Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth for the Nintendo Wii: Take On Dracula in the Downloadable Castlevania Adventure ReBirth
Return To Castlevania
What is it about the 16 bit graphics of the game consoles of the 1990s that inspire even today amidst cutting edge graphics? It;s the fin and sheer escape from reality that games from the master arcaders made present in the arcades before transferring them to the home consoles, is what. Castlevania Adventure ReBirth is a fast download away to your Nintendo’ memory or a SD memory card. Within a few minutes time, you’re transported back to the “good old days” when graphics were chunky and music was synthesized - and words were voiced by text that had to be read to be “heard.”
Welcome Back to Castlevania (5 out of 5)
The world of Castlevania is just what you’d expect it to be - - the game may be revamped from Castlevania: Adventure so all you’re going to find is Deja Vu. Especially since the style and level of sophistication is locked in the past just the way you’ll like it.
Exploring the locations and moving through 2D side scrolling screens as a Vampire hunter is right out of the arcades and game consoles of the time. Weapons like the whip start you off right but finding Holy Water and upgrading your weapons along the way will leave a wake of “dead” vampires behind you. No surprise what they want to do to you if you don’t get them first either. To win you must be daring and quick, but most of all a good fighter with extreme reflexes. There’s nothing that substitutes for a good stake in the heart back then - and it’s especially true now.
What Does It Take To Play? - Gameplay
Gameplay is as easy as you could ask for - especially compared to the convoluted and overburdened game controllers of today. You move from left to right using the D-Pad (and reversing the direction when necessary), with bodily movements aided by jumping and crouching using the “Up” and “Down? Points of the D-Pad’s “compass.” On your right side are the buttons - a few to be sure - which can be used to enact attacks and help you in running away from trouble. Of course it’s those combinations where you push multiple buttons and work the D-Pad in concert that give you the special moves. That’s something worth memorizing, even if you won’t be using them all the time. In general, you’ll find your hands falling naturally over the controls when using a classic controller - and your ability at playing will be solid.
Castelvania Is A Sight For Sore Eyes - Game Control (4 out of 5)
It’s a hoot to see the opening screen, with it big and bold graphics with their jagged edges and high-contrasty colors. Even before you hit start, you’ll start smiling as the main character walks across the screen with that classic gait that only 16 bit games could handle (for those who don’t remember, it’s less of a walk and more of a hulking two-step). Getting ready means pulling out a classic controller and attaching it to the Wii - yes it’s possible to pay using the Wii remote and the Nunchuk in combination but only as a horrible substitute for the simplicity of a nice flat controller with a direction pad at one end a series of buttons at the other. But you’ll be surprised at how fast and natural holding the controller will feel and how fast you’ll start remembering with muscle memory just what buttons to push to get the character walking, jumping, crouching and of course punching and fighting.
Are You Up To The Side-Scrolling Challenge? - Graphics and Music (4 out of 5)
The graphics are extreme as the era dictates - slightly blocky and with a bit too much contrast that makes the edges seem a bit hard. Even the colors have that rough look - no subtle shading here. But they’re nice and big which is an important bit of history when it comes to games in the arcade - now being played at home. Sound follows the synthesized route, which is to say there’s plenty of music and sound effects coexisting with one another - but the quality is not to be confused with what can be accomplished today. At times harsh, and at other times blunt, the audio provides a strong mix. Fortunately on today’s bigger screen the text that pops up instead of voices is easier to read. but it’s still a bit difficult for those over 30, although the lack of pixelation colored in the text that was a mainstay back in the Sony Trinitron days is mercifully no longer present.
So use those 1000 Wii points for something good - Castlevania good. Download the WiiWare title and enjoy Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth.
