Why Everyone* Was Wrong About Castlevania 64

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MONSTERS OF THE WEEK: Castlevania 64
#Castlevania64 #CastlevaniaReview #MonstersOfTheWeek
There’s probably not a single game on the N64 that received so much unrightful slander as Castlevania (1999). Coming out just under a year after the template-setting Symphony of the Night, the internet hivemind, greatly helped by Koji Igarashi himself, created the meme that Castlevania on the N64 sucks, is a bad game, and a bunch of diarrhea donkey farts by doo-doo-brained developers.
Which is a load of crap, and it’s time we set the record straight.
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Chapters
00:00 Act 1: Bloodlines
06:01 Sponsor
07:23 Act 2: Apocalypse & Rebirth
20:08 Act 3: Vampire Killer
32:32 Act 4: Legacy of Darkness: Demon Castles, Demon’s Souls
42:27 Act 5: Bloody Tears for Simon’s Quest
50:27 Thank you & Credits
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Emulation N64 Guide
docs.google.com/document/d/1g...
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Credits
Original Script & Additional Video-Editing: ‪@MichaelSaba‬
Why Panzer Dragoon Saga is the Greatest RPG Nobody Played
/The Tragedy of Games Preservation
• Why Panzer Dragoon Sag...
Copy-Editing & Captions (English): Matt Cox
/ pop_primer
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Movies/TV Shows
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Castlevania (2017-2021)
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Music Credits
Contains excerpts from:
Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, Super Castlevania, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, Castlevania (N64), Castlevania (Netflix), Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, Persona 5, Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls
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Sources
Cinemassacre | Castlevania (Part 2) - Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN)
& Castlevania (Part 3) - Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN)
• Castlevania (Part 2) -...
• Castlevania (Part 3) -...
Game Grumps | Castlevania 64: Open The Gates! - PART 1 - Game Grumps
• Castlevania 64: Open T...
mklachu | Castlevania 64 - Opposing Bloodlines (Intro Theme) - String Orchestra Cover
• Castlevania 64 - Oppos...
Razbuten | What Breath of the Wild Is Like For Someone Who Doesn’t Play Games
• What Breath Of The Wil...
Digital Foundry | DF Retro Let's Play: Castlevania 64! Is It Really A Series Low Point?
• DF Retro Let's Play: C...
Medical News Today | How video games affect the brain
www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti...
World of Longplays:
Played by: xRavenXP
NES Longplay [021] Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
• NES Longplay [021] Cas...
Mega Drive Longplay [008] Castlevania: Bloodlines
• Mega Drive Longplay [0...
Played by: Tsunao
PSX Longplay [369] Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
• PSX Longplay [369] Cas...
Game Boy Advance Longplay [021] Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow | Played by: Tsunao
• Game Boy Advance Longp...
Nintendo 64 Longplay [028] Castlevania (Carrie)
• Nintendo 64 Longplay [...
Nintendo 64 Longplay [054] Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
• Nintendo 64 Longplay [...
Played by: JagOfTroy
NES Longplay [400] Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
• NES Longplay [400] Cas...
Played by: Jumper1k
PC Longplay [1061] Quake
• PC Longplay [1054] Qua...

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Message from the sponsor: Head to keeps.com/ragnarrox to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment.

[@marlondemello8582]

Is this Keeps' strategy to remind us that we are decaying, aging, midlife-crisis-eligible gamers!? Hahaha shit, we're getting old, mate

[@Jammet]

And here I thought you were gonna show something great about the Commodore 64 version. Boo! ;) Seriously though, I really thought that this was the talking point, lol.

[@thekillingjoke8982]

Keeps is for noobs. Go pro with Formaldehyde!

[@miciso666]

o btw when u talked about the whole take to long get a much more grim ending. sotn had it WORSE if u spent to much time grinding or leaving ur ps1 on. u can NEVER go into the coliseum/arena. thus soft locking yourself... atleast i dont know of any way to fix this. but that would of sucked for players :D kinda reminds me of breath of fire dragonquarter. where the game forced u to beat it on a timer. or turn into a dragon fully. and game over instantly.

[@inlikeflynn7238]

I respectfully disagree with your assessment that Castlevania 64 was a trail-blazer. There were several 3-d games that came out before this game that would set the tone for 3d games in the horror genre Alone in the Dark and Resident Evil come to mind. Wait, you might ask. Alone in the Dark and Resident Evil might be survival horror but they are not also action platformer hybrids, and to that, I would say that there was a 3d action platformer with survival horror elements that came out in 1996. You may have heard of it, it's called Tomb Raider. Tomb Raider isn't known as a survival horror title but the first game limits your ammo and has you fighting a giant t-rex and the last boss of the game is a giant sleeping flesh demon that an ancient alien is trying to wake up from the depths of the Earth in order to devour mankind and the final level has you battling horrible monstrosities such as my favorite enemy in the game a flesh centaur in the bottom of a flesh pit. Tomb Raider is older than Castlevania 64 but has better platforming controls and far better camera angles. This doesn't mean that it's a bad game or anything, I beat Castlevania 64 back in the day and thought it was pretty decent but I can't say that it's what I would call groundbreaking. If you want a game that blazed some trails then play the original Tomb Raider.

[@Callmekevo]

Yo Castlevania 64 was legit terrifying for me as a kid. It was a gateway into Resident evil, Turok, silent hill. it was glorious for many different reasons.

[@Vaga-Bard]

Chainsaw guy in the maze still haunts me. It's been 20 years. I was so relieved to finally see someone in that place and he turns around and does that. Dammit.

[@35TheDarkknight]

@@Vaga-Bard Frankenstein in the maze with the 2 dogs😮. With that music made you panic. Specially playing at night.. I loved it because it played like a movie.

[@SuperCrazyPsycho731]

@@Vaga-Bard lol hell yeah 🪚

[@cody10184]

The lightning in the beginning and the skeletons seizing up and coming out of the ground will never leave my braina

[@ChrrolloDI]

This is why I loved this game so much. Well, Legacy of Darkness, but more or less the same product. I really loved how this was genuinely the only actually macabre and scary Castlevania. With how cinematic certain reveals are to a maniacal gardener actively trying to gore a helpless child... it was pretty intense playing this game as a child myself to say the least.

[@KTheBoi]

8:44 "Like a stoner in public places, you have to be purposeful in how you time your hits" is one of the most beautiful lines I have ever heard in my life

[@leopoldthejust]

bahahahah so so good

[@RecklessInternetting]

That tells me a lot about this creator. No judgement, I used to have a stealth joint everywhere I went.

[@fae_gavan7582]

It reminds me of this one quote from "The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad!", where the protagonist was saying something along the lines of "Like a blind man at an orgy, I'm gonna have to feel my way through." Super funny!

[@MagnesVestergaard]

Cringe

[@idontwantahandlethough]

@@MagnesVestergaard commenting calling someone else cringe (especially when they're not being cringe) is the cringiest comment possible

[@QueenAleenaFan]

I would note that the platforming being hard at the start isn't bad: but they should teach this lesson somewhere fairly safe, where a fall will cost you like an eighth of your health or something.

[@TheLastRaven6]

It does it early enough and close enough to a save that you get set back maybe 5 minutes.

[@isodoubIet]

I didn't even have a memory card back then so I had to restart the whole stage with a failed jump and I still didn't think it was that bad.

[@FreeAllenWrench]

I mean.. i loved this as a kid. It's like when a band strays from a formula and makes a really good album but all the fans just scream "This doesn't sound like them at all!"

[@BornStellar-yp5st]

I grew up with CV64 and Legacy of Darkness. I'm nearly 28 now; but my fondest memories as a child were playing them with my dad, who was single and alone (Has been since I was 2) and it always seemed to bring light to his eyes when we sat down and played them together; taking turns on Death (Me making him get past the hard parts and fight Boss fights because I was too scared). It was only after one of Jontron's first videos that I learned how hated CV64 and Legacy of Darkness were by the CV fanbase. It made me feel quite isolated honestly. Even to this day, it stands as my favorites games, the only modern-esque CV games close to it are 'Lament of Innocence' and 'Curse of Darkness'. When I was younger and Minecraft had it's big BOOM, I even went back and tried to make a "Castlevania 64 Machinima" and tried to make a trailer for it. It was some really old, cringe stuff, but I just can't help but want a recreation of that experience. You can still find the trailer for it if you look it up. "Minecraft: Castlevania trailer" by Rulictar. Don't bother commenting, I lost access to that login years ago. Even recently, I had started working on a Legacy of Darkness fan-remake in UE4. The remade "Cornell" can be found on artstation under "Castlevania: Cornell" by Chris R. I'm sorry to just send a big wall of text. My intention wasn't to self-advert, but more or less prove that upon seeing your video, it was such affirmation that I wasn't alone in my feelings towards the game and that it means ALOT to me to see you do it justice as it deserves.

[@ramonayala4726]

cv64 is awesome dude. i never even heard of it until recently and it has entertained me so much. im currently stuck because i stopped playing it but i have faith i will get unstuck and make progress soon

[@driftingswordsmanzer]

I’m a fan of Cornell as well, and I think that the 64 era castlevania gets a lot of hate. Good to see that it’s more love to the games nowadays. Saw your work on Cornell keep it up! 👍🏾

[@BornStellar-yp5st]

@@ramonayala4726 Would you happen to be stuck at the Garden? That's where I got stuck the most as a kid, before getting both parts of the tablet!

[@BornStellar-yp5st]

@@driftingswordsmanzer Hey, thank you very much! I agree, it gets a lot of hate and definitely got some harsh treatment over the years.

[@satansjihad6353]

Im the same age as you and I loved the shit out of this game growing up.

[@fredalejandro9932]

Just to clarify a small detail. IGA didn't direct Symphony of the Night, he was assitent director and aid the scenario writer Toshiharu Furukawa. The director of SotN was Toru Hagihara, who was part of the development team of Simon's quest, director of Belmont's Revenge and Rondo of Blood.

[@renereyes2648]

Yet he is the only one who received the credit. Hagihara retired after SotN and Iga got all the glory, he is also as I believe the sole reason for the toxicity that stains the fanbase.

[@dommoore6180]

@@renereyes2648 Yeah in my experience it's been the IGA timeline purists who have thrown the most shit around about stuff being "not true Castlevania" (with both LoS and Netflix) even though IGA changed everything about the series, IGA fans who give stuff shit for not being in his timeline and treating his timeline as "the one true canon" even though it's the 4th individual timeline the series had had at that point and nothing like the original continuity, and it's the marriage to IGA's timeline and inaccurate comments about the old games that has led to a majority of fans having very inaccurate information on the history of the franchise. I love the games from IGA's era but the guy was like a nuke going off in the fandom in many ways.

[@marlondemello8582]

@@dommoore6180 The thing that made me love Castlevania in the first place was the heavy influence of Universal/Hammer horror which permeated earlier Castlevania titles... And IGA, although not triggering the transition, pulled them away exponentially from that initial, defining identity, with each new iteration under his name. Although I like the IGAvania titles a lot, as games, I can't help but feel that that special, unique characteristic, is missing from the experience. In hindsight, CV64/LOD were the last releases to retain a substantial resemblance to that original aspect. Oh well, it is what it is.

[@dommoore6180]

@@marlondemello8582 I completely agree again! It’s a shame tbh what IGA did to the series, not taking away from all the good he did but he wrecked the fandom (look it’s true we’re still seeing new fans who come in with stuff like LoS and Netflix be driven away by IGA purists and the misinfo surrounding series history is imo unforgivable) and he turned castlevania into something fundamentally different from what castlevania was when nobody was asking him to. I think at the least his earliest games retained the horror tone if not the universal monsters/hammer horror stuff - Lament of Innocence and especially Harmony of Dissonance still have a distinct tone of horror to them. But Aria of Sorrow onwards is more dark fantasy than horror. And it was the universal/hammer aspect that drew me to it originally too, personally the Simon games (and the early tie in media surrounding them) and the 64 games are my favourite parts of the franchise. Saying that it’s changed so much as a franchise and I don’t dislike any era of the series, so I really can’t understand why IGA’s version which only lasted from 2001-2009 despite containing various earlier titles in its timeline, has become the “main” version and anything different from it has been rejected at large. It’s just ridiculous imo but here we are.

[@renereyes2648]

@@dommoore6180 yeah they were several timelines kinda but it didn’t matter as long as good games were being pushed out. I like atuff he did too I love the PS2 titles especially CoD as it was a promise he fulfilled back in the interview that was included in Castlevania Chronicles also another favorite IGA release of mine since I could finally play a legit version of the Sharp X800 Castlevania. He has made some dumb statements after he became the producer of the series, it seems like it went to his head, also I believe he was scared of the fanbase primarily the western fanbase There was a time he was willing to experiment with the franchise but ultimately he began to pander to the weebs. He also would never make the 1999 story as he stated he doesn’t believe he could live up to the fans expectations. I whole heartily believe had he done that he would have given closure to the fans of his timeline and the would have accepted Lords of Shadow any other new Castlevania projects.

[@mcfisten6525]

Castlevania 64 was my first Castlevania experience I fully dived into and it was memorable to say the least. The sense of utter loneliness you get before the garden, your first dialogue, has stuck in my memory to this day. The first vampire you fight down to defeating the true final boss was as intense and rewarding as anything I've ever played in my 30+ years. Between the haunting intro music, the atmosphere, and the sheer intensity and payoff of the fights, it will forever be a stand out in my early love of gaming and horror fiction.

[@jordandemers8535]

I’m so happy you made this video. Castlevania 64 takes up a large portion of my childhood memories and it has always bummed me out that the seemingly overwhelming majority of people don’t share the fondness I have for this game. Long in short, you hit the nail on the head with this.

[@rickdavis32]

Im glad you did this video. I never thought of how slow legend of zelda was with exception of how difficult it made the battle sometimes,it would clip or auto adjust really bad,I never had that problem in castlevania 64. I never understood the hate,I never thought of it as great but competent with its content. I really thought it was a really good as far as controls went but like most 64 stuff I wasnt impressed with the graphics.

[@officegossip]

I loved it. My mom didn’t though, because I begged her for the controller pack on top of having to buy me the cartridge lol

[@TinkerGrape]

I just finished it 2024 I had experienced it for the first time With the bad reputation my expectations were low but dear god did I really enjoyed it so much there are some aspects that shows their age but man the game is way over hated it doesn’t deserve that

[@sgt.badhombre9173]

My favorite Castlevania game.

[@dextervepps8794]

Ah. The first castlevania game I ever played. Put so many hours into it as a kid. Definitely jumpstarted my love for dark and difficult games

[@GothicXlightning]

same here brother, but i mean as the first 3DVANIA i ever played since i grew up with all NES and SNES classics but i adore CV64 when i played Demon's souls for the first time, i could not help but to see so much similarities gameplay wise in this ultra under appreciated CASTLEVANIA

[@misterjoey3384]

Same and when i learned (via angry video game nerd) that it wasn't the original and it's apparently one of the worst i was like "wow if this is bad i can't wait to play the rest because 64 is awesome." ... With exception to Simon's Quest but the soundtrack is still OP

[@zer00rdie]

Im so sorry for that trauma.

[@dextervepps8794]

The sad part was never knowing there was an updated version with more characters. I was sadly victim to "my dad bought all the games and if he didn't like it, we never saw the sequel" at the time.

[@cristiancamilocuta61]

Igual a mi....

[@marlondemello8582]

This game has such a unique eeriness to it that is lacking in every subsequent 3D entry in the series; one of the most horror-oriented iterations of the entire Demoncastledraculavania series.

[@jackskelington19]

I'm remember playing this as a 11 yo kid after school in a house alone and genuinely feeling scared. Especially in the garden maze💀

[@marlondemello8582]

@@jackskelington19 that was a memorable sequence, indeed!

[@krispalermo8133]

@@jackskelington19 My ADHD 12yo cousin had nightmares about the garden maze. My brother has a drinking problem and a fear of dogs, .. so it was entertaining watch him have nightmares when drunk in his mid twenties trying to slap a dog off his leg in his sleep.

[@ReluctantWarrior]

And absent from just about every metroidvania which came after Harmony of Dissonance.

[@marlondemello8582]

@@ReluctantWarrior yes, indeed. I think that the atmosphere from the n64 titles is almost as oppressive as the one from Castlevania 3 on the NES. That eerie ost, the decaying scenery... Amazing!

[@jsebastian9547]

I was one of those kids who was already a castlevania fan and awaiting cv64. I can offer this one bit of incite; I wasn't disappointed. It was atmospheric, creepy and the difficulty level wasn't unexpected... (if you grew up on the series). all these years later- I still think it's unjustly maligned. If you weren't there and anticipating it's release, it's impossible to really understand it in context.

[@SuperCrazyPsycho731]

I agree with everything you just said 🦇🧛🏰

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

As a kid I played 4, was the first game I completed and it was due to its amazing atmosphere and (for the time and my age) dark story. I picked up 64 a bit afterward, played through it, and it felt as natural as going from Mario World to Mario 64, or ALTTP to OOT. It wasn't only a great game but a new perspective on the Vania world, letting me see it all in 3D and showing us a bit more of Dracula's effect on the various villagers. It was an amazing game for the time and extremely well thought out.

[@niemand7811]

Castlevania 64 was certainly NOT a reboot. Oh man. Where do those unspokenly stupid ideas come from?

[@hteekay]

This is why I really respect Arino from the Japanese Tv show Game centre CX... The guy who play retro games and try to finish them in within a day (well emphasis on the try because his reaction speed isn't as good). As you know based on video, the retro games that he play are those early gaming days where there aren't well established control for them yet. So most of them are janky and hard to play with. But Arino doesn't look at them as bad game designs, he doesn't see at a Nintendo game where button B is for jump and button A for action as a jank design, he would see them as the game's unique feature.. he truly love every game that he plays.

[@awkwardcultism]

Have you ever watched the show? Arino dislikes the majority of the games he plays. The only games I'm 100% sure he liked were Parappa the Rapper and Tokimeki Memorial, and maybe Metal Slug.

[@hteekay]

@@awkwardcultism he doesn't hate them, he just dreaded playing some the games because he's not good at them. He's not good at game that requires good reflexes but enjoy slow pace games and puzzles. We all have our own preference.

[@vahlok1426]

I always thought the 64 games were diamonds in the rough. Even as someone who was raised in the generation, I still found it to be a compelling challenge and incredibly atmospheric experience. But that Mandragora + Nitro part, god rest my pre-teen (at the time) heart.

[@lostspoon82]

Agreed. Enjoyable but flawed game with one of the hardest challenges in gaming (mandragora).

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Diamonds in the rough is a very good description (I've always enjoyed this unrefined type of experience a lot, personally). Applies to many games of that era imo.

[@dr.decker3623]

@@RagnarRoxShow maybe play it on an actual N64 on an OEM cartridge, not an emulator as you clearly did in this video, and then have a chat at how it controls... this game is trash and even the designers have apologized for the character controller and rushed design lol

[@nomukun1138]

@@dr.decker3623I played Castlevani 64 on original hardware and loved it, as a kid, so my memory might not be super accurate. I also didn't beat the entire game. But I don't see what the emulator has to do with it; was the video recorded with macros or modified controller settings?

[@kevincapote82]

@@dr.decker3623 I actually played this game a few months ago on a n64 and honestly does not deserve all the hate it gets I honestly agree with him it only feels bad if compared to sotn

[@QueenAleenaFan]

The problem with the night toggle in Simon's Quest is that it takes so long. I can understand having it change slowly the first time...

[@CodySwartzS]

can't be skipped and happens far too often. When he starts defending that, I realized he's a contrarian..

[@PCorNPC]

The mod for it that fixes that slow shift to night makes it so much better to play.

[@aweirdredtoad3637]

​@CodySwartzS Nothing wrong with that, everyone has their different opinions on Simon's Quest depending on if they've played it or just watched someone review it.

[@knuko6043]

It's been a veeeeeeeeery long time I dreamed to see someone defending Castlevania 64 and Legacy Of Darkness as I always did (and still do), demonstrating how these games are such underrated gems. Thank you for this video, indeed !🤩😍

[@RappingNinja]

CORRECTIONS: - Despite two levels having “open world” or “Metroidvania-style/Simon’s Quest-esque gameplay, it’s very important to note that MOST of Castlevania 64 is an extremely linear action game. Most of the levels do not contain puzzles or “Metroidvania” structuring whatsoever; they’re simply a point A to point B journey. - Rondo of Blood (26:35) is a PC Enginer CD game, not a Super NES game. It did get a very different adaption on Super NES, but that version doesn’t have Maria aside from a text-only cameo. - The Vampire status effect (32:28) was introduced in Catstlevania 64. Legacy of Darkness didn’t add this; it was already there in the base game.

[@TheFinagle]

It annoys me how often I see classic castlevania games (ie the level progression castlevanias) listed under metroidvania when they are not even vaguely related to the metroidvania genera. There was a time that the CV games were mostly metroidvanias, but also many are not.

[@megavolt67]

@@TheFinagle Indeed. It was really just SOTN and its portable successors on GBA and DS that were deliberately designed to be metroidvanias (I say deliberate because Simon's Quest was supposedly not inspired by Metroid, but SOTN is more obviously inspired by Super Metroid in particular, no matter what its creators claim to contrary). On consoles, Konami was always experimenting after SOTN with 3D action/adventure titles (and even a fighting game).

[@TheMisterGuy]

Thank you for those corrections. I often stop watching videos if I catch an error like that, it undermines the credibility of the whole thing. Castlevania 64 is not AT ALL a Metroidvania game, because the #1 component - character ability upgrades used as unlocks - is not present. In this game, you do not gain new abilities that grant you access to areas you physically couldn't get into without those abilities. Therefore it's not that genre, full stop. "I say deliberate because Simon's Quest was supposedly not inspired by Metroid, but SOTN is more obviously inspired by Super Metroid in particular, no matter what its creators claim to contrary" Yes! I can believe that Simon's Quest was not inspired by Metroid because Simon's Quest could have been in development already, because Vampire Killer had a lot of that formula already in it, and because most of the unlocks were non-ability keys, like the three crystals. Igarashi's claim that Zelda, not Metroid, inspired SOTN is not something I'm able to believe. I can't prove it's a lie or anything, and I don't even know why he'd lie about it, but it looks so much like Super Metroid (even ignoring the side view camera) and so little like Zelda that I just don't buy it.

[@misterniggo7635]

There are huge explorable levels, but once you finish them, you go to the next one and you cannot go back, so it's not metroidvania nor open world. About Legacy of Darkness, even if it is the better version, I don't like that they removed the Bloodlines theme, so I play both versions to be happy.

[@LealFireball]

@@megavolt67 I'd say that saying that SOTN is inspired by Zelda is pretty believable. Not only because iga said it and how the games are designed to play but also because Metroid 1 was also inspired by Zelda. I think we gotta remember that there were only four zelda games out at the time SOTN came out and zelda only started to become to be what we think of it today by the third one. The first zelda didn't have that many puzzles in the dungeons, you explored the world to find them and when you were inside they were mostly linear levels focused on combat, the second Zelda was an action game with some level exploration but a focus on the action combat. I think it makes sense to say that SOTN is more like a huge Zelda II dungeon with less elevators crossed with a classicvania flavor rather than a gothic planet zebes. Fairy spell is basically bat+mist transformation. Exploration is a factor in the igavania games but the focus is the moment to moment combat action and the level design is there to facilitate that, most of the upgrades you get are for combat, very rare mobility upgrades and they aren't usually very fast until the very end. That's why areas with more platforming are so annoying in those games. In Super Metroid exploration is the main thing you do, combat is there give traversal and exploration some variety, but most of the upgrades you get are for making traversal and exploration more convenient and varied.

[@rickydo6572]

I gave this game a shot after watching the Digital Foundry video on it, since I'm completely obsessed with early 3D graphics in video games, I had to take a look. I remember stopping every other minute to take screnshots of interesting things I saw in the environment, from big things like the red full moon rovering over the buildings to small details like the furniture. I also remember one thing that stood out to me, you know how in the maze near the beggining of the game there's an encounter with Frankenstein's Monster? Where he chases the player with a chainsaw? If you take a detour from interacting with the trigger that makes him attack you (If I remember correctly, it's a gate you'll have to open) and explore the maze a little bit, you can actually see him taking care of some plants, his guard down, his behaviour gentle, he's just taking care of some plants. It's a shame there's no option to befriend him or bypass the fight at all (as far as I know) but it was a pretty cool bit of characterisation not often given to common foes in video games. I haven't finished the game yet, but I enjoyed it for what it is, certainly not the best Casltevania, but still a solid game that didn't deserve the amount of hate it got, lot's of enemy variety and amazing *atmosphere*

[@fishes002]

This was my 1st castlevania game at age 8 and i had no memory card. Each time i died i had to restart from the beginning if i remember correctly 😂 i managed to become super good at it and beat it with Carrie. To this day i still love Carrie and wish she was actually part of Lore. Actrise the witch is still my fav witch of all time and i always model my characters after her in MMOs.

[@javierortiz2815]

Congrats, You played the game it was intended to be actually

[@galaxymaster]

I know it was a bit rough at points, but I loved that game and bought both versions back in the days. It felt like I was truly in a haunted house setting. Something I never experienced on N64 before

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Castlevania 64 was gripping, atmospheric, punishing, and genuinely unsettling much of the time. The atmosphere alone encapsulated everything I was looking for in a Castlevania experience, and this is easily one of my favorites on the 64. I thought I was alone in loving this game, and it makes me so happy to see - many years later when the Castlevania 64 *could* have been buried beneath the folds of time - that I am not. ❤️ Thank you, Ragnar, for saying what needed to be said in a public forum.

[@vagabon5130]

I was gonna jump in here and give a shout out to this game as well bc i loved this game from the first moment i fired it up. That solo violin intro was haunting and u nailed it too. The atmosphere and FEEL of this game, made it more Castlevania to me then any other game on that alone. You can see what the developers were going for in this game and they succeeded. I was terrified of this game in a way i have never been since. That grating going up and locking u IN the castle wall - holy shit. Bravo, to the devs and thumbs down to the nay sayers. Castlevania 64 is easily one of my, if not favorite titles in the entire series.

[@jedgrahek1426]

@@vagabon5130 The moment, for me, which solidified how highly enthused I was for the game, was the large room in the mansion that is just empty except a couple of large tables windows with red curtains bl

[@MelancoliaI]

My thoughts exactly, an excellent transition to 3D and just a completely immersive experience from the plot, to the setting and the music

[@vagabon5130]

@@MelancoliaI YES! the score was just as brilliant.

[@vicentegeonix]

The game is bad.

[@mr.e3123]

I played this game alongside OOT MM and SM64 at the time when i was a kid and i always knew of its greatness and loved the game and every time i replay it, theres always something for me to notice about it. i love its Atmosphere and its very dramatic slowburn cutscenes and Storytelling. it brings me joy everytime i find kindred spirits that recognize what i see in it too.

[@VaughnJogVlog]

Why’s he whispering? Afraid to wake up mom and dad?

[@sn7669]

I played this game in 1998 and I can tell you that after that game Konami just couldn't make something better. I played all Castlevania games but this one has that unique dark ambiance and unique music that catches your spirit immediately. Just imagine this game with today's graphics, larger maps and longer missions. It will be outstanding.

[@darkcornersuk]

I would give anything for a lovingly restored remake..

[@isodoubIet]

I remember how they marketed Lament of Innocence as "solving" all of Cv64's problems, which they did by removing the game's soul and replacing it with mechanics half-heartedly copied from DMC. To call it disappointing would be an understatement.

[@malicemiz]

I loved it as a kid and had a blast with it. I was really surprised when I got older and realized the entire world hated it.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

I felt the same way about Bubsy the cat. Doesn't mean you were right for liking it.

[@k-dogg9086]

@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 what??? Its better then the 2d games, and on par with the LoS games. If only we can have a remastered of Legacy Of Darkness.

[@JulioHdez-vy9ud]

only castlevania fanboys hate it, i love this better than sotn.

[@Coreisus]

@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 that is one hell of a false equivalency

[@MegaFinalRound]

Me too.

[@YoshMaster]

I’ve rented this game dozens and dozens of times and LOOOOVED it. I knew everything about it by heart. The soundtrack is forever engrained in my head. For YEARS I hoped for a rental place near me to get the “director’s cut” version that came out a year after, but I never could get my hands on it sadly!

[@rexremedy1733]

Nothing is quantifiable in the quantum foam chaos of smudge.

[@namesettoprivate1181]

Listen. If dark souls, today, had me walk*not run, not jump, not fall an ankle height lip* an item that will blow me tf up, allllllllllll the way to the boss door only to say I brought the wrong item first and I can't set this one down or do anything except whole ass reload my save, I would tell you its bullshit too.

[@JXGold]

THANK YOU! That part of the game cannot be defended. CV64 wasn't the worst game ever, but that part was truly what single-handedly solidified it as awful.

[@funkmastersrunk9257]

I never got the hate I grew up with legacy of darkness and it had a lot of good moments And the Art Tower theme is still on of the best in the series

[@bluemooninthedaylight8073]

I found the game really ugly looking and lacked the pixel charm of the early side scrollers. I also found moving around weird and not great. If you enjoyed it, that's cool, but people do have their reasons for not liking this entry. Not every change to aesthetics and gameplay is going to appeal to everyone.

[@rogerarteaga2665]

@@bluemooninthedaylight8073 True, but this was in 3D and for it's time with the limited hardware it was quite unique. The level design in this was pretty seamless as well which was quite a feat. Although the environments weren't as brightly colored in spots it still had a ornate dark aesthetic which I quite liked and really set the tone of it compared to Lament or even Curse which were just elevator/design access points to new areas.

[@silverdededestruction2197]

blame popular youtubers starting a bandwagon of hate on the game. From the simple fact that it was different from what everyone was used to prior, the hate snowballed into a direction where the people who hate it likely never played it and just repeat the opinion they heard from a youtuber. It definitely wasn't the best game in the series, but it really wasn't that bad and was pretty solid

[@j.2512]

AVGN memes, he played the game like a jackass just to exagerate and presented it as much more janky than it is. He is the reason Simons Quest is hated on too. Other copycat reviewers just parrot him the same way everyone parroted Spoony's FF8 review.

[@Slappaccino]

@@silverdededestruction2197 Nah man that's not true at all. These games got heat from both fans and critics when they came out. It has nothing to do with KZbinrs telling people what to like.

[@ShuriBear]

Although I do not agree with all points in this video, which is of course fine. I do have to say that your perspective of "Does the game achieve what it intents?" to be a whole lot more healthy way at everything in life and I am going to implement it in everything. Such a good way of looking things!

[@UnicornStorm]

it's a really good way to critically look at media (though, not the be all end all, of course). Sometimes a game might be flawed or unappealing but manages to convey this one thing the developers set out to do, so it should be considered successful. Sometimes it has a great concept but doesn't manage to convey that, like the day and night cycle in Simons Quest for example. good idea, not very well executed (or whatever they acutally tried to convey in Last of us 2 O.o)

[@chloewebb5526]

Ad that's the only metric that truly matters. After that, whether or not a person enjoys it is dependent on the person, not the game.

[@kikujade]

he only stated facts though

[@Sines314]

Ehhh... what if the game designers intend to do something that is not enjoyable? When trying to judge a game based on more objective criteria, "What did the designers intend" isn't a bad metric, but especially in the lack of interviews the devs give, it can still be pretty muddy. Best criteria is "Does this game appeal to the intended audience? And is there any unintended audience who like it?"

[@Hearthburn1]

@@Sines314 Who decides whether it's enjoyable? A lot of people get a great deal of joy out of soulslike games, but the idea is the absolute least appealing thing I can think of. I like base-builders and explorers, but some people think that's the most boring idea ever invented. You can't really define what 'enjoyable' is, because even Train Simulator: This Year's Edition has a passionate and devoted fanbase that most other people look at a little funny. 'Enjoyable' doesn't have a definition you can point to that works for everyone, but 'works as intended' does.

[@ViolenceJackie]

A fantastic documentary. Great delivery, vast vocabulary, while very clearly thoroughly researched. I am, too, pleased to share that I mirrored your love for the villa corridor as a child.

[@SkulloMad]

To be fair about Simon's quest it was never the day night cycle that was the problem, it was how long the transition took

[@thebeaphomet9485]

I actually want a re-release / remaster of both Castlevania 64 + Legacy of Darkness. I prefer Legacy of Darkness more than Castlevania 64, but I enjoy the heck out of both of them and have never changed my opinion on that for a long time :D Castlevania 64 was one of the games I got along with a used N64 in Highschool, and it was wild to me back then.

[@marlondemello8582]

Imagine these games receiving the Nightdive Studios treatment! I like to imagine that happening in an alternate reality, for the way things are, it's easier to expect Konami releasing a CV64 Pachinko Edition :(

[@FromHerotoZeroYT]

I've always been a fan of these fog effects in early 3D games since they more often than not add to the atmosphere and give the games this really cool mystical feeling to them

[@darkcornersuk]

This

[@DemonFang72]

Yeah! It was honestly a really great way to simultaneously add atmosphere and improve performance (by hiding draw-distance pop-in). Such a technique works better in some genres than others, but with horror/darker games it is a perfect fit! Like, imagine trying to play Silent Hill without the oppressively dense fog... it honestly adds SO MUCH to the tension of exploring the world and does other things to the experience indirectly like forcing you to get into the habit of listening harder for the monster-static as you approached new areas you weren't familiar with, and having to roughly memorize the layout of the path you just travelled should you need a fast retreat, etc. Imagine how much different the feeling of discovery in these games (CV64 and Silent Hill) would be if you could see buildings, POI's, and enemies from a mile away- I feel like it would actually make the world feel *more* hollow/gamey, and like the world was literally missing something (weather + fog impacting visibility) It's crazy to think about technical limitations ended up providing an experience that I do not think would have had the same success or acclaim if they weren't forced into creative workarounds like that d:

[@caveirainvocada9438]

This video makes me want to give 64 a shot! From the footage it looks like a retro tomb-raider styled game with a survival horror twist, which sounds like an awesome time.

[@hyruleguy9569]

It's essentially a 3D version of the level-based, pre-SotN style of Castlevania with bigger areas that need to be explored to progress. Kinda feels like a mix of Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Zelda. I think the video is quite a bit hyperbolic in its praise -Simon's Quest definitely sucks in the form it was originally released- but both of them (more so LoD) are still perfectly competent 3D action games that, while flawed and somewhat poorly aged, like most games of that era, are nowhere near as bad as most people online would have you believe.

[@MercurialForge]

I adored this game and the sequel. I played these games so much as a kid, unlocking all the characters and stories. What a blast. It really is a shame so many people hate it.

[@IndustrialBonecraft]

I remember loving Legacy of Darkness when I was a kid. The atmosphere just remained with me.

[@WPFreeinternet]

While I enjoy Castlevania 64 a bunch, you're embellishing certain aspects of it. The targeting system of LoZ:OoT not only allowed you to lock onto enemies, but reorientate your camera. Camera control is a big part of why CV64 can put people off. If you look at another Konami game that came out later, Hybrid Heaven, you only had a single option to orientate your camera and that was using the over the shoulder anti-robotics gun which is more often used to shift your camera angle. The controls can also not be as forgiving as you'd like in regards of grappling edges as well. These are flaws of the game, but it is something the player has to adapt to even if it isn't ideal. CV64 isn't a Metroidvania. You don't progress your character to open up new paths, you find key items to unlock doors from literal doors to blowing open holes in the wall. You look at Super Metriod and most of your progress is locked behind different items you obtain that you can utilize from opening doors. Such as jumping higher, grappling tractor beam blocks, firing progressively more powerful missiles, being able to augment your weapon to freeze enemies, and so on. What you start out in CV64 is what you are restricted to doing for the whole game compared to actual Metriodvanias. Lastly the similarities of the Souls series and CV64 are that they're dark themed 3D action games. More focus on battles, it isn't aiming to be a platformer, various equippable items that alter how you approach combat, and a stamina meter. With that said I believe CV64 deserves a fair shake since it is a good game, but it depends upon your tolerance towards 5th gen 3D games.

[@misterniggo7635]

You can do the same as Ocarina lo lock on and reorientate with the same button, but in CV is R instead of Z. It's just better, more intuitive and satisfying in Ocarina than CV.

[@Maldito011316]

Gated progression is not only about powering up your character. Not having powerups opening gates don't make a game not a metroidvania.

[@pyxelpub8251]

So, theoretically speaking, if a mod came out that implemented the OoT camera reorientation lock on, would that boost the game in terms of difficulty? Always wanted to play both Castlevania N64 games. Cheers!

[@parrishharris3008]

Your absolutely right 👍

[@Maldito011316]

@@CatterCattington In Castlevania there are keys for gates that aren't power-ups, some of them are levers, destroying a wall from the other side, and so on. The same in Dark Souls 1. I can think of many from SotN through the CVs from GBA and NDS. Your DOOM example is wrong because to be a metroidvania it needs to have elements of backtracking and level exploration involved, an interconnected world for example. Another element is having optional rewards behind said gates. DOOM doesn't have backtracking for optional rewards behind gates. Optional rewards are hidden as secrets which don't need backtracking or gate-keys to open. >"I hate it when people twist easily defined terms to suit their dumb arguments." We're only arguing on the definition of what is and what is not a Metroidvania. I haven't said ANYTHING about Castlevania 64 and I do not care for it. I only said that not having gate-opening-powerups don't make a game not be a Metroidvania. And don't kid yourself, Metroidvania is not an easily defined term, seeing the confusion you're having with powerups and this discussion.

[@TalkingAboutGames]

2:01 "or the appendix in humans" What an NPC and mainstream thing to say: The appendix is actually really important, in contains the reserve biome to repopulate the digestive tract in case of an emergency. Those that have their appendix removed, are destined to a lifetime of gastro-intestinal issues after they hit their mid-thirties.

[@otrowilson]

I like this game, it was so scary doing those platforms with that weird physics, the odd acting and the dark places, the MUSIC!!....that is an unforgettable experience. I find all that part of the charm!

[@mrdiscophoria]

This is coming from someone who actually really loves castlevania 64, but i can't fully agree with your defense of the platforming. I do understand that 3D gaming was still in it's infancy, but my gripes with it was always the occasional button input problems. Also, just the general unpredictability that comes with the camera shifting against your will. Not to mention, narratively, the game was pretty weak. The two characters had their mission and their stories do have interesting scenes, but Reinhardt and Rosa don't get nearly enough screen time for us to care much about their relationship. Also, Carrie and Actrise share the same problem. Some of the puzzles were interesting on paper, but even when i was a kid something felt tacky about them. What you failed to include is that Castlevania 64 was rushed to completion which is why it has the jank that it has as well as why they made the Legacy of Darkness game later on. Legacy of Darkness brings more to the table by a landslide (although i feel final form dracula is a lot less interesting in LoD) So yeah i did paint a picture of the flaws i remember from my time playing it as a tween. I remember much because I played it obsessively and even emulated it years later to keep the memory fresh. Contrasting with my initial tone, I WILL agree with you that the game's bad reputation truly is unjust. Despite it's flaws, I will also agree with you that it ultimately did what it set out to do. It 1000% is a castlevania experience translated 1:1 to 3D.

[@dr.decker3623]

the character controller is broken and even the designers said so, it was rushed, and the rest is crap too lol.

[@bleachsh0ts13]

very much so agree. There's a lot to like but yknow.

[@_Tizoc_]

pretty much my feelings as well Gutsy- no reason to defend it especially since Rondo and Symphony are two of the greatest games ever made so no reason to compare them really

[@Paint2D_]

Castlevania 64 has the best menu sounds of any game I have ever seen it's worth it just for that in my opinion.

[@henlolimbo5088]

I remember as a kid, my friend spoke so fondly of this game. Beating up skeletons, the platforming, they loved it all.

[@ericbonow4809]

"Motorcycle Skeleton" was the literal plot pitch to Nicolas Cage for Ghost Rider

[@marlondemello8582]

The internet has taught me that people prioritize wasting their time bashing stuff, regardless of how superfluous it might be, rather than investing it in appreciating the good, even when few (not the case of cv64, mind you), aspects of things.

[@richardnash6111]

Feels like slowly over the past ten years people have realized how uninteresting that type or content is especially considering retro gaming. But it was such a pit of negativity it's still has a long way to go

[@aregulargenericname8794]

@@breadordecide Tell me how they lied about MGS, because from everything i've seen it, it's mostly all true

[@aregulargenericname8794]

@@breadordecide i literallly played it and it was quite bad ngl

[@aregulargenericname8794]

@@breadordecide 6 hours

[@retron99]

Kind of hard to appreciate the good when it’s deeply buried under piles of bad.

[@Shiro1987]

I'm one of the few that rly enjoyed this game! 😅 I beat this game 6 times at least back to when I was about 13 yrs old. I loved it that much lol. Ok, I understand where some of the hate come from whit those insane glitches that sometimes even force you to restart the whole game. 🙄But other then that I loved the atmosphere & mystery this game had.

[@whosaidthat84]

@@ratreides6353 I actually didn't mind the nitroglycerin part as much as others. The hardest part was staying in between the cogs. Then again, I was 15 and had oodles of time compared to now.

[@whosaidthat84]

@@ratreides6353 I owned the game so I played it over and over again haha

[@kevint8476]

Thank you so much! Great video… I know you stick to the horror genre… but your coverage of forgotten video games is what keeps me coming back. Have you ever thought about doing one of these for “Fable”?

[@TheDovii4ever]

Castlevania 64 was a hidden masterpiece. Im glad its getting the recognition it deserves. The music and the story was great even twenty plus years later!

[@Harleigh_19]

CV64 is one of those games that I rented multiple times as a kid even though I was never very good at it and never even got that far. That opening area with the skeletons is still one of the most nostalgic gaming memories I have.

[@iamjustkiwi]

That violin intro screen literally sent shivers down my spine. I never realized how much of a formative memory this game held for me. Also I would replay the first segment a million times cause I sucked, so the game for me was mostly giant ape skeleton with motorcycle skellies. Amazing stuff.

[@marcelandrearosalesperezro6079]

Castlevania 64 is one of my most favorite games ever, seriously. It has a part of my childhood I love to remember ❤️

[@darkcornersuk]

Same

[@NinjaAF2099]

Dude I loved this game since I first played it. Reindhardt was my first choice. My buddies hated it but when they stayed over on fridays they’d cheer me on to see me fight to the next boss and unravel its secrets. This was MY game in the n64 era. Thank you for this video!!!

[@TheBloodswordsman]

I know I'll probably never meet you in real life, but if I ever do, I hope you'll let me shake your hand and buy you a drink. Castlevania 64 and Castlevania Legacy of Darkness have always been games I loved and always knew were good - even if the entire internet hated them. You have put in this video aspects of the game which I have said to others who have merely dismissed me as having rose tinted glasses.

[@davidaitken8503]

A good lesson to learn is that most people on the internet are just plain stupid. Most of them have never even played these games and I have never seen a video of a person that hates the N64 games play it with any level of skill approaching my own. They hate it because they are completely incompetent.

[@moneenerd]

@@davidaitken8503 I'd argue that most ppl who talk shit have never played it and just saw the AVGN video and adopted the opinion of a fictional character lol

[@Jaybird2136]

@ZAMN "rose tinted glasses", with a Rocky Horror reference in the video... Icing on the cake (there's a song in the Rocky Horror Picture Show called Rose Tint My World lol) as I listen to one of my favorite games get praised lol thank you

[@davidaitken8503]

@@moneenerd Yup. Exactly. They not only take what these KZbinrs say as gospel, but these jokers are so bad at playing the game that they can't help but make the game look bad in the footage they show. You should always learn how to play a game a bit before you start filming. It's genuinely painful to watch just how bad and incompetent these people are.

[@moneenerd]

@@davidaitken8503 well you gotta also remember that AVGN is a character and he often over exaggerates the poor quality for laughs and entertainment so his opinions shouldn't be taken that seriously. But ppl take AVGN far too seriously constantly. Just take a look at the Truth About Cinemassacre subreddit or whatever the fuck it's called 😂

[@Luffione_]

I remember my older brother buying this game when it came out and letting me play it as a kid. If it wasn't for this game I wouldn't be so into the castlevania series as I am now. The one part that is still burned into my mind is how scare I was when I had to go back into that stupid garden maze because I knew frankenstein was there, hearing his foot steps getting closer was terrifying as a kid! To me this game will always hold a special place in my heart. I even decided to speed run it after seeing people doing it, I might not be the fastest, but I'm happy with my personal best of 4hrs.

[@krvgames9258]

Alucard flipping the bird is something Alucard would definitely do, and I love it.

[@Arivia1]

Hey it’s that game the music for that one Sunlust level comes from. Neat!

[@grantsamson2384]

Sorry, but I have to disagree on the platforming part - Laura Croft has tank controls, so even if the camera rapidly changes direction, you still go in the direction you were going. When you're working off an full analog control and the camera rapidly shifts direction you go into the drink. This IS bad, though I put less blame on Castlevania 64, because they were still trying to work out 3d controls at that point.

[@migueldc6845]

Laura Croft 😂

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

But tell me whats aged better: full analog control in any direction, or slow and clunky tank controls that make the game a bore to play? Tbh 64's camera angles don't harm the platforming tbh. Like the video said, take your time, look at the obstacle in front of you, and you won't have an issue.

[@grantsamson2384]

​@@TheT3rr0rMask Tank controls don't make games less fun to play, they just make control a part of the game. Analog controls are done because they're easier and largely mindless, but I don't think that means other control schemes are "worse". It's a choice for the game in question. Take the game Wild Guns: if it controlled like a twin analog shooter, it would probably be a much easier game overall since you could freely move around while shooting. But because targeting is tied to movement, which free aim locked to standing still, you actually have to be more thoughtful while shooting and moving making almost strafing runs with your character. As far as Castlevania 64, you CAN take things at a slow deliberate pace and traverse the platforming sections, but that comes at the cost of fluidity; you have to stop moving to wait for the camera. That's not bad in a survival horror game, which the first manor area does pretty well, but the game didn't stick to this and tries to make it an action platformer in latter parts of the game, which makes it a bit of a buzzkill to have to start and stop so often.

[@LJW1912]

Lara*

[@jj80808]

I find platforming and sometimes even walking a chore in gskes like DMC. Fixed camera angles just do not work as well with analogue controls imo

[@shortbreadhead]

30:00 no. The day/night cycle was NOT loathed, the implementation, shoddy and ridiculously unskippable slowly written pop-up was, and it left a sour taste in peoples mouths. I love day/night cycles exactly because it makes the game feel more alive but fuck me if I had to skip a notification every time the day entered a new time of day I would throw that game in a fire.

[@abloogywoogywoo]

Simon's Quest was horrendous, but I know in Castlevania 64 it was disliked because certain events/doors wouldn't trigger unless it was the right time, and if you used too many sun/moon cards to speed up the game, it would net you the bad ending. And then there's getting cursed by a vampire just before midnight.

[@lepot23]

I loved Castlevania II. The only one I could beat at the time. I just think people thought it was to different to give it a chance.

[@JJAB91]

I have to agree. While I also think Castlevania 64 is vastly underappreciated and agree with many of his points there is quite a few points in this video where I feel he is misrepresenting the arguments from those critical of it and with a general attitude that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[@marlondemello8582]

@@lepot23 love that game, too. I _personally_ don't think things such as the day/night cycle were as intrusive as people make them out to be. It was a novelty at the time; some like it, some don't. Besides, the transitions didn't occur THAT often, especially because the game had a slower pace. In fact, they were waaay shorter than load times on disc-based consoles, which couldn't be circumvented, as well - we just had to get used to them. Not the same thing, sure, just reminiscing. That said, I can see why it could bother some people. But, to each their own, of course. Having good, pleasant experiences is what matters. Peace.

[@GrimmHooke]

Despite all its flaws, this is sincerely one of my favorite Castlevania games, and I'm glad to see you cover it.

[@sirmrguitardude]

This guy has mastered the whisper talk

[@solidsnakeinmyboot]

GOD FINALLY SOMEONE SPEAKS UP FOR THIS GEM THE VIBES I GOT FROM THIS GAME AS A KID WERE GOD TIER

[@mjvigor1788]

This game was my childhood . A underrated gem fr.

[@AaronJLong]

Circle of the Moon got me into the series. As a starving Metroid fan unaware that the series was entering a brief golden age, thinking that Fusion could very well be the last 2D entry in the series full stop, I clung hard to the series. I emulated the older classicvania games. I convinced my mom to buy me a used copy of Symphony off of ebay, because it was a time before torrents and it was extremely rare to find downloads for ISO files as they were relatively huge and hobbyists just couldn't afford the hosting space and bandwidth for CD games like they could with cartridge ROMs. Meanwhile, as the N64 lost relevance and used games were being sold for cheap, my father was picking up any vaguely horror themed game he could find for a steal, being a big fan of Resident Evil 2 and horror in general. When he heard of my interest in the series, he gave me one of his bargain finds: a copy of Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness on the N64. While at the time the fandom hadn't gone full "N64 Castlevania Bad," fansites did warn that these games didn't make the leap to 3D quite as gracefully as Mario or Zelda. I booted it up. It took a while to get used to, and I couldn't get far as I had no memory card, but I was intrigued, as any teenage closet furry would be when given a new game in a series they just fell in love with that also lets you turn into a werewolf. I'd revisit it each time I dusted off the N64, and as 3D gaming evolved and opinions on the N64Vanias started skewing hard to the negative, each time I played I got a little better, I got a little farther, and I enjoyed the experience a little more. Unfortunately, I never did finish the story. I was all ready to, having purchased a memory card and set up the N64 to the old CRT TV for what would be the final time, it turned out the used memory card I got was broken. I don't have my N64 anymore. I don't know what happened to it. I fell on hard times and had to sell off my GBA Castlevania games (thanks Advance Collection, at least I still have them in a way) but LoD still sits in a box, waiting. I'm aware it's gotten quite expensive, but it is a loose end, and most importantly probably the last gift my father gave me before his untimely passing. While I may eventually say screw it and play it on an emulator, I still want to track down an N64 with a working memory card and play *my* copy. I haven't even played as the other 3 characters yet.

[@darklink345]

I'm very glad I checked out your video. The atmosphere of this game n follow up was always amazing. That opening violin theme sent shivers down my spine. I'd have that sucker cranked thru my stereo everytime I booted the game up. Thanks for putting the spotlight on a fantastic game. I look forward to checking out your other content.

[@UltirianWren]

This was the first Castlevania I ever played and it will always have a place in my heart. 64 and Legacy of Darkness were both fantastic. Yeah Symphony is definitely my favorite, but I adore the 3D titles as well.

[@CaptainBagman]

The mark of the hackfraud is that they always go for Dark Souls comparisons, rather than Demon's Souls, which is what actually started the series. Especially relevant here because Demon's Souls draws a lot from Symphony of the Night.

[@TheMisterGuy]

Dark Souls is the one where the formula worked. The interconnected world, facilitated by being the only souls game where you can't teleport around from the start, is an incredibly important feature. Even among the Souls genre, Dark Souls stands alone. While I'm here, SOTN is extremely overrated. Super Metroid is the real foundation of the genre, and predates SOTN. There is nothing to learn from SOTN that cannot be learned from Super Metroid, other than what not to do, like, don't let players level up without exploring.

[@agnuswulf]

@@TheMisterGuy Super Metroid has a big importance of that, after all, the genre IS called METROIDvania. But SotN mixed this kind of game progression with RPG elements that greatly enhanced the depth and replayability of the genre, allowing for different builds for example. So, no, I'd say SotN isn't overrated. It just highlights already good aspect of Metroid while putting a shitton more over it.

[@TheMisterGuy]

@@agnuswulf I think that's where I disagree. For me SOTN missed almost every opportunity. I'll talk about three big ones: Level-up System, Builds/Stats, and Weapons. The level-up system in SOTN ruined the game for me on my first playthrough. The first couple of bosses, from Slogra and Gaibon up to the level 10 Alucard clone, were great fun and good challenge. After that, I got lost and wandered around the castle, then stumbled into a boss. I don't even remember which, but I killed it in two seconds because getting lost and wandering leveled me up. Compare to Super Metroid, where exploration levels you up, so this effectively never happens. SOTN has character stats that increase when you level up, but there aren't really "builds" in the game. You don't choose how the stats grow. You don't change your play style based on the stats. Compare to Nioh, where you're boosting stats and unlocking skill trees, and this sets you up with certain strengths and weaknesses that inform your playstyle. Each playthrough can feel like a different character class. And then weapons. SOTN weapons, aside from a few broken ones like Shield Rod and Crissaegrim, are mostly just variations on range, speed, and damage. Super Metroid has way fewer beam upgrades and alternate fire modes than SOTN has swords, but each one does something significantly interesting and different. Or compare to Ninja Gaiden, where each weapon Ryu gets has a whole different move set that can be effective if you figure out which moves best capitalize on each enemy's weaknesses while not exposing you to their attacks. Now look at SOTN, with like a hundred weapons, and most of them are just bland variations. Different color particles. Longer reach or faster recovery or higher damage. They don't affect your play style. So that's where I am on this. The music is awesome. The art, although many sprites are from previous games, still looks great for the most part and has a ton of variety. The environments are beautiful. And all of this holds up just fine 25 years later. I don't think it's a bad game, I just don't think it deserves to be considered an innovator in the genre, because I have trouble identifying actual contributions that would influence future games other than just generally being polished like a mirror.

[@tylerpollock525]

I watch a lot of game analysis and lore videos on KZbin and I have to say that not only are your videos the most entertaining but I always feel I have learned some deeper insight into game design and development. Thank you so much for your hard work. I only wish they were longer.

[@jmn327]

I was around 13 when my friends and I played this one; one of the first games to genuinely creep me out due to its very strong atmosphere, achieved through a combination of setting, music, and general ambiance. When you read up on its development history it's also remarkable how ambitious the game was for its time, both what made it into the game and what got cut. Had it been attempted maybe a generation later it's interesting to think if it could have had its controls and camera smoothed out a bit and become a more widely-accepted success. How might that have influenced the future of the series as a whole?

[@octopusoup]

I'm so happy you made a video on Castlevania 64. I remember playing it way back as a wee lad. Didn't have a developed enough brainstem to progress far into the castle, but I always remember the intro sequence, the giant skelly boss, the goofy bike skellies. The environment as the player walks through the forest during a dreary night was memorable giving a sense of wonder and unease, never knowing what was deeper in the castle but always returning to the game to try and find out. Back then I wasn't able to appreciate the game. If I were to play it again now I think my experience would be vastly different now that 3D games have become much more normal.

[@PouresMaggie]

I loved this game, no matter what everyone said. I loved the soundtrack and mostly I loved how each character had unique encounters. I liked how Reinhardt had the Rose segment, and how Carry fought against Actrise on top of the tower, I remember I loved her design! And Silvester Stalone-like 2nd dracula form always made me chuckle. But yeah, that OST, a total banger.

[@AudioKingTube]

8:48 I had to double back on that one What a line 😂👏

[@GinkgoPete]

In this video you praise the idea of a feature a lot, when the execution is very very lacking. The day and night cycle in Simons Quest is a really great IDEA but in execution its tedious and breaks up the game. Crediting a game for trying new things is fine, but dont act like it wasnt far off target in practice.

[@DemonFang72]

I hear what you're saying, but also please consider that the first innovative step in any medium is almost always a misstep. The only way you can get a *good* day+night cycle is to even have one to iterate upon in the first place, as you'll never have one if you are afraid of making that misstep. It's the *unwillingness* to go beyond *anything* but the tried and true of what succeeded before that causes any IP of any medium to stagnate and quickly become accused of lazily producing their franchise via "copy+paste" before riding the IP right into the grave because of fear of upsetting their formula. So, yeah, the day+night text screen in CV2 was interruptive, slow, and long- I am in agreement there, as it definitely and desperately needed some iterative tweaks- but the potential for what it could open up for Castlevania (in terms of world interactivity)? That was kind of insane! Just poorly executed lol And for that, I applaud the ambition that went into the idea, and am truly sad to see it never was polished and reincorporated- probably largely in part of the community being so loud with their immediate grievances with it and failing to see the same potential that the devs saw in the mechanic that the devs simply decided to never consider having the mechanic ever return; at least that's my observation on how things shook out.

[@DyxoXinoro]

I remember playing a bit of LoD a year or so ago, and going "oh, huh, where's the part that sucks?" I got killed by my own impatience plenty of times, but I ended up loving Cornell as a character and never really figuring out why the game got bashed as much as it did, aside from some jank that was caused by my aforementioned impatience. At the time I chalked it up to LoD being the fixed version, but now I'm not so sure.

[@c.c.anubis]

I'll be honest, I'm glad a found your channel a while ago, thanks to you I found a serie I am happy to call one of my all time favorites, Fatal Frame. Was watching some top 10 horror games moments videos, and KZbin decided to recommend your video regarding the first Fatal Frame, and from there, the rest is obvious, always waiting for your new vids, and been trying to play a lot of the games from your vids. Cheers and best of luck Ragnar, you're doing an awesome job being a modern day folklorist :D

[@thetoondevil]

I remember having both games when they originally released on N64. I was actually really interested in the story and world the game had. It was also possibly one of the most detailed games I ever played at the time. I remember after beating the first boss he'd jump off a cliff. I decided to see if I could see it, so I poked my head over the cliff to find the big guy starring back at me before he ran off! As a child, that did freak me out thinking my game is aware of what I was doing. Lol

[@jaymulls5426]

I feel like a big part of it was that we as gamers (at least i know i fit into the category) were hyper- critical of things that were not what WE wanted. I know of a large number of games that i felt at the time were awful, remember people talking about as awful, and now all these years later remember them and want to play again, because i realize they weren't awful- they were just different, and those differences made them amazing.

[@nbonillarivera]

I remember this game getting praise when it was released. I loved it. I loved the story, the interaction with NPC's, the twist ending, the final boss, the music, the environment, everything. And the DLC-like sequel "Legacy of Darkness" was even better. It wasnt until online gamer "Reviews" started cropping up that the negativity was amped up. Great video!

[@Ali-fs7ze]

I've been watching for so long that I remember you headbanging to SoTN's boss theme on camera lol. You, Extra Credits and Game Theory were literally the first channels I subscribed to on youtube. I remember I found you cause Game Informer shared one of your videos, tho I don't remember which. I really appreciate your videos, you have no idea how much, keep up the good work.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

That's so cool to hear, thank you for sticking around for all this time

[@cichoriumintybus4637]

I was genuinly hyped, as you talked about Michael. I only don't know, when I subed to yours and his channel, but it never occured to me, you two could be aquianted, yet it makes total sense. Im glad you two get along and I really enjoy your "essays", especially for these underdog kind of games, which sometimes got way less credit, than they deserve. With that being said: I definitly buy the SotN for the PS4. I am so bad at these kind of games, yet I somehow really enjoy metroidish styles of gameplay. Thanks for the tip and have a good time Ragnar. :)

[@bradleyallen6883]

I'll never forget the sound of those skeletons on motorcycles, or the theme of the Giant skeleton boss in the beginning. All those platform sections can go to hell though.

[@legaiaflame]

This game was truly a gem! And Legacy of Darkness refined it even more! It had so much atmosphere with its environments and design. And the music was perfect, also adding to that incredible atmosphere! The gameplay was fun and challenging but not too hard once you got used to the camera and hanging/grabbing on ledge mechanic. Even Resident Evil 4 took heavy inspiration from this game!

[@latviancimmerian]

I love this game. The plot twist with the kid was priceless.

[@RocRolDis]

For me, it flaws are 100% in the controls. They felt awkward and it was a struggle to get your attacks to go in the direction you wanted and not in a purposeful manner like in games like Resident Evil. It was an early 3D game and nobody had figured out smooth controls yet.

[@oyonan]

Iused to rent this sometimes back in the day. I really loved the atmosphere. I really liked it, even though it had some things to complain about. 1. Sometimes I wasn't sure where exactly to go, or what to do. 2. I spent DAYS over multiple weekends trying to figure out what to do to solve the level with the nitro, then almost as long actually doing it. That level is a nightmare. 3. The crappy camera was the same as in any game of the time, but there was a drop in the level full of fire that was just a blind drop down onto a platform over fire. It should have been easy, but the camera got me killed hundreds of times before flaking out finally. 4. I remember feeling lost in the hedge maze getting chainsawed a lot while trying to figure out what to do. The above were issues in Reinhart's play through. The girl was pretty much the easy/beginner mode. Just run in circles charging and releasing attacks in levels that were easier to navigate. The game is about as perfect as can be otherwise. I really enjoy it!

[@titanscar2183]

Idk if we're playing on the same hardware, but Castlevania 64 ran significantly worse than OoT and that's just a fact. OoT ran at a locked 20, with dips to be sure, but it was consistent in sometimes entire sections. Outside of literally two rooms across every dungeon in the game, I've never experienced a framerate dip just by being in a level. The drawbridge section of the Fire Temple and the main room in the Water Temple Outside of indoor areas, Castlevania 64 almost never even semi-consistently hits its target framerate. There are no levels where the framerate doesn't have several points where it TANKS to 20 FPS itself. A semi consistent 20fps with random dips is a HELL of a lot better then the absolute fucking insanity that Castlevania 64 was. Unless the re-release a year later cleared up some performance issues

[@StealthHalberd01]

performance is definitely fixed a large deal in Legacy of Darkness. However it does dip in some areas, especially the lava splashes in the Tower of Execution section or if you turn the game settings to "Hi-Rez" mode.

[@cizar2000]

In that time, fps was not a problem. Controls was a problem.

[@wyattwilliams3641]

I loved this game as a kid, the vampire in the mansion used to scare the ever living shit out of me as did the fight in the graveyard coffin room with the female vampire. Needless to say, how cool the chainsaw chase was! It was tough at certain parts but it was a decent game all together once you get the controls down.

[@DoubleAAmazin3]

I got this the day it came out and I thought skeletons on motorcycles was the most bad ass thing I had ever seen in a video game.

[@wes5619]

I loved the hell out of this game back in the day. Would always run through it and get all excited about reaching those final stairs to Dracula's chamber. These 3D Castlevanias need an update like the others.

[@Gaawachan]

I loved Simon's Quest. I was pretty sad when I found out people hated it.

[@zackschilling4376]

"Well Actually" Castlevania on MSX was very much like Simon's Quest, where it wasnt a linear, go from one end to the other game. It had a lot of things that would become essentials for the Metroidvania genre. I believe the Famicom one came out first then it was ported to MSX and somewhat reimagined, but it may be the other way around. I really like Simon's Quest, and just like Zelda 2, never heard anyone bash it until the days of the internet. Even James Rolfe has said he really likes C2:SQ, and just played up some of the annoyances for the videos he made.

[@PikangsFutaba]

I can't say nothing about the MSX Castlevania game since I haven't played it yet, but for Simon's Quest and Zelda 2... Simon's Quest I didn't like it much (but I believe it the reason is MORE to the fact that I haven't really gave it a proper chance, so... this statement is very likely to change in the upcoming months when I revisit the game... properly) and Zelda 2 is one of my guilty pleasures as it's one of those games I use as a mockery to my bros. and cousins whenever they try to make me look like they're the greatest while they failed to beat most of the 8-bit era games they played (at least one of my cousins managed to look at Zelda 2 in a better way after he gave up on the 6th palace while he was playing it on the GCN emulated re-release as he said that the game is too hard for his taste, but now he can apreciate how good the game really is despite that... he decided to ask me to help him, and while I ended up beating the game yet again, I decided to let my cousin give a try to the parts he couldn't get and he got a blast despite dying a lot, and he enjoyed the final 2 boss fights as well... especially Dark Link... as he did it WITHOUT the AI exploit... that CANNOT be abused in the JPN release).

[@SelaikaCatoblepas]

The game has a lot of shortcomings but I always had fun with it. I couldn't exactly lay my finger of it why, but it's the combination of the atmosphere, the pacing and I liked the balance of jump'n'run-like and light action-elements, well, especially the first one.

[@msd5808]

Toru Hagihara was director of Symphony of the NIght

[@mushiiwakura8878]

I love this game so much, it's like my first "Dark souls" experience where the game did not make it easy and I loved it, plus the OST is awesome.

[@SandroSensei]

I really love this game to, but LOD a little bit better. The ship scene, the forest section and the grafics are better. Unfortunately the Reinhardt game has no voice acting and the “courage dont leave me“ line is sadly missing. You know what also helped for the atmosphere? The fact that you can inspect a lot of things a la Resident Evil. To this day I find new things to inspect. For example the fence in front of the mansion and the sacks of grain in the castle wall level. But please explain me this, and it has bothered me my whole live, howcome if Cornell jumps in the coffin you wind up at the outer wall of the castle? I can imagine the sewers of the caves, but high up at the outer wall? Do you have a explanation? 😅

[@darthboxOriginal]

Thanks for the informative video. I missed this back in the day, but hope to eventually play it.

[@nomukun1138]

Gesamtkunstwerk: A total or complete work of art; A work of art in which various fine arts, artistic means are united.

[@PlayfulFruitLPer]

This game will always hold a special place in my heart. It served as my introduction into the horror genre, because if we're being plain it kinda was horror, one of the few to grace the N64 anyway. The ambiance is absolutely atmospheric and unparalleled on the platform, such a strange and melancholy dark tone that nobody really appreciated back then. Do I need to say more about the soundtrack? It stands to this day as a masterpiece, each track being iconic. This game is so fun to play, the combat is strategic in a way and the platforming really made my heart race as a kid. I loved the puzzles and I loved the sense of wonder I got going into the next stage because each one was as interesting as the last. I truly think if they limited the camera to only the 'action' and 'boss' views the game would have gotten much better of a reception. Because honestly, all other options sucked ass and I'll admit it - they have zero purpose! But if you're looking to immerse yourself in a world and approach this game with an open mind you'll definitely love it.

[@rainb214]

Oh I was just talking about how I loved this game when I was young, and then I saw you put up a video for it! It was the first in Castlevania I ever played, and inspired a life long love of the series. I remember putting it on sometimes just to listen to that beautiful violin. I legit didn't even realize most people didn't like it, lol. A wonderful video as always, thank you for all your hard work.

[@marlondemello8582]

That entire soundtrack is haunting... I love it!

[@user-sy5rt1yo6t]

It never occurred to me just how many cues Resident Evil 4 really took straight from Castlevania 64. That pretty hallway leading into the Rose Garden was used down to the vibe. As well as the dog maze. And the chainsaw man. Amazing.