Best and Worst Classic Castlevania Games | hungrygoriya

[@cactrot83]

While there are some choices here I may not personally agree with, it's really refreshing to see a ranking of Castlevanias that isn't the same old rundown you can find all over the internet. And as always your criticism is thoughtful and interesting. Great video!

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you so much! I don't imagine most people will love the ranking, but I did really enjoy playing through all of these games and am always happy to share my thoughts on video games.

[@Denny-Thray]

@@hungrygoriya I didn't really agree with your ranking, but it's YOUR ranking, it's not my ranking. OMG! Different opinions! Forsooth! ;)

[@shorteetv0716]

For me, Castlevania III is top notch, nice review anyway,

[@shawnbuffalo7154]

It's definitely the placements of Castlevania 2 and 3 that made me wanna slap you 😅

[@Austin-gj7zj]

@@shawnbuffalo7154 have some respect

[@jasongarrett768]

“That terrible hallway” is all that’s needed to identify exactly which part of which game in the series you’re referring too.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeppppp. There were many terrible hallways, but none more terrible than that one.

[@josephbradshaw6985]

Yup. If I remember right Death is at the end of that hallway too. Gah!

[@ArmandoDoval]

That section makes even speedrunners nervous.

[@andercrash3602]

Bloodstained COTM also had a ludicrously tough hallway toward the end.

[@kekeke8988]

@@andercrash3602 Nothing in COTM is ludicrously tough.

[@KairuHakubi]

something so special about this genre, the 'western horror via japan' aesthetic is just impossible not to love. the style of it, the repeated memes, the tendency to throw a couple youkai in there to see if we'll notice... and the gleeful tendency to just give monsters whatever powers would look cool on them, regardless of really being on theme.

[@hungrygoriya]

Agreed! I'd love a single word that encompasses exactly what you're describing. It's hard to qualify!

[@eightcoins4401]

Its partially also influenced by Dario Argento, italian horror director. Japan loved him. Until dvd era only place to get uncensored home releases of his movies(laserdisc only) The ost is heavily influenced by Goblin who did the ost for most Argento movies. Its more audible by IV and Rondo compared to earlier games

[@KairuHakubi]

@@eightcoins4401 Neat!! Anything specific I should check out to see where some of the inspiration comes from?

[@MishKoz]

I love how one of the most overpowered characters in the Classic-Vania games is a kid in a bright pink dress who's just there to have fun.

[@hungrygoriya]

She's wonderful to play as, at least!

[@chasonlapointe]

I love that your list is very different than the typical best of Castlevania lists and like you I LOVE Castlevania II. I loved the non-linear gameplay and the more deliberate pace. I recieved my copy when I had to miss a week of school due to an illness. Also the Castlevania II issue of Nintendo Power had my favorite cover!

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you so much! That's very kind of you! Castlevania II is amazing. I've talked about it several times on this channel (there's a standalone review if you dig back a ways) and honestly adored the whole game from start to finish. I'm just sad that it's so short and that there's not more of it. I'm glad you had the game to keep you company during that week of illness. I can still remember playing Bill and Ted's Excellent Video Game Adventure on NES while home sick and have fond memories of riding the horse over and over again.

[@michaelhgravesjr9608]

I have a love-hare relationship with this game that swings so hard both ways, lol. It's the first of the series I ever played, and as a result, I had no preconceptions going in. It's visually great, and the score is still one of my favorites (Bloody Tears is easily top ten favorite instrumental songs material for me), and I loved the story and exploring the world. However... no other game in the series has ever felt this unfair. I never had even one death that felt like I'd earned it via lack of mastery or stupidity; it was constant edge-of-screen spawning enemies knocking me into pits or floors randomly dumping me on spikes the whole way through. I don't think I died via direct damage even one time. Last but not least, I had neither the manual nor Nintendo Power when I played it, and I HADN'T been spoiled on the cliff kneel bit, so by the time I figured that crap out, I'd already missed out on the good ending... which I never even found out EXISTED until a quarter century later. It's a great game. It also sucks.

[@jaredt2590]

Castlevania II was the one that was out there and had a cover on Nintendo power so they had to make sure it was in stores, the original was less common and was more of a 1987 hit with older gamers generally having a copy. If you got your nes in 1990 like I did II was the one you played until 4 came out, if you were really lucky you got 3 but it was ungodly rare.

[@DiamondLongplays]

Glad you gave dracula X a fair shake, as that was probably the first speedrun I put a good amount of effort into. And yeah if you dont fall into the pit, you can get a key in a candle to use for a different path, play different levels and get different bosses. Additionally there are 2 characters you can save which san slightly change the credits screen.

[@hungrygoriya]

I had no problem with Dracula X until the final boss. I thought it was fun! It's cool that you got into speedrunning that game. I haven't seen any Dracula X speedruns before, but I've watched quite a bit of Castlevania 1. And thanks for the info about the alternative paths! I wasn't sure on the details, but it's nice to know that I can try again sometime and see some new things!

[@Bloodreign1]

A lot of people give SNES Drac X flack, some for the maddening final battle, others just don't like the game because it wasn't Castlevania 4, the freedom of whip swinging and dangling the whip was lost, but to me that returned the challenge of what SCV 4 lacked, I could literally 2 loop SCV 4 in 1 life, by the third loop I'd get bored and shut the game off, and used to consistently be able to do it.

[@bobslobbins2864]

@@Bloodreign1 most don't like it because it's a neutered and slightly altered Rondo. Still a solid Castelvania title imo.

[@will-love-lvx]

​@@bobslobbins2864Yea, that's basically it. I still bought it on release tho.

[@kekeke8988]

@@bobslobbins2864 Most people back when it was relevant had never played or heard of Rondo. I rented Dracula X from Blockbuster and liked it well enough.

[@Work-cc5fw]

I’ve been watching hungry goriya for a year now. I love her candid approach to classic games. There are tons of obscure titles I would have other wise not known about but they way she presents them gives me instant nostalgia for something I just found out about. I feel the journey like I’m right there with her. Every time a new video comes out it makes my day.

[@hungrygoriya]

Too kind! Thanks for making time to check out the channel regularly. I appreciate it!

[@g40rc378]

What a wonderful night to have a HungryGoriya video! My favorite is Castlevania 4 - something about the richness of 16 bit music compared to 8 bit really helped engross me in the world.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! The soundtrack in CV4 is really funky/different, but nice and dissonant. Thanks for sharing and for checking this out!

[@jojothecold9456]

W video ^^ also Bloodlines is my favorite castlevania game and I’m glad you gave it a fair shake but I did not see castlevania 2 Simon’s quest as number 1 coming at all guess you can call it a jump-Scare ^^

[@hungrygoriya]

Sorry I spooked you! I did end up finishing Bloodlines but it was a very hard-fought victory for me. It's a cool game!

[@keycadearcadecontrollers467]

I’m really impressed you made it through all these games, especially CV3. I just cannot beat it - it’s interesting you call yourself a “casual” gamer, but have skills far greater than most of us.

[@y.bowcat7782]

@@DonnyKirkMusic this was pretty common practice for US releases of japanese games in the late 80s/early 90s. they cranked the difficulty because, while game rentals had been made illegal in japan, they were extremely popular in america still. they figured if little timmy couldn't beat it in his blockbuster weekend, he'd end up begging his parents for it. edit: in japan, konami's license as a publisher with nintnedo also allowed them to make custom mapper chips for their games, which the JP release of CV3 used for the soundtrack. the US version sounds great but the japanese version sounds incredible

[@hungrygoriya]

I play games very regularly, but I'm not at all competitive about them. I will grind out a game to finish it and try my best to get good at it, but I really need to work at it to get through. I know people who can pick up games and crush them in a much faster time than I could ever dream of doing it. I definitely don't think I'm a bad gamer by any stretch, just not as skilled as other people!

[@imarobot8204]

I wasn't expecting Rondo at four. IMO it's the uncontested GOAT. But nice retrospective.

[@hungrygoriya]

I think it's pretty great! I just liked the games I put ahead of it as a complete package more than Rondo. I'd love to get back to it with no input lag and finish my playthrough with Maria someday.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

Interesting List... Castlevania 2 at Nr.1 is a *Bold* choice though I've never really played it BUT Putting Belmont's Revenge *Below* Dracula X and Kid Dracula cryies BLASPHEMY in my Head! 👀

[@hungrygoriya]

I really liked Simon's Quest, but I'm also very much into sidescrolling adventure games, especially if they have RPG elements. It's like Normal Castlevania Plus in my mind! Belmont's Revenge is a fun one. Amazing soundtrack! Kid Dracula went in the middle mostly for fun. It's not really rankable since it's not a true Castlevania game in my mind, if that makes you feel any better!

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

@@hungrygoriya Haha it'a all good. I can see why castlevania 2 might be seen as a great Game and yeah the Soundtrack of Belmonts Revenge IS indeed Amazing

[@MM-gk1tm]

I was so excited when I saw the title of this video in my feed. We like knowing your takes on the classics too HG!

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thank you! I hope you enjoyed the video!

[@retrogamingknight]

Great timing. I just finished Castlevania The Adventure with save states, and it was the absolutely the most miserable Castlevania experience ever. There wasn't a single part of any of the 4 levels that wasn't frustrating. Then the game has the nerve to give you a harder second loop for your reward to playing through a completely broken experience.

[@hungrygoriya]

Nooooo :( I'm sorry it was such a slog for you.

[@jaredt2590]

Imagine having to play that on an old gameboy color where every time the game says you’re dead 3 times you have to go all the way back and you’ll begin to understand how much time older gamers had to put into that to beat it and originally the screen wasn’t even clear so you had that killing your on top of it’s bad design and the hidden stuff was hidden so well nobody found that back then.

[@kromanaut]

"Wall meat" and "wall juice" made me laugh out loud. Thanks for making another awesome video, you rock!

[@hungrygoriya]

This is nice to hear! I love how Dr. Social has to crouch to get into the wall to get his juice out too! And thank YOU for taking the time to watch! I appreciate it :)

[@mage1439]

@@hungrygoriya I can't believe his name is Dr. Social and his first name isn't even Andy.

[@bcb147]

I wanted to comment on this so much sooner - watched this late last night and was SO DELIGHTED to see someone like me who prefers Castlevania II Simon’s Quest over it’s 8 bit brothers. I was also thrilled to hear someone take Dracula’s Curse to task as it deserves; it is universally praised, but you stated it so perfectly in that the game’s difficulty pushes you away instead of drawing you in due to it’s demand for perfection over determination. It’s a very good game but isn’t nearly as engaging and inviting as Simon’s Quest armed with a Nintendo Power. One of the freshest and fairest takes on the early entries of this awesome series and I am thrilled to enjoy this video!! Happy Halloween!!!

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm so glad you like Simon's Quest too! Castlevania 3 was good in principle, but in practice, it really put me right up against the edge of my patience threshold. I think if I ever try it again, I'll opt for the Famicom version which I've heard has been rebalanced a bit. And thank you very much for your kind words. This video's just a bunch of my honest opinions after experiencing many of these games for the first time as an adult. I'm glad they're pleasant ones to listen to and commiserate with! Happy Halloween to you too!

[@JomboyTonesAgain]

Bizarre take. X, 1, 3, and 4 are just untouchable. I can’t imagine preferring Simon’s Quest the best. It was fun but I found it nigh impossible with a guide. Not even for the AVGN moments but abt 2 others. The map has 2 or 3 screens that look the same but are junctions to branch off to different towns and areas. Poor final boss fight too. Very odd game, but fun

[@AstrobioMike]

It was great getting a look at all these from the perspective of someone free of nostalgia; thanks for putting it together! I feel like I would have the same exact order except I’d put super castlevania as number one and Simon’s quest as two :)

[@VixXstazosJOB]

SQ as second best? brave soul

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh nice! I'm glad we're so close on the ranking order!

[@qwegol1]

although i haven’t watched the video yet, i’ve always wanted a video just ranking the original games, but none ever existed so im eternally happy this is a real video now.

[@hungrygoriya]

I only got to include games I own, so it's not a complete list by any means, but I hope it scratches that itch for you.

[@mayatung]

I'm so excited that you released this! Just earlier today I finished my own personal journey to play as many Castlevania games as I could get my hands on. Not surprised Simon's Quest is your favorite, given how much you like Faxanadu :) My personal favorite was Rondo of Blood

[@hungrygoriya]

I started playing these games in 2018 and played them sporadically over the next few years. I'm glad to finally get this video together! Rondo of Blood is a fabulous game and I can totally understand why it's your favourite! It was tough for me though!

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

If you ever play the 6800 game, the PS1's extra mode is a bit easier on top of the new character sprite. I'm really curious about your thoughts on the 8-bit style Bloodstained games and Rogue Legacy titles, since they don't shy away from their influences.

[@Freshbrood]

@@hungrygoriya KIP Castlevania Adventure was the first mobile version ever and the only mobile version at the time, without any backlight, color, save ability and a 2inch screen. I think you need to judge in the context of how you were able to play them at the time, and being able to get a littler further in Castlevania on the go before the yellow bus got to school every morning was incredible. It took a long time to finally master a 24 minute completion while on the move.

[@UncleNemmy]

(While going through THAT hallway) Death is just standing there... MENACINGLY!!!

[@tommylakindasorta3068]

This must have been quite an undertaking. I love hearing your takes on these classic games. Rondo of Blood is my personal favorite out of the bunch. If you ever want to try it with even MORE inappropriately rocking music, there's a "heavy metal patch" out there that replaces all the music with heavy metal versions of classic Castlevania tunes!

[@hungrygoriya]

It was a very big video to make, but I've been wanting to do this for a long time. You can't put a Castlevania video out in June, you know? And reallyyyyy? I had no idea about the heavy metal patch. That's hilarious! I love the heavy metal renditions, but I'm just not so sure I want to hear then while I'm playing! I love what people have done to and for these games over the years. The fan base is amazing!

[@iansmith8783]

I love the new monitor transitions. Very cool!

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thanks so much! It was a lot of fun putting together and planning out, so I'm glad they turned out well. I was especially happy with how the intro looked/came out.

[@zackpowermusic]

Really great video! Couple of years ago I finally found Zelda II for $20 and they also had C2 for $20 and C3 for $25 and I only had enough money for one. I went with C2 because I thought it was considered the better game and it was $5 cheaper. I thought I screwed up and regretted not getting C3! After seeing this vid I now feel good about my choice. Most people think Zelda 2 is the worst game but it’s my favourite out of all of them. I think C2 is a lot like that. And I’m not even crazy about rpgs Plus I’ve got the 8bit Blood Moon game on Xbone that’s sorta a rip off of C3 so that was my experience playing C3 and I really enjoyed it. Only C game I ever beat and overall enjoyed. Would love to hear your opinion on Bloodmoon, specifically the 8bit one. Keep up the great work! I don’t have the patience to beat these games so major props

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! In my opinion, Simon's Quest is a way better choice than Dracula's Curse, but I also found Dracula's Curse to be way too difficult to be fun. Simon's Quest is pretty similar to lots of the roots of Zelda II anyway, and it's a lot like other awesome games like Faxanadu or The Battle of Olympus. It's a bit cryptic on occasion, but I love how it plays. For what it's worth, I like Zelda II a lot! You're not alone! I'll have to look into Blood Moon sometime and see what it's all about. There are so many "blood" games that they all just kinda lump together in my mind.

[@RetroGamingNook]

What EPIC Castlevania coverage. Bravo! To avoid lag on the TG-16 mini, use an HDMI to S-Video adapter to a CRT TV and stretch the video mode. I see you have an amazing CRT wall… wicked!

[@hungrygoriya]

I took a note down about the converter. I never considered putting it on a CRT but that's a very good point! I'm so spoiled with original hardware most of the time that even a tiny bit of input lag is very noticeable for me. And yes, we do have a whole CRT wall! It's not always in that form since most of it lives in the basement until we need it for a project, but my husband likes working on them. We have a few PVMs and a couple of BVMs, as well as a bunch of commercial units.

[@RetroGamingNook]

​@@hungrygoriya That's all very cool! Being older I need every frame I can get to respond! Cheers.

[@modernallie6326]

All the gba and ds Castlevania games (6 total) are bangers.. i love the platformers but the rpg ones are so awesome

[@hungrygoriya]

I've only played Aria of Sorrow from that bunch so far. I'm looking forward to playing the rest sometime. Maybe once I've gotten through them all, it'll be time for another video in 2028, haha

[@modernallie6326]

@@hungrygoriya I didn't discover any of them until 2021 and I've blown through all of em and a ton a fan made spin offs .. they are all unique.. I could literally write an essay about the coolness they all are.. same relative formula but each has its own thing .. circle of the moon (gba) is the hardest and order of Ecclesia (ds) is the most unorthodox but they are all still Metroid-vanias

[@robd4701]

Awesome video HG. Really enjoyed your take on these games.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you very much, good sir! I appreciate you taking the time to watch this one.

[@Toast_Points]

SPOILERS I remember you mentioning being a fan of Simon's Quest, but I was still a little surprised to see it at no. 1! It's my favorite classic Castlevania too, for similar reasons, and it's refreshing to see a video from someone who really appreciates it. While I understand why people don't like the false hints, I think it adds to the atmosphere a lot. To me it feels like the effect of Dracula's curse, messing with the people and making them say crazy nonsense. And it makes me feel like Simon is alone even in a city full of people, which seems appropriate given his circumstances.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's definitely my favourite, hands down and no contest. It's got so much cool stuff going for it and was definitely the best at being an immersive experience. The others are cool too, but Simon's Quest really grabbed me! I have an entire review dedicated to just that one game deep in my channel history if you want to hear more from me about it. Glad to know someone else that adores it too!

[@Toast_Points]

@@hungrygoriya I love the entire series dearly and I play as many as I can around this time of year, but none mean as much to me as CV2. I have fond memories of getting unreasonably salty about "some angry nerd on youtube" who was talking crap about my beloved Simon's Quest lmao

[@hepwo91222]

@@hungrygoriya if you liked CV2, modern game that is inspired by it is Infernax

[@will-love-lvx]

I had to call Nintendo Power for the first time in my life to pass the Lake part!! The rest I figured out...once I knew ducking used the items!! lol We got this at release too. Man, I'm old!

[@hungrygoriya]

@@will-love-lvx If it's any consolation to you, when I played through the game, my CRT cut off the little platform that you can see below the lake graphics and I had no idea there was anything down there. Some people in my stream chat asked me if I wanted a little nudge, which I took. It's not intuitive at all! It's cool that you got to call the hotline. I would've never been allowed to do that.

[@projectmayhem6898]

Thanks!

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thank you very much!

[@hellboundTX333]

Simons Quest has always been my favorite as well. Followed by 4.

[@hungrygoriya]

Glad we're on the same page! They're both wonderful games!

[@GamingManual]

Great list! It's refreshing to see somewhat of a new ordering on a list like this! Castlevania 3 and Super Castlevania IV will always be my personal faves. Simon's Quest is good for a romp once a year or so. SoTN is a masterpiece in my eyes, to this day. I think Circle of the Moon is my favorite handheld Castlevania.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you very much! In a way, I'm glad I ended up seeing these games a little differently than most because it has led to some really interesting conversations here over the past week or so! I can definitely see why people love Castlevania 3. I just wish it didn't make me feel so cranky! Maybe one day I'll try the Famicom version out since I've heard it's a bit easier. I'm a big fan of Symphony of the Night, but didn't feel right putting it on this list since it's so different from everything else. The other more long-form game I played was Aria of Sorrow, but I've yet to try Circle of the Moon. It's good to know that I have more great Castlevania to look forward to yet!

[@GamingManual]

@@hungrygoriya Symphony of The Night deserves its own video! Also, you had me saying "What a terrible night to have a hallway" at your infamous-hallway section LOL. Keep up the awesome content!

[@francescosmith7859]

Fun video with a lot of unique and interesting takes. I have several notes/questions. First, I'm so happy you gave Master of Darkness some love. It's up there as my favorite Master System game (tough call between this, Phantasy Star and Ninja Gaiden) and belongs with the classic Castlevanias. (I'm also bummed Sega didn't realize what they had and never gave us a sequel or remake on a later console) Next, it's surprising you never got to any of the Castlevania games earlier. It feels like one of those games that a friend of a friend or a rental so that must have been fun getting to play all of these games with a completely new perspective. Though third, it didn't seem like you really enjoyed a lot of them. I might suggest giving a few another try with the other characters. You're right on with Rondo and Maria. She's like the easy mode and getting her in the second stage and plowing through the game with her throwing out kittens and dragons, double jumping and fast dashing is really, really fun and makes you want to complete 100%. Not quite as fun but definitely easier in Castlevania 3 is picking up Grant early. His wall and ceiling climbing is almost a cheat mode and helps SOOOOO much with a lot of the crazy platforming. Later if you trade for Alucard and his ability to fly also make life much easier and the game more fun and less frustrating. Also Eric in Bloodlines is a bit easier with his jump in a lot of the tougher vertical sections (and he gets to go down the twisting stair case which is much easier than climbing up) and his jump is a bit of a cheat mode against some bosses. Anyway, sorry for the long comment. I hope you enjoyed the games and happy Halloween!

[@hungrygoriya]

Master of Darkness is awesome, and it seemed silly to leave it out of a video like this, especially since it fits in so well! And you know what? I didn't really hang out with many people growing up. I had a best friend and another girl I hung out with, and that was about it. They had their family consoles/games hanging around but none of them had Castlevania. I did actually enjoy all of these games quite a bit! I'm not sure what gives the impression that I didn't, but other than CV3 that boiled my blood, all the others were just fine. I think I'd like to revisit CV3 sometime, but with the Famicom version instead. It seems a lot more balanced and approachable. There's so much of that game I'd love to see, but I'm not sure I'd want to try again with the original difficulty. Or maybe I will... I don't know. It was so frustrating for me the first time through that it's going to take some convincing to get back on that horse! I didn't really like how Eric played in Bloodlines, but I only got through a few stages with him before I switched back to John. Your points are taken though! I think the biggest draw for me is trying to finish Rondo with Maria sometime. She just feels so great to play as! No worries about the length of the comment. I'm pretty sure mine has yours beat! Thanks for the thoughtful conversation here!

[@francescosmith7859]

@@hungrygoriya oh good. I'm glad I was wrong on that and overall you enjoyed the series. Especially in that case, similar to Master of Darkness, be sure to check out the Bloodstained series. All made by one of the main Castlevania developers (sorry I forget his name) and the Curse of the Moon games are linear and play similar to Castlevania 3 with characters you can change after you reach them and Ritual of the Night is similar to Symphony of the Night in its large Metroidvania style.

[@metalopoly2569]

Love your videos, I was so happy to see this one was over 40min. Awesome job 😁

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks so much! It takes me a long while to get these videos together since I like to try to finish all the games on the list (in this case, I didn't finish the two Game Boy games).

[@joshmcgootermier2301]

As many have said, glad for the different opinions and the delivery and commemtary.was top notch with your other takes.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thank you so much for your kind words! It's scary to put this kind of video out there when your opinions are different than most, but honesty is important to me too.

[@RedSpade37]

Super Castlevania 4 was my very first Castlevania, and I agree with you about it 100%!

[@hungrygoriya]

It's awesome! Glad you like it so much too!

[@JiklopDave]

Umbrella Lugosi is officially the greatest pun I've ever seen.

[@hungrygoriya]

That's the only one I shared, but the manual's full of them! It's really funny!

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Yeah that made me laugh

[@justabaldguy]

Great stuff as always! Love seeing you challenge yourself with a long video. Hope to see more! I'm always impressed you manage to stick through the tough games. I loved C3 back in the day, mostly because you could change characters and play the levels differently (like the guy who could walk on the walls). I couldn't beat it though, never really got too close. For you to pick these up now days and get through them is most impressive to me.

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks! I think the only two on this list that I didn't finish were the two Game Boy games, but I completed everything else at least once. I'm glad you enjoyed the longer video! I'd love to make more of these, but I usually have to finish all the games first. And I'm pretty slow at making my way through most games! I appreciate the nice comment

[@Wyrdwad]

Whew! That was a fun one to watch, especially knowing that you're one of the few other supporters of Simon's Quest out there -- always been my favorite of the classic Castlevanias as well, for the exact same reasons you outlined here. That walk through the empty ruins of Castlevania at the end before fighting Dracula, with that incredible (and highly underrated) track really selling the unsettling sadness of the setting around you, is still one of my favorite lead-ups to any final boss in an NES game (spoiled only by how much of an absolute pushover Dracula is once you finally get to him!). So glad I'm not the only one who holds the game in such high esteem, as it really is one of the most atmospheric and engaging games in the entire series. Every time I pop it in, I always play for way longer than I intend to because I just find myself getting so engrossed in the game's world. One thing I've always found interesting about Castlevania II is just how much BETTER the soundtrack is in the NES version than in the Famicom Disk System original. Since the FDS has additional sound capabilities, FDS games usually have better music than their NES counterparts. But with Castlevania II, you can tell Konami hadn't quite worked out how to use the FDS sound capabilities to their fullest yet, and the extra sound channels just wound up making every track sound... shrill. Like, I find the FDS version of that soundtrack almost unlistenable. Yet when it made the transition to an NES cartridge, with lesser sound capabilities, those flawed yet impressive compositions quickly transformed into some of the best tracks in the entire series! On the subject of "Castlevania: The Adventure," I'm surprised to hear your comments about the soundtrack, as I've always considered that game to have a pretty exceptional soundtrack -- easily the standout feature of the entire game. Battle of the Holy remains one of my favorite classic Castlevania tracks, in fact, and is an earworm that still pops into my head for no apparent reason every few months, whether or not I've listened to it anytime recently. I guess aside from Battle of the Holy, nothing else in the OST stands out all that much, but Battle of the Holy alone really elevates that soundtrack as a whole in my mind. Now, I also picked out two comments you made in this video that kind of put a smile on my face, as they both perfectly describe my second-favorite classic Castlevania game after Castlevania II, and would indeed ordinarily be marks against the game for me as well were it not for Konami doing such a tremendously good job with them in this title. The comments in question are your note about how certain stage designs in Castlevania III are "deliberately trolly," and also your comment about how Bloodlines doesn't have unlimited continues "like every other Castlevania game." I'm sure I've mentioned it to you before (like, almost positive I have!), but springboarding off of these two asides from you, I'd like to take this moment to espouse the virtues of Vampire Killer, the oddball MSX2 version of Castlevania 1 that's SO DIFFERENT from Castlevania 1, it really stands out as its own game entirely -- and is, IMHO (though not in the opinions of most people), a far better game than Castlevania 1 on NES as a result. If you ever get a chance to play this version, I'd say you definitely should, as I have a feeling you, too, would absolutely love it -- particularly since a lot of Castlevania II's ideas stemmed from Vampire Killer even more than Castlevania (Castlevania II really does feel like a sequel to the MSX game rather than the NES one, in a lot of ways!). Long story short, the major differences between Castlevania and Vampire Killer (which I'll refer to as CV and VK for the remainder of this comment) are as follows: - Stages in VK are somewhat nonlinear, with the door leading to the next area requiring a skeleton key to unlock, and the skeleton key generally (but not always) being hidden in a wall somewhere. - There are also treasure chests scattered throughout each area, as well as keys to unlock them. These may contain the usual sub-weapons or power-ups, but they may also contain some unique new power-ups like high-jump boots, one of two different types of shields (one that halves all damage you take, and another that blocks all projectiles like Link's shield in Zelda), or a map that you can activate with a specific keyboard key in order to see a clearer picture of the area you're in. - Falling doesn't always result in death in this version of the game! It can, as there are still bottomless pits in some areas, but it can also result in you falling to a lower section of the level -- or even sometimes falling down off the bottom of the map and emerging from the top! There are moments where you actually need to take advantage of this in order to reach the door and move on to the next area. - Sub-weapons are VERY different from their NES counterparts. The dagger, cross, and axe now actually replace your whip when picked up, and can be wielded without using any hearts. The dagger is automatically double-shot, so it's actually a really useful sub-weapon to have, despite being weaker than the whip. The cross, on the other hand, is a little tricky to wield, as you actually have to catch it when it comes back to you, or else you lose it and revert back to the base whip. And the axe no longer flies in an arc, but instead boomerangs out and back to you like the cross, only a bit slower and without spanning the entire screen -- and like the cross, you MUST catch it on its return, or you lose it and wind up with the base whip. However, the axe also does a TON of damage, and because it travels so slowly, it often hits enemies multiple times each way, making it an absolutely devastating weapon for as long as you're able to hang onto it. - Meanwhile, the holy water and hourglass (stand-in for the stopwatch) still exist, and DO function as sub-weapons -- and you can actually have both of them at once, alongside any of the above-mentioned weapons that replace your whip. The one downside to this is that the holy water uses 5 hearts now instead of 1, but it also does an absolutely LUDICROUS amount of damage, and still stunlocks enemies, making it kind of a cheat button for beating bosses in absolutely no time at all. It's very much worth the extra heart cost! The hourglass, too, actually works on bosses, so if you go into any boss battle with either of these sub-weapons -- or especially with both! -- you're almost guaranteed victory. The key is just holding onto them long enough to use them on the boss! (continued in next comment)

[@Wyrdwad]

(continued from previous comment) - As if all of this weren't complex enough, there are ALSO merchants hiding in the walls in certain places, who will sell you one of the aforementioned items if you whip them enough times -- though they may also steal some of your hearts, or alternatively give you some hearts? It's very strange. - And said merchants' prices vary based on the number and color of bibles you've collected. Because in this game, candles don't always have GOOD power-ups in them -- some candles actually have enemies in them! And others will have black bibles in them, which cause all merchants to raise their prices if you happen to pick one up. Pick up a white bible, however, and all merchants will lower their prices. - And finally, in regard to your comments about being deliberately trolly and not having unlimited continues: VK does both of these things. In fact, VK gives you 2 spare lives at the beginning of the game, with NO means of earning 1-ups, and NO continues. You have to beat the entire game on 3 lives, or it's back to the beginning with you! Which sounds like it would be frustrating, and it certainly can be, but remember: this is the first Castlevania game. It's not that long, and this version of it has no timer. And since it gives you SO MANY power-ups, it's also not that difficult... IF you know where to find the holy water, the hourglass, the axe, the wood shield, etc. The more you play the game, the more familiar you get with the stage layouts, and the better able you are to plan your route through each stage so that you get to the boss with the best possible loadout to just... beat it without issue. Even Death has nothing on Simon if you show up to the fight with an hourglass or holy water, much less both! So each attempt at playing through the game feels like an expedition, and you'll likely get a LITTLE BIT FARTHER into the game than you did last time you played, until you finally know your way through Dracula's castle so well that you're able to beat the entire game on a single life... - ...assuming you don't get trolled by the game's deliberately evil level design traps. ;) There's one spot in stage 5 where you're climbing a tower right before the boss (replacing the hallway of death, actually!), and each floor of that tower consists of two horizontally looping screens. The second floor from the top is where you'll find the skeleton key for the boss door, but you have to leap down onto a high ledge from the top floor in order to get to it. So I climbed up to the top floor, went one screen to the right, and saw a pit right above where the key should be. I leaped into that pit... and died. Because while every OTHER floor of the tower is two looping screens, the top floor is... three non-looping screens. If you go right from the staircase, you're on a screen with nothing below you, so falling into the pit there is instant death. You have to go LEFT and fall down a pit on THAT screen in order to land on the platform with the key. Absolutely diabolical design, but the thing is, the game DOES give you every opportunity to figure this out -- if not from environmental clues, then by using the map it made sure to offer you on the bottom floor, which clearly shows the top floor being three screens instead of two. If you play the game thinking you're too good for the map, though, you might very well fall into this diabolical trap like I did! ;) Stage 6, too, has a couple similar traps, including a false skeleton key on a platform below the bridge that, if you leap down to grab, leaves you with no way back up, forcing you to leap to your death. If you instead ignore the false key and proceed all the way across the bridge, you'll find another skeleton key just... lying there, on the other side of it, right by the door. I think you get the idea! Sorry for the huuuuuge wall of text, I just really, really love VK. I actually never beat CV, because I found the game just a little too frustrating in its final two stages. But after about 20 "expeditions" through the castle, I finally beat VK a few years back, and it was just SUCH a satisfying feeling! The game was a little too complex for its own good, perhaps, but that's part of what I loved about it, and part of why it's presently one of my favorite games in the series. And why I think it would probably be one of yours, too -- so again, if you ever have a chance to play it, somehow or another, I HIGHLY recommend giving it a shot! You won't regret it. Thank you for coming to my TED talk, I guess? ;) And thank you for a lovely Halloween video! It was really fun hearing your take on these classic games, and I hope I've been able to capture your interest with this comment.

[@Multienderguy37]

@@WyrdwadVampire Killer would be better if it had infinite continues without the Konami game master. It seems like a 2d version of Cv64

[@Wyrdwad]

@@Multienderguy37 Honestly, I think the fact that it doesn't have any continues at all works in its favor. That's not an opinion I normally have -- I typically HATE when games limit your lives/continues -- but there's a real feeling in VK that you're going on a dangerous expedition and EVERYTHING is on the line. I found the lack of continues kind of... exhilarating, in a weird way, and was able to beat the game not quite on a single life, but on two lives at one point. Whereas I have NEVER beaten NES Castlevania, as even with infinite continues, I found the last two stages much too frustrating and simply didn't want to play anymore. It's basically twitch reflexes in the NES version, versus careful strategizing in the MSX version. And if the MSX version had infinite continues, I fear it would simply be too easy!

[@Multienderguy37]

@@Wyrdwad Man, you are making me actually want to replay VK. Anyway, disregarding unlimited continues, just 3 lives is too less. (I don’t remember if you can get extra) It would be good if there was 2 to 4 continues minimum, as otherwise its kinda a pain. I get your point though. Cv1 is also all about strategy and less reflexes, in its own way. I’m not a particularly skilled gamer, and I could complete it.

[@Wyrdwad]

@@Multienderguy37 No 1-ups. Only 2 extra lives beyond the one you start with, and that's it to complete the whole game! It's rough, but inherently doable, as I have terrible reflexes, but was still able to do it with enough attempts. It really all comes down to knowing where all the best power-ups are and making good use of them -- the holy water and hourglass in particular, since the holy water can decimate any boss in seconds and the hourglass works on EVERY boss (unlike the NES version), but the wood shield and the axe or dagger can be really good items to have as well depending on the stage. My opinion on the game is definitely an unpopular one, but I personally feel that VK is actually an extremely easy game if you have the right loadout of items on hand. If there were more lives or continues, I genuinely think the game would be TOO easy, since it's already SO MUCH EASIER than its NES counterpart, to the point that this lack of ability to pick up right where you left off is really the only thing preventing basically anyone from beating this game on their first sitting IMHO.

[@chid255]

Epic video, as someone who has a very different opinion on these games, you did a great job formulating the reason for your ranking. For me my order goes Adventure, 2, 4, 1, Bloodlines, Rondo of Blood, and 3 at the top. Never played Belmonts Revenge of Dracula X yet, but hope to get them soon! I'd really want to tier list all these games at some point, including the metroidvanias, I never really thought too deep about how these games compare with each other for me.

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you will make that tier list sometime. I think it's fun to come to a series, or even games in the same genre and parse out what makes them great as individuals first, and then start comparing to others. When I review stuff, I usually try to do it that way since I don't think it's fair to rate a game's merits on how it compares to other things. This list was a really fun change of pace for my brain! I like your ranking. What's nice about Castlevania is that any game can go anywhere in a list, and it makes sense to someone and someone else will agree with you. The series is so different with every game, but also so interconnected at the same time.

[@JD.78]

Nice video, good to see Simon's Quest get some love. Solid ranking with a few surprising place spots, great watch too. Cheers.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you very much! Simon's Quest deserves all the love.

[@JD.78]

@@hungrygoriya It does deserve a second look for fans of the more action or platform oriented games that maybe overlooked it. Cheers.

[@brgr2642]

The first Castlevania honestly aged shockingly well all things considered. One of my favorite memories with it was when I found out you could break Dracula's fireballs with the Holy Water and use them to get the double and triple shot, it made me feel super smart and gives a way to use the triple Holy Water even if you lose it earlier in the level. Also if you liked Simon's Quest then I recommend checking out the later games in the series. Games like Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia are some of the best in the series. And if you really want something similar then I'd recommend Harmony of Dissonance or Castlevania Revamped.

[@hungrygoriya]

I don't know how I missed this initially, but I don't think I've tried hitting the fireballs with holy water before. That's really cool to know. You almost need a multiplier for the second form unless you enjoy dying a lot. I've actually played Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow before, but they didn't really fit in with this list. I'd love to make a part 2 of this someday once I've played some of the other more exploration-based games. Simon's Quest got included because it's somewhere in between the two, but feels more like the platformer-styled ones to me.

[@rooksdoubleohseven9919]

Happy Halloween Goriya!!! Def need a pick me up this morning. Now I better not see any Simon's Quest hate.😜

[@hungrygoriya]

I think you'll be happy to see where Simon's Quest sits in my books!

[@willmistretta]

My top three are currently CV3, the original, and Bloodlines, but every game in this video except maybe Adventure is absolutely worth playing. Thanks for such excellent coverage of my favorite series.

[@hungrygoriya]

For sure! This video's honestly just a ranking of games that are all good and that I enjoyed. I can't really recommend The Adventure either, but it's far from the worst game I've played! And you're welcome! I appreciate hearing about your order too. I'm not surprised by CV3 and Bloodlines being in your top 3! You're in good company in this comments section!

[@brianbeair4230]

Agreed!! Cv3 draculas curse is my favorite. The others just seem easy in comparison.

[@livejay9062]

You made my terrible night by placing Simon’s Quest on top. Excellent review work!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you! Glad that Simon's Quest at number one brought you some light on a dark day.

[@Bloodreign1]

Castlevania III is my personal favorite, I happen to also like the original, SCV IV, Bloodlines, Rondo, and of course a game for a Japanese PC that would eventually end up on the PS1 years later on Castlevania Chronicles, the game for years we'd call Akdra X68K (or Akumajou Dracula for the Sharp X68000), and a game in it's original PC form that was brutally tough, the Original Mode on the PS1 version was actually made a little easier. You thought CV 3 was hard, ooohh ho ho, the X68K Castlevania is a mean SOB, it takes no prisoners. Your top pick really wasn't a surprise, you do tend to like RPG's and adventure games, so Simon's Quest would be right up your alley. I remember renting it when it was new, and had no idea on what the hell to do, or where the hell to go.

[@hungrygoriya]

I will be sure to steer clear of the X68K game then... sounds like torture! And I have no doubt that my top pick would come as no surprise to anyone that's been around the channel for even a short length of time. The other games are awesome, but goodness is Simon's Quest ever good! I didn't really struggle too much with the hints in the game and didn't really need too much prompting apart from a few spots. I think coming to it as an adult really helps! Thanks for the thoughtful comment!

[@jasongarrett768]

Seconding Sharp X68000 Castlevania as the no holds barred hardest game in the setting. It’s got a lot of great bits and flourishes throughout but it is SCREAMINGLY hard.

[@Bloodreign1]

@@hungrygoriya Thank you! Simon's Quest gets a lot of flack thanks to AVGN basically roasting it a number of years ago. I mentioned this on someone else's video one time, and lord forbid the wolves came after me, swearing that people in droves hated the game long before AVGN blasted it. Funny enough, I don't remember ever hearing much negativity about it before the AVGN review, and I've been on the internet for a pretty long time now. I've never even met anyone in person who hated the game, not even friends of mine who had played it.

[@NOLNV1]

Dracula giving you a bit of meat in Super Castlevania is hilarious, I wonder if it's random?

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm not sure what triggers it, but I think it's something along the lines of not hitting him for a turn? I can't recall exactly, but he releases a little ball that you can whip, and out comes a little chicken leg!

[@NOLNV1]

@@hungrygoriya that's so considerate of him, perhaps it does take some of the edge off your battle though.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@NOLNV1 Even with all the chicken in the world, I struggled really hard with the last battle. It was a challenge I was proud to finally beat!

[@alanfike]

In my opinion, Castlevania 2 has the best musical soundtrack of all of the NES catalogue and the Castlevania series.

[@hungrygoriya]

I think it has a phenomenal soundtrack too. I'd listened to Castlevania music long before enjoying the games in the series (thank you, Vomitron) and I could not stop bopping along the entire time I played Simon's Quest.

[@AxiomofDiscord]

I remember on my tier list (wish I could find it) ranking it as Good below Goat, Excellent, and Great tiers. It would be a B for a NES game as a Castlevania game a solid C. But my favorite was pretty low on this list being Castlevania III. EDIT but mine included all games except for the LOS series. So everything in this timeline.

[@bezoticallyyours83]

I think they all have great and memorable music

[@rockk9753]

Zelda 2

[@bezoticallyyours83]

@@rockk9753 Journey to Silius

[@thewingedavenger1007]

There's nothing like waking up on a Sunday morning, making yourself a nice latte, and drinking it while watching a new Hungry Goriya video.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thanks! I'm glad you stopped by!

[@toms781]

Fantastic and timely retrospective given the season. Simon's Quest is also my favorite. It was the first Castlevania game I played and it left an impression on me with its atmosphere and I loved the RPG and open world elements. I will often do a Simon's Quest play through during the Halloween season.

[@hungrygoriya]

I was trying so hard to get this one finished before Halloween came and went, and I just squeaked by! I'm always glad to meet more people that like Simon's Quest. It deserves so much love and attention, far more than it gets. It's certainly not perfect, but it's immersive and is one of the deepest experiences in the series from these games I talked about here. I should really start doing a yearly playthrough of Simon's Quest. That's an excellent idea!

[@kristophergilliam9374]

Excellent video. Thanks for including the footage of your corrupted game play.

[@hungrygoriya]

My pleasure! It's part of the original hardware experience and it felt right to include it.

[@mattb6522]

Nice list! Castlevania II: Simon's Quest definitely was way ahead of its time in terms combining RPG elements wrapped in an action/adventure title. It was definitely one of the more challenging Castlevanias if you didn't know what to do or where to go. The good thing with all of these games is that there are some great game patches available that add many quality of life features. For example, there are some great patches for the Castlevania: The Adventure (and Belmont's Revenge) to make it much more playable by giving the Belmonts various improvements like a faster walking speed, more modern control scheme (being able to control him in mid-air), and even being allowed to keep your whip upgrades even after being hit. It greatly improves the experience even if the GameBoy titles aren't quite as good as their console counterparts.

[@hungrygoriya]

I suppose I just got so engrossed in Simon's Quest and have played so many other games like it that it felt easier than some of the grindier games like CV3. I hear ya though... if you don't know where you're going or what to do, I can see it being a little bit long. I'm so glad that so many people have gone above and beyond to improve these games in meaningful ways. I've heard about a translation patch for Simon's Quest that really makes things a lot clearer about what to do, but it's cool to learn that the Game Boy games got the same treatment!

[@mattb6522]

@@hungrygoriya I totally agree. I think Simon's Quest is definitely easier than something like Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (it has some really tough sections). Such is the way of some NES adventure games, I think I had to look up solutions to a few parts of Simon's Quest (such as the Red and Blue Crystals). It isn't a long game, so once you know what to do, it can definitely be a nice one to replay. I can definitely vouch for many of the Castlevania patches. Many patches definitely help to ease new players into the games. I think the GameBoy patches benefit those games the most as the vanilla games are way too sluggish and punishing for the average player.

[@bsmith6646]

That 8th level on Castlevania 4 with the "do it" sound (😂) has truly wonderful music. In fact it's my favourite SNES soundtrack ever. Quite astonishing for 16bit in my opinion. Great vid, subscribed 👍 Barry, London

[@hungrygoriya]

I can't unhear it now! I do agree that the music in that stage is amazing. I'm surprised at how much music they packed into Castlevania IV. And thanks for subscribing! I appreciate it!

[@expsharevideogames]

Wow! This is going to be great! Thank you, HG!

[@Y9Power]

I wish KZbin notifications are better than this. Your reviews on Castlevania hits close to the mark. I feel the same way. This is one of my favorite video game series. I still see myself coming back time and again. Very good review and video as always.❤

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks for weighing in here, and good to know we're mostly on the same page! That makes me happy!

[@Y9Power]

​@@hungrygoriya Your videos have so much in common with my gaming style. That's what I like about your videos. You are what gamers SHOULD be like.😊

[@lerkinz]

HG! I loved the flow of this and the information on each game with the ups and downs you felt when it comes to gameplay/difficulty spikes! Awesome editing!

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thank you so much! I'm really happy you liked the video!

[@JohnnyStacker]

I was told by a friend to kneel to the wall with the right crystal ball. Back in the days without internet, you had to explore for hours on end to figure stuff out. Loved Simon's quest. Great vid

[@hungrygoriya]

I didn't own this one when I was a kid, but I remember wandering around quite a few games wondering how to progress like Faxanadu and The Legend of Zelda. I wish I'd had this one back then too.

[@mccloaker]

Hungryvania: Goriya's Curse Heh, how'd you know a Castlevania review is exactly what I was in the mood for? Timely.

[@hungrygoriya]

I had a feeling you and a few others might be in the Castlevania spirit this time of year!

[@Kenshiro3rd]

You keep talking about how the music in this or that game is inappropriate to the vibe Castlevania is going for... how it keeps going for a heavy metal sound rather than a classical or orchestral one. Thing is that IS the vibe Castlevania is going for. Castlevania has ALWAYS had up tempo rocking music, even in the 8bit days. Rocking music is an iconic part of the series... to the point of being one of its trademarks.

[@hungrygoriya]

Rocking music's great and I agree: the music goes hard throughout the entire series. The first time I ever heard Castlevania music was from Vomitron. They've done some fantastic metal covers of video game music. I don't know what it is that makes hearing actual guitars and drums in the games such a disconnect for me. I can appreciate the spirit of that style of music and what it brings to the gameplay, but actually hearing it feels wrong to my ears!

[@EveryDooDarnDiddlyDay]

If you go in for the RPG elements, then Symphony Of Night is your next stop. It's RPG lite, but It has an experience system, HP/MP/Stats and spells and a ton of gear/items and common and rare item drops from mobs also.

[@hungrygoriya]

I played through it a few years ago and really liked it! I still need to try to finish it as Richter. I didn't include it on this list since it didn't really feel like it was the same kind of game as most others on this list. I'd love to do an exploration-based list in the future once I've gotten through them all. So far, I've only played Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow in that vein.

[@OzeroCa]

And if you run out of the Sotn style games and want more, igarashi, who was a big part of making Sotn, has put out Bloodstained, which feels like a love letter to Sotn…. And in a couple spots, a much deserved middle finger to modern Konami.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@OzeroCa There are too many "blood" games... I get them all confused! I think I have a copy of Bloodstained on the Switch if I'm remembering right.

[@dangox3370]

SOTN is great and there's the GBA and DS iterations which all work within the same framework. Thats a ton of awesome games. enough to keep someone busy for a long time.

[@OzeroCa]

@@hungrygoriya yeah, it’s KINDA an unfortunate name. There’s a heap of blood here and there, but less than a lot of games out there that specialize in gore. I was glad to have been on the (LONG) kickstarter ride for the game. I heard the switch version was kinda lacking at launch, but there’ve been patches since. My kickstarter backing got me (among other things,) a copy of the soundtrack by the same composer that did most of Sotn. The kickstarter was crazy… I think Iga initially asked for 20k or something to make the game. In a month, he was nearing 6 mil iirc.

[@LeoStaley]

This video has been done a dozen times on KZbin, but I'm looking forward to watching yours the most.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you! I've been wanting to do this video for a long time, but I had to play the games first!

[@eversosleight]

I was hoping you'd talk about MS's version of Castlevania ☺️ What a fun one! Dr Social may not be Trevor or a Simon but a more than worthy mention when discussing these games.

[@hungrygoriya]

It would've been criminal to leave it out!

[@jasonmiller3543]

Always look forward to your reviews. My top 3 matches yours. Simon's Quest is one of my top 10 NES games. I loved trying to figure out all the clues in my own, leveling up & collecting hearts was enjoyable, and the music is among the best. So glad to find someone else who appreciates it like I do. Great video as always!

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! Simon's Quest has a lot of great stuff to enhance all of the exploration, battling, and platforming. Always glad to know others feel the same way I do.

[@sevencastleforest]

Great to hear your thoughts on my favorite game series. I may disagree with your specific rankings but I never disagreed with the reasoning behind your opinions. Thanks for the great video 👍🏻

[@hungrygoriya]

Glad you didn't come at me with your very best shined up pitchfork! Thanks for taking the time to watch!

[@RealFerfer]

Ahhh the big project has landed! What a halloween treat

[@hungrygoriya]

Yes! I'm glad I managed to sneak it in before Halloween came and went. I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@RealFerfer]

I saved the final half for today- pleasantly surprised to see Simon's Quest so high! I played it as a child (without the power of Nintendo power, RIP) and boy did it take me years. Those liars really got me, but I loved the music and gameplay so much. Thank you, always love your content and Happy Halloween! PS I saw you haven't played TMNT 1- would highly recommend. There's some light exploration and difficulty I think you might enjoy@@hungrygoriya

[@hungrygoriya]

@@RealFerfer Glad you got through the rest of it, and thank you very much for taking the time. I know it's a long one! I do intend to try TMNT 1 one of these days. It definitely seems like something I'd enjoy even if it's really tough (from what I've heard about it, anyway!)

[@irishwristwatch4710]

What a thoughtful and fair analysis of the kind of Castlevania I prefer and miss seeing. Though as others have already mentioned, I think you putting Simon’s Quest as your personal favorite means you’d really get a kick out of the metroidvania games. I’m just glad you gave Castlevania IV some appreciation since recently in the fanbase it’s hip to say it’s overrated and inferior to Rondo. Either way, excellent video and Happy Halloween!

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! I've played Aria of Sorrow and Symphony of the Night, but both of those felt like it'd be comparing apples to oranges if I'd included them in this list. Simon's Quest feels somewhere between Symphony of the Night and the other classic games, so it made sense to include it! Super Castlevania IV is excellent! I love how people jump onto a new and cool bandwagon once in a while. I just always stick to what I like and try to form my own opinions, for better or worse! Happy Halloween to you, and thanks so much for your thoughtful comment here!

[@WWammyy]

When I first played Castlevania 2 it was at a Dixons (shop) kiosk. I later got to play it through a trade but back then we had no internet so I had no idea what to do as unboxed games without manual were common back then. Looking back I am thinking if I did have the manual I probably would have enjoyed the game more. But as it stands the game is alright as I did figure it out by exploration and asking a few friends

[@hungrygoriya]

I imagine it was tough without the manual. It doesn't give you a whole lot of information, but it's better than nothing in a game where lots of the information's hard to find/possibly lies.

[@WWammyy]

@@hungrygoriya Exactly that bit I didn't know about the lies. I was was blindly following the advice given by NPCs.

[@EnjoySackLunch]

Wish I could watch this vid but I looked into the Death Star and I died.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm sorry you didn't listen to the Simon's Quest hints :(

[@newwavejunkie]

Fantastic video HG! I always appreciate hearing your thoughts on this series, especially after having the opportunity to tag along with you on so many of these journeys through your streams of these games. Happy Halloween!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks so much! It's always great to hear from you. I hope you're well, and Happy Halloween to you and your family!

[@TheMadBelmont]

Excellent video! While I find fun in every single one of these games, I understand why The Adventure is at the bottom of the list, that sluggish feeling is awful to deal with but I do it because I can't help but love it lol Also I LOVE seeing 2 get so much love in this video!! That game gets WAY too much hate IMO so it's refreshing to see someone shower it with love 👍 Dropped you a sub and I hope you have an amazing Halloween! 🎃

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad you're giving The Adventure a little bit of love. I haven't seen much positivity in the comments for it! Thanks so much for subscribing and for the kind words! I appreciate you stopping by. Wishing you a Happy Halloween!

[@TheMadBelmont]

@@hungrygoriya No problem at all! Gotta support fellow Castlevania fans so keep up the good work! Looking forward to seeing more of your content :D

[@scarythingsarescary6493]

Your voice is very calming and listening to you talk about the great games from my childhood is an added bonus. Btw I feel you on C3…that game is infused with hatred lol.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thanks so much! I'm pretty blessed in the voice department. I'm glad we're on the same page with Castlevania 3. I really want to like it because it has a lot of great things going for it in principle, but it's just so mean!

[@opaljk4835]

Master Of Darkness is such a cool little alternative experience to the nes CV games.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was!

[@Thenewbagman]

Wow, this is a massive video!!! One of my favourite youtubers talkin of one of my favorite videogame franchises for 40 minutes??? Sign me in!!

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you liked the video!

[@ozmahunter6940]

Have you ever tried Infernax? If not, I would highly recommend it! It’s a modern take on those exploration based, platformers of yore such as Simon’s Quest, Faxanadu and Zelda II. The makers kind of went a little overboard with the gore if you ask me, but since you very much enjoyed a Belmont being turned inside out, I think you might not mind. Anyway, love your content!

[@hungrygoriya]

I haven't tried Infernax yet, but it seems that I really should. And thanks so much for checking out my videos here. I appreciate it!

[@ichigokarasu]

Having watched most of your vids, I can hazard a guess as to the years in which you were a kid, and I have to say, it was shocking to hear the admission that you hadn't played a Castlevania game until 2018! ...then I remember my own age, and how I had never seen Pulp Fiction until 2017, and have always had a burning desire to play Snatcher and Earthbound, and haven't done that for over 25 years.

[@hungrygoriya]

I was born in the mid 80s, but we only had a limited number of NES games growing up. I spent nearly my entire childhood playing the same ones, and my friends at the time never had Castlevania either. I think I first learned about the series from The Angry Video Game Nerd in the early 2010s, but it took me a while to find all the games and eventually get around to playing them. Better late than never! If it makes you feel any better, I'm not much of a movie person and I haven't seen Pulp Fiction either. It's one of two movies we own on laser disc!

[@ZEKESPILLEDINKMUSIC]

I was listening to the soundtracks to these games again (including your distorted version of Castlevania III), and I found that the Famicom version of Castlevania III had enhanced music via an extra audio chip called the VRC6. If you compare it to the soundtrack for the North American release, the Japanese version sounds a lot better.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! The Japanese version of CV3 sounds amazing!

[@Roge9]

@@hungrygoriya that and it's much easier to play through. You might like it much more.

[@LakituAl]

​@@Roge9the way they changed Grant in the U.S. version is a real horror, they massacred my boy

[@lokimotive6959]

You're awesome 👍 Happy Halloween to you as well

[@rainbowterra]

30:53 This part got me good lmao DEWIT

[@hungrygoriya]

It's true!

[@jayvee5686]

Good list. There's something so soothing about watching or playing old school classic Castlevania games

[@hungrygoriya]

I really enjoy old games in general. Castlevania's a fantastic series. The music really pushes it all over the top for me.

[@sykotiksonik]

I'm not even finished with the video, but after seeing what game ranked as your third worst, I already know this is going to be an interesting video! I also like your narrations! Hello, from a first time viewer!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks for stopping by the channel and checking out this video! I'm definitely someone who came to this series with a clean slate and enjoyed nearly every moment of playing through these games. And please don't get me wrong about number 3. I love a hard game, but that one's difficulty was just too much and I just ended up feeling frustrated. There's so much more there to enjoy, and I'm just so put off from trying it because I know that path's supposed to be even harder than the one I played.

[@RedSpade37]

I love seeing long-form content from you! And the Castlevania series is one of my absolute favorites! The music alone is phenomenal!

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks so much! These videos take a while to put together since I have to play the games first, of course. I wish I could do more long form videos like this but I'd have to get through games much faster! The Castlevania series is phenomenal for many reasons, but the music is definitely one of the best parts about it for me. Agreed!

[@TheMidnighttea]

I feel like the more rock-oriented aspect of Rondo of Blood's soundtrack is kind of meant to reflect the hotblooded youth personality of Richter Belmont. Guy sees all the spooky stuff and isn't intimidated, he's ready to fight. It's kind of a Castlevania music tradition for the music to reflect the character you're playing as. Examples include Super Castlevania 4's first level music just being called "Theme of Simon", or the somber but determined "Dracula's Castle" reflecting Alucard's quest in Symphony of the Night.

[@Captain_Neckbeard]

Agreed. Rondo's ost is perfect, imo.

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

I always appreciate how clearly you actually play these games in-depth and don't just skim the surface and parrot the thoughts of others. I've been a Castlevania fan since the beginning, and I'm honestly not sure I disagree with any of the mainline series rankings here at all. When I think of classic Castlevania, it's Simon's Quest that first jumps to mind as the quintessential experience. I think the only thing I'm not in lock-step with here is that I don't care a ton for Kid Dracula. I finished it, and I get the tie-in, but it just feels like something totally different than Castlevania to me. Excellent list with wonderful thoughts on each.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thanks so much! I slotted Castlevania games in between others for almost 5 years to be able to play through what I did to eventually make this video. The only ones I didn't finish were Belmont's Revenge and Adventure, but I did give all the others lots of time and effort to see them through and try to form sound opinions on them. Kid Dracula's more of an aside in this video, for sure. I stuck it in the middle as a little break from the serious games in the series. I like it, but I don't really feel like it fits in with the rest of the games in the series like you! I really appreciate your kind words. Thanks for leaving a thoughtful comment.

[@Biggi87]

While my personal list would be quite a bit different (probably with Rondo, Bloodlines and Belmon't Revenge at the top 3) this was still a very entertaining video and I could absolutely understand and agree with your arguments. It speaks a lot about the general quality of a series when so many of it's installments could be argued as "The best ones." But yeah, The Adventure is quite hard to defend no matter how you look at it.

[@hungrygoriya]

I can see why you'd put those three in your top three! All of these games have good features and great gameplay (except Adventure, agreed!), but it really depends on what each person likes best. It's definitely a nostalgic and important series for so many people, for good reason!

[@NESAtlas]

I found this very insightful. I am a little embarrassed to have only played a few games in the series, so it was nice to see a comparison between the classics.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thank you! I tried to give some good and honest feedback on the games I've played. And if you're asking me, there's nothing to be embarrassed about! I hope you get to play more of these games sometime when you're good and ready, and I especially hope that you enjoy them too!

[@worldoffood123]

Number 2 choice fits about right. So many memorable bosses and incredible stage variety. It does start pretty easy, but the last few stages are genuinely challenging. I especially love the treasure room, don't think I've seen any other game do something like that. First place is going to be controversial, but as a Zelda 2 fan I get it hahaha. I just wish it had more boss fights and the correct path was a little more clear. I agree the vibe is perfect though. Never heard of Master of Darkness! Seems pretty shameless in how directly it copies castlevania, but if it's well made that doesn't really matter. Feels like a cool fan game. I'll have to check it out!

[@hungrygoriya]

Even going back through my playthrough footage, I was blown away by how many places you actually see in the number 2 spot. It's very versatile in its design as well! I am such a sucker for those mildly cryptic sidescrolling action adventure games, so I couldn't help myself. It was without question the most fun I had playing a Castlevania game, and I didn't think it'd be right to lie to myself or any of you either! I agree though... it has its flaws and I do wish there was a bit more challenge in the mansions. Master of Darkness is short but sweet. It's on the Game Gear as well if you'd rather try it that way!

[@alexshadowfax1119]

I really enjoyed the interrupting message during your video, very clever and humourous.

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you! I wish I could take credit for that idea, but it was all my husband's. He's always kind enough to help me set up the filming and brainstorm some neat ideas for the videos. I swear all of the best ideas come from him! I'll pass that along to him!

[@alexshadowfax1119]

@@hungrygoriya well you make a good team!

[@johnnybensonitis7853]

Dracula's Curse really was an incredible game to round out the trilogy on the NES. It was one of those games I used to rent from the local rentin' place when I was a kid because I would think about how cool it was with the new characters and all. Then I'd get it back home and play for a few hours before probably throwing my controller in frustration/disgust. It was a very interesting choice for Konami to tweak the usual series' difficulty to make this game surprisingly impossible. (It's gotta be up t here with Battletoads as great games that have downright cruel difficulty)

[@dieinfire920]

It’s an amazing game. Once you finish it it gives a huge sense of satisfaction. Plus for me is the game with the more horror feel in the entire series. Playing it at night in total silence with the song “nightmare” gave me the chills.

[@hungrygoriya]

I find it incredibly difficult as well, though I've heard the Famicom version's easier. I don't mind a hard game but I draw a line when things start to make me feel flustered and frustrated like CV3 did. There's so much more game to enjoy that I just can't bring myself to try.

[@johnnybensonitis7853]

@@dieinfire920 You actually finished it?! How in the goddamn hell did you pull that off, holy shit man. In that case I reckon I'll have to take your word on that feeling of huge satisfaction from accomplishing such a feat as talking to you right here will be the closest I'll ever personally get to it. Congrats tho, that's overcoming maybe the pinnacle of all the games that earned the reputation of being "NES hard".

[@johnnybensonitis7853]

@@hungrygoriya That'd be interesting if the Famicom got the easier version considering how it was often the opposite since the difficulty with some games got dialed back specifically to ship overseas. In any case, I'd say you mad the right call in not throwing yourself at the game repeatedly as one does when faced with that sort of ludicrous level of difficulty. Personally, I find that when I reach the point in the game where progression simply ceases altogether my fun experience becomes clouded with a weird sort of aggression. Things get personal between myself and the game, because, alas, quitting rarely occurred to me as being an option. Eventually, the frustration peaked and I'd just want to run toward the nearest living thing and kill it. So it's been awhile since I last played it lol. Seriously thought, it was an incredible game, but it can also go fuck itself.

[@dieinfire920]

@@johnnybensonitis7853 thanks. Back in the renting days I was able to finish it with Sypha and Alucard, and don’t remember if with grant too, but I was never been able to finish it with only Trevor (eventually did it once emulation era arrived, as I never had the game before, only rented it). Actually I think ninja gaiden 1 and Battletoads are more difficult than castlevania 3. Specially Battletoads.

[@mitchellkopitch]

I love Castlevania IV so much so I made a whole commentary on it, but I totally get why Simon's Quest ranks highest for you. Really fun rundown for Halloween!

[@hungrygoriya]

Castlevania IV has so many good aspects to it. I really liked it! Simon's Quest is definitely my favourite and I don't know that anything will knock it off its pedestal in my books. There's something so nice about adventuring meaningfully in the Castlevania universe.

[@mitchellkopitch]

@@hungrygoriya There is a real charm to Simon's Quest. It's pacing is a little slow for my tastes, but I think its really important to commend the developer's ambition to try something new. To it's credit, Castlevania IV has the innovative 8 directional whip, and the feel of that is so good; I'd love to see another game done in that style.

[@TheirWisecrackingUncle]

I'm glad to see another person who places Castlevania II at or near the top of their list. I rented it a lot as a kid in the late 80s but never actually owned it until my wife got me an NES Mini for my birthday in 2018 or 2019. The open world and the ability to explore Transylvania is what drew me to it over the other titles.

[@hungrygoriya]

To me, it's undeniably one of the best with all it has on offer, even if it's a bit cryptic at times. Congratulations on the NES mini and having the opportunity to own a long-time favourite!

[@iansmith8783]

You are so sweet to feel sorry for the golem boss. I don't! It was self-defense 😂

[@hungrygoriya]

I hate fighting him, hahaha

[@josephbradshaw6985]

Castlevania Adventure benefits quite a bit from rom hacks, especially the hack that removes the music giving the game a huge performance boost. I play with that hack, plus the jump control and walking speed boost hacks. Plus the hack that allows you to keep your whip. The game is easier this way, but way more fun.

[@hungrygoriya]

I need to look into that! I would hate to see the music go altogether, but for speed? Maybe that might be nice.

[@mattlockwood6089]

Great video and timing miss Goriya. If master of darkness was castlevania where would you place it in your list?

[@hungrygoriya]

Probably right above Dracula X! It's good but not dazzling or anything!

[@mattlockwood6089]

@@hungrygoriya ok I have it on the backlog and knew you had played it thank you

[@evilash570]

The original Castlevania is still my favourite, but I recently discovered Master of Darkness on SMS, and it’s Great! It has a creepy Hammer Horror feel thats different. It also has great music!

[@Freshbrood]

Master of Darkness is great! It's totally a Castlevania clone and well done too!

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad you found out about Master of Darkness. I was really excited when I discovered it a little while back and picked it up as soon as I could.

[@Freshbrood]

@@hungrygoriya If only we can get a canon Dr. Social / Belmont team up now.

[@Kadjius]

What an excellent video! I really liked your takes on several of the entries, including Simon's Quest, which I very much agree with. Also, your video compelled me to watch the Netflix series and I've been enjoying it very much, so thank you for that as well :)

[@hungrygoriya]

Right on! I'm really glad to hear that you enjoyed the video. I haven't seen any of the Netflix show since I'm pretty much the only person on earth at this point that has never had Netflix, ever!

[@mudsh4rk]

Simon's Quest has always been my favorite Castlevania game despite its flaws, and for that matter Zelda II has always been my favorite Zelda game (new or old in both cases, although I haven't played every one of them). Just putting that out there.

[@hungrygoriya]

They're both great games!

[@jeremygreen2883]

That waterfall ascent and Frankenstein fight in Dracula's Curse are a total nightmare. Without using save states, I wouldn't have been able to make it. I love the game, but it is mean spirited.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's so cruel. I spent so long there and fighting to get back to Dracula through the last stage at the end.

[@thepositiver9977]

I knew Castlevania 2 would be at the top since you mentioned it in many videos but to see Master of Darkness as well is a joy, that game is so fantastic it could easily compete with the original Castlevania as one of the best side scrolling action games of that generation! :D

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm a predictable person, no doubt about it! And it felt silly to leave Master of Darkness out of the discussion. It definitely deserves some love, and I hope some people are inclined to try it out sometime. It's great!

[@BrendanMolloy-r1z]

love the logic and straightforward brake down you did for this. extra points for including kid drac

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks very much! Kid Dracula was pretty fun. I found it surprisingly tough in some sections for how adorable everything was in it.

[@Patrick-bn5rp]

yoooooo castlevania? My favorite is Aria because of the story. It's a nice series finale.

[@hungrygoriya]

I really liked Aria of Sorrow. I still need to play the other GBA games.

[@Patrick-bn5rp]

@@hungrygoriya have you played Symphony as well? I don't like it as much as Aria, of course. But I do adore that game's sprite work.

[@RedSpade37]

I absolutely adore Aria as well, and I'm so glad the story goes the way it does! When I first played it, many moons ago, I was so excited towards the end of the game! Great memories.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@RedSpade37 The story definitely takes some nice turns eh? I need to go back and do a complete souls run or something.

[@lawrencemcstephens308]

Another great video, hungry! I love the classic CastleVania games, and your top 2 picks are also my 2 favorite CastleVania games! Simon's Quest gets a bad rap today for its faults, but I absolutely loved it as a kid! I beat it without a guide, and sadly, we returned it to the store for The Adventures Of Bayou Billy. One of my worst video game decisions, but I bought it off a friend in high school years later for $5, only to sell off my NES collection in 2009, but my grandma was a rummage/yard/garage sale fiend and had an NES at her camp in the camper for me and my cousins to play when we were out there. One of the games she picked up was Simon's Quest, so I got it for the third time, and have held onto it for the past decade-plus. Never again will I relinquish it! Super CastleVania IV is the pinnacle of the series, and I think it is my favorite over Simon's Quest, and is just tremendous and balanced in its difficulty versus the NES parts 1/3. If you are looking for other CastleVania games to play, I highly recommend the Game Boy Advance titles, mainly Circle Of The Moon and Harmony Of Dissonance. I never played Aria Of Sorrow, but I hear it has its own strengths and weaknesses over the other 2. These ones follow the Symphony Of The Night formula of a Metroidvania, with lots of level-ups and RPG elements. Since I know how much you love Action-RPGs, they might be right up your alley! The expansive environments and exploration are top-notch, with great graphics for a handheld series! Happy Halloween, nice episode to upload today! :D

[@hungrygoriya]

Glad to hear that we're on the same page about the top two! It's neat how games come into and out of our lives like that eh? It seems serendipitous that Simon's quest ended up back in your possession again! Thanks for the suggestions on the GBA titles. So far I've only tried Aria of Sorrow from that bunch, but I'm looking forward to the others. I've also tried Symphony of the Night and liked that one quite a bit. I didn't include these two in the list here because they're just so different from everything else I talked about, but I'd definitely like to play the rest of the exploration-based games and make another list down the line! Sorry for the late reply here, by the way! Your comment got swept away and I just saw it now!

[@lawrencemcstephens308]

@@hungrygoriya Oh nice that you played Aria Of Sorrow! No apology necessary, lots of comments on your videos! Thanks for the reply! :D

[@ericwerdann2269]

Very nostalgic for this series since the first. Simon’s quest been a personal favorite for the longest, always loved the adventure of it just wish there were more bosses in mansions. CV3 on famicom is supposed to be easier especially with grant and the music is slightly better. I just love all the games!

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad to hear from you and a few others here about Simon's Quest being at the top! It's such a great game and I loved it so much. I think Castlevania 3 has a lot of great things going for it, but the difficulty's the only thing really barring me from enjoying it. Maybe I should try the Famicom version sometime just to experience more of it. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@ericwerdann2269]

@@hungrygoriya I loved CVII until iv came out I always wanted so much more I thought that graphical glitches were secrets lol love your reviews thanks for the reply! Happy Halloween