Castlevania - Dawn of Sorrow (DS) is so great!

[-hellvin-]

Incredible game! The graphics are some of the most beautiful 2d Ive ever seen. Im currently at around 83%. Just killed the fire demon boss in the mirror....trying to get the damn bone ark soul ATM so I can cross that stupid spiked water area...

Use the doll + the soul from the ape that throws the flaming barrells... that works too.

Yeah, I found out later that would work as well but finally got the damn skeleton ark! I actually continued to fight ghost dancers for about 20 minutes and got 9 of their souls. So that's +18 luck. I've gotten some PAIN IN THE ASS souls after only a few tries, like the floating eye, skeleton farmer and valkyrie. The ghost dancer soul, soul eater ring, and three 7's armor just reeks in souls like crazy, I've maxed on a few enemies already just walking about.

[MarkMan]

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For those of you that beat the game. Afterwards you get to play "JULIUS MODE" where you start the game off as Julius Belmont. Eventually with some exploring you meet up with Yoko Belnades(if you didn't know is related to Sypha from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse), and you get to play with her, by pressing X you can switch between both characters who each have their own moveset and special attacks/stats.

The best part though is later on when meeting up with Genya Arikado, who if you've been paying attention is really Alucard(Also of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night), once meeting him you also get to control him throughout the castle. The best part about it though, it's not the suit version, it's the SOTN version(almost completely). I just wish you could equip weapons/use items like in the main game, but then again that'd be too good!

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***SCROLL UP SEE***

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[SoulBlazer]

I also can't heap enough praise on this game.

To add on to what I said eariler, and what others have said -- the graphics, music, and gameplay are all top notch. The second screen is a godsend as you can have the map or status screen on at the same time.

Upgrading weapons with souls is a nice touch as are the abilities that you can use to attack.

I'm not crazy about the seal thing, but it's different at least -- just as long as I don't screw up drawing it on the screen after killing a tough boss!

The story also seems pretty good, tied into the last game (Aria of Sorrow) with some new people and new things you can do.

Well worth the $35 the game goes for.

Finally, DoubleJump is going to have a guide for the game soon that has a lot of extra sutff in it, and a Castlevania comic book is coming out soon.

[MarkMan]

The Castlevania comic is already out, came out about 6 months ago... pretty good read.

The guide should also have arrived at retailers today or yesterday. So go grab it!

Double Jump books is basically Hardcore Gamer Magazine, I can't praise their guides enough.

[SoulBlazer]

Are you sure? The same one mentioned in the insturction manual? That says a October release. So does Amazon and some other sites online that I checked. The pic they are showing off is kind of gory -- blood pouring on a face up skull.

[MarkMan]

Yeah, I have issues 1-5 already.

The thing coming out in October is the TPB version of all 5 issues.

EBAY ENDED AUCTIONS

For reference.

[SoulBlazer]

Ah, no wonder. I'd rather just buy it all as one book, thanks.

I seem to be doing allright so far. Actually, I'm wondering if someone can give me a 'nudge' in the proper direction, as I'm not sure what the best thing to do is.

I have about 45% of the castle mapped. I have the double jump and crystal block removal abilities, as well as the doppleganger. I also have the dummy item -- the one that allows you to swap places with it after you throw it? Used that to acces some new areas.

I have three seals, have found the locked 'evil transport' door that Julius was at, and have also run into and briefed Alucard on the situation.

I'm aware of two bosses that I can fight at this point -- one if that strange creature ALL the way at the top of the tower, and you go crashing down to the bottom when he's been hurt enough, and the other is some kind of underwater eel that is hard to fight cause you're in the water.

I believe I can beat them, but they are QUITE hard and I'll have to slam down the potions in order to do so.

I also think I've explored as much of the castle as I can at this point -- I played around with the sliding puzzle so it was 'solved' and I could access the above rooms, have thrown the doll into all the small spaces, and figured out how to get past the 'bone' barriers. (Although I'm not sure how to open the low gate thingies, they block some areas.)

Is there some part of the castle I'm missing that I can get to? Or should I go fight one of the bosses? If so, which one first, and any hints with it?

[MrSmiley381]

I fought the giant hulking thing first, explored the nearby tower, then fought water-face.

I GOT ALL THE ENDINGS TODAY EXCEPT IN JULIUS MODE. HURRAH.

The symbol drawing was bullshit a lot of the time though. The game tests you on how quickly you draw it as opposed to how accurately it's done. Perfect accuracy and slow is fail. Horrible accuracy and rushed is winner. WTF?

[PDorr3]

Im basicaly up to where you are soul, I cant beat the boss all the way at the top, I will needm ore potions. Funny thing is, the sliding puzzle, when I hit reset it solved it for me, lmao. I cant figure out how to open tohe skeleton doors...I believe I only saw one of them. Also those bolt looking barricards/doors, Im guessing I can only open them up later.

Is there anything at this point in the game to help me find more souls? Like does luck improve my chances? (those dancing ghosts drop luck souls?)

Because some of these R3 monsters are a pain (I did get valkyrie today though)

[SoulBlazer]

I've actually allready explored the tower -- I just need to decide if I missed something, or to go tackle one of the bosses somehow.

Oh, the skelton door -- just hit it with a bone. You know, the spirt that you get from a skelton so you can throw bones....

I'll have to mess around with the sliding puzzle some more also, I think.

About 'hulking thing' boss -- how did you beat him? The guy does MAJOR damage. Plus I'm not sure which target I should aim for first -- the head or the knee thing.

[MrSmiley381]

I don't think it matters.

Tips:
Puppet soul can be used to dodge lasers if thrown properly.
Spears and the like tend to be more easily used against him.
Bring a ton of potions.

[MarkMan]

So I've been messing around with this known glitch known as the Succubus glitch... it allows you to travel beyonds walls and basically gain more % of the map possible... (think sword brothers glitch from SOTN)...

Haven't had much luck...

People have found however, some items that aren't available normally in the game.

[-hellvin-]

People have found however, some items that aren't available normally in the game.

Did they find them by traveling through the walls?

And speaking of items, is there anywhere with a list yet of where to find some of the items? I remember one guy talking about an armor called "Dracula's Tunic", but I never found it.

[MarkMan]

Yes they found the items by travelling through walls.

You can get Dracula's Tunic by going back to the slide puzzle room, find the room with the mirror and use the Paranoia soul there.

[classicb]

the DS is really rockin it right now On the front page of DP right now there are 4 seperate threads for individual DS games. The DS seems to be loved by DPers and I don't think its any real surprise when there is a great 2D game like this on the system. I can't wait to go and get this. I'll probably be dropping around $95 this weekend as I pick up some of these great new DS games.

DS = Best thing going for video games right now IMO

[MarkMan]

I agree...

I also agree that the next few months are going to destroy my bank account.

Great time to be a gamer.

[Avatard]

I haven't found any bosses hard so far. I'm always a really high lvl when I come across them because I try to collect souls and gain xp while I do it. Every boss is the same stratagy...GET 'EM!

Also the slide puzzle is a joke, I came and went as I pleased to any of the 3 solutions. Also each dead end in the actual puzzle pieces contains an item, but not are that great really.

One thing I haven't figured out is the piano room. Is there a song I'm supposed to play? I haven't seen anything mention it yet. I've played a C scale and it didn't work hahahaha.

Also I've gotten the Yeti and Mothman, they were pretty easy to figure out. However I haven't found the flying humanoid =P

[-hellvin-]

Also I've gotten the Yeti and Mothman, they were pretty easy to figure out. However I haven't found the flying humanoid =P

He's at the very top level of the clock tower. A few rooms to the right of the warp point. You'll see something flying in the background. Use the mandragora soul, and it's scream will kill it instantly.

[MarkMan]

There's nothing special about the piano, it's just there as a bonus I guess.

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, can anyone give me a nudge in the right direction?

I've defeated the two bosses I found eariler, and the water boss gave me the ability to walk underwater.

That opened up some new areas, and I found a couple of weird things (a room with a cannon firing and then freezing, and a room full of spikes with no way to cross), but no new bosses, no encounters, no new seals.....

I'm sure I've checked the whole map and gone everywhere that I can go.

Could use a little help, not a spoiler, but some information, on where I'm susposed to go next?