Kotaku: Castlevania

Vampires, Ghosts, Goblins And The Devil Hit Wii Virtual Console For Halloween

Stuart Houghton — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:40:00 MDT

Hey - at least it isn't another bloody Zombie epidemic stunt.

3 classic NES games with seasonally appropriate levels of supernatural 'orribleness are to make their debut on the Wii Virtual Console this week.

Vampire hunting platformer Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, controversial-in-the-80's non-Pac-Man-ripoffDevil World and Ghosts 'n Goblins are all up for grabs at 500 Wii points each in Europe (PAL).

News: Spooky NES Trio For Euro Virtual Console [N-Europe]

I Wish I Hadn't Played Castlevania Judgement

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:30:00 MDT

Of all the days I had to play games at TGS, and of all games I had the chance to play, why the hell did I leave it until Sunday afternoon to play Castlevania Judgement? I mean, my last memory of TGS could have been of something good, like Macross Ace Frontier or, in Konami's case, another kick at Pro Evo 2009. Instead, I walked away from the show feeling bad. Bad for Castlevania fans, at least.

There is just nothing right about this game. Nothing. As a Castlevania game, it’s…well, as a fighter, it’s not a Castlevania game at all. And as a fighter, it’s one of the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s as though Konami looked at 3D fighters, saw what worked, what didn’t work, and just for shits and giggles, threw in everything that didn’t work.

So what, exactly, doesn’t work? Like I said, everything. It’s like a daisy-chain of failures. Let’s kick things off with the arena. The arena doesn’t work. It’s too large. So instead of fighting for 90 seconds, you end up chasing each other around for 90 seconds. Which is bad enough, but then, the camera doesn’t work. Because it’s fixed, one player will often end up running at the camera, losing all sight of where it is they’re going.

But that’s OK, because you lose sight of where you’re going most of the time anyway, thanks to the woeful controls. The players are locked into only eight directional movements, and also move too quickly, meaning you lose all sense of timing and precision. Which are kinda important in a fighter. But that's OK, since most attacks – activated by furious waggling, no less – are so broad that you don’t even need to be facing your opponent to get a shot in. You just need to waggle and get lucky.

And when you do get lucky…boy. The game has special attacks. You charge them through regular combat. And when you set one off…you get a Final Fantasy-esque cutscene. All the ones we saw (I was playing 2P with Crecente) ran for over twenty seconds. Twenty. Seconds. Interrupting the middle of a fighting game. Oh, and they also take off around 1/3 of your damage, which for a fighter, is potentially game-breaking.

Want to know the good parts? Couldn’t see any. Sorry. It really was that bad. I'd say Konami have a job on their hands trying to get this one fixed in time for release, but with the game due out in the US next month, things aren't looking good.

First Look At Castlevania Now-Gen Is Shorter Than This Headline

Michael McWhertor — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Moisten those eyeballs, kids. Give 'em a good soak, because blinking during the Castlevania Tokyo Game Show trailer is not recommended. You'll miss half! Formally announced by Konami and Koji "Mr. Castlevania" Igarashi at TGS 2008, all we know about the title is that it'll be appearing on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Castles will likely be involved, but we're checking with Konami for confirmation.

Konami Whips Up Castlevania For Xbox 360, PS3

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:00 MDT

Konami has both Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia and Castlevania Judgment on display at Tokyo Game Show this year, but it brought a tiny, tiny bit more with it, just to start messing with our heads. A new Castlevania has been announced for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3... at some point in the future. That is absolutely all that we know at this point, as both Konami reps and series lead Koji Igarashi are being mum on what we can expect.

We asked Konami reps the burning question: will it be 2D or 3D? The answer: "That's up to Iga."

We're told we can expect more information in the coming months, but inquiries about locking down a date for further updates were met with shrugs. Hopefully, Konami will look at titles like Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Mega Man 9 for inspiration on just how many dimensions this things going to need.

Igarashi: Wii Ware Could Keep The 2D Dream Alive

Leigh Alexander — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:20:00 MDT

Despite Castlevania's periodic forays into 3D games (many of which incite fanboy rage), series creator Koji Igarashi is long-known as a staunch supporter of the 2D aesthetic.

And he tends not to keep his secrets too near his chest, readily expressing his interest in certain things (warming up to the Wii remote just prior to the revelation of Castlevania: Judgment, for example).

So when Iga, asked by MTV Multiplayer about a return to classic Castlevania form on the console, expresses affinity for Wii Ware, it's easy to get fingers crossed for a traditional Castlevania on Wii:

“I’m definitely interested in WiiWare and I think it’s one of the areas that 2D can still be very strong at,” said Igarashi. “I’m very much looking into that.”

Hey, if Capcom can do it with Mega Man 9, we can dream, right?

'Castlevania’’s Igarashi Looking At WiiWare [MTV Multiplayer]

Koji Igarashi Tries To Explain Castlevania Judgement Hate

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:00:00 MDT

Konami's Koji Igarashi is the Castlevania guy. And when fans play a Castlevania game, they know, more or less, what they are getting themselves into. But Castlevania Judgement is different! It's a fighter, but now. And the early buzz around the game hasn't been so hot. Why does Igarashi think that is?

When you have a franchise like this, that’s become popular in a certain type of game style and you change that so drastically, I understand the responses is going to be negative... I also felt a lot of the response was, I guess, unjustified in the sense that they based their [response] on just hearing about it or maybe seeing a couple of screen shots and making a whole assumption.

Insert Igarashi sad face.

Koji Igarashi Calls ‘Castlevania Judgment’ Fan Criticism ‘Unjustified’ [Multiplayer] [Pic]

Castlevania Japanese Arcade Game Hands-On

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:00:00 MDT

That's the cabinet for yet-unreleased Castlevania arcade title Akumjao Dracula THE ARCADE. Reader Landon got a hands-on with the game at a location test while strolling through Tokyo's Ikebukuro. What did Landon think? He totally dug the game, its gameplay, graphics, music — the whole schbang! Hit the jump for Landon's impressions. Don't forget to thank him and tip your waiter.

Players enter the machine on either side. The inside was very spacious, much wider than some I've seen of a similar fashion. The bottom of the machine, in front of where each player stands, was lined with LED lit candles.

Each player holds a controller shaped like the handle of a whip. The top of the whip handle is lit up with LEDs - 1P is blue, 2P is a dark pink. Each whip handle has a yellow trigger where your index finger goes. This controls your subweapon, such as knifes, crosses, etc. A red button is placed where your thumb goes. Sadly, I was not able to use it in this demo of the game, but the Konami rep told me it was used for activating items you get later on in the game. During gameplay, swinging the whip handle, a la Wii remote, results in a slash mark across the screen.

When the game starts, each player is asked to stand in their designated spots and aim the top of their whip controller at the center of the screen and press the yellow trigger button to calibrate the motion sensor.

The game begins in an outside area. Skeletons stumble onto the screen much like Silent Hill or House of the Dead. Some shoot arrows at you from a distance. You can take them out either by swinging your whip or by throwing knives at them (by pointing the tip of the whip controller and firing with the yellow trigger). Subweapons, such as knives, consume hearts. You can regain these by shooting various candles placed throughout the areas. There seemed to be a maximum of 25 hearts while I played.

The first chapter ends after you arrive at the gates of Dracula's castle and fight Death, your first boss. I squealed a little bit when the Bloody Tears theme started playing during the fight. Chapter two took place inside the castle. The boss was a giant skeleton snake, and upon winning the battle, the demo ended.

The graphics were really nice, definitely next gen; on par with PS3/Xbox 360. One small detail I liked was that any candle I whipped/threw a knife at would cause the surrounding area to go dark when destroyed.

With the way the machine was designed, it was MUCH easier to hear the music/sound effects than Silent Hill, even with all the noise from other games going on outside...

This game was a total blast. Nostalgic music, sweet graphics, whip-cracking action. There's nothing more I could've asked for in a Castlevania arcade game. I used to think Silent Hill was kinda fun when I was a little bored, but this totally blows it out of the water. Good job, Konami!

Two Castlevania Games, Two Castlevania Trailers

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:00:00 MDT

Above, the clip for Castlevania Judgement, on the Wii. Iga can say whatever the hell he wants, but that right there, that's a fighting game. And not a very good-looking one at that. Series purists may find more solace after the jump, with a trailer for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia on the DS.

Why A Castlevania Fighting Game? Ask Iga!

Mike Fahey — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:00:00 MDT

Ever since it was revealed that the new Castlevania game for the Nintendo Wii, Castlevania Judgment, would be a fighting game, one question has been on fans' minds. Is that really Fahey standing next to Castlevania creator Koji Igarashi, and why does he look so rough? I am hunching down to try not to tower over Iga out of respect, as he just spent several minutes answering my questions via translator. Questions like, "Why a fighting game?"

Igarashi's answer? It's not a fighting game. See? Simple.

To Koji Igarashi, Castlevania Judgment is so much more than a fighting game. It's a 3D action adventure title that just happens to feature one on one fighting. "I understand that it looks like a 3D fighting game, but calling it that isn't doing it service."

Okay, so why a timed, one on one action adventure game? As with all things Iga-related, it really comes down to the whip.

"When I decided to make a Wii game, it was natural to use the controller as a whip, but I realized that after two hours of constant whipping players arms would get tired." The answer to the problem was time limits, and 3D action adventure with time limits needs quick fights, and that calls for competitors.

"Castlevania has a rich history spanning 22 years, and I thought it would be a great idea to bring together the different characters from the series, and this sort of game was the perfect way."

Igarashi is watching. He's seen your mixed comments and wants you all to know that this isn't a fighting game...it's a celebration of Castlevania's history in a game that is quick to pick up and play and a real treat for fans of the series.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to order a whip and a rakish hat.

Castlevania Movie Sees Belmont Armed With "A Fucking Sword"

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:20:00 MDT

After Dr. Henry Jones, modern pop culture's second-best proponent of the whip has got to be Castlevania's Simon Belmont. And with a Castlevania movie (sort of) coming up, just imagine the kind of stuff he could be doing with said whip! And yet, courtesy of a script review for the upcoming project, it seems the whip's been relegated in favour of a sword. And not just any sword:

Though I said Vampire Killer is gone from this script, Simon does wield what is described as a chain whip in two instances. However, it is nondescript and in one of the occasions is wielded as an off-hand weapon. So what is Simon armed with throughout the film? A fucking sword.

Oh dear. Nothing like setting off on the wrong foot with fans, is there?

Paul W. S. Anderson’s Castlevania [CC2K]

Konami Whips Up Castlevania Judgment, An Online 3D Fighter For Wii

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:40:21 MDT

It's official. Castlevania Judgment, the first 3D fighting game to bear the Castlevania brand, is coming to the Wii this Fall. Series producer Koji "Iga" Igarashi is helming the project with a little help from manga artist Takeshi Obata, the man in charge of character designs this go 'round. Obata may be best known for his work on Death Note and the Blue Dragon manga adaptation.The title was revealed in this month's Nintendo Power.

The Castlevania Judgment release points out that the Wii game will feature head-to-head battles via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Fans of wireless signals will also be thrilled to learn that Castlevania Judgment can wirelessly connect to the Nintendo DS via Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, unlocking "bonus gameplay content." Guess that confirms this little rumor, eh?

Full release is after this.

Release Marks Iconic Franchise’s Next Generation Debut on Wii and its Entry Into the Fighting Game Genre

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Castlevania Judgment, the first Castlevania title in the fighting game genre, is currently in development exclusively for Wii. Developed by legendary Castlevania series producer Koji "Iga" Igarashi, Castlevania Judgment bridges the past with the present as it pits several generations of the Belmont clan against a host of characters that span the franchise's 22-year history.

"We wanted to take this addition to the signature Konami franchise in a direction that really sets it apart from the previous Castlevania titles in the series," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "The Wii Remote and Nunchuk capabilities, along with the iconic characters, make this game the ideal entry point into the fighting game genre. This combination is certain to thrill old and new fans of the franchise. "

With 3D environments rendered on Wii, players can choose sides in an epic battle of good versus evil using iconic Castlevania characters designed by famed manga artist Takeshi Obata. Using the motion-sensing controls of the Nunchuk and Wii Remote, players can slash, stab and whip their way across a variety of stages and environmental elements with various surrounding objects as weapons. Select characters can also set traps and make use of monsters on the field to achieve victory in a clash of epic proportions. As an added bonus, players are also able to compete head-to-head using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and connect with Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia on the Nintendo DS to unlock bonus gameplay content.

Castlevania Judgment will be released in North America Fall 2008 on Wii.

Wii Castlevania Revealed! It's A Fighting Game?

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:40:09 MDT

According to GoNintendo, the latest issue of Nintendo Power reveals the proud return of the Castlevania series to consoles. Castlevania Judgment is, believe it or not, a 3D fighter, pitting classic characters from throughout the series against each other in mortal combat. Yes, not at all the exact opposite of what Castlevania fans have been asking for.

GoNintendo's report from the mag hints at appearances from characters like Simon Belmont and Alucard, the use of sub-weapons like holy water and boomerangs, and (surprise!) motion controls.

Odd, yes, but while Konami may not be known for its fighting games — outside of Yie Ar Kung Fu — it had dabbled in 3D fighters when they were in their heyday. It was also responsible for one-third of the line-up Dream Mix TV World Fighters, a Japan-only fighting game that featured Simon Belmont and Solid Snake and was terrible.

Nintendo Power reveals Castlevania Judgement for Wii…a 3d fighter?! [GoNintendo]

2D-Loving Igarashi Promises To Grow Castlevania

Leigh Alexander — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:20:00 MDT

Castlevania Papa Koji Igarashi has recently been chatting to Gamasutra about something near and dear to his heart: The 2D action genre. In a recent interview, he said he thinks 2D is still alive and kicking, and it makes him happy.

"I'm glad that 2D is still somewhat alive. It's been fun," he told Gamasutra's Christian Nutt.

Igarashi also said he hasn't lost sight of a new direction for Castlevania:

This time, I announced a DS title, but I definitely want to grow the franchise. It's something I'm really focused on. You guys will probably be hearing something from me.

Castlevania's Igarashi: '2D Is Still Somewhat Alive' [GameSetWatch]

Wii Castlevania Later This Year?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:00:00 MDT

While Konami Castlevania dude Koji Igarashi has expressed hesitance about the Wii and the Wii-mote in the past, apparently he's warmed up to the Nintendo platform! Comic book mag Preview has let it slip that the franchise is getting a Wii title released this fall. The info slipped while Preview was giving the skinny on the PR campaign for the comic based on PS2 game Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, stating the the comic book will be "cross-promoted with 2008 video game releases, which include games for Nintendo Wii and DS (Fall 2008)". Unconfirmed and unsurprising, really.

Castlevnia Comic [Badger Comics via CVG]

Someone Is Sinking $200 Million In To Pac-Man, Castlevania Movies

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:40:00 MDT

Variety reports that Crystal Sky Pictures has signed a deal that will secure them $200 million USD in financing, money that's going to be used to fund films like Castlevania, a sequel to John Woo's Hard Boiled and among others... *sigh* Pac-Man. While we've known that Paul W. S. Anderson and Sylvain White's Castlevania was back on track, it's been a couple years since we've heard any chatter on the big screen adaptation of Pac-Man. Can it possibly match the fan-made version?

Crystal Sky is currently involved in producing the Tekken movie, a film that we just had our first peek at. We can only imagine that the Pac-Man flick won't be targeting the over-12 demographic, but desperately hope for something live action and thoroughly awful.

Crystal Sky signs $200 million deal [Variety]

Koji Igarashi, Castlevania Game Maker, Indy Jones Lover

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:30:00 MDT

Here's a shocker: Konami Castlevania dude Koji Igarashi wears a cowboy hat, carries a whip and *here it comes* likes Indiana Jones. Bet you didn't see that one coming! When asked if he was excited about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, IGA replied:

Ooooooh!

Eyebrow raising followed. Wonder if he's gonna bring his whip to the movie theater. (Can you bring whips to a movie theater?)
Igarashi Excited [Multiplayer]

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Announced for Nintendo DS

fdemarco — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:05:00 MDT

The big news for many at last night's Konami Gamer's Night was the official announcement of a new Castlevania game for the Nintendo DS. Mr. Igarashi himself was on hand to introduce Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, complete with his trademark cowboy hat and whip. This new Castlevania marks the first time that the franchise will feature a female lead character, a raven haired beauty named Shenoa.

The story takes place years after the Belmont family has completely disappeared, but Dracula is still going strong. Many organizations have cropped up to try and defeat the vampire but the only ones who seem up to the task are the mysterious Order of Ecclesia. The art style for the characters has changed from the traditional anime style to a much more pleasing (to me anyway) illustrative style that really shows of the beauty of the female protagonist in particular.

The combat has changed as well, this time relying on a "glyph" system. Essentially, magical glyphs can be absorbed that provide Shenoa with magical weapon abilities. These abilities can be assigned and used from three different areas: left hand, right hand or back. These glyphs can be used at will, but beware because they will sap your magic points! Equipping the same glyph to both hands will provide you with a quicker attack, but will drain your magic faster.

Also new to this title is the addition of a world map that will allow you to travel outside the confines of the castle to explore locations such as mountains and a sinking ship. Two person co-op play will also be made available via local DS wireless.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is set to release in the fall of this year and Mr. Igarashi slyly promised to try and make sure it launches on time with no delays. I hope he can pull it off because no matter how many Castlevania titles I play, I am always ready and excited for the next iteration.

Konami Gamer's Night '08

fdemarco — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:00:00 MDT

Konami hosted their Gamer's Night last evening in San Francisco, hot on the heels of Sega's Gamer's Morning and Ubisoft's Gamer's Afternoon. It had already been a long day by the time I arrived and my brain was already ful of tons of other games. This didn't stop Konami from making quite an impression with a few key announcements. Be sure to check back shortly for all the news including an MGS 4 secret weapon, a new Castlevania game for the DS, my Silent Hill V hands on, the Rock Revolution announcement and more!

Castlevania Judgment Coming...Sometime

Mark Wilson — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:40:00 MDT

Spotted in the US Patent and Trademark database, Castlevania Judgment will probably be among the next Castlevania games we see. While its platform was unspecified, given that Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia was recently leaked as the next DS title, we're assuming this game will be for one of the other various platforms. Any guesses? Oh, who are we kidding, we don't care what platform you think it's on. We're sticking with our "Eye of Judgment" expansion theory. We're also going to keep wearing this tin foil on our head...just in case.

Place judgment on another Castlevania trademark [Siliconera]

Notes On The Castlevania Screenplay

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:46:33 MST

We were sent a portion of the Castlevania movie script a few weeks ago, a bit of which we posted for your enjoyment. If you did, that's fantastic. If not, you missed your chance. However, we've done our best junior script analysis on what we've seen so far, an attempt we hope will help you get up to speed on the direction the Rogue Pictures production is headed.

The script portions we saw introduce the audience to an adult Trevor Belmont who, with his fellow "battle-hardened" brother Christopher, is ordered by his king—through man of god Lucius—to dispatch you-know-who. Only that the Belmonts don't seem to know who they're actually going up against.

Like Warren Ellis' plans for the animated Castlevania: Dracula's Curse, the Castlevania screenplay looks to source heavily from Castlevania III. The attack on Dracula's castle doesn't appear to be a solo effort. Trevor is joined by a group of knights under his command and compatriots, some of whom are taken by the castle's inhabitants.

The bestiary includes some familiar foes, the succubus Elizabeth Bartley, and some seemingly original creations, a spider made of human bones, amid other well-known characters. Alucard, for example, delivers the type of line that might induce either fanboyish chills or cynical snickers with "The whip is the key!" Like any video game to film translation, the script portions we've seen may suffer most in their need to fit two decades of lore into 100 minutes and not come across as cheesy.

In addition to Belmont ally Sypha, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence antagonist Mathias Cronqvuist also makes an appearance, one of the many bad guys who will come between Trevor and Dracula himself.

The script certainly appears to have a more mature tilt, like the Ellis attempt, as the bloodshed one would expect in a place populated by vampires, werewolves and wraiths seems intact. Sex, violence, copious amounts of things being whipped—it's all in the screenplay at this point. Whether nude scenes involving succubi bathing in coagulating blood will make it to the big screen, we don't know.

With the Writers Guild of America strike looking like it's on the verge of resolution, the Castlevania live action film production may go back into production soon. We'll be keeping an eye on development to let you know how things are progressing.

Want A Peek At The Castlevania Screenplay? [Updated]

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:40:00 MST

I'll ask again. Do you want to take a possible early look at the feature film adaptation of Konami's Castlevania? We have 32 pages worth of the live action film's script, which feature a host of classic franchise characters—Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Christopher Belmont from the two Game Boy Castlevania entries and Elizabeth Bartley, the succubus from Castlevania: Bloodlines. The portions we were handed weren't dated or credited, so we're unsure at which stage of development these scenes featuring Belmont family member Christopher and castle guard Lucius occur. The film was one of the casualties of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, with production of the Sylvain White-directed adaptation halted in December. Spoilers, of course, abound, so if you feel like going into the Castlevania experience fresh, move along.

UPDATE: At the request of NBC Universal's legal team, these pages have been removed. For a quick look at what the Castlevania live action movie is looking like, check out our impressions.

Rumored New Castlevania DS Screens Indicate Wii Connectivity

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:40:00 MST

A trio of supposed screen shots from an unreleased Castlevania game for the Nintendo DS have made their way online, ones that could possibly reveal Koji Igarashi and team's follow up to Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. Are they real? They certainly look real enough, with a timestamp that would indicate a December 25, 2007 build of the game, one that would appear to feature a female protagonist and yet another "Metroid-vania" style adventure. Igarashi has gone on record as saying that Konami is working on a third Castlevania title for the DS, but we can't say for sure whether this is it.

Hit the jump for the full sized pic and more info.

What we do find interesting about another potential slog through Dracula's castle is the Wii menu item in the leaked title screen. What could Iga and crew have planned for Wii connectivity? Could it have something to do with the long-rumored Wii version of the venerable franchise or could WiiWare capabilities come to the DS? We can only speculate that, if these screens are real, third parties may be looking to take advantage of both machines' Wi-fi capabilities. Portrait of Ruin made good use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for its online shop trading service, so we wonder if Konami has something similar planned.

It's worth noting that these alleged screens have a very different art style than the previous two titles, which had a strong anime influence, something that wasn't necessarily well received by fans. If these screens are an indication of the direction of the next game in the series, we hope it means that long time character designer Ayami Kojima has a hand in it.

Take it as rumor for now or, at the very least, some damn good fakes. Thanks, Mike!

Castlevania Animated Movie: The Goat Fucking Stays In The Picture

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:40:00 MST

Warren Ellis, salty-tongued screenwriter for the who-knows-when animated film based on Castlevania III, updated his production blog on the subject recently, indicating that things are moving along quite well. Very well, actually, as the folks at Konami didn't seem to blush at the more mature themes of Ellis' screenplay. Dialogue about the sexual violation of a goat? Cool. Lots of bad language? Just peachy, it seems. Ellis and company's plans for "a film for adults" look like they're shaping up.

Still, we're a long way off from seeing Castlevania: Dracula's Curse for ourselves, as Ellis points out.

Notes [Castlevania: Dracula's Curse]

Unlocking Symphony In Dracula X

Mike Fahey — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:20:33 MDT

I'd like to think I am not the only one who bought Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP last week for the sole purpose of having a portable copy of Symphony of the Night on hand at all times, only to find myself jumping through hoops to unlock my main reason for picking up the title in the first place. Well rather than have you go through the agonizing hours filled with senseless deaths that I went through, I figured I would just give you the skinny on unlocking the game up front. First off, you need to get to stage 2 in the main game. At one point a giant bull creature starts chasing Richter, and rather than jumping over the holes in the floor, you'll want to fall into the first one. Finish the level and you'll find yourself in an alternate stage 3.

Going upward at every opportunity you'll come across a plantlike cage hanging from the ceiling next to one of those bone-snakes that sprouts from the wall. Kill the snake before he kills you, and then use a special weapon on the cage. Antitype from GameFaqs suggests the axe, but I found the spinny bible works just as well. Destroying the cage creates a platform, which lets you hop across the top of the level to a tombstone. Break it, and a tiny-screen version of Symphony of the Night is yours to command!

There's more to unlock in the game, of course, but I doubt I'll be going back to Rondo any time soon. Even a non-fullscreen PSP version of SotN kicks it's 3D side-scrolling ass. Hit up the Gamefaqs page below if you find the will to do anything else once mini-Alucard is at your disposal.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles Codes [GameFaqs]

Virtual Console Spooktacular

Mike Fahey — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:20:19 MDT

Halloween is two days away, and you know what that means! Two more days of Halloween-themed crap until we can start associating everything with Turkeys for the better part of the month of November. What better way to associate with a spooky holiday than with a little classic Castlevania action? Castlevania II Simon's Quest for the NES (500 points) headlines this week's Virtual Console update on the Wii, slowly adding in the RPG elements we've come to know and love into the series. The only good samurai is a dead samurai, and Samurai Ghost for the TurboGrafx 16 (600 points) is a classic example of this age-old ninja adage. Finally, we have the NEOGEO masterpiece Magician Lord (900 points), possibly my favorite non-fighting NEOGEO game of all time. Magic, martial arts, and good old vampire ass-whipping. Three excellent ways to distract your children from the fact that you're spending the 31st huddled in your house with all the doors locked, fearing for their lives.

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ANNOUNCED FOR WII SHOP CHANNEL
Oct. 29, 2007

This Halloween, you needn't leave your own living room to encounter spooky spirits and creepy creatures from mysterious otherworlds. The Wii Shop Channel is celebrating the year's most frightfully fun holiday by offering a mix of eerie games that'll keep players' spines tingling. Mash with monsters in a classic Castlevania sequel, tangle with supernatural samurai or battle as a powerful magician-you're bound to discover cool tricks and visual treats no matter which titles you choose. Happy Hallo-Wii!

Today Nintendo adds three new classic games to the popular Wii� video game system's Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points� to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Castlevania II Simon's Quest (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): In this one-player adventure, you'll take on the role of Simon Belmont once again and duel to the death with Count Dracula. Grab your legendary whip, Vampire Killer, and roam freely through Transylvania on a quest to find the count's missing body parts-these are the key to breaking an evil curse. This quest won't be easy, though, for you must battle hideous fiends who stalk the land. In addition to the intense action and tight control the Castlevania series is known for, this sequel also introduced several unique game-play elements into the fold. Build experience the longer you play, buy weapons and items from merchants, or talk with villagers to get clues (some of which are false). Watch as day turns to night and then back again. Take a deep breath, steady your nerves, and help Simon end his curse and defeat the count once and for all.

SAMURAI-GHOST (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Animated Blood and Violence, 600 Wii Points): This action platformer features a samurai ghost from the depths of the underworld. In a past war, Kagekiyo managed to defeat the shogun Yoritomo and his clan. However, their evil spirits were not completely destroyed, and now, in the world known as Dark Side, they seek the time of their rebirth. In order to shatter those ambitions, Kagekiyo must make his way across seven zones and head for "The Heart of the Darkside" where Yoritomo lies in wait. Use spirit weapons to power up your sword, or other items, such as candles to recover health, and defeat the endless hordes of enemies. Each zone is not only protected by a boss but also includes demons as well as real samurai from 12th-century Japan. Get ready for some intense one-on-one combat action.

MAGICIAN LORD (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen - Blood and Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1990 and regarded as one of the NEOGEO's earliest signature games, this side-scrolling platformer mixes action with the mystical world of fantasy. A magician named Elta, last descendant of the famed Magician Lord, takes on an epic adventure to save the world from the evil Gul-Agieze. Elta must battle through eight stages, collecting the eight tomes of power that are key to defeating Gul-Agieze and his evil plans. By obtaining orbs in one of three colors (elements) that appear during the game, Elta's offensive powers and jumping abilities can be strengthened. The effect varies considerably depending on the combination of elements, though, and Elta can transform into six different forms: Waterman, Dragon Warrior, Shinobi, Samurai, Raijin or Poseidon. Can you help Elta to become the new Magician Lord?

Igarashi Confirms New Castlevania DS

Mark Wilson — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:00:09 MDT

Koji Igarashi is apparently not one to keep secrets...if you don't count the hundreds of sarcophagi in his basement. That's why when Wired asked him if another Nintendo DS Castlevania game was on its way, he didn't do the whole, "err...uhh...no announcement at this time...what's that?? "turn into a bat an fly away* maneuver.

We're doing another Nintendo DS version. There hasn't been an official announcement, but we're doing it...we want people to enjoy the PSP version, and afterwards we're announcing it. So, please wait a little bit."

Hmm...by "wait a little bit" we hope he didn't mean, "don't tell the entire world." Because then we might feel bad for the ~~vampire~~ guy.

Interview: Iga Talks Castlevania Everything [via cvg]
[image]

Castlevania Figures for Pre-Order on Play-Asia

fdemarco — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:00:00 MDT

Remember those MECA made Castlevania action figures we've been drooling over for months? Well, now they are available for pre-order at PlayAsia.com. The seven inch figures are going for $15 plus shipping and include Simon Belmont, Dracula and a Succubus. There is also an Alucard figure that is currently listed as "Announced - Preorders opening soon." So many cool toys, so little money, so sad.

Castlevania 7" Figures [Play-Asia]
[via GoNintendo]

Konami's Castlevania Boo-Boo

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:00:43 MDT

Anyone who's ever played one of Konami's Castlevania game can tell you, the Belmonts are the franchise heroes. The family has sworn to fight Lord Dracula. Without the Belmont clan, you wouldn't have a Castlevania game! Don't tell a recent ad in Electronic Gaming Monthly for PSP title Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles — It refers to the "Beaumont family." Who the hell are they? Konami writing "Beaumont" is a bit like Nintendo writing "Murio" or Microsoft referring to Hilo 3.
Mistake [Y2Kev @ NeoGAF via Game|Life]

Castlevania Producer Whips It Out At Signing

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:00:24 MDT

Don't let the silly head gear and the goofy whip fool you. Koji "IGA" Igarashi is a serious man. He's dedicated his life to Castlevania. Just take a look at his business card! Kotakuite Torokun was in attendance and brings word that folks started lining up at around 2:00PM for a signing last night. The cover for upcoming PSP title Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles was passed at as well for IGA to sign. That after the jump.

Torokun's Page [Deviant Art]

Iga Eyes Xbox 360 For Next Console Castlevania

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:40:42 MDT

The man who eats, sleeps, breathes and craps Castlevania, Koji Igarashi, sat down with Game Informer to chat about the future of the classic Dracula slaying franchise. With "IGA" and crew already hard at work on wrapping up Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP and churning out another Nintendo DS sequel, one might wonder when the team plans to revisit Castlevania on home consoles. Iga says it's a possibility, but you might want to secure yourself an Xbox 360 if you want to play it.

He tells GI that "I think the Xbox 360 would be the best platform for the U.S. market" citing the series' lopsided success stateside. Igarashi does, however, give PLAYSTATION 3 owners some hope, saying "As you know, Konami will release Metal Gear for the PS3, so Metal Gear might expand the PS3 market. In that case, we may release Castlevania for the PS3."

The Castlevaniac also touches on staying true to 2D, revealing that, based on the performance of the PSP port, he may decide to stick with side scrolling gameplay for any future console releases. I just pre-ordered ten copies. I suggest you do the same if you don't hate gaming.

Whip It Good: Koji Igarashi Talks About The Future Of Castlevania [Game Informer]

Hob Nob With Castlevania Producer Koji Igarashi

fdemarco — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:00:00 MDT

If you live in the Los Angleles area and are fan of the Castlevania series, there is golden opportunity for you to spend some quality time with Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. To promote the launch of Castlevania X, on the PSP, Mr. Igarashi will be appearing at the Universal City Walk EB Games on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007 from 6:00-8:00 P.M. He will be signing autographs and posing for photographs with fans and hopefully he'll be wearing the jaunty hat shown in the photo.

[via The Asian Power Hour]

NECA's Castlevania Figs That Don't Suck

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:40:50 MDT

The 8-bit take on Castlevania's Simon Belmont was so bad, some made concessions for it, thinking it was made of delicious milk chocolate. Not true. This series of Castlevania sculpts, leaning heavily toward Castlevania: Symphony of the Night helps to redeem NECA just a bit. In fact, the company's inclusion of a bare breasted succubus is good enough to maybe pull them out of the muck for their Comic Con exclusive mistake.

Castlevania Simon Belmont Comic Con Exclusive Confirmed To Suck

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:00:37 MDT

After standing in line at the NECA booth to secure this painfully awful Simon Belmont... thing that's not only an eyesore to anyone with a modicum of respectable taste, but also a Comic Con 07 exclusive(!), I realized I was the only one of dozens to point at this ghastly monstrosity and semi-convincingly utter "I want that!" Confirming that my glass case poking was directed at this garish waste of ten dollars, the NECA booth girl handed it over.

"Just one?" she said. "Are you joking?" I thought.

Even though I knew that this was nothing more than a joke purchase and will ultimately be destroyed by myself (or a lucky reader!) I still felt like a sucker. I can confirm that, yes, this thing is indeed disgusting to look at in real life but it does not, as Luke suspected, to actually be molded human excrement.

Final grade: F. Will mock again.

Former Localizer Dishes Kojima Dirt

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 22:00:32 MDT

NDAs sure make gossip dull sometimes! Former employees, though, make it oh-so rich. Jeremy Blaustein, translator of the first Metal Gear Solid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, gets frank as hell as he discusses things like trials and tribulations of voice recording, Snatcher's abysmal SEGA CD sales, Silent Hill ripping off movies like The Cell and Barton Fink. His thoughts on series creator Hideo Kojima?

First of all, he [Kojima] is an auteur. From the very start, he has a large ego, which is a necessary thing in order to drive a large number of people to follow a project. You've gotta have a big ego and be sure you're right about everything.

That's not all! He also goes off on Kojima's "over expository nonsense" and dishes about getting panic attacks from doing MGS translations. Later, he talks about beating up the guy who recorded the voice acting for Castlevania: SOTN. He even says he would've worked on Metal Gear Solid 2, 3 and 4 if he "would've kept his stupid mouth shut." Delicious!
Listen to the Podcast [MetalGearSolid.org]

Konami Reveals Leipzig Lineup

Mike Fahey — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:40:13 MDT

Didn't we just get finished with a major industry trade show? Days after E3's end and Konami has come forward to announce its lineup for the 2007 Games Convention in Leipzig Germany, kicking off August 23rd. The show will mark the first ever appearance of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 on the PS3, which is almost guaranteed to be one of the hottest titles in Europe this year, featuring a new AI mechanic called Teamvision that adapts to your style of play to maintain a consistent level of challenging gameplay. The game will also be playable on just about everything that plays video games.

Also on hand will be Koji Igarashi to present Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles on the PSP, and Silent Hill: Origins lead William Oertel will be there to "unveil the future of the series". Spooky.

Sounds like Konami is gearing up for a really big show. We'll let you know how that turns out when Kotaku visits Germany later next month. For now, the press release calls to you.

Games Convention 2007: First details about Konami's product line-up in Leipzig

The football game for a new generation: Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH invites visitors to play PES 2008 for the first time

9:00am on August 23rd will mark a historic date for football fans and games players across Europe, as Konami uses the Games Convention in Leipzig to show the PLAYSTATION®3 version of PES 2008 for the first time.

Visitors to the Konami stand (Hall 4, Booth B11) will be the first people to get a hands-on play of the eagerly-awaited next generation football title, which is just one of dozens of big new titles from the publisher. With more details to follow, Konami has whet appetites with the announcement that key members of its development teams will be on hand to present new titles, including Koji 'IGA' Igarashi who will be showing Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). Similarly, William Oertel, who is overseeing Silent Hill Origins for PSP® will unveil the future of the series.

PES 2008 will be released in Autumn and introduces 'Teamvision', a unique system of artificial intelligence that adapts according to an individual's style of play to create the balanced and strategic play of a high stakes match. Player detail and animation have also been taken to incredible details thanks to the high-definition power afforded by the Next Gen hardware, and visitors to Games Convention 2007 will also be invited to play the game on PC, Xbox 360 and more.

"We will witness one of the most exciting system changes ever at this year's Games Convention," commented Martin Schneider, Sales and Marketing Director Germany for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. "We can promise visitors and gamers in Leipzig that Konami will play a major role in this year´s gaming year - delivering new games and additions to popular franchises, while producing exciting games for new systems and established formats."

New Director for Castlevania Film

Mike Fahey — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:21:59 MDT

As rumored back in March, Paul W.S. Anderson is no longer going to be the director on the big Castlevania feature film now coming our way in late 2008. The director of the best video game movie of all time (Mortal Kombat) will instead be focusing on the remake of Death Race, of which I wholeheartedly approve.

In his place will be Sylvain White, who you may remember from sleeper hit street dancing movie "Stomp the Yard" or... "I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer." I'm scared.

"Most of the vampire films have been present or set in the future, from 'Blade' to 'Underworld,' and I was attracted by the chance to make a dark, epic period movie that almost has an anime feel to it," White said.

Well at least he has a handle on the basics. Past, gothic, vampires, anime. Go boy. As for the script, Anderson and White will be working together on a rewrite, since the original was written with Anderson's directing in mind.

So we have a relatively untested director with one major sleeper hit under his belt, but White is also slated to direct Frank Miller's Ronin, and Miller's properties aren't exactly fluff that studios hand out to just anyone. Someone has faith in the guy, so I'll swipe a little of that and see what happens. Michael Fahey

White stakes out 'Castlevania' [Variety - Thanks Ja!]

Castlevania PSP's Bloody Intro

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 01:00:08 MDT

Konami's resurrecting the SNES.... err PC Engine Castlevania classic Castlevania: Rondo of Blood on PSPs later this year and more footage of the game is starting to creep out. High Score Magazine is promising a week filled with Castlevania related updates, including more of Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, but this CG intro I found most surprisingly fascinating and just a tad terrorizing. With the series often dabbling in bad anime inspired character design, it's kind of refreshing to see something actually resembling a horror flick, not some doe-eyed, gender-confused 'toon. Michael McWhertor

Spy Hunter Movie Back On Track. Yay.

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 20:40:46 MDT

Masochistic fans of the classic Midway arcade game Spy Hunter will be thrilled to learn that the delayed film adaptation has ascended from Hollywood development Hell, with Paul W.S. Anderson replacing former director John Woo.

Pro wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was previously slated to appear as the movie version's titular spy and starred in the Midway game Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run, a title originally planned to coincide with the theatrical release. It's unknown if Johnson, who really nailed his role in Doom as a guy who shoots stuff, is still attached to the project.

Anderson, mostly famous for the Resident Evil and Aliens vs. Predator flicks, is also hard at work ruining/remaking Death Race 2000. No word from Variety on whether these projects will interfere with his work on the Castlevania film.

We can always hope. Michael McWhertor

Universal restarts 'Spy Hunter' [Variety via Gamespot]

Konami Game Music Coming Online

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 15 May 2007 23:00:53 MDT

Konami has inked a deal with Sony BMG to distribute its music online via iTunes and Rhapsody. From Bemani stylings to Michiru Yamane's Castlevania soundtracks, Konami has a rich back catalogue to draw from. And looks like they will! Brian Ashcraft

Konami Music [Gay Gamer]

Re-writes Galore On Castlevania Anime

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 May 2007 03:00:24 MDT

Graphic novelist Warren Ellis is currently working on the straight-to-DVD animated Castlevania flick. Konami's Koji (call me "IGA") Igarashi, who only makes Castlevania games, is involved and adding his two cents to the project. Blogs Ellis:

The film is, of course, set in Wallachia in 1476. We've worked with Koji Igarashi to get the film solidly inside the Castlevania timeline, and he's approved everything I came up with, including some new embroidering to the timeline. To make it work as a film, I had to introduce new backstory, and I went through five drafts of the premise and three of the full outline to get the material where IGA wanted it. He remains absolutely passionate about Castlevania. After eight rewrites of pre-production material, I remain absolutely passionate about beating the crap out of IGA in a dark alleyway one day.

One look at IGA's business card should tell you, hey, this dude ain't fucking around. Brian Ashcraft

Ellis Blogs Re-writes [Castlevania Dracula's Curse via GameSetWatch]