Darkstalkers 3 (Vanity Paradise)

#darkstalkers #capcom #fightinggames
Hsien-ko's stage in Darkstalkers 3 is one of the undarkstalker-like in the series, and I wanted to use today's video to highlight this beautiful stage.
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[@Shockbrawler]

This is definitely a unique stage from vampire savior, and honestly, I was surprised you mentioned the other theme from the resurrection collection. I also liked the blue palette color for this stage since it's smoother and more peaceful to look at.Overall, Great Video! I learned much from this & greatly look forward to your next video! We also need a new darkstalkers game and I'm hoping that after street fighter 6, capcom will hopefully get into making one

[@baberuthless]

Thanks so much Shock! Every now and then at a party ill bust out that resurrection remix version I love that version so much. I didnt mention it in the video but the first time I played Darkstalkers was the PSP version and it defaults the blue version. So i think i favor it mostly because of my nostalgia bias at play here 😅

[@Shockbrawler]

@Baberuthless i did play the psp version as well, and that resurrection theme is really catchy, honestly! I'm hoping for a new darkstalkers that includes a lot of the classic OSTs and for the blue variant of this stage too! It's been too long since capcom did anything with the darkstalkers IP.

[@baberuthless]

@@Shockbrawler At this point if they rerelease the PSP version or the Dreamcast version id be cool with that, since its hard to find a version with all characters. That be a amazing if they had all the classic OSTs, I would love if they included the Darkstalkers 1 and 2 stages also but that's just me being greedy

[@Shockbrawler]

Oh, absolutely. That would be awesome to have the old stages back and nothing wrong to have more on that

[@SleightSoda]

The tenraihai at 3:07 syncing with the gong is so crisp. This was great, please do more Vampire Savior stages!

[@Riz_]

Yes yes! we need a new Darkstalkers. I couldn't agree with this more. I absolutely adore Darkstalkers 3, it is terribly underrated.

[@baberuthless]

Maybe if SF6 is really successful Capcom will be more willing to take more risks in there fighting games again and give Darkstalkers another shot? One can dream.

[@Riz_]

@@baberuthless Till they do announce a Darkstalkers 4 I guess I will have to just keep on dreaming.

[@bluegold1026]

@@Riz_ I'm all for a Darkstalkers 4!

[@vfan96115]

舞台左邊的碑上，應是[氣對淬雷] 。殭屍是道教的風格產物，道教講求氣功與雷法。對應遊戲角色，淬等同有淬煉、精煉、專精的意思，雷應該是他使用的各種兵器法術。

[@sleeperninja8923]

Great stage breakdown, I'd kill for another Darkstalkers. My favorite character has to be B.B. Hood and that was mostly cause she had a gun, and a really cool super(Cool dream hunting), it's more recently I like her more because of the hidden detail in her animations that really show off this sociopathic hunter. As for my favorite stage, that has to be the skyscraper stage, and the train, because it's a train haha.

[@baberuthless]

B.B Hood is such a genius character design! Its so simple yet so perfect! I wish more fighters would slip in little hints to a characters personality like they do in B.B hoods animations. Both those stages are amazing also! I remember first playing on the skyscraper one in particular and not knowing what I was looking at until much later 😅

[@braystar8578]

Hsien-Ko is best Darkstalkers girl fr. Another nice video! Fighting game stage breakdowns don't get covered a lot, so I'm glad you're picking up the slack!

[@baberuthless]

Thank you I'm glad I can help fill that niche! Also yes Hsen-Ko is best girl these are facts

[@MysterioGyllenhaal19]

Hesin Ko's stage is one of the best stages in the Darkstalkers series Imo next to the Tower of Arrogance from Darkstalkers 3, The Fatus of God from Darkstalkers 3, Felica's Stage from Darkstalkers 1 and Bishamon's stages (that's mainly due to the Dog in the background). I'm impressed with the amount of research you did on this stage its awesome to know how much depth the Darkstalker devs added into their stages 👏

[@baberuthless]

Thank you so much glad you enjoyed it! Those are def good choices for stages! Fetus of god is so amazing 😆

[@WooMaster777]

8:43 Oh, my gosh!! I love this version!! I had no idea! It sounds AMAZING!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@aznpikachu215]

Nice breakdown! Love it. Also, to breakdown the third word, it could be 津 (Jin) - So it could be 'Heavenly Ford', like Tianjin 天津. So roughly, it could mean 氣對津雷, it roughly translates to Qi vs. Jinlei, makes no sense. But I'm going to guess is 'The correct way to lighting heaven?' Also, Vanity Paradise is also Sasquatch's stage, too.

[@baberuthless]

I heard that about it also being Sasquatch stage as wel which is so bizarre. I know they dropped character specific stages in DS3 but this stage doesn’t even remotely connect to Sasquatch. I feel like the forest stage would have fit him slightly better

[@aznpikachu215]

@@baberuthless I'm puzzled by that as well. But yeah, that's basically what the 3rd word meant. So the four words could mean it was from the ancient Chinese writings from the BC era, perhaps?

[@baberuthless]

Perhaps so! Which would go with the stages theme since the feeling of it seems to be of an earlier time

[@ANGLOOS]

I never knew I needed a channel about fighting game stages in my life till this very moment

[@derekfcc]

I’m currently working with the people that developed Palmod, a program designed to palette swap old arcade games. I did most of the integration of VSAV stages and am currently working on SFA3. It’s kind of a tedious process but you get to see these stages in full detail through it all. Let me know if you have any questions that I can help you with. Great video!

[@baberuthless]

That's amazing! I definitely will cover more VSAV and SFA3 stages in the future so that would be a great help! I'm trying to become more familiar with Pal mod so I can have a crisper and closer look at these backgrounds.

[@bluegold1026]

Vanity Paradise is my fav song in all of Darkstalkers 3! The stage itself is the most serene. Compare that to, say...the Fetus of God, which is probably the most disturbing stage I've ever seen. Can't wait for more stage breakdowns! If you take requests, hit me up. I have quite a few. P.S. We need a Darkstalkers 4! That could be Capcom's next major fighting game project once SF6 releases! That or Capcom vs. SNK 3

[@baberuthless]

Fetus of god is a great example being the complete opposite of this stage in terms of tone. I do love that stage to but for completely different reasons, mostly because its so messed up 😆 What stages would you like to see covered someday? Id love to gauge interest and see what people would like discussed in future vids!

[@bluegold1026]

@@baberuthless There are so many I don't know where to begin. In addition to Fetus of God from Darkstalkers, you should also check out Demitri's stage, which has appeared in every single Darkstalkers game to date. Also Pyron's stage, which seems to contain the most random assortment of background images lol

[@baberuthless]

@@bluegold1026 Pyron's stage is certainly a grab bag of stuff that would be interesting to try and make sense of. Dimitris stage is also like THE ideal Darkstalkers stage imo so that's a great idea!

[@Sassybanananas]

Fetus of God is genuinely terrifying. Looks like its straight out of Berserk tbh.

[@marcolepsey]

Looking forward to a video about the stages in Guilty Gear! And more street fighter!

[@baberuthless]

I would love to do Guilty gear at some point! I'm so nervous to do it because I'm very intimidated by the lore

[@smashies118]

Aye!! Darkstalkers!! Awesome video! I love how they make that transparent effect by flashing the sprite art in and out every frame. I paused the video and they were all gone!

[@baberuthless]

I miss that effect I wish they would do it in newer games to an extent I think that be cool

[@AuraNova26]

A friend shared this with me and this was honestly a pleasant surprise. You gave some really interesting insight into your ideas and interpretation to this stage based on what you know of Chinese mythology. I also love the talk about the music, both the original and remix. I love Vanity Paradise's theme and the stage and agree that the blue version is wonderous for also the otherworldly feel of the land. Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are my favorite characters in Darkstalkers and just overall, my favorite characters in all of fiction. While I have barely played VSAV itself, I just have a massive love and fascination of the lore, the world, and the characters. The lore certainly has some inconsistencies, holes, and questionable decisions, but I still love this series as a whole. It gels with me and makes my imagination run wild. Thanks to discovering Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling back in 2020, I got to fall in love with this series and meet some wonderful people that have become great friends and also influence my art. So, these two sisters have a big place in my heart. I was curious, what is with the way you pronounce jiangshi? I have not heard that pronunciation and am very curious about it since Chinese, Mandarin or Cantonese, are not my native tongue. Since you love Hsien-Ko, I was wondering if you were aware of her and Mei-Ling's family name being 少 (shǎo)? Also, the fact that she likely got her name of Hsien-Ko from the xian of the Eight Immortals 何仙姑 (hé xiāngū), specifically 仙姑 (xiāngū). Just wanted to share some obscure knowledge to a fellow fan of Hsien-Ko!🤗 Thank you for this wonderful video!

[@baberuthless]

I’m glad a character like Hsien-Ko got you to love the series! Darkstalkers is a truly special series to me and Hsien-Ko got me to love the series even more! Also in regards to pronunciation that’s a good question cause mandarin is my second language and I could be pronouncing it wrong to someone who has that as their native tongue, but I guess it’s just how I’ve always said words like that it’s kinda hard to explain haha

[@gangstasonic97573]

I love literally everything about Hsien-Ko except for playing as her. I do not at all know how to git gud with her.

[@baberuthless]

@@gangstasonic97573 Your not alone shes very hard

[@apolloeimai]

I love your work! And honestly, I was obsessed with Darkstalkers 3 too - with HsienKo being my fav! I always loved the music on her stage, also, I really loved the HsienKo stage music on her stage on Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo -- it has a slightly different arrangement which I just fell in love with! Thanks for taking the time to delve into the stages in these games, I feel they often get overlooked!

[@baberuthless]

Thanks for watching! Her puzzle fighter 2 stage is really great as well it was a great rendition of her Darkstalkers 2 theme! I always thought was a little odd using her own voice samples throughout the song but i def dig it.

[@EdmondDantes224]

BTW about the phrase written on the pillar... now, I'm not versed in foreign languages at all, but just from what little you were able to explain, my best guess is maybe it says something like "Thunder and Lightning" or "The Thunder of Heaven."

[@4Lelek]

I only recently discovered your channel, but I have to say that I love your videos. I think you describe the individual stages fantastically - starting from the lore, through the details of the stage itself, inspirations behind its design, various versions, artworks, ending with musical themes. I'm not exaggerating when I say that your channel instantly became one of my favorites.❤

[@baberuthless]

That means so much to me thank you 🥲I am certainly my own worst critic so I appreciate you saying that!

[@TMNTfever]

I'm quite grateful for your explanation of Chinese vampires. I am only an eighth Chinese, but I have deep respect for the history and lore of the mythical aspects. I have been a student of multiple kung fu schools, while I also performed and taught lion dancing for many years, which involves a lot of Chinese superstition and lore. While China has some decent representation in fighting games, I still think they are just scratching the surface. Anyway, I digress. Great job, again. Looking forward to watching the next one!

[@baberuthless]

Thank you so much! also i agree Japan gets all the fun and all the representation in their styles 😅

[@EdmondDantes224]

@@baberuthless I'm grateful for the breakdown on Jiangxi for another reason... I always wondered why any storyteller would say they hop around, as from a western perspective that makes them seem kinda silly. But the idea that their feet have gone stiff so that's all they can do actually makes sense in a fairy tale or ancient mythology way.

[@germain83]

Dark Stalkers was Capcom definitely flexing their animation muscle and was the jumping off point for the Xmen/Vs series to show how "comic booky" they can make it appear. They're just leaving money on the table by not making a new one. I would LOVE to have a Chupacabra character and the stage would either be El Yunque in the mountains , La Perla in San Juan or Rio Grande de Loiza. I just think it would be so cool to have Puerto Rico represented. Have you ever checked out Martial Masters yet? Such an underrated and under the radar game. Came out around the same time as SF3. The animation is on par with SF3 and is basically Once Upon A Time In China, the fighting game 😆 I'm probably gonna binge your videos before I sleep. Awesome job again!

[@baberuthless]

I have played martial masters very briefly but from what I played I was surprised on how smooth that animation was!

[@deermemer8648]

Im glad you did this stage! one of my favorites next to fetus of god. this was recommended by shockbrawler's community. im looking forward to more stage breakdowns from this channel

[@baberuthless]

Fetus of god is awesome too! That’s such a weird stage how can someone not love it?

[@donacdum]

I just had this video recommended to me, and I gotta say I'm a fan. Really cool to see stages broken down like this, I always enjoyed fighting games' stages and all the visual storytelling they would do. Your videos perfectly fill that specific interest for me, so I went back and watched all your videos. I'm excited to see what else you cover!

[@baberuthless]

Thank you for the kind words 😭 I know it’s a super niche subject but I love talking about stages. Just like you said it’s visual story telling and I think that type of art is fascinating!

[@donacdum]

@@baberuthless More people need to see how interesting stages can be! You're doing the Lord's work

[@baberuthless]

@@donacdum 🙏🏼

[@kadashiuzubara2226]

@@baberuthless you arw doing a great work. I am a huge fighting/beat em up/side scroll game Fanatic! I've been playing this kind of games since 1992! Please do NOT stop :) your channel is amazing and ONE OF A KIND! ❤️

[@SAPProd]

Fantastic examination & exploration! I definitely wish Capcom would give Darkstalkers another chance! I hope you do more character and stage studies like this; there can never be enough Darkstalkers videos to watch or pass around!

[@baberuthless]

I absolutely will! Thank you ☺️

[@anthonyisback]

Just discovered your videos! this is fantastic content! I hope you do more stage lore! there is so little content on the subject!

[@Zellphie]

Hsien-Ko is one of my favorite character! 🐼 Her Puzzle Fighter Stage has Lord Raptor in the background. When she wins, hearts appears in his eyes.

[@baberuthless]

That stage is cute! I think it’s based off of her Darkstalkers 2 stage a little as well

[@C.V317]

You know, this was one of my least favorite stages because of its lack of weirdness or creepiness compared to stages like Fetus of God or Iron Horse, Iron Terror. But you added a lot of context for the background and atmosphere. I definitely appreciate it more now, thanks!

[@baberuthless]

Thank you im glad you liked it! Also i certainly understand that initial dislike of the stage since it is the least Darkstalkery stage in the game but i overall like the contrast with this stage vs the other more creepy ones

[@jamaldoyle3825]

I fondly remember darkstalkers cuz it helped me meet one of my best friends!

[@Zellphie]

"Reborn" Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are visible in the background of Ken' stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2.

[@renovalentino]

Thank you so much for doing these! Am loving them all!

[@baberuthless]

You are so welcome! Thank you for checking it out!

[@axelthouin4389]

cool!

[@cabi8148]

I'm a HongKonger, basically, the words on pillar looks incomplete and non-sense to most Chinese reader....... but I try to guess what the author want to say : the first word "氣" in this case, should not be " air" , it should mean "chi", which is something like "strength" in Chinese culture, the second word "對", should be " to face something " here, the third word....I'm not 100% sure but it look like "淬", which is a rarely used word, it is about some kind of materials processing, like quenching/ smelting to hardening object (like swords) ; "淬" always come with "火"( fire)= 淬火, cos you need high temperature to hardening object. But this time it come with "雷" ( yes, it means thunder ) so 淬雷 is something like "getting power from thunder ? " (exaggerating adjective? ) so I guess "氣對淬雷" = "let your strength enhanced by thunder".... but why thunder ? I'm not sure but Hsien Ko super move" Tenrai Ha" in Japanese kanji is "天雷破".... I also want to talk about the stage, I remember that the stage in Japanese ver. is "桃源鄉" instead of Vanity paradise, 桃源鄉 means a village land full of Peach Blossom, in Chinese culture, it is like paradise or utopia, but NOT Tiangong (heavenly palace) or Chinese heaven ( where people go afterlife) and here are more background information about it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peach_Blossom_Spring

[@yoshinpixels9924]

Something ya might find useful A tool called Palmod let's ya edit the palletes of old school games, and iirc it supports every Darkstalkers CPS2 game. If ya had trouble making out the text, could be worth looking in to in the future to maybe help out the legibility of stuff like that Cute series, really dig it! Would love something like this for say, Yuns Second Impact stage? Or anything from Red Earth or Cyberbots, criminally underrated games, artistically speaking. Keep up the good stuff!

[@baberuthless]

Thank you for the advice! I think something like Palmod could be incredibly useful because there are a lot of stages where things like the text is so illegible I need all the help I can get with that. Second impact and new generation both have some stages that are incredible and I would love to highlight! Cyberbots as well I have a particular soft spot for the final space station stage. Red earth I just gotta get off my ass and play one day 😆

[@HuiXiu]

Thanks for doing this. I think fighting game stages are really interesting, and you really do the breakdowns well. Looking forward to more

[@baberuthless]

So glad you liked them! There is absolutely more to come 😁

[@ProfessM]

Okay subbing cause of your fine tastes in Dark Stalkers. Side note as an RE fan I would gladly trade the remakes of those games for more DarkStalkers. Next to Megaman Zero games DarkStalkers is Capcom's best and I suck at them. Also thanks for reminding me of the remix song. Such a bop.

[@asrwgm]

This was a real good stage breakdown, very intuitive. I do agree that Capcom is waaay overdue on doing a Darkstalkers sequel cuz we got so many re-releases.

[@baberuthless]

I’m glad they seem to have not forgotten Darkstalkers with all these rereleases and cameos but I think we can all agree we’re way overdue for a proper new game

[@Samuelio]

great vid! can't wait for more stage breakdowns

[@lf4807]

Just got to know your channel, awesome work you got there

[@baberuthless]

Thank you so much I appreciate that!

[@neogotham2k39]

Darkstalkers is a great fighting game series!

[@landonhulett2119]

Interesting evaluation. I always believed this stage is associated with Hsien-Ko given its Chinese features, style, and appearance. Perhaps this stage is Darkstalkers' version of River Styx?

[@BlueMageWithSoulEdge]

Nice video. I always just thought of it as the a scene from VH2 ending; where their mother passes on. I think the woman holding the [tablets?] is suppose to be their mother. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that like a Chinese myth-- the crossing of [the shallow stream/ lake/ river] to get to the spirit world? Couldn't the sign be read as [Spirit lake crossing world, or Spirits departing world]? I never thought of her being a goofball but it does makes sense. I always got a hopeful vibe from the track 'cause they freed their mother's soul, but seeing it as a character description does make more sense, since the character's name is "Lei-Lei" and not a combination of the twins. I've been brushing up on my Google translate: Ruguo ni shi wo de laopo na jiu tai haeole.

[@kadashiuzubara2226]

I have a lot of suggestions for you From Samurai Shodown (1) Earthquake's valley Tam-Tam's green hell (mayan pyramid) Galford's harbour/port Gen An's misterious Cave From Samurai Shodown 3 Kubiki Basara's "house" From Street Fighter 2 Sagat Stage (my favorite stage in sf2) Those are some of a billion stages that i would like you to cover :) ❤️⚡💪🏻 keep going strong

[@baberuthless]

I do plan on doing more Samurai Showdown at some point. Sagat's stage I would love to do as well since they are so many awesome versions of it.

[@kadashiuzubara2226]

@@baberuthless the street fighter 2 version from world warriors is the best. Call it nostalgia but i played the hell out of it on my snes

[@baberuthless]

@@kadashiuzubara2226 That one is very pretty that is a good choice! I remember their being a rock in the foreground of that stage and as a kid thinking you could pick it up and throw it 😅

[@kadashiuzubara2226]

@@baberuthless same here. If i am correct there was also a palm tree in the arcade version 🤔 but i am not sure. That is your job to find the differences xD

[@baberuthless]

@@kadashiuzubara2226 Haha you got it

[@FryCanon]

Fuck yea Darkstalkers!

[@axelthouin4389]

yes we need a Darkstalkers 4!

[@franker86]

Love thos pixels!!

[@docthefaust4519]

Always wondered about this stage, guess I have to accept it as being Hsien-Ko's (my fave character) although I actually prefer her previous stage from earlier titles, it just strikes me as spookier and I prefer the bgm, tho I'd probably prefer it without the Ko voice effect sprinkled throughout. The name 'vanity paradise' always had me wondering whether the Chinese had several different heaven/paradises like I believe they have different hells, this one for vain ppl, though it seems a bit strange to reward a flaw. I assume that middle woman is giving out mirrors, and the right-hand lady has one..this kinda sours me on this stage's association with Hsien-Ko

[@DemitriosRaususX]

I hope that you cover Bishamon's Darkstalkers/Night Warriors stage in the near future. It's not a typical Japanese stage, and it seems to have some stories behind it.

[@baberuthless]

I agree! I barely scratched the surface in the pocket fighter vid so I think it be perfect to talk about the Bishamon stage properly in its own video

[@ShawnChang6453]

Lei Lei 😍

[@derekfcc]

Hey! VSAV stages! I did those for Palmod!

[@princeangeljd9129]

My favorite is Green Scream and Vanity Paradise

[@nixuniverse5240]

Do you happen to know the exact style of Chinese music the stage's theme is using ?

[@kadashiuzubara2226]

Omg your channel kicks so much ass! I was waiting for somebody to do this. Please please prerty please do some Mortal Kombat 2 stages. In fact there is a stage MADE FOR THIS VIDEO. THE SHANG TSUNG YING YANG ISLAND FROM MORTAL KOMBAT DECEPTION! 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@baberuthless]

I'm actually writing for a stage that's in many MK stages (including MK 2) right now! It's gonna be along video so bear with me a little bit.😁

[@kadashiuzubara2226]

@@baberuthless i will. I know it will be worth it

[@SaltyCalhoun]

Is there any significance to the background women's scarves blinking in and out or is that just a glitch?

[@baberuthless]

I’m sure it’s to make it more ghostly and mystical that’s very much intentional but depending on the frame rate of the device capturing the footage and your tube itself this effect is lost and will blink in and out for longer periods. A lot of retro games have this issue when looking up footage on KZbin

[@EdmondDantes224]

I actually hope you DO a story breakdown of Darkstalkers someday. There's a lot I'm unclear on despite having owned Darkstalkers 3 since the 1990s and years ago having binged the games and anime (and a few episodes of the US cartoon, which I honestly find hilarious). Like apparently originally Demitri was the series protagonist (despite being evil) but then it was Donovan but only insofar as he's protecting the real chosen one, Anita, because otherwise Donovan's a bit of a prick... and I'm guessing they all got beaten by Terry Bogard and Magneto at some point because thanks to crossovers, I headcanon that SNK and Marvel are canon to the Darkstalkers universe ;) .... Silliness aside, yeah, plot breakdown someday please?

[@baberuthless]

That wouldn’t be a bad idea! The story is very very detailed and large so it would certainly require a lot of research

[@Batman1084CK]

I adore this game... just hate it that my friends and I spent too much time on SF and MK to pay attention to this gem. How I wish I could go back in time...

[@baberuthless]

I wish I could say played this game in my childhood as well. I played it once an arcade cabinet at a movie theater and was blown away!

[@lazyjimmy8206]

IM chinese, your pronunciation of chinese is quite good compare to other foreign speaker atually

[@gangstasonic97573]

I don’t really classify Darkstalkers as a horror fighting game. It has some aesthetics and character concepts from western horror media, but there’s not a lot of actual horror in the games. The hyper-sexualization of most of the characters and Hsien-Ko and Felicia’s painful cuteness make the games not scary in the slightest. Lilith’s Sangue Passare animation is why I’m not scared of Jedah or Fetus of God.

[@baberuthless]

I would personally label it as a horror “themed” fighting game because I agree the game is more funny and cute than scary

[@gangstasonic97573]

Wow, I didn’t think you’d reply!!! There was a time in my life when I developed a dangerously big crush on Lilith from that single animation.

[@Upsideround]

Love your work!

[@baberuthless]

Thank you! 😄

[@RadRedBomber]

7:06 As for a higher quality of this stage you can see it here sfgalleries.net/art/vampire/vs/stages/vs-stage-vanityparadise.jpg

[@baberuthless]

This is certainly a better quality photo! However its still trick trying to fully make out what it is