The Castlevania Thread

[RadiantSvgun]

It's not a Castlevania game per se, but I do have a game called "Dream Mix TV: World Fighters" for Gamecube. It features Simon Belmont as a fighter and a remixed version of Bloody Tears. Unfortunaly I can't get my action replay to work on the wii, but does that still go towards a castlevania collection?

[Arasoi]

Cameo and related games definetely count in my book. I own both the Gamecube and PS2 versions of Dream TV World Fighters. Simon Belmont is playable, after all.

I've gone after some of the stranger cameo games as well, such as Snatcher (PSX/Saturn/Sega CD versions), Hai no Majatsushi, etc.

[MarioMania]

I almost beat the Level 2 Boss on Akumajo Densetsu(The upper route)..I got to the boss room, My NES Satellite start freaky on me...My guy keeps going to the right. I couldn't pause the game. I got hit 3 times :( by the time I think to move(I was about to unplug the Satellite I put down it.and it worked again) But I ran out of time..and I had no players left..I said F-thing I'm going to bed..

I said to my self NOOOOOOOOOOOOO it's not happening

[Kitsune Sniper]

Cameo and related games definetely count in my book. I own both the Gamecube and PS2 versions of Dream TV World Fighters. Simon Belmont is playable, after all.

I've gone after some of the stranger cameo games as well, such as Snatcher (PSX/Saturn/Sega CD versions), Hai no Majatsushi, etc.

Do you happen to own both Wai Wai World games?

[Arasoi]

Yes I do. Heres a full list of my cameo/related games:

Dreammix TV: World Fighters (GC)
Dreammix TV: World Fighters (PS2)
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius: Forever With Me (PSX)
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius: Forever With Me (Sega Saturn)
Gokujou Parodius (SNES)
Konami Wai Wai World (Famicom)
Konami Wai Wai World 2 (Famicom)
Snatcher (Mega CD - PAL)
Snatcher (PSX)
Snatcher (Saturn)
Kid Dracula (Game Boy - Euro)
Akumajo Special: Boku Dracula Kun (FC)
Hai no Majatushi (MSX2)
Konami Crazy Racers (GBA, US)

Cameo/reference games I still need:

Battle Tryst (Arcade/M2 hardware)
Evolution Skateboarding (various)
Ganbare Goemon 2 (SFC)
Tokimeki Memorial (PSX/Saturn)
Contra: Hard Corps (Genesis/Mega Drive)

Metal Gear Solid might count because of the taunting from Psycho Mantis due to various memory card saves (including Castlevania: SOTN) but thats a bit of a stretch maybe.

[Snapple]

I hate to say this in a thread full of such hardcore Castlevania fans and proud collectors at that, but I never really gave the series a chance for most of my life. Although, lately I've been trying to catch up.

I think because the only Castlevania game my brother ever owned was Simon's Quest, and that was my first and only exposure to the series for a long time. At my age back then, I just found the game frustrating, and it kinda rubbed me the wrong way. As far as I knew, all Castlevania games were like Simon's Quest, and so I didn't have much desire to play them. I was wrong, of course, but I think that I may have gotten into the series sooner if I had cut my teeth on a different entry in the series.

So a few weeks ago, I decide to give Castlevania another chance, and I picked up the original for a decent price. I played it. I didn't beat it, but I enjoyed it, so I went and found Castlevania 3. Well, I enjoyed that game even more than the first game. And so, now I'm gathering as many games as I can.

I got CV1, 3, and 4, plus Symphony of the Night, and I played Bloodlines on emulator.

CV4 I actually beat. The revised controls I think made the difficulty a lot more managable, and a lot more fun. Plus, the game is really very beatiful.

When I first started playing Bloodlines, I thought it was going to be inferior to CV4. The first thing I noticed was that the two heroes didn't look as nice and detailed as Simon did in CV4. But as I played, I noticed that the graphics made everything else in the game truly stunning. The background effects, the water effects, the boss animations. It's some of the best stuff I've seen on a 16-bit system, and it's a fun game, too.

SotN blew me away though. I started playing the game on Saturday, and I already finished, and I got the good ending without the help of a walkthrough or map. Playing SotN made me feel like I was playing Super Metroid for the first game all over again. I was so into it, that I went too long without eating today, and now I have a huge headache because of it. It was worth it though.

Although I'm really close to being burned out on Castlevania, I'm still thinking about what game I want to try next. I could get Chronicles, or find one of the N64 games, or I could just go ahead and jump into the GBA games.

I'm really sorry I didn't play Castlevania sooner though. It's a fantastic series, and I love the soundtrack to most of the games.

[Arasoi]

I definitely cannot blame some for not getting into the series until recently (or in the case of many, before CV:SOTN).

The classic side scrolling games have always been notoriously unforgiving in their difficulty level in comparison to other games of the time. And CV2 had a English translation that made it close to impossible to complete the game without reading a guide.

It's refreshing to see that many players can enjoy the older games after the "SOTN experience", as it can often make gamers even more jaded towards the classic series entries.

[Snapple]

Oh, I'm definitely not done with the old-school Castlevania games, don't worry.

I really liked SOTN, but the original sidescrollers are a completely different experience, and I love old 2D platformers. Those kind of games are part of the reason I ended up at DP in the first place.

I definitely want to play CV3 some more. I didn't explore the different pathes yet, and I haven't yet played with Grant or Sypha. In my first go at it, I got Alucard and then game-overed soon after that.

[RadiantSvgun]

Hey Arasoi, I heard there was a fighting game with the belmonts. Do you know if that is true?

[Arasoi]

It depends if you mean fan made or official.

Fan made, I believe Serio is working on an interesting Castlevania related fighting game.

If you mean official, there are a few relevant answers. Dream TV: World Fighters has Simon Belmont (Chronicles version) playable.

Another game that has Richter and Simon both playable is an older M2 (3D0 arcade hardware) arcade game called Battle Tryst. Some info can be found on it on these pages:

http://castlevania.classicgaming.gamespy.com/features/trivia.html

http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/cameo2.htm#btryst

[RadiantSvgun]

That's it, Battle Tryst. I need to see if I can find a board for that.

[Arasoi]

Its pretty tough to find. I know a seller who used to have one, but now seems to have fallen off the face of the earth.

I'm not even sure if the game is Jamma compatible, if it isnt then a Supergun would require rewiring to play it.

Darned obscure games.

[Arasoi]

I received my Castlevania PS2 (Lament of Innocence outside of Japan) Special Edition in the mail today. Not to be confused with the Limited Edition, this version is much more rare and comes with an artbook the LE didn't.

The auction pictures were good to begin with, so I'll use those to showcase it:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/bwy1170864215s.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/viu1170864295n.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/bwy1170863458d.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/bfi1170863390a.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/arx1170863472t.jpg

[RadiantSvgun]

Ah, I hope they release an artbook like that for the PSP Castlevania Chronicles.

I noticed that someone made a version of Haunted Castle for JP PS2. Does it have an arrange mode, or just the arcade port?

Btw, the 2nd boss in that game looks a lot like the dragon boss in salamander....

[Arasoi]

Ah yes, an artbook would definetely be a nice bonus for DXC. To at least show us the new Kojima Rondo art, anyway.

I believe the port you are referring to is Oretachi Geason Zoku 15: Akumajo Dracula. It was a budget release by a small company named Hamster, and is really nothing more than an emulator on a disc to play Haunted Castle/Akumajo Dracula arcade. I personally found my modded Xbox running Xmame to provide a better emulated game, but that isnt saying the PS2 port is terrible by any means.

The nice thing about the Hamster port is that it comes with a few goodies, like a 3 inch OST CD with a special "Super Sweep" medley arrange track, a superplay mini DVD showing half the game, a few booklets with info about the original, and a nifty Akumajo Dracula trading card.

[Arasoi]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Commodore-64-Konami-Castlevania-boxed_W0QQitemZ200083870348QQihZ010QQcategoryZ4315 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

To all you collectors out there, this is a pretty rare item. It's the second one I've seen (I bought the first one) in a while. While it is less rare than the Amiga version, it is far more rare than the PC port.

Since I already have this one, I thought I'd share =)

[Adol]

Its pretty tough to find. I know a seller who used to have one, but now seems to have fallen off the face of the earth.

I'm not even sure if the game is Jamma compatible, if it isnt then a Supergun would require rewiring to play it.

Darned obscure games.


I have one, it is generally worth $150-200,but is VERY HEAVY (7-8 kg).
It is jamma compatible.

[Arasoi]

Let me guess, not for sale right? =)

[RadiantSvgun]

Hey Arasoi, I hate to keep asking you questions, but you seem to know more about Castlevania stuff than I do. I know that Castlevania III/Akumajo Densetsu on the Famicom has a specail sound card or something like that. Will it play correctly with an adaptor or what?

[Arasoi]

That's correct. Akumajo Densetsu used the VRC6 chip, which does not work correctly through adapters in a NES, the sound is missing channels. It only works correctly in a Famicom.

CV3 used MMC3 I believe, which was a nice chip but nowhere near the VRC in quality.

[Snapple]

I heard about that sound chip thing about a week ago. When I did, I played samples of the American and Japanese versions on my computer out of curiosity. I have to say, there's really quite a difference. The original Japanese game sounds amazing for something on an 8-bit system.

[RadiantSvgun]

Ahh boo, I'll have to get a real famicom someday. Do the Famiclones work I wonder?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I definitely cannot blame some for not getting into the series until recently (or in the case of many, before CV:SOTN).

The classic side scrolling games have always been notoriously unforgiving in their difficulty level in comparison to other games of the time. And CV2 had a English translation that made it close to impossible to complete the game without reading a guide.

It's refreshing to see that many players can enjoy the older games after the "SOTN experience", as it can often make gamers even more jaded towards the classic series entries.
About CV2's translation...

Remember the Graveyard Duck? It's like that in the Japanese version. (Did I tell you this?)

[RadiantSvgun]

I definitely cannot blame some for not getting into the series until recently (or in the case of many, before CV:SOTN).

The classic side scrolling games have always been notoriously unforgiving in their difficulty level in comparison to other games of the time. And CV2 had a English translation that made it close to impossible to complete the game without reading a guide.

It's refreshing to see that many players can enjoy the older games after the "SOTN experience", as it can often make gamers even more jaded towards the classic series entries.

I'll be completly honest. CV1 I didn't like at first due to the controls. What sold me on it, was the music. Cv3 had the gameplay and the music, so I was good.

I know someone will flame me for this, but I had a lot of fun playing CV2. I didnt get a chance to play it until like 1998, but I liked it.

[MarioMania]

Ahh boo, I'll have to get a real famicom someday. Do the Famiclones work I wonder?

I don't know, Does Akumajo Densetsu work with the Famiclones

[Arasoi]

About CV2's translation...

Remember the Graveyard Duck? It's like that in the Japanese version. (Did I tell you this?)

Very interesting. I cannot read any of the written Japanese language except for "Akumajo Dracula" so I'd be interested to hear how the original text stood up to the NES text.

As far as Famicoms go, there really is only one solution for all of the various compatibility issues between regions.

Get a Sharp Famicom Twin system, with a new disk drive belt. It does Famicom, and Famicom Disk System perfectly, and you can play your NES games in it with a 72-60 pin adapter.

Famiclones are "NES on a chip" jobs similar to the Messiah Generation NEX and would probably not even play Akumajo Dracula correctly.

(Woot, 20 pages!)

[Adol]

Let me guess, not for sale right? =)


Right :)

[Arasoi]

These PAL SOTN Banners fetched a high price, but I won out finally:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/cvbannerszs4.jpg

Those should look good in a poster frame, or two.

Also won the 5 American Castlevania comics. Though from what I hear about their quality, I probably wont be reading them anytime soon =)

[Kitsune Sniper]

These PAL SOTN Banners fetched a high price, but I won out finally:

I hope the seller packages those things properly. They're cool.

[Snapple]

What does "Lust" have to do with Lisa? I get Valour for Alucard and Blood for Dracula, but the third one confuses me. Are they calling Lisa a slut?

[MarkMan]

Also won the 5 American Castlevania comics. Though from what I hear about their quality, I probably wont be reading them anytime soon =)

Thanks for reminding me about those god forsaken comics... :(

Nice pick ups!

[Arasoi]

What does "Lust" have to do with Lisa? I get Valour for Alucard and Blood for Dracula, but the third one confuses me. Are they calling Lisa a slut?

Good point. Maybe they originally planned to use Succubus, then realized they couldnt feasibly censor her artwork for the banner.

[Arasoi]

So.. yeah.

Got the 5 comics today in the mail, and decided to give them a read.

I'll spare you all a "Angry Castlevania Nerd" style rant, and keep it short:

These comics suck. If you are not a collector, avoid them like the plague.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/shittycomics.jpg

Yeah. Not even Dracula likes these comics..

[Neo Rasa]

I read those comics for free in a Barnes and Noble and I still wanted a refund.

[Kitsune Sniper]

So.. yeah.

Got the 5 comics today in the mail, and decided to give them a read.

I'll spare you all a "Angry Castlevania Nerd" style rant, and keep it short:

These comics suck. If you are not a collector, avoid them like the plague.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/shittycomics.jpg

Yeah. Not even Dracula likes these comics..

Just wait until the movie comes out. :P

[Arasoi]

Ah good, Neo Rasa I haven't seen you in a while. (I am Proto from the old Orochinagi forums, btw)

Too bad you won't get a refund on your time for reading those comics. They're just awful, I know CV wasnt big in the story department in the GB games, but they deserved better than that.

KS: The only thing more depressing than the movie will be having to collect all the different region DVD releases. Blargh.

[PallarAndersVisa]

so i think we've covered just about everything there is to know about castlevania .

[Kitsune Sniper]

Ah good, Neo Rasa I haven't seen you in a while. (I am Proto from the old Orochinagi forums, btw)

Too bad you won't get a refund on your time for reading those comics. They're just awful, I know CV wasnt big in the story department in the GB games, but they deserved better than that.

KS: The only thing more depressing than the movie will be having to collect all the different region DVD releases. Blargh.

And the inevitable Warren Ellis comic book adaptation.

[Sotenga]

so i think we've covered just about everything there is to know about castlevania .

Probably, but a total CV freak can still share his collection, correct? :)

For me, that would be... well, damn near every game except for Vampire Killer, Dracula X (SNES), Haunted Castle, and Legends. Not the best ones of the series, but I still contend that DX for the SNES was quite underrated, and although somewhat buggy, HC had its moments.

Is something wrong with me if I even like the Castlevania Adventure? It sucks compared to most of the other games in the series, but... well, I still hold a soft spot for it. Mostly because it was a major challenge to beat without a Game Genie, but also because I didn't get to play the much superior Belmont's Revenge on the GB until years later. Still, if they had sped up the gameplay and toned down the frustration, it could have been a pretty solid title.

Arasoi, glad to see one who is as much of a CV nut as I am. ^_^

And sup, Rasa? ;)

[Arasoi]

Speaking of collections, here is gathered a pretty impressive set of them displayed via photo:

http://vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/master-collect.htm

Based on item count, which has its ups and downs. I'll be on top again after my next update though, methinks.

Oh, and if the mods feel this thread needs to be closed down feel free to dump it into classic discussions or whatnot, nobody complained so I figured it was okay to keep posting in it. =)

[Drag0nsfyre]

Those SOTN Banners look pretty sweet! :D :cool: Congrats on the win. :)

[PallarAndersVisa]

man those collections put mine to shame

oh well, my CV display above my fireplace still impresses all my friends :)

[64Bits]

I love those banners. Mind indulging us on how much those cost you?

[Arasoi]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Castlevania-Symphony-of-the-Night-SotN-UK-Banner-Set_W0QQitemZ120088982858QQihZ002QQcategoryZ3727QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

More than I wanted to spend, for sure. But that's Ebay for you I guess.

What with a Neo Geo AES arriving tomorrow or Tuesday, CV collecting's budget might get reduced slightly anyway. =)

[kainemaxwell]

Those banners rock!!

[Arasoi]

Ressurected from page 4, once again this dessicated thread rises from its grave.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/3_10_07_update.jpg

These items arrived in the mail over the past week, or two:

Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight (PSX the Best re-release)
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence Special Edition
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence Special Edition artbook
Akumajo Dracula(Super Famicom) Japanese guide (variant 2)
Castlevania Chronicles Japanese guide
Hai No Majatsushi (MSX2, Simon Belmont playable)
Famitsu #9, featuring Akumajo Dracula(FDS) guide and cover
Official Castlevania Portrait of Ruin Gold Asset disc (Purchased from DreamTR of Digital Press: this disc was sent to magazines from Konami USA, and contains photoshop files and other packaging artwork for use in magazine articles)
Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy Issue #1
Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy Issue #2
Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy Issue #3
Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy Issue #4
Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy Issue #5
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Japanese Manga #1
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Japanese Manga #2
Friday Special: Dracula 2: Noroi No Fuuin Japanese guidebook

The SOTN banners have not yet arrived, but they are coming from the UK so this isnt a big surprise.

On another note, this doujinshi looks like a fun, albeit short read (30 pages):

http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m38666696

[jajaja]

Hehe i think those comics are made by the same guy who made the Mega Man comics i have :)

[mills]

Arasoi send me the contents of that asset disc please!

[Arasoi]

Sure thing mills. Remind me on AIM tonight =)

[RadiantSvgun]

Hey, do you guys think we will ever see another Castlevania on the newer consoles? I'd really stab or stake someone to see a 2d castlevania on a new console.

[mills]

arasoi Stay on late tonight then, I'm going to a gathering after work.

[Arasoi]

Hey, do you guys think we will ever see another Castlevania on the newer consoles? I'd really stab or stake someone to see a 2d castlevania on a new console.

I'm pretty sure that is inevitable, the bigger question would be 2d or 3d. If its a Sony console, bet on 3d.

Fans have been clamoring for another console 2d Castlevania for a long time now. With the brass in Japan seemingly listening to our demands lately, we may get our wish.

If not, I guess another mediocre 3d romp wont hurt anything.

[RadiantSvgun]

I'm pretty sure that is inevitable, the bigger question would be 2d or 3d. If its a Sony console, bet on 3d.

Fans have been clamoring for another console 2d Castlevania for a long time now. With the brass in Japan seemingly listening to our demands lately, we may get our wish.

If not, I guess another mediocre 3d romp wont hurt anything.

My only gripe with the 3d Castlevanias, is I haven't heard "Vampire Killer," "Bloody Tears," or "Beginning" in any of them.

[Arasoi]

Yes, I did notice no failthful renditions therein. Though interestingly, there are little bits of them in the songs.

The credits theme for LOI has bits of Dracula's Castle from SOTN it, and there are bits and pieces of tons of older songs on COD's various tracks. Example: Vampire Killer melody lightly mixed in the aqueduct theme.

[RadiantSvgun]

I didn't know that.... I still feel that Super Castlevania IV and Bloodlines had the best remixes of them.

Hey, do you know if there are any Castlevania 1 posters/displays out there?

[Arasoi]

I'm not sure about displays, but back in the day Konami had mail in coupons for posters of their games, and Castlevania was one of them.

Those posters are super scarce, now. I saw one a year or two ago on Ebay go for about 80 bucks, pretty nuts. I kind of regret not getting it, but 80 is a lot for that old poster.

Kind of a shame there isnt more, CV1's artwork is my favorite of the whole series.

[mills]

I'm bored at work, somebody post a picture of a castlevania cart or disc that I've never seen before.

[agbulls]

FYI---I'm selling my Castlevania Portrait of Ruin Promo complete---check out my B/S thread!

[Kitsune Sniper]

Hooray for crappy Japanese companies!

"The Oretachi Geisen Zoku series of PS2 retro releases seems to have reached a new low. Upon the release of the ports of the Data East cult classic Trio the Punch and Konami's shooter Thunder Cross last month, Japanese gamers discovered that Thunder Cross has serious emulation problems, including lockups, missing background music and sound in places, and sprite priority problems. And to make matters worse, it's been discovered by 2chers and Arika's VP Mihara that MAME's copyright notice is present on the Thunder Cross disc. This means that both Thunder Cross and Trio the Punch likely used MAME code for their emulation, quite possibly without authorization, and the same code may have been used on previous Oretachi Geisen Zoku releases. Way to go, guys."

Source: Namakoteam (http://namakoteam.com/news.php?id=147) via Subatomic Brainfreeze (http://subatomicbrainfreeze.typepad.com/subatomic_brainfreeze/2007/03/trio_the_punch_.html).

I don't have access to the actual PS2 games to verify this, but after all those PocketNES compilations on the GBA... nothing surprises me anymore. I'm guessing the CV port is nothing but a MAME CD...

[Arasoi]

Hah, I wish this were more surprising. Kinda sad that even though they would use the same driver, the Xmame emulation is better than Oretachi's.

[Snapple]

That's incredibly sad. Stealing, trying to pass it off as your own, and then selling it to innocent consumers for free money. Some really great companies out there.

[Arasoi]

These came.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/banners.jpg

The Alucard one is slightly faded. They arent mint. Nonetheless I love them.

Life is good.

[MarioMania]

How much was it

[Arasoi]

How much was it

Those cost about 130 bucks, give or take.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=300090091204

Does anyone else have this old Play Magazine? I bought it for the heck of it, and it actually has a pretty decent Castlevania feature, info, artwork, etc. Sone timeline info and assorted stuff is wrong, but not bad for a budget buy.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Can't wait till tommorrow when CastleVania SOTN arrives on XLA :)

[Arasoi]

I probably won't play this one, since I don't want a 360 and the game isn't collectable.

Can those who get it fill me in on the differences/changes from the original? =)

[RadiantSvgun]

Just won this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=014&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=330097858582&rd=1&rd=1

I used to have one as a kid, but my mom threw it away.

I saw a homemade Vampire Killer Whip in (leather kind) at a yard sale the other day. I was gonna buy it, but the guy asked too much.

[Arasoi]

Great price on the old poster. I'd been meaning to track down the old Nintendo powers and the posters that came with them, but hadn't gotten to it yet.

[RadiantSvgun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCzcds-eczU

A little humor for us castlevania fans!

[mills]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo This Aint Newgrounds!

[NinjaJoey23]

I've never posted in this thread, nor read it all. I've not even played very many Castlevania's, but...

I heart Simon's Quest!

thx

[Arasoi]

I was trying to hotlink some CV2 images but.. it didnt work. Hm. Instead, feast your eyes upon this:

http://img163.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/users/5/1/2/8/jyama1970-img576x480-1174097977zz_akumajyo_1.jpg

Sealed, and won this weekend.

[RadiantSvgun]

What are those Arasoi? That looks like the cover of the soundtrack for CV 1-3 on nes.

[Gradius]

I haven't read through the entire thread, so please forgive me if I ask the same question as someone else, but does anyone think that Konami will make a Castlevania in the vein of the originals (arcade and NES era)? I have nothing against the way the Castlevanias are played (indeed, Symphony of the Night and it's "Metroidvania" style of play was excellent), but I'd like to see something that is more action oriented like the originals. Anyone else wish for anything like that?

[Arasoi]

What are those Arasoi? That looks like the cover of the soundtrack for CV 1-3 on nes.

It is the rarer cassette tape release of that album, and still sealed to boot. I'll get a CD version for listening purposes, naturally.


I haven't read through the entire thread, so please forgive me if I ask the same question as someone else, but does anyone think that Konami will make a Castlevania in the vein of the originals (arcade and NES era)? I have nothing against the way the Castlevanias are played (indeed, Symphony of the Night and it's "Metroidvania" style of play was excellent), but I'd like to see something that is more action oriented like the originals. Anyone else wish for anything like that?

From what I've seen, I think Iga would be interested in such a project (IE, a brand new classic stage based game), but Konami corporate might not be so hot on the idea. If you take a look at the Chronicles re-release of Akumajo Dracula X68000, and the new remake of Rondo on PSP it seems he has no problem bringing us classics we havent gotten before, and preserving their old school gameplay.

In Portrait of Ruin, I thought the paintings were a very interesting throwback to the stage based gameplay of the older titles as well.

I think what will happen is, if Dracula X: Chronicles sells well we will see a classic compilation of older games in the same vein as the Salamander/Gradius PSP collections.. probably not a new game of this type though.