COMIC BOOK REVOLUTION

Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth Review

When I think classic horror games, I do not think Resident Evil or Silent Hill. Only one game series comes to mind: Castlevania. The Belmont's long crusade against Dracula and his hordes of darkness has made for many legendary and fun games. Often known for difficulty. But, as time went on the Castlevania changed, mostly with the beloved Symphony of the Night. Adventure Rebirth is a remake of the Gameboy Castlevania Adventure, Konami attempts to take us back to the roots of Castlevania. Does it crack the whip or is this a lost bloodline? Let's find out.

 

Rebirth's gameplay is very simple. You hold the Wii-mote sideways and use the D-pad to walk and the 1 and 2 buttons for actions like attacking and jumping. It's simplistic classic Castlevania at its best and it works out great and controls very nicely. While you may feel stiff at first, it's incredibly easy to get into it and play right away.

Rebirth definitely brings back the classic Castlevania difficulty. I admit I have yet to beat this game, so I am more or less reviewing the first few levels I have played. I have seen the later levels thanks to the magic of Youtube and they look just as great as the first few levels are. Though there are only a few levels, sticking to a classic short experience.

The boss battles are once again pure classic horror. From giant bats to the Frankenstein Monster all the way to Lord of the Vampires himself: Dracula. This game continues the Castlevania tradition of great big boss fights inspired by classic horror.

That is always what I loved about this series: the classic 1940's inspired horror themes. Dracula looking like Bela Lugosi (for a while he kind of did), the Frankenstein Monster, the Wolf-man, Death, the Mummy, all these classics monsters in one game series. As a big horror nut, I love seeing all of these characters.

 

The game looks great, especially for a downloaded title. There is a strong emphasis on the artistic design of this game and it looks amazing. Everything is animated beautifully. It's not the most impressive graphics, but great graphics are still great when they go for that artistic design and here it works out beautifully.

 

The music is a big highlight here. I cannot get enough of the main theme song. Castlevania is well known for having great music and Rebirth continues this trend. The music is catchy and exciting, but it still often keeps that creepy feeling that the Castlevania games often have.

 

I do love this game, but my one complaint is the absence of a save feature. It is a short fun game, but a save feature would have been nice. Not having one certainly does not ruin the game for me. I get that in the end they left it out to keep that old school feeling.

 

The game plays well, controls well, is a ton of fun, is incredibly well designed and it's all for just $10 on the Wii's Wiiware. $10 for this great game. I do not have to tell you that this is a huge deal for something that is so much fun.

 

If you miss classic Castlevania when it was a lone man with a whip and a taste for adventure as he goes forth to crush an army of darkness then this is the game for you. I know there are plenty of fans out there that do not like the post-Symphony of the Night games and prefer classic action adventure Castlevania. If you are one of those people this game is pretty much made for you.

If you have heard about Castlevania but never gotten into it, this game is a great place to start. This game is a short and fun adventure with a nice difficulty for a great challenge. This game is easily worth every penny in those 10 dollars that you will spend on the Wii Points. A classic fun game that I am sure you will love, check it out.

 

Rating: 8 Giant Bats out of 10