Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Action, Adventure
Castlevania Chronicles, up until now, had yet to be released in America. So does this PlayStation original come state side too little too late, or does this whip-wielding adventure still pack enough action to keep you interested? The underlying question is: Have we been spoiled by Symphony of the Night?
Players assume control of Simon Belmont, a vampire hunter and Castlevania series mainstay. Simon’s abilities are very basic and to some point constraining, making the controls feel clunky and awkward. With the basic jump, crouch, walk and whip, it is your typical Castlevania gameplay. However, considering the previous iterations of the game had spot on controls and slightly more freedom of movement, it’s a shame they couldn’t recapture that with Chronicles.
The game consists of two modes; Original mode and Arrange mode. I’m not too upset that Original Mode doesn’t improve much on the series seeing how it is an exact port of the original which debuted on the Sharp X68000 in 1993. It has everything from the original music and sprites, to the original intro detailing the resurrection of Dracula.
Arrange mode is where the disappointment lies with Chronicles. Konami has gone back and redone sprite work, giving Simon and Dracula a “Symphony of the Night” makeover. They’ve also added a completely new soundtrack to the mix, giving fans the option to leave the original should they wish to do so, and Konami also threw in an option to adjust the difficulty level. So why does it feel like a let down? Because it’s essentially the same game packed into a box twice. The little features are nice, but they don’t make you want to play the game any more than simply having the Original mode does. There should have been some control issues fixed in Arrange mode, bringing back some of the advancements that were made in previous installments. Instead this feels like a cheap gimmick that was thrown in to help sell the game.
A time attack mode is nice, and the interview coupled with the artwork that has been thrown in as extras is an awesome bonus for fans of the series. But in reality, the only thing that will keep you coming back to this game, is nostalgia. If you’re a fan of the series, new or old, then you should check this one out for sure. For new fans it should be nice to have an inside view of what the roots to Castlevania looked and played like, and old fans of the series will just enjoy being able to run through the original version for the first time. But if you aren’t a fan of the series, or you haven’t had any previous interest in this series, then this shouldn’t be one that you pick up. The difficulty level will keep you frustrated and the dated gameplay wont be able to keep you entertained.
At the end of the day, Castlevania Chronicles should be taken for what it is, a great look into the history of an amazing series. By no means does it stand up to today’s standards of gameplay, but it was great for its time (’93), and if you’re a fan, for six bucks it’s definitely worth your money.
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