JBoc924Yesterday we got a leaked listing of games set to be released for the Playstation Vita, according to the source site. Amongst the games listed was a new Castlevania title. Yes, we finally have a brand new game to be excited about– if this report ends up being true, of course. Castlevania: The complete Chronicles is listed amongst other Konami titles such as Silent Hill: Book of Memories, Metal Gear Solid Rising and the upcoming new Contra title. But, what exactly is The Complete Chronicles? Or rather, what should it be?
Now, I must first say that this still isn’t “official.” It will be once Konami officially announces it, though. But, hey. There’s no harm in speculating the holy hell out of this leak, right? Having said that, there’s a couple of ways this title could go.
The most obvious one from the get-go is a compilation of sorts, collecting all of the classic entries in the franchise. The other route Konami could take with this is one that would make The Complete Chronicles truly live up to its name; give the classic games the “Chronicles” treatment akin to the PSX pseudo-remake of Castlevania X6800 and the Rondo of Blood remake for the Playstation Portable– both which sport “Chronicles” in their titles.
So, which one shall it be? Before quickly jumping to an end-all-be-all choice, we should first evaluate both options.
A Compilation
A compilation, as aforementioned, is the quickest thing that comes to mind when reading “The Complete Chronicles.” For more than two decades the Castlevania franchise has given players some of the finest 2D experiences out there. Yeah, there’s been some misses like a couple of 3D titles or some underrated titles here and there, but for the most part, this series is one of gaming’s finest. So with that being said, it’s about time we can enjoy a good chunk of the series in one huge package.
What exactly should be compiled, though? Ideally, packing all of the classic games together may prove to be a fan’s dream come true. But that may also prove to be a bit much for one disc so, how should Konami go on about doing this?
In celebration of the series’ 25th anniversary I would find it perfectly fitting if Konami opted to just include the original quartet of console titles: Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and Super Castlevania IV. That right there would be one hell of a compilation for the Vita, as this title is rumored as being for. It will also mark the first time any of those games make it to a Sony platform, sans pirating.
I know, I know. I’m aware many fans would love to see the GBA/DS ‘vanias make their way to Sony’s upcoming handheld– or other systems in general– but this is the anniversary we’re talking about here. And it would be quite absurd if Konami completely puts the Metroidvania titles in the spotlight– including Symphony of the Night. I think with The Complete Chronicles, Konami has the perfect opportunity to bring the classic, 2D action platforming style back to the forefront as well as a complete focus on the most important Belmonts.
And, being a special anniversary compilation and all, we can definitely expect loads of extras to cherish– akin to what fans got with Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for ‘vania’s 20th anniversary. These would, of course, include but not be limited to an art book, updated timeline, soundtrack and other goodies that could possibly be stuffed into the game’s box. Let’s just hope Konami doesn’t decide to remove any other titles from the game’s timeline in the process. Cough, cough, Circle of the Moon.
The “Chronicles” Treatment
Now here’s something I, amongst others, would absolutely love to see Konami do. Similar to Castlevania Chronicles for the Playstation and Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP, it would be quite amazing to see Konami give the original NES trilogy a similar treatment given to those two games– which were remakes of previous ‘vanias, Castlevania X6800 and Rondo of Blood, respectively. The former receiving new sprites and a remixed soundtrack and the latter getting a full-on 2.5D remake. Now, you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be awesome seeing the same thing done for the first three Castlevania games.
Yeah, I know, the original Castlevania has already seen its fair share of “remakes” and reimaginings, but it has yet to receive one in this current generation, let alone a 2.5D one, if that’s the approach Konami will be taking with this “Complete Chronicles” version of the NES classic. It could also just be a re-drawn version to keep that classic 2D style and art, only updated to take advantage of today’s technology. We already know the Vita is quite a capable handheld, so either direction–2D or 2.5D– would visually suffice.
This would also prove to be the perfect opportunity for Konami to put the original trilogy in chronological order in their ‘remade’ forms. Doing so would also giver greater weight to the “Complete Chronicles” subtitle, chronicling the adventures of two of the most important figures in the Belmont clan: Trevor and Simon.
And really, you can’t have an anniversary celebration without acknowledging the Belmont that was there since day one, who is, of course, good ol’ Simon. So, I feel like Simon should definitely play heavily into whatever “The Complete Chronicles” ends up being. Especially if it’s a collection. The classic games he starred in should definitely be represented if this is the case.
Or, we can have something a little more cohesive, for lack of a better word. Imagine this: A “Chronicles” title that actually seamlessly ties together Dracula’s Curse, the original Castlevania and Simon’s Quest, in that chronological order. We’ll be getting remakes of Dracula’s Curse and Simon’s Quest if Konami were to take this approach, two games that fans have been requesting to get remakes for for a long time. Then, of course, we have the original Castlevania getting remade once again as well. The trilogy’s story could also be appropriately retold so that everything ties in together perfectly. And those wanting something with Alucard will also get their fix, technically!
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So, which one shall it be? A simple, but much-appreciated, compilation collecting some of the classic games in the series packed to the brim with other goodies? Or should it be a full-on “Chronicles” treatment- -specifically for Castlevania, Simon’s Quest and Dracula’s Curse? If it were up to me, I would go for the latter. Seeing re-drawn, or 2.5D, versions of the classic trilogy grace the Vita, or whatever other platform this ends up landing on, would be quite a dream come true. But, if we get a compilation instead then who would really complain about that?
Whatever route Konami decides to go, The Complete Chronicles sure sounds like something promising. Yeah, it hasn’t been confirmed yet but something like this isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Let’s just hope this doesn’t end up being a mere app or book of some sort! Actually…I wouldn’t mind something like that either, as long as we still get a game with it.
