For context, I haven't played the other GB Castlevanias, but as a fan of the series in general, decided to give this a try. I'd heard it was bad, and I wish I could disagree.
Sonia has two modes: agonizingly slow... and twice as fast + invincible. You can only use the invincible "burning mode" once per life, and it doesn't last for long, but it should be enough to get you past the more frustrating spots and help you mindlessly blast through bosses. But as cheap as it may feel, you wouldn't want it otherwise; one of the shorter Castlevanias, yet also one of the cheapest, this game basically begs you to use its built-in mechanics to brute force your way through. I didn't feel like I had cheated myself by making liberal use of Burning Mode, as the game just isn't really fun to play except in that brief span of feeling overpowered. In addition, the adventure overall has an option called "light mode" where you can choose to give your file a constantly fully-powered whip. I didn't play with this, but wish I had, since there didn't end up being much of a challenge regardless, and by the time I was halfway done I just wanted to make it to the end.
I know people have praised that Sonia can change direction while jumping, and also walk/whip while ducking, which is apparently a step up from the previous GB titles… but the default feel is still clumsy, especially with the change in the subweapon system removing a lot of the player's toolkit and creativity. Something I normally adore about Castlevania games is hunting down the best strategic subweapon for your preference and needs, but here you get power-ups one by one after beating various levels, making the game feel very limited until later on.
This game has some annoying enemy placement (and they'll respawn if you scroll the screen, too), and is filled with bats that will knock you around before you can maneuver your horizontal whip to kill them. The devs also loved tall vertical rooms which the hardware cannot handle, leading to slowdown every time.
The final boss is a test of learning patterns and figuring out where to stand, which is... ok if you like that sort of thing, I guess. It actually made me feel engaged for once.
The idea of the first vampire-hunting Belmont being a young woman is cool, and I was happy to see my boy Alucard show up... until the implication that the two of them were an item, which was weird. It also makes the implications for the future of the Belmont clan weird. They really drive home the strong independent girl thing, and yet have to make sure to tie her into having a romantic involvement with beloved Alucard from that better game. In the end, I don't mind that this is no longer canon.
When I was in high school I had a MegaMan game on my calculator. That’s what this game reminds me of. This is the beautiful and elegant idea of Castlevania stripped down to its barest essentials, so that you might play it portably. Isn’t that cool?? At the time, getting the Castlevania experience on a road trip must have been entertaining enough to get some to cut this game some slack. In the modern era, only the most hardcore and curious of fans need bother.
Sonia has two modes: agonizingly slow... and twice as fast + invincible. You can only use the invincible "burning mode" once per life, and it doesn't last for long, but it should be enough to get you past the more frustrating spots and help you mindlessly blast through bosses. But as cheap as it may feel, you wouldn't want it otherwise; one of the shorter Castlevanias, yet also one of the cheapest, this game basically begs you to use its built-in mechanics to brute force your way through. I didn't feel like I had cheated myself by making liberal use of Burning Mode, as the game just isn't really fun to play except in that brief span of feeling overpowered. In addition, the adventure overall has an option called "light mode" where you can choose to give your file a constantly fully-powered whip. I didn't play with this, but wish I had, since there didn't end up being much of a challenge regardless, and by the time I was halfway done I just wanted to make it to the end.
I know people have praised that Sonia can change direction while jumping, and also walk/whip while ducking, which is apparently a step up from the previous GB titles… but the default feel is still clumsy, especially with the change in the subweapon system removing a lot of the player's toolkit and creativity. Something I normally adore about Castlevania games is hunting down the best strategic subweapon for your preference and needs, but here you get power-ups one by one after beating various levels, making the game feel very limited until later on.
This game has some annoying enemy placement (and they'll respawn if you scroll the screen, too), and is filled with bats that will knock you around before you can maneuver your horizontal whip to kill them. The devs also loved tall vertical rooms which the hardware cannot handle, leading to slowdown every time.
The final boss is a test of learning patterns and figuring out where to stand, which is... ok if you like that sort of thing, I guess. It actually made me feel engaged for once.
The idea of the first vampire-hunting Belmont being a young woman is cool, and I was happy to see my boy Alucard show up... until the implication that the two of them were an item, which was weird. It also makes the implications for the future of the Belmont clan weird. They really drive home the strong independent girl thing, and yet have to make sure to tie her into having a romantic involvement with beloved Alucard from that better game. In the end, I don't mind that this is no longer canon.
When I was in high school I had a MegaMan game on my calculator. That’s what this game reminds me of. This is the beautiful and elegant idea of Castlevania stripped down to its barest essentials, so that you might play it portably. Isn’t that cool?? At the time, getting the Castlevania experience on a road trip must have been entertaining enough to get some to cut this game some slack. In the modern era, only the most hardcore and curious of fans need bother.