Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Game by Konami (God Bless them!) Reviewed by Philip Wesley Size: 64 megabits (8 megabytes) Save: Battery with SEVEN (Count 'em!) SEVEN save spots. Released: 2001 Game Rated: T for Teen (Animated Blood/Gore, mild sexuality, and mild commonly used profanity includeing but not limited to "Hell" and "Damn".) Works with: Game Boy Advance and above. **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: I like Castlevania, so I guess I am partially biased. I have Castlevania Adventure 1, Castlevania Adventure 2, and Castlevania Legends for Game Boy. I *had* to get this one. Why? Because I love this series. I honestly do. Now, the first Game Boy Castlevania was tough; and many people didn't like it. It was more like the first one; but with the ability to jump when on stairs. It was pretty tough; but I liked it. The second was the most perfected of the old school style Castlevania games on Game Boy. With a more developed plot, and better play control. The third was the least traditional in that it had a FEMALE main character, and was a prequel to all the Castlevania games. It also featured music remixed from the first games, a style of branching levels similar to Dracula X, a bit of plot points, it had Alucard in it as a boss, had anime style stills, and some moves not seen since Castlevania 4 for the SNES. Over all, I loved that game as well. Circle of the Moon isn't old school. It's not like Dracula X, it's more like Nocturne in the Moonlight. (Or Symphony of the Night if you feel like calling it that.) Not completely sure of where this fits in the timeline; but remember that Dracula is ageless. As long as he as followers, he keeps coming back. Like an evil god that will not die. As long as he has someone to worship him; Dracula will never be fully destroyed. Sorry for rambling there; but I'll stop that now and get to the review. **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: If you have ever played Nocturne in the Moonlight (Or SOTN), then you know that it plays a lot like Super Metroid; but with a few RPG aspects. That is true here. The plot involves a lady (?) known as Camilla resurrecting Dracula. Now, resurrecting the Servant of the Satan is a bad thing in this country. Kind of like jay-walking or downloading ROMS of Game Boy Advance games. Then the neighborhood vigilantes union decides to intervene. So, Morris Baldwin, his son Hugh Baldwin (OR Baby Baldwin if you're nasty.), and Nathan Graves set out to stop Camilla. They arrive in time to see Camilla summon forth Dracula, who then notices Morris Baldwin and then proclaims: "Yo! You capped my azz ten years ago, Morris. But, now you be old-school and I be brand new style phatness! So, I'm gonna sample your beats and make you my bizotch!" Okay, he didn't say it like that; but you get the idea. Before Morris can say: "I'll work it into my schedule"; the Undead formerly known as Rather Dead, makes the ground collapse under Hugh Baldwin, and Nathan Graves. This effectively lands them out of the way; so Dracula can easily pimp-slap Morris Baldwin around. Nathan and Hugh have a history of sorts. Hugh hates Nathan; because Hugh's daddy gave Nathan the "Hunters Whip"; which is essentially the "Green Destiny" of Vampire Hunters/Devo fans. So, Hugh tells Nathan to "Buzz off!" and proceeds to leave to attempt to save his daddy. Nathan decides that he wants to help too, and the game starts. You control Nathan Graves, and you have a whip. Whoo Hoo! Smite the undead with your whip! When you smite the undead, you get Experience points, DSS Cards, and items. You can use items to heal yourself, and attack enemies. The Experience Points help you get better. When you have enough points, you level up. Leveling up means your Vampire Slaying Skills get more l33t. So, you should kill lots of enemies to be the best. Gotta Slay Them All! The enemies drop clothing and armour; which you can then equip to make yourself stronger. Some enemies drop DSS Cards. DSS Cards are like street drugs in the form of tarot cards. You have an Attribute card named after a Greek or Roman god, and Action cards named after monsters. You have to first use a card to witness it's effects. An example is that if you have a Mercury Attribute Card, and a Salamander Action Card, you can use them together to make your Whip into a Fire Whip. Which is cool. The game is exploration heavy. when you are playing; you'll run into places that you can't reach. Later on, when you track down a large boss creature and kick it's booty; you might get a special item to help you get to that place you can't reach. Some of these items are a double jump, the ability to break or push certain objects, etc. Not too bad. Very exploration heavy; but you'll love every minute of it. Unlike -say- Tomb Raider, the enemies come back; so when you're exploring, you'll always have something trying to kill you. Loads of action, anmd while not for everyone. The T rateing should tell you right off the bat; that this isn't standard Pokémon fare for the kiddies. Nope, it has some blood, gore, minor sexuality, and profanity at times in the game. Wonderfully mature. A sure fire excuse not to sleep on your next business flight. Plays wonderfully. Liked: The DSS cards, the exploration, the bosses, the plot, everything. Hated: There's a lot of DSS cards, and if you play through quickly, you won't get to try out all of them. Some of them are very limited in use. I guess if you aren't someone who enjoys takeing their time with this sweet game, you might not like the fact that there are so many wonderful toys to play with. Although, if you feel that way, you're stupid and must remove yourself from my presence. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: She's Perfect. She's Dark. She's definately a lot better then that sorry excuse for a Game Boy Color game. The graphics are just as good as the wonderful Nocturne in the Moonlight game for the Sega Saturn. (Oh, it's on Play Station One as well? Oh, my bad. How could I EVER forget that?) The graphics are detailed, the bosses are huge, the blood and gore flows freely from the enemies, and the spells/summons/weapons are a real treat to behold. A visual feast with one minor problem. It's a tad dark and rich. Now, the GBA screen is a tad dark as it is; but in the wrong lighting this can be hard to see. Shame really. But that is the way it is. Other then that.. it's truly wonderful. Liked: Perfectly detailed and good. Hated: A tad dark; but it's not the games fault. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: From the opera on the title screen to the creaking doors, screams, moans, and the satisfying sound of a whip smacking demon flesh. The music is mostly original; but there are some nice remixes of past themes in the music; for all of you nostalgia buffs to appreciate. There is even an echo when you first start out. Nothing in here is annoying and it all fits in with the mood of the game. Liked: Wonderful. Hated: Nothing at all. **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: The play control is spot on and responsive, the castle is wonderfully mapped out. The game is definately well made. I would suppose that it could be called short as a very good player can beat it in under ten hours; if they don't find everything; but where is the fun in doing that? The DSS cards are a stroke of genius. Although, I do have some complaints. I want a multi-directional whip and the move while croching techniques that where in Castlevania 4 for the Super Nintendo. I would also LOVE to see the return of "The Burning" move that Sonia Belmont has in Castlevania Legends. I would also like to see multiple playable characters in the next game. Oh, well. Still good! Liked: Everything superior. Hated: Nothing inferior. **************************************************************************** Improve: I want to see another game with Sonia Belmont; but in this style, with "The Burning" intact, multiple characters, and well.. that's it if they do another original game. Although.. forget being original. Why not just give me ports of the PC Engine Dracula X, and the Saturn Nocturne in the Moonlight. Oh, and I dig Alucard. Why isn't he in this one? RIYL: Any of the Metroid games, Castlevania, the Game Boy Tomb Raider games, or large-scale platform/adventure games in general. **************************************************************************** Final Words: Well, back to playing Circle of the Moon. "To bask in darkness and feel the moonlight within." Oh, yeah. Wonderful. Full bodied, mature, complex, and not afraid to give. Just like a good bottle of wine or a proper women. Umm.. yeah. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: ***** Graphics: ***** Sound/Music: ***** Play Control/Game Design: ***** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 25 out of 25 Final Score: 100% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: When you beat the game, you can play through again with a different name to unlock special modes of play.. and well.. hehehe you should just beat it. I'm not going to spoil any of these.