How Castlevania Bloodlines Improves on Super Castlevania IV | Bofner
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2020
- I did not like Castlevania Bloodlines for a long time. I thought I might not like Castlevania... then I played the NES game, and it was incredible. Eventually I got a PSP and played through Rondo of Blood and loved it. I tried Castlevania IV here and there and it never jived with me. Then since the 2020 pandemic hit, I decided to finally go back and beat Bloodlines... and damn. I definitely needed to use the passwords, but I really liked it. So much so that I went back and beat it as both characters on Expert difficulty. This game is overshadowed by Castlevania IV, a game that in my opinion is WAY over-rated, and in my opinion, is not fun. Super Castlevania IV, more like STUPID Castlevania IV! HA! HA!... Anyways, I recorded all of the Bloodlines footage using my Model 1 Region modded Genesis with HD Retrovision component cables, and the Sega CD RCA audio jacks using the OSSC, with the exception of the the Stage map scenes, I used the Castlevania Collection on Switch to record those parts, as well as all of Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania, Castlevania III, and Castlevania The Adventure. For Rondo of Blood, I used a burned copy of the game on my RGB modded PC Engine Duo, though I do legally own a copy on PSP as well, but PSP games don't look great when put through the component cables. However I used my PSP to capture the footage for Castlevania Chronicles, as 240p PS1 games emulate quite nicely through the PSP, and look even better on a PVM.
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![Super Castlevania IV [#SNES Review] - Super Vampire Killer](/img/1.gif)
If you wanna hear another one of my hot takes on a Castlevania game, I actually think Castlevania The Adventure is a pretty solid game:
ruclips.net/video/kwTVQerFidE/видео.html
In case you might be wondering why the SNES has a less powerful CPU processor well, that's because it was originally supposed to be backwards compatible with NES games. Like the Genesis/Mega-Drive, you have to get a peripheral to put over the cartridge slot to play NES games from loader part. The only problem in their case was that it would've increased the price of the SNES system considerably. And Nintendo has a history of not wanting to sell hardware hat would be considered too expensive for the average consumer at that time. As a result, backwards compatibility was taken out at the last minute and it was too late to implement a faster CPU processor. So unless Nintendo wanted to delay the SNES at that time to another year, they didn't think it was worth it; so in their eyes it was like this: either A) delay the SNES for another only to lose more market share than ever to Sega's 16-bit offering; or B) release the SNES as it is, work with what you have and figure out other ways of working around said limitations(FX chips, FX2 chips, SD1 chips, etc) and hope you stand a chance against Sega's 16-bit offering as soon as possible. Obviously the latter was chosen and the rest is History!
Not really a big fan of The Adventure...
BELMONT'S REVENGE IS A MASTERPIECE THO 🔥
@@thatkleinguy That game is sooooo gosh darn good
This is an old video, but the fact that you grew up with this game shows you how blinded by utter cringe nostalgia you are, as are many others. I played all of these castlevanias as an adult and rating them objectively, and Bloodlines is among the worst. Sound fx are terrible, the fake polygonal bosses are so dated, ugly and out of place for a fantasy game. The game mechanics are terrible and don't improve from its predecessors in any way. I could go on. Sorry to burst your nostalgia bubble, haha
@@venomtang dude, Bloodlines is great, it's the video that's basically "castlevania 4 bad bloodlines good" i really like both games.
Both are fantastic games, and I love em both for different reasons!
My guy
Agreed!!👍
Same
Is in my opinion all castlevania games are good
@@Reesespuffsreesepuffsno not order of shadows
Bloodlines is definitely my favorite of the 16-bit era.
Deserves so much more praise than it gets.
Bloodlines is impressive for a Genesis game but the SNES one is just too dope to beat
@@worsethanhitlerpt.2539 I always had more fun playing Bloodlines compared to Super Castlevania IV and Rondo of Blood for the PC Engine. Bloodlines is like an Arcade play of Castlevania for me. As much as I love Rondo Of Blood it's number 2 after Bloodlines and Super Castlevania IV 3 and Dracula X for the SNES 4 as far as that generation is concerned.
If Rondo of Blood counts as 16 bit, then I'd say that's definitely the better game
19:52 it makes me sad how people can't appreciate the amount of great tracks that Castlevania IV has, Forest of monsters, rotating castle, chalendiers, treasury room, etc
yeah he's kinda dissing a lot of good tracks from 4.
in terms of classicvania i have to say its a 3-way tie between 4, rondo of blood, (the pc engine original, NOT the version released on the snes.) and bloodlines.
each game does something that makes it its own. 4 has phenomenal level design, rondo has multiple paths and super attacks, and bloodlines has a great balance to it and deffinitely the most "classic" feeling of the 3.
he's a clown, don't pay attention lol, this game is mid when youre not feeding off nostalgia
I find them more atmospheric. It's not bad but it's not the kind of music I think of with castlevania. The only exception is Simon's theme. Although. I did like the Dracula boss fight theme and it felt like a worthy boss theme. Like the fate of the world was at stake.
IV's ost is one of the best in the series. The prologue theme is almost as legendary as Simon's Theme in my opinion.
Castlevania IV is the quintessential music of any other Castlevania game. Unfortunately nothing has or ever will come close to the music IV has. Though playing Castlevania IV first and playing Bloodlines I was disappointed with the audio quality of the Genesis. Simply does not beat the SNES however I have grown to love Bloodlines soundtrack. It is great. But Castlevania IV reverent music and gameplay just won’t be beat.
The Whip in Castlevania 4 randomly going limp seems to me like a you problem, I've never had that happen to me.
True statement right there....
Ewhiptile Dysfunction
I think it happens on certain controllers or if you have a sticky Y button your snes. It’s definitely happened to me and I’ve played 4 a million times.
@@opaljk4835 that makes senee.
Can’t get it up?! Couldn’t be me.
Now this is some good fucking content! Personally, Castlevania 4 is my favorite of the series, second being Rondo and at a close third Bloodlines. SC4 just has an atmosphere when the lights are out like no other. You definitely brought up points that I was thinking about while playing Bloodlines. I rarely comment but this series is so underrated and I'm so happy seeing videos like this picking these games apart. Keep it up, you got yourself a sub.
Your words really mean a lot! I love the castlevania series, and I'm looking forward to getting through all of the older games, especially Rondo of Blood
@@Bofner I sent the channel to a few of my friends who also love the series. Its rare to see good content on these games now and days. Konami is a trash heap. It's just cool seeing new videos about Castlevania. What I'm saying is, I'm a fan man.
@@CamU-ct8gi I really really appreciate that! I've got some more Castlevania videos planned, and even some on games inspired by the series. Thanks again for sharing!
Bloodlines hands down the best
Bloodlines is best!
One of the things I absolutely love about this game is that its story mixes real world events AND the OG Stoker novel with Castlevania lore. Makes the lore feel even more like it spans years and years, and Dracula's reach didn't extend only to the Belmonts
Maybe you forgot or maybe you didn't know, but Eric can spin around his spear to destroy homing projectiles from any direction( press attack, and while keeping the attack button pushed alternate by pressing left and right : if you are heading right, begin with the left input, and vice versa ), you can keep spinning indifenitely. With that and the poledance ejection move Eric was a gust of fresh air in the Castlevania series at the time
Pretty awesome game and homage video indeed, have a late like
I was playing Bloodlines a few days ago for the first time and i found it very accesible, i kinda suck at challenging games and never before played a Castelvania game, now i´m kinda encourage to master this game...
It's one of the easier games in the classic series, which is to say, it's still pretty tough
I'm so happy to hear someone put my feelings on Castlevania 4 into words. For the longest time I couldn't see what everyone else sees about it and had no idea why everyone liked it so much. When I played Bloodlines on the Anniversary collection I found that game was so much fun and I had such a great time with it.
So glad other people have this take and can articulate for me lol. So many people online praise Castlevania 4 while scoffing at or ignoring bloodlines and it felt absurd to me since bloodlines felt like such a smoother and better experience to me.
Even though they're on different systems, you can really feel that Super Castlevania IV was an early gen game, while Bloodlines was a late gen one
I definitely agree with your take.
I've always seen the classic side of Castlevania as something of an action-focused puzzle game series.
The fun of trying to figure out how to use your uncontrollable jump, heavily limited whip and vital sub-weapons to get out of a tight situation is the thing that sets these games apart from the competition. SC4 is exceptionally fun and polished, but it just doesn't deliver what I want from a Classicvania entry.
One of the neat gameplay differences between the two games is that SC4's graphical showcases (such as the spinning drum or rotating room) had no real effect on gameplay, while Bloodlines' faux-3D bosses, leaning tower and screwy illusory rooms were completely weaved into the game's challenge. Of course, SC4 came out first, so it's not exactly a fair comparison, but it's neat to see how the devs improved upon prior entries.
I don't even mind the limited continues since they incentivize the player to not just beat a level, but to replay it over and over until they can beat it with as few deaths as possible in order to get a password that won't cause them to run out of lives later down the road. It pleases the perfectionist in me.
After playing Castlevania 3. I was let down by 4 not because of it’s Gfx or music. (Which was master class for its time) but it’s difficulty. I bought it as a kid and beat it in almost a day. You have any idea how hard it was to make money as a kid? Hehe.
I played bloodlines years later and I think it’s the more rounded and better Castlevania. But man those tunes on 4 are still nuts.
Agreed is my only nitpick in what I consider a gaming masterpiece, I didn't beat it so easily as you did but yeah after a few days I finished it, BUT even so I still play it for the trancelike experience it gives me.
3 was insanely hard though. I thought 4 was pretty hard as a kid, but beatable.
Im the opposite i was disappointed in 3 but loved 4
That's a courageous title!
It's not courageous, it's true :)
@@axelriviere7605 i don't know about that, the both games are the best
Courageous? Lol by being honest? I love how misused “courageous” is, like every time Ellen Page changes forms, she’s “brave”, “courageous”.
@@DontrelleRoosevelt I was using "courageous" more in the Sir Humphrey Appleby sense.
Courageous?lol. Bloodlines is better! Woo!
8:20
Imagine beating the game for like 50th time and you just play the game this way and never get hurt
You get a like, a comment, and a subscribe. Excellent video! As many others have said, this video perfectly articulates the thoughts I've had about this comparison. This is why I search RUclips every couple of months for the same topic, you never know when a legendary video like this will appear.
I always liked both. I enjoyed bloodlines trying some new things with different characters/weapons, etc, but I always seemed to have more fun with SC4 and found myself playing it more often. Can’t really put my finger on why. Maybe level design? I dunno…
Still to this day, there's always been something unique about the eerie immersive tone in SC4 has that doesn't quite hit the mark as well with me in ANY other Castlevania title. That, and it truly feels like a natural progression of the NES games (same with Rondo to a lesser extent), whereas Bloodlines felt to me like its own thing. *I also always liked both, but SC4 will always be my top pick from this era...* followed by Rondo.
@Tom Ffrench Interesting... Castlevania 3 and 1 blend together a LOT to me as far as tone and style, despite the fact C3 is a more polished game in many ways compared to C1. While SotN 'borrowed' some sprites from C4, it feels completely unique to me from all that came before it (coming the closest to Rondo if anything). However unlike SC4 (or C3 for you), SotN obviously had many emulate its style that came after that.
Yeah I feel the same!👍
Is impressive how BLOODBORNE is the perfect 3D castelvania.... Konami should take notice and ask From Software to make them a Castelvania game
Na, play lament of innocence.
It wouldn't be Castlevania then it would be a soulsborne game. I don't think the atmosphere is dark enough either with the Castlevania series. From Software doesn't really do happy-endings in games. Even Kuon was like that. An amazing survival horror game.
@@JamieZero7Evergrace has one, they just forgot to put it in the game.
Based on a recent playthrough, the whip in IV can go "limb" even when a normal attack has already hit, which leads to only doing the "limb" damage. Noticed this when even bats would survive the whiplash. Anyway, I think the cause is always pressing the attack button down for too long.
Spot on. What annoys me most about IV is that while combat is way too easy and unbalanced for all the reasons you explained, the platforming on the other hand is extremely frustrating: almost every time I died, it was because of death spikes or cheap pixel perfect jumps. I'm actually surprised when people say it's one of the easiest Castlevania, that Waterfall level alone was crazy frustrating. I find IV to be the most overrated game in the entire series.
4:06 - yes, happened to me many times, and by the time I got to Dracula, I came to resent the mechanic. People say you can't go back to old school whipping after experiencing IV, but I did and never looked back. I tell you what was hard to go back to after playing Rondo and X: losing the sub-weapon you like all the time because you whipped the wrong candle. So many points I agree with in this video, like the art, I don't like the pixel art in IV, it looks muddied-up, messy, I don't like it at all, much prefer Dracula X's style (which is fairer to compare to, as both are on the SNES, rather than comparing it to Rondo).
In fact, I don't care if it's a watered-down version of Rondo, I liked Dracula X much more. The map theme is awesome too. And although Rondo is better, of course, I still think that the first stage looks better in Dracula X, the fire effects are so cool. I loved that game. Also, yes, IV was too easy for a CV entry, especially the bosses. We don't need Dark Demon level of craziness, but nothing more satisfactory than beating a hard boss. That doesn't mean I thought that SCIV was bad, I liked it, but I didn't love it.
I haven't played Bloodlines yet, but as I progress through every entry of the series, this one is the next one in line. I was already looking forward to it, but after watching this video, I just can't wait. Oh, and with the advent of flashcarts, save states are no longer confined to emulation, you can now use them on real hardware just the same, which is great for speedrunners and you know, not having to keep your console on forever just because real life called you, putting up with ridiculously long passwords, or passwords in general.
Castlevania IV feels like a very "Less fartsy more artsy" kind of a game for lack of a better term. Instead of providing clever gameplay and combat it's more focused on atmosphere and graphics. Which... are done much better in other entries anyway even without considering how the gameplay adds onto the atmosphere.
@El Calorie
stage visuals are 99% different, nearly all level design has been changed with some exceptions early on, music is arranged with some new tracks, a slightly different rescue system and overall stage layout, bossfights were made harder and more complex, lack of playable Maria and less replayability - Dracula X
@El Calorie
no problem!
The most important issue here, Bloodlines it's another new Castlevania Game, and another different story. While in CV4, they tried on to make an a Remake from the first title ( Konami decided on tried again on to make another Remakes from their first title ever, after instead of this ) but still; CV4 felt to me like another CV title instead of a Remake from the first one.
Both games are great in every way. But i'm still prefer Bloodlines. It feels different, and it's not inside on a Nintendo console. And thats made the differences, you know what i mean.
I could not get into Super Castlevania IV for a lot of the reasons you mention. I think I'll give Bloodlines a shot after seeing this.
Same here. When I got a Genesis mini, I was shocked at how much more fun I had with it compared to the SNES counterpart.
I like using Eric Lockhart. 8 directional attacks just like Super Castlevania IV... Such a dope experience!
@@codydfwn I have a hacked SNES Mini and I think I'm gonna turn it into a 16-bit best of. Dislike Contra 3 (too hard) so I'm going to put Contra Hard Corps Japan version on it. That has hitpoints and unl. continues because Japan didn't have rentals and thus not artificial difficulty to increase rental length. Much more approachable And when SNES is better for a franchise I'll choose that.
@Tom Ffrench What's so bad about Contra 3?
Super clean video, great editing and narrating.
Wowww I knew I'd like this video for agreeing with me ;D, but I didn't expect to learn so much! The music trick, the hitbox on John's swing, changing orientation mid-jump--time to play this again!
I downloaded the Anniversary Collection recently - with all due sadness as they'd left Rondo of Blood out (and since my start to the series was "Symphony of the Night", I'd have sooner had its forerunner than any other game in the series). Still, of the two 16-bit they did include, I've definitely gotten along better with "Bloodlines" so far. "Castlevania IV" starts beautifully and feels nice and smooth until that damn vertical scroll section, then things start to get mightily frustrating. Also, it does have rather a muddy palette. Not that I'm finding "Bloodlines" a cakewalk, but I agree with all those points on balance: the powerful sub-weapons and special attacks make a big difference, and it's a welcome touch that the environment can also hurt the enemies. Not to mention it's just way more vibrant and prettier to look at. The lighting effects in the Versailles stage are almost worthy of "Symphony".
Oh man, if you like Bloodlines, you'll love Rondo of Blood. There's a couple of options you have to play it, but if you're anything like me, none of them may work for you. There's of course the original release on PC Engine, but that's a damn big investment. If you have a PS4 it's available in Castlevania Requiem. What I ended up doing to play it was getting a PSP GO (Which has become my favorite handheld, even though it can't play physical games) and unlocking it on Castleania Dracula X Chronicles, which is also how I played Symphony for the first time. I tend to go back and forth between Rondo, Bloodlines and the original NES Castlevania as my top favorite, but if you like Bloodlines and Symphony, I can't imagine you wouldn't enjoy Rondo
@@Bofner PS4 would be a good option for me, but might wait for a deal, as £15.99 is fairly steep considering I already have Symphony. Tempting, mind...
@@eleanorburns8686 Considering you just got ~10 Castlevania games for around the same price on the anniversary collection, I'd say that's pretty fair
I have it on ps4 now but the first time I played rondo was also on the Dracula x chronicles on ps vita.
I have a not too popular opinion about Rondo of Blood. While the game has its merits with anime scenes and some excellent sound & the graphical segments are a nice touch. Still the SNES version delivered rather well and some of of the content is better than Rondo.
Rondo had great levels outside the castle, but inside the castle the level design sucks ass. The castle art in the 1st game had more heart.
The art design in the SNES version is by far superior. It actually looks like a gothic castle on the inside. To be honest, the sound on the SNES may not be superior, but still kicked ass and its efforts to stay true to the original are commendable. To the value of the SNES, this version of DX is pretty damn good.
Like others I thought Rondo was an amazing game & the fact it was kept from American audiences for 15 fucking years, served in helping me believing that. I played the SNES version in contempt and rather blind to what I was seeing in that contempt. Then I finally played Rondo. It was great, but i couldn't help but notice how primitive the graphic design looked. I thought to myself. OK. Lets play the SNES again. Vastly superior in art direction, drawing, overall design & the music is actually a close second. I have to give a tie between the two, but still leaning towards the SNES version. Wether people like it or not. The SNES art design was the first to change the series looks for the future. Painted art backgrounds.
The SNES version deserve far more recognition than it gets.
I had a great time when playing these games back to back, the nice thing is I don’t have nostalgia pulling me either way. I definitely could feel the intentional balances to not overpower your character... when playing through them, I definitely could hear, see, and feel reasons why somebody could favor one or the other. I ended up loving them both a whole lot. I think it’s absolutely astonishing what they were able to come out with with SC4 in ‘91, that’s just shocking. Bloodlines did benefit from being able to observe all these other castlevania titles, it was 3 years later, and it was 5 years after the Genesis came out... I totally agree about the padding too, that is just ruthless but part of what was normal at the time, at least they had passwords (otherwise omg). It’s insane all that they were able to accomplish with that ‘91 release, like what it looks, sounds, and feels like compared to the NES castlevania titles is absolutely crazy. But when playing through Bloodlines, there were those reoccurring moments where I could continue to understand why a lot of people can prefer it. Nice robust conversation 👍 good sight pointing out the turning away in mid-air, definitely important... also very important in another spooky, challenging series with GnG!
I think it’s too absolute to be like “this game is better” because what’s important to one player may not be the same to another, but it’s definitely fair to say “this is how the gameplay became more balanced” because that’s 100% fact. I never understood why people try to act like the original on the NES is so similar to the one on the SNES, there are MOUNTAINS of new levels, bosses, music, settings etc that have nothing to do with the original at all.
And how it doesn't: Visuals, graphical tricks, music, gameplay, a proper cinematic look and atmosphere, etc. But it does have some graphical tricks of it's own and two players to choose from.
Much appreciate this video. You raise lots of good points. Yes the sub weapons in Super Castlevania seemed bleak and often times useless. With only the boomerang/cross being the more useful but even then only situational. I played Bloodlines yesterday and it feels satisfying. So much is going on and the game doesn't feel old.
This is such a great video, and I agree with your position completely.
Looking forward to your Rondo video
While I love Castlevania Bloodlines, I feel like it and 4 play so surprisingly differently that they're hard for me to compare
they're entirely different and bloodlines does not 'improve' over super in any way because it wasn't trying to be anything like it.
bloodlines is really good but super is the better game and is top-tier castlevania. it's more ambitious and sprawling, and the atmosphere is too good. bloodlines is also a bit easier (with harder bosses except dracula).
@@y-s- Lol no
Watched a couple of your videos, great job! 👍
Thanks! I appreciate it!
There's something else both Bloodlines and SCIV does perfectly: subweapon is R in SCIV, C in Bloodlines. I recently got Castlevania Requiem, you can map your controls in Rondo Of Blood, so on a PS4 controller subweapon is R1. Making subweapon anything but Up + Attack, makes stairs much less an issue.
I think its purely a nostalgic thing. To me 4 is the best outside of SOTN. Blood lines is cool though. Im palying it now even. Theres things about it that i like for sure.
This video did a really great job at putting my love of Bloodlines into words. I got into Castlevania last year and while my first game was 4, Bloodlines was the one that really sold me on the series and still is my second favorite game in the series, behind Aria of Sorrow. There's just something special about how Bloodlines is balanced so that you inherently can't just tank hits and call it a day.
Having played both games, bloodlines on genesis and Castlevania four on my cousin’s SNES I like both games and it’s very hard to say which one is the best since both have their own unique qualities. If I had to choose, it would have to be bloodlines because of the look and feel of the characters and game as a whole. Plus, considering fact that, that’s the only Castlevania game to be released on the genesis. I wish there would’ve been more games like it.
I came across this when I was looking for a side by side comparison of the colour hack and you have gained a new sub, hope you keep up the good work. Especially your comix zone outro saying ;)
Haha, you're the first one to point out the outro! Glad you enjoyed
I enjoy both games but a lot of the challenge was removed from IV. I wouldn't consider it a bad thing just a distinct difference from what I remember.
Poay CV4 hard mode and you will have a more enjoyable time
Bloodlines is tied in my no.3 slot with SCIV with 3 and rondo of blood 1 or 2 depending on what side of bed I get up that day.
Honestly the only 2 things that hold this classic back are some horrible sound effects and the brutal 2 continue limit.
The ‘boss rush’ gauntlet never really bothered me as much as I know it has bothered some. Although if you are a first time player, I could see how that could be an exercise in frustration.
Well thought out and constructive opinions here. You sir have earned my subscription.
The *real* super most important reason Bloodlines is better is because it changed the sub weapon ammo from hearts to crystals. Now people are no longer confused why a heart let's them throw an axe.
Who was confused?
@@Darkside8062 no one was confused lol
Awesome review. I started off with symphony of the night, so naturally steal is my choice over the whip and eric is a choice character for me. Just started playing this game a few days ago after getting that mini genesis for my son, but by the looks of it you'd think I got it for me because I'm hooked.
The section on the setting of each game is an important one. I think it's interesting to compare Bloodlines (or "New Generation" in the UK) to the DS game Portrait of Ruin, where you meet the Bloodlines hero John Morris's ghost. Bloodlines is set in 1917, and the visit to the German munitions factory shows an awareness of being in the middle of the Great War. Portrait of Ruin is okay in itself, but it completely fails to make use of its setting. The opening text says it's 1944 - right as the bloodiest and most destructive war in history, the Second World War, is reaching its final catastrophic chapters, and moreover you're in Translyvania, i.e. on the Eastern Front just as the Soviet juggernaut is beating down the door. That sort of setting would seem absolutely ripe for total demonic chaos, but bar vague allusions in one or two of the level names (e.g. "Nation of Fools") the game could be set in literally any century of the Castlevania storyline, a big wasted opportunity.
I've never been a big fan of the metroidvania style games, but Portrait of ruin is one that I've been eyeing to play, simply due it it being more or less a sequel to bloodlines. I already know the story and twists, but I'm curious to play it nonetheless. Sad to hear it doesn't make great use of its setting.
@@Bofner The game itself is fine - I actually think that it's the first Castlevania game I ever played, and it has varied levels (the conceit of entering living paintings means that you get to break out of the samey confines of Dracula's Haunted Castle lots of times, which adds a breath of fresh air to the setting the same way that Bloodlines' European tour did) and lots of personality with its two switchable lead characters , plus it's fun that for the first half of the game you're not fighting Dracula but another vampire who's been using his castle as a squat! "Portrait of Ruin" has a lot to reccommend it, it's just that you don't get any sense of being in the middle of WW2 when you're playing it.
@@kapparomeo I'll have to put it on my list!
@@kapparomeo I agree, I feel they could've done some cool stuff with City of Haze and 13th Street, Nation of Fools and Burnt Paradise, considering the setting of the game, however I kinda like having deserts, it was a joy to see a desert in a Castlevania game, and Dark Academy/ Forest of Doom kinda makes sense since Charlotte is a witch, so makes sense they'd have to visit some sort of witch schools, but I do think they could've done some cool stuff with the other paintings considering the game takes place during WW2, still it is probably my favorite metroidvania style Castlevania game, I recommend it
I will say, in defense of IV sharing a lot of similarities of the original NES game, That’s very much intentional. It was more or less designed to be a semi-remake, keeping the basic story, bosses and some stages but adding new stuff as well. The diagonal whipping was meant to be in the original NES game but was never included so it seemed an easy choice to include here. Hell, the game is just called Akumajo Dracula in Japan, same as the original game. Just like how Bloodlines is meant to be a step away from the Castlevania/Akumajo name given how it’s called Vampire Killer in Japan, IV is meant to be an embrace of the original game. Solid video, very much enjoyed seeing Bloodlines get its dues
Great video, good points. Keep up the good work. I’m going out to buy Cv4 and bloodlines right now
They're both at least worth playing through!
SC4 has extremely overpowered cross, when you get the multipliers. It’s how speedrunners get through levels with barely any trouble.
I think the original Rondo of Blood is the peak of the classic Castlevania formula but I enjoyed Bloodlines and Super Castlevania IV as well.
I tend to go back and forth between Bloodlines, Rondo, and the original on NES. They're each incredible in their own ways, and the two 16-bit ones build off of the NES original in really interesting and unique ways
@@Bofner Yea I have a fondness for the original on NES as well since it was one of the first platformers I've ever played alongside Mega Man 2. I totally agree on those two games building upon the ideas of the original. That's actually one of the biggest reasons I love Rondo of Blood so much; it feels like the perfected version of the NES original to me
Classic vanias are clunky trash
Why does this video have just 2.4k views?
Dude this is a masterpiece.
I really appreciate that!
@@Bofner please dont get disheartened by the views your work is noticed and I hope this gets the attention it deserves.
I'm also subscribing now.
@@edgelord8337 I really appreciate it my dude! I'm actually at the point where anything over 1K views feels like a success, so 2K is actually pretty encouraging haha
Idk what you did, but the day after you left this comment, this video doubled in views...
@@Bofner the algorithm finally noticed this master piece.
You earned it!
I've played loads of the original, SC4, and Rondo but I always glanced over Bloodlines because it was a genesis game and I always had a bias against them. It frankly sounds like the perfect old-school Castlevania title. Gotta try it. That ceiling swing is the coolest shit I ever heard.
I hope you like it! Eric's super jump is also an incredibly fun and useful move too. He's my preferred character, so make sure to give them both a try!
Always felt like Super Castlevania 4 felt stiff compared to the fluid gameplay of Bloodlines. Don't have any nostalgia for both games since I started playing both on emulators having only owned a famicom back when they were released.
oh i didnt notice the whole thing about becoming a hitbox when swinging from ceilings! things like this make it undeniable that the bloodlines team really focused on solving all the issues from previous games that were anxiety-inducing from their finicky-ness alone! awesome vid :)
Thanks!
That game was a treasure, for me, back in my Genesis days. Amazing soundtrack too.
Both are awesome man. It's not a competition. Both are amazing castlevania series entries
As a kid from the 90s growing up in the 16bit days. Castlevania 4 is of my favourite all time classics on the SNES along with of the best musical scores! Everything about the game is fantastic especially with the directional whip. Castlevania bloodlines were fantastic, but it and some of the graphical effects was very well done.
Very good video. Didn't think I would actually be convinced.
Michiru Yamane's first Castlevania that shot her music career into stardom and was a mainstay for most of the beloved modern and metroidvania games that came after as well as Bloodstained.
The score, despite the Genesis'/Mega Drive's shortcomings, of Bloodlines is world class... and that's besides the enemy variety, colorfully unique stages with very & various special effects that go beyond the one Mode7 room of SCV4, and gore.
Bloodlines for the win, the music alone. And the gameplay is next to none
No way IV was definitely way better. And I grew us as a Sega kid
Castlevania: Bloodlines is the first game I play in my entire life
Unrelated, but I've been playing Super Darius II on the PC Engine CD lately. I would love to see a video about it.
I've actually got a video planned comparing all console ports of Darius II, so once I finish my G Darius and Dariusburst videos that'll be next on the list for Darius games
shiiiieeeeeet dude. Thanks for this comment. I burned a copy of it today for my PC Engine, and it's legit the best version of Darius II I've played. Definitely gonna bump that video up in front of Dariusburst because I gotta talk about this freaking masterpiece
Bofner haha! So glad I could help the only other Darius fan I know. You should do a video on Super Darius too, cause it has... surround sound. :)
@@segaboy9894 I'm highly considering doing a Super Darius Solo video hahah
Haha! Nice Easter Egg you hid right at the beginning of the video. Will not spoil it. People should just watch the first 15 seconds. Haha!
i really enjoyed your video, thanks :)
I think 4 is superior for several reasons, but I appreciate your intelligent arguments to the contrary.
Why do you think 4 is better?
A valid question, but I'm not sure I can give you a proper answer in this limited venue. Is there a place to talk about such things on, say, Facebook?
You can't type out your reasons?
Of course I *could*, but as I said, this isn't a good medium for lengthy back-and-forth debate.
Never played any Castlevania games, bought the anniversary collection, played them in order, and was like, “wow, every game gets better than the last. Bloodlines has to be the fan favorite title.” Boy was I wrong, I think there’s just a ton of nostalgia that comes into IV that can cloud people’s judgement. Also AVGN pretty much brushed Bloodlines aside, I don’t really think he explored the games mechanics all that much. He was just like, “no 8 directional whipping? Yeah, trash game IV better.”
Yeah I remember watching that video of his, and he barely even touches it. I feel like he didn't really play much of it, because it's actually a really incredible entry in the series. I honestly get more enjoyment out of the 8-bit Castlevania games than I do IV, but for some people I guess the 8-directional whipping is all they care about
Woah... I’ve played since it came out and never even tried that down thrust before
Both of the games are masterpieces
simple ennit mate, all the castlevania fans were on the nes and snes. bloodlines is so clearly the peak
5:10
John Morris can also whip downwards while airborne, but only straight down
OMG this person gets it. I love Bloodlines simply because the game was fun. It's not frustrating it's just fun.
As a big Castlevania III fan on the NES i was a little let down by Super Castlevania IV. Castlevania IV feels a little gimmicky while i have had a blast with Bloodlines. Bloodlines could be one of the best 16bit games i have played.
IV feels more like a whole new different take on the Classicvania formula, while games like Bloodlines, Dracula X and Rondo of Blood feel more like the natural evolution of the NES Castlevania games, stiff controls and all
@@MexicanSheepMan Rondo feels closer to CV3, IMO. Its definitely not as stiff as early games. Neither is Bloodlines for that matter.
@@ShadowSumac Agreed. SC4 and Rondo both always felt like the natural evolution to the NES titles compared to Bloodlines (which is the one that always felt like a 'whole new different take' to me).
Interesting take considering how simplistic and open ended 4 was. I'd personally apply the word gimmicks to Bloodlines since it feels so much like you're constantly being strong armed into doing what the programmers want you to do in that game.
@@kayokango The only gimmick I can ascribe to SCV4 was usage of Mode 7 and even that was contained to simple sections in one level.
I partially agree with your Video.... Super Castlevania(albeit being my passion as a Child) really gets a bit much praise... And I kinda hate the "Whipping" clashing with normal whip inputs too and Bloodlines really gets almost *No Praise* . Both are really good Castlevania Games
That said there are 2-3 things I disagree with...
1st. You said you Love CV1 but HATE no candle hit box when standing in/before the candle in Super CV...
Well guess what that Hitbox is even WORSE, even nonexistent in CV1 and while I like a good combination of Whip/Subweapon in Combat your ressources are Limited so sometimes you only HAVE the Whip at your disposal and then they 8Way directional Whip of Super CV is a *Blessing!*
In Super CV you Become the Whip.. It is essentially a ressourcles Subweapon and the Subweapons, esp. the Cross is the Limited but "Full Screen Whip".
And yes, Simon's Sprite is *Massive* in Super CV but Morris is almost *Tiny* ... Lecard is almost Perfect.
Both Soundtracks are Great but with all Genesys Games the "High Pitched" Music in Bloodlines is less appealing to me than the muffled but Orchestral Music of Super CV.
But that is personal preference, Good Video... "Whip" it up ✌️
Oh and btw.... Belmonts Revenge>>>>Castlevania the Adventure
Liking before watching for the sheer spiciness of this take on my favorite classic-vania. Justice for Bloodlines! Now to watch.
Alright, so touching on a critique of SCIV I really resonate with, the omni-whip (and whip-waggle) completely nullify subweapons, I'm not excited about them anymore. Even compared to Dracula X (which I also defend with my own spicy takes), I don't get pumped up seeing the cross or holy water or anything else, because none of it is as good as just using the whip in whatever direction I want.
Also, that sega sound chip just HITS. It's objectively worse hardware than the SNES but there are so many genesis soundtracks that treat me so right
Parting note, I love SCV IV. It was the first Castlevania I ever beat, I loved seeing so many elements of the first game reintroduced.
@@TheADHDM When used properly, the Genesis soundchip really does just hit so good, and damn does it ever hit so good in Bloodlines
AVGN always brings up the whipping when comparing Castlevania games and says that's why nothing beats 4. I love 4, but personally think Bloodlines is better (had Genesis way before Snes, so played 4 later).
You are spitting facts, Super Castlevania IV is a great game imo, it is pretty good and all, but GOD, Bloodlines and Rondo are way better if we're speaking of 16 bit games, I do even prefer Castlevania Chronicles to IV as the reimagining of Castlevania 1, IV wasn't just too memorable to me imo, it's still a great game but I feel it is a bit overhyped, as far as classic castlevanias go, I feel IV has the least satisfying control and whip, Rondo, Bloodlines, Chronicles, 3, 1 and Adventure Rebirth all have incredibly satisfying whip controls, and in the non metroidvanias Portrait of Ruin has the best whip feeling, something IV doesn't have, this is a great video, keep it up!
You're diehard!!
@Chepe 21 That's fine and dandy, gotta say though, ever since writing this comment I've learned to appreciate IV more, and while I still prefer most of the other games to IV, because I feel the control limitations and learning to work around them is what makes a classicvania a classicvania, Super IV is a game that I can appreciate in many other ways, the atmosphere is unmatched, there's some nice level design in there, with emphasis on tight platforming, something not a lot of castlevania games can afford to do because of the stiff controls, and it's overall a pretty solid game, only gripe with it is how unbalanced it feels because of the freedom the game gives you
So much bullshit here.
Wow, when I played Castlevania 4 I was so frustrated and didn't like it as much as everybody else, but I couldn't tell why. Thanks for this.
All of my friends feel the same way. We just don't see the widespread appeal
If you're in a kitchen and a monster comes in, you can use a small knife, a big knife or a choper. You're try to get the choper over the small knife even if both are available. Also, there are actualy lots of situations where the axe or the clock make the game easier than just using the whip.
There's much more arguable things in this video...at least it's well made and tries to prove a point even if I don't agree. Being able to use the whip in more than 8 directions in castlevania 4 doesn't make the game "easier" because "easier" is relative to some basis that anybody can define according to his own experience.
Thank you for the video. I enjoyed watching it.
Been a while since I've heard someone confuse the SNES's higher color palette and sample based sound for technological superiority. Usually, I need to defend its slow performance and low resolution screens.
Neither system has an advantage. They're primarily built for completely different types of games. (Alien Soldier and Super Metroid are both games that couldn't be done nearly as well on the other system.)
With that said, you make a great argument for Bloodlines. I may not agree with everything you've said, but you go a lot deeper and a lot clearer than most reviews. Good show. I'm going to look at your other videos, if you do a lot of retro gaming, you've got a new subscriber.
The best of the 16-bit Castlevania games? Rondo of Blood.
I always thought that super castlevania made it easy because you could strike all around but the enemies had the usual movement. bloodlines was fun in its own way
As a person who was didn't grow up with Castlevania (too young I'm Gen Z lol) and discovered it through Smash, I always thought I was crazy for preferring Bloodlines over 4 lol, finally someone agrees
Haha I'm on the borderline between Gen Z and millennial, so I totally understand where you're coming from
Another gen z here, and same! I much prefer Bloodlines for the faster paced gameplay and challenge lol
@Tom Ffrench I was born in 87 and grew up with the originals. Years later I could "taste" Rondo thanks to wii's virtual console. It became my favorite.
Dracula X has cutscenes, multiple paths/routes, lots of voices, lots of blood, excelent music, item crash, the back flip, Maria with her own moveset...and even arranges of old tracks. I always resented not being able to play this game based on the information supplied by magazines of the era.
Oh, I really love 4 and This might be subjective, but diagonal whiping is not really a good gameplay choice to beggin with. Because IV limits the secondary weapons; while in rondo there is a good weapon for every situation.
@Tom Ffrench as another zoomer kid who got introduced to the series through smash, I actually tend to edge more towards 4, but I will admit that Rondo and Bloodlines feel more like an evolution of the classic Castlevania formula. I just personally have a lot more fun with 4, and I love its atmosphere and music
Limp whip is great. Best part of the super 4 whip, if you ask me. It makes you practically invincible from projectile and mosquito threats. But it's clear that overall Bloodlines has peak combat.
This isnt a hot take. This is a FACT. Castlevania Bloodlines is superior to SCIV in terms of story (it expands on the lore contrary to SCIV which is merely a remake of CV1), gameplay (2 playable characters, branching paths and no 8-directional whip which make the sub weapons useless imo).
You may prefer SCIV for nostalgia or maybe because the snes is more popular than the sega genesis, but Konami really knocked it off the park with this game and Contra Hard Corps. And just to let you know, i grew up playing snes games.
Really good video.
My favourite is Rondo Of Blood maybe tie with the original from NES
The original is just such an incredible game. Everything about it is done so well and with a clear amount of forethought
Large sprites in the 16bit era is the equivalent of Ray Tracing on modern consoles. It looks great but kills performance or inhibits gameplay.
Simon’s sprite is beautiful, but John and Eric are the right size for this gameplay, I actually agree with that argument. And the sprite work on them is neck and neck for design with Simon’s. The Castlevania teams always make good looking stuff. People clown on 64 now, but those polygonal designs are actually really nice for the hardware and the control is some of the tightest of that generation, especially within the upgraded version Legacy of Darkness. This series is just so important and whoever is in charge of Konami should feel ashamed for depriving the world of the artistic merits of young, passionate game designers allowed to work within the framework of this series.
This is a great video. The observation about enemies being killed by falling chandeliers isn't belabored but it's really a super compelling bit of evidence that Bloodlines' devs were consciously trying to improve on 4. The rest of the video makes a strong case they succeeded. (The soundtrack for 4 is ultimately the more impressive one though.)
Videogame magazines were fake newz when it came to this game! A lot better the Castlevania 4.
I agree with a lot that you said except for the fact that the music is "unbelievable" from the Mega Drive. It's not unbelievable at all. It just sounds like a generic example of the console's showing. You want unbelievable? Look at Alien Soldier, Mega Turrican, or especially Adventures of Batman and Robin. (And while we're at it, Thunder Force II-IV)
Both games are awesome the way they are, i love Castlevania IV because it is more like Castlevania 1 to 3, it gives me so many nostalgia vibes with its dark medieval level aesthetics and it's soundtrack... and the Soundtrack is a banger with a lot of the best tracks the genre has !!!
Bloodlines is awesome because it moves forward with its mechanics, it's faster and smooth gameplay and the more modern level aesthetics, the soundtrack is very good aswell, but in my opinion not as good as the Castlevania IV soundtrack.
excellent breakdown
This is basically just Sequelitis/Egoraptor but without all the cursing. I like it
Holy, this video is great!
Haha thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it
I have so much nostalgia for SC4 but only recently came to agree with you. Then this showed up in my recommendations. Best thing about Bloodlines is that it's basically TreasureVania
It really is Treasurevania. They pulled out all the tricks in this one to make it a real spectacle
@@Bofner great video btw, you have great content. Yeah and it's got that Treasure "almost a boss rush" vibe too because the trademark Treasure "density" of setpieces you mention in the video
@@mikedx42 Thanks man I appreciate it!
I’d actually argue that castlevania 4 and bloodlines are both action platformers to me there’s no game that’s more action focused then the other even tho I love castlevania 4 for the gameplay and fantastic soundtrack I love bloodlines for actually innovating the formula by not just sticking to Dracula’s castle while at this point it’s easy to see why it turned off a lot of the original fans because of that I defy anyone who can name another castlevania game that has the innovation bloodlines has
finally someone that agrees that bloodlines is better than 4!
But it isn't.
@@DanielMartinez-hb6th It's subjective.
I personally never got why Konami didn't make the 8 directional whip standard in the rest of the series. Mainly because it just doesn't make sense to innovate upon something then take it completely away or limit it going forward🤷♂️. So I would say keep the whip physics, create sub-weapon around the limitations of the whip, and finally develop the difficulty around both in metroidvania style. From that you would have had hands down the greatest series ever developed.
@Tom Ffrench I honestly think they found it to be cheaper if the kept copying and pasting the algorithm from the classics, then upgrade the graphics. Because they not only took away the 8 directional whiping but also the jump controls and the automatic walking up the stairs. Rondo and bloodlines look amazing but play exactly like the nes games in a bad technical way. If rondo and bloodlines played like castlevania 4, they would be technical and graphical masterpieces. Heck they could have expanded on the whip platforming elements from 4 and improve on the boss battles. So in the end I firmly believe Konami was corner cutting in every other aspect of rondo and bloodlines except for the graphics and bosses.
Yeah no. SCV4 is by far a more superior game in atmosphere and music.
The concept was taken more seriously in concept and its approach.
Much darker more brooding. Graphically? That depends on your taste.
level concepts are better in SCV4 also with more segments and back grounds per level.
Blood lines was still amazing but much of the level design i felt was lazy save a few parts.
The return to the old house was awesome. The tiping tower effect was a nice touch. The shock value much like
Contra HC was present too. Unfortunately, the back ground on many of the stages ( even the first one ) is pluaged with a single background spread sheet effect. There was much to be desired in bloodlines but had alot to offer. A good sound track too, but was hindered with pitter patter drum sound. SCV4 is pretty solid all the way through.
Ok am I the only one who noticed “stupid” in the title at 0:10?😂
THE video I was waiting for decades
Honestly the only thing holding it back IMO is the limited continues. But in a way, it does force you to practice the first few levels, and the passwords help with that. I was able to beat it, though it took me a few years to gather the courage to actually sit down and do it
I was a megadrive boy and major konami fan back then. I was stoked tbey put the effort in and think bloodlines is more enjoyable personally. Hard corps was bettwr in many ways too if a bit too hard
Another Sega Genesis fanboy. lol
@@ShadowSumac And you clearly are a fanboy yourself seeing as you defend Super Castlevania IV so much. Hypocrite much? lmao learn to take opinions dummy
@@ShadowSumac says the Snesticle lmao
19:47 "...I don't remember most of the music in Castlevania IV" - I BEG YOUR PARDON???
Yeah idk bro, been playing since nes era and could never get into bloodlines, i like it but not enough to put the time in to beat it and i never had that problem with 4, rondo or symphony which i only just got around to playing a year or 2 ago. That being said ive never beaten 3 either, ive gotten up to the end a few times but always had to stop before the end and was never really motivated to smash it out where as every year at halloween i smash out 4. Still to each there own and it was good to hear all the positives about the game you brought up. Maybe ill work on my bloodlines skills a bit after this but tbh ill probably give up after a few levels and play 4 like i always do lol