Game Debate #212: Castlevania III

[Reed Rothchild | 9,738]

[Gloves | 12,049]

Never played it. 

[fcgamer | 4,833]

Easily my favorite of the Castlevania games. We had this as a kid, sometime after owning part one.

There's just so much to this game, the different helpers and paths, and it really does feel like an epic adventure from start to finish. The soundtrack is also amazing.

This is easily my favorite Castlevania game of the whole series, followed by part IV. IV is more of an entry level game, fun yet easy, whereas III requires a bit more dedication and finesse; however, the experience is unforgettable.

It's in my top 10 games, and is easily a 10.

[elprincipe | 145]

Outstanding game in every way. Plays wonderfully, challenging, branching paths and allies (four endings!), looks great, one of the best soundtracks of any game ever. I slightly prefer the original, but this is my second-favorite NES game. I played it to death when it came out and enjoyed every bit of it. 10/10.

It's hard to pick one track from the soundtrack, but I always loved this one:

 

Edited Wednesday at 06:14 PM by elprincipe

[Webhead123 | 698]

A fantastic entry in a fantastic series. One of my favorite games on the NES for sure. I only dock it a little because of some of the absurdly-frustrating difficulty of a few spots in the later stages. That said, I don't think the game ever gets so frustrating that you don't want to keep trying. It pushes right up to the edge of pissing you off but then lets you know that you can do it, if you push yourself to improve with a little trial and error. That said, it's still "NES hard" in all the ways that games of the era can be. But when you beat it...there's almost no other game that feels as rewarding.

9 out of 10, again only missing a perfect mark because of the punishing nature of NES Castlevania games. My third-favorite Castlevania game after Super IV and Adventure Rebirth, the WiiWare exclusive.

Edited Wednesday at 08:33 PM by Webhead123

[Webhead123 | 698]

2 hours ago, elprincipe said:

It's hard to pick one track from the soundtrack, but I always loved this one:

I think it might have the greatest intro music in the entire NES library. I can't think of Castlevania III and not hear this in my head. Talk about setting the perfect mood:

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:39 PM by Webhead123

[fox | 1,723]

It’s fun until some bonehead breathes on you and you get yeeted into the next area code

Amazing gothic visuals and soundtrack.  Tons of replay value with branching paths and different helpers.  But the frustration level is pretty high.

[Astro Bot | 32]

I remember it being a very solid game, though my favorites of the "classic style" Castlevania games are Super Castlevania 4 and Castlevania: Bloodlines. Symphony of the Night is my favorite game in the whole franchise, though I should note there are a few on the GBA and NDS that I haven't played yet. 8 out 10

[TDIRunner | 2,819]

I've heard of it.

 

But I never got into any of the Castlevania games on the NES.  

[CMR | 528]

Easy 8, almost a 9 for me, but not quite

[ZeldaFreak | 3,683]

8 for me, easily the best of the NES entries IMO.

[Webhead123 | 698]

5 hours ago, Astro Bot said:

I remember it being a very solid game, though my favorites of the "classic style" Castlevania games are Super Castlevania 4 and Castlevania: Bloodlines. Symphony of the Night is my favorite game in the whole franchise, though I should note there are a few on the GBA and NDS that I haven't played yet. 8 out 10

Bloodlines is really good. I had a Genesis in the mid-90s but somehow never even knew it existed until probably 2010. It's a shame, too. It's in the running for my favorite game on the console.

I've only dabbled in the GBA/DS games but as they all kinda went the route of Symphony, they haven't stuck with me like the early titles.

[Tanooki | 4,994]

This one is fairly easy for a rating, best of the 8bit ones and I'm including Gameboy on that too.  I got this when it came out and it took a little time but finished it a few times, not sure I got the endings...I hate multiple endings so I would have just have been happy to win.  The game is excellent, perfect no, but excellent but little bits did bother me even then, a big one was the near utter dual seeming near uselessness and paper dragon style damage meter of Grant with his no range.  Another would be just a few seemingly almost cheap spots where if you don't move it, you're done, and patterns that'll throw you in those cases.  A challenge for sure, but a fair one, if you pace yourself.  A fantastic use of color, depth of detail, and a stunning soundtrack a great of greats on NES.  I didn't think much could beat it at the time and for nearly a decade too.

But, that leads into being fair to say partly why I gave it a 9 isn't because of the NES release, but the Famicom one.  I was part of the early era of NES ROM releases and header hacking, I'm the one who crafted the 25 year old NES header doc out there.  Early on I got exposed to what Konami had to butcher a bit or sadly had to leave behind.  Castlevania once expanded mappers were created and implemented allowed this one to not just be dumped but properly run, which meant VRC6 music coupled with the un-nerfed, un-middle fingered damage ratios to torture renters stuff.  It was one of the very first FC carts I ever bought well over a decade ago.  The sound track on this one with the added channels takes great to phenomenal.  Grant isn't fucking garbage either, not 2" nail file to poke people with but throws the classic butter knife as a weapon too for range, and him along with the others, take (and also balanced) damage in parity with Belmont, every little bit helps.  The lack of censoring other things is nice too, so it's a trifecta of solid fixes and I tend to only ever play this cart anymore as retired my US one.   So yeah techncally it's an 8 for US, but I give it a 9 due to the true release of the game.

[Sumez | 3,076]

Totally top tier game of its style! Competing with PCE Dracula X as my favourite Castlevania game of all time, and probably in my top 3 of NES games.

Easy 9/10 but I cannot fault people for awarding it a 10

Edited Thursday at 06:17 AM by Sumez

[Astro Bot | 32]

3 hours ago, Webhead123 said:

Bloodlines is really good. I had a Genesis in the mid-90s but somehow never even knew it existed until probably 2010. It's a shame, too. It's in the running for my favorite game on the console.

I've only dabbled in the GBA/DS games but as they all kinda went the route of Symphony, they haven't stuck with me like the early titles.

Yeah, Bloodlines did some pretty neat graphical tricks. I liked having two characters with different play styles to play through the whole game with. Getting to use a spear was cool. I also thought it was neat how they worked the real life Elizabeth Bathory into this fictional setting. 

Konami had an interesting way of splitting up their franchises on the SNES and the Genesis, giving each console unique feeling entries in the series. Contra: Hard Corps feels different from Contra III, and Bloodlines has a different vibe to it than Super Castlevania IV. 

[NostalgicMachine | 282]

10/10 NES title, hands down.

The depth and complexity in this one puts it in the upper echelon of NES titles. I just completed it again recently, and it's SO satisfying taking the multiple paths with alternate characters, etc.

You'll very rarely see me give a 10/10 outside of Zelda; this is one of those times.

[fcgamer | 4,833]

I was playing Castlevania III, was in the mood due to this thread. Was heading into Dracula's chamber when my cat ran across the Famicom machine, then everything froze up and I subsequently got the cat something to eat. I might play again tomorrow, only go the alternative route.

[PII | 1,950]

20 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

I was playing Castlevania III, was in the mood due to this thread. Was heading into Dracula's chamber when my cat ran across the Famicom machine, then everything froze up and I subsequently got the cat something to eat. I might play again tomorrow, only go the alternative route.

Dracula's minions come in many forms....

[JamesRobot | 5,882]

I'm a 9.9 on Castlevania III. Can't quite nudge it to a 10.  It's not my favorite of the series but it's up there.  Probably third favorites.  Really, I prefer the OG even though I never beat it, but I have beaten III on a few occasions.  Gotta give SotN the top spot even if it's the easiest one of the series.

[DefaultGen | 5,636]

9/10, top 10 game I've played on NES. If you lock me in a room with it for 2 months I'd figure out why it's 10/10.

[Brickman | 4,117]

9. Not my favourite Castlevania but it is definitely up there as one of the best in the series.

[Astro Bot | 32]

Upon further reflection I have to acknowledge the significance of this game. It's the reason we got this:

and also this:

Not one of my favorite Castlevania games, but Castlevania III certainly has my respect