Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Known simply as Castlevania in the PAL region, this was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance released in 2001 and developed by Konami. This game adopts the "Metroidvania" style now so popular in the series. In other words - defeat boss, claim item, advance (Although it's not actually that simple at all). In regards to gameplay and artistic style, this is classic Castlevania.

The amazing Japanese box art.

However, the focus here is not on the Belmont family, as is the case in many titles in the series. Instead, you take on the role of Nathan Graves. In the opening scenes of the game, you see Dracula being revived by a woman named Camilla. Stumbling upon the act and with the rite complete, Nathan's mentor is taken captive by none other than Dracula himself. Nathan and his friend Hugh plummet to the darkest depths of the castle and Hugh sets off by himself. It's your destiny to save your mentor.

This is how vampires should be. Mean, not sparkly.

This game was very well received, and it's easy to see why. As you whip away at skeletons, demons and succubi you can't help but enjoy the experience. The DSS card system offers a fresh spin on the use of magic in the game, but that being said, obtaining all of the cards is a massive challenge.

In my current playthrough, I'm up to eighteen out of twenty cards. Not bad. There are two card classes, Action and Attribute, and basically you pair up different cards for different results.

RPG elements are present, too. Nathan has HP, MP and different stats which really are very important in this game. For example, your luck stat is crucial if you want to get your hands on some of the better pieces of equipment in the game, and those aforementioned cards! You see, you can't buy any items. You will rely solely on enemy drops. Yes, that can be frustrating at times but with a bit of luck and patience, you can get what you want.

Punching a zombie-dragon is not very clever.

Your character also levels up as you gain experience from defeating enemies, so yes, the RPG element is most certainly there. Personally, I dont mind backtracking through the castle and doing some level grinding and/or item hunting when I'm listening to music such as this.

One thing I will say is that some of the hidden enemies in this title are just so well hidden that I have stumbled across them merely by absolute chance. As a fan of the series, I had a feeling that after defeating certain bosses and seeing new enemy spawns, there must also be some fiendish, unique devils lurking somewhere. This is a very challenging game, but the challenge is a welcome one.

My PAL copy of CotM. Demon claw not included.

Interestingly, Castlevania's series producer  Koji Igarashi was not involved in the creation of Circle of the Moon, and in 2002 the title was officially removed from the Castlevania timeline. He stated that it was the intent of the development team for it to be a stand-alone title. That decision wasn't so well received by many fans, but we do still have the game to enjoy. One criticism made was that the graphical style was too dark. Playing on an original GBA (And I do own one) that's certainly a valid point, but now we have backlit systems or the ability to play on a TV using the Game Boy Player for Gamecube, so there's no excuse!

If you're a fan of Castlevania but for some reason never got to play Circle of the Moon, try to get your hands on a copy of the game. It really is a gem.

Now if you'll please excuse me, I'm off to hunt vampires.

Gary

Super Mario Advance

Released in 2001 as a launch game for the superb Game Boy Advance, Super Mario Advance is actually Super Mario Bros. 2, originally released for the NES and then included on Super Mario All Stars on the SNES.

The delightful title screen.

This GBA version is essentially the All Stars version with some aesthetical tweaks and additional features. There is some voice acting in this version, and perhaps the best of the additions is the Yoshi Challenge. This involves revisiting stages in search of Yoshi eggs. Nifty, eh?

Just before the title appears on the main screen, the Yoshi Challenge is hinted at as you can see a large Yoshi egg perched on a ledge. There's also a remake of Mario Bros. on here, which is the original arcade game and still good fun to play to this day. It's better in 2 player mode though, so unless you've got a link cable handy for your GBA and a friend who also has the system...well, you can't play 2 player!

The artwork for Doki Doki Panic.

Anyway, back to the main title available here. I've always had a soft spot for this game. I have the original NES version (Which I will get around to eventually!) and have always enjoyed it. As many will already know, this game wasn't even supposed to be a Mario game!

You see, the "real" Super Mario Bros. 2 was deemed to be too tough for Western players. Nintendo's solution to this problem was to remodel the main characters in Japanese game "Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic" with characters from the world of Mario.

I loved being able to play as either Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool (As she was known in the original, although in the GBA version it was changed to Princess Peach.), as each of the characters has a unique feel and their strengths really do make selecting them for different levels in your attempt to stop Wart a must.

You have to use these keys to open locked doors...but be careful!

The soundtrack is fantastic, as Koji Kondo works his magic to truly bring the game to life with his unique style and amazingly catchy melodies. However, don't be fooled by the pleasant overworld theme.

This game is hard as nails. Not only will you be platforming in traditional fashion, but also vertically. The waterfalls with their logs can be particularly tricky, even at the beginning of the game, and the sand sections can be challenging too. There are many dangers, in many different forms.  I still fear those golden masks who appear down certain vases!

My copy of Super Mario Advance.

World 1-3 has a warp zone which will take you straight to world 4-1, but it's almost a bad idea in many regards, as the spike in difficulty is pretty steep. There are also a few other warp zones well hidden in some later levels.

So yeah, you will die. A lot. That being said, the challenge is a thoroughly enjoyable one, and with that in mind this game is highly replayable. If you've never clocked this game, get to it as it's well worth it! I'll happily visit the land of Subcon many times more.

Gary

World 1-1

Welcome to my world! I've been contemplating the creation of this blog for quite some time now. I have finally decided to stop thinking and start doing.

My first encounter with a video game system would have been in 1990, if I recall correctly. It was a NES that a cousin had. I would have most certainly played a couple of the games, but a little man wearing red & blue stuck in my mind. Keep in mind, I was but three years old!

It was a year later, or perhaps later that same year that my parents bought a NES for my siblings and I to play on. There was that little man in the red & blue clothes again! Of course, I speak of none other than Mario! Super Mario Bros. was bundled with my NES, the cartridge containing both the classic platformer and light-gun shooter Duck Hunt.

What lay ahead for me?

I still have my NES and those peripherals, all still in working order. At this moment in time though, they are rather far away from my current location...but I do promise that I'll get around to writing about them in greater detail at a later date. This is merely a short tale of how I became immersed in the world of video games.

I fondly recall days spent trying to clear Super Mario Bros. and playing 2 player mode with my dad often! We'd take turns playing as Mario & Luigi and always had great fun. That's how games should be. Above all else, they should be fun!

So, what I intend to do on here is rather simple. I have a pretty decent collection of video games, and I am going to play them! Whatever I'm playing at a certain time, I'll write a personal insight to it. Maybe offer a few little tips, talk about soundtracks (I'm a big fan of the music associated with many of my favourite games!) and just generally have fun with this blog. Hopefully people will see it and enjoy it!

Gary