[Gamers' Day 2007] Drac's Back
We finally get our hands on a work-in-progress version of the 3D Rondo of Blood update.
Published: May 17, 2007
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is special. See, it's bridge that connects the old school, left to right gameplay of the classic Castlevania style to the newer go-anywhere, gain-powers-as-you-go style that has become the norm. In a very real sense, the two Dracula X games that started on the TurboGrafix-16 (or PC Engine in Japan if you want to get all technical, since the first DX game never actually made it here to the States) and continued on the Saturn and original PS one were the final evolutionary steps of the series, and though they are direct sequels, the two games are markedly different.
Konami was kind enough to bring along an updated build of the game to show off at Sony's big brouhaha, and we got a precious few minutes to try it out. By now you should know the gist of what the package offers: both 2D versions of Rondo and Symphony of the Night, updated with a new translation and voice work, plus an updated 2.5D version of Rondo with polygons instead of sprites. That's the version we actually goofed around with, and we're happy to state that the game plays... well, it plays like Castlevania.
We literally scooted in at the last minute and got to play maybe five whole minutes of the game, but as we traipsed through the starting castle level, we were pleasantly surprised to see just how far the game had come since the initial unveiling. Moving to polygons affords a level of animation detail that sprites can't quite match, and though we'll never stop loving our little 2D friends, the difference was enough that it did indeed feel like a different game -- at least in terms of controls, which were silky smooth and nicely detailed.
We whipped back and forth, grinning a little at the familiar way enemies respawned when we scrolled the screen and it took us a little bit to remember that mashing the whip button and jumping around is a good way to get killed. After snapping some buckskin into the faces of a couple zombies, a few floating eyes and a generous number of flaming sconces, we had to let the game go with the promise that we'd head down to Konami to check things out here very soon indeed. And as soon as we do, we'll update you on things, we promise.
Konami was kind enough to bring along an updated build of the game to show off at Sony's big brouhaha, and we got a precious few minutes to try it out. By now you should know the gist of what the package offers: both 2D versions of Rondo and Symphony of the Night, updated with a new translation and voice work, plus an updated 2.5D version of Rondo with polygons instead of sprites. That's the version we actually goofed around with, and we're happy to state that the game plays... well, it plays like Castlevania.
We literally scooted in at the last minute and got to play maybe five whole minutes of the game, but as we traipsed through the starting castle level, we were pleasantly surprised to see just how far the game had come since the initial unveiling. Moving to polygons affords a level of animation detail that sprites can't quite match, and though we'll never stop loving our little 2D friends, the difference was enough that it did indeed feel like a different game -- at least in terms of controls, which were silky smooth and nicely detailed.
We whipped back and forth, grinning a little at the familiar way enemies respawned when we scrolled the screen and it took us a little bit to remember that mashing the whip button and jumping around is a good way to get killed. After snapping some buckskin into the faces of a couple zombies, a few floating eyes and a generous number of flaming sconces, we had to let the game go with the promise that we'd head down to Konami to check things out here very soon indeed. And as soon as we do, we'll update you on things, we promise.