Let's Play! ChuLip 11

Watch us play still more ChuLip with continuing difficulties. As Zom of Ridahkick might say, "FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUU----"
Watch Let's Play! ChuLip - Episode 11 in Tech & Gaming  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Let's Play! Chulip 10

Well, back by popular demand, it's more ChuLip. Just when we think we're starting to get the hang of it... THIS happens...
Watch Let's Play! ChuLip - Episode 10 in Tech & Gaming  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

"So... you like to play Castlevania..."

That's right Mantis, I do. Being a Castlevania enthusiast, I've played nearly every game in the series except the latest DS game, so the obvious thing to do would be to play the latest installment, right? Yes, so of course I did something else. I went back and played the 3 Gameboy games. No... not the Gameboy advance games, the 3 original Gameboy games, The Castlevania Adventure, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge, and Castlevania Legends. While I will talk about all three, I will be predominantly talking about The Castlevania Adventure, as it is the outlier of the three.

After playing through and thoroughly enjoying The Adventure ReBirth on Wiiware, I figured it'd be good to tackle the original Castlevania Adventure on Gameboy. I have to say, this was probably the hardest game in the entire series for me to trudge through. Difficulty had nothing to do with it, however, as there are certainly much tougher games in the series. The difference is, they're enjoyable gaming experiences, unlike The Castlevania Adventure. Now now, I hear you, "It's Castlevania! A 2-D Castlevania at that! It can't be that bad..." Well, yes it can, because it is. In fact, I would go so far as to say this is the worst game in the entire series. That's right, I'll wager that anyone who claims the N64 Castlevania games are the worst in the series has not played The Castlevania Adventure. Let me explain.

Remember how earlier I talked about "trudging" through the game? I can't think of a better word... though "crawl" and "limp" work just fine too. This game is extremely slow. Now, I realize the original Gameboy had limited visibility, so slowing the action down may have made it more manageable, but this is ridiculous. There's a section of the game where you have to outrun a wall of spikes (stage 3); it should be exciting, but it just ends up being frustrating when you feel you've got plenty of time, only to forget just how slowly you move.

While the slow speed is definitely the worst aspect of the game, that's not all that's wrong with it. This game throws Castlevania convention to the wind. While I realize it's an early entry (1989), there's no excuse for the lack of a sub-weapon. This is the only game in the entire series that doesn't have a sub-weapon. Which brings to mind another one of the series' conventions that The Adventure breaks. This game still has hearts, but now they're health. While I normally would equate hearts with health, this has never been the case with Castlevania. Oh well... at least it makes more sense than having hearts be currency.

I think I've sufficiently torn this game apart, but I'd like to point out one final quirk. Like the original Castlevania, there are orbs that you can collect to improve your whip strength. Unlike the original, however, every time you get hit in The Adventure, your whip goes down a level. What a load of shit. That means if you start fighting Dracula with a max level (level 3) whip, the first time he hits you, your whip will go down a level. Get hit twice, and you're down to a level 1 whip which does significantly less damage. Pure, grade A bullshit. Unfortunately, it actually gets worse. In the original, after you lost a life and went back to the beginning of a checkpoint, it usually didn't take very long to get full power again because the game gives powerups more frequently if you have a level 1 whip. The Castlevania Adventure isn't programmed as well, so the powerups are in set locations. They're usually at the beginning of checkpoints, but remember: every time you get hit, your whip goes down a level. Here's what usually happens: Start of a checkpoint- Max power within seconds, get hit twice, then play the rest of the stage with a level 1 whip. That's not just hard, that's a flawed design.

I said this post would include the latter 2 Gameboy Castlevania games, but I can sum those up pretty quickly as they're extremely similar. Both games are a vast improvement over The Adventure and have all the conventions we've grown accustomed to. Hearts are ammo for the sub-weapons (which you actually have), and powerups don't go away every time you get hit. It should be noted, however, that the sub-weapons are a little weird in Castlevania Legends. You get a "sub-weapon" after you beat a boss, and as far as I can tell, you can only use the sub-weapon of the last boss you defeated. I rarely ever used these "sub-weapons," but the rest of the game is pretty good, so it never really bothered me. You actually can lose whip powerups in Belmont's Revenge, but only a very limited amount of enemies can do it. Finally, these games also included a password system. I forgot to mention it, but The Castlevana Adventure has to be completed in a single sitting which wasn't uncommon for the time. Still, The Adventure's not long, but the last 2 levels are very challenging, so a password system would have been appreciated, especially considering this is a portable game.

In conclusion, the latter 2 Gameboy Castlevania games are classic and enjoyable, but The Adventure is just a waste. Well, now all I have to do is play Order of Ecclesia, and excluding the arcade game, Haunted Castle, I'll have played every game in the series. Unless... oh God no... please... I mean, it's not even a real Castlevania! It's a fucking fighting game! No... No! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (Castlevania: Judgement- to be played SOON.)

From the Long List of Good Games I Skipped

I have a long list of games to play, and a lot of the list consists of games that I, for whatever reason, missed years ago. Among these was, “Sly Cooper and the Thevius Raccoonus.” Ridahkick suggested the game for me when I said I had a hankering for a good platformer, and I’m glad I took him up on his suggestion. While the game has a slight fetching element, with most of the levels having “clue” bottles strewn about, it never felt like a pain thanks to the incentive of new moves/skills for all the bottles. That’s what set it apart from other similar games for me. Most games that put you in a fetch quest scenario don’t really reward you for your efforts. Sure, you get that “100%” or maybe that slightly changed ending if you’re lucky, but throughout the game, there’s no reward for getting everything. With Sly, you’re rewarded for every level that you collect all the bottles in. Admittedly, I didn’t use many of these additional abilities, but I’m glad my efforts didn’t go unrewarded. Every level also had a speed run, but I had no desire to do those because unlike the clue bottles, you don’t get any immediate rewards for doing these speed runs. I’ll live with my less than 100% completion and enjoy it more for doing so. Speaking of enjoying the game, the final sequence of the game was immensely satisfying. It's always good when a game leaves a positive lasting impression, and Sly certainly left me with a smile on my face.

The game is rather short, but being 8 years old, it’s cheap nowadays, so “short” hardly seems like a valid complaint for the price. I realize I need to get with the times and play something relevant, but at the same time, I really loved Sly. I’m looking forward to playing 2 and 3 in the near future. Sly Cooper was stylish and overflowing with charm. Not to repeat myself, but just like Mega Man Legends, at times it felt like I was playing a cartoon. The game is simply fun, and I feel like there aren't enough games today that are just, "fun." I've heard the new Ratchet and Clank games might be right up my alley, so I'd like to give those a chance at some point. Still, I hope Sucker Punch brings Sly back at some point and into the next gen. I'd be far more excited to see Sly 4 than Infamous 2.