JBoc924Last week we got some very big and surprising news. After several months of availability, Nintendo has decided, wisely so, to slash the 3DS’ current price. Starting on August 12, the 3DS will be available for $169.99, a huge difference when taking its original $249.99 price tag into account. That’s good and all, especially for those still on the fence regarding a possible purchase of the handheld, but what about all of us who already own the system?
Nintendo has an answer for current adopters, too- specifically, those who currently own the system and connect to the eShop prior to August 11th. And that is: 20 free games.
These free games will be neatly divided into 10 NES games and 10 GBA games. The former grouping will start pouring out the gate come September 1st (it’ll then be available to everyone else later this year) and the latter selection will be enjoyed as exclusive games to those who are part of this “ambassador” initiative. Yeah, Nintendo has no plans on bringing the selection of GBA games to everyone else at this time.
So, what the hell does any of this have to do with Castlevania? Well, ‘vania fans, with the revelation of GBA games actually coming to the 3DS’ virtual console (as has been heavily speculated for months) now we’re filled with a massive dose of excitement because of one notion: the eventual release of the GBA Castlevania titles on the service.
Yeah, they may not hit for a good long while, but at least we know that they’ll definitely hit the 3DS’ virtual console at some point. So, having said that, it’s time to look back at one of the three GBA ‘vania titles. But instead of doing a generic ‘looking back @’ piece, I’m going to be doing a more personal take on it. Because Circle of the Moon isn’t just one of the GBA Castlevania games (that, unfortunately, was deemed as not being part of the main time-line) to me; it’s the game that made me into the ‘vania fan I am today.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon holds a very special place in my heart, even if it isn’t exactly my favorite entry in the franchise. This was the game that actually introduced me to the Castlevania franchise. Yes, my time with the Castlevania series started out with Circle of the Moon, as surprising as that may sound (I was quite young at the time of its release).
Then from that point on I became truly invested in Castlevania and thus, now it’s my all-time favorite video game series. I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on Circle of the Moon and its gothic but downright awesome box art. I remember it like it was yesterday…
Handheld gaming always played a huge role in my life as a gamer especially in my early years. I used to dump hours into Pokemon Yellow and Gold on the Game Boy Color and would even go as far as to pour out tears when I couldn’t catch a desired creature (yeah, I was quite serious about it). After a long day at school, coming home to the comforts of my room and playing my Game Boy Color was a very comforting act.
So you can imagine the excitement I had when the GBA first launched with its features including a much bigger screen and more vibrant colors for games (come on, we all have a lil’ graphic whore in us!). Sure, I loved Pokemon to death, which was where I spent the bulk of my handheld gaming time, but I was looking for something a little more…darker to invest hours in. Enter, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon.
The game, as you remember, was a launch title for Nintendo’s latest handheld at the time, amongst other titles. The first launch game I made sure to secure in my hands on the handheld’s launch day at Toys R’ Us on that sunny day was Rayman, being a sucker for side-scrollers and colorful platformers, but then my eyes locked onto this particular box-art.
It showed off a fierce looking vampire hunter with a long whip in hand, all set to a back-drop which featured a sprawling and creepy-looking castle with bats flying out of it. You can probably imagine the look on my face after seeing this in front of me.
I was quite a big horror film fan even at an early age so yeah, I was very ecstatic. I went on to secure a copy of Circle of the Moon in my hands as well and enjoyed the car ride home by flipping through the game’s manual, admiring the beautiful and gothic artwork.
So I rushed home to play it, and after being welcomed by the haunting main menu track, “Requiem,” I forced myself to finally begin the game (I could listen to that track all day) ; the rest is history.
Now, it’s time to return my mindset to present time, now with years of ‘vania experience under my belt. Having said that, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon was the immediate successor to the highly praised Playstation classic, Symphony of the Night.
Circle of the Moon starts off, just like any other Castlevania title, with the resurrection of Dracula, this time spearheaded by his faithful servant, Carmilla. Swiftly following this series staple, the game’s protagonist, Nathan Graves, interrupts the “party.” He’s followed by his partner Hugh Baldwin and their mentor Morris Baldwin. Then, as one would expect, things go awry.
Dracula destroys the floor beneath both Nathan and Hugh and down they go to the depths of the Castle’s caves. Hugh is quick to commence his ascension back to the throne room to save Morris, because, you know, he’s his father. Nathan, ever the courageous one, opts to go after him as well, despite being told not to. Thus begins the first successor to Symphony of the Night and its tried-and-true template (hell, even the map outline looked really similar to the PS1 classic).
But what was the main hook of Circle of the Moon? I mean, it wasn’t a carbon copy of Symphony of the Night, afterall. Well, this game’s dose of originality amongst other ‘vania titles resides in its robust and downright addictive DSS (Dual Set-up System) feature.
I hate to bring up Pokemon once again in a Castlevania-centric column, but I just have to. As aforementioned, Nintendo’s form of digital crack is something that ate away tons of hours in my early life. A big reason for that is the whole notion of collecting and leveling up. Having so many lil’ critters to try to catch proved to be quite addictive as well as improving said creatures’ stats. So then Circle of the Moon comes into my life with its DSS feature.
Sure it’s not on the level of Aria/Dawn of Sorrow’s soul system (which is more akin to Pokemon than this) but it still helped elongate the core experience. It wasn’t just about finally making it to Dracula’s throne room and finally clearing the game, it was also about trying to collect all the cards available and mix and match them to your liking. All the while leveling up Nathan as well.
This defintely kept me hooked for hours on end and I would be glued to my GBA’s screen, not wanting to leave the confines of Dracula’s iconic castle. I quickly found many satisfying combinations within the DSS feature with the most notable ones, for me at least, granting Nate’s whip elemental powers like a flame and ice whip. Other DSS combinations would also enhance Nate’s stats. This added a great layer of strategy to an already astounding game, following the golden steps of its highly-revered predecessor, Symphony of the Night.
I won’t spoil the game’s ending, though I’m sure it’s quite predictable, but I will say that the game’s final boss fight was truly amazing and breath-taking; and not to mention hard as well!
Then comes the bad thing having to do with Circle of the Moon. But don’t get the wrong idea; this negative aspect has nothing to do with the actual game, it’s not an internal issue, rather it’s one that was unfortunately “bestowed” upon the game after its release. Yeah, many of you reading this may already know what it is. For the uninitiated: Konami has deemed Circle of the Moon as not being part of the series’ main timeline.
I can go on all day addressing this very act but I’ll just keep it short, for brevity’s sake. This move on Konami’s part is still one that baffles my mind. I mean, it’s not like the game’s story went against what was already established before its 1830-set time period and setting. But alas, it has been since retconned by Iga himself. As unfortunate as that may be (don’t worry, I can hear all you Sonia Belmont fans as well).
This doesn’t change my overall feelings for the game, though. Circle of the Moon is still one of my favorite ‘vanias and it’s a game that holds a very special place in my heart, because it introduced me to the world of whips and creatures of the night. And if it wasn’t for this game, then I wouldn’t be here right now giving you guys the amount of Castlevanai coverage I do. I truly love this series, as you can most likely tell, and I owe a great deal to Circle of the Moon for that (here’s a fun fact: I prefer the classic-style entries more than the metroidvania ones; yeah, go figure!)
So, having said all that, I’m going to continue giving this series the recognition it truly deserves. Oh, and I want to leave you guys with this…
