Ed Oscuro
11-28-2005, 04:57 AM
First, my Challenge:
What is the highest score you can get in the original Castlevania's first level, without dying, after beating the boss? Now, for some history, because it's humorous to show how quickly things have progressed:
Written yesterday:
Here's a title that whips my arse at Death every time (well, as I've only made it to him twice in the week or so I've played it - sparingly - that's an overstatement), but which allows me to brag regardless.
Here's some things you can do that might not be so well known - all in the first level, too!
Stage 1 is, interestingly, three areas: The opening "cinematic" of Simon walking to the gate, the first entrance area, and finally the long corridor leading to another area with a large barrier splitting that section in half (with staircases leading down to and up from a sewer section with mermen). The underside of the staircase leading to Stage 2 is a good place to try your hand with the holy water subweapon. How many can you hit at once? I call this a "combo" as you get a point multiplier, rather similar to the combo counter in many newer games. Four is easy, five is tougher (but I've done it dozens of times).
http://home.comcast.net/~edoscuro/nes_cv_level_score.jpg
If you figure that out, you might want to try for a highscore. Breaking 200,000 points for the first level - no deaths, and the level completed - seems quite possible, as my current highscore is 190070, and that after only a dozen tries an evening or two ago.
After getting your score up in the 180K range, you'll probably notice that the timer is at about 40-60. Here you've got a choice...sewers, or try for the longjump trick? If you travel through the sewers you can pick up the stopwatch (which is what I did), or you can try to jump across the large section of bricks separating this room. It's not too hard - simply walk off the first landing, and you'll be on top of another with a staircase leading down, which if you traveled would put you right in front of a section of breakable wall with the ever-healthy (6 bars to your life counter!) Wall Meat health item. From this second landing, walk to the edge, being sure to face right (whichever way you're facing will be the way the bat will come from). Jump when the bat nears you, and if you've got the formula down right you'll end up on that middle section. Sounds good to me!
http://home.comcast.net/~edoscuro/nes_cv_bat_trick.jpg
I'm almost at a loss as to what else to try. Speedruns are an obvious thing to do, but for those wishing to exercise their reflexes more without the pressure it would be interesting to try for a low-score run. 3000 points is pretty much the minimum for the end of the level, and you'll need to factor in time on the clock afterward.
Fast-forward from the time I wrote that to today. For the time being there is much competition in highscores, yes. Today a fellow CV Dungeon forumer reported a score of 290K+ with the GBA port of Castlevania - amazing! Scores upwards of 300K should be possible.
For more information, check out the original CV Dungeon Forums post I wrote that plays original home to this Challenge:
http://www.forumplanet.com/classicgaming/castlevania/topic.asp?fid=3691&tid=1788224
What is the highest score you can get in the original Castlevania's first level, without dying, after beating the boss? Now, for some history, because it's humorous to show how quickly things have progressed:
Written yesterday:
Here's a title that whips my arse at Death every time (well, as I've only made it to him twice in the week or so I've played it - sparingly - that's an overstatement), but which allows me to brag regardless.
Here's some things you can do that might not be so well known - all in the first level, too!
Stage 1 is, interestingly, three areas: The opening "cinematic" of Simon walking to the gate, the first entrance area, and finally the long corridor leading to another area with a large barrier splitting that section in half (with staircases leading down to and up from a sewer section with mermen). The underside of the staircase leading to Stage 2 is a good place to try your hand with the holy water subweapon. How many can you hit at once? I call this a "combo" as you get a point multiplier, rather similar to the combo counter in many newer games. Four is easy, five is tougher (but I've done it dozens of times).
http://home.comcast.net/~edoscuro/nes_cv_level_score.jpg
If you figure that out, you might want to try for a highscore. Breaking 200,000 points for the first level - no deaths, and the level completed - seems quite possible, as my current highscore is 190070, and that after only a dozen tries an evening or two ago.
After getting your score up in the 180K range, you'll probably notice that the timer is at about 40-60. Here you've got a choice...sewers, or try for the longjump trick? If you travel through the sewers you can pick up the stopwatch (which is what I did), or you can try to jump across the large section of bricks separating this room. It's not too hard - simply walk off the first landing, and you'll be on top of another with a staircase leading down, which if you traveled would put you right in front of a section of breakable wall with the ever-healthy (6 bars to your life counter!) Wall Meat health item. From this second landing, walk to the edge, being sure to face right (whichever way you're facing will be the way the bat will come from). Jump when the bat nears you, and if you've got the formula down right you'll end up on that middle section. Sounds good to me!
http://home.comcast.net/~edoscuro/nes_cv_bat_trick.jpg
I'm almost at a loss as to what else to try. Speedruns are an obvious thing to do, but for those wishing to exercise their reflexes more without the pressure it would be interesting to try for a low-score run. 3000 points is pretty much the minimum for the end of the level, and you'll need to factor in time on the clock afterward.
Fast-forward from the time I wrote that to today. For the time being there is much competition in highscores, yes. Today a fellow CV Dungeon forumer reported a score of 290K+ with the GBA port of Castlevania - amazing! Scores upwards of 300K should be possible.
For more information, check out the original CV Dungeon Forums post I wrote that plays original home to this Challenge:
http://www.forumplanet.com/classicgaming/castlevania/topic.asp?fid=3691&tid=1788224