Game Library: <em>Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin</em> thoughts

[Image: castlevaniabig.jpg]As a quick and entirely unrelated side note, too many games have named sequels. It makes my post titles look awkward with two colons.

But on to Castlevania. I remember playing Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (see, more colons!) on my trusty NES way back in the day. I’ve actually been tempted recently to pull it out and give it another whirl.

This newer DS title follows the classic side-scrolling, whip-toting, skeleton-bone-throwing format that made the older games so fun. My one real complaint, and it is kind of a big one, is that the control scheme is pretty clunky, and comes with no instructions.

Sure, the arrows take you in the right direction, and there’s no mistaking the jump button or the basic attack button, but there are some funky things going on with needed to tell your partner to stand in one place, or using some special summoning or lightning skill that just isn’t ever explained.

Also, I’ve been stuck for a week not really knowing where to go. If I go back through the way I’ve already been, I have to fight everyone all over again just to get to a dead end. If I don’t go back through the way I’ve already been, I’m at a dead end.

I could look it up online, but that feels like cheating. I suppose eventually I’ll either look it up or stop trying.

All that said however, it is fun to play. I just need to look up the buttons somewhere, because I certainly need to beat this one before I go anywhere near the upcoming Dawn of Sorrow.