Castlevania: The Adventure for the original Game Boy was basically a stripped-down version of a typical Castlevania game that you would play on the NES. While the lack of familiar enemies and sub-weapons didn’t necessary hurt the game, the sluggish controls and overall sloppy game mechanics did. The end result is a game that is frustratingly difficult and considered to be more of a test of patience than an actual source of video entertainment.
Fast forward to 2009; Konami had already released Gradius ReBirth and Contra ReBirth, brand new downloadable titles for WiiWare that plays more like the classic entries in those franchises with smattering . Naturally, a Castlevania ReBirth would follow, but rather than being a new game, it is a theoretical remake of the original Game Boy non-classic. But make no mistake; while it is based on the original Adventure in terms of story and setting, it is more a return to the classic old-school style of Castlevania that made the series great before Symphony of the Night came along.
And it is a wonderful return to form.
STORY: Although the story is pretty much the same as the original Game Boy title, it’s been fleshed out a bit with an opening introduction that plays whenever you start a new game. As such, a hundred years after Trevor Belmont first defeated Count Dracula, the dark lord once again returns to spread his evil. Thus, it’s up to Christopher, the latest in the line of Belmonts, to uphold his sacred duty and defeat Dracula’s evil forces… again, it’s not much, but it works. And for what is being offered, it’s more than enough. 7/10
GRAPHICS: Some people are divided on the graphical presentation of ReBirth – either they like it because it looks like a good old-school 16-bit title or they hate it because it doesn’t really push the graphical capabilities of the Wii far enough. Personally, I found ReBirth to be visually superb, but falling short of what could have been. By no means do I find the graphics to be terrible – on the contrary, ReBirth’s whole visual style is almost comparable to Castlevania Bloodlines to a certain extent, only a lot more colorful, with some additional special effects, and virtually no slowdown or clipping issues. The sprites seem to animate rather well and even the bigger enemies move with such fluidity that it almost seems seamless… or something. However, ReBirth does seem a bit too colorful and that tends to kill the mood of the game, but on a whole, the style works and doesn’t detract from the experience.
They even brought back the little map intermission scene that happens between levels… nice. 8/10
SOUND: Outside of the title song, none of the original game’s music is featured in ReBirth. Instead, we are treated to a soundtrack comprising of remixes of lesser known but otherwise excellent tracks from other ‘Vania titles. Some songs are great, others are not so much, but overall ReBirth’s soundtrack is damn catchy synth music. Some people might like the style, but it works. The sound effects are your usual share of effects, with some sounds having been recycled from older 8-bit and 16-bit Castlevania releases for that added bit of nostalgic flavor. It’s a rather nice touch, but some of the more “cartoonish” sound effects could be done without. In general, game sounds awesome. 9/10
GAMEPLAY: Now this is more like it – how has it been since we last had a brand-new, non-remake old-school Castlevania title where you would play through levels? And while this could be considered a remake of an old Game Boy title, the truth is that it has very little to do with THAT game and concentrates more on bringing back the old-school gameplay that plays the same way it did on the NES as well as implementing some new school tricks to the mix. While the game is a strictly linear affair, there are times when you will come across alternate paths – either by acquiring a key or manipulating the environment in a certain way. So there is some exploration to be done here… and you have plenty of time to do so too. It’s a rather nice touch in combining aspects of the later, more-recent Metroidvania-style games with the classic style that made the series popular to begin with.
Christopher, once a plodding and sluggish character, is now about as nimble as his forefather Trevor was. While he lacks some of the more advanced abilities such as multi-directional whipping or the ability to jump on/off stairs, he can control his jump in mid-air and he can acquire the traditional sub-weapons such as cross boomerangs, holy water, and daggers. In essence, he now controls more like the traditional Belmont hero of the old days and that’s a step up over his original form. Perhaps an important addition (or retention if you prefer) is Christopher’s ability to shoot fireballs – picking up an orb will allow your chain whip to shoot fireballs for a short period of time. It’s a rather nice touch that adds some flavor to what is otherwise traditional Castlevania gameplay in the vein of the original NES titles. For the most part, pretty good. I’m happy, at least. 8/10
CHALLENGE: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth boasts three levels of difficulty: Easy, Normal, and Hard. In general, the game’s overall difficulty seems to be on par with – but somewhat less than – most classic Castlevania games; a couple generally easy first levels and punishing final levels before meeting up with Dracula himself, who will poses a challenge until you figure out his mannerisms. The levels themselves are rather long and halfway through, you’ll fight a mid-boss… unless you take a path that overrides that fight. Seasoned ‘Vania players may blow through this one rather quickly, but an average player shouldn’t have too much trouble after a couple tries. Of course, once you beat the game, you’ll unlock the Classic Player Style, which essentially restricts your jumping and reduces the amount of subweapons you can use in the game. Makes for a good challenge indeed. 9/10
REPLAY VALUE: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth has some perks to it. Aside from the various skill settings and option to switch between Modern and Classic play styles once you clear the game, there’s also elements of exploration in the form of the levels’ various alternate paths. Of course, if you’re not into that sort of thing, then I can’t really help you there. 7/10
OVERALL: Castlevania: The Adventure is a test of patience and quite possibly a test of durability for your video game hardware. Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, on the other hand, is a wonderful return to form, not only serving as a wonderful return of the old-school gameplay mechanics that made the series popular in its early days, but also providing an adventure that is well-designed, polished, and fun. While there’s nothing new to the mix, that’s not really what the game’s about. It’s more about revisiting an old friend who’s gotten a rather nice makeover over the years and appreciating the finer points. Could it have been a better title? Sure, it could. But as it is now, it’s actually a solid entry in the series that, if nothing else, heals the wounds set upon by the catastrophe that is The Adventure for Game Boy. If you like Castlevania and have yet to download this wonderful game, then by all means, do so. 8/10
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