[PSP] Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles for PSP

Maybe I'm just super anal, but the 2.5D just ruined Rondo of Blood. It's kind of hard to see what is solid ground and what isn't, or what you can grab on. Although I guess it's something that happens with 2.5D. It's kind of funny though when a monster attacks in the background and I get hit in the foreground. Same with falling objects, they crash into the background but can kill you in the foreground.

Richter kept his old jumps which is hilarious. I actually jumped off the screen and instantly died since he simply went off the screen outside of my vision. PSP and blur isn't really working nicely but it's still possible to play.

SotN is the PSX version given some touch-ups -- I guess you could call it "enhanced". This is actually good because the Saturn version was very horrible, but it had Maria so eh. If you select QUIT on the menu, you get the options "DECIDE" and "CANCEL" (although I'm just nitpicking at that). Everytime the game changes resolutions (Menus, cutscenes) the scaling does not maintain proportions (The scaling sticks with the resolution the game runs in, instead of scaling the image to 4:3, as it should be doing). You can run the game in native or scaled. There is no full stretch, so it will be bordered. It's kind of annoying that the game is constantly switching between 320x240 and 256x240 whenever these changes are happening.

Note: Maria will have to be unlocked. When you start the game there is no selection of characters period as in the Saturn version. Most likely will have to beat the game once with Alucard or something since that is how you obtain Richter as well.

Also:

Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:
I guess the entire re-translation and redubbing will probably anger some people who loved the old version. Speaking of speech, kind of funny when the text boxes don't match what the characters are saying.

Anyway. It's an alright game but could have certainly used maybe a bit more quality checking. It would still certainly be worth a buy, just don't expect it to be the ultimate version of whatever.

I just wish they didn't ask Square-Enix on how to improperly code a game. Stuttering emulation is obviously a good way to enjoy a game.

Summary: It's okay, some vision issues with blur, the redub is lol. SE style slowdown once in a while on original Rondo. Still worth a purchase. Careful if you play as Maria, you can crash the game with her from overloading the screen with junk and causing slowdown so massive it just locks up.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by chato

@lacerta : so you already played most of it...You are a trooper. I don't see the dub as worst as what the original though.. But i do notice it has that blurry shit. Any difference when it's played on the big screen? (via pspslim)

Yeah it's not too bad, but A MISERABLE LITTLE PILE OF SECRETS has a lot of sentimental value.

In any case, I don't own a PSP Slim so I cannot answer your question. Even if I had one, I don't have progressive scan so it wouldn't work on my TV anyway.

Maybe someone who is more familiar with PSP Slims and how they work with tv out can help you. My understanding is that it just upscales the image onto your TV at a maximum resolution of 640x480.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

If you pay really close attention to detail you can notice a blur maybe. It depends on what your retina judges as an acceptable refresh rate before it starts getting irritating and you notice blurs and flickers.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

For me, it's often difficult to spot the tiny enemies like the little bats that come at you at some of the stages because of the blur. They appear smaller than they are because you can't clearly see the outlines.

It's all perfectly playable of course, but for such an otherwise lovely screen, the refresh rate has always been a shame since it adds an annoying ghost trail to all movement, especially dark colors on light and vice verca.

Crowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwws.

NANI
NANI
NANI
NANI
SHIMATA

WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

The only things that bother me are Richter, and Richter. I hate his somersault with every ounce of my body. That's nothing new though.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Torte

Screen blur is perfectly unobstrusive. Some of you guys sure are pedantic; or is it because you have a hard time playing that you need to vent frustration on something other than difficulty?

I do hope you're joking.

Rondo of Blood is easier than the NES Castlevanias, and only gives up the title of "Easiest Castlevania" to Symphony of the Night. That doesn't retract from it being one of the most solid Castlevania titles around, but it is by no means difficult, aside from probably one boss battle. Dying a lot in this game is typically due to you not having the right weapon for the situation to ensure you don't fall to a unsightly end.

I've beaten the remake four times already. Twice with Richter and twice with Maria. I've only died once or twice with Maria due to being stupid, and a few times with Richter because my analog didn't want to respond so something poked me off a cliff.

I do believe if this was truly challenging I would have been "whining" a lot more about the difficulty instead of silly things that cannot be controlled by the game itself.

I was speaking idiomatically.