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Last year, Konami successfully transplanted its critically-heralded GBA Castlevania series onto the DS with Dawn of Sorrow. Only one year later, a sequel is being prepped that promises to soundly trump its predecessors, as each iteration before it has done. Nintendojo got the chance to play a working build of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego, and it can be safely said that Konami will deliver on its promise yet again. media impressions Within one minute, Portrait of Ruin proved to be the nicest-looking portable Castlevania yet, adding 3D enemies and backgrounds to the 2D landscapes. The protagonists animate well and the bosses are as huge as ever, not to mention that the World War II-era locations are some of the most diverse areas the series has yet seen. The presentation is getting very close to Symphony of the Night levels; one can only hope it will meet or eclipse the widely-accepted pinnacle of the series. Many of the Castlevania series’ detractors claim that each game is the same as the one before it; despite most sequels attempting a few changes in the formula, this remains a highly contestable subject. However, Portrait of Ruin offers the most startling addition yet: two playable characters from the outset, with players able to switch between them on the fly. Besides the simple dynamic of two characters with different abilities, with two characters players have access to a wealth of potential gameplay options. To start off, the two characters can gain the power to team up for screen-filling super-attacks that demolish most everything in sight. Not only that, but players can call on their other character to fight alongside them in battle. Sure, this will come in handy during tough boss fights, but this also leaves open possibilities for great puzzles and exploration. For example, if a ledge is too high for even a double-jump, the second character can give them a boost by simply giving shoulders to leap from. Of course, this idea brings about the most tantalizing potential the series has seen in years. word on the street Dawn of Sorrow dabbled in multiplayer with its create-a-level mode, but the internet is abuzz with rumors of something even greater. It’s only natural to think, when two protagonists are on the screen, that two individual players could control them. So it wasn't much of a suprise when Konami recently announced support for both local and Wi-Fi co-op play. Such a concept will give way to an immense amount of gameplay opportunities, and would no doubt give legions of fans a new reason to play Castlevania again. press release notes Celebrating 20 years of vampire hunting action, the legendary Castlevania series is back with an all-new action packed adventure. Take control of two heroes, Jonathan Morris, a vampire killer and his close friend Charlotte Orlean, a girl with tremendous magical ability. Amidst the chaos of World War II, two mysterious sisters emerge, working to resurrect Dracula leaving David and Charlotte to be all that stand in their way. Features
overall November is looking further away than ever, but Portrait of Ruin looks like it will once again prove that a portable Castlevania is worth the wait. Konami could pretty much settle for creating a new castle and new items and fans would gobble it up, but it looks as if the series is getting the most pivotal shake-up yet. It’s safe to say that Konami will give more details concerning a possible Co-op Mode when the game comes closer to release, which, if confirmed, will only make the wait that much longer.
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