Johnny vs. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood & Dracula X
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- It's time for a short return to the Castlevania franchise. In 1993, the next big title in the Castlevania line-up saw release exclusively in Japan. It wouldn't be until 2007 when American audiences could finally play it . How does Rondo of Blood stack up against the likes of such classics as Super Castlevania IV? Was the wait worth it at all?
- Hry
"FUCK YOU, MARIA IS AWESOME!" Best. Line. Ever.
Fun fact: stage 5' was put together by one of the programmers who was complaining the rest of the game wasn't hard enough.
....hope they got what they wanted....
+CruelestChris And I love that stage despite the whoop-ass it doles out. The music makes it worth it.
+Zvxman McVongami They Fucking did
+CruelestChris
Really? It must of work, the psp stage 5 is easier... Tho it is still hard as hell with Richter
CruelestChris I wish you still made videos Evil Tim :(
7:50
Maria: "thank you for saving me, Richter"
*Duke Nukem voice*
"now i'm gonna kick some unholy S"
Heh, imagine that. Her voice goes from Michelle Ruff to Jon St. John (Or Gianni Matragrano, if one prefers.) In a jarring fashion.
Attacking twice as fast, a double jump!?
Slow down Maria, you're making Richter look like the 12 year old!
IRONY!
Maria is awesome. But did they ever explain where she got her buddies from?
@@Elyseon she summoned them with her magic powers
In hindsight, she should’ve been a fighter rather than a Spirit in Smash Bros Ultimate.
She literally made richter look like an old man do to her abilities
"FUCK YOU MARIA IS AWESOME"
Thanks for the heart attack, Johnny.
Lol
that caught me off guard, also probably because an ad played before that, lol
"Playing as a twelve year old girl in a pink dress compared to the manliness of Richter Belmont? FUCK YOU-*Ad*- Maria is awesome!" This happened to me, lol.
Me too. ads ruin videos for me
OMG Same! Ads suuuuuuucccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank God for ublock
Here is an amazing quote from someone
"I can stand ads, I can stand buffer but when the ads buffer I suffer."
Elemental Origin yep
19:56 it took me until now to realizes the joke was based on the "Help Me" code from Castlevania III
I was today years old when I figured that out, and I saw this video years ago…
"the belmont strut just doesnt work out well in 3d" oh pre-smash ultimate world. so young.
You forgot Johnny! In addition to taking the four maidens, he also took the lawnmower! Obviously a Belmont wouldn't fight him unless he still had their lawnmower.
Technically, bloodlines took place after Rondo of blood + sotn and then in addition to paying respects to Lisa's dying wish to not harm humans, he then gave the lawnmower back
@@novadragoon4687 Not to mention, the Belmonts were exiled because of Richter... this is why I prefer Simon Belmont over him.
@@robbiewalker2831 Trevor was always my favorite, even before the Netflix totally-not-an-anime. A Belmont who had the sense to recruit allies to fight alongside him? A BIG step up from the "I Can Do It Aloooooooooone" guys.
@@ingonyama70 also he's the most based one
While playing as Maria Dracula's 3rd form is laughably easy
Just use the turtle. No, seriously. Most of the attacks can't harm you if you have a turtle on your head.
It seems that Prince of Darkness greatest weakness are... turtles...
So Dracula is really Shredder...who knew?
Sea Turtles Mate
So Guile can beat Dracula?! People turtle with him all the time...
So... Dracula is actually Exdeath?
@@TheBrokenMadMan that's why Shredder never got that Turtle Soup
Maria is basically a freaking OP magical girl. Another castlevania game where the latter character makes for a better gaming experience.
Literally every game with an alt character, the alt is superior.
Rewatching this after Richter was announced in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
And Konami being lazy in not rereleasing Rondo of Blood.
Sup
The belmont strut translates a lot better in Smash
I'm watching this to actually know who Richter is. I legitamately said "Who?" when he popped up on screen.
Don't forget the new Castlevania, but sadly that one is going to be released for iOS only...Konami hasn't changed, they still think mobile gaming is the way to go just because numbers alone told them.
"FUCK YOU, Maria is awesome!"
Ooooh man, I wouldn't have said that any better Johnny. That made my day xD
The real reason why Dracula X is such a piece of shit is having the worst hitboxes in the franchise
This video, your avatar.
Take my like!
Hitboxes? I find them to be pretty accurate. The game had death pits out the wazoo and some of the most dickish enemy placement in the history of anything ever, generally bullshit design, the water in the goddamn ghost ship, even less invincibility than fucking Rondo, the bosses can be right pain in the asses at the best of times and did I mention there's death pits? Well I'm mentioning them again because they're fucking everywhere.
...And I love this game.
Dracula X is such a underrated gem smh
Am I the only one who rewatches Johnny's videos?
Edit: I love the energy his fanbase has and still does seeing all these replies all these years later. Hope ya'll are doing good :).
+darrk550 no
Nope :)
+darrk550 nope
i rewatch them all the time
Me
I’ve *never* played a _Castlevania_ but I might start to.
play symphony of the night.
Buy Castlevania Anniversary Collection. 👍 It lacks Dracula X & Rondo of Blood though.
Fjunbollen13 because it’s on the requiem collection with SOTN sadly it doesn’t come with Dracula X chronicles despite having DXC art :(
Did you ever play one?
I’d recommend Aria of Sorrow myself; GBA emulators are really easy to hook up and operate, and the game is a very easy Metroidvania title to get into. Plus, Soma Cruz I find to be a very enjoyable main character.
Common argument: "Nobody bought the PSP due to a lack of quality games."
Quality games comes out to PSP: "It should have been released on a system more people owned."
Is there no winning with this PSP vs. its game collection argument?
lol I see what you mean but the issue here is yes you have good games released but those games weren't really enough to warrant a purchase for the system
Pretty much the same with the WiiU
I think the PSP didn't sell well because it was competing with the Nintendo DS. That kind of competition would make anything undersell.
The PSP was a good system but most of its best games were either remakes or ported somewhere else soon after anyways. Its exclusive library IS underappreciated though, but compared to the DS, it couldn't last.
then with the vita they just f*ucked it up
Problem was, the PSP was a Sony console. Which means it needed software that would appeal to Playstation fans. And the games they made for Playstation fans include Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, Secret Agent Clank, Daxter, Jak: The Lost Frontier... Megaman, Castlevania and Ghost and Goblins were all franchises that held way more sway with Nintendo fans. To cap it all off, the ONE Castlevania game that shared a continuity with the Lords Of Shadow games that were actually on PS3 was realesed on DS and the Playstation Network, so PS3 owners didn't even need a PSP to play the damn thing.
The PSP might be the only handheld that put up a good fight against Nintendo but it did so almost despite Sony. Most fans know it for being a JRPG machine. It also happens to be easy to softmod, and like... It kinda makes for a better GBA, if that route appeals to you.
Rondo of Blood and X68000 are probably some of my most favorite Castlevania games, right under Aria of Sorrow.
"Yes the priest's name is Shaft. Ya dig?"
I can dig it
9:23 Ritcher is like,"how the heck this big pork chop fit in my stomach?"
It sucks that everyone is so scared of CZcams being assholes that no one puts music samples in their videos anymore.
"Happy 2014"
Me in 2022: "Ouch"
Only ever beat this with Maria, kid made the game so easy
I must have watched this video a dozen times already, and I just finally got "help me" joke at the end. A subtle reminder as to why this is my favorite channel on CZcams.
You know this is a great castlevania when more than a decade later they're still using the same sprites, and they still look great.
Loved how he noted the foreshadowing in why Castlevania castle didn't collapse as usual during Rictor's ending for Symphony of the night
"Dracula Untold" is an ad for this video...the irony is stunning.
Japanese release: Rondo of Blood
US release: Dracula X
Japanese release: Nocturne of the Moonlight
US release: Symphony of the Night
... The Japanese don't think too highly of our intelligence, do they?
MistaHahn117 Actually Dracula X's Japanese title is Akumajou Dracula XX. Rondo is a different game, and also has Dracula X in the title.
Nocturne in the Moonlight has Dracula X in the title too, and honestly I'm okay with the titles being changed to get rid of that, it was dumb and overly 90's.
^Now this, I learned AFTER making this comment.
And the Japanese franchise title "Akumajou Dracula" sucks compared to "Castlevania"
MistaHahn117 Japanese games they are the shit.
Actually in Japan it was supposed to be Akamajo Dracula X: Chi no Rinne. Devils Castle Dracula X: **Rebirth** of Blood. A typo changed it to Chi no Rondo.
“Happy 2014” *god why has time gone so fast*
Fun Fact: In Japan, Rondo of Blood is known as Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, and Dracula X is known as Akumajo Dracula XX.
We await the third installment, Akumajo Dracula XXX
HELL YEAH! Rondo of Blood! My absolute favorite of Castlevania series!
Brings back memories of playing this game while waiting for the JP version of Pokemon Gen 1 and 2, doing a Playthrough of it on CZcams before SOPA came aboard, and lastly, doing a halloween livestream of it. How I always love you.
Richter announced for Smash!
The reason why the game was not released in america , was not the turbo grafix not selling well, it was because NEC of america had a dispute with konami of japan and america
But for that matter, why didn't port this on the sega CD
... or the PS1 like Johnny said?
joão carlos but that was when they started Sega CD , and they did not treat the game like snatcher , another game by Konami for the Japan turbo grafix and the US Sega CD.
I dunno, they couldve ported it to the PS1 when SotN was relevant
joão carlos I don't think that would have worked until castlevania chronicles, but 5th gen was a time where it was pretty difficult to make 2d ports of games because of the 3d hype. That's part of the reason the saturn didn't do well here in the U.S, even though it has a ton of great 2d games that were released in NA, and even more in JP.
Sweet! your videos are always burst of joy in my sub box.
Thanks Johnny!
I think a lot of people consider Castlevania 4 to be the best in the series simply because Rondo of Blood is more obscure. Americans didn't get to play it legit until long after its release in Japan. I still consider Rondo to be the best in the series, followed closely by Castlevania 4. A lot of people bash Dracula X, but I enjoyed it. However all of your complaints regarding it are spot on, it's just a matter of whether you can overlook its shortcomings or not. After all the NES series had those same problems, but they are still some of the best platforming games made.
@John Ross did you play only the metroidvanias, because i love rondo of blood, maybe you didn't play the nes castlevanias, because those had some freaking desing levels and the difficult is really hard.
@G Wrath but the thing is super castlevania iv is easy, as much i love and is my number one castlevania (along with symphony, rondo and bloodlines) it is very easy, and i didn't die many times, it depends how you play.
Never had a problem with Dracula X personally, however, I agree, the cheap deaths, enemy placement and most of all, the Dracula boss fight, is a major issue.
I usually don't look forward to the Dracula boss fight not only because its hard if you haven't already completed the game a couple of times before attmepting so again, but because of how seriously tedious the boss fight is. If you arent in like the closest one or two platforms when he appears, you will not get a hit in without the risk of getting killed.
Worst enemy placement is definitely 18:28 in this video. That is some BS.
Still, for me, it is a fun game despite its flaws.
@G Wrath The problem with CV4 is that it isn't difficult. I think the only place in the game that you might actually die on is the disappearing platforms, the moving platforms you have to jump on quickly enough to avoid the spikes, and the Slogra & Gaibon fight only because of the BS spawn drops of Slogra. The rest of the game is a cakewalk, and even more so if you actually decide to use subweapons.
Don't get me wrong, CV4 is amazing, but I wish they added a harder difficulty or designed some of the mosters a bit different (the multiplying mudmen comes to mind).
I don't honestly cared about the difficulties in an video game as long as the design of the game is good. If you want an game being easy or hard, than at least make it optional.
"Richter does has this backflip you can perform twice"
-johnny (4:10)
13:40 Belmont, son of Belmont...
Dracula, son of...a BITCH! You're alive? I thought Alucard killed you!!
I instinctually clicked on this video again after seeing the new trailer of Castlevania Nocturne. Still one of Johnny's best videos.
Rondo of Blood is my absolute favorite classic CV game, such a masterpiece!
I'd be way more kind to Dracula X, though. It still has many good stuff from Rondo like the item crashes being able to pick up replaced subweapons (no more "FUUUUUUCK I PICKED UP THE KNIFE moments), I really don't think the level design is that bad... it's similar to Castlevania 3, but with many, many more checkpoints, and an overall stronger character. The music is absolutely awesome too, some tracks like Den and Dance of Illusions sound even better than in Rondo. Overall it's my third favorite classic CV, after Rondo and SCV4.
The final boss sucks though, I admit that.
Am I the only one that thinks the first form of dracula sort of looks like Miles Edgeworth?
Wait, what are you- ...oh my gosh.
OBJECTION! That is....objectionable!
wwetitle818 Or is it? OBJECTION OVERRULED!
He even kind of sounds like him.
Fun fact: Dracula X on the SNES was mashed together to release due to the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Many production files were lost as the studio was damaged during this event....
After getting finding the game to try for myself(thanks to your review), I found out and managed to obtain a patch that lets you play the Original Rondo of Blood with the PsP translation and dub on the Turbo Graphics emulator, Magic Engine.
(Thumbs up if you guys want others to know the existence of such a translation patch.)
Do you know if there's a sub patch?
"Happy 2014 to every single one of you." - Johnny, 2014.
Where the heck has the time gone?
Oh jeez
ahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahah
- 6 years ago
HAH! So Thats how Maira was in this game, I 1st used her in CastleVania Judgement and I own sooooooo much with her spamming fire and tidal waves and she looks sooo OP/Fun in this game...I should get this in the Wii Shop
I am WAAAAAAY more interested to try out Rickter than Simon in Ultimate.
Yay! More reviews to watch!
I was getting bored, thanks Johnny! c:
3:19 So scientology resurrected Draclua? I knew those bastards were pure evil! Who else could've done so this quickly?!
Man, those commercials are really messing up the pacing of the video...
Well, there is always AdBlock. XD
two words: AD. BLOCKER.
***** ik im gonna sound like a fucking noob for saying this but fuck those ads, what ad blocker should I use or is there only one ad blocker?
are you on chrome?
***** yup
Johnny yet again delivers a well made, informative, and funny review. Well done Johnny.
The Castlevania facebook page posted a link to your video, and I liked it.
Subscribed.
In my own personal opinion, I think that Rondo of Blood is truly the greatest old-school Castlevania experience out there. Not only that it triumphs over games like Super Castlevania IV in terms of music, graphical art style and boss fights, it also manages to go the extra mile by introducing in-level branching paths and 4 alternate stages. Unlike the SNES 'Dracula X', this game has a real save system. What I always liked about Rondo, is that it has a rhythmic feel to it. SC IV is more of a sleeper with that slow movement speed and it didn't really focus much on the combat with the enemies, but rather more on 'deadly platforming', ensuring those obstacle courses have many pits and intentional enemy placements. I still like SC IV a lot for it's different approach on Castlevania.
7:55 Oh, I enjoyed having my volume set to max while wearing headphones, thanks, John!
7:54 omg that scared the shit outa me XD
same
You actually have mid air control. You have to keep pressing the jump button.
Rodo Yeah, that's right, you can change direction once.
You have to hold the jump button
FINALLY I have been waiting for a long time for you to review this game.
5:34 "Mid air knockback"
He just jumped straight on the platform
It was an example. As in, he explained that it did happen to him before, he just showed where and what happens when you do fall through.
they should take this game, megaman powered up, and Maverick hunter X, and rerelease them all on the 3DS
I agree! if they ported them to 3DS I would buy them all!
Dracula X wasn't a sequel. it was purely a demake.
I come home from a long day of highschool to a new Johnny vs. video. It's the little things :)
thanks for letting us hear that great music...
John, there is one franchise out there that i really want you to review.
The series does have good sales positive reviews and a fanbase.
but not many people aside from the fanbase it has play the game.
So please john, this is coming from the bottom of my heart.
Please review the professor layton series, you wont regret it.
yes, outside of europe it is but not really the U.S
i accidentally typed in europe instead of U.S
PikaLink91 If I'm not mistaken, Chronotrigger was never released in EU so it kind of makes sense it didn't have the same impact it had in the US (same with many great SNES jrpgs)..
I don't think Johnny would review Professor Layton, simply because puzzle games don't seem to be his thing.
PikaLink91 o
I am kinda sad that even though he talked about the intro of Chronicles he didn't mention that it is - for some reason - completely in German. And really good German too.
Edit: Apparently the intro of Rondo of Blood was German too.
Ancient comment, I know, but I kinda pieced together where this may be supposed to be coming from in canon: Ethnic Germans have been a thing in Romania in the 18th and 19th century. Juste Belmonts (Harmony of Dissonance) friend and later (apparently) wife Lydie Erlanger was most likely one, and they appear to be Richter's grandparents. Juste has the latin root for "justice" in his name (duh), Richter means judge in German.
Or maybe I'm just overthinking this and those are all just seperate instances of the not uncommon German-fetish in Japanese media.
sweet, just got home from school to see a new review
So glad you reviewed this:)
11:35 Correction, You can play Alternate Stage 5' after killing Death.
PSP Version only, you need to beat the game in the original.
Really? I never knew that since I always plowed through to the end when I got that far, thanks for clarifying that Johnny. :)
+ChaoticNarrative Yep. BUT I HAVEN'T FINISHED THAT STAGE. IT IS SO FUCKING HARD
Is what bad?
***** I'd say I got informed.
God dammit John, I was actually going to be on time for my first class of the semester. Oh well, it'll be there until May.
I'm back to watch this video and noticed this. I have graduated college. Huzzah
I've watched this video multiple times now, and only just now did I get the Help Me joke at the end XD
Please do more Castlevania reviews as soon as you can, I can't tell you how long i've waited for the return!
It felt like a middle finger that the Castlevania Advance Collection threw Dracula X in there. Couldn't have released the actual GOOD version on modern consoles, could ya?
Same, it would have been one of the best gaming collections out there if not for that
your uncle is amazing!!
Wow great reviews! You talk so fast and don't waste a single word which makes your reviews so quick and effective.
7:53 REALLY wish Johnny hadn't put his ad break right here. It disrupts the flow of one of the funniest parts of his video :/
I still want your metroid shirt.
Richter AND Simon Belmont are coming to Smash!
I've been waiting for another episode of this :3
Coming back to this…..I can’t believe 2014 was 8 years ago 😅
7:55
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN BROUGHt TO YOU BY JOHNNY!
Not sure why Johnny bashed the PSP saying not a lot of people owned it. It sold 80 million units.
Wow! What a awesome video! Thanks
Check out the Interview I did with Castlevania Inspired Indie Game "Carpathian Night" Game Developer Cesar Hernandez below! We discuss the games origins, what to expect from the finished game, and what Castlevania fans can do to help finish it's development!
We Are Bagu - S01E13 - Carpathian Night
Direct Link: wearepodcasts.podbean.com/e/we-are-bagu-s01e13-carpathian-night-with-cesar-hernandez/
7:55 Anyone else get jumpscared by that?
I have beaten Rondo of Blood, and it is awesome, but Super Castlevania IV is still my favourite game in the series. I find the level design well crafted, the music ambient and creepy while also being beautifully badass, the visuals very detailed and oozed with hammer horror goodness (i much prefer IV's visual hammer style and details even though Rondo's are technically superior, but if that's how graphics are judged, than Lords of Shadow would be better, and we all know it's not) , and the controls, whip swinging and all that. It's just so much fun and one of my favourite games of all time. Rondo is great, don't get me wrong, but I have always found IV the perfect Castlevania game. Dracula X is fun to an extent, but its level design is just crushed by IV and Rondo and the game is just an asshole of game design compare to other CV games.
Been waiting for this one, Thanks John!
Great video. Rondo of Blood is my favorite Castlevania game. One thing you didn't mention is you can extend the whip a little bit by tapping the direction you're facing when you swing, it's a neat little feature.
I completely agree with this review. Super Castlevania 4 is a great game, no doubt. But I think Rondo of Blood/Dracula X Chronicles is the better game because it has replayability, music (love the music), multiple levels you can go through and take and good escalation of bosses and being able to play two different characters.
In my opinion Super Castlevania IV was incredible easy. So much so I was incredible disappointed to beat it my first play through when I was 12. Luckily I had found it in a bargain bin at KB toys. However, when I stumbled upon Castlevania: Dracula X I was completely, but pleasantly, surprised by how much it felt like a Castlevania game, being released after Super Castlevania IV. Castlevania: Dracula X was incredibly hard, really only paralleled by the first and the third installments. So, naturally when I beat the game it felt great. I feel like this review was too hard on Castlevania: Dracula X. I do concede I had played Castlevania: Dracula X BEFORE playing Rondo of Blood.
Excellent video as always, you've became a favorite CZcams reviewer of mine since a few months ago.
your reviews are amazing, keep up the awesome work dude!
You know what pisses me off? Videos not showing up in my subscription box.
7:55 R.I.P Headphone users
7:50 Best part! XD
Agreed
of course it is
Yep
True
Coming back from school to a new Johnny video. Isn't life just great?
Who came back to this after the smash announcement?
In here because of Smash.
Just got home from work, and I get to watch a new Johnny review! :D
I was re-watching this Castlevania Review, and right now a advertisement for Castlevania Lord of the Shadows just poped in.
Great review! Rondo of Blood is one of the best Castlevania games I have played. Still a bit hard for me playing as Richter, but rewarding. The end boss battle in Dracula X is absurd, I think I will pass this game. :P
Rheinmetall1 Dracula X is an excellent game. And the high difficulty of the game is rewarding just like Castlevania 1 and 3 on the NES.
Pascal. Not really. I found Dracula X pretty brutal at times. Castlevania 1 & 3; to some extent, were at least beatable and nowhere near as cheap as Dracula X. Rondo of Blood is the better version.
This is my favourite Castlevania game. The soundtrack is the best.
Rondo of blood?
Rondo of Blood, yep. The PC Engine version.
I sure love it too!
Ah, one of my favorite CastleVania games! Thank you, Johnny! Funny thing is, I bought the original back in 2005 and noticed that it runs better on my PC than on the Wii.
Thanks for the Valkyrie Profile shoutout!
Damn son, happy 2014 to you too, from the future