I don’t think Castlevania Judgement was what anyone had in mind when they asked for a Wii Castlevania game. With 2D Castlevania games still alive and kicking on the DS, what are the odds of a Wii 2D Castlevania? When asked about that very thing in an interview with C3, Castlevania mastermind Koji Igarashi had this to say:

I am very interested in the option. I truly hope that the 2D market will be revitalised. I need your support to do that. Let’s make the 2D market (world) more exciting!!

See that? That’s two exclamation points. Not one, but two. That’s pure excitement, right there.

C3
via GoNintendo

Happy Halloween! Anyone dressed as a video game character? Or better yet, anyone playing any scary games?

Believe it or not, I’m actually spending a lot of today listening to scary video game soundtracks. I’ve essentially got this haunted house of Halloween decorations, and I’m using game music to set the mood. There’s a lot of Fatal Frame, Resident Evil, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Assassin’s Creed… and Castlevania. I figured something from the latter would be appropriate for tonight, so enjoy Video Games Live’s performance of Castlevania music!

YouTube

So here’s this trailer I seemingly overlooked for Konami’s Castlevania Judgment on the Wii. It’s not that old, but… my bad. I must have been so caught up in the hype of Order of Ecclesia, right? So, before all you Castlevania fans - or 3D fighter fans, whichever - come looking to cast a spell on me, I’ve added the video above AND ten new screens of the game past the break. Enjoy!

Continue Reading »

It is no secret that Caslevania is one of my favorite franchises, dating all the way back to my gaming days in 1987. It’s unique take on the Dracula mythology, mixed with intense action 2-D platforming have become a staple with goth titles these days thanks to various chapters on the Nintendo DS handheld. While many of us might be a little disappointed with the direction the series is going with Castlevania Judgement, it looks like there is hope for a full fledged original Castlevania feature. Koji Igarashi states:

With regards to WiiWare, I’m evaluating that right now, and to be honest, I think a 2D Castlevania game on WiiWare might be the right approach.

I wonder if they will follow in Capcom’s footsteps and provide a retro look, or stick to a contemporary Castlevania title with all the bells and whistles. Either way, Komami will have have hit on their hands.

Nintendo World Report

Alright, so we’re getting a 3D fighter in Castlevania Judgement. Purists are probably looking forward to Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia on the DS, but it’s already the third Castlevania on the dual screened handheld. Will we being seeing the series return to its roots on home consoles anytime soon? Maybe! Series producer Koji Igarashi is thinking in terms of a non-retail release, however…

I’m definitely interested in WiiWare and I think it’s one of the areas that 2D can still be very strong at. I’m very much looking into that.

Is he taking a cue from Capcom’s upcoming Mega Man 9?

I’m watching that very closely to see how it does. Myself, I’m a big retro gaming fan, so if it is successful that definitely opens up doors for what I can do.

Sounds good to me!

Joystiq

Konami released several new screens of the upcoming Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, shown on here at the E3 show floor for the Nintendo DS. In addition to all the screens found after the break, you can also check out over a hand-ful of new artwork images as well.

Continue Reading »

My, my… the things people create just to avoid having to do “real” work. Flickr user adam16bit managed to come up with the idea, search through all his LEGOs to see if he had all the necessary pieces, and create this LEGO version of Simon Belmont (from Simon’s sprite in Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest on the NES) during one of those moments. I wish I had that sort of free time.

It’s all 8-bit lovin’ these days. Check out the full shot of the LEGO creation after the break, and more at Adam’s Flickr page!

Continue Reading »

Not all of the game confirmations these past few days have been popular ones. Konami has now made it official that the Wii will be getting Castlevania Judgement, a fighter made by series producer Iga Igarashi and featuring character models designed by manga artist Takeshi Obata.

You’ll “slash, stab, and whip” using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and you’ll be able to do so against friends using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. DS connectivity will also be utilized (finally) by using Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia to unlock some bonus features.

All this change? They wanted to set it apart from the rest of the Castlevania series. I’m wondering why they couldn’t just “set it apart” with the biggest game and best story yet for a 2D action platformer…

Continue Reading »