Welcome to The Ten Reasons, where I discuss ten reasons why I like or dislike a game. For the next two months, I’m going to discuss Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for the Game Boy Advance. My Grandma got me this game, because the guy at the store said all the cool kids liked it. And you know what? That guy was right. Here’s why:
Reasons Why I Like Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
1. The Backgrounds
You really can’t do too much with the graphics of a GBA game, because the screen is so small. I mean, if you look closely at the pictures, you’ll see that the main character of this game, Nathan, doesn’t have eyes or a nose or a mouth or anything; he just has a pale circle where his face should be. Apparently, Konami thinks that, given the small screen of the GBA, it’s not worth the bother to go into detail on the character designs.
But even though the character designs aren’t so hot, Konami went all-out on the backgrounds, and they are beautiful. Great stuff, all around.
2. The Fox Archer
One of the enemies in this game is the Fox Archer, a fox who wears a green outfit and shoots his bow and arrow all day long. Remind you of anyone?
That’s right: This game contains a Robin Hood clone. Robin Hood is an awesome movie, Castlevania is an awesome series, and having both is a A++ in my book, any day.
3. Camilla’s Speech
Near the end of the game, you meet up with Camilla, the girl who summoned Dracula, and she gives a speech about evil, darkness, and human nature. Humans seem to have a fascination with the morbid, which is why police TV shows (or Phoenix Wright games) always focus on murders, instead of more commonplace crimes.
I dunno, I always thought this was one of the more interesting parts of the game. Especially since all the other plot developments are lame (see Reason #10). Camilla’s speech is interesting from a moral and philosophical point of view, and it makes me wish they did more with this character besides this one scene.
4. The Door Opening Sound Effect
Here’s a little bit of awesomeness: Whenever you start the game by pressing START, you hear the sound effect of a creaking door. By the time you’re near the end of the game, you’ve heard that sound effect about twenty times.
Here’s the cool part: When you open the door to enter Dracula’s chamber for the final boss battle, the creaking door sound effect is used. And since you’ve heard the sound effect before, it gives a really cool ambiance to the whole Dracula fight.
5. Different Game Modes
Once you beat the game, you’re given the chance to replay it with a different stats system, for a completely different gaming experience. Is it just me, or is this a really cool idea? It’s a perfect way to provide a challenge to the people who want to replay the game. Other games should try this out.
6. The Battle Arena
Not a picture of the Battle Arena, but whatever.
Speaking of things to do once you beat the game, this game comes with a difficult Battle Arena, where you have to fight through twenty or so rooms, without magic, against super tough enemies. It’s basically the same sort of thing as the Pit of 100 Trials in the Paper Mario games or the Gerudo’s Training Fortress in Ocarina of Time.
The Battle Arena is tough. It’s nasty. You’ll die about 20 times when trying to beat it. Plus, just like Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, it has a really creepy ambiance because there’s no background music at all. In other words, it’s a great after-you’ve-beaten-the-game challenge.
7. Magic System
The magic system in this game involves killing enemies and hoping they drop magic cards. These cards have pictures of the Roman gods and monsters on them, and you can use two different cards together for various magical effects, such as fire sword, healing, summoning monsters and increasing luck. All in all, there are 100 different combinations. It was loads of fun to get new cards and see all the cool new spells you can perform with them.
Konami apparently didn’t like the magic system, because it got rid of it in the second game, but Ithought it was cool.
8. The Whip-Twirling Trick
When you hold down the B-button in this game, Nathan twirls his whip constantly. So if you want a ton of free experience, all you have to do is head to an area where the enemies respawn, then tie a rubber band around your GBA so the B-button is held down. Nathan will start twirling his whip, which automatically kills the enemies. Let the game do this for a few hours (or a week or so) to make Nathan’s level go up really high.
Hee hee hee…I love that trick.
9. Dracula Needs a Shave
Let’s take a look at Dracula’s resume, shall we?
Dracula:
- King of Evil.
- Villain of the Castlevania series.
- Legendary monster who wouldn’t think twice about killing you and sucking out your blood.
- Has been in more movies than any other fictional character.
Now take a look at the above picture of him. What does this game add to the list of Dracula’s qualities?
- Old guy who needs to shave.
Yep, Dracula looks kind of like a hobo in this game. I guess even the King of Evil has his off days.
Reasons Why I Dislike Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
10. The Plot
This game’s plot is about how Nathan’s buddy Hugh becomes evil and joins Dracula. That’s a good plot, but there’s a slight problem: Hugh is a total weenie. In fact, I don’t like to call him “Hugh.” I call him “Captain Whiny Butt” instead.
Yes, Hugh is whiny. He is angsty. All he ever does is yell at Nathan, and it’s supposed to be dramatic. But it’s not. I don’t feel like saying, “Oh no! What’s wrong with Hugh? Why is he being so mean?” Instead, I feel like saying, “Get a life, Captain Whiny Butt.”
Actually, hold on a second. Crazy conspiracy theory coming up here. When Camilla talks about Hugh, she says, “Even my MASTER approves of him. (giggle).” Everyone thinks she’s referring to how Hugh is turning evil, but what if she’s not? I mean, that’s hardly giggle-worthy. What if, instead, she’s referring to the fact that Dracula and Hugh are…gay lovers?
No, think about it. Neither Dracula nor Hugh spend any time around Camilla. They both go missing from the castle for hours at a time. Camilla giggles when she thinks of the two of them, and Hugh furiously tries to stop Nathan from killing Dracula. I mean, come on, let’s face it: Dracula + Hugh = True Love. Let’s add that to Dracula’s resume:
Dracula:
- King of Evil.
- Villain of the Castlevania series.
- Legendary monster who wouldn’t think twice about killing you and sucking out your blood.
- Has been in more movies than any other fictional character.
- Old guy who needs to shave.
- Secretly having an affair with Captain Whiny Butt.
That’s a wrap, folks! Stay tuned for Part Two, coming next month!
