James Stone truer words have never been spoken, I think what it all boils down to is which you grew up with. I had been playing SCIV for quite a while before I ever got bloodlines so it is my favorite but bloodlines is great too. They both have given me countless hours of enjoyment and fond memories. Watching my 5 year old son work at getting through SCIV though is the best thing ever. It's like watching 5 year old me discovering the world of castlevania for the first time.
It's criminal how underrated your channel is. The content, quality, and production of your videos are better than most sponsored channels with huge budgets. Keep up the good work!!
Prince Noctis is right, it is criminal!? I always assumed the SNES version was better bc that's all u hear about. I've still not played Bloodlines. But after watching ur vid???
Bloodlines is really good. If you have a Genesis, and like Castlevania, it's a must play. Eric Lecarde(spear user) plays better than John Morris imho. I'd start with him if you decide to give it a go.
Excellent job sir! And I'm pleasantly surprised to see we pretty much both came to the same conclusions. I always get nervous that my outcomes are just plain wrong. Especially on the older videos. And thanks for the shout out at the end!
First and foremost, your content is probably some of the best and well thought out on UA-cam. I really enjoyed this video and I will be watching more of your videos. As an older gamer that grew up with these I always felt that Bloodlines while good, was always less than Castlevania 4. I thought the graphics and sound were decent but not even close to what the Genesis could truly output. Looking at games like Thunder Force IV and Streets of Rage 2 showed that the Genesis had some major chops when it came to graphical capabilities that towards the end of its life span, developers seemed to forget. At any rate, I wish Konami would stop messing around and give us a Castlevania compilation collection. I would lice to see Castlevania, Castlevania 2, Castlevania 3, Castlevania 4, Castlevania Bloodlines, Castlevania Rondo of Blood, and Symphony of the Night on one collection. Furthering this, I would live to see the first 5 games get a face lift in order to match both Rondo and Symphony of the Night. Lastly, the release of Rondo in Japan and on the PC Engine only really made me very angry with Konami. We had several great machines that could have done it justice. From the Sega CD (should have happened) to an actual cart release for the Genesis would have been great...not to mention the Saturn or PSX are practically no brainers...alas we are talking about idiot Konami who has squandered every last geeat property they gave ever had on....fucking pachinko machine's and stupid cellphone games for the idiot cellphone only crowd.
I'm not going to say Super Castlevania IV is bad, but it's definitely at least a little bit overrated. Bloodlines is absolutely one of the very best Mega Drive games in my opinion, and I love it.
It’s absolutely overrated. It’s a good game, but not the greatest ever. Bloodlines is a great Genesis game, not the best Castlevania though. I’d say Bloodlines edges out IV for me though.
+shadowshinobi06 You're a fanboy. First off, Castlevania Bloodlines was released in the middle of the Genesis commercial lifespan, not the end. Then it's more unique than Castlevania IV in a number of ways: the original setting with various places to visit, various characters to play with, the creative visual effects, surreal atmosphere (which goes beyond "just horror")... And for your information, Bloodlines was "only" developed by Konami B or C team, it's obvious since it only uses a 8 meg cart which was pretty lame for a late 1993 release (the first 8 meg cart on Genesis was Strider, in 1990, that's 3 years before!) but still, it's an excellent game (personally it's my favorite Castlevania along with Akumajō Dracula for the X68000) so imagine how amazing it could have been had it being developed by Konami A-team and on a 16 meg cart? This is what Contra Hard Corps did btw. Also while Castlevania IV is indeed impressive for such an early SNES title, it also highlights a huge problem with the SNES: the quite limited hardware which left little to no margin for future games to be any more impressive. I mean, what are some of the most impressive SNES games? Contra III, Super Aleste or Castlevania IV and all are early SNES games. That's pretty sad actually.
The first Mega Drive games were released in october, 1988. Bloodlines was initially released in december, 1993. The last official Mega Drive games were released in late 1998. So as I said, Bloodlines is mid-gen. Then more content is better only if it's quality content, which is the case with Bloodlines. And none of these SNES games are more impressive than Super Aleste. Super Aleste actually pushed the SNES more than almost every other SNES games by using the sound CPU to help for the animation, hence why it has almost zero slowdowns despite the amount of stuff going on. And the way you tried to downplay the Mega Drive with your first post here as well as the fact that you were mostly wrong by doing so sounded like fanboyism but glad to hear that you aren't. Personally I own neither a Mega Drive nor a SNES but I do play both at friend houses as well as about every other existing systems out there ^^ (but I also own a few things, namely a PC Engine and a Saturn)
There were official Mega Drive games released in 1997 and 1998 which is all that matters here. And too many stuff going on makes a distraction?! It IS the distraction since Super Aleste is a shooter and usually these games benefit of being hectic, same goes for others genres such as run 'n guns or beat 'em ups.
This is one of the occasions were I prefer not to compare the games, mainly due to the fact that Castlevania IV was a launch title and Bloodlines was released much later in the Genesis console life which meant they had more experience with the system and could get more out of the hardware (there is no way Bloodlines could exist in it's final form if it was a Genesis launch game). Same reason I don't really compare Dracula X to Rondo of Blood since you are taking a full CD based game and attempting to shrink it down to fit into a cartridge of limited space, sacrifices are going to be made. All the games are fun to play regardless though so you can't really go wrong with either choice.
i can see that, there is a good amount of age between them, but it would come up a often in the SNES vs Genesis playground arguments i remember having with friends. plus, as said, I love the fact that Konami released all these different games on different platforms. SC4 on SNES but Bloodlines on Genesis, Contra 3 on SNES but Hard Corps on Genesis, Tiny Toons, Sparkster, Animaniacs... at some point i'd love to discuss each of these on the channel
+Wolfsite Except that I can guarantee you that both Castlevania IV and Bloodlines weren't made on the same scale. Castlevania IV was a main project done by Konami A-Team and with more development time while Bloodlines was made by Konami B-Team or C-Team (if that makes sense but apparently it does) and with smaller budget. The single fact that Bloodlines only relies on a 8 meg cart, for a late 1993 release, is already revealing. The first 8 meg cart on Mega Drive was in 1990 with Strider, that's 3 years before! So your point doesn't apply here. Had Bloodlines being developed by Konami A-Team and using a 16 meg cart, this would have been different but as it is, no. And this also means that, as excellent as Bloodlines already is, we can only imagine how amazing it could have been with 100% involvement and huge cart. This, or a Bloodlines II, being the one with 100% involvement and using a 16 meg (or more) cartridge, released in 1996... or a Mega-CD Bloodlines... given what the Mega-CD is capable of, this could have been the single best Castlevania ever...
I just got an SNES Classic and am playing Castlevania IV for the first time. It's good, but not nearly as good as the Bloodlines I grew up with. Nice video.
You did a very good job of reviewing the two. Pretty rare that I agree so closely with a review. I do feel that Bloodlines' kooky bosses are a bit too wacky compared to the rest of the series design. The sprocket boss comes to mind. There's a lot of little missteps in Bloodlines, like the janky whip sound effects, Erik's hair color changing, and foot positioning that's not quite right sometimes, but overall I seem to have more fun playing it than I do 4. Granted, I grew up playing 4, and tried Bloodlines for the first time only a month ago. It's difficult for me to admit that because I have such a love for 4, but the pace of Bloodlines is just great.
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin (DS) is a sequel to Bloodlines, but they replaced Michiru Yamane as composer for Yuzo Koshiro. Its like playing Streets of Ragevania
Very nice comparison, and I agree that Bloodlines is the better game. One thing that would have been great to mention is that Bloodlines actually has a sequel, which is Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin on the DS. A _fantastic_ game with two playable characters, one of them being John's son, Jonathan Morris. You also meet Eric Lecarde's spirit who serves as your aid in return for doing side quests for him. Very enjoyable game, and you owe it to yourself to play it if you liked Bloodlines. It's actually my favorite Castlevania on the DS, although I loved all 3 of them.
Yohko M. Yeah, it was nice to see that Konami hasn't completely forgotten about Bloodlines. Well, it was IGA who produced it, so he may be the one deserving of our thanks :p Either way, definitely check it out if you like Bloodlines and/or igavania games like SotN or the GBA Castlevanias. It has the best dialogue in any Castlevania I have played (Yes, SotN included), simply because of the two main characters, Jonathan and Charlotte. Their dynamic and banter is _so_ entertaining, you cannot help but love them.
ok you make me wanna play the game now :p ... even though I actually don't like much the direction that the serie took with SotN ^^' I prefer the older, more "arcadey" entries in the serie but if Portrait of Ruin has some cool interactions with Bloodlines (which is one of my favorites Castlevania) and apparently some nice dialogs, then why not :)
Yohko M. Well, it is kind of a shame that you didn't like SotN. It is one of my personal favorites. But yeah, definitely give PoR a try, it's a fantastic game.
Eh, I never played SotN actually but I partly went through Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow and while they have good presentation and all, I just didn't like much the gameplay mechanics which are based on SotN and I prefer the "classicvania" gameplay in comparison. But still, you make me curious enough about Portrait of Ruin. And there's Order of Ecclesia which seems good too, apparently more challenging than most Metroidvania.
I need to get both of these games. I've played bits and pieces of both but I've never owned them as I always play them at conventions/shows. Great video as always dude nice to see you back on UA-cam bringing awesome content with you.
cheers Dan! weren't both of these quite pricey in the UK if i remember right? i was keeping an eye out for a cheap US cart but sadly haven't been game hunting much recently.
@Moogle Midgar Castle Vania 4 has amazing Musics. Best on the system. But controls ? You don't know what you're talking about. So much moves you can not do in castle Vania 4 even if it has the whip cool spinning that is not efficient against boss or big ennemies. In this review it doesn't shows all the moves but only fews like hanging on ceilings/plateforms SuperJumps 3rd power up; alternative secondary weapon (super secondary weapon) but you have a second SUPER secondary weapon! You can also open your spear halberd on hit for extra damage. You can roll and spin it by maintaining the button pressed. and play with directions. That's why Bloodlines fans continue to play it whereas most Snes fans are just Nostalgic and never finish the game again. Remember that the most technical the deepest fighting game ever with biggest amount of move is Virtua Fighter Final Showdown... And it has only 3 buttons. So saying that I think maybe it's YOU whor is stupid... (sorry for my English)
This particular video got randomly suggested to me while watching game related content on my PS3. After finishing it, I felt compelled to fire up the laptop just so I could leave you a comment. Videogaming in YT really needs more representation by individuals such as yourself, dear Eric. You can tell when something is made with passion, and boy, does yours show through this video. Thoughtful, informative, well researched, concise... You CAN be entertaining through quality. From someone that's very appreciative of the hard work you clearly put into this, THANK YOU.
Now that you said that, Eric, I feel like playing with you in an online-enabled rerelease of Power Stone and Power Stone 2. But guess what: we can't, since Capcom keeps ignoring the property, for some reason... That's part of the reason why I decided to upload videos of me playing Power Stone 2. They're nothing like yours, mind you - they're non-professional, and filmed with a simple digital camera, but I still feel great imagining even one person out there in the world made aware of the series' existence by one of my videos :D
SCIV is an example of a game being "more than the sum of its parts." Bloodlines is a very measured experience. The upside is arguably tighter design but less risk-taking and overall surprises.
Love and played both Games! I like Bloodlines cause it´s so much more like the old Games. IV is just so good to controll. As a Fan, you have to play and love them both ;)
I sincerly think CV4 is increadibly overrated and I honestly contribute that to nostalgia. CV4 was a Snes launch title so im sure many had it growing up, thus giving it that extra push. But as far as CV4 goes as a whole, I think the game is an ok adventure title, but a boring CV entry. I play Castlevania because of the catchy music, vivid color pallete, and methodical gameplay, all of which Bloodlines retained and CV4 dropped. If I wanted a spooky, foreboding, atmospheric, horror game Id play Clocktower, or Nosferatu, thats not what the big draw of Castlevania have ever been about and I feel CV4 misses that idea while Bloodlines releshes in it. Simons control is refined in CV4 and thats just fine, but the game uses a new Simon style with old level designs and it just doesnt work. Its because of this that Simon is so overpowered, the subweapons are nearly completely useless, and the game just feels way too easy. Bloodlines on the other hand gives enhancements to an otherwise traditional style gameplay and it results in giving an old dog some new tricks, leaving the game feeling more intact with older titles while still offering something new. Tldr: CV4 is a good adventure title, but a boring CV entry and riddled with questionable design choices both aesthetically and gameplay wise that make the title feel less like a CV and more like a Vanhelsing. Bloodlines plays it a bit safer in gameplay and theme tradition while adding a few new tricks and flourishes to the mix, resulting in a more "inline" entry to the series while still having that wow factor. Both are good, but one is better. Bloodlines imo is the better CV game.
Also the fact that you will literally fall to your death while walking upwards EVEN IF there's a floor or platform right below the screen!! Absolute madness. A flaw everyone loves to ignore.
That is totally in line with the original games. Anyway, I personally think the music in CV4 is fabulous. Bloodlines is probably the best music on the Genesis, but it still suffers from iffy sound quality. And CV4 has some wonderful music. Forest of Monsters, the Treasury song, the jazz inspired piece in the Underground Waterway, all 3 original CV songs, played in order in the last 3 areas of the game (a great detail I might add). CV4 also has way more music as well. The biggest problem with CV4 is the fact that the fighting is too easy, which is related to the fact that the whip is overpowered and items are too underpowered. Either the whip should have been gimped, or the items should have been made more powerful/useful and enemies more powerful as well.
The Shadowgate Keeper Kinda like another game called Mega Man 2. I mean every other game in the franchise out does the lazy level design and weapons you get. The only reason its praised so much is better it sold the best, hence more people having nostalgia for it.
Very wrong about the nostalgia thing. Never growing up with snes, i fell in love with sciv. So fun, music is amazing, lvl design, atmosphere etc. Fantastic game
@@systemafunk Certainly not the best music on Genesis bro.. The composer didn't know the hardware and composed with only 6 voice and basic (like an 8 bit game..) and basic MegaDrive sounds. Even first generation games have better musics like Shinobi ("Shina town". "Long Distance".) Or 1989 Batman musics man💖.. Just to name old games ua-cam.com/video/JZRFRjuGAcg/v-deo.html
I actually can totally relate, my friend! That’s really cool! I recently did a 3 parter comparing Mega Man 1, 2, 3 with NES and the lesser known 16bit Sega ports. Love the gaming passion!
I'm not nearly as big a fan of Bloodlines, but I still really like it. I haven't beaten it yet, mainly due to the limited amount of continues. I'll get there one day. Super Castlevania IV I'm just hugely biased towards because of how much I played it growing up.
After each level you get a Password (Bird,Axe,Juwel,etc) - so you can jump right into the level if you want. And I recommend also the Pal version (New Generation), yes 50Herz but plays still great in proper speed ... and the difficulty is more forgiving, you can select an easy mode, so its mor accessible than Bloodlines. Cheers
see this is one case i'm really glad i had no experience playing SC4 growing up. I'd rented the NES games quite often, but didn't play 4 until MUCH later in life, sometime in college on an emulator. I always feel like i have to lean the other way when i'm talking about a nostalgic game for me, regardless if it deserves it or not.
Your channel is under rated I don't know why. But all my friends in Mexico I show your videos and they love it. We are going to transfer Mexican power to your channel because we love it.
Cool video man, especially dig the Konami logo including Ultra at the beginning! I've always loved Konami, but their Ultra games definitely were not for the casual gamer. Mission: Impossible, TMNT, etc. Those games were for serious gamers. Love Bloodlines, but I've always been partial to Genesis games vs. SNES. Also, Eric's power jumps damage enemies which can be very useful! As well as his overhead swinging spear attack, those 2 aspects alone set him apart as the best character to play as. Now, Contra Hardcore vs. Contra III? First of your videos I've seen so don't know if you've done that yet.
The only thing that brings down Bloodlines for me is that in order to get the full and complete ending you have to paly on expert mode as both characters if it wasn't for that I would've truly gave it to Bloodlines, but hey to each our own
Super CV had amazing music and graphics and a ton of content for a game released so early in the system’s life. It holds a bigger place in my heart because of all of that. I wish Bloodlines was a little longer.
There must be a real glut of retro gaming channels, so many, such as this guy, deserve more views. Also, this dude looks like he could be fellow retro yt gamer Cornshaq's brother
deathcrustpunk lmao c'mon man, cornshaq is basement dweller-ish. In addition, he loves saying ridiculous and highly redundant things like "multiple various different levels"... Seriously... Give him a listen... Every episode it's multiple various this and various different that...
Super Castlevania IV is honestly one of my favorite games of all time. It's just got such a cinematic quality to it with the super-well detailed Gothic artstyle, and orchestral music score. It's an eerie atmosphere I have yet to see come from any other game, Castlevania or otherwise. No gore was needed, neither was any dialogue, it was just an umami of sound architecture and graphic design. Bloodlines definitely has its own identity in the Castlevania series as well. While Super Castlevania IV captured the ideal atmosphere of a Gothic-style Castlevania game, Bloodlines has a feel far different than any other Castlevania game. Gone are the dark, eerie colors, and in are bright levels that range from being familiar enough to complete acid trips (Wouldn't surprise me if John Morris and Eric Lecarde were taking some kind of drugs, since they'd need to be on something to make through all of Europe on foot, or even in horse and carriage). This was definitely in the favor of the hardware though, since the Genesis struggled with realistic color palettes (just look at Eternal Champions). Same goes for the music, it's less atmospheric, and more in your face (again, much to the strength of the hardware). The whole game is like New Coke: new and refreshing, but not likely to set the new standard. Just a damn shame mid-air control wasn't implemented like in Super Castlevania IV, as Bloodlines came out much later and should have had that down pat. Also, am I the only one that thinks Elizabeth Bartley is hot? Evil and wants to bring the destruction of the world, but aesthetically pleasing.
+Zane Gandini "since the Genesis struggled with realistic color palettes (just look at Eternal Champions)" Disagree. For start Eternal Champions wasn't even aimed at looking realistic, everything has a comics feel to it, characters as well as overall art direction. And then about realistic graphics, look at Shadow of the Beast (a game with unreal sprites but realistic sceneries), the Mega Drive version has better graphics than the PC Engine CD version or than the unreleased SNES version. And there are plenty of others good-looking Mega Drive games with realistic graphics such as Ecco the Dolphin, Jurassic Park, Sub-Terrania, X-Perts, VR Troopers... And about sound, sure the Mega Drive is less at ease with atmospheric music but it still can do it perfectly. Heck, did you even listen to Savaged Regime's covers of Castlevania IV music? :D Now that's the best example given your post :p and then about official Mega Drive games, Gauntlet or Devilish have fantastic music with several atmospheric tunes :) and of course I don't even talk about Mega-CD games...
Yohko M. Yeah, the Genesis _could_ do realistic colors and atmospheric music, but unless you had some really experienced programmers at the helm, it was much harder to do.
But that's the thing, this might be the few areas where the Mega Drive has hard times but it can still overcomes these. Same can't be said about the SNES which is stuck with a weak CPU, limited resolution and such, now you can't fix these!
Also, in case you didn't see about it, you should check a topic at Sega-16: "Mockup screens of games from other systems", you might be surprised about some results there, Yoshi's Island or Rendering Ranger for examples :) (even more if you imagine these results but with the Mega Drive higher resolution, 320x224 pixels, which ultimately would make these mockups looking better than the originals).
glad you did to! they're bound to happen one way or another, i'd like to dedicate a whole video series to them, specifically their translation to a controller, just a matter of making the time.
with super castlevania as a game that is absolutely awesome i gotta say that the music is good but not as good as some of the other games like bloodlines or the oustanding soundtrack of chronicles... wich seems unknown to most of you review guys.
Pretty cool comparison, but I think there's a better one to be made. If you're willing to revisit Super Castlevania IV in the future, I think a much more fair and interesting comparison would be to the other Castlevania 1 remake, Castlevania: Chronicles, which originally came out in 1993, but was then ported to the PS1.
Bloodlines was better in virtually every aspect. Only the soundtrack is debatable since it is a matter of taste. However, the audio quality was better on the Genesis, the graphics, animations, level design, enemy design.. all far better on the Genesis. The game also runs flawlessly on the Genesis.. the SNES has its typical frame rate dips all over the place. Bloodlines is a better game all the way around.
Bloodlines is so much more inventive than SCIV for the overall design, there just ain't any contest. ... Tho it doesn't really matter, as both games can be equally enjoyable in the right circumstances.
totally agree, i really enjoyed Bloodline's tone, it's quite grim but then you've got robots on wheels driving across the screen and more and more surreal things going on in each level.
Here's something not a lot of people pay attention to when they stand on the side of Bloodlines and claim its superiority over IV: Bloodlines came out two and half years after IV and on a platform that had been released a year or two earlier too, so Konami not only had much more time to get used to the platform they were making the game for, they also had all the benefit of hindsight and lessons learned from IV when creating Bloodlines. Just imagine what could have been if IV had come out two and half years later than Bloodlines and Konami had even more time to learn how to best take advantage of the SNES unique capabilities, as well as simple stuff like even using fastROM rather than slowROM. . . . Yet, having said that, I still prefer IV anyway, as I think it has nicer visuals, better audio, and is just more satisfying to control and play.
Castlevania IV was always boring to me, way to easy. Bloodlines was my personal favorite with the extra character and challenge. Rondo was great, and I'm glad they re-released it on PS4.
First of all, very nice work on the video. It was quite enjoyable. Hearing the word outlier in the video, I'd use it to describe me. Why? Because, despite the declaration near the end, I could and did go wrong with CV4. For some reason, very little in that game appeals to me. But I'm not here to badmouth the game. It just didn't work for me, despite its good reputation. Interestingly, nostalgia isn't a factor here as I didn't play either game back in the day. I actually tried them for the first time, along with Rondo, at roughly the same time. I suspect that Konami wouldn't have gone back to a more traditional style without good reason.
thanks rav! haha nothing wrong with being an outlier, been one all my life :) SC4 was really the only one to loosen the controls like it did, Bloodlines went back to the stiff ones and Rondo too just with some more movement options. not sure if it was just the new dev teams working on them or what.
#GamevsGame & #OntheStick "Hey #EricGrider & #JoeDrilling, anychance that you guys can make an episode of #CastleVania: #DraculaX (#SNES) & #RondoOfBlood (#PCEngine) as well too please, you guys owe all of us to talk about it as well too please." 😐🏋💪✌👍👌🙏💖🎮🕹📱💻🎥🎞📽🎬📺📈🔮
Well done, sir. I went back and played Castlevania: Bloodlines, and while I appreciate that it feels more like the old NES games than Super Castlevania IV, the sound effects are by and large pretty terrible. It's not just the whip, either! Crows make an awful "gwank gwank" noise as they fly away and the door in the first stage sounds like it's made of cardboard rather than heavy wood. Atmosphere is important in a Castlevania game, and the phony 8-bit sound effects in Bloodlines greatly detract from that. It almost makes me wonder how the game would have been on the Sega CD instead... redbook audio and extra sound channels would have helped out a lot.
Bloodlines has the advantage to be a more inovative spinoff, but I prefer the controls and soundtrack of super Castlevania 4. Imo the best Castlevania until SOTN was released.
I like both pretty well but I've spent more time on SCIV, and I prefer Bloodlines using a SNES controller. Never been a fan of Genesis controllers, however Saturn's controllers were better imo.
Bloodlines is my 2nd favorite Castlevania, but it's a little disappointing when it comes to how it feels to play. 4 is vastly superior in my opinion because of that.
Sigh Ima have to say are u crazy, castlevania 4 is insanely difficult every sharp object can kill u n u can't jump off stairs and it looks awkward the fact that u can't evn pick 2 diff characters I'm done..
@@tye9713 Why is not being able to jump off stairs a point in Bloodlines' favor? By that metric, Castlevania 3 is the best because it has more than 2 playable characters. Castlevania 4 gives you more freedom of movement, which makes the deaths far less cheap.It also has more secrets to discover as well as better sound quality.
@@SUPERMATT5546 castlevania 3?? Never played it but bloodlines is the best hands down part 4 should of been part 2, it's boring compared to bloodlines and that outfit with those thick thighs showing plz dnt , (sigh) whip in 8 diff directions u have to jump for the unnescecary 1,s ,I have both castlevania's and 4 is just bland to me that whip conflicts too much why you think they took it out
@@tye9713 How can you be sure it's the best if you haven't played them all? Boring is subjective. Being able to whip 8 directions is objectively better than only being able to attack in 6 directions like Bloodlines. You have to jump to whip diagonally at all with John if I recall correctly. I think Eric can do it while standing. While you have to be in the air to attack straight or diagonally down, you can hold the whip & lower it down to hit enemies below you without jumping if you want. You can also use it to block some projectiles. Having more control over your character means the challenge relies less on handicapping the player.
@@SUPERMATT5546 do u realize your talking about whipping in 8 diff directions Instead of 6 directions + whip swing anywhere u want and super moves so they had to take out some of that useless whip action so u can use your side arm for a change
always wondered how snes won the console wars. castlevania, alladin, contra, mortal kombat all were better in sega. only thing snes had that i really wanted to play was zelda ltp
Its still a debate which sold more here in the US and in Europe, South America, South Africa & Australia the Mega Drive sold more. The Mega Drive did sell more software than the SNES worldwide.
Cool video! And I agree with you for the most part. Bloodlines is currently my favorite Castlevania along with Akumajō Dracula for the X68000. What I love about Bloodlines is the level design, unique visual effects, surreal atmosphere and gorgeous soundtrack. Also great replay value with two distinct characters. Hard to believe that such a game came out only on a 8 meg cartridge! Rondo of Blood (PC Engine) has fantastic presentation mostly thanks to the CD format but isn't as fun not to mention a few oddities such as the lame final boss. Castlevania IV is pretty good and I like the graphics more than in Rondo or Dracula X but the game is a bit too easy and some visual effects doesn't age well.
Great video Eric! I must commend you for choosing one of the holy grail game series for idiots to leave stupid comments on and from the looks of it, you’re starting to swim in them! XD
Bloodlines/Vampire Killer has more of a replay value because it has more of an Arcade feel than Castlevania IV (SNES) and Rondo Of Blood (PC Engine). Bloodlines/Vampire Killer hands down is the best Castlevania game of the 16 bit generation. The soundtrack is amazing! You got to love the way the Mega Drive showcases music. Bloodlines/Vampire Killer was and is a masterpiece. The graphics, music, sound effects & gameplay is top notch IMO. Ive compared Bloodlines, Rondo Of Blood & Castlevania IV via RGB and Bloodlines looks the Best with a clearer and sharper picture. Yeah in composite the SNES & PC Engine competes or can look better than the Mega Drive/Genesis in some ways but when comparing all 3 via RGB the Mega Drive looks better. Bloodlines is one of them games that showcased the power of the Mega Drive the 16 Bit Power House that brought the Arcade Experience home better than the PC Engine and SNES IMO. Man you got to love the Mega Drive/Genesis! I truely believe many haven't experienced the greatness of the Mega Drive/Genesis because they are not playing via RGB and with either a Japanese High Definition Graphics Mega Drive Model 1 or a US High Definition Graphics Genesis Model 1 hooked up to a TV or surround sound system via the stereo headphone jack via a line to rca jack. The Hi Def Mega Drive & Hi Def Genesis has the best stereo sound when compared to the SNES & PC Engine. When gamers get the best gear for there Mega Drive or Genesis then they can see what im talking about and as time keeps ticking more and more are seeing that the Mega Drive was and is the Best 16 Bit System of the late 80's and into the 90's. My favorite castlevania games are: 1. Bloodlines - Sega Mega Drive 2. Rondo - PC Engine 3. Dracula's Curse - Nes 4. Super Castlevania IV - SNES
Difficult choice...but I prefer "Bloodlines/Vampire Killer" because more détail, colors..wonderful soundtracks..The Action is faster and we have two different characters wich can vary a little. At the inverse, "Super Castlevania 4" has a better atmosphere.
The points you give in the video are solid and I think they're both good games to add to one's collection. However I'm still inclined to go with Super Castlevania IV. Part of it has to do with nostalgia but I also like how it plays more. I do like the two character selection in Bloodlines but it is a little odd there are no Belmonts in the story and they start incorporating material from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Overall I look at it like this. Super Castlevania IV pays tribute to the older Castlevania games but throws in a couple of new things. Bloodlines takes some of that but experiments more. That's what I get from it.
Super Castlevania is still my all time favorite game on SNES. Best music and gothic graphics! Love this game and I wish Konami would allow Sony to buy or lease this property and make a sequel that is truly worthy of the Castlevania name.
You kind of forgot to add that Bloodlines is essentially just a boss rush. Great if you like boss rushes, but tedious to the majority of gamers. And the aesthetics/graphics of Bloodlines being superior? You must be smoking some impressive stuff. Decent video, but man, not subjective at all...
I enjoyed Bloodlines more cause to me Castelvania 4 had boring music during alot of the stages. Now don't get me wrong I still like Castlevania 4 too buuut not as much as I love Bloodlines.
Here's the problem with comparisons. If your audience is like me who is a mega Castlevania fan, I don't compare them. I love them all. But, If you have to compare, remember, Castlevania 4 was 3 times longer than bloodlines and end bosses were not years and machinery which was disappointing about bloodlines. Castlevania 4 simply had more content and was the better of the two.
I went into this video thinking "Yeah, I know how this'll be going: Super Castlevania will get all the points because it's considered a masterpiece etc.". Glad to see I was wrong. :) Very good and objective video. Made me subscribe.
Castlevania 4 on Snes is better for me. Musics are incredible, gameplay not frenetic because is a game with action, jumps and beautiful scenario. Aged better than bloodlines. Bloodlines have mkr action, it's true but super castlevania it's superior in my opinion.
the sound chip and music in castlevania 4 murders bloodlines. Personally I like castlevania 4 better but bloodlines is a fantastic game so I can see that argument.
The MD game is probably the true fourth game because it's not a remake. Having said that Konami sure did their best to sabotage their games across systems. To be honest was always a Master of Darkness fan anyway so I feel that's a better game better than Castlevania.
I've always preferred Bloodlines as well
Same here it's unique so fresh and they stepped outside the box unlike scIv
Hear hear Bloodlines for the win
Same
Iron Blue Intention is just soooo good
Hear, hear
They're both two of the best 16 bit games ever made. There are no losers here.
James Stone truer words have never been spoken, I think what it all boils down to is which you grew up with. I had been playing SCIV for quite a while before I ever got bloodlines so it is my favorite but bloodlines is great too. They both have given me countless hours of enjoyment and fond memories. Watching my 5 year old son work at getting through SCIV though is the best thing ever. It's like watching 5 year old me discovering the world of castlevania for the first time.
There certainly is a loser....
Count Dracula.
@@dude_8434 True. Ha, ha!
It's criminal how underrated your channel is. The content, quality, and production of your videos are better than most sponsored channels with huge budgets. Keep up the good work!!
Prince Noctis is right, it is criminal!? I always assumed the SNES version was better bc that's all u hear about. I've still not played Bloodlines. But after watching ur vid???
Bloodlines is really good. If you have a Genesis, and like Castlevania, it's a must play. Eric Lecarde(spear user) plays better than John Morris imho. I'd start with him if you decide to give it a go.
Thanks for that, glad to hear it pays off.
Thanks I def will pick it up. I don't see it that often though. I'm trying to only snag games in the wild. No more EBay. Probly lol
on the plus side i have noticed that almost all the big retro gaming channels seem to watch this one so it isn't going unappreciated
Excellent job sir! And I'm pleasantly surprised to see we pretty much both came to the same conclusions. I always get nervous that my outcomes are just plain wrong. Especially on the older videos. And thanks for the shout out at the end!
Yeah, it was fun watching you guys re-watching your Aladdin episode. Even Console Wars was ashamed of their Console Wars stage.
Thanks guys, and glad to! i get that too, but mostly just on the current video that everyone is watching haha.
Console Wars you were wrong.
Super Castlevania IV is better.
@Majak Majak A lot of people would disagree. But you're entitled to your opinion.
Super Castlevania IV wins on atmosphere at least!
First and foremost, your content is probably some of the best and well thought out on UA-cam. I really enjoyed this video and I will be watching more of your videos. As an older gamer that grew up with these I always felt that Bloodlines while good, was always less than Castlevania 4. I thought the graphics and sound were decent but not even close to what the Genesis could truly output. Looking at games like Thunder Force IV and Streets of Rage 2 showed that the Genesis had some major chops when it came to graphical capabilities that towards the end of its life span, developers seemed to forget.
At any rate, I wish Konami would stop messing around and give us a Castlevania compilation collection. I would lice to see Castlevania, Castlevania 2, Castlevania 3, Castlevania 4, Castlevania Bloodlines, Castlevania Rondo of Blood, and Symphony of the Night on one collection. Furthering this, I would live to see the first 5 games get a face lift in order to match both Rondo and Symphony of the Night.
Lastly, the release of Rondo in Japan and on the PC Engine only really made me very angry with Konami. We had several great machines that could have done it justice. From the Sega CD (should have happened) to an actual cart release for the Genesis would have been great...not to mention the Saturn or PSX are practically no brainers...alas we are talking about idiot Konami who has squandered every last geeat property they gave ever had on....fucking pachinko machine's and stupid cellphone games for the idiot cellphone only crowd.
I'm an SNES person, but I like being able to spin the spear around on bloodlines, which you didn't even bring up. I do love both games though.
I would of imagine Rondo of Blood and Dracula X would make a good comparrison
SNESDRUNK brought me here.
Subscribed.
I'm not going to say Super Castlevania IV is bad, but it's definitely at least a little bit overrated. Bloodlines is absolutely one of the very best Mega Drive games in my opinion, and I love it.
It’s absolutely overrated. It’s a good game, but not the greatest ever. Bloodlines is a great Genesis game, not the best Castlevania though. I’d say Bloodlines edges out IV for me though.
+shadowshinobi06
You're a fanboy.
First off, Castlevania Bloodlines was released in the middle of the Genesis commercial lifespan, not the end.
Then it's more unique than Castlevania IV in a number of ways: the original setting with various places to visit, various characters to play with, the creative visual effects, surreal atmosphere (which goes beyond "just horror")...
And for your information, Bloodlines was "only" developed by Konami B or C team, it's obvious since it only uses a 8 meg cart which was pretty lame for a late 1993 release (the first 8 meg cart on Genesis was Strider, in 1990, that's 3 years before!) but still, it's an excellent game (personally it's my favorite Castlevania along with Akumajō Dracula for the X68000) so imagine how amazing it could have been had it being developed by Konami A-team and on a 16 meg cart? This is what Contra Hard Corps did btw.
Also while Castlevania IV is indeed impressive for such an early SNES title, it also highlights a huge problem with the SNES: the quite limited hardware which left little to no margin for future games to be any more impressive. I mean, what are some of the most impressive SNES games? Contra III, Super Aleste or Castlevania IV and all are early SNES games. That's pretty sad actually.
The first Mega Drive games were released in october, 1988. Bloodlines was initially released in december, 1993. The last official Mega Drive games were released in late 1998. So as I said, Bloodlines is mid-gen.
Then more content is better only if it's quality content, which is the case with Bloodlines.
And none of these SNES games are more impressive than Super Aleste. Super Aleste actually pushed the SNES more than almost every other SNES games by using the sound CPU to help for the animation, hence why it has almost zero slowdowns despite the amount of stuff going on.
And the way you tried to downplay the Mega Drive with your first post here as well as the fact that you were mostly wrong by doing so sounded like fanboyism but glad to hear that you aren't. Personally I own neither a Mega Drive nor a SNES but I do play both at friend houses as well as about every other existing systems out there ^^ (but I also own a few things, namely a PC Engine and a Saturn)
There were official Mega Drive games released in 1997 and 1998 which is all that matters here.
And too many stuff going on makes a distraction?! It IS the distraction since Super Aleste is a shooter and usually these games benefit of being hectic, same goes for others genres such as run 'n guns or beat 'em ups.
+Yohko M.
Yes but later it had Donkey Kongs and Doom,impressive stuff.
Was looking for a good comparison on Gauntlet Legends and now I find myself going through most of the videos on your channel; great stuff!
This is one of the occasions were I prefer not to compare the games, mainly due to the fact that Castlevania IV was a launch title and Bloodlines was released much later in the Genesis console life which meant they had more experience with the system and could get more out of the hardware (there is no way Bloodlines could exist in it's final form if it was a Genesis launch game). Same reason I don't really compare Dracula X to Rondo of Blood since you are taking a full CD based game and attempting to shrink it down to fit into a cartridge of limited space, sacrifices are going to be made. All the games are fun to play regardless though so you can't really go wrong with either choice.
i can see that, there is a good amount of age between them, but it would come up a often in the SNES vs Genesis playground arguments i remember having with friends. plus, as said, I love the fact that Konami released all these different games on different platforms. SC4 on SNES but Bloodlines on Genesis, Contra 3 on SNES but Hard Corps on Genesis, Tiny Toons, Sparkster, Animaniacs... at some point i'd love to discuss each of these on the channel
+Wolfsite
Except that I can guarantee you that both Castlevania IV and Bloodlines weren't made on the same scale. Castlevania IV was a main project done by Konami A-Team and with more development time while Bloodlines was made by Konami B-Team or C-Team (if that makes sense but apparently it does) and with smaller budget. The single fact that Bloodlines only relies on a 8 meg cart, for a late 1993 release, is already revealing. The first 8 meg cart on Mega Drive was in 1990 with Strider, that's 3 years before!
So your point doesn't apply here. Had Bloodlines being developed by Konami A-Team and using a 16 meg cart, this would have been different but as it is, no.
And this also means that, as excellent as Bloodlines already is, we can only imagine how amazing it could have been with 100% involvement and huge cart. This, or a Bloodlines II, being the one with 100% involvement and using a 16 meg (or more) cartridge, released in 1996... or a Mega-CD Bloodlines... given what the Mega-CD is capable of, this could have been the single best Castlevania ever...
It's nice to have context.
Im sure I am completely biased, but Super Castlevania IV takes the cake for me.
I just got an SNES Classic and am playing Castlevania IV for the first time. It's good, but not nearly as good as the Bloodlines I grew up with. Nice video.
You did a very good job of reviewing the two. Pretty rare that I agree so closely with a review. I do feel that Bloodlines' kooky bosses are a bit too wacky compared to the rest of the series design. The sprocket boss comes to mind. There's a lot of little missteps in Bloodlines, like the janky whip sound effects, Erik's hair color changing, and foot positioning that's not quite right sometimes, but overall I seem to have more fun playing it than I do 4. Granted, I grew up playing 4, and tried Bloodlines for the first time only a month ago. It's difficult for me to admit that because I have such a love for 4, but the pace of Bloodlines is just great.
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin (DS) is a sequel to Bloodlines, but they replaced Michiru Yamane as composer for Yuzo Koshiro. Its like playing Streets of Ragevania
Very nice comparison, and I agree that Bloodlines is the better game.
One thing that would have been great to mention is that Bloodlines actually has a sequel, which is Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin on the DS. A _fantastic_ game with two playable characters, one of them being John's son, Jonathan Morris. You also meet Eric Lecarde's spirit who serves as your aid in return for doing side quests for him.
Very enjoyable game, and you owe it to yourself to play it if you liked Bloodlines.
It's actually my favorite Castlevania on the DS, although I loved all 3 of them.
Hey that's interesting! I knew that Portrait of Ruin reused at least one music from Bloodlines but not that both games were so tied.
Yohko M. Yeah, it was nice to see that Konami hasn't completely forgotten about Bloodlines. Well, it was IGA who produced it, so he may be the one deserving of our thanks :p
Either way, definitely check it out if you like Bloodlines and/or igavania games like SotN or the GBA Castlevanias. It has the best dialogue in any Castlevania I have played (Yes, SotN included), simply because of the two main characters, Jonathan and Charlotte. Their dynamic and banter is _so_ entertaining, you cannot help but love them.
ok you make me wanna play the game now :p
... even though I actually don't like much the direction that the serie took with SotN ^^' I prefer the older, more "arcadey" entries in the serie but if Portrait of Ruin has some cool interactions with Bloodlines (which is one of my favorites Castlevania) and apparently some nice dialogs, then why not :)
Yohko M. Well, it is kind of a shame that you didn't like SotN. It is one of my personal favorites. But yeah, definitely give PoR a try, it's a fantastic game.
Eh, I never played SotN actually but I partly went through Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow and while they have good presentation and all, I just didn't like much the gameplay mechanics which are based on SotN and I prefer the "classicvania" gameplay in comparison. But still, you make me curious enough about Portrait of Ruin. And there's Order of Ecclesia which seems good too, apparently more challenging than most Metroidvania.
I need to get both of these games. I've played bits and pieces of both but I've never owned them as I always play them at conventions/shows. Great video as always dude nice to see you back on UA-cam bringing awesome content with you.
cheers Dan! weren't both of these quite pricey in the UK if i remember right? i was keeping an eye out for a cheap US cart but sadly haven't been game hunting much recently.
Both are great but I like Bloodlines a bit better. Little bit of gore as a bonus.
@Moogle Midgar Castle Vania 4 has amazing Musics. Best on the system. But controls ? You don't know what you're talking about. So much moves you can not do in castle Vania 4 even if it has the whip cool spinning that is not efficient against boss or big ennemies.
In this review it doesn't shows all the moves but only fews like hanging on ceilings/plateforms SuperJumps 3rd power up; alternative secondary weapon (super secondary weapon) but you have a second SUPER secondary weapon!
You can also open your spear halberd on hit for extra damage.
You can roll and spin it by maintaining the button pressed. and play with directions.
That's why Bloodlines fans continue to play it whereas most Snes fans are just Nostalgic and never finish the game again.
Remember that the most technical the deepest fighting game ever with biggest amount of move is Virtua Fighter Final Showdown...
And it has only 3 buttons.
So saying that I think maybe it's YOU whor is stupid...
(sorry for my English)
This particular video got randomly suggested to me while watching game related content on my PS3.
After finishing it, I felt compelled to fire up the laptop just so I could leave you a comment. Videogaming in YT really needs more representation by individuals such as yourself, dear Eric. You can tell when something is made with passion, and boy, does yours show through this video. Thoughtful, informative, well researched, concise...
You CAN be entertaining through quality. From someone that's very appreciative of the hard work you clearly put into this, THANK YOU.
wow thanks so much, i love hearing that from viewers, super glad you found your way here and hope you'll stick around :)
p.s. Power Stone kicks ass!
Now that you said that, Eric, I feel like playing with you in an online-enabled rerelease of Power Stone and Power Stone 2. But guess what: we can't, since Capcom keeps ignoring the property, for some reason...
That's part of the reason why I decided to upload videos of me playing Power Stone 2. They're nothing like yours, mind you - they're non-professional, and filmed with a simple digital camera, but I still feel great imagining even one person out there in the world made aware of the series' existence by one of my videos :D
Castlevania 4 music it's self draws me in. But I love bloodline just a little but more. I love playing Eric with his spear.
Yay! Another Game Vs. Game video came out! Thanks Eric!
SCIV is an example of a game being "more than the sum of its parts." Bloodlines is a very measured experience. The upside is arguably tighter design but less risk-taking and overall surprises.
Simon’s theme makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Best song of any castlevania game
Bloody Tears: Do you think I'm a joke?
Love and played both Games! I like Bloodlines cause it´s so much more like the old Games.
IV is just so good to controll. As a Fan, you have to play and love them both ;)
I sincerly think CV4 is increadibly overrated and I honestly contribute that to nostalgia. CV4 was a Snes launch title so im sure many had it growing up, thus giving it that extra push. But as far as CV4 goes as a whole, I think the game is an ok adventure title, but a boring CV entry.
I play Castlevania because of the catchy music, vivid color pallete, and methodical gameplay, all of which Bloodlines retained and CV4 dropped. If I wanted a spooky, foreboding, atmospheric, horror game Id play Clocktower, or Nosferatu, thats not what the big draw of Castlevania have ever been about and I feel CV4 misses that idea while Bloodlines releshes in it.
Simons control is refined in CV4 and thats just fine, but the game uses a new Simon style with old level designs and it just doesnt work. Its because of this that Simon is so overpowered, the subweapons are nearly completely useless, and the game just feels way too easy. Bloodlines on the other hand gives enhancements to an otherwise traditional style gameplay and it results in giving an old dog some new tricks, leaving the game feeling more intact with older titles while still offering something new.
Tldr:
CV4 is a good adventure title, but a boring CV entry and riddled with questionable design choices both aesthetically and gameplay wise that make the title feel less like a CV and more like a Vanhelsing.
Bloodlines plays it a bit safer in gameplay and theme tradition while adding a few new tricks and flourishes to the mix, resulting in a more "inline" entry to the series while still having that wow factor.
Both are good, but one is better. Bloodlines imo is the better CV game.
Also the fact that you will literally fall to your death while walking upwards EVEN IF there's a floor or platform right below the screen!! Absolute madness. A flaw everyone loves to ignore.
That is totally in line with the original games.
Anyway, I personally think the music in CV4 is fabulous. Bloodlines is probably the best music on the Genesis, but it still suffers from iffy sound quality. And CV4 has some wonderful music. Forest of Monsters, the Treasury song, the jazz inspired piece in the Underground Waterway, all 3 original CV songs, played in order in the last 3 areas of the game (a great detail I might add). CV4 also has way more music as well.
The biggest problem with CV4 is the fact that the fighting is too easy, which is related to the fact that the whip is overpowered and items are too underpowered. Either the whip should have been gimped, or the items should have been made more powerful/useful and enemies more powerful as well.
The Shadowgate Keeper Kinda like another game called Mega Man 2. I mean every other game in the franchise out does the lazy level design and weapons you get. The only reason its praised so much is better it sold the best, hence more people having nostalgia for it.
Very wrong about the nostalgia thing. Never growing up with snes, i fell in love with sciv. So fun, music is amazing, lvl design, atmosphere etc. Fantastic game
@@systemafunk Certainly not the best music on Genesis bro.. The composer didn't know the hardware and composed with only 6 voice and basic (like an 8 bit game..) and basic MegaDrive sounds. Even first generation games have better musics like Shinobi ("Shina town". "Long Distance".) Or 1989 Batman musics man💖.. Just to name old games ua-cam.com/video/JZRFRjuGAcg/v-deo.html
Yea blood lines is the winner, but castlevania 4 is great, both are a must have. A lot of work was put behind these masterpiece.
I actually can totally relate, my friend! That’s really cool! I recently did a 3 parter comparing Mega Man 1, 2, 3 with NES and the lesser known 16bit Sega ports. Love the gaming passion!
Man, you're videos are great! You should release them more often, once a month at least. Cheers!
Castlevania IV was may favorite old school linear Castlevania game, but Bloodlines was a damn good game as well.
I'm not nearly as big a fan of Bloodlines, but I still really like it. I haven't beaten it yet, mainly due to the limited amount of continues. I'll get there one day. Super Castlevania IV I'm just hugely biased towards because of how much I played it growing up.
After each level you get a Password (Bird,Axe,Juwel,etc) - so you can jump right into the level if you want. And I recommend also the Pal version (New Generation), yes 50Herz but plays still great in proper speed ... and the difficulty is more forgiving, you can select an easy mode, so its mor accessible than Bloodlines. Cheers
see this is one case i'm really glad i had no experience playing SC4 growing up. I'd rented the NES games quite often, but didn't play 4 until MUCH later in life, sometime in college on an emulator. I always feel like i have to lean the other way when i'm talking about a nostalgic game for me, regardless if it deserves it or not.
Just found your channel. I’m loving it. Thanks for keeping it PG so my kids can enjoy it too.
Your channel is under rated I don't know why. But all my friends in Mexico I show your videos and they love it.
We are going to transfer Mexican power to your channel because we love it.
How have i missed this channel for so long?? Subbed
Cool video man, especially dig the Konami logo including Ultra at the beginning! I've always loved Konami, but their Ultra games definitely were not for the casual gamer. Mission: Impossible, TMNT, etc. Those games were for serious gamers. Love Bloodlines, but I've always been partial to Genesis games vs. SNES. Also, Eric's power jumps damage enemies which can be very useful! As well as his overhead swinging spear attack, those 2 aspects alone set him apart as the best character to play as. Now, Contra Hardcore vs. Contra III? First of your videos I've seen so don't know if you've done that yet.
Awesome video. Always worth the wait.
Both are good. There are good things in both games that they might not have. Controls, sprites, etc. Great review!
The only thing that brings down Bloodlines for me is that in order to get the full and complete ending you have to paly on expert mode as both characters if it wasn't for that I would've truly gave it to Bloodlines, but hey to each our own
For a launch title it's incredible! Both great games
Super CV had amazing music and graphics and a ton of content for a game released so early in the system’s life. It holds a bigger place in my heart because of all of that. I wish Bloodlines was a little longer.
There must be a real glut of retro gaming channels, so many, such as this guy, deserve more views. Also, this dude looks like he could be fellow retro yt gamer Cornshaq's brother
deathcrustpunk lmao c'mon man, cornshaq is basement dweller-ish. In addition, he loves saying ridiculous and highly redundant things like "multiple various different levels"... Seriously... Give him a listen... Every episode it's multiple various this and various different that...
I can handle the shitty whip sound in Bloodlines as long as I'm not playing as a guy in fuckin daisy dukes
Super Castlevania IV is honestly one of my favorite games of all time. It's just got such a cinematic quality to it with the super-well detailed Gothic artstyle, and orchestral music score. It's an eerie atmosphere I have yet to see come from any other game, Castlevania or otherwise. No gore was needed, neither was any dialogue, it was just an umami of sound architecture and graphic design.
Bloodlines definitely has its own identity in the Castlevania series as well. While Super Castlevania IV captured the ideal atmosphere of a Gothic-style Castlevania game, Bloodlines has a feel far different than any other Castlevania game. Gone are the dark, eerie colors, and in are bright levels that range from being familiar enough to complete acid trips (Wouldn't surprise me if John Morris and Eric Lecarde were taking some kind of drugs, since they'd need to be on something to make through all of Europe on foot, or even in horse and carriage). This was definitely in the favor of the hardware though, since the Genesis struggled with realistic color palettes (just look at Eternal Champions). Same goes for the music, it's less atmospheric, and more in your face (again, much to the strength of the hardware). The whole game is like New Coke: new and refreshing, but not likely to set the new standard. Just a damn shame mid-air control wasn't implemented like in Super Castlevania IV, as Bloodlines came out much later and should have had that down pat.
Also, am I the only one that thinks Elizabeth Bartley is hot? Evil and wants to bring the destruction of the world, but aesthetically pleasing.
+Zane Gandini
"since the Genesis struggled with realistic color palettes (just look at Eternal Champions)"
Disagree. For start Eternal Champions wasn't even aimed at looking realistic, everything has a comics feel to it, characters as well as overall art direction.
And then about realistic graphics, look at Shadow of the Beast (a game with unreal sprites but realistic sceneries), the Mega Drive version has better graphics than the PC Engine CD version or than the unreleased SNES version. And there are plenty of others good-looking Mega Drive games with realistic graphics such as Ecco the Dolphin, Jurassic Park, Sub-Terrania, X-Perts, VR Troopers...
And about sound, sure the Mega Drive is less at ease with atmospheric music but it still can do it perfectly. Heck, did you even listen to Savaged Regime's covers of Castlevania IV music? :D Now that's the best example given your post :p and then about official Mega Drive games, Gauntlet or Devilish have fantastic music with several atmospheric tunes :) and of course I don't even talk about Mega-CD games...
Yohko M. Yeah, the Genesis _could_ do realistic colors and atmospheric music, but unless you had some really experienced programmers at the helm, it was much harder to do.
But that's the thing, this might be the few areas where the Mega Drive has hard times but it can still overcomes these. Same can't be said about the SNES which is stuck with a weak CPU, limited resolution and such, now you can't fix these!
Also, in case you didn't see about it, you should check a topic at Sega-16: "Mockup screens of games from other systems", you might be surprised about some results there, Yoshi's Island or Rendering Ranger for examples :) (even more if you imagine these results but with the Mega Drive higher resolution, 320x224 pixels, which ultimately would make these mockups looking better than the originals).
Great episode, man! I'll be looking forward to the next one!
Glad I stumbled on your channel. Hope to see some point and click videos.
glad you did to! they're bound to happen one way or another, i'd like to dedicate a whole video series to them, specifically their translation to a controller, just a matter of making the time.
with super castlevania as a game that is absolutely awesome i gotta say that the music is good
but not as good as some of the other games like bloodlines or the oustanding soundtrack of chronicles...
wich seems unknown to most of you review guys.
Pretty cool comparison, but I think there's a better one to be made. If you're willing to revisit Super Castlevania IV in the future, I think a much more fair and interesting comparison would be to the other Castlevania 1 remake, Castlevania: Chronicles, which originally came out in 1993, but was then ported to the PS1.
Bloodlines was better in virtually every aspect. Only the soundtrack is debatable since it is a matter of taste. However, the audio quality was better on the Genesis, the graphics, animations, level design, enemy design.. all far better on the Genesis. The game also runs flawlessly on the Genesis.. the SNES has its typical frame rate dips all over the place. Bloodlines is a better game all the way around.
Bloodlines is so much more inventive than SCIV for the overall design, there just ain't any contest.
... Tho it doesn't really matter, as both games can be equally enjoyable in the right circumstances.
totally agree, i really enjoyed Bloodline's tone, it's quite grim but then you've got robots on wheels driving across the screen and more and more surreal things going on in each level.
Here's something not a lot of people pay attention to when they stand on the side of Bloodlines and claim its superiority over IV: Bloodlines came out two and half years after IV and on a platform that had been released a year or two earlier too, so Konami not only had much more time to get used to the platform they were making the game for, they also had all the benefit of hindsight and lessons learned from IV when creating Bloodlines. Just imagine what could have been if IV had come out two and half years later than Bloodlines and Konami had even more time to learn how to best take advantage of the SNES unique capabilities, as well as simple stuff like even using fastROM rather than slowROM. . . .
Yet, having said that, I still prefer IV anyway, as I think it has nicer visuals, better audio, and is just more satisfying to control and play.
Bloodlines set the foundation for Symphony of the Night, which many would say is the best Castlevania game of all time. I think that says it all.
Woohoo! Always awesome to get a new episode. I have never played Bloodlines but you have peaked my interest, sir. Great vid!
thanks! definitely worth checking out, it's a bit of a trip!
It's piqued. Not peaked.
Super Duperest you want a metal?
Anthony Micari FFS, man... It's "medal"... As in "medallion". And yes, by now I think I deserve one.
Super Duperest low and behold, you learn something new every day!
Great vid! I would love a remake of Bloodlines. Do a comparison of Symphony of the night with the DS games!
The soundtrack makes it obvious now....the Symphony of the night woman did it!!
Just discovered your channel. Most excellent!
Castlevania IV was always boring to me, way to easy. Bloodlines was my personal favorite with the extra character and challenge. Rondo was great, and I'm glad they re-released it on PS4.
First of all, very nice work on the video. It was quite enjoyable. Hearing the word outlier in the video, I'd use it to describe me. Why? Because, despite the declaration near the end, I could and did go wrong with CV4. For some reason, very little in that game appeals to me. But I'm not here to badmouth the game. It just didn't work for me, despite its good reputation. Interestingly, nostalgia isn't a factor here as I didn't play either game back in the day. I actually tried them for the first time, along with Rondo, at roughly the same time. I suspect that Konami wouldn't have gone back to a more traditional style without good reason.
thanks rav! haha nothing wrong with being an outlier, been one all my life :) SC4 was really the only one to loosen the controls like it did, Bloodlines went back to the stiff ones and Rondo too just with some more movement options. not sure if it was just the new dev teams working on them or what.
Come back. I just discovered you
same tho *sigh*
me too :'(
Great work, as always, my dude. And thanks for the shout-out at the end!
Thanks Joe, no problem! Happy belated Halloween!
Thank you, sir. I hope you enjoyed my look at Friday the 13th stuff!
indeed i did! i'm just a bad person and haven't shared or commented on friends videos recently
Hahaha, I'm offended you didn't comment! (Not really.)
#GamevsGame & #OntheStick "Hey #EricGrider & #JoeDrilling, anychance that you guys can make an episode of #CastleVania: #DraculaX (#SNES) & #RondoOfBlood (#PCEngine) as well too please, you guys owe all of us to talk about it as well too please." 😐🏋💪✌👍👌🙏💖🎮🕹📱💻🎥🎞📽🎬📺📈🔮
Well done, sir. I went back and played Castlevania: Bloodlines, and while I appreciate that it feels more like the old NES games than Super Castlevania IV, the sound effects are by and large pretty terrible. It's not just the whip, either! Crows make an awful "gwank gwank" noise as they fly away and the door in the first stage sounds like it's made of cardboard rather than heavy wood. Atmosphere is important in a Castlevania game, and the phony 8-bit sound effects in Bloodlines greatly detract from that. It almost makes me wonder how the game would have been on the Sega CD instead... redbook audio and extra sound channels would have helped out a lot.
Bloodlines ftw. Especially if you play as Eric with his spear.
Same with me
I would go with Bloodlines as well. It's close. Super Castlevania 4 is great but I think Bloodlines takes it!
Bloodlines has the advantage to be a more inovative spinoff, but I prefer the controls and soundtrack of super Castlevania 4. Imo the best Castlevania until SOTN was released.
Bloodlines is actually my favorite Castlevania game for how unconventional it is, and a huge reason the Genesis is my 2nd favorite system.
Good video man
huzzah you're back again!
Excellent episode, as per usual.
Great video man!
16 bit castlevanias : Rondo > Bloodlines > Dracula X > SC4
For Me: 1: Bloodlines (Mega Drive)
2. Rondo (PC Engine)
3. Dracula's Curse (Nes)
4. SC4 (SNES)
Bloodlines I love
I like both pretty well but I've spent more time on SCIV, and I prefer Bloodlines using a SNES controller. Never been a fan of Genesis controllers, however Saturn's controllers were better imo.
New Generation or Bloodlines (US) is beter then Snes version ,i owe both games and have beaten several times .
The Snes one is about 3 years older I really dont like to compare different game from years of differences (is just my personal opinion)
the megadrive/genesis is 2 years older than snes,don't forget that!
Bloodlines is my 2nd favorite Castlevania, but it's a little disappointing when it comes to how it feels to play. 4 is vastly superior in my opinion because of that.
Sigh Ima have to say are u crazy, castlevania 4 is insanely difficult every sharp object can kill u n u can't jump off stairs and it looks awkward the fact that u can't evn pick 2 diff characters I'm done..
@@tye9713 Why is not being able to jump off stairs a point in Bloodlines' favor?
By that metric, Castlevania 3 is the best because it has more than 2 playable characters. Castlevania 4 gives you more freedom of movement, which makes the deaths far less cheap.It also has more secrets to discover as well as better sound quality.
@@SUPERMATT5546 castlevania 3?? Never played it but bloodlines is the best hands down part 4 should of been part 2, it's boring compared to bloodlines and that outfit with those thick thighs showing plz dnt , (sigh) whip in 8 diff directions u have to jump for the unnescecary 1,s ,I have both castlevania's and 4 is just bland to me that whip conflicts too much why you think they took it out
@@tye9713 How can you be sure it's the best if you haven't played them all? Boring is subjective. Being able to whip 8 directions is objectively better than only being able to attack in 6 directions like Bloodlines. You have to jump to whip diagonally at all with John if I recall correctly. I think Eric can do it while standing. While you have to be in the air to attack straight or diagonally down, you can hold the whip & lower it down to hit enemies below you without jumping if you want. You can also use it to block some projectiles. Having more control over your character means the challenge relies less on handicapping the player.
@@SUPERMATT5546 do u realize your talking about whipping in 8 diff directions Instead of 6 directions + whip swing anywhere u want and super moves so they had to take out some of that useless whip action so u can use your side arm for a change
always wondered how snes won the console wars. castlevania, alladin, contra, mortal kombat all were better in sega. only thing snes had that i really wanted to play was zelda ltp
Its still a debate which sold more here in the US and in Europe, South America, South Africa & Australia the Mega Drive sold more. The Mega Drive did sell more software than the SNES worldwide.
Cool video! And I agree with you for the most part. Bloodlines is currently my favorite Castlevania along with Akumajō Dracula for the X68000.
What I love about Bloodlines is the level design, unique visual effects, surreal atmosphere and gorgeous soundtrack. Also great replay value with two distinct characters. Hard to believe that such a game came out only on a 8 meg cartridge!
Rondo of Blood (PC Engine) has fantastic presentation mostly thanks to the CD format but isn't as fun not to mention a few oddities such as the lame final boss.
Castlevania IV is pretty good and I like the graphics more than in Rondo or Dracula X but the game is a bit too easy and some visual effects doesn't age well.
While the SNES and Megadrive games where good, nothing even came close to Rondo on the PC engine and Akumajou Dracula on the X68000.
Castlevania Symphony of the Night destroys them all by far.
Love both.And cv3
Great video Eric! I must commend you for choosing one of the holy grail game series for idiots to leave stupid comments on and from the looks of it, you’re starting to swim in them! XD
haha thanks Jay, gotta be brave in the youtube game :P
Turbografx rondo of blood is the best.
Alien Wars vs Hard Corps?
Bloodlines/Vampire Killer has more of a replay value because it has more of an Arcade feel than Castlevania IV (SNES) and Rondo Of Blood (PC Engine). Bloodlines/Vampire Killer hands down is the best Castlevania game of the 16 bit generation. The soundtrack is amazing! You got to love the way the Mega Drive showcases music. Bloodlines/Vampire Killer was and is a masterpiece. The graphics, music, sound effects & gameplay is top notch IMO. Ive compared Bloodlines, Rondo Of Blood & Castlevania IV via RGB and Bloodlines looks the Best with a clearer and sharper picture. Yeah in composite the SNES & PC Engine competes or can look better than the Mega Drive/Genesis in some ways but when comparing all 3 via RGB the Mega Drive looks better. Bloodlines is one of them games that showcased the power of the Mega Drive the 16 Bit Power House that brought the Arcade Experience home better than the PC Engine and SNES IMO. Man you got to love the Mega Drive/Genesis! I truely believe many haven't experienced the greatness of the Mega Drive/Genesis because they are not playing via RGB and with either a Japanese High Definition Graphics Mega Drive Model 1 or a US High Definition Graphics Genesis Model 1 hooked up to a TV or surround sound system via the stereo headphone jack via a line to rca jack. The Hi Def Mega Drive & Hi Def Genesis has the best stereo sound when compared to the SNES & PC Engine. When gamers get the best gear for there Mega Drive or Genesis then they can see what im talking about and as time keeps ticking more and more are seeing that the Mega Drive was and is the Best 16 Bit System of the late 80's and into the 90's.
My favorite castlevania games
are:
1. Bloodlines - Sega Mega Drive
2. Rondo - PC Engine
3. Dracula's Curse - Nes
4. Super Castlevania IV - SNES
I think Castlevania IV is the better game. Better controls, atmosphere and and graphics.
Difficult choice...but I prefer "Bloodlines/Vampire Killer" because more détail, colors..wonderful soundtracks..The Action is faster and we have two different characters wich can vary a little. At the inverse, "Super Castlevania 4" has a better atmosphere.
Agree. Enjoyed this.
Nice to see a vid from you again! I happen to prefer Bloodlines too! Great analysis!
Thanks Sam, glad you enjoyed!
The points you give in the video are solid and I think they're both good games to add to one's collection. However I'm still inclined to go with Super Castlevania IV. Part of it has to do with nostalgia but I also like how it plays more. I do like the two character selection in Bloodlines but it is a little odd there are no Belmonts in the story and they start incorporating material from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Overall I look at it like this. Super Castlevania IV pays tribute to the older Castlevania games but throws in a couple of new things. Bloodlines takes some of that but experiments more. That's what I get from it.
Super Castlevania is still my all time favorite game on SNES. Best music and gothic graphics! Love this game and I wish Konami would allow Sony to buy or lease this property and make a sequel that is truly worthy of the Castlevania name.
Super Castlevaina lV is clearly the best
And I'm a HUGE Sega fan
Castlevania bloodlines is harder more Fast paced like an arcade game.
You kind of forgot to add that Bloodlines is essentially just a boss rush. Great if you like boss rushes, but tedious to the majority of gamers. And the aesthetics/graphics of Bloodlines being superior? You must be smoking some impressive stuff. Decent video, but man, not subjective at all...
I enjoyed Bloodlines more cause to me Castelvania 4 had boring music during alot of the stages. Now don't get me wrong I still like Castlevania 4 too buuut not as much as I love Bloodlines.
I agree.
Two great games, but bloodlines is better.
Here's the problem with comparisons. If your audience is like me who is a mega Castlevania fan, I don't compare them. I love them all. But, If you have to compare, remember, Castlevania 4 was 3 times longer than bloodlines and end bosses were not years and machinery which was disappointing about bloodlines. Castlevania 4 simply had more content and was the better of the two.
I went into this video thinking "Yeah, I know how this'll be going: Super Castlevania will get all the points because it's considered a masterpiece etc.".
Glad to see I was wrong. :)
Very good and objective video.
Made me subscribe.
I like Bloodlines, Super Castlevania is just superior due to its Movement and Gameplay in general
Bloodlines is fast like an arcade game.
Castlevania 4 on Snes is better for me. Musics are incredible, gameplay not frenetic because is a game with action, jumps and beautiful scenario. Aged better than bloodlines. Bloodlines have mkr action, it's true but super castlevania it's superior in my opinion.
So why does this guy release videos every 6 months or so? A little odd.
BTW, SNES Drunk sent me.
the sound chip and music in castlevania 4 murders bloodlines. Personally I like castlevania 4 better but bloodlines is a fantastic game so I can see that argument.
Subbed just for this, absolutely love Bloodlines and loved this video. Hope to see more content soon
The MD game is probably the true fourth game because it's not a remake. Having said that Konami sure did their best to sabotage their games across systems. To be honest was always a Master of Darkness fan anyway so I feel that's a better game better than Castlevania.
@Tom Ffrench Can't argue with that. 👍
CV4 all day everyday, its better in everyway.
Nice you pronounced either, either way.