Alberto 2008-12-06
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Ok, now I've been playing this game for more than 20 hrs, and while I haven't seen and learn all things this game has to offer, I can safely say this game is a LOT better than expected.
This is NOT a traditional fighter, and I agree with Igarashi (Castlevania creator), sometimes this feels more an action game than a fighter. Why? First of all you have to be aware of the environment, and not only the enemy, something similar to Smash Bros. Also, there are boxes or other object that you can break to grab an item, or you can throw it to your opponent. Some characters can even absorb energy through them and become more powerful, or put traps in them. All of this things give the game a bit more of strategy.
If you're new to the series or to videogames in general, this is a good game to start. You learn about some of the most popular characters in the franchise, and this game is really easy to Pick Up'n Play game. However, like most games, it has some depth in it that will take practice to master.
I admit at first the controls felt weird and I had the feeling the gameplay would be shallow. But after learning and getting used to the mechanics this becomes a very enjoyable game. True, the characters don't have a lot of special movements, but there are many ways you can chain combos, either with special attacks, jumping, guard crushing or subweapons. After training some hours I could do a good 20 hit combo with Simon =)
Just look in youtube, there are some really good videos there and crazy stuff, for example using the clock in the middle of a combo to freeze your opponent in mid-air and continue the combo.
One IMPORTANT thing to mention is that you have 3 different configurations for your control, so if you don't like shaking the WiiMote, there's the option to press a button instead. You can also play with the GameCube or Classic controller if you want. I find it more fun to play it with the WiiMote. If you have played Naruto Clash of Ninja with the WiiMote then you'll not have any problem at all.
As I said earlier, this is Not a traditional fighter, is more like Power Stone, or if you haven't played that game, imagine Smash Bros with Castlevania 3D. The fighting mechanics are really simple, just a few moves per character, but at the same time each character is different, so you have to learn to play with each one. Because of this it reminds me a bit to Street Fighter II, where those days every person could play those games but it had a lot of depth if you put time in it.
Overall, this is a fun and unique game, has an excellent music and some of the best graphics on Wii. The art style is impressive too, I agree it doesn't feel Castlevania at all but still is cool. Has a lot of modes and things to unlock to keep you entertained and has Online too.
Is not perfect though, the game needs more polish in some areas like sound effects and I think some stages could be better. The camera is not as bad as people say, and in most part is the camera that gives the feel of an Action game instead of a fighter (sometimes I felt I was playing Castlevania 64), however it's true is not perfect and needs some work. The online sometimes is laggy, and other times it works fine.
In the end, I really recommend this game. If you like the Castlevania games this has a lot of fan-service. If you like Non-Traditional fighters (Smash Bros or Dragon Ball Tenkaichi) or you are NEW to Fighting games, this is also a good option. And if you only like traditional fighters, this has a good amount of depth and is a completely new experience for you.
Good job Konami! Now, give us a Traditional Castlevania 3D for Wii.... but with Judgment Gameplay and that would be totally AWESOME!!!
