@@valentds I meant Symphony of the Night. Since CurlyHead Kevin was talking about liking 4 better because he doesn't like maze games. Symphony has a map.
Same here bro, I watch it every now and then. There is a certain moment when I just happen to revisit an AVGN video because youtube recommends it, or something makes me remember AVGN, and I inevitably come back to the Castlevania special. It's like a tradition I have, at least once a year I come to watch it all again, and it's always worth it. James made these videos with so much heart that you feel his love for Castlevania and that, in turn, makes us feel the same. Part 4 is the most nostalgic one indeed, and at the ending my heart feels both joy, for seeing James' memories and for bringing up my own memories, and a bit of sadness , for the fact that these times will never come back. But it's good to have lived through them.
I do that as well I’ll watch this every few years. Part 4 ending is very nostalgic. I do remember beating that game and hearing the song and you think about the journey you just went through. Means more every year I get older lol
It's funny, just as he's nostalgic about the castlevania series being part of his childhood, I'm now nostalgic about the AVGN series being part of mine.. This was already all the way back from 2010!? Damn, that's insane.. I'm getting old...
"You played the greatest role in this video." Ah, that's nice but I wished he kept to the spirit of the original game and credited himself as James Wolfe.
Konami has confirmed that the Dracula novel is canon in the Castlevania universe. The novel takes place in between Castlevania on the N64 and Castlevania Bloodlines.
Of all the reviews, I think this one was my favorite. Especially the end part where James reminisces about Castlevania 4. With the end music playing, and the commentary about memories... The genuine fondness in his voice... I could not have said it better myself. And he's right. These are our memories! Because I had the same experience with these games that he had! And it always brought a smile to my face at the end of Castlevania 4.
How did James manage to make the ending of this so nostalgic? I never even beat the earlier Castlevania games and still this speaks to every late night/early morning I've spent clearing games rented from Blockbuster before I had to return them.
This is my favorite series in AVGN. I’ve watched these countless times. The anger is toned down even by the earlier standards (which I think he’s a bit over the top now) and it is one of the last times you get to see james break through the character of the nerd. It’s like when you’re playing a sit down rpg with friends and you get those infrequent yet memorable times when you or your friend speaks through their character. Like in game (or in theater) the character is talking and interacting with whatever is going on, but the conversation is speaking to the players from a player. Kinda neat, honest, and open.
*+onlynameMrBlank* My *only* complaint is the lack of a typical continue system like the other Castlevania games, instead of reliance on a password system. Otherwise, it's a very good game.
As that sad ending music plays, it feels a bit fitting for Konami, as we remember all the great games they gave us before they died. RIP Konami. They gave us some awesome memories.
Humorous LOL I agree with you. I feel that a few years after the PS2 era, Konami has been lacking.. I mean there metal gear games and new castlevania games are awesome still. but still doesn't surprise and give that wow factor. Like they haven't created a game far far ahead of their time. sure the graphics are great. but they could be doing far more better.
Humorous LOL I agree with you. I feel that a few years after the PS2 era, Konami has been lacking.. I mean there metal gear games and new castlevania games are awesome still. but still doesn't surprise and give that wow factor. Like they haven't created a game far far ahead of their time. sure the graphics are great. but they could be doing far more better.
Humorous LOL I agree with you. I feel that a few years after the PS2 era, Konami has been lacking.. I mean there metal gear games and new castlevania games are awesome still. but still doesn't surprise and give that wow factor. Like they haven't created a game far far ahead of their time. sure the graphics are great. but they could be doing far more better.
Its honestly my favorite Avgn Montague. It just hits that cord that shouldn't be hit by a foul mouthed Angry guy playing video games in his basement. Its just perfect. And its why i watch this whole 4 part series every Halloween.
Even after 7 years, these 4 episodes remain my personal favourites from The Nerd. Something special and personal about them, more so since Castlevania is also one of my favourite series.
These 4 videos make for the best series on RUclips. Hands down. I revisit them once a year and they are just pure gold. The ending especially is incredible.
These 4 part videos are to this day, my favorite AVGN episode. He managed to bring out the over the top anger rage moments while also talking about this series with passion and heart, and not to mention, these videos are what got me into castlevania. Thank you James for introducing me to this wonderful series of games. 👍
This series' ending is just superb. The credits track from SC4 is already amazing, and James really just nailed it with the editing and closing thoughts. This was truly the best AVGN.
wait wait wait.. how many forms does Dracula have? human form bat form (every movie) evil cookie monster form(Castlevania) grim reaper form (Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest) giant bird-human form (Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse) multi-face form (Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse) devil form that wearing a speedo (Castlevania Dracula X) Goat-devil form (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) Triple-headed Winged Monstrosity (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) does he need that much form? o.O
Honestly I really loved how calm AVGN was in this review; even though it's against his character (and I *know* of course that the Nerd is just a character, and that Rolfe is a totally different person IRL), there should be more calm Nerd episodes like this, at least from time to time.
I come back and watch this series every year. Castlevania will always be a great, nostalgic memory for me. Thanks for making these videos man. Much respect 🫡
It's October 2021 and i still watch those 4 Castlevania videos as a tradition for Halloween times. Thanks James for making us relives our childhood memories with such passion. You're the best at what you do.
I think the worst flaw, is you are freaking invincible, the game is extremely easy and it gets down to just advance in the game and complete the map, no bosses are challenging enough with so many superpowers and OP weapons, specially if you get your hands on the crissaegrim.
Ritcher Wiseau: Die, monstur, You don't baeloung in this WEERRRLD. DracuMark: What is a chicken! You're just a miserable chicken. CHEEEP CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP CHEEEEEP!
Kugawattan ive never EVER taken a screenshot of a yt comment before but you deserve a fucking gold star. Now we just need goldman from house of the dead 2
"Memories that will last forever". That, and the montage of the games and the music is so perfect, really gets me choked up. James is a great storyteller.
It’s because of this I managed to get a hold of Super Castlevania IV through the SNES classic mini. Since then I absolutely loved it and always play it at night in the dark around Halloween. Been doing it since 2017.
I wouldn't say "the best game ever made." It's a good game but I will never be on par with Half Life 2, Portal 2, Skyrim,, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ect.
Ƥσкємση Ƭяαιηєя Ɓℓαcк Not the best game, but, in my opinion, one of the best games, yeah. I think it is a matter of taste. I enjoyed SOTN more than most games you mentioned. After all these years, I stil love to come back to it and love every second of it.
Castlevania IV and Aria of Sorrow are my favorites. Don't need to explain why Castlevania 4 is epic, but Aria of Sorrow was also such a fantastic game. I loved the soul collecting. Some were lame, but others were absolutely epic. Remember Valkyrie? A huge Valk with a huge sword just swipes up the screen. Awesome!
One of my favorite series in gaming history. I ADORE the Castlevania series. My favorite game, not only in the series but of all time, is Rondo of Blood. I've played that game a million times. Its my perfect game.
This castlevania retrospective is the greatest set of videos AVGN has ever produced, there is just something special about hearing him give genuine praise and critique without hearing a swear word every other sentence. As far as production quality goes, it also shines, it has that early AVGN practical feel to it, yet it perfectly conveys his artistic intention. I love most of AVGN's work, but most of that is nostalgia blended with a nice sprinkle of cheese on top, this retrospective just aged well compared to the others.
I love seeing someone with a passion for Castlevania like me. Don't get me wrong Castlevania SOTN is like my favorite game ever but he does make a good point about the old style Castlevania. I do miss them and it sucks that the series as a whole just fell off.
this video is so beautiful and sad to watch this badass franchise must turn back to its roots, i hope you'll never stop making these vids becous i have to watch them over and over again becous there are to few of them. i consider the nerd series as one of the best gaming videos on youtube thank you for these videos james Greetings from Bavaria
Funny story, anyone remember sticking Symphony of The Night in a CD player or PC? Remember when Alucard said: "As you can see, this is playstation black disc. Cut #1 contains computer data so don't play that. But will you listen?" Remember that awesome music that played after that? I even found some backgrounds too.
Almost 8 years ago this video came out, and I am excited to see it every time because of the feeling of the nerd, the joy with which it expresses its feeling about castlevania, it is simply epic
My favorite castlevania is order of ecclesia. I feel like it combined everything we loved about previous castlevania games, plus the main character was a creepy chick. It had stages like in classic casltevanias, and the last stage was dracula's castle which used the metroid style. You had some of the rpg elements of SOTN, the last boss was hard as fuck. Great game in my opinion.
+Gerardo Montalvo I'm a fan of the Sorrow Series mainly, but OOE was amazing too. It's my third fav after AOS and SOTN. Shanoa and Albus were pretty cool, and the game was a pretty nice change of scenery and game play.
It's funny how a videogame series that started as a tribute/parody to classical 30's-80's monster films ended up acquiring a more shonen anime style...
+Metal_Lion1 What makes it better other than nostalgia. I had a sega genesis, but I got the Sonics ultimate genesis collection for $20 and I loved the controls and save feature way better there. I love my genesis still, but most games are just too expensive and frustrating. Still love Robocop vs. the Terminator, Aladdin, and Sunset riders though on the genesis.
It's crazy how I watched this episode when it released. He talks about memories, when these videos themselves are the memories I've had that I could never forget growing up with 😭
benjgoughreturns at least it looks like the character has a gun. that should make it a lot easier. idk did demons souls have range attacks but dark souls did have magic range attacks, thats just if are casual jackass and actually use them.
MrAnimepredator Demon's Souls did indeed have magic attacks. I never used them on Demon's or Dark. As for the gun, it can be treated as either a ranged weapon if you level up your Bloodtinge stat (makes all firearms more effective/deal more damage) or as the parry mechanic from the shields in Dark and Demon's. You can do both, but if you don't touch the Bloodtinge stat like I did, then using them as weapons isn't very effective. It's great for parrying, though!
Well the reason I see why they went with RPG style elements is because the newer Castlevanias, if you noticed, werent about the belmont clan anymore. It either involved a over powered character who was STRIPPED off his powers (Alucard) or a normal human being (Soma Cruz & Jonathan Morris). John Morris was trained with the vampire killer hence he was already strong and didnt need any progression. Jonathan Morris on the other hand didn't train with the vampire killer like his father. The Belmont clan were already extra ordinary humans that didnt need to begin from scratch. By that logic it makes sense.
shadowshinobi06 Well Juste Belmont was the grandson of Simon Belmont and I guess it's safe to say that their powers are far weaker than the Belmonts before like Leon, Trevor and Simon... Juste never fought the real Dracula. He fought the wraith. Richter belmont (who is supposedly Juste's son) is said to be the strongest of all belmonts, but this may be just specific to him ... even Alucard has complimented him to be the strongest of all the belmonts. Maybe coincidence.
Mahi Vee Actually according to canon, the opposite is true, every Belmont is stronger than the last and Dracula is stronger every time he is resurrected.
I can totally relate to AVGN on SOTN. When it originally came out, I was getting an N64 and remembered my friend getting it for his PSX. I recall being turned off by not being able to play a Belmont with a whip so I overlooked it until 2003. SOTN is a fantastic game but Super Castlevania IV feels more 'Castlevania'y to me.
Going to sound lame, but even soundtracks, I prefer Bloodlines. ESPECIALLY "Theme of Simon" (the staircase leading to Dracula). Specifically for "Vampire Killer", SCIV might have a better track.
@NazarioCharlie IV’s soundtrack is great, but sorry, can’t agree with you there. SOTN edges out IV in how great the music is, and then blows it away due to the cd quality.
Probably one of the top 5 favorite game franchise for me is Castlevania. I loved it back then, and I still do. Loved it so much that the disappointment I got when seeing Krystal being an assist trophy in SSBU got erased when I heard Simon and Richter joining the rolster.
@@vivilover9409 Yep, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia shook things up with a variety of locations, indoors and outdoors, not just one big castle map. Portrait had the 'entering paintings to visit different worlds' thing. Ecclesia was a lot like Castlevania II, even down to the village hub, but without II's broken translation and impenetrable obscurity :)
I do wish we could get a classic style Castlevania game like 1 or 4. But considering konami's recent lackluster performances, I don't think it will happen. But hey, Simon Belmont for smash? Maybe? No? Ok.
I've been rewatching this saga since I was about ten years old, and I never saw that "you played the greatest role in this video" text at the end. I'll always love coming back to the nerd.
Ah, to rewatch this in 2023... thank you, James. You are the reason why I love Castlevania so much. Finished a playthrough of Symphony of the Night for Halloween yesterday, as a matter of fact. ❤️
IMO, one of the more overlooked/under-rated castlevania games was Circle of the Moon, as most of the "problems" people had with it were due to the lack of a light on the original GBA, which was just stupid. If you played it on an SP, like I did, or a Gamecube through the gameboy player, it was perfectly fine. CotM, to me felt like a fusion of the classic castlevania games and the newer ones.
Agreed. The card system is simple enough of an upgrade with tons of cool mixes, and you still needed skill no matter how high level you are. No cheap way around. You should try it AVGN.
Portrait of Ruin is kind of like an old CV, no? The major game is like a Metroidvania but the portrait segments harken back to the old-style level-based Castlevania games. Also this series put me in the mood to load up DXC on PSP again. I've never played SotN. I planned to play it via DXC but only after I beat Rondo Remake at least...and that has yet to happen...some seven years later.
PoR was more like the classics, with linear levels and whips, but Order of Ecclesia had way more linear levels than PoR, both are amazing in their own right
These were always the best nerd episodes. Nothing fancy, just him talking about something he either likes or hates but you can tell that he's actually passionate about it and actually spent time with the game instead of just making fun of it.
Sadly he left out some of the coolest parts of SOTN: Being able to change into Alucard's different forms like mist, bat, or wolf. Having familiars like the bat (which calls more bats to follow when Alucard changes into bat form), sword familiar (with special sword brothers maneuver), demon familiar, fairy familiar, ghost familiar. There are spells/secret moves all of which are available from the beginning of the game - a feature that allowed fans of fighting games a huge advantage over other gamers. Having a save point that beats like Alucard's heartbeat (speeding up if you enter the save room with low life). Being able to manipulate the now loading sing to make it loop or twist about. Numerous secret areas that allow access to items that lead up to the second upside down castle. Having so many freaking items to collect. An entirely better experience on the Japanese import Sega Saturn version with extra characters available from the start of the game, turbo boots for faster travel, a hidden song, and two other areas to explore. Interacting with the ghosts in the chapel by getting the grieving woman or the evil priest and having corresponding spikes or grape juice being thrust upon you. Sitting at the table in Olrox's quarters before the actual fight was so awesome. There is a plethora of beautiful art throughout the game, especially great is the "Triumph of Death" inspired piece where medusa is fought. The enemies were so varied and their attack patterns were hard to anticipate especially in the later areas. There is also so much nudity, like the venus weeds. The music! Good GOD the music! There is just SOOOOOO much more that was done in SOTN than in CV4. AVN praises the 8way attack scheme of CV4, but doesn't even bring up the plethora of weapons in SOTN ! ! ! There isn't just one sword type. There's the slasher sword, the two handed sword, Knuckles, and then special type weapons like nunchaku or the many limited weapons, not mention the special attacks of each weapon from teleporting with the Alucard sword to the sword of dawn summoning an army of undead warriors to the Muramasa which life steals and grows stronger (never explicitly stated to do so, but proven to do so) when it is used, to the shield rod which has a special for every shield in the game. So just using the Alucard sword, there's standing attack left and right, crouching attack left and right, diagonal left and right, double jump dash kick, and special for a weapon = adding up to 8 attacks. So, by attack options alone, AVN's argument is not sufficient to call CVN better. Taking in all the innovations brought to SOTN and including the extras on the Saturn version (extra areas, extra characters, etc.), there is no argument that SOTN is superior. As someone who played both CV4 and SOTN when they were at the height of their popularity, Symphony of the Night delivered an experience that made Castlevania something that was not just hardcore, but also cool, beautifully artistic, and a blast to play. Little quirks and fun things like the ghosts in the chapel, the crazy elevator, the underground waterfall, sitting in random chairs - - - All of these things harken back to his CV2 review where AVN enjoyed using the holy water in a door glitch. These things play on the same rewarding feeling that glitch satisfied... only in SOTN there things were put there on purpose for the enjoyment of the player. Maybe, AVN really didn't have the time to actually devote 80+hrs to game exploration. Maybe he just wanted to push through it so he had something to say in his review because all the rabid CV fans would rip him a new asshole if he ignored SOTN.
DARK METAMORPHIS! - sounds of thunder, reappear elsewhere and fires fireballs and whatever the other spell that sends two giant magma balls out. Loved the spells.
This is a great episode, back in those days all i could think about was, how much cooler the next game would be, when it's on the new console i imagined in my head, i always assumed it would just get better and better as the years went on. But that's not always the case. Some franchises just didn't make it, the industry changed, and so did we. It's complicated.
Richter: Die monster! You don't belong in this world! Dracula: It was not by my hand that I was once again given flesh, but thanks to the humans that wish to pay me tribute. Richter: Tribute!? You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves! Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions. Richter: Your words are as empty as your soul! mankind ill needs a savior such as you. Dracula: What is a man!? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk, have at you! Best I could do.
Nitori Kawashiro Richter: Tribute!? You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves! Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions. Lol dracula has a point
I love how nobody minded how much James loved Castlevania 4 until he said he liked it more than Symphony
Stfu
jockim ok
@@xXSpongeBroBrownPantzXx Not like Symphony is much of a maze, because you can look at the map of the castle whenever you want.
@@Cyril86 super castlevania IV not need a map, it's not a labirynth
@@valentds I meant Symphony of the Night. Since CurlyHead Kevin was talking about liking 4 better because he doesn't like maze games.
Symphony has a map.
Analbag Belmont...the mightiest of Dracula’s foes. Never forget.
Except it's actually Alucard.
Burn Angel woooosh
@@Burn_Angel 4:10
@@pepsitv1871 Bro, I didn't miss the joke, it just doesn't make sense.
@@Burn_Angel That's what they mean.
I rewatch this castlevania-thon every now and then but the ending of part 4 hits me every time with nostalgic feelings
Man, totally.
Same here bro, I watch it every now and then. There is a certain moment when I just happen to revisit an AVGN video because youtube recommends it, or something makes me remember AVGN, and I inevitably come back to the Castlevania special. It's like a tradition I have, at least once a year I come to watch it all again, and it's always worth it.
James made these videos with so much heart that you feel his love for Castlevania and that, in turn, makes us feel the same.
Part 4 is the most nostalgic one indeed, and at the ending my heart feels both joy, for seeing James' memories and for bringing up my own memories, and a bit of sadness , for the fact that these times will never come back. But it's good to have lived through them.
+1
It's like nostalgic feelings of a video, INSIDE of a video.
I do that as well I’ll watch this every few years. Part 4 ending is very nostalgic. I do remember beating that game and hearing the song and you think about the journey you just went through. Means more every year I get older lol
It's funny, just as he's nostalgic about the castlevania series being part of his childhood, I'm now nostalgic about the AVGN series being part of mine.. This was already all the way back from 2010!? Damn, that's insane.. I'm getting old...
"Back in 2010" feels weird to say.
2
@@Skrenja Eleven years went by quick, huh?
That's cute.
lol "all the way back from 2010" that's like saying all the way back from 2021. Not old. If you were a kid in 2010, no way you're old now.
The nerd should come back and do more of this nostalgia series.
yes the castelvenia episodes are one of the best nerd episodes
:)
Mr Peaches Latour Hi
Radel Gratereaux Gautreaux hi
Radel Gratereaux Gautreaux Yeah I miss him alot
"Memories that would last forever"
Damn, right in the feels
Great videos James.
Me I have my ones
At least Konami can't take our memories away from us. Thank you, James.
Im there too, Castlevania brings back all the memories. I still play now when I can.
Kind of ironic now knowing how everything is now
@@steponick Now now, they did give us all the Castlevania collections
James really poured his soul into the Castlevania reviews. I've never played them, but his sincere passion here makes me want to.
And you should
It was his reviews that made me a fan of the series. Literally playing Bloodlines while I was listening/watching this vid for the umpteenth time
do it play 4.. if u ccan beat it you are on my level physically intellectually and spiritually. GL
It's been 3 years did you play them yet?
@Uniroyal Mish variations?
"You played the greatest role in this video." Ah, that's nice but I wished he kept to the spirit of the original game and credited himself as James Wolfe.
That would break all the tone.
should've credited himself as analbag belmont
It refers to the people who play the games from the past and the present, not the titular character itself
nice thats clever actually...5 years later/
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
But enough talk,
Have at you!
+Fox Carlson What is a MAAANN?
*applause's*
Ahh Alucard....
He really failed to offend him with that statement lol.
Some people just can't appreciate quality voice acting
"Its like taking two canons and putting em together".
Puts together Board James and AVGN
I am Matter.
I am Anti-Matter...
...
...
**shit**
**EXPLODES**
Konami has confirmed that the Dracula novel is canon in the Castlevania universe.
The novel takes place in between Castlevania on the N64 and Castlevania Bloodlines.
@@RpGfreak901 the N64 games aren't canon with mainline castlevania
I wasn't talking about those, I was talking about the book.
Of all the reviews, I think this one was my favorite. Especially the end part where James reminisces about Castlevania 4. With the end music playing, and the commentary about memories... The genuine fondness in his voice... I could not have said it better myself. And he's right. These are our memories! Because I had the same experience with these games that he had! And it always brought a smile to my face at the end of Castlevania 4.
4 was and still is amazing. Got it with my SNES and was like holy shit, games got amazing!
How did James manage to make the ending of this so nostalgic? I never even beat the earlier Castlevania games and still this speaks to every late night/early morning I've spent clearing games rented from Blockbuster before I had to return them.
Indeed, These classic AVGN eps capture that nostalgic feeling of staying up late playing in your childhood
That ending was fucking beautiful :').
Good ol' Rolfe cheese.
SiGhast I agrre
cloudtanooki amen. 😊😢
:))
Classy 💯
So sad that Castlevania had to die alongside with Konami, such a great franchise.
Hammoud2003 Nqal except they just slapped castlevania aesthetics on a god of war clone. And the sequel was abysmal
F-Zero and Kid Icarus for that matter too
Brandon Williams Here's hoping those franchises see new life on Switch
Hopefully he gets into Smash Ultimate. Looking forward to this reply possibly being outdated
+Leopold Litchenstein yea, guess what
Every year I come back to these sets of videos on October, truly the best time to be on RUclips.
Joelispersonal same here! Seems like only yesterday he made them and now here we are!
Ray The ending song gives me goosebumps everytime, it will truly be a dark day when James is gone...
Happy Halloween 🎃
Its almost Halloween again
I watch a playlist of his Halloween videos every year! They never get old.
This is my favorite series in AVGN. I’ve watched these countless times. The anger is toned down even by the earlier standards (which I think he’s a bit over the top now) and it is one of the last times you get to see james break through the character of the nerd. It’s like when you’re playing a sit down rpg with friends and you get those infrequent yet memorable times when you or your friend speaks through their character. Like in game (or in theater) the character is talking and interacting with whatever is going on, but the conversation is speaking to the players from a player.
Kinda neat, honest, and open.
Castlevania Bloodlines always seems like the forgotten Castlevania. It's a shame, too. It's a really good game.
*+onlynameMrBlank* My *only* complaint is the lack of a typical continue system like the other Castlevania games, instead of reliance on a password system. Otherwise, it's a very good game.
What about chronicles?
+Masen Cheeks I think Chronicles is a pretty cool Playstation game. It has probably my favorite Stage Clear song in the series!
WEll the problem with bloodlines is super castlevania 4 is just.. better. bloodlines is great, it was just the weaker of the 2.
I like Bloodlines.
As that sad ending music plays, it feels a bit fitting for Konami, as we remember all the great games they gave us before they died. RIP Konami. They gave us some awesome memories.
Humorous LOL They're still around.
*****
I mean in the figurative sense. They aren't the company they used to be.
Humorous LOL I agree with you. I feel that a few years after the PS2 era, Konami has been lacking.. I mean there metal gear games and new castlevania games are awesome still. but still doesn't surprise and give that wow factor. Like they haven't created a game far far ahead of their time. sure the graphics are great. but they could be doing far more better.
Humorous LOL I agree with you. I feel that a few years after the PS2 era, Konami has been lacking.. I mean there metal gear games and new castlevania games are awesome still. but still doesn't surprise and give that wow factor. Like they haven't created a game far far ahead of their time. sure the graphics are great. but they could be doing far more better.
Humorous LOL I agree with you. I feel that a few years after the PS2 era, Konami has been lacking.. I mean there metal gear games and new castlevania games are awesome still. but still doesn't surprise and give that wow factor. Like they haven't created a game far far ahead of their time. sure the graphics are great. but they could be doing far more better.
For me the whole 4 parts of "Castlevania" marathon was one of AVGN best episodes. I like to come back and watching them. Pure nostalgia magic
I love the ending montage ❤❤
Power !!!
praise the sun
hostia power jaja
Its honestly my favorite Avgn Montague. It just hits that cord that shouldn't be hit by a foul mouthed Angry guy playing video games in his basement. Its just perfect. And its why i watch this whole 4 part series every Halloween.
Same, gives me nostalgia.
Even after 7 years, these 4 episodes remain my personal favourites from The Nerd. Something special and personal about them, more so since Castlevania is also one of my favourite series.
These 4 videos make for the best series on RUclips. Hands down. I revisit them once a year and they are just pure gold. The ending especially is incredible.
These 4 part videos are to this day, my favorite AVGN episode. He managed to bring out the over the top anger rage moments while also talking about this series with passion and heart, and not to mention, these videos are what got me into castlevania. Thank you James for introducing me to this wonderful series of games. 👍
"Alucard has this backward dash, but it just makes him go slightly faster"
Speedrunners: *shshshshshshshshshshshshshsh*
4:32. Shaft as a boss. He must be a bad mother....
Shut yo mouth!
+JustinEvitable80 I was thinking the other way around.
+Cinestar Productions Then I can dig it! :)
Damn right!
He's a complicated man, but no one understand him but his woman (John Shaft)
This series' ending is just superb. The credits track from SC4 is already amazing, and James really just nailed it with the editing and closing thoughts. This was truly the best AVGN.
Totally agreed dude. These 4 vids make up the best series of all time on RUclips.
Have you seen the Earthbound episode? I think it's my new favourite.
Though I haven't played many Castlevania games, that ending hit me right in the feels.
A little jjmah7
I've played almost all of them with very few exceptions. I'm a big fan!
@@edvance1030 I've never been able to play a Castlevania game. I wouldn't know where to start! ☹️
This series is one of the best things on the internet - I watch it every October.
Same here. Happy Halloween
@@marktastic86 awesome! Happy Halloween to you too.
I now have diabetes cause of the sickly sweetness
Here we go
Same
wait wait wait.. how many forms does Dracula have?
human form
bat form (every movie)
evil cookie monster form(Castlevania)
grim reaper form (Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest)
giant bird-human form (Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse)
multi-face form (Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse)
devil form that wearing a speedo (Castlevania Dracula X)
Goat-devil form (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
Triple-headed Winged Monstrosity (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
does he need that much form? o.O
Kha 'Zix in Portrait of Ruin he merges himself with DEATH ITSELF
Dracula is often hinted as satan himself and as we know satan takes many forms so it makes sense for dracula to have so many forms.
In Castlevania Aria of Sorrow, you ARE Dracula!!!!
SotN form is "true form" cmon, it's a famous quote ;-D
Kha 'Zix play rondo so you can add more
where did you learn to fly?
Oh no, not the "Where'd you learn to fly?" bitch!
The Night WHAT IS A FLY? A MISERABLE LITTLE PILE OF LEARNING, BUT ENOUGH TALK, HAVE AT YOU!
you fucking piece of flying hippopotamus shit
NO
LMFAO
Honestly I really loved how calm AVGN was in this review; even though it's against his character (and I *know* of course that the Nerd is just a character, and that Rolfe is a totally different person IRL), there should be more calm Nerd episodes like this, at least from time to time.
I come back and watch this series every year. Castlevania will always be a great, nostalgic memory for me. Thanks for making these videos man. Much respect 🫡
Same
Indeed. This castlevania series is awesome. I have three super castlevania carts too.
It's October 2021 and i still watch those 4 Castlevania videos as a tradition for Halloween times. Thanks James for making us relives our childhood memories with such passion. You're the best at what you do.
Same here! Come back to them every Halloween. Great reviews.
8:08 My favorite close out ending the Nerd did is this one. Memories are awesome 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Symphony of the Night's one flaw:
CD load times.
"Damn CD load time, look at this!"
I think the worst flaw, is you are freaking invincible, the game is extremely easy and it gets down to just advance in the game and complete the map, no bosses are challenging enough with so many superpowers and OP weapons, specially if you get your hands on the crissaegrim.
Nah, you're just too spoiled. The wait takes less than 30 second, c'mon now XD
Unless you have the Dracula X chronicles port, which reduces the load times
The loading takes literally less than 20 seconds, I would hardly call that a flaw.
“Memories that will last forever” ...LONG LIVE AVGN!
Ritcher Wiseau: Die, monstur, You don't baeloung in this WEERRRLD.
DracuMark: What is a chicken! You're just a miserable chicken. CHEEEP CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP CHEEEEEP!
Kugawattan I wonder how's his sex life.
I did not whipped her, I did naht!
You tearing me appart Simón!!!!
El Carlos i did not whip her
Kugawattan ive never EVER taken a screenshot of a yt comment before but you deserve a fucking gold star. Now we just need goldman from house of the dead 2
I've watched this episode dozens of times and I still get goose bumps when he says this. 8:08 Sums up my childhood. Oh, the feels...
Nerd: i still prefer Castlevania 4.
RUclips Comments: you're not allowed to like that more.
Well, considering Super IV suffers the same flaws as the NES trilogy that James gripes about, his preference for it makes little sense.
@@scottmccurdy6493 Sorry James isn't a casual
_You played the greatest role in this video. Thank you for watching._
*YOU'RE WELCOME! Thank you for posting, James;)*
Are you vaccinated?
"Memories that will last forever". That, and the montage of the games and the music is so perfect, really gets me choked up. James is a great storyteller.
At 4:12, I love how casually he says, "Analbag, that's me." xd
I respect you as a purist and old school guy. Super Castlevania 4 is a great game, but SOTN is one of the greatest ever.
It’s because of this I managed to get a hold of Super Castlevania IV through the SNES classic mini. Since then I absolutely loved it and always play it at night in the dark around Halloween. Been doing it since 2017.
Symphony of the Night is one of the best games ever made.
Yeah, but bloodstained is gonna destroy it c:
+FlyingPantsFTW Bloodstained is gonna be awesome, but I don't believe it will be better than SOTN. Not unless I've played it.
***** with the amount of stuff its getting it feel like it will beat sotn. sotn in kinda overrated imo
I wouldn't say "the best game ever made." It's a good game but I will never be on par with Half Life 2, Portal 2, Skyrim,, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ect.
Ƥσкємση Ƭяαιηєя Ɓℓαcк
Not the best game, but, in my opinion, one of the best games, yeah. I think it is a matter of taste. I enjoyed SOTN more than most games you mentioned. After all these years, I stil love to come back to it and love every second of it.
Ending part was straight from the heart
Here's to video game nostalgia that lasts forever!
"Die monster. You don't belong in this world!" - Richter
"This isn't my world. DISAPPOINTEEEEED!!" - Hercules
Man... How do you manage to make me almost cry at the end of your videos? ... This is poetry.
Castlevania IV and Aria of Sorrow are my favorites. Don't need to explain why Castlevania 4 is epic, but Aria of Sorrow was also such a fantastic game. I loved the soul collecting. Some were lame, but others were absolutely epic. Remember Valkyrie? A huge Valk with a huge sword just swipes up the screen. Awesome!
One of my favorite series in gaming history. I ADORE the Castlevania series. My favorite game, not only in the series but of all time, is Rondo of Blood. I've played that game a million times. Its my perfect game.
You're my hero James, we clearly see your passion for theses games and even tho I haven't played 'em, I still feel nostalgic.
The ending to this video never ceases to make me tear up.
True. In my case it's Silent Hill - another series that died in Konami's "caring" hands :(
This castlevania retrospective is the greatest set of videos AVGN has ever produced, there is just something special about hearing him give genuine praise and critique without hearing a swear word every other sentence. As far as production quality goes, it also shines, it has that early AVGN practical feel to it, yet it perfectly conveys his artistic intention. I love most of AVGN's work, but most of that is nostalgia blended with a nice sprinkle of cheese on top, this retrospective just aged well compared to the others.
Damn right!
I love seeing someone with a passion for Castlevania like me. Don't get me wrong Castlevania SOTN is like my favorite game ever but he does make a good point about the old style Castlevania. I do miss them and it sucks that the series as a whole just fell off.
this video is so beautiful and sad to watch this badass franchise must turn back to its roots, i hope you'll never stop making these vids becous i have to watch them over and over again becous there are to few of them. i consider the nerd series as one of the best gaming videos on youtube thank you for these videos james
Greetings from Bavaria
The end credits, mimicking the Castlevania ending and that music... Always happy tears...
Funny story, anyone remember sticking Symphony of The Night in a CD player or PC? Remember when Alucard said: "As you can see, this is playstation black disc. Cut #1 contains computer data so don't play that. But will you listen?" Remember that awesome music that played after that? I even found some backgrounds too.
12 years later and I'm watching this video. Love this game. It's a masterpiece
XD "You'd think Japan already has enough problems with Godzilla stomping around, now they have Dracula too?" One of my fave moments on this~
Poor Japan can't catch a break 😂
😂
Who else watched all 4 avgn vids back to back
Like 10 years ago maybe
I cannot watch one of these without watching the other three parts.
Is it possible not to?
Me.
Almost 8 years ago this video came out, and I am excited to see it every time because of the feeling of the nerd, the joy with which it expresses its feeling about castlevania, it is simply epic
My favorite castlevania is order of ecclesia. I feel like it combined everything we loved about previous castlevania games, plus the main character was a creepy chick. It had stages like in classic casltevanias, and the last stage was dracula's castle which used the metroid style. You had some of the rpg elements of SOTN, the last boss was hard as fuck. Great game in my opinion.
+Gerardo Montalvo And has Shanoa, she is epic :v
+Pedro de Souza that's what he meant by "creepy chick" :D
gerdardo its also my faverire
+Gerardo Montalvo I'm a fan of the Sorrow Series mainly, but OOE was amazing too. It's my third fav after AOS and SOTN. Shanoa and Albus were pretty cool, and the game was a pretty nice change of scenery and game play.
+Gerardo Montalvo I though I was the only guy that loved OOC. Many people seem to dislike the fact that woman can be protagonist in the game.
Symphony of the night is my favorite game of all time. I've replayed it atleast 100 times. And It never gets old.
"Ending" music of SCIV is so, so beautiful. Many feelings...an happy ending for a great game. Thanks James!
It's funny how a videogame series that started as a tribute/parody to classical 30's-80's monster films ended up acquiring a more shonen anime style...
Just ordered my SNES and Castlevania IV. So pumped to play it.
+DangerDan Good luck getting other decent SNES games, most of them are expensive
+DangerDan Lucky you, bro! I hope you enjoy it. With Castlevania IV, you're in for a blast!
***** I use to emulate games too so don't worry, but it's SOOO much better to play on the actual console
+Metal_Lion1 What makes it better other than nostalgia. I had a sega genesis, but I got the Sonics ultimate genesis collection for $20 and I loved the controls and save feature way better there. I love my genesis still, but most games are just too expensive and frustrating. Still love Robocop vs. the Terminator, Aladdin, and Sunset riders though on the genesis.
It's just an overall better experience. But with games like Earthbound, I'd recommend using an emulator
Symphony of the Night, the greatest game ever. Thank you!!
It's crazy how I watched this episode when it released. He talks about memories, when these videos themselves are the memories I've had that I could never forget growing up with 😭
Well, Bloodborne is keeping up with the Japanese tradition of having long loading times between deaths!
And being almost impossible to beat
Arche-Type Earth Nah, I prefer Bloodborne myself to Dark Souls II. But overall, Demon's Souls is my favourite.
benjgoughreturns No my awesome mind dictates that I am right. And you are WRONG!
benjgoughreturns at least it looks like the character has a gun. that should make it a lot easier. idk did demons souls have range attacks but dark souls did have magic range attacks, thats just if are casual jackass and actually use them.
MrAnimepredator Demon's Souls did indeed have magic attacks. I never used them on Demon's or Dark. As for the gun, it can be treated as either a ranged weapon if you level up your Bloodtinge stat (makes all firearms more effective/deal more damage) or as the parry mechanic from the shields in Dark and Demon's. You can do both, but if you don't touch the Bloodtinge stat like I did, then using them as weapons isn't very effective. It's great for parrying, though!
James surely likes to be in control of his whip. (insert obvious pun here)
LOL XD OMG
+TrollMalefico1984 i bet mike has a hard time controlling his giant whip.
+TrollMalefico1984
he does have a daughter now, so he was in full control.... or it was his wife, i dunno
+Kurachi84 Maybe he wasn't and it was an accident? D:
+TrollMalefico1984 his car
Worst box art ever made at 6:21
Billy McChucks why the hell would you put a picture of the box with the box art as the box art? Stupidest idea ever!
MetraByte Old comment I know, but that's actually just because it's the version in the "Konami's Best" line. The regular version is just the artwork.
Have you not played NES Mega Man?
A game within a game xD
JuggaloSupreme I was gonna say that.
Coming back after almost a decade just to say this is my favorite video you ever did - the end still gets me a bit emotional. Bravo AVGN
I'm convinced that the Nerd is really just drinking water. It never fizzes up...
Spotted that early. Ridiculous.
he stated in a video that it is water, forgot which one
I want to see James and Mike play Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. :)
I dunno, they'd probably just complain that it's too much like symphony and not the originals.
Well now that'll never happen
if only james knew that you can actually skip the Game Over screen in Sotn LOL
I'm not sure what version the android comes from, but that one we can't.
On Playstation, I'm damn sure we can skip Game over screen.
@@Kill_Binho Yes, i can absolutely confirm you can skip the Game Over screen on the PS version.
You can’t on Xbox 360-One
or not die..
@@Andre00x you ever play sotn? Because im pretty sure you wouldn’t be saying that if you have.
Here in August 2023 and this is still 100% re-watchable and still enjoyable I'll be falling asleep to this goodnight all, thanks James!
Well the reason I see why they went with RPG style elements is because the newer Castlevanias, if you noticed, werent about the belmont clan anymore. It either involved a over powered character who was STRIPPED off his powers (Alucard) or a normal human being (Soma Cruz & Jonathan Morris). John Morris was trained with the vampire killer hence he was already strong and didnt need any progression. Jonathan Morris on the other hand didn't train with the vampire killer like his father. The Belmont clan were already extra ordinary humans that didnt need to begin from scratch.
By that logic it makes sense.
well in that case... MORE BELMONTS. Castlevania 5 needs to be make, bring the next great Belmont Konami.
shadowshinobi06 Well Juste Belmont was the grandson of Simon Belmont and I guess it's safe to say that their powers are far weaker than the Belmonts before like Leon, Trevor and Simon... Juste never fought the real Dracula. He fought the wraith. Richter belmont (who is supposedly Juste's son) is said to be the strongest of all belmonts, but this may be just specific to him ... even Alucard has complimented him to be the strongest of all the belmonts. Maybe coincidence.
Mahi Vee Actually according to canon, the opposite is true, every Belmont is stronger than the last and Dracula is stronger every time he is resurrected.
shadowshinobi06 Hey. It's a pretty cool thought though.
I can totally relate to AVGN on SOTN. When it originally came out, I was getting an N64 and remembered my friend getting it for his PSX. I recall being turned off by not being able to play a Belmont with a whip so I overlooked it until 2003. SOTN is a fantastic game but Super Castlevania IV feels more 'Castlevania'y to me.
sadly rondo better
Castlevania IV has THE BEST soundtrack of the entire series. Nothing makes me feel more accomplished and nostalgic than that ending theme.
SotN soundtrack is way better.
Going to sound lame, but even soundtracks, I prefer Bloodlines. ESPECIALLY "Theme of Simon" (the staircase leading to Dracula). Specifically for "Vampire Killer", SCIV might have a better track.
I like Simons quest soundtrack the best
@NazarioCharlie IV’s soundtrack is great, but sorry, can’t agree with you there. SOTN edges out IV in how great the music is, and then blows it away due to the cd quality.
Probably one of the top 5 favorite game franchise for me is Castlevania. I loved it back then, and I still do. Loved it so much that the disappointment I got when seeing Krystal being an assist trophy in SSBU got erased when I heard Simon and Richter joining the rolster.
"The games are always only in the castle now."
*Holds a copy of Portrait of Ruin
Order of Ecclesia was pretty unique in it's locations too from what I've seen
@@vivilover9409 Yep, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia shook things up with a variety of locations, indoors and outdoors, not just one big castle map. Portrait had the 'entering paintings to visit different worlds' thing. Ecclesia was a lot like Castlevania II, even down to the village hub, but without II's broken translation and impenetrable obscurity :)
@@blatherskite3009 I think Ecclesia was my favorite on the DS. By the way, have you played Ritual of the Night? It's pretty great.
He needs to play Curse of Darkness someday.
His jokes in these videos are advanced
i love the music in the end of the video that music make me sad
Know the name of the music?
Daniel527 it’s the end theme from Castlevania 4
I do wish we could get a classic style Castlevania game like 1 or 4. But considering konami's recent lackluster performances, I don't think it will happen. But hey, Simon Belmont for smash? Maybe? No? Ok.
Nintendoman I'm really worried as to if we will get a new Castlevania game at all.
+Nintendoman Last one they made was Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth for WiiWare in 2009.
+MrGauller Based on their survey they had on their site, I could see them porting some of their previous classics to other consoles/handhelds/mobile.
+Nintendoman With all the people who keep trying to get Snake back instead, I doubt it.
J Asura Yeah, but that's metroidvania. Nothing against them, but it's not what i'm looking for.
I've been rewatching this saga since I was about ten years old, and I never saw that "you played the greatest role in this video" text at the end.
I'll always love coming back to the nerd.
"Have at you!" ~Dracula & The Knights Who Say Ni !
it's been years since this came out but i still watch every single avgn episode about every 4 or 5 months. thank you james
That ending invokes some emotion...
Ah, to rewatch this in 2023... thank you, James. You are the reason why I love Castlevania so much. Finished a playthrough of Symphony of the Night for Halloween yesterday, as a matter of fact. ❤️
I'd kill for a Metroidvania that had the same basic gameplay as Castlevania 4. Hopefully I'd be killing the higher-ups at Konami....
Can’t mix the two...
DeadBoneJones try hollow knight
I'd kill for "Prelude of Sorrow", where you're Julius Belmont in 1999.
The closest you'll get to that is SOTN Richter mode.
Bloodstained.
IMO, one of the more overlooked/under-rated castlevania games was Circle of the Moon, as most of the "problems" people had with it were due to the lack of a light on the original GBA, which was just stupid. If you played it on an SP, like I did, or a Gamecube through the gameboy player, it was perfectly fine. CotM, to me felt like a fusion of the classic castlevania games and the newer ones.
mastrvidman15 Yeah, Circle of the Moon was pretty damn cool and the final boss was hard as hell.
Agreed. The card system is simple enough of an upgrade with tons of cool mixes, and you still needed skill no matter how high level you are. No cheap way around. You should try it AVGN.
Wonderful AVGN vid. Back to rewatch every once in a while. The ending OST is so nostalgic. Long live Castlevania
Aww, the ending is sorta bittersweet. Makes you wish the memories would last forever. 😢😊❤
Thank you very much for making this series, my husband was so happy to watch it.
I grew up with bloodlines and symphony of the night they are my fave
Portrait of Ruin is kind of like an old CV, no? The major game is like a Metroidvania but the portrait segments harken back to the old-style level-based Castlevania games.
Also this series put me in the mood to load up DXC on PSP again. I've never played SotN. I planned to play it via DXC but only after I beat Rondo Remake at least...and that has yet to happen...some seven years later.
PoR was more like the classics, with linear levels and whips, but Order of Ecclesia had way more linear levels than PoR, both are amazing in their own right
These were always the best nerd episodes.
Nothing fancy, just him talking about something he either likes or hates but you can tell that he's actually passionate about it and actually spent time with the game instead of just making fun of it.
Sadly he left out some of the coolest parts of SOTN:
Being able to change into Alucard's different forms like mist, bat, or wolf. Having familiars like the bat (which calls more bats to follow when Alucard changes into bat form), sword familiar (with special sword brothers maneuver), demon familiar, fairy familiar, ghost familiar. There are spells/secret moves all of which are available from the beginning of the game - a feature that allowed fans of fighting games a huge advantage over other gamers. Having a save point that beats like Alucard's heartbeat (speeding up if you enter the save room with low life). Being able to manipulate the now loading sing to make it loop or twist about. Numerous secret areas that allow access to items that lead up to the second upside down castle. Having so many freaking items to collect. An entirely better experience on the Japanese import Sega Saturn version with extra characters available from the start of the game, turbo boots for faster travel, a hidden song, and two other areas to explore. Interacting with the ghosts in the chapel by getting the grieving woman or the evil priest and having corresponding spikes or grape juice being thrust upon you. Sitting at the table in Olrox's quarters before the actual fight was so awesome. There is a plethora of beautiful art throughout the game, especially great is the "Triumph of Death" inspired piece where medusa is fought. The enemies were so varied and their attack patterns were hard to anticipate especially in the later areas. There is also so much nudity, like the venus weeds. The music! Good GOD the music! There is just SOOOOOO much more that was done in SOTN than in CV4. AVN praises the 8way attack scheme of CV4, but doesn't even bring up the plethora of weapons in SOTN ! ! ! There isn't just one sword type. There's the slasher sword, the two handed sword, Knuckles, and then special type weapons like nunchaku or the many limited weapons, not mention the special attacks of each weapon from teleporting with the Alucard sword to the sword of dawn summoning an army of undead warriors to the Muramasa which life steals and grows stronger (never explicitly stated to do so, but proven to do so) when it is used, to the shield rod which has a special for every shield in the game. So just using the Alucard sword, there's standing attack left and right, crouching attack left and right, diagonal left and right, double jump dash kick, and special for a weapon = adding up to 8 attacks. So, by attack options alone, AVN's argument is not sufficient to call CVN better. Taking in all the innovations brought to SOTN and including the extras on the Saturn version (extra areas, extra characters, etc.), there is no argument that SOTN is superior.
As someone who played both CV4 and SOTN when they were at the height of their popularity, Symphony of the Night delivered an experience that made Castlevania something that was not just hardcore, but also cool, beautifully artistic, and a blast to play. Little quirks and fun things like the ghosts in the chapel, the crazy elevator, the underground waterfall, sitting in random chairs - - - All of these things harken back to his CV2 review where AVN enjoyed using the holy water in a door glitch. These things play on the same rewarding feeling that glitch satisfied... only in SOTN there things were put there on purpose for the enjoyment of the player.
Maybe, AVN really didn't have the time to actually devote 80+hrs to game exploration. Maybe he just wanted to push through it so he had something to say in his review because all the rabid CV fans would rip him a new asshole if he ignored SOTN.
DARK METAMORPHIS!
- sounds of thunder, reappear elsewhere and fires fireballs and whatever the other spell that sends two giant magma balls out.
Loved the spells.
This is a great episode, back in those days all i could think about was, how much cooler the next game would be, when it's on the new console i imagined in my head, i always assumed it would just get better and better as the years went on. But that's not always the case. Some franchises just didn't make it, the industry changed, and so did we. It's complicated.
Wonder how many people here can recite richter and dracula's conversation by heart?
Richter: Die monster! You don't belong in this world!
Dracula: It was not by my hand that I was once again given flesh, but thanks to the humans that wish to pay me tribute.
Richter: Tribute!? You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!
Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions.
Richter: Your words are as empty as your soul! mankind ill needs a savior such as you.
Dracula: What is a man!? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk, have at you!
Best I could do.
Nitori Kawashiro It's "It was not by my hand that I am once again given flesh. I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute" etc. Close tho.
Well... I played this 5 years ago
I wasnt dissing you. You were close. Like 3 words off, but enough for a fan to know you played it enough. Sorry if it came off wrong.
Nitori Kawashiro Richter: Tribute!? You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!
Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions.
Lol dracula has a point
I watch this 4 video series almost weekly. Comfort videos. James is the best.