products ranging from electricity and heat to Mako and Materia. The latter two materials can work miracles, granting the wisdom of the Ancients to the user. However, the Lifestream, like most other fuels, is finite in supply, and the Planet's lifeforce is being malevolently drained by the constant exploitation of Mako by Shinra. Though aware of the harmful effects, they function without remorse.
However, the real battle lies not with a corporation, but a force much more competent from the distant past. A long-thought dead warrior bent on becoming a god by draining all of the Lifestream from the planet has risen again and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.


"Now a small rebel group emanating from the slums must quell the various dangers toward the innocent, and one mercenary for hire must look amidst the lies and deception and find the man he is within."


—Official Introduction

(From finalfantasy.wikia.com)

Final Fantasy VIII


Platform: PSX

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/embed/49dvdVKiSBk?feature=oembed

After several Final Fantasy installments that featured an increasing sci-fi slant, Final Fantasy IX was intended to return the series, at least temporarily, to its more fantasy-oriented roots. The characters, who had been depicted in an increasingly realistic fashion in previous Final Fantasy games, were deliberately rendered in a more cartoonish fashion to reflect this return to tradition. Among the most notable in the influences of previous Final Fantasy games, is the presence of Black Mages, represented foremost by the playable party member Vivi; other Black Mages appear as a crucial element of the storyline...


In the world of Gaia, Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros XVI of the kingdom of Alexandria lusts for power, and is trying to increase her domain by conquering the surrounding lands. War is brewing among the neighboring kingdoms on the Mist Continent. Regent Cid of Lindblum is worried about how these troubling events will impact Princess Garnet, so he dispatches the Tantalus Theater Troupe to Alexandria to kidnap her. A prominent character in Tantalus is the game's main protagonist, Zidane Tribal. However, the Princess herself yearns to escape from her wicked mother, and is willingly kidnapped. During the operation, Vivi and Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Royal Knights of Pluto and Garnet's guardian, become involved, much to Steiner's disdain. The plan soon backfires, and Tantalus member Zidane is left in charge of the kidnapping. During their escape the theater ship, the Prima Vista, is shot down from the sky and lands in the Evil Forest.


(From finalfantasy.wikia.com)


EDIT: Also, if this post isn't finished in 48 hours, somebody can have the FF series. I'm just working on a really cool custom banner.


Edit3: Banners finished, been that way for a while lol, now I just need to add videos.

 

[eksasol]

First thing I'm gonna do when I get my pandora is play though the entire Lufia series (well almost the entire series) as it was my first real taste of an rpg game, all games untill that point were all action and puzzle games.


Lufia: Fortress of Doom; Super Nintendo


Lufia: Rise of the Sinistrals; Super Nintendo


Lufia: the legend returns; Gameboy Color


Lufia: The Ruins of Lore; Gameboy Advanced


I hope to someday play the DS version on the pandora 2 (hopefully)


Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals; Nintendo DS

There is a cool drawing used as the cover for Estpolis Denki II. I had the English cartridge, but maybe I should buy the Japanese cartridge just to get a that drawing.

 

[#1 GameMaster]

Well I call dibs on Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest one of my all time favorite RPG's. B)


Update: still have some work to do on this but I added some to it. Also never really played 5&6 since they're Japan only other than DS so if someone else wants those you can take them.


Dragon Warrior


The first of a good franchise where you get to rescue the princess, defeat the Dragon Lord, get married, and live happily ever after.


Dragon Warrior II


Is the continuation of the first and you play as the previous heroes three grand kids who have been separated. This version introduces a new setup where you can fight up to 3 monsters at a time and you can have three with you. Not to mention a bigger world map with more dungeons and towns.


Dragon Warrior I & II


A remake of the original two made for SNES and GBC. They both speed up the game by allowing you to level up quicker. The GBC version though offers some minor graphic improvements where the SNES offers some vastly improved graphics.


Dragon Warrior III


In this version you actually play the original story of Edrick/Loto the famous hero in the previous two stories. This version also expands the game in every way too. There was also two remakes of it which had improved graphics. The GBA version which offers some minor graphic improvements and then there's the SNES version which offers major improved graphics. Both offer a faster paced game though where you level up faster.


More to come.

 

[SNESFAN]

There is a cool drawing used as the cover for Estpolis Denki II. I had the English cartridge, but maybe I should buy the Japanese cartridge just to get a that drawing.

The one in my original post is the one I own, the US version, looked around and found the the other two for ya


here is the euro version

and the jap version

 

[Prometheus]

Time to cover another series! This time, the Croc series, by Argonaut Software Ltd. (who are sorely missed). This write-up, naturally, leaves out the almost-unknown set of three mobile telephone games that were licensed out a few years back - however, the fact is that all of this series' four main entries can be played on the Pandora with no compromises.


Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (PSX)

A little lost crocodile, Croc, is adopted and raised by a race of cute, fluffy creatures known as Gobbos, and the adventure begins. You guide Croc as he seeks to rescue his Gobbo friends from the (literally) iron-fisted evil magician, Baron Dante (and his Dantini henchmen), who has kidnapped them.


This is a proper 3D platform game - it takes actual platformer elements, and puts them in a 3D world, instead of calling a distinctly non-platforming game a "platformer". You grab crystals to act as protection (if you're hit, you lose them, but can pick them back up again if you're quick), you pick up keys to unlock doors and collect coloured crystals to open a special door at the end of each stage, and you find your Gobbo buddies along the way. You can use your tail to attack people, and can stomp on things as well.


There is thankfully not a single word of dialogue in this game - the story elements, which are kept to a perfect minimum, are told in an entirely visual fashion, not unlike a Tom & Jerry cartoon, and it really works very well. It also has a soundtrack that is nothing short of gorgeous, and which in and of itself is well worth investing in a good pair of headphones for.


It's cute, it's well-presented, the controls feel perfect (and perfectly-weighted), and it's a lot more challenging than it looks.


Croc 2 (PSX)

The long-delayed, but sadly weaker, sequel rejoins Croc and the Gobbos some time later, when a message-in-a-bottle from Croc's long-lost parents is found, and Croc sets out to find them. Of course Baron Dante and the Dantinis are back again, as well.


This game suffers from having much larger and sparser environments than the original game did, and in eschewing the original's bite-sized "room"-based design, most of the platforming has been sadly removed. Also, crystals no longer serve as a protective platformer pick-up, and instead function both as a forced collect-a-thon item, and as currency for the game's unnecessary item shop feature. There is also a lot of dialogue and fluff which spoils things.


Moreover, the formerly very tight and well-tuned controls are gone, and have been replaced with fiddly, sloppy ones which make what little platforming is present unnecessarily difficult and non-fun.


If you like the original, there's a large chance that you may not like this sequel, as it's sadly nothing like the first game - the needlessly large environments, the removal of most of the platforming, and the copious amounts of dialogue and "story" all serve to remove the original's sense of wonder, and actually serve to make the world (and universe) feel much, much smaller. However, if you like games with a lot of trudging around, or have a high tolerance level for trying to like a sequel which has nothing in common with what it's supposed to be the follow-up to, you might find this one to be worth a look.


The US version of this game featured a rather out-of-place product-placement for Gummi Savers candies, which isn't present in any of the other regional versions of the game.


Croc (GBC)

This Game Boy Colour "retelling" of the events of the first game was being developed at around the same time as Croc 2, and was released the following year.


It's a 2D platformer, and the first 2D game in the series, but unfortunately it has some huge play-control issues which it probably shouldn't have been allowed to ship with (Croc moves far too quickly, and there is a combination of a lack of weight and too much sensitivity to his movements - it adds up to a bit of a disaster). If you can get used to them, these issues become near-enough tolerable, and there's quite a decent platformer attached to them, with some pretty good, almost C64-esque, renditions of the music from the first PSX game in the series.


It's far less of a problematic game than Croc 2 for the PlayStation, and in spite of its issues it's also more fun than that title, as well.


Croc 2 (GBC)

Croc 2 for the Game Boy Colour is another "retelling", this time of Croc 2 for the PSX. Unlike the other three games, this one was not developed by Argonaut Software Ltd., but by Natsume (of Harvest Moon fame).


It's a top-viewed platformer, with some gorgeous graphics (including some adorable and very Japanese-styled sprites, which is only to be expected, since this one was developed by a Japanese company) and fantastic music, much of which is unique to this game, instead of being rearranged versions of the themes from the PlayStation version of Croc 2.


Without a doubt, this is the best of the Game Boy Colour entries in the Croc series, and is well worth a look - especially if you happened to like Sunsoft's Gremlins 2 for the NES, which this game plays very much like.

 

[Jourdy288]

Why is this not pinned?

 

[CFWhitman]

The Castlevania series of course. It is a classic series known for great soundtracks that stretch the limits of your gaming hardware, and unique, satisfying action. This series is still continuing, and there are a number of them that cannot be played on the Pandora, but there are many that play well. There are of course several ways I could organize the list. What I will do is list those that have few issues in chronological order first, then those that run, but with issues.

Castlevania


Platform: NES (also released for DOS, Commodore 64, and Amiga, but I have not tested those versions on the Pandora)


The first game of the series was released in Japan in 1986 on disk for the Famicom. In 1987 it was ported to a cartridge format so that it could be released in North America, and in 1988, in Europe. It seems to me that the series needs little introduction. This first game was a linear jump and shoot (well, whip in this case) platformer. It had unique action because the weapon had unusual timing and limited range compared to shooting weapons in other games. You, as Simon Belmont, fight a series of various horror movie refugees with a boss at the end of each level until you come to the main event, Dracula himself. As with many games from that time period, the difficulty is pretty high, and exacerbated by the effect of there being no password (the original Famicom version on disk had saves). Fortunately with emulators you get to save your state and pick up where you left off. It seems to run quite flawlessly in gpFCE-GP2X (I've played it to level ten), so stock up on holy water, daggers, boomerangs, and throwing axes, grab you morning star whip, and jump in.

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Vampire Killer


Platform: MSX2


Released for the MSX2 only in Japan in 1986, about a month after the first game for the Famicom, this is similar in ways, but is really a very different game. This game is not linear. You have to explore each level searching for keys that open doors to the next level. You can also find merchants hidden in various spots in the game who sell items that you can use on your quest. Changing from one room to the next in this game happens abruptly rather than scrolling. The MSX2 was not as good at scrolling the background as the Famicom, and that may be part of the reason a different approach was used for this game. The colors are brighter in this game, and in some ways it looks better than the first Castlevania. To play it with Pandora MSX you will have to limit the framerate so that it will not play too fast. Somewhere around 40 fps seems to be about right, but I have not really played seriously, so that number might need tweaking (I have to fire up the game on my computer MSX emulator to remind myself how fast it's supposed to run).

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Castlevania II: Simon's Quest


Platform: NES


Released in 1987 in Japan and in 1988 in North America, this game is even less linear than Vampire Killer. You once again assume the persona of Simon Belmont. Extensive role playing elements have been added to this game, making it the first real Action/RPG combo of the Castlevania series. You build up your weapon assortment over time, and can switch between acquired weapons at will. There are several towns to visit, where people will give you clues (in one case a pretty inadequate clue, which may be a translation issue) to proceed further in your quest. This game is easier to complete than Castlevania, but difficult to complete quickly enough to see the better ending. The secret to completing it quickly is to not die often and just use continues, which will leave you underpowered, but to stay alive long enough to level up so that you will be better equipped to complete the game. You can get passwords at the continue screen and of course use save states while emulating. I absolutely loved this game when it first came out, and it's the one that got me hooked on the Castlevania series.

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Haunted Castle


Platform: Arcade


Released in 1988 for arcades, this is a very linear game like the original Castlevania. It is pretty insanely difficult (no doubt to eat up more of your quarters), although there are slightly different ROM sets which vary a little in difficulty. There is reportedly some kind of an issue with this game in MAME, but I haven't gotten far enough in the game to encounter one yet. It's on my list of things to do, although I'm wondering if the fun to pain ratio for this particular title is really worth it.

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Castlevania: The Adventure


Platform: Game Boy


Released in 1989, Castlevania: The Adventure was a prequel to the original Castlevania. In this game you take the role of Christopher Belmont, Simon's ancestor. This game is pretty linear. It's not as good as most of the games in the series, but it's not as terrible as some would have you imagine.

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Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse


Platform: NES


Released in 1989 in Japan, in 1990 in North America, and in 1992 in Europe, Castlevania III was an ambitious game for the NES. It returns somewhat to the linear roots of the first Castlevania, but it has various branches that lead to the same ultimate goal (Dracula) and three extra playable characters to make things more interesting. The game is another prequel to the first game, like Castlevania: The Adventure. In the game you assume the role of Trevor Belmont, another ancestor of Simon, centuries before the events of Castlevania. After progressing a little into the game, you encounter Syfa, another vampire hunter who is also a wizard, and he joins you on your quest. He uses a sword instead of a whip (which has less reach, but a wider stroke) and various spells as special weapons. Later you encounter opportunities to replace Syfa with Grant or Alucard. Trevor is constant while the other characters can only be swapped out at particular junctures in the game. Grant can climb walls and ceilings, wields a dagger, and has special weapons of throwing knives or axes. Alucard uses energy bolts for a weapon, and can transform to a bat and fly while you have enough hearts. Any character can use the clock as a special to stop time. This game is another great entry in the Castlevania series.

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Kid Dracula


Platform: NES


Released in 1990 only in Japan, this game is a cartoon spoof of the regular Castlevania games. You play as another son of Dracula (besides Alucard), and you use energy bolts and spells as weapons. I haven't had a chance to play very far at all into this one (or it's Game Boy sequel) yet, so I'm not entirely certain of how linear it is, but it seems pretty linear so far.

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Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge


Platform: Game Boy


Released in 1991, this is the second installment of Castlevania for the Game Boy. Much better than The Adventure, it feels more like you are playing a real Castlevania. You once again take on the role of Christopher Belmont, whose son has been kidnapped by Dracula so that his powers may be used to restore Dracula to full power before the normal one hundred years it takes him to return. You storm the castle to rescue your son and return Fangface to his coffin until another century has passed.

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Super Castlevania IV


Platform: SNES


Released worldwide in 1991 (so, yes, it came out before Castlevania III in Europe), this game marked the transition for the series from the NES to the SNES. Basically, this is a reworking of the original game with much better graphics, but it added twists like directional whip attacks and using the whip to swing on. It may not be the most original game of the series, but it is executed excellently. This is a great game that really shows of some of the abilities of the SNES (it's fun ).


Continued...

 

[Asiyura]

Jourdy, your posts are really nice f***ing awesome, great writing work, but there is a slight problem : There is no way of playing the WHOLE castlevania or FF franchise on the Pandora.


Only a part of those two are on emulated consoles, they both had a bunch of DS, PSP and/or PS2/3 episodes.

(but I have to admit that Gruso started with the Metal Gear franchise that have PS2/3 episodes

)

 

[Nintendo]

There are too many inconsistencies in this thread.

 

[CFWhitman]

...continued from above

Kid Dracula


Platform: Game Boy


Although they didn't change the title, this 1993 release is a sequel to Kid Dracula on the NES. It stays pretty faithful to the original game, but of course the Game Boy is not as powerful as the NES, so don't expect miracles.

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Dracula X: Rondo of Blood


Platform: PC Engine Super CD


Released in 1993 only in Japan, this is one of the best Castlevania games there is. I picked this up through an importer right after it was released. I had to pay nearly twice the going price of a game at the time, and I didn't regret it one bit. You play as Richter Belmont, and it is only semi linear (sort of like Castlevania III). Eventually you free Maria Renard, who then becomes a playable character. The graphics, animation, and sound effects in this game pushed the Super CD to its limits, and the soundtrack is second to none. Some of the boss fights and levels in this game still make me smile when I think of seeing them for the first time back in 1993 (actually, I think it came out in November or December, and my copy didn't arrive until January or February of 1994). If you are a fan of Castlevania and haven't played this game, then find a way to play it; it's great.

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Castlevania: Bloodlines


Platform: Sega Genesis


Released in 1994, this is the only Castlevania for the Genesis/Mega Drive. It was, oddly, released first in North America. You play as John Morris or Eric Lecarde, each of whom have some Belmont blood in their ancestry. The levels progress a bit differently for each character since John can swing on his whip to reach certain places and Eric can vault with his spear to reach others. It's action/timing is slightly different (faster) than most of the other games in the series, which takes a bit of getting used to. Although the graphics are unspectacular in some ways, it features groundbreaking special effects and bosses for the Genesis, so you do get some eye candy as you progress further into the game.

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Castlevania: Dracula X


Platform: SNES


This is basically a remake of Rondo of Blood for the SNES. Levels are changed around quite a bit, and Maria Renard is no longer a playable character. Although this is a fine game, one cannot help but be a bit disappointed with how much it pales in comparison to the PC Engine game. Worth a play just the same.

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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night


Platform: Playstation


Released in 1997, this game is a direct sequel to Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. You play as Alucard, who goes in search of Richter Belmont and Maria Renard when they disappear after defeating Dracula. Instead of having energy bolts as your main weapon, you get various swords and other hand weapons. This game again brings a lot of adventure/role-playing elements back to the series. It's basic structure is similar to Super Metroid. Castlevania action combined with Super Metroid style adventure is definitely not a bad thing. The developers seem to have liked it so well that this approach is used in most of the series following Symphony of the Night also. Great action, great graphics, and a great soundtrack - what more could you ask for? This may be my favorite game on the Playstation.

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Castlevania Legends


Platform: Game Boy


Released in 1997 in Japan and in 1998 in North America, this is the third and final installment of Castlevania for the Game Boy. It's probably also the best one (although Belmont's Revenge is good). It is a prequel to all earlier games in the series. You play as Sonia Belmont. As play progresses, Alucard tests your ability to face Dracula by challenging you first. When you defeat him, he gives his blessing for you to continue on to face his father. It's fairly standard material for Castlevania, but it's good.

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Castlevania: Circle of the Moon


Platform: Game Boy Advance


Released in 2001, this is the first Castlevania for the Game Boy Advance. It has a similar structure to Symphony of the Night, which is of course a good thing . You take up the role of Nathan Graves, who has been trained by Morris Baldwin to fight Dracula (along with Morris's own son, Hugh). You start out together trying to stop a ritual to revive Dracula, but you get separated from Morris when Dracula shatters the floor beneath your feet and sends you plummeting to the castle's depths. Hugh decides to find his father by himself, and you are forced to do the same. You must rescue him before his life is used to complete the ritual to restore Dracula to full power. This is another great game in the Castlevania series.

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Castlevania Chronicles


Platform: Playstation


Released in 2001, this game is a remake of a game for the Sharp X68000 released in 1993 (which I hadn't mentioned because so far there is no Pandora emulator for that system, though the possibility is quite feasible). Both games are basically remakes of the original Castlevania with better graphics and extra features to make them more replayable. A good soundtrack tops it off pretty well.

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Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance


Platform: Game Boy Advance


Released in 2002, this is the second installment of the series for the Game Boy Advance. In it you take the role of Juste Belmont who goes to Dracula's castle in search of his kidnapped friend, Lydie Erlanger. Again the game is structured like Symphony of the Night (when something works, you stick with it ). This game is probably the weakest of the Game Boy Advance games, but it is still good.

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Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow


Platform: Game Boy Advance


Released in 2003, this is the third and final installment of Castlevania for the Game Boy Advance. In the game you take the part of Soma Cruz, and the game starts out in Japan, where you are an exchange student. You end up at Dracula's castle when a portal opens during a solar eclipse, drawing you and your friend, Mina Hakuba, through. You must battle your way through the castle in order to escape. There is a new special weapon system to spice things up, but this is again the successful formula used for Symphony of the Night. This is another solid game in the series.

 

[Asiyura]

Castlevania : SotN is my all-time favourite PSX game, that's why it's one of the few PS1 games I've kept.


Great platform game, with many place to explore and many endings.


And a superb soundtrack!


Maybe I should buy the Dracula X 3D remake for PSP, it includes the original SotN as a bonus

 

[Nintendo]

Just save your pennies, because "the original " SoTN is free on Pandora.

 

[Jourdy288]

Jourdy, your posts are really nice f***ing awesome, great writing work, but there is a slight problem : There is no way of playing the WHOLE castlevania or FF franchise on the Pandora.


Only a part of those two are on emulated consoles, they both had a bunch of DS, PSP and/or PS2/3 episodes.

(but I have to admit that Gruso started with the Metal Gear franchise that have PS2/3 episodes

)

Aw thanks, though I didn't do the Castlevania one.


Oh, and I need to finish my FF one... Can't believe it slipped my mind.

 

[CFWhitman]

One last Castlevania post to cover the two games that can be run on the Pandora, but with issues. They are, of course, the Nintendo 64 games.

Castlevania (a.k.a. Castlevania 64)


Platform: Nintendo 64


Released in 1999, this was the first 3D Castlevania. You play as either Reinhardt Schneider or Carrie Fernandez. Reinhardt uses the whip (Vampire Killer) and the typical special weapons of other games in the series. Carrie has magical powers. The game does a decent job of transforming Castlevania to a 3D world, but it doesn't really have the unique action that made Castlevania so distinctive to begin with. Each character has two different endings, a good one and a, well, not so good one (where Dracula stays in disguise). On the Pandora, this game has sound glitches, graphical glitches (mostly on menu screens), and can experience slowdowns. You can play it at least to an extent with the proper settings, but I haven't gone very far into it (on the Pandora, that is; I've completed it on the original system).

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Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness


Platform: Nintendo 64


Also released in 1999, this is a prequel to Castlevania (64). You play as Cornell, a man-beast, who is looking to save his sister Ada from being used as a sacrifice to bring back Dracula. The play and the issues are similar to those with the previous game. I thought they might be worse, but as long as you keep it in low resolution, they seem to be about the same.


Castlevania and Megaman are the two series that stick in my head as those my brothers and I had some of our best game time with. Kudos to Konami and Capcom for bringing these games to us.

 

[eksasol]

The one in my original post is the one I own, the US version, looked around and found the the other two for ya
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/1/588451_4233_front.jpg

This is the one I want, but in high quality so I can print a poster out of. It seem the jap version is on sale on ebay for decent price.

 

[Asiyura]

Aw thanks, though I didn't do the Castlevania one.


Oh, and I need to finish my FF one... Can't believe it slipped my mind.

Herm… I'm kinda embarrassed…

Sorry about that CFWhitman.


The awesome part of my comment is still valid anyway

@Sony, yep, but what I really want is a copy of Dracula X.


IIRC the 3D PSP remake had some good reviews.


And if it comes with SotN it's even better

(anyway, it's "free" only if you own the original PSX disc and make an iso out of it, like I plan to do)


I need to find a PSX USB memory card reader!