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[fart town usa]

I finished Rondo with Maria a little bit ago and I cannot get over how much fun it is to play as her. I initially played up to level 5 as Richter but wanted to go back and try Maria out, I didn't expect to get so hooked on it.

For people who don't know what I'm talking about, in Rondo of Blood there's 4 maidens being held captive by Dracula and you can save them, they're generally hidden in alternate routes and require a key to unlock the cell. Maria is the first maiden you come across, it's early in the game and pretty easy to find. Once you free her, you can select her as a playable character.

Richter has the standard forward whip but can also do a backflip (dodge) or walk backwards while whipping forward. Maria however, she can double jump, her movement speed in general is much quicker. She can also forward roll and endlessly slide on the ground. She launches two doves as an attack with minimal refresh time and it functions like the cross in standard Castlevania games, you're basically guaranteed two hits so Maria can hit an enemy up to 4 times in one go. However, Maria takes more damage when she gets hit.

It's just so damn fun and it blows me away that this released in 1993 and more or less served as the blueprint for all 2D Castlevania games onward.

Rondo is available in a variety of ways but the easiest (if you want a legit copy) is through Castlevania Requiem, it has Rondo and SOTN. $19.99 on PSN.

Glad I finally checked this game out, it really is as good as people make it out to be.

 

[cireza]

Fantastic game indeed. I would have loved to see a Mega-CD port back then, too bad it did not happen.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Absolutely. In my Wii days I had some outrageously good time with this game, mostly playing as Maria. The game plays so fast as Maria, just rolling and jumping is a joy and tearing through the bosses with that doppelganger attack is pure fun. Rondo is the best Classicvania, no question.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

Ah, Rondo of Blood, an absolute gem. I loved playing as Maria as well, the general pace of the game feels more dynamic and the improved mobility felt like a great advantage when traversing through the map.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Castlevania 3 is the only oldskool vania I've beaten. I could never get into Super or this one.

 

[fart town usa]

Castlevania 3 is the only oldskool vania I've beaten. I could never get into Super or this one.

Damn, that's too bad. I know some can't get into IV cause of the whip changes and lack of difficulty for most of the game.

What about Rondo didn't you like? I think the alternate paths, Maria, music, art style and everything else about it just blows me away. To each their own though, no worries.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Dunno. I always thought IV was ugly and didnt play Rondo until that double pack on PSN. I was spoiled with Super Metroid and SOTN and just preferred that gameplay over the old ones. Might try it again with your tip tho.

 

[Krathoon]

Castlevania Requiem also does this great thing where the sound effects use the controller speaker and there is rumble.

 

[Krathoon]

I got an overpriced copy of Requiem because I wanted a physical copy on Rhondo.

 

[MLSabre]

I really should give this game another look; I tried playing Castlevania Dracula X Chronicle for the PSP way back but got distracted by the likes of Dissidia at that time (and wasn't in the mood for platformers at the time). I've been playing some platformers recently so I should give this a look!

 

[Luc2010]

I love this game but only played a short bit as Maria. I will give this a new run through as Maria and then Richter again.

 

[Spukc]

I finished Rondo with Maria a little bit ago and I cannot get over how much fun it is to play as her. I initially played up to level 5 as Richter but wanted to go back and try Maria out, I didn't expect to get so hooked on it.

For people who don't know what I'm talking about, in Rondo of Blood there's 4 maidens being held captive by Dracula and you can save them, they're generally hidden in alternate routes and require a key to unlock the cell. Maria is the first maiden you come across, it's early in the game and pretty easy to find. Once you free her, you can select her as a playable character.

Richter has the standard forward whip but can also do a backflip (dodge) or walk backwards while whipping forward. Maria however, she can double jump, her movement speed in general is much quicker. She can also forward roll and endlessly slide on the ground. She launches two doves as an attack with minimal refresh time and it functions like the cross in standard Castlevania games, you're basically guaranteed two hits so Maria can hit an enemy up to 4 times in one go. However, Maria takes more damage when she gets hit.

It's just so damn fun and it blows me away that this released in 1993 and more or less served as the blueprint for all 2D Castlevania games onward.

Rondo is on available in a variety of ways but the easiest (if you want a legit copy) is through Castlevania Requiem, it has Rondo and SOTN. $19.99 on PSN.

Glad I finally checked this game out, it really is as good as people make it out to be.

UwU

 

[fart town usa]

I really should give this game another look; I tried playing Castlevania Dracula X Chronicle for the PSP way back but got distracted by the likes of Dissidia at that time (and wasn't in the mood for platformers at the time). I've been playing some platformers recently so I should give this a look!

Dunno. I always thought IV was ugly and didnt play Rondo until that double pack on PSN. I was spoiled with Super Metroid and SOTN and just preferred that gameplay over the old ones. Might try it again with your tip tho.

Yea, try unlocking Maria, it's really easy and early on. Playing with her is essentially classic Castlevania with the agility of the metroidvania games, it's so much fun, she controls so well. Like 2 different games almost between her and Richter.

I'm on SOTN now, it's just mind blowing how an unlockable side character in Rondo created the template for what Castlevania would become. Not that I'm new to SOTN, I just have a whole new outlook on it now that I've experienced Rondo.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

Dunno. I always thought IV was ugly and didnt play Rondo until that double pack on PSN. I was spoiled with Super Metroid and SOTN and just preferred that gameplay over the old ones. Might try it again with your tip tho.

I'm in the same boat. I never was a big fan of the original style Castlevania games but love SOTN and the GBA ones. I think I will do the same and give it a go with Maria because the movement is a large reason I don't care for the original games.

 

[RoboFu]

That’s why I love sega Saturn version of SOTN. Richter and Maria are alot of fun.

 

[Azurro]

I recently replayed all of the classic Castlevanias and really, Castlevania IV is so overrated. The 8 way whip makes things way, WAY too easy. Dracula X is much better, let alone Rondo of Blood.

 

[Ozrimandias]

Rondo is the best Castlevania with the most outstanding OST.

 

[Naked Lunch]

I recently replayed all of the classic Castlevanias and really, Castlevania IV is so overrated. The 8 way whip makes things way, WAY too easy. Dracula X is much better, let alone Rondo of Blood.

Its all context brother. Coming from NES to CV4 was quite a thing. The atmosphere, and especially music, was next gen stuff. Rondo was some mythical thing from Japan that hardly anyone played back then and only saw in magazines.

Thats crazy - I think youre saying snes Drac X is better than Castlevania IV though - Drac X is straight trash.

 

[fart town usa]

I recently replayed all of the classic Castlevanias and really, Castlevania IV is so overrated. The 8 way whip makes things way, WAY too easy. Dracula X is much better, let alone Rondo of Blood.

IV is awesome for what it is though. No shortage in classic style games so it's nice to have something unique. Such a great example of what the SNES can do.

 

[dcx4610]

I played and beat it with Ritcher years ago but never tried Maria.

What's the best modern way to play the game? Any PC ports available in any collection?

 

[Azurro]

Its all context brother. Coming from NES to CV4 was quite a thing. The atmosphere, and especially music, was next gen stuff. Rondo was some mythical thing from Japan that hardly anyone played back then and only saw in magazines.

Thats crazy - I think youre saying snes Drac X is better than Castlevania IV though - Drac X is straight trash.

I was there, I got the SNES and got SCV4. I loved it back then, I still do, but when playing them all again, it's bizarre how easy it is. I didn't even die for about 7 levels or so, and a lot of the *bosses required little timing, just straight up button bashing at times.

I still love Dracula X even if it's a discount version of Rondo of Blood. The music is fantastic and the gameplay is great, even if the visuals are a stepdown from SCV4. That Dracula fight is BS though, too damn tough.

 

[fart town usa]

I played and beat it with Ritcher years ago but never tried Maria.

What's the best modern way to play the game? Any PC ports available in any collection?

I don't think so for PC ports.. I watched a YouTube video earlier on the different versions, it was from a few years ago but he didn't mention any PC ports. I think it's confined to emulation, actural hardware, the pc engine mini, Dracula X Chronicles (PSP) and then Requiem which is PS4/PS5 only I think. Requiem is probably the easiest way for a legit copy and it comes with SOTN.

 

[Krathoon]

There are some repros of the PC Engine version out there too, but Requiem is the easiest way to get it.

 

[Krathoon]

Also, Requiem is a translated version too. The PSP version has some extras like a 3D version and a fancier intro.

Really, the PSP version is like an enhanced version of Rhondo. It also has the original too.
Requiem just has the original.

It is neat to see a 3D version of the game. They did a good job with it.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

I recently replayed all of the classic Castlevanias and really, Castlevania IV is so overrated. The 8 way whip makes things way, WAY too easy. Dracula X is much better, let alone Rondo of Blood.

Dracula X’s level design is hot trash. How they got that turd out of the best Castlevania of its time should be a tale for the ages. That final battle is just trolling, it has to be a deliberate “fuck you” to the fans. No game designer could be that stupid at Konami in the 90s.

 

[Azurro]

Dracula X’s level design is hot trash. How they got that turd out of the best Castlevania of its time should be a tale for the ages. That final battle is just trolling, it has to be a deliberate “fuck you” to the fans. No game designer could be that stupid at Konami in the 90s.

I didn't have a problem with the level design, except for two places, the final battle and the level with the bone dragon heads, it was almost impossible to not fall in between the platforms.

Still, I really enjoyed myself, and I do think it's better than 4, which I love but it's so easy that you don't even have to be alert during most of it.

 

[GymWolf]

Do you know that if you mix the white bird and the black bird you can have a green one?

Wait...

 

[Kacho]

Wow your first time with Rondo fart town usa ?

Glad you enjoyed it.

I've finished this game countless times and I've never played as Maria. I don't know why. Perhaps I should fire up the ol' PS4 and give it a try.

 

[fart town usa]

Wow your first time with Rondo fart town usa ?

Glad you enjoyed it.

I've finished this game countless times and I've never played as Maria. I don't know why. Perhaps I should fire up the ol' PS4 and give it a try.

Dude! You gotta go back and try it, it is so incredibly FUN. I enjoy playing as Richter but playing as Maria is honestly one of most entertaining gaming experiences I've ever had. She controls so incredibly well and it's damn fun to be jumping around everywhere, throwing doves at enemies. Still retains a decent challenge too. Nowhere near the challenge with Richter but you can die real quick as Maria if you aren't careful.

But yea, my first time with Rondo and I am damn glad I finally got around to it. Honestly one of the best games I've ever played. It's stunning how polished it is. Total masterpiece IMO.

 

[Krathoon]

I always liked the idea that Dracula's castle always changes when it appears. Yet, some things stay the same, but different.

It is always being re-imagined. Like Doctor Who.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

I finished Rondo with Maria a little bit ago and I cannot get over how much fun it is to play as her. I initially played up to level 5 as Richter but wanted to go back and try Maria out, I didn't expect to get so hooked on it.

For people who don't know what I'm talking about, in Rondo of Blood there's 4 maidens being held captive by Dracula and you can save them, they're generally hidden in alternate routes and require a key to unlock the cell. Maria is the first maiden you come across, it's early in the game and pretty easy to find. Once you free her, you can select her as a playable character.

Richter has the standard forward whip but can also do a backflip (dodge) or walk backwards while whipping forward. Maria however, she can double jump, her movement speed in general is much quicker. She can also forward roll and endlessly slide on the ground. She launches two doves as an attack with minimal refresh time and it functions like the cross in standard Castlevania games, you're basically guaranteed two hits so Maria can hit an enemy up to 4 times in one go. However, Maria takes more damage when she gets hit.

It's just so damn fun and it blows me away that this released in 1993 and more or less served as the blueprint for all 2D Castlevania games onward.

Rondo is available in a variety of ways but the easiest (if you want a legit copy) is through Castlevania Requiem, it has Rondo and SOTN. $19.99 on PSN.

Glad I finally checked this game out, it really is as good as people make it out to be.

Such a game

 

[DavidGzz]

Gymnast skellies, lol

 

[Luc2010]

Crazy that some people don't like Super Castlevania IV. I remember me and my friend playing the shit out of it when it released. It has that atmospheric audio, whip in any direction, and nice graphics. The graphics look good, but are simple. Being able to whip is all directions was just satisfying and quite possibly made the game a little easier than other games. You could swing back and forth. Not many games at the time allowed for this, except maybe Bionic Commando and later Super Metroid. It had many bosses and memorable moments. I always remember the ghost and his dog. If you killed the dog before it's owner. The ghost would cry over its corpse and disappear.

You would start the game with minimal music until you cross the drawbridge. Instantly it would start to crank up and lock you within the confines of the gates. Then you would enter the courtyard and the gates would rise up in the background. You could go between the foreground and background. The next level you would be walking in the swamp and forest. At one point you could see the castle on the hill. Level 3 basically reminded you of a flooded Roman city. Level 4 had you going through the rolling innards of a bizarre barrel with crazy scrolling effects. The boss being a transparent skull that would break apart. The list goes on to the effects and visuals for this game. Crazy to think this came before Rhondo of blood. I still love them both, though. Super Castlevania 4 was pretty interactive with a lot of its levels.

 

[fart town usa]

Crazy that some people don't like Super Castlevania IV. I remember me and my friend playing the shit out of it when it released. It has that atmospheric audio, whip in any direction, and nice graphics. The graphics look good, but are simple. Being able to whip is all directions was just satisfying and quite possibly made the game a little easier than other games. You could swing back and forth. Not many games at the time allowed for this, except maybe Bionic Commando and later Super Metroid. It had many bosses and memorable moments. I always remember the ghost and his dog. If you killed the dog before it's owner. The ghost would cry over its corpse and disappear.

You would start the game with minimal music until you cross the drawbridge. Instantly it would start to crank up and lock you within the confines of the gates. Then you would enter the courtyard and the gates would rise up in the background. You could go between the foreground and background. The next level you would be walking in the swamp and forest. At one point you could see the castle on the hill. Level 3 basically reminded you of a flooded Roman city. Level 4 had you going through the rolling innards of a bizarre barrel with crazy scrolling effects. The boss being a transparent skull that would break apart. The list goes on to the effects and visuals for this game. Crazy to think this came before Rhondo of blood. I still love them both, though. Super Castlevania 4 was pretty interactive with a lot of its levels.

Agree on everything, well said. I think the game being labeled as "easy" is a bit unfair. It's much easier than other Castlevania games but it's by no means a cakewalk. One boss towards the end will absolutely wreck you if you don't figure out his pattern and how to attack him (the bird guy w/ the spear). We also don't have a shortage of difficult Castlevania games so a classic style one being more approachable is a good thing IMO. Also, Symphony of the Night is generally regarded as the best in the series and that game is a cakewalk for the most part though it's rarely criticized.

In terms of difficulty and not counting Haunted Castle, I think the 'Original' mode on Castlevania Chronicles is the most difficult classic style entry, that game is absolutely brutal.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Crazy that some people don't like Super Castlevania IV. I remember me and my friend playing the shit out of it when it released. It has that atmospheric audio, whip in any direction, and nice graphics. The graphics look good, but are simple. Being able to whip is all directions was just satisfying and quite possibly made the game a little easier than other games. You could swing back and forth. Not many games at the time allowed for this, except maybe Bionic Commando and later Super Metroid. It had many bosses and memorable moments. I always remember the ghost and his dog. If you killed the dog before it's owner. The ghost would cry over its corpse and disappear.

You would start the game with minimal music until you cross the drawbridge. Instantly it would start to crank up and lock you within the confines of the gates. Then you would enter the courtyard and the gates would rise up in the background. You could go between the foreground and background. The next level you would be walking in the swamp and forest. At one point you could see the castle on the hill. Level 3 basically reminded you of a flooded Roman city. Level 4 had you going through the rolling innards of a bizarre barrel with crazy scrolling effects. The boss being a transparent skull that would break apart. The list goes on to the effects and visuals for this game. Crazy to think this came before Rhondo of blood. I still love them both, though. Super Castlevania 4 was pretty interactive with a lot of its levels.

The problem is, all of this was for show.
If only the swinging was implemented as it is in Super Metroid (not going as wild as in Bionic Commando), we’d have a different game on our hands. But the swinging is just used as a gimmick to cross gaps you can’t simply jump over. You basically never have to do consecutive swings. The 8-way whip is similarly underused, because it’s basically only usable while standing still.

Castlevania IV is a Super NES tech showcase first and foremost. It doesn’t really take the Castlevania template to new places. I guess if I played it at the time I could have been more impressed by it, but I only knew it through emulation and it was never as fun or impressive as CV3 to me.

 

[Luc2010]

Castlevania 4 was like going from SNES to PSX to PS2. This is how I pictured it when it came out. The game had meat on its bones with 18 levels and only 15 for Castlevania 3. The difference between the two are graphics and audio vs character selection with branching paths. I still love the classics, but in my mind. Castlevania 4 beats out the mechanics of CV3. It was one hell Uva tech demo for Castlevania.

 

[Azurro]

Crazy that some people don't like Super Castlevania IV. I remember me and my friend playing the shit out of it when it released. It has that atmospheric audio, whip in any direction, and nice graphics. The graphics look good, but are simple. Being able to whip is all directions was just satisfying and quite possibly made the game a little easier than other games. You could swing back and forth. Not many games at the time allowed for this, except maybe Bionic Commando and later Super Metroid. It had many bosses and memorable moments. I always remember the ghost and his dog. If you killed the dog before it's owner. The ghost would cry over its corpse and disappear.
...

I love Castlevania 4, it was an incredible experience when it came out and it's one of my favourite SNES games. It is an amazing tech demo and good classic gameplay. It's just that the 8 way whip made the game insanely easy. I never thought of it as a challenging game, but during this last playthrough, I realised how incredibly easy it is, to the point that it reduces the quality of the game. The bosses look spectacular, but too many of them are just button mashing, there's hardly any platforming, dodging or timing of your hits.

The levels are just not challenging, you don't have to pay attention during most of it, only the last few levels do you have to be alert to the enemies and platforming, and I think a big part of Castlevania is tight platforming and timing your hits against tricky enemies, SCV4 is just not as good in those aspects.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

So good. Despite how much I enjoy SOTN (and the GBA/DS explosion of SOTN clones which were mostly pretty good), the peak of the franchise for me will always be Dracula's Curse and Rondo of Blood. Both of those did classic Castlevania perfectly, and both featured more than one player-character option (four in the case of Dracula's Curse, all with very different abilities and advantages).

 

[fart town usa]

So good. Despite how much I enjoy SOTN (and the GBA/DS explosion of SOTN clones which were mostly pretty good), the peak of the franchise for me will always be Dracula's Curse and Rondo of Blood. Both of those did classic Castlevania perfectly, and both featured more than one player-character option (four in the case of Dracula's Curse, all with very different abilities and advantages).

I'm playing SOTN right now, early into the inverted castle and I gotta say, I think Rondo is my all-time favorite Castlevania.

It's been more than 2 decades since I did a full playthrough of SOTN and as much as I'm enjoying it, it's getting to be a slog right now and I find myself wanting to go back to Rondo, lol. I'm surprised at how mindless SOTN is in terms of combat, I can't remember if the difficulty spikes from here on out but the game has been a breeze and I'm disappointed at how underwhelming the bosses have been so far. That being said though, I'm also enjoying SOTN more than in the past because the story has so much more weight now that I know the backstory of Richter and Maria.

Rondo is just an absolute banger from front to back. All the set pieces, music, combat, etc. It's so damn good.

 

[dave_d]

I'm playing SOTN right now, early into the inverted castle and I gotta say, I think Rondo is my all-time favorite Castlevania.

It's been more than 2 decades since I did a full playthrough of SOTN and as much as I'm enjoying it, it's getting to be a slog right now and I find myself wanting to go back to Rondo, lol. I'm surprised at how mindless SOTN is in terms of combat, I can't remember if the difficulty spikes from here on out but the game has been a breeze and I'm disappointed at how underwhelming the bosses have been so far. That being said though, I'm also enjoying SOTN more than in the past because the story has so much more weight now that I know the backstory of Richter and Maria.

Rondo is just an absolute banger from front to back. All the set pieces, music, combat, etc. It's so damn good.

The only boss in SotN I had any trouble with was Dracula at the end. Of course then I figured out the

Spoiler: best weapon in the game

which is of course the shield rod and Alucard Shield

and then just obliterated him.

 

[fart town usa]

The only boss in SotN I had any trouble with was Dracula at the end. Of course then I figured out the

Spoiler: best weapon in the game

which is of course the shield rod and Alucard Shield

and then just obliterated him.

I saw comments online that mentioned that combo alot. I used the Shield Rod for probably 50% of the game but never tried it with the Alucard Shield.

SOTN is a cake walk for the most part. Only thing I looked up was how to get an equip item that convents lightning damage to health, makes the optional boss a breeze for the most part, Galamoth I think is the name of the boss. Giant Egyptian looking thing.

 

[dave_d]

I saw comments online that mentioned that combo alot. I used the Shield Rod for probably 50% of the game but never tried it with the Alucard Shield.

SOTN is a cake walk for the most part. Only thing I looked up was how to get an equip item that convents lightning damage to health, makes the optional boss a breeze for the most part, Galamoth I think is the name of the boss. Giant Egyptian looking thing.

Oh it's just way overpowered. I guess Crissaegrim might be better but I'm not sure if you can even get that the first time through and it takes a ton of work where the other one you'll definitely get everytime

Spoiler: Why it's the best weapon

If you use the shield rod/alucard shield at the same time you cast a shield spell. At this point you can just hold up your shield and run through enemies. This does repeated maximum (255) damage while healing you. I think you can beat Dracula on his first attack in around 8-10 seconds.

 

[fart town usa]

Oh it's just way overpowered. I guess Crissaegrim might be better but I'm not sure if you can even get that the first time through and it takes a ton of work where the other one you'll definitely get everytime

Spoiler: Why it's the best weapon

If you use the shield rod/alucard shield at the same time you cast a shield spell. At this point you can just hold up your shield and run through enemies. This does repeated maximum (255) damage while healing you. I think you can beat Dracula on his first attack in around 8-10 seconds.

That's funny cause that's similar to the bible/bold spell book in HOD. It doesn't heal you but it gives you two blade gears that are in front of you. It'll take out probably 10 enemies before it disappears and your MP refills while it's in use. You just plow through everything. Like using a star in Mario Bros.

 

[Dorago]

Finding Maria opens up the mid game and allows you to explore all of the areas and get used to the enemy and boss patterns. You need to learn how to use Richter again to 100% the game. It's a really satisfying system and none of the Metroidvania entries have replicated it.

 

[asdasdasdbb]

I'm playing this on PS5 and I'm finding it rather hard. Even with Maria. Part of this is because I simply can't do Maria's secret attack reliably enough to use it. That I was able to even get to Death was kind of surprising.

 

[fart town usa]

I'm playing this on PS5 and I'm finding it rather hard. Even with Maria. Part of this is because I simply can't do Maria's secret attack reliably enough to use it. That I was able to even get to Death was kind of surprising.

You'll get it if you keep at it. Not sure how old you are but it's one of those games where you just gotta die repeatedly at times in order to get the level layout and boss patterns ingrained in your head.

 

[GymWolf]

That’s why I love sega Saturn version of SOTN. Richter and Maria are alot of fun.

They are available on playstation aswell, same for the blue knight.

Still prefer alucard tbh.

 

[asdasdasdbb]

You'll get it if you keep at it. Not sure how old you are but it's one of those games where you just gotta die repeatedly at times in order to get the level layout and boss patterns ingrained in your head.

I think it's the emulation. Controls aren't that tight. SOTN has the same issue to an extent but it's less of an problem because it isn't nearly as difficult.

 

[cireza]

They are available on playstation aswell

Through some hack you mean ? I don't recall Maria being in the original game on PS1.

 

[GymWolf]

Through some hack you mean ? I don't recall Maria being in the original game on PS1.

You had to type strange names when the game ask you name for the save, not hack, just secret codes.

You know what, maybe maria wasn't in, but ritcher and blue knight were 100% in.