[Castlevania] If I like Dawn of Sorrow(DS) I'll like the GBA Double Pack, right?

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Basically see title - sure hope so, because I just ordered the double pack from CDuniverse!

I wasn't sure I would take to DoS, but I've really become obsessed with it over the past few days. I'm even considering going for 100% and 100% souls.
 
Yes, very much. You pretty much know what you're in for. HoD doesn't put as much (if any) emphasis on collecting though, but it's still very enjoyable.
 
Oh you're in the same boat as me. I played the heck out of Castlevania: DoS, got 100% souls and beat the game, level 73(?), got the Double Pack and basically soaring through it. I'm taking my time though, switching between both, depending on the mood. I wouldn't say I'm Castlevania'd out, but definitely not on such a high when I was playing DoS. Solid.
 
[quote name='wubb']Basically see title - sure hope so, because I just ordered the double pack from CDuniverse!

I wasn't sure I would take to DoS, but I've really become obsessed with it over the past few days. I'm even considering going for 100% and 100% souls.[/quote]

I found the DS version (which I am nowhere near finished with) to be superior to the GBA titles. And those titles weren't half bad (though the character animation sprites (three frames for you main guy) for one title were hurrr-ible and the music for the other was garbage. can't remember which was which).

That said, I think you're gonna have a lot of fun with that dual pack - it's a good price. It's gonna take a second to get used to not having that handy map up all the time!
 
Yes.

Do you like chocolate ice cream? Of course you do.

Ok, then you'll like double chocolate ice cream and chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup on it.
 
I love all those games, and I even love Circle of the Moon, the first GBA game. Not as many people love that one, but its still better than most games out there.
 
Sweet, hope they don't ship it in a bubble mailer, but even if they do at least I'll be able to play the games. Part of why I was so surprised was that I had SOTN back in the day and never got into it. Probably didn't really give it much of a shot.

Never picking up a GBA SP means I've barely played any GBA games. Lots of catching up to do. I have a GBA, but it was just such a PITA to see the screen that I barely used it. The lite is such a joy compared to that POS.

And yeah if I still have an itch for Castlevania I probably will pick up Circle of the Moon after playing through the double pack. But knowing my play habits I imagine my interest will peter out at some point before finishing those two.
 
I liked DoS, AoS, and HoD a lot. Haven't gotten close to finishing any of 'em, but they're all in the same vein. Can't wait for Portrait of Ruin...

I have a GBA SP w/the brighter screen and it's just fine. Even though I have a DS Lite, I'm glad I traded my old GBA for it when it came out, as it's odd for me to play a GBA game on the DS with one screen blank.
 
yea, bascially. The 2 other titles are really 2d side scrolling greatness. I wouldnt say i prefer any over any of the other ones tbh


ive beaten all of them.
 
[quote name='Strell']Yes.

Do you like chocolate ice cream? Of course you do.

Ok, then you'll like double chocolate ice cream and chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup on it.[/QUOTE]


I'm allergic to chocolate. In fact, I'm so allergic that the very word causes me to keel over, dead.

*DATA SENT AUTOMATICALLY DUE TO INACTIVITY*
 
Who's The Twitch Now?;2026778 said:
I'm allergic to chocolate. In fact, I'm so allergic that the very word causes me to keel over, dead.

*DATA SENT AUTOMATICALLY DUE TO INACTIVITY*
Click to expand...

Oh.

....

Then don't touch the box I shipped your games in.

For it once held chocolate.

Also the box is made out of chocolate.

"You know how you like chocolate, but then you get tired of it because it always wants to hang out with you?"
>You don't like chocolate?
"Look, could chocolate just be quiet for a minute?"
 
I'm hoping this does go down in price at Toys R Us. Holding out for a drop under their $29.99.

I'm currently stuck on DoS, grr.

-HM
 
^I second Double Pack needing to drop at least $10 soon! :)
Yeah you'll like Double Pack since AoS was so much fun, just don't expect it to be a whole lot better than DoS!
 
Strell, I was actually referencing a radio script I did with my friend a year or so back. It was a parody of a 1949 Batman serial from Columbia, in which the Wizard, a diabolical fiend in a black cape, is the extremely parodiable villain. In our script, The Adventures of Suck Man and Retard, the diabolical fiend, "The Blizzard," meets his end when someone says the word, "Chocolate." He states what I just stated, and, quite literally, keels over, dead.

In retrospect, referencing my own private work when niether of us actually knows each other and you couldn't have possibly heard it when it first appeared on local radio, was probably a bad idea. I apologize for the thoughtless comment, and for this needless explanation.
 
Haha, I just felt like playing along with even more insanity.

Anything that lets me make a Futurama reference can't be bad either.
 
You can get it for $25 shipped from CDUniverse right now using the $10 off $20 Google Checkout promo. That's what I did.
 
The two may feel a little outdated. If you played Dawn of Sorrow, and then immediately picked up Circle of the Moon, you may have the reaction of a tiger at the zoo when a human walks into its' cage. "Who the fuck put you in here!?"
 
While I feel Dawn of Sorrow is the best of the series, Aria isn't too far behind. Harmony was really dissapointing though. Horrible level design and unbalanced spells nearly ruin it, but it's still okay. Deffinitely a good buy for the price though.

But Circle of the Moon is actually my fave GBA Castlevania game.
 
[quote name='Strell']Yes.

Do you like chocolate ice cream? Of course you do.

Ok, then you'll like double chocolate ice cream and chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup on it.[/QUOTE]

I just had a big bowl of chocolate ice cream. And they are great games.
 
While the GBA games aren't as good as DoS, if you liked that one, you'll definitely like all 3 of the GBA games. Aria of Sorrow's definitely the best so I'd prolly play that one first should you decide to get the double pack. And you'd better make your decision soon because I'm sure that in a few months the double pack will become scarce.
 
[quote name='wageslave']Many People bitch about Circle of the Moon being too hard, but I don't think so. It's worth playing![/quote]

Thats why I like it, to me, all the other CV games are too easy. You become soo overpowered by the end of those games that I find myself limiting my equipment & spell/soul selection just to make the game semi-challenging.

Lots of people create challenging game modes for replays thru the games by doing stuff like only using starting equipment, or not killing any mobs besides bosses, etc...
 
Man I can't wait to play DoS. I own it but I have yet to play it, because I want to play Aria first (DoS is actually a direct sequel to Aria). So I really gotta get my hands on the double pack soon!

I just played COTM a couple months ago and it was indeed rather tough. Did anyone here actually go through The Arena? I spent like a whole night on that thing before I just gave up. There was this terrible moment where I thought I had finally beaten it, then realized I was only halfway through. It was at that point where I said "screw it, I'm just gonna go kill Dracula."
 
The Double Pack is now on sale at Toys R Us. Just got mine for $19.98.

Damn you, Castlevania series!

EDIT: Ok, I just threw it in to see if it worked, and I have to say, wtf is it with Nintendo controls and continuity? Why the hell is jump and attack reversed on thes games compared to DoS? What a pain in the ass.

The same thing happened with Super Mario (for some reason they made Y speed/fireball instead of B), but at least I knew from playing previous Mario games that I wanted to reconfigure the controls. If I had known this ahead of time with Castlevania, I would've changed the control scheme for DoS. Now I'm used to it, which will drive me bonkers when I play these GBA versions.

I just KNEW it made no sense that DoS used a different key for jump than Mario, but did I decide then to change it? Nooo....



EDIT 2: Ok, I just realized you change the button configuration in the Double Pack. Thank The Maker. I do still wonder why they changed the default controls for DoS compared to the Double Pack games.

-HM
 
$20 is a hot price for this IMO. If mine didn't ship today I'd roll over there to check now. Of course with tax I'd only be saving ~$4 over what I paid CDU, so it's just as well I pulled the trigger.
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']

I just played COTM a couple months ago and it was indeed rather tough. Did anyone here actually go through The Arena? I spent like a whole night on that thing before I just gave up. There was this terrible moment where I thought I had finally beaten it, then realized I was only halfway through. It was at that point where I said "screw it, I'm just gonna go kill Dracula."[/QUOTE]

There are ways of doing this if all else fails you...Suck down a magic potion and summon a cocktrice or unicorn... in a hurry!

Dracula was pretty friggin hard in this game, even if you had an insanley powerful character.
 
[quote name='willardhaven']Wait, it's on sale at toys r us you say?[/quote]

Yes, it was one of the titles listed on the TRU thread in the "Video Game Deals" thread, and it's finally taken hold (at least at the one near me).

-HM
 
I think Aria of Sorrow is far and away the best portable Castlevania. Dawn of Sorrow had amazing graphics and tighter gameplay, but the level design, when it wasn't just remaking Aria's levels, was dull and uninspired.
Harmony's an excellent game with great levels, but there's a lot of long stretches and backtracking.
Basically, you can't go wrong with the double pack.
 
The other thing annoying about my Double Pack is that the instruction booklet cover is on backwards. So when you open the side with the cover of AoS, the rest of the instructions are for HoD, and vice verca. This confused me at first, because the games are so similar, it was hard to tell that it was screwed up.

-HM
 
Harmony of Dissonance is my favorite of the metroidvanias, and Aria of Sorrow if very good as well, and they are both similar in style to DoS, so yes you should like them both.

I like CotM as well, but it's my least favorite of the 4, with the level design and graphics pulling it down (difficulty didn't bother me much, though Dracula was a bitch).
 
[quote name='wubb']Sweet, hope they don't ship it in a bubble mailer[/QUOTE]

Well the idiots at CDUniverse DID in fact ship the Double Pack in a bubble mailer, so of course the box was very crushed when it got to me. :bomb:

I e-mailed them about it, but don't really expect anything to come out of it. The least I'd expect is them to offer me a refund upon return, but I'd rather keep it to play than send it back for a return or exchange - which would probably come in another bubble mailer anway...

Although I may ride over to TRU and if I can get one there for $20 then I would probably try to get CDU to take this poorly packaged one back.

Moral of the story, don't order GBA games from CDU. Had Best Buy ship me a GBA game in a bubble mailer in the past as well. But luckily that one's box was only slightly crushed - which still stinks in my book, but this game's box was really practically flattened and bent out.
 
Just received a response from CDU that they are shipping a replacement off to me. I wasn't going to fool with a return, but I don't really mind this since they are making it pretty easy for me.

"I am very sorry to hear that you received a damaged item. I'll be happy to
send out a replacement to you at no extra cost, and your reshipment order
number is XXXXXXX.

Please send the defective item back at your earliest convenience. Be sure
to include the packing slip or packing slip copy and a brief explanation of
the return (there is space provided on the back or the packing slip for
this). If you no longer have your packing slip, you can send a note with
the order number and a brief explanation of the return with the
merchandise."

Really hope the replacement is coming in a box...
 
[quote name='Riyonuk']I heard castlevania was like metroid, is this true?[/QUOTE]

All of the entries since 1997 (starting with SOTN) have been. Simply because they have a giant map to explore rather than linear levels.
 
The more recent Castlevanias since SotN emphasize exploration/backtracking like Metroid. The older games are 2D sidescrolling platformers that are good for an actual challenge compared to the newer ones: no map (unless you count the screen where you're walking to each stage), no leveling up, no switching equipment (aside from subweapons), time-based stages, instant deaths, yada yada yada.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Harmony of Dissonance is my favorite of the metroidvanias[/quote]

This is very strange to me. I thought it was the worst of them by far. Your character looks like trash with his ghosted blue trail that takes up almost half the screen, the music is beyond terrible, you really only get to use one weapon, all the special abilities are lame, and the bosses are all pushovers.
 
[quote name='Chacrana']All of the entries since 1997 (starting with SOTN) have been.[/quote]

The GBA came out in 2001. So yes.
 
[quote name='destro713']This is very strange to me. I thought it was the worst of them by far. Your character looks like trash with his ghosted blue trail that takes up almost half the screen, the music is beyond terrible, you really only get to use one weapon, all the special abilities are lame, and the bosses are all pushovers.[/QUOTE]

I couldn't care less about music, though the graphics where very good, and loved the level design with the 2 castles. Also liked that the bosses were relatively easy, as I don't like hard games, and especially hate hard boss battles.

Gaming is pretty far down my hobby list, and I have very little freetime as is between my work and my Ph D studies, so I don't have much time or patience for challenging games.
 
*gasps* why in the world would you want an easy boss? Thats what bosses are, the enemys that are harder and give you a challenge, and there are some out there that when you finally beat them you wanna kill the programmers for making it so difficult, like Dark Falz from PSO
 
[quote name='Riyonuk']Ahh alright, Im gonna take a chance and buy a used one at gamestop and see if its any good.[/QUOTE]

No.

Go to Toys R Us and buy the Doublepack. 2 games, and it's prolly 20 bucks there. You'll get Aria of Sorrow, which is the best GBA version, and Harmony of Dissonance, which is ok, even though I have to agree with whoever said it was the worst of the GBA incarnations.

Much better than 13 dollar cart only POS from GS that someone's dog slobbered on.
 
[quote name='Riyonuk']*gasps* why in the world would you want an easy boss? Thats what bosses are, the enemys that are harder and give you a challenge, and there are some out there that when you finally beat them you wanna kill the programmers for making it so difficult, like Dark Falz from PSO[/quote]
It's sad, yes, but some of us prefer easier games that we can just play through. With the small amount of gaming time I have coupled with the large number of games I have to play, it's more enjoyable to just be able to blow through a game.

Not that a challenge isn't nice sometimes.
 
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