The Official Angry Video Game Nerd Discussion Thread

[Tron 2.0]

Ahh i like it when the avgn is chipmunked LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1XH5JD0A-Q

[Rob2600]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSB9SZvtP2I

That was hilarious. I actually want that guy to do more Irate Gamer parody videos. It was much funnier than any of the Irate Gamer's actual videos.

"Oh, I guess I'm supposed to go right. How was I supposed to figure that out?"

[boatofcar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSB9SZvtP2I

Brilliant. Hopefully he'll keep it as a one off--parodies are never as funny when you beat them into the ground.

[elvis8atari]

I can't wait to see the next part of AVGNs Castlevania marathon. I liked the part where he was playing Dracula's Curse and he showed how trying to attack can be a bitch sometimes because you get stuck going up the stairs. That always happens to me.

[guitargary75]

How is speeding up the tape funny?

[GarrettCRW]

Two words: Benny Hill. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MyT6d4FWpw)

[Famidrive-16]

I still think this is the best IG parody (just skip the first minute or so)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6l0LfdoCOs

[InsaneDavid]

Two words: Benny Hill. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MyT6d4FWpw)

Ah yes, the king of fast motion.

[emceelokey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSB9SZvtP2I


If I were to do a parody it would be exactly like what that dude made. A+.

[Richter Belmount]

I still think this is the best IG parody (just skip the first minute or so)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6l0LfdoCOs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjJb1VslUPw

Pretty good parody , but I get addicted to other irate gamer parodies theres a ton

[ReaXan]

Alright Irate Gamer sucks and ripped off the AVGN...

isnt this like old news that everybody has known about for years?


IG at least has decent production values, most game reviewers who could be good end up sucking because they can't understand this important part of the equation.

[Arcade_Ness]

New AVGN Castlevania Part 3 is up on GT. I see he's only reviewing the bad SNES port of Dracula X, and the first N64 Castlevania. I wonder what games he's going to conclude the series with. Maybe Bloodlines on the Genny.

[ReaXan]

I wonder what games he's going to conclude the series with. Maybe Bloodlines on the Genny.


most likely SOTN because he will break out the PSOne every now and then

also I like the guy in your sig, he did a great review of Dirty Harry

[Famidrive-16]

Here's a link to the new one:

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/58496

[HappehLemons]

I love this whole Castlevania thing the nerd is doing, part 3 was awesome, cant wait for the last part!

[onReload]

If he doesn't talk about SoTN (and all the handheld games that follow in its footsteps) or the PS2 games that were much, much more solid than the N64 games, that means he's really sticking to the "retro" idea, which is a big shame, because around Rondo/SoTN is when the series got a whole new life breathed into it. He's also ignoring the 3 GBC games (the 3rd one isn't so hot) and not talking about the MSX game or the arcade game (which is goddamn impossible).

I'd understand talking about Final Fight while ignoring the new, generally-accepted-as-inferior games, but Castlevania is a great example of a series that knew how to shift gears.

Frankly as a Castlevania fan, while I know that he's doing the games he knew when they were fresh, I feel like he's not being as thorough as possible here...He's a busy guy, but he's not showing us the whole picture, even without the Japan-only or post-16bit games. I thought with his "confused by Zelda's timeline" video he really looked at the series as a whole (though not to review), but here he's cutting corners.

[elvis8atari]

If he doesn't talk about SoTN (and all the handheld games that follow in its footsteps) or the PS2 games that were much, much more solid than the N64 games, that means he's really sticking to the "retro" idea, which is a big shame, because around Rondo/SoTN is when the series got a whole new life breathed into it. He's also ignoring the 3 GBC games (the 3rd one isn't so hot) and not talking about the MSX game or the arcade game (which is goddamn impossible).

I'd understand talking about Final Fight while ignoring the new, generally-accepted-as-inferior games, but Castlevania is a great example of a series that knew how to shift gears.

Frankly as a Castlevania fan, while I know that he's doing the games he knew when they were fresh, I feel like he's not being as thorough as possible here...He's a busy guy, but he's not showing us the whole picture, even without the Japan-only or post-16bit games. I thought with his "confused by Zelda's timeline" video he really looked at the series as a whole (though not to review), but here he's cutting corners.



It's not a retrospective on the entire castlevania series. It's his own opinion on the games he remembers. It's the AVGN. Not a GT retrospective.

[vivaeljason]

I'm hoping for some PlayStation or Game Boy CastleVania for the last part.

There's Castlevania: The Adventure, Belmont's Revenge, SotN, and Legends. All could be fun...but I'm definitely hoping for SotN to be mentioned.

[Greg2600]

That was quite brief. Passed over Bloodlines (Genesis) and the PS1 versions.

[kupomogli]

It's not a retrospective on the entire castlevania series. It's his own opinion on the games he remembers. It's the AVGN. Not a GT retrospective.

He's not talking about GT's Retrospective videos. He's talking about reviews that the AVGN made like the Chronologically Confused Zelda where he overall took a look at the entire series, same thing with some other series, such as movie series like Rocky or Batman.

Anyways. This next review was awesome. The Super Castlevania 4 the best part but I liked all three, even if he did bash CV64 which is a game I really like.

[kainemaxwell]

Part 3 was cool. Loved the effects during the SCV4 "Moonwalk".

[GuyinGA]

I liked Part III of his review because he actually did a very good job reviewing SCIV and giving pros & cons to it. He even made Dracula X seem OK too.....I can sorta see why he would not like CV64 though (even if that's a decent game).

[Rob2600]

I agree with the AVGN: Super Castlevania IV is the perfect Castlevania game. No RPG elements, no dialog, no switching characters, just straight-up linear side-scrolling action with great level designs, excellent graphics, amazing music, and perfect controls.

Regarding Castlevania for the N64, I remember getting stuck at the nitro part as well. However, I figured out that the trash chutes were there in case the player got the mandragora first. Instead of starting the entire game over from the beginning, the AVGN could've just disposed of the mandragora in the trash chute and then gotten the nitro (and then gotten the mandragora again afterward).

Also, if I remember correctly, I think he had to place the nitro up against the wall, not in the middle of the room. It's been almost a decade since I've played it though.

I always thought the N64 Castlevania was pretty good. It wasn't as impressive as Super Castlevania IV and it wasn't as mind-blowing as Super Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time, but it was solid and featured a few startling and/or creepy moments.

[Paet]

Everyone knows that the PSOne Castlevania was the greatest of all time.

Am I the only person who loved Castlevania II: Simon's Quest?

[vivaeljason]

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/59132

Part IV is now up -- Bloodlines and Symphony of the Night are covered.

Without giving away too much in the way of spoilers: AVGN did a good job covering the strengths and flaws of SOTN; I wish Bloodlines had been covered more thoroughly, though.

[-hellvin-]

Part IV was pretty sweet and I think completely accurate. SOTN has definitely kind of melted away the classic gameplay of any following release. He seemed really rushed though. The review was short, and to the point. I was disappointed that Bloodlines was skipped over so quickly, there was surely more to say on it. He must be pretty busy with some of the other stuff that's going on at the site atm.

[sfchakan]

I just want him to move onto something else already. This Castlevania series recap has taken quite some time up. There's nothing new offered (humorous or informational) and, aside from SCIV, he didn't really look at any of the releases in much depth at all.

He cranked out the worthwhile (to me) monster madness videos in a short time span, why couldn't he do these Castlevania videos just as quickly during/around Halloween week? Hell, even just turn em out once a week during October...

[chrisbid]

i surprised he didnt make a crack about the names of the metroid styled castlevania games

pick two random nouns, and stick the word 'of' in between them... POOF!! your new castlevania game name!!

[Press_Start]

The nerd did a good job reviewing the series though he missed 3 Castlevania games on the original GB (4 if you coung Kid Dracula). Probably saving those for next Halloween or down the road later.

sfchakan, he's not a machine, he's human. Have you ever done a video review yourself? I can say from experience, it's no walk in the park, especially jugging work, school, and other responsibilities.

[guitargary75]

Pretty good. This one was just kinda there. Not really amazing but, not really that bad either.

[vivaeljason]

Pretty good. This one was just kinda there. Not really amazing but, not really that bad either.

I feel the same way too, which means that for the Nerd, it's one of his lesser reviews. It wasn't awful, but it's not something I'm ever going to watch again.

[sfchakan]

sfchakan, he's not a machine, he's human. Have you ever done a video review yourself? I can say from experience, it's no walk in the park, especially jugging work, school, and other responsibilities.

I don't know how much a part of the AVGN his life is now, but he prides himself on quickly pumping out movies/videos. He's done more than a handful of game reviews by now. It really shouldn't be that hard for him to review a couple of games he's played to death swiftly. There was very little post-production work involved with these compared to, oh, the last Bugs Bunny video. He didn't really even need a script for them, either.

Also, don't forget that not everyone is enrolled in school, or works a normal 9-5 job.


I'm pretty much in the boat as most of the other posters: "meh." Could have spent his time doing something much more worthwhile.

[kupomogli]

I thought this most recent review sucked. This seems to just be a really quick one he pushed out. Though he was correct on the CV series really following the SotN formula afterwards, though OoE you did have different outside backgrounds as well as DoS(somewhat.)

Okay. First I'll talk about what I liked about the review most. The ending. How he displayed the ending of SCV4 with scenes of previous levels and then showed alot of parts on all the CV titles. It looked really nice how he did that. I also liked how he actually gave good information on SotN.

Here's what I didn't like about the review though. The Bloodlines review just wasn't there. It's like he mentioned it, said it wasn't as good as SCV4, then moved onto SotN. What? Why? If you gave detailed reasons on stuff you did and didn't like on CV, CV2, CV3, and CV4, why not do the same for Bloodlines?

There are plenty of things he could have said about Bloodlines as well. Other than the fact that there are two different characters, he failed to mention how these two characters differ. John Morris attacking diagonal but only in upward directions while jumping, where Eric Lecard could actually attack straight up as well as the upward directions if on the ground. Or that John could whip onto a ledge and swing across or that you could hold down with Eric to do a High Jump. Also each character throughout the game had branching areas depending on which one you played, meaning that only playing both characters you'd see the entire game. The final thing is how many unique ideas that there were in stages on Bloodlines, an example is on stage 5 with the mirrored room and the upside down room, none of which were given any recognition, yet he mentioned the mode 7 in stage 4 on Super Castlevania 4 which looked cool but didn't effect anything really. Last there was literally no mention on any of the great bosses on Bloodlines. So yeah, he did nothing more than mention the name, the reference to the movie Dracula, and that was it. There's so much more that he could have said but he just didn't really do any sort of a review than throwing this last video together quickly.

Then the review also gave false information and was misinformative for those who may have never seen the original copy of Dawn of Sorrow. He mentioned that "In Dawn of Sorrow, Dracula's castle returns in an eclipse above Japan" which isn't correct. Instead, he was thinking of Aria of Sorrow. In Dawn of Sorrow, Dracula's castle was a replication created by Celia so it actually wasn't even Dracula's castle at all but rather a base for the cult that Celia led. Also the Dawn of Sorrow copy he had was a rereleased copy and not the original, yet in his review how he talked it was like he was describing the cover as the original release.

The only other part that bothered me in the review was one part with SotN when he was talking about whenever you die you go right back to the start menu after having to wait to hear the game over. First off, SotN is easy as hell so you should never hear that more than once or twice even for some one new at the game, unless you're fighting Galamoth for the first time and don't know any of the tricks on the game. So it was pointless to even put that into the review when he could have been referencing stuff far more important, like, oh I don't know, actually saying something about Bloodlines? The only reason why I assume he's bitching about the game over screen is he sucks more at games than I previously thought. Right before he mentioned it, it showed him DYING AT SLOGRA AND GAIBON. The first boss in the game and one of the easiest bosses at that. That was just sad.

There was also the part when he mentioned Shaft. Being a fan of Castlevania and hearing Shaft jokes and references no less than a couple thousand times I assumed he would do the same in his video.

[AB Positive]

I think it should be noted here - his contract with gametrailers says every two thursdays. I don't know if he pursued doing all four in one month but... he may not have had a choice.

[GuyinGA]

Castlevania Part IV actually felt like his 'last review' to me. I kinda hope he ends AVGN there where it began.

[Rob2600]

There was no anger in this video, but I still enjoyed it. I never played the Genesis or PlayStation Castlevania games before, so it was great seeing footage from both games.

I understand those of you who feel this video was underwhelming, but come on. These videos are free. Curb your nerd rage and wait for his next one.

James, if you're readng this, ignore the negativity and continue producing entertaining and informative videos. And thank you!

[Sosage]

I'm not entirely sure what he has to do to make everybody happy.

If you go into an AVGN video uptight you're missing the point and should save yourself the added stress. It's just a guy giving his opinion on video games in a way that is occasionally entertaining. He screwed up a couple of facts and sucks at video games...who cares!?!? He was never the source for reliable knowledge on video games to begin with.

He makes Internet videos about his opinions on video games while he takes a shit on a guy in a Bugs Bunny costume.

He makes Internet videos about his opinions on video games while he takes a shit on a guy in a Bugs Bunny costume.

He makes Internet videos about his opinions on video games while he takes a shit on a guy in a Bugs Bunny costume.

http://www.drunkentemple.com/nerdshit.gif

[joshnickerson]

He makes Internet videos about his opinions on video games while he takes a shit on a guy in a Bugs Bunny costume.

He makes Internet videos about his opinions on video games while he takes a shit on a guy in a Bugs Bunny costume.

He makes Internet videos about his opinions on video games while he takes a shit on a guy in a Bugs Bunny costume.

http://www.drunkentemple.com/nerdshit.gif

That pretty much sums it all up. :)

[BHvrd]

I also prefer Castlevania IV to SOTN myself. Just much more satisfying and fun.

[ryborg]

WALL OF TEXT

look at all these words you wrote about a series of internet videos you don't like

[ReaXan]

Castlevania Part IV actually felt like his 'last review' to me. I kinda hope he ends AVGN there where it began.

We all want a Hollywood ending, too bad real life changes the endings we want sometimes.

It would nice if this was the last review since you can tell he has lost a ton of motivation he had during the magical 2007 run.

I think the guy deserves a break, he pretty much opened up the game review format for everyone else on youtube and he just needs to take 6 months off and realize what a pioneer he really was. I doubt he does this however because I am sure he has pressure to continue the nerd from various sources.

I am sure it is also his 2nd income doing AVGN.


P.S- He is right about Castlevania 4 being the best, I think it trumps Bloodlines and SOTN for reasons he said and others one as well. SOTN got so popular because Castlevania64 sucked and Bloodlines was the only real Castelvania treat for MegaDrive owners.

[ryborg]

It would nice if this was the last review since you can tell he has lost a ton of motivation he had during the magical 2007 run.

I don't particularly agree with that. His videos are amazingly well-produced and written. You don't get the quality of videos he releases without being motivated heavily in some way. He doesn't have a staff of 20 workers and interns doing all the little things. It's all him and maybe a few other guys.

I haven't noticed any drop-off in personal enjoyment over the years. I am still just as entertained watching his vids now than I was in 2006 or whatever when he became huge.

[starsoldier1]

It's cool to see the Nerd talk about more timeless classics like Castlevania and Super Mario 3.

[Rob2600]

I haven't noticed any drop-off in personal enjoyment over the years. I am still just as entertained watching his vids now than I was in 2006 or whatever when he became huge.

I agree 100%.

[portnoyd]

He needs to play shitty games asap.

And lol @ kupomogli. "Ooooo he sucks so much and I hate watching him, but let me watch this video a 6th time so I can bitch about it".

[GarrettCRW]

Wait 'til the episode where he shits on a PS3.

[ryborg]

He needs to play shitty games asap.

Agreein' with this.


And lol @ kupomogli. "Ooooo he sucks so much and I hate watching him, but let me watch this video a 6th time so I can bitch about it".

Yeah, I despise the Game Dude or whatever and I think the Talking Classics retard is the least funniest gaming reviewer on the 'net, but you don't see me writing boring college theses no one's going to read on why they suck whenever they update.

[Hari Seldon]

He seems a little tired of his old "cursing and playing" routine. I'd have him over the GameOverthinker though.

[vivaeljason]

Wait 'til the episode where he shits on a PS3.

I assume that we'll be getting a doctoral thesis-length paper from kupomogli when that day occurs.

And I third the argument that the AVGN needs to go back to bad games. While these Castlevania reviews haven't been my favorites, I still enjoy just about every video he does. My personal enjoyment of his stuff is as big as it ever was.

[Greg2600]

Good Lord, I don't think James needs all these psychoanalysts. I learned a lot from his CV reviews. I like it when he reviews good games, too.

[Arcade_Ness]

I agree completely with James, in that I enjoyed SC4 more over SOTN. Overall a decent video even though he glanced over Bloodlines.

[tomaitheous]

I thought this most recent review sucked. This seems to just be a really quick one he pushed out. Though he was correct on the CV series really following the SotN formula afterwards, though OoE you did have different outside backgrounds as well as DoS(somewhat.)

Okay. First I'll talk about what I liked about the review most. The ending. How he displayed the ending of SCV4 with scenes of previous levels and then showed alot of parts on all the CV titles. It looked really nice how he did that. I also liked how he actually gave good information on SotN.

Here's what I didn't like about the review though. The Bloodlines review just wasn't there. It's like he mentioned it, said it wasn't as good as SCV4, then moved onto SotN. What? Why? If you gave detailed reasons on stuff you did and didn't like on CV, CV2, CV3, and CV4, why not do the same for Bloodlines?

There are plenty of things he could have said about Bloodlines as well. Other than the fact that there are two different characters, he failed to mention how these two characters differ. John Morris attacking diagonal but only in upward directions while jumping, where Eric Lecard could actually attack straight up as well as the upward directions if on the ground. Or that John could whip onto a ledge and swing across or that you could hold down with Eric to do a High Jump. Also each character throughout the game had branching areas depending on which one you played, meaning that only playing both characters you'd see the entire game. The final thing is how many unique ideas that there were in stages on Bloodlines, an example is on stage 5 with the mirrored room and the upside down room, none of which were given any recognition, yet he mentioned the mode 7 in stage 4 on Super Castlevania 4 which looked cool but didn't effect anything really. Last there was literally no mention on any of the great bosses on Bloodlines. So yeah, he did nothing more than mention the name, the reference to the movie Dracula, and that was it. There's so much more that he could have said but he just didn't really do any sort of a review than throwing this last video together quickly.

Then the review also gave false information and was misinformative for those who may have never seen the original copy of Dawn of Sorrow. He mentioned that "In Dawn of Sorrow, Dracula's castle returns in an eclipse above Japan" which isn't correct. Instead, he was thinking of Aria of Sorrow. In Dawn of Sorrow, Dracula's castle was a replication created by Celia so it actually wasn't even Dracula's castle at all but rather a base for the cult that Celia led. Also the Dawn of Sorrow copy he had was a rereleased copy and not the original, yet in his review how he talked it was like he was describing the cover as the original release.

The only other part that bothered me in the review was one part with SotN when he was talking about whenever you die you go right back to the start menu after having to wait to hear the game over. First off, SotN is easy as hell so you should never hear that more than once or twice even for some one new at the game, unless you're fighting Galamoth for the first time and don't know any of the tricks on the game. So it was pointless to even put that into the review when he could have been referencing stuff far more important, like, oh I don't know, actually saying something about Bloodlines? The only reason why I assume he's bitching about the game over screen is he sucks more at games than I previously thought. Right before he mentioned it, it showed him DYING AT SLOGRA AND GAIBON. The first boss in the game and one of the easiest bosses at that. That was just sad.

There was also the part when he mentioned Shaft. Being a fan of Castlevania and hearing Shaft jokes and references no less than a couple thousand times I assumed he would do the same in his video.

So... you're complaining because he didn't go on about how Bloodlines sucks? 'Cause it totally sucks. Worse castlevania game in the 16bit era (with 8bit CV3 possibly beating it out). The best thing that came out of Bloodlines, was PoR.

[eastbayarb]

Is he ever gonna do any Neo Geo reviews? He obviously has one...

[kupomogli]

So... you're complaining because he didn't go on about how Bloodlines sucks? 'Cause it totally sucks. Worse castlevania game in the 16bit era (with 8bit CV3 possibly beating it out). The best thing that came out of Bloodlines, was PoR.

"Worst CV game in the 16 bit era(with 8bit CV3 possibly beating it out.)"

Are you really Japanese and using Google translate before you post? I know what you meant, but the way you presented this sentence is like you're saying that the 8bit CV3 is 16bit.

Anyways, when it comes to 16ibit CV games there's really not much to choose from that are in the classic style. You have Akumajou Densetsu X68000/Castlevania Chronicles, Super Castlevania 4, Dracula X, and Dracula XX. The SNES Dracula XX, while a good game, is easily the worst of them.

I prefer Super Castlevania 4 over Bloodlines as well, but the fact that he reviewed every other game and just gave almost no information at all about Bloodlines then went to Symphony of the Night just proves how lazy this review was. Like I said previously. The best part about this review was James' speech at the end about the classic games and also the work that Mike Matei most likely did right after.

But yeah. Let's give James a break for being lazy and making a shitty review all because it's a second income.

[elvis8atari]

"
But yeah. Let's give James a break for being lazy and making a shitty review all because it's a second income.

His castlevania reviews were anything but lazy. It was a gigantic 4 part retrospective. It was FOUR parts, longer and more involved then any other review he has done. The closet before this was the CD-I videos.

Nothing lazy about it. If the bloodlines part was too short for you, oh well. Nobody else really seems to have a problem with it.

[kupomogli]

His castlevania reviews were anything but lazy. It was a gigantic 4 part retrospective. It was FOUR parts, longer and more involved then any other review he has done. The closet before this was the CD-I videos.

What kind of retarded logic are you trying to come up with. Oooo wow, it's four parts. Whether it's one part of whether it's four different parts doesn't mean its any different.

He released each Castlevania review two weeks a part. His reviews are usually around two weeks a part. So if the "GIGANTIC FOUR PART RETROSPECTIVE OMG LOLZ" wasn't released, we would have received four other reviews in the same amount of time.

So yes, James was lazy as hell on his fourth review. Not only did he not talk about Bloodlines nearly at all, he spent a third of the video bitching about how sucks and he has to wait for the title screen, giving false information about Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow on two accounts instead of verifying the bs information he torws out before throwing it out there. If he's getting paid he should do the work for it rather than throw it out there and assume it's correct. The rest of the fourth review was ass, that's the least he could do.

[vivaeljason]

So yes, James was lazy as hell on his fourth review. Not only did he not talk about Bloodlines nearly at all, he spent a third of the video bitching about how sucks and he has to wait for the title screen, giving false information about Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow on two accounts instead of verifying the bs information he torws out before throwing it out there. If he's getting paid he should do the work for it rather than throw it out there and assume it's correct. The rest of the fourth review was ass, that's the least he could do.

Don't you REALLY hate the AVGN videos? I mean, that's the impression I always get when I read your comments. If that's the case, why do you insist on continuing to watch them?

I'm being completely serious here. You've practically written thesis papers on how much you hate the guy's videos, and yet you continue to torture yourself. Is it masochism, or are you that desperate for attention?


Is he ever gonna do any Neo Geo reviews? He obviously has one...

I think that he'll eventually get around to a console retrospective of the Neo Geo; the only problem I can see is there's probably not all that much to complain about.

[Nature Boy]

Not only did he not talk about Bloodlines nearly at all

Personally I think you're like the Howard Stern audience that hates/despises him, but listens every day anyway because you have to know what stupid thing he'll do next so that you can ponder why he's so popular and rant about it.

I love the stuff. If you read thes forums James (you're a braver man than I) keep up the good work!

[Sosage]

But yeah. Let's give James a break for being lazy and making a shitty review all because it's a second income.

Just in case you aren't familiar with his work. He makes Internet video reviews about his opinion on video games while taking a shit on a guy in a Bug's Bunny costume.

http://www.drunkentemple.com/nerdshit.gif

[portnoyd]

What you see:


So yes, James was lazy as hell on his fourth review. Not only did he not talk about Bloodlines nearly at all, he spent a third of the video bitching about how sucks and he has to wait for the title screen, giving false information about Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow on two accounts instead of verifying the bs information he torws out before throwing it out there. If he's getting paid he should do the work for it rather than throw it out there and assume it's correct. The rest of the fourth review was ass, that's the least he could do.

What I see:


Bitch bitch bitch, biiiitch bitch bitch bitch biiiiitttcchhh bitch bitch bitch biiiiiiiiitch bitch moan cry bitch bitch whine bitch. Bitch bitchhhhh bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch. Moan. Whiny cry bitch, whine bitch bitch. Bitch moan cry bitch bitch whine bitch. Bitch bitchhhhh bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch. Moan. Whiny cry bitch, whine bitch bitch.

We get it. You don't like him. Go away.


I'm being completely serious here. You've practically written thesis papers on how much you hate the guy's videos, and yet you continue to torture yourself. Is it masochism, or are you that desperate for attention?

It's because he's a troll. Which is why I give him shit on any post he makes, bitching or not.

[vivaeljason]

It's because he's a troll. Which is why I give him shit on any post he makes, bitching or not.

I know that, but I feel like it would have been really rewarding to see him admit it.

But yeah, I think it's best for me to start ignoring him. Does this site have a block feature, or should I start giving him the exact same kind of shit until he goes bye-bye?

[camarotuner]

As an aside, I think the videos/site are his only source of income. I recall reading a while ago on his site that he started this as a joke, it turned into something bigger, then he got the offers to do the AVGN, the trips to comic con and such, and basically that's his living now.

Oh and expect a ton of board games reviews this year. At the last convention he bought a shit ton (literally took a few trips to get it out) of board games. Either he really likes collecting them or they'll serve a purpose.

[RPG_Fanatic]

So yes, James was lazy as hell on his fourth review. Not only did he not talk about Bloodlines nearly at all, he spent a third of the video bitching about how it sucks

Then quit watching him :smash: It seems all you do is bitch about everything on this site. From all the people above me it seems everyone is getting sick of you bitching.

[PresidentLeever]

'Cause it totally sucks. Worse castlevania game in the 16bit era (with 8bit CV3 possibly beating it out). The best thing that came out of Bloodlines, was PoR.

Bloodlines was way better than SNES Dracula X, and would've trumped SCIV too if not for the unlockable hard mode and excellent music in that game.

The nerds lack of enthusiasm for talking about the game did piss me off a bit because I think he actually makes good points in his reviews, whether they're negative or positive.

[ryborg]

But yeah, I think it's best for me to start ignoring him. Does this site have a block feature....

Why would you do this? Some of the best entertainment on these forums is watching kopumogla get all butthurt over some youtube videos.

[UnpluggedClone]

Bye Bye DIGIPRESS

[PentiumMMX]

I finished watching the last part of the Castlevania review. The only part I didn't care much for was complaining about load times in SOTN (It's not that long for an original PlayStation game), but it was still a good review.

[vivaeljason]

Why would you do this? Some of the best entertainment on these forums is watching kopumogla get all butthurt over some youtube videos.

This is true. I'll just stay away from his "LOOK AT HAW MUCH NINTENDUH SUX" posts that he feels the need to start every time there's anything that remotely resembles news.

Actually, those have perverse entertainment value as well. He's like Family Guy to me...horribly annoying yet strangely entertaining.

[tomaitheous]

Bloodlines was way better than SNES Dracula X, and would've trumped SCIV too if not for the unlockable hard mode and excellent music in that game.

Now that's just crazy talk :D Ignoring the really crappy graphics of Bloodlines (for christ's sake, it came out middle of 1994. It's barely even 16bit looking in some parts.. color wise and detail. Or just plain nasty color/palette clashing going on), the level design and such is a step back from the standards set by SCIV and PCE Rondo of Blood. The premise of Bloodlines is pretty cool and they could have done so much with the game. Instead, we get this really stripped down, ugly looking, game of the castlevania series. The music for the most part is forgettable (with the exception of a couple of songs). The instruments are often FM-y and stock sounding. Most sound FX don't seem to fit that castlevania style (generic FM created sound FX). Poor and/or no PCM samples. Some bosses are down right stupid/lame looking(and the last bosses form. What's up with that???), while *most* of the others are only about average in design. Some enemies are drawn poorly as well. The animation for the main character comes off as sloppy and loose. And the animation for the enemies seems minimal. I don't know how anyone who's played the series can't see this? I was really excited about this title BITD. I played it when it came out. It was a huge let down. There *are* a few exceptions in the game that are nice, but overall they don't make up for the rest of the majority.

SNES Dracula X might be a shell of what the PCE version was, but it edges out Bloodlines without a doubt. While it might have *some* of the flaws Bloodlines has, at least it's constant in its design and the graphics are nice. Despite what's been cut (and changed) and the slight tweaks to the gameplay controls (for the worse), it's still a solid game... through and through.

Bloodlines is a tragedy. It could have been something awesome and refined and.. whatever. The only reason I'm thankful that they game even exists, is for the sequel PoR on the DS. That game was fantastic (although a little too short :/ ). Second only to OoE.

[Jorpho]

How does SOTN compare to Harmony of Dissonance, really?

I must confess I have yet to play SOTN, but watching the video just now, it seemed like HoD was hardly that different.

[Rob2600]

Ignoring the really crappy graphics of Bloodlines (for christ's sake, it came out middle of 1994. It's barely even 16bit looking in some parts.. color wise and detail. Or just plain nasty color/palette clashing going on), the level design and such is a step back from the standards set by SCIV and PCE Rondo of Blood. ...

The music for the most part is forgettable (with the exception of a couple of songs). The instruments are often FM-y and stock sounding. Most sound FX don't seem to fit that castlevania style (generic FM created sound FX). Poor and/or no PCM samples.

Some bosses are down right stupid/lame looking(and the last bosses form. What's up with that???), while *most* of the others are only about average in design. ... The animation for the main character comes off as sloppy and loose.

I've never played Bloodlines, but I just watched a speed run on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6F8BK69x6o). Overall, the graphics and animation seem pretty good...not as good as Super Castlevania IV or SNES Dracula X, but there are some impressive special effects at times, like water reflections, the swaying tower, the spinning pseudo-3D platforms in the sky, the rotating pseudo-3D rooftop and clouds during a boss fight, beams of light in the foreground, etc.

I saw nothing wrong with the character animation in Bloodlines, either. It reminded me of the NES Castlevania games, but in a good way.

However, I agree that most of the bosses are ugly and uninspired. I also agree that the audio is garbage. Super Castlevania IV was an SNES launch title in 1991 and the music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjuSIUKdnjA) is a hundred times better than Bloodlines' music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDvtg-DNpXs), which was a 3rd+ generation Genesis game in 1994. (The music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L0Ti0feSZk) in SNES Dracula X is far better than Bloodlines, too.)

Despite some shortcomings though, Bloodlines seems like my kind of Castlevania game: straight-forward, linear, side-scrolling action. No characters to talk to, no hidden items to collect, no branching levels, and no RPG elements. I could tell that growing up, if I had owned a Genesis and Bloodlines instead of an SNES and SCIV, I would've really liked Bloodlines (partially because I wouldn't have known what I was missing :) ).

[PresidentLeever]

Now that's just crazy talk :D Ignoring the really crappy graphics of Bloodlines (for christ's sake, it came out middle of 1994. It's barely even 16bit looking in some parts.. color wise and detail. Or just plain nasty color/palette clashing going on), the level design and such is a step back from the standards set by SCIV and PCE Rondo of Blood. The premise of Bloodlines is pretty cool and they could have done so much with the game. Instead, we get this really stripped down, ugly looking, game of the castlevania series. The music for the most part is forgettable (with the exception of a couple of songs). The instruments are often FM-y and stock sounding. Most sound FX don't seem to fit that castlevania style (generic FM created sound FX). Poor and/or no PCM samples. Some bosses are down right stupid/lame looking(and the last bosses form. What's up with that???), while *most* of the others are only about average in design. Some enemies are drawn poorly as well. The animation for the main character comes off as sloppy and loose. And the animation for the enemies seems minimal. I don't know how anyone who's played the series can't see this? I was really excited about this title BITD. I played it when it came out. It was a huge let down. There *are* a few exceptions in the game that are nice, but overall they don't make up for the rest of the majority.

SNES Dracula X might be a shell of what the PCE version was, but it edges out Bloodlines without a doubt. While it might have *some* of the flaws Bloodlines has, at least it's constant in its design and the graphics are nice. Despite what's been cut (and changed) and the slight tweaks to the gameplay controls (for the worse), it's still a solid game... through and through.

Bloodlines is a tragedy. It could have been something awesome and refined and.. whatever. The only reason I'm thankful that they game even exists, is for the sequel PoR on the DS. That game was fantastic (although a little too short :/ ). Second only to OoE.

Sure, it could've looked better than it did but compared to SCIV, the animation overall is much better (I played them back to back just a few days ago - only the main characters seem sloppy compared to SCIV), the spritework is better (as in you can actually see what you're fighting and the sprites are bigger and more intimidating for the most part), and they managed to get rid of that 8-bit block-tiled look on the backgrounds that both SCIV and Rondo of Blood have in spades. The latter also has many pure black backgrounds.
Music wise, yes, it's pretty disappointing that they didn't use the full power of the hardware but the tunes themselves are memorable, catchy and fit the fast pace of the game. I don't see "FM-y" as a bad thing, it's up to the sound designer/composer to make it sound good and for the most part, Amane-something succeeded. Iron Blue Intention, Sinking Sanctuary and a few other tracks have earned their places in my MD playlist and will stay there for years to come \\^_^/
I don't mind most of the sound fx in Bloodlines, and neither of the games have very impressive effects to me. I do prefer the way bosses take damage in SCIV, it's more satisfying to land a hit when they flash and the screen shakes. IIRC some bosses in Bloodlines react the same way though such as that rock giant thingy.

The level design is a step back? SCIV has piss poor enemy AI and there are safespots everywhere. It doesn't become challenging until stage 6 or so. Bloodlines has skeletons jumping around (actually looking like they're jumping unlike in SCIV) and throwing bones at you, "bone head cannons" that shoot three rows of fireballs and "bone snakes" that are both bigger and faster. That's just the first stage and it's already more fun than half of SCIV. Then there's the additional character, bosses that are challenging whether or not you have the right weapons, the better balanced sub weapons and the new main weapon upgrade. Alternate paths also make a return (they weren't there in SCIV remember? Now that was a step back). The only thing I see as a step back in Bloodlines gameplay is the number of directions one can attack with each characters, Konami split them up between the two and it just feels odd when you've gotten accustomed to one or the other. I guess one could argue that the build up towards the final battle was a bit tame compared to SCIVs, but the same could be said of RoBs finale.

I recently beat Dracula X as well. Didn't like the primitive controls (nes-style button combo for sub weapons? come on), the slow walking speed, the cartoony graphics and how the cross was overpowered. The game just felt meh compared to all other 16-bit titles... The only memorable part was the final fight and only because it was so damn frustrating.

[tomaitheous]

Sure, it could've looked better than it did but compared to SCIV, the animation overall is much better (I played them back to back just a few days ago - only the main characters seem sloppy compared to SCIV)

You're right. SCIV animation is minimal compared to later games. But given the date the game came out, it was adequate for the time. But if one can over look some *serious* flaws in Bloodlines, one shouldn't put such emphasis on the lesser animation of SCIV. Given all things in the game, the animation is fine and doesn't detract from the game. Also, not to mention Bloodlines animation *really* isn't up for second half 1994 standards. Some enemies are no better animated than SCIV. But at least SCIV has some other things going for it that kinda distract/make up for it (like the graphics/music/atmosphere).


the spritework is better (as in you can actually see what you're fighting and the sprites are bigger and more intimidating for the most part),

I beg to differ. The sprites overall are lacking in pixel art department. The minotaur (all versions of him), the 3 frame zombie with the funky/lame looking walk, the stationary skull heads that breath fire (they look pathetic). I don't remember any enemy off hand that looks intimidating in Bloodlines. More, rather generic.


and they managed to get rid of that 8-bit block-tiled look on the backgrounds that both SCIV and Rondo of Blood have in spades. The latter also has many pure black backgrounds.

You *can't* have played the game and then have made a statement like that. Bloodlines has lots of repetitive patterned tiles. Maybe not be as small as 8x8, but still just as easily identifiable/unnaturally placed patterns. And there aren't even much alternate versions of the same tiles, with decay or breakage or such - in a stage, if at all. They all look the same. There's no detail in them. They're plain and repetitive. A lot of solid areas mixed with low color count. The game has a lot of that. I dunno about you, but that comes off as 8bit to me. Maybe not NES (well some parts aren't *that* far off) but definitely SMS. If the Rondo has areas with black backgrounds, is sure as hell doesn't skimp on the details and more altered/non repetitive/unique tiles, and more unique details - to make up for it. Bloodlines has plenty of open blank/solid color areas/sections too, but nothing to offset this. *Some* levels have some type of accompanying effect(s), so it's not so bad for those levels.


Music wise, yes, it's pretty disappointing that they didn't use the full power of the hardware but the tunes themselves are memorable, catchy and fit the fast pace of the game. I don't see "FM-y" as a bad thing, it's up to the sound designer/composer to make it sound good and for the most part, Amane-something succeeded. Iron Blue Intention, Sinking Sanctuary and a few other tracks have earned their places in my MD playlist and will stay there for years to come \\^_^/

Sinking Sanctuary is definitely my favorite and it's on my play list (it's also my *favorite* stage in the game, minus the main boss. The mini bosses are much cooler looking than the main boss for that stage). The composition and instruments are *awesome*. It definitely takes *all* the strengths of the Genesis sound. So I'm not sure why none of the other tracks do this (there might be another one or two that has great instruments too, but the composition wasn't memorable for me). And yes, all things are relative. When a game comes out at the end of a systems life, there are certain expectations and standards that it should live up to. The sound wasn't just "FM-y" at the time, it was *genericly* FM-y. Like early title Genesis games. It might have mattered more then, but it still matters to *me* now. And there's nothing in the compositions that over comes this or makes you over look this aspect. Sometimes I think FM fans (and PSG fans too) are too blind to their beloved synth's sounds. If you played this game BITD, you'll know what I talking about (unless you were a one-console-sega-only fan). Maybe people that didn't play the game until more recently/ not BITD, or didn't really participate in the 16bit generation at the beginning to it's prime and end, really don't have a relative sense of such things? By the time this game out, that distinct FM sound was getting old - fast. (Not all FM from other sources, sounds like it comes from a Genesis game) The Genesis sound wasn't evolving much from the original days. Like I said, really good compositions will let you over look this. Well, that and some tunes are just *made* for 2612/2151 FM chips ;) But this wasn't the case for Bloodlines. Far from it, with a few exceptions.


I don't mind most of the sound fx in Bloodlines, and neither of the games have very impressive effects to me.

Well, it would have been better if most of the SFX were PSG based, instead of generic FM sounds with inharmonic setups or such. And minus the PCM side of things, the sound FX aren't supposed to stand out. They're supposed to compliment the game. The SFX in SCIV were fine and fit what you would expect from the evolution of the series to the 16bit era. Rondo SFX also fit the series just fine. And while it's been sometime since I played Dracula XX, it should be the same. But in Bloodlines, it's like they didn't even make an effort to try to better match the SFX to the corresponding action... for the most part. Not *all* of them are "off", and this is more of nitpicking since SFX *aren't* horrible on the ears, but definitely aren't great or in that castlevania (at the time) style. And those certain ones kinda stand out.


I do prefer the way bosses take damage in SCIV, it's more satisfying to land a hit when they flash and the screen shakes. IIRC some bosses in Bloodlines react the same way though such as that rock giant thingy.

That rock giant boss is one example of how the some of the bosses/enemies look. He/it looks generic and somewhat stupid.. well lame/crappy/amateurish. Low production looking. Not what I expected to see in a 16bit castlevania game, let alone as a main boss.



The level design is a step back? SCIV has piss poor enemy AI and there are safespots everywhere. It doesn't become challenging until stage 6 or so.

You're lumping level design with difficulty. I'm only referring to the design of the level. How interesting it is. How it looks. What you do in it. Etc. None of the castlevania games were overly easy until you memorized/got your time in on them. Even the first NES castlevania, which is considered hard by most, is fairly easy until the last part right before the last boss - as long you memorized most of the game. I could give a rats ass about something being a bit on the easy side, if there's enough content and levels to the game. SCIV is just that.


Alternate paths also make a return (they weren't there in SCIV remember? Now that was a step back).

SCIV was the first 16bit title, remember? CV3 was the first game to experiment with choosing your path (albeit in a different way than the 16bit titles). This didn't become standard until after Rondo of Blood. So it's not something that can be taken away directly from SCIV, by comparison. Hell, I didn't even play CV3 when it came out. By then, I was already into the 16bit scene with my Genesis and TG16 - and wasn't looking back at the 8bit games.



I guess one could argue that the build up towards the final battle was a bit tame compared to SCIVs, but the same could be said of RoBs finale.


I dunno about you, but when I got to the last boss in RoB BITD ('93/94) - it was badass. It must have counted for something to other people as well, 'cause it's also the very beginning of SOTN. Anyway, it was exciting/amazing all the way through RoB. Never letting down for a moment IMO. So many little secrets, big secrets, awesome regular and alternate looking bosses - with all kinds of attack moves and great animation/colors/etc.




I recently beat Dracula X as well. Didn't like the primitive controls (nes-style button combo for sub weapons? come on), the slow walking speed, the cartoony graphics and how the cross was overpowered. The game just felt meh compared to all other 16-bit titles... The only memorable part was the final fight and only because it was so damn frustrating.

Yeah, I don't understand why they slowed the walking speed in Dracula XX. Maybe they were artificially trying to make the game feel longer? I dunno. But I was definitely put off by that. And the last boss... fighting him on pillars. Yeah, really unnecessary lame move there. The combo controls didn't bother me though. Your thumbs already on the dpad and your other finger is already on the attack button. It's faster than having to reach over to another button (and trying to do both regular and sub weapon attack at the same time). But that's probably trivial.

Funny you mention the graphics. That's one of its stronger points. I thought the graphics were fine to great, if not beautiful in places. Remains me of some of the DS CV graphics (which I'm a fan of the CV games for). That, and the music.

Note: Sorry for the derailing :/

[sfchakan]

Now at least this (http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=3450) was entertaining! :O

[PresidentLeever]

But at least SCIV has some other things going for it that kinda distract/make up for it (like the graphics/music/atmosphere).

The music does a lot for the atmosphere in the game and there are many subtle details here and there, as mentioned in the AVGN vid. On the other hand some things look extremely dated, downright tacky. For example the Mode 7 effects on the rock giant and the huge chandeliers, or how Dracula hands out chicken when you're fighting him.

"I beg to differ. The sprites overall are lacking in pixel art department. The minotaur (all versions of him), the 3 frame zombie with the funky/lame looking walk, the stationary skull heads that breath fire (they look pathetic). I don't remember any enemy off hand that looks intimidating in Bloodlines. More, rather generic. "

How is the minotaur lacking? He stamps the ground before attacking, can rip off pillars to use as a weapon and even gets stuck in the wall IIRC. The skull head canons are bigger and more defined than in SCIV and have more interesting behaviour. The enemies overall are bigger and move around a lot more, which is intimidating compared to the stiff SCIV enemies that behave mostly like in the 8-bit games. Bloodlines also has more frequent boss encounters, most of which are better than in SCIV.

"You *can't* have played the game and then have made a statement like that. Bloodlines has lots of repetitive patterned tiles. Maybe not be as small as 8x8, but still just as easily identifiable/unnaturally placed patterns. And there aren't even much alternate versions of the same tiles, with decay or breakage or such - in a stage, if at all. They all look the same. There's no detail in them. They're plain and repetitive. A lot of solid areas mixed with low color count. The game has a lot of that. I dunno about you, but that comes off as 8bit to me. Maybe not NES (well some parts aren't *that* far off) but definitely SMS. If the Rondo has areas with black backgrounds, is sure as hell doesn't skimp on the details and more altered/non repetitive/unique tiles, and more unique details - to make up for it. Bloodlines has plenty of open blank/solid color areas/sections too, but nothing to offset this. *Some* levels have some type of accompanying effect(s), so it's not so bad for those levels."

I only said they got rid of those (generic and flat looking) block patterns. I expect a 16-bit game to do better and Bloodlines does, for the most part. Some scenes look really simple (this one part in the sunken ruins, and most of the factory level) but there are nice touches like the destructible statues and crumbling bone bridge. The room with laser-shooting eyes on the walls, where the path splits looks pretty great to me.
Unnaturally placed, sure, but if it makes the game more fun to play then why not? You might as well complain about the candles hanging in mid-air.

There are several examples of 8-bit looking backgrounds in SCIV, one is the "moving floors" part in 6-2 or thereabouts where the background is a 2-color black/purple silhouette scene. The chandelier scene I mentioned before has a black background that switches to red and it looks ridiculous.

"The sound wasn't just "FM-y" at the time, it was *genericly* FM-y. Like early title Genesis games. It might have mattered more then, but it still matters to *me* now. And there's nothing in the compositions that over comes this or makes you over look this aspect. Sometimes I think FM fans (and PSG fans too) are too blind to their beloved synth's sounds. If you played this game BITD, you'll know what I talking about (unless you were a one-console-sega-only fan). Maybe people that didn't play the game until more recently/ not BITD, or didn't really participate in the 16bit generation at the beginning to it's prime and end, really don't have a relative sense of such things? By the time this game out, that distinct FM sound was getting old - fast. (Not all FM from other sources, sounds like it comes from a Genesis game) The Genesis sound wasn't evolving much from the original days. Like I said, really good compositions will let you over look this. Well, that and some tunes are just *made* for 2612/2151 FM chips ;) But this wasn't the case for Bloodlines. Far from it, with a few exceptions.

Yeah you're right about the instrumentation in Bloodlines. I think the FM-based organs that the soundtrack is full of sound pretty well on their own (certainly would sound better with some PSG in there), but the generic FM drums are obnoxious. The kick sounds like a loose thud, like someone hitting a wooden surface with their fist.
Having played hundreds of MD games over the years I find it a bit sad how many of them didn't use the chip to its fullest and just went with those basic sounds, even later on. If the default sound engine was something like the one for Thunder Force IV, Gauntlet IV or Golden Axe III, it probably wouldn't have the poor reputation it has today. SCIV would still be tough competition for any MD game as it is one of the best sounding SNES games.

"You're lumping level design with difficulty. I'm only referring to the design of the level. How interesting it is. How it looks. What you do in it. Etc. None of the castlevania games were overly easy until you memorized/got your time in on them."

I see the enemies and their behaviour as a major part of the level design in any action game, but I think the layouts and such are also very good in Bloodlines. Many 16-bit games were built around memorization, yes, but I hadn't played SCIV in years and still breezed through most of it. Hard mode is another game entirely though.

"I could give a rats ass about something being a bit on the easy side, if there's enough content and levels to the game. SCIV is just that. "

Well see I do care about the challenge level in a game, much more so than graphics or music. A long game is a waste of time if I'm not having fun playing it. BITD I loved every bit of SCIV because the changes in controls and the jump to 16-bit made simple movement in the game world exciting. But that sense of wonder I felt as a kid has long since worn off.


"SCIV was the first 16bit title, remember? CV3 was the first game to experiment with choosing your path (albeit in a different way than the 16bit titles). This didn't become standard until after Rondo of Blood. So it's not something that can be taken away directly from SCIV, by comparison. Hell, I didn't even play CV3 when it came out. By then, I was already into the 16bit scene with my Genesis and TG16 - and wasn't looking back at the 8bit games. "

Just because you missed out on CV3 doesn't mean that the rest of the world did, or that Konami didn't take it into consideration when making the sequel. And I've always seen CV2 as the experimental game, 3 took some elements from it and created a good balance between action and exploration.

RoB is another discussion, so I'll just say that it didn't "wow" me as much as the average Castlevania fan. I thought it was more flash, less substance.