Dracula X (PC Engine) Vs Super Castlevania IV (SNES) - which game is better?

[SuperDeadite]

Meaning you simply suck at Bloodlines.  Since you can't beat it, it therefore must be "too difficult," hence it's not a good game.  IV is the easiest game in the classic series, hence it's your favorite.  Don't you just love IV's boss fights?  Just standing in front of them and mashing whip until  they die is just fantastic gameplay right?   

[GohanX]

I actually didn't like Bloodlines much when it was a new game, or want until much later I gave it another chance and loved it.

[Tatsujin]

UBEROLF!!

I have no idea what this means...

It means that all of your statements are super ludicrous  :idea:

[A Black Falcon]

Meaning you simply suck at Bloodlines.  Since you can't beat it, it therefore must be "too difficult," hence it's not a good game.  IV is the easiest game in the classic series, hence it's your favorite.  Don't you just love IV's boss fights?  Just standing in front of them and mashing whip until  they die is just fantastic gameplay right?   

I mentioned a lot of things wrong with Bloodlines other than its difficulty level, why do you say it's just about that?  It isn't.

Also, in a game like this, yes, having limited continues IS a problem.  If RoB or SCIV had had limited continues, it would have hurt them as well.  I know some 3rd and 4th gen platformers do have limited continues, including some very good ones (Sonic 1 for the Genesis comes to mind), but Bloodlines' design basically means that you have to keep replaying a level again and again until you can get through it with minimal damage, since the passwords save your lives and continues.  That's not much fun.   And once again, this is the ONLY Castlevania game ever which doesn't have infinite continues.  It was not a good change.

But as I said, there are a lot of problems with Bloodlines beyond just the difficulty level.  It's got a lot of issues -- the graphics aren't as good, it's shorter, the controls aren't as good, etc., etc.  Bloodlines doesn't match up to SCIV or RoB in any category, I don't think.  Those are high bars to match, and it doesn't reach them.  Apart from Contra: Hard Corps and Rocket Knight Adventures, though, that seems to usually be true in Konami Genesis games; the Genesis Tiny Toon Adventures games aren't nearly as good as the SNES ones, the Genesis TMNT games aren't nearly as good (Tournament Fighters especially!), Genesis Sunset Riders is not even close to the SNES game...  but I do think Contra Hard Corps blows away Contra III, so yeah, it's not all bad.

On that note though, it's really too bad that Konami didn't do any run & guns on the TG16/CD... it would have been great to see, and I'm sure the game(s) would have been fantastic.  Even the Genesis got a lot more releases from Konami than the TG16, even if the SNES was their clear favorite that gen.  Of course the Genesis got no Konami shmups while the TG16 got five pretty good ones, but in overall library size they released something like twice as many Genesis games, I think.  And no run & guns on the Turbo.

UBEROLF!!

I have no idea what this means...

It means that all of your statements are super ludicrous  :idea:

Saying that both games are fantastic and among the best games in their genre (they are), but SCIV is better is ludicrous?  Yeah, no.

[Otaking]

But as I said, there are a lot of problems with Bloodlines beyond just the difficulty level.  It's got a lot of issues -- the graphics aren't as good, it's shorter, the controls aren't as good, etc., etc.  Bloodlines doesn't match up to SCIV or RoB in any category, I don't think.  Those are high bars to match, and it doesn't reach them.

+1

[SuperDeadite]

IV has tons of enemies that CANNOT HIT YOU.  Unless you actually choose to run into their line of fire, they CANNOT HIT YOU.  Bloodlines isn't perfect, but at least it knows that enemy's should have a purpose besides walking back and forth until you decide to push UP+Whip a few times.  How the hell can you ignore the absolute horrid design of IV and then complain that Bloodlines isn't perfect?  SNERD hypocrisy at it's finest. 

Konami chose to ditch the 8-way whip because it does not work with traditional castlevania stage design.  Hence, the X68000 game uses a 5-way whip giving you amazing precision but still a solid challenge.

[SamIAm]

For the record, my favorite Castlevania is the X68000 game.

RoB has FAR better boss design than IV, and probably the best in the series. It also nails traditional Castlevania gameplay and has better difficulty. If gameplay trumps all, RoB wins.

But to me, a big part of what makes the Castlevania experience is the atmosphere, and when it comes to this aspect, IV is the peak of the series. It's got a haunting loneliness to it that's downright sophisticated. It's practically a spiritual journey.

RoB, with its bright palette and its bouncy music and its cartoony cutscenes, feels to Castlevania like Parodius feels to R-Type. Don't get me wrong, some parts of it are amazing to look at, but it doesn't hit me in the same place the other games do.

Also, and though I would be totally open to the idea of a female main character, I do think that Castlevania should be a strictly "no bitches" affair. Simon is going after Dracula because Dracula's got to go. Richter, on the other hand, is just trying to get laid.

[Tatsujin]

the atmosphere in RoBs prologue stage 0 alone already beats any other casts on the snes :idea:

[spenoza]

I do agree that I think Bloodlines is just a hair too hard. I also think the quality of the sound effects happens to be shit. That said, it is also a well-designed game that does some neat special effects you don't see on many (any?) SNES games, even. Quite frankly, I think that era was Konami at its most creative and experimental. They made their Cvania games on each platform strikingly different, and worked hard to capitalize on the strengths of each system. I can choose a favorite, but I can't easily identify one which is BETTER, because all 3 are great in their own regards.

Although, if you really want to take into account the capabilities of the base system, I think Cvania 3 on the NES is actually the most striking. I would absolutely LOVE to see a 16-bit style remake of that one. You'll notice that Symphony of the Night draws most directly from RoB, but also from Cvania III.

[esteban]

^ Castlevania III (NES) was grand.  Released during 16-bit era, it made me wonder why the "modern" consoles had so few games that had the depth of Castlevania III.

A very solid entry.

[PunkicCyborg]

^ Castlevania III (NES) was grand.  Released during 16-bit era, it made me wonder why the "modern" consoles had so few games that had the depth of Castlevania III.

A very solid entry.

Totally awesome and super hard game

[Otaking]

^ Castlevania III (NES) was grand.  Released during 16-bit era, it made me wonder why the "modern" consoles had so few games that had the depth of Castlevania III.

A very solid entry.

Totally awesome and super hard game

I have to admit I've not played Castlevania III, will add it to my to play list.

[SuperDeadite]

^ Castlevania III (NES) was grand.  Released during 16-bit era, it made me wonder why the "modern" consoles had so few games that had the depth of Castlevania III.

A very solid entry.

Totally awesome and super hard game

I have to admit I've not played Castlevania III, will add it to my to play list.

You've not played III?  You've not played III??? People we now have concrete proof that SNERD = n00b.  This explains the creation of this entire topic.

[Nando]

To me SCIV was more Westernized that Rondo. By that I mean, the art style/design. From the colors to the overall feel. The flexible whip was cool but to me it kinda defeated the purpose of having 2ndry weapons. I need to play through that game again to see if my memory is biased. I've been playing Rondo lately so that one is fresh in my head.  SoTN was my favorite game but it's now a tie with Rondo and I only started playing Rondo a couple of years ago.

Hmmm time for a Castlevnia Marathon....

[Tatsujin]

Rondo and SotN are like one team. You can play through Rondo and just go over to SotN, therefore they're like on big game.

Very funnily only, Rondo runs on a supposed to be "8-bit" machine that came out OVER 3 YEARS pre SNES release, and SotN runs on the commercially strongest 32-bit machine at that time. And it still looks and sounds as if made from one piece.
Just shows how DAMN GOOD Rondo is :idea: