Together Retro August 2020 - Birds are Jerks

[Ack]

I played through the NTSC-J release of Castlevania 4 recently. While the box art sucked for it, it has a much cooler logo and a bit more blood throughout. I think it works best though when considered an enhanced version of the original. It builds so much from the base game, down to a 16-bit version of the original entrance of the castle gates. But then it throws far more levels, far more bosses, and far more enemies at you. It also includes a lot of quality of life enhancements, such as the ability to jump onto stairs, the dangle ability for the whip, and a dedicated special weapon button.

I do love Castlevania IV, man.

[Omerta]

But I've been playing the other great ninja game on the system: Ninja Spirit! The flying enemies are also a pita.

Ninja Spirit is excellent as well. It makes me think that I'm actually good at the game before it starts pouring chaos from every direction and kicking my face in the mud. I love it.

[marurun]

But I've been playing the other great ninja game on the system: Ninja Spirit! The flying enemies are also a pita.

Ninja Spirit is excellent as well. It makes me think that I'm actually good at the game before it starts pouring chaos from every direction and kicking my face in the mud. I love it.

Irem really excels at that. "Look how much is going on, how many enemies there are, but you're in control. You got this bro! PSYCH! How do ya like THEM ninjas?!"

[BoneSnapDeez]

Ninja Spirit seems really slick. I have it on TG16 and Switch (arcade version) but haven't made much progress in either. It's really good but really hard. I love the stackable "spirit" ninjas.

[o.pwuaioc]

Ninja Spirit seems really slick. I have it on TG16 and Switch (arcade version) but haven't made much progress in either. It's really good but really hard. I love the stackable "spirit" ninjas.

It's tough regardless, though usually a particularly difficult section will get easier with the right weapon. That said, when I die, I generally just start over instead of continuing. Some second can be unforgiving if you're trying to level up weapons.

[Ack]

Can we take a moment to talk about the deadliest aspect of the NES Castlevania games: stairs? Specifically those going down. I have died more to trying to snag downward stairs than I have anything else in Castlevania 3.

[MrPopo]

Do you mean by it messing up your rhythm and having you take hits because you interacted with stairs?

[Ack]

I mean how often I have simply walked off a ledge because I didn't hit the command to get on the stairs just right. I haven't yet gotten a feel for it on Castlevania 3.

[Markies]

I have died more to trying to snag downward stairs than I have anything else in Castlevania 3.

The worst enemy in Castlevania 3 are the stairs.

The amount of climbing or descending levels in that game are really annoying. And you just are stuck there on the stairs, forced to take hits as the enemies surround you.

Or the stairs right near an edge where you actually don't go down them, but instead walk right off to your doom.

[marurun]

Rondo of Blood has the best stairs. NES 'vanias have the worst stairs.