Which Castlevania games are worth playing?

These are the only ones I have played and finished. I thought all of them were great.

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    if you're talking about the series in general, Castlevania 1, 3, 4, Bloodlines and Rondo are good Classicvania games
    some people enjoy the PS2 games like Curse of Darkness and Lament of Innocence but I wouldn't say they're essential
    there's also Circle of the Moon for the GBA, and a very good romhack of it here which is worth using even if it's your first time: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4725/

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >if you're talking about the series in general
      Yeah sure any of the games in the entire series I'm willing to play if they are good. The 5 games I played were all fantastic even the Lords of Shadows game which I understand was a reboot and not part of the rest of the series. In regards to rom hacks I'd rather play any of the games in their original state tbh. Thanks for suggestions

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I've been playing older CVs after playing SoTN and liked:
    Rondo of Blood
    Dracula XX (snes sister-game of rondo)
    Super Castlevania IV (probably easiest classic style CV)
    Bloodlines
    And, my favorite so far, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
      Truly Contra Hard Corps of CV

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    if you played those games without having played 1 and 3 first then you didn't understand the references

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      The 5 games in the OP are the only games I played and I didn't really have any problem understanding the plots.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        you have a muddled perception of the series hammer horror roots because the later games became increasingly detached from it. you weren't introduced to alucard beforehand and you had no idea why SotN putting a non-belmont as the main character was so subversive and refreshing for the series at the time. you haven't even played as a single (canon) belmont yet. also SotN and PoR's entire second halves are Cv1 callbacks and DoS's Julius mode is pure Cv3 fanservice.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          Does it really matter that much?

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            no

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Circle of the Moon, Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Order of Ecclesia or whatever the frick it is

    Don't bother with SotN - it's basically 'I can't die' after about level 8

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I've already played Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and SOTN as indicated in the Op pic.

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    1, 3, 4, Belmont's Revenge, Bloodlines, Castlevania for X68000, Rondo of Blood, and I hear Adventure Rebirth are great games. They're more challenging, and are linear unlike most of the ones you've played, but I think you'll have fun once you get used to the style. Rondo of Blood would be a good game to start with.

    For the Metroidvania side, you can check out Order of Ecclesia, Circle of the Moon, and Harmony of Dissonance. Those last two are pretty divisive but I believe they have their merits. They kinda succeed in where the other lacks.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      HoD can get fricked but I feel CotM gets unfairly shat on because of the card mechanic and control scheme. The former is fixed with magician mode and the latter is not that bad, even good when you get used to it. The fact the game relies on physical abilities for progression (rather than one-time keys) and stat boosts that you get by exploring makes it feel the most faithful to actual Metroid. That is definitely a plus.

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Honestly, try bloodstained, it should be up your alley

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      How are guns in that game? The infinite ammo giving me infinite ranged damage is appealing

  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    The entire series has like ~5 bad games in total. Amazing track record.

  8. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    These are really the only ones you 100% have to play really. The NES, N64 and PS2 games are a bit meh but do have great music

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Castlevania III is literally the best game in the entire series.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        NES games are a bit outdated for OP who I'm assuming is a zoomer who will be turned off by NES difficulty

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          No they aren't, they aged perfectly dipshit

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            Yeah I thought the 3 praise might be a "you had to be there" thing but I just finished it (sypha route tho honestly I never used her) and it honestly does everything so well. I would like to be able to whip in the opposite direction of my jump but other than that nitpick it's perf; even stairs weren't as bad as I've heard

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              I think the main critique I have for 3 is the falling block screen, where unless you have Alucard you gotta wait for it to get to the top. Everything else is pretty fun.
              I'd say Hard Mode's randomly flying skulls is really lame, but that's an American only thing and they aren't in the "main" game.

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              1 and 3 maximize slow pace and truly committing to your actions. they aged so well because they have such a strong and universal design philosophy.

              also 3 really does shine with the sypha route. she is a perfect counterpart to trevor with her low-range wand swipes that are excellent for clearing projectiles, it almost feels like parrying. contrasts trevor's high-range whipping extremely well.

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                >1 and 3 maximize slow pace and truly committing to your actions
                Yeah love that about it. Made going from CV3 to Ninja Gaiden NES filteringly difficult.

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                Tho it feels good to go quickly through some sections because you're rewarded with some enemies and platforms being at the point in their cycle that demand no downtime

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          If you can beat Bloodlines you can beat 1 and at least the Japanese version of 3

  9. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Whats the difference between Dracula X and Rondo of Blood? Do I need to play both or are they the same basically?

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Drac X is Rondo but worse

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      The levels are very different with, imo, harder platforming in Dracula X. But Richter plays similarly while being a touch slower. Rondo has better bosses and higher quality music that the SnES couldn't pull off

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Also rondo has more alternate levels, free stage selection compared to passwords, another playable character and anime style cutscenes

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      completely different games

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Rondo of Blood came first.
      Dracula X could be called a downgraded remake that's different enough to warrant checking out sometime, but not a good replacement for RoB. It's more challenging and has unique level layouts, but it's also missing a bunch of cool features Rondo has, like the cutscenes, second playable character, and second set of five stages. Go with Rondo first.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Dracula X is a solid Classicvania that has the core of what made the games good: whip-swinging difficult platformers. Gameplay-wise, it's more of a remake of the original Castlevania than being related to Rondo at all. And it's a damn good one.
      Ignore the plebes who either got filtered by Dracula X or didn't even play it.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Yeah but coming after Super Castlevania 4, it felt like a hugh downgrade in the gameplay.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          SCV4 is definitely one of the best in the series, but a valid criticism is that it was one of the easier Classicvanias. The multi-direction whip was fun but kind of broke the challenging way the game was supposed to be played, which is probably why it never returned.
          Personally, I like how Super CV4, Bloodlines, Rondo of Blood and Dracula X all have their strengths and faults so that it's pretty subjective which is best.

  10. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I and III if you are ok with NES difficulty.
    IV, Rondo of Blood, X68000, and Bloodlines are all a must.
    Circle of the Moon is ok.
    Harmony of Dissonance is good but the low quality music and backtracking kind of hurt it
    Order of Ecclesia is great.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >X68000
      I googled this and it came with with a PS1 game called Castlevania chronicles. Is it the same?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Yes, Chronicles is the PS1 port of the original. It has an Arrange mode which remixes the music, makes enemy hits more forgiving, and changes Simon into a redhead pretty boy. Play any version you'd like.

  11. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >Never played Rondo, Super Castlevania OR 1 or 3
    holy shit anon you've got some catching up to do

  12. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    i can't beat Dracula in Castlevania 1 bros, i know exactly what the strategy is and what to do but i can't execute it
    this is brutal, man

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      If you got past Death without cheesing him with Holy Water it's impossible not to beat Dracula prior to your 10th attempt.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >cheesing him with Holy Water
        yeah, about that...

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >Holy Water
        You should use the cross, which they even give to you.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Your aim is to get a level three cross by the time you reach Death. I'd suggest using the cross to clear out all the other candles (once you've got an upgraded whip) in the checkpoint room before the hallway, then once you're in the hall keep throwing it out to wreck the Knights' axes while being mindful of the Medusas. Keep going left to put the pressure on, and you should get the upgrades you need before you hit Death.

  13. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Was the music in Harmony of Dissonance bad on purpose as an artistic decision based on the title?

  14. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Rondo of Blood needs to be the next one you play.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      OP here. Thats the feeling I've got from this thread so far.

  15. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >no castlemania 2
    shit takes

  16. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    The 3D PS2 Castlevanias are actually very good. They are underrated and got a cold reception, but I am playing LoI for the first time and am having fun. It's very simple, but also fun and dynamic in an arcadey way. It's like DMC1-lite. Really don't know why everyone just ignored them. The music's great as always, a very good fit to welcome Halloween.

  17. 1 year ago
    Boco

    Easier to list what NOT to play, really.

  18. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    The PS2 games have cool music

  19. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    This series seems weirdly underrated. Like at least 80% of the games are great.

  20. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    All of them up to SOTN, in release order. Stop there.

    My personal faves are the toru hagihara ones:
    Belmonts Revenge
    Rondo of Blood
    SOTN (the first couple of hours at least, before it falls apart coz Hagihara left the team)

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >Stop there
      >He didn't like Portrait of Ruin

      • 1 year ago
        Boco

        Or Order of Ecclesia. Or Aria of Sorrow.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          I always found Aria to be most enjoyable as a vehicle for romhacks, but on its own it's the weakest of the 3 DSVanias in my opinion.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          aria is a masterpiece though, why the bizarre vindictiveness? in fact the handheld games are all great

  21. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Play castlevania 64
    it's not a castlevania game but I don't care, pure soul

  22. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Post Castlevania YouTube videos worth watching

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      The Chaddest Belmont coming through.

  23. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Castlevania has God-tier music and I am happy the series exists:

  24. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Also have Jazzy Castlevania music:

  25. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I went through every single Castlevania game last year (yes, all of them) (yes, that was an autistic thing to do), so here's the objective verdict:

    MUST PLAYS:
    >I, III (JPN version), IV, X68000, Rondo, Bloodlines, SotN, DoS, PoR, OoE

    GOOD, RECOMMENDED:
    >AoS
    >Adventure ReBirth

    NOT GOOD, ONLY PLAY IF YOU REALLY CRAVE MORE:
    >CotM (overrated as frick, but still ok), Vampire Killer

    TRASH:
    >II, LoI and CoD (only good thing is the music, rest is trash), the whole Lord of Shadow series, all the GameBoy games (yes, Legends too), N64/Legacy of Darkness (stop coping, it's garbage), DraculaX (just play Rondo), HoD (don't believe the apologists, this game is terrible, but the protag is based), Haunted Castle (only has good music)

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I swapped AoS and DoS by mistake.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >but the protag is based
      Fair enough. I think Juste gets short shrifted as "Alucard Belmont" when he's a good deal more hotheaded.

  26. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I'm glad Konami stopped making these games. The alternative of there being a bunch of terrible "Castlevania" games in the modern era is a worse fate in my mind.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      The Netflix show is proof of that mindset. I'm happy that there is such a moral based game like Castlevania that I hate to see it get torn about by trannies and israeli tricks.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Rent free.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          Where can I get a gf life Sypha irl as a 5'6" manlet?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Castlevania was already dead. Then Konami had to sell it to trannies to make a show. Went from dead franchise to homosexual franchise (worse than death)

  27. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Literally all of them are worth playing except the og GB ones and Castlevania 2

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Frick you, Belmont's Revenge is top shelf vidya.

  28. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Castlevania 1,3,Bloodlines,4,Rondo of Blood, Adventure Rebirth.

  29. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Unironically Touhou Luna Nights

  30. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Rondo of Blood is the best one. Best music and the best movement mechanics.

  31. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    All of them except Lords of Shadow.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      All three LoS games are among the best Castlevanias. And I'm tired of pretending they're not

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        I liked the first 2, lost interest in LoS2 in the beginning parts.

        I wouldn't mind Mercurysteam taking another stab at Castlevania after what they accomplished with Metroid.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      the 1st lords of shadow is decent. the 3ds and 2nd game are bad though

  32. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >Castlevania
    >Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
    >Super Castlevania IV
    >Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
    >Castlevania: Bloodlines
    >Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
    >Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
    >Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth
    Those are the best Castlevania games you haven't played yet

  33. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Portrait of Ruin Richter/Maria mode is so much damn fun. Better than Johnathan/Charlotte, wish they had gotten a stand alone game as a prequel.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I always thought Richter could've used another game. Having him disappear after SOTN when he was originally supposed to star in a sequel to Rondo does feel like a bit of a downer for him to go out on.

  34. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >Castlevania 1, 3, 4
    >Rondo of Blood
    >Dracula X
    >Bloodlines
    >Castlevania 64 and Legacy of Darkness
    You're in luck, you haven't even played the good games yet.

  35. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Anyone got that compilation of castlevania games in an emulation bundle?

  36. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4735/
    I need to try this out next time, been thinking someone should make a thing like that.

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