Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is the Classicvania formula at its peak.
Whereas Super Castlevania IV focused on creating a dark, dingy atmosphere by playing into the classic horror and pulp stories the series was inspired by, Rondo of Blood goes in the exact opposite direction. Everything about this game is stylish, in-your-face, and downright excessive. The colors are brighter, the music is louder, the violence is gorier, and a new anime-like art style has been applied to the characters. I love it. I love all of it. This game absolutely relishes in how cheesy the Castlevania franchise is at its core, creating a somewhat goofy and action-packed tone that fits the platforming-focused gameplay like a glove.
Speaking of the gameplay, the Belmonts have never felt better. While he lacks Simon’s multidirectional whip, Richter Belmont more than makes up for it by just how buttery smooth his controls are. It’s hard to explain, but jumping and whipping just feels so perfect in this game, and the amount of control you have over Richter’s movement is astounding.
The level design has never been better. I can’t even pick a favorite, because they’re all absolute bangers… but fuck it, Stage 5 is my favorite. It’s a haunted ship, sorta like the one from Dracula’s Curse, but there’s so many cool enemies to fight and challenges to overcome. It’s awesome.
The story isn’t anything special, but it’s noteworthy for being the first Castlevania game to have one that fully takes place in-game instead of the manual. You have these goofy ahh cutscenes that are as ridiculous as they are charming, thanks in no small part to the fantastic character design and shōnen-style presentation. Also, this is our first peek into Dracula’s true motives, which Symphony of the Night would base its entire plot off of (it is a direct sequel, after all).
The visuals? Gorgeous. Best of the Classicvanias by a wide margin. Ditto for the music, which takes full advantage of the PC Engine’s CD capabilities to create an appropriately badass and exciting soundtrack. Go and take a listen. You won’t regret it.
So yeah, Rondo of Blood is absolutely fantastic, and it’s one of the best 2D platformers I’ve ever played. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played it yet.
Whereas Super Castlevania IV focused on creating a dark, dingy atmosphere by playing into the classic horror and pulp stories the series was inspired by, Rondo of Blood goes in the exact opposite direction. Everything about this game is stylish, in-your-face, and downright excessive. The colors are brighter, the music is louder, the violence is gorier, and a new anime-like art style has been applied to the characters. I love it. I love all of it. This game absolutely relishes in how cheesy the Castlevania franchise is at its core, creating a somewhat goofy and action-packed tone that fits the platforming-focused gameplay like a glove.
Speaking of the gameplay, the Belmonts have never felt better. While he lacks Simon’s multidirectional whip, Richter Belmont more than makes up for it by just how buttery smooth his controls are. It’s hard to explain, but jumping and whipping just feels so perfect in this game, and the amount of control you have over Richter’s movement is astounding.
The level design has never been better. I can’t even pick a favorite, because they’re all absolute bangers… but fuck it, Stage 5 is my favorite. It’s a haunted ship, sorta like the one from Dracula’s Curse, but there’s so many cool enemies to fight and challenges to overcome. It’s awesome.
The story isn’t anything special, but it’s noteworthy for being the first Castlevania game to have one that fully takes place in-game instead of the manual. You have these goofy ahh cutscenes that are as ridiculous as they are charming, thanks in no small part to the fantastic character design and shōnen-style presentation. Also, this is our first peek into Dracula’s true motives, which Symphony of the Night would base its entire plot off of (it is a direct sequel, after all).
The visuals? Gorgeous. Best of the Classicvanias by a wide margin. Ditto for the music, which takes full advantage of the PC Engine’s CD capabilities to create an appropriately badass and exciting soundtrack. Go and take a listen. You won’t regret it.
So yeah, Rondo of Blood is absolutely fantastic, and it’s one of the best 2D platformers I’ve ever played. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played it yet.