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Sometimes, albeit not often, the Wii has decent, if not stellar, third party contributions.
and...
Sometimes reviews can be wrong.
Case in point: Castlevania Judgment. A combination slasher/fighter/action title that is unfortunately destined to be headed to a premature death in the bargain bin due to both the tsunami of software releases over the next few weeks and to its less than stellar review scores. A game that really doesn't know what it's supposed to be, but yet got beaten up in the mainstream press far more than it deserved. A game that, surprisingly, manages to look fairly good graphically for a non-Nintendo title especially to those that dig its anime-inspired over-the-top art style. A game that controls just fine, provided you toss the waggle-stick aside and put your classic controller or GCN Controller/Wavebird to good use.
Perhaps we'll never know why Iga decided to make this game rather than a true-blue 2D Castlevania title for Wii, and those who were expecting something like that are of course going to be extremely disappointed with Judgment. That being said, though, there's a lot to like here. Far more than the reviews would have you believe. So I suppose the best way to handle a review of this game into the genres which it represents, and then dealing with the typical criteria of graphics, sound, and control.
As a fighter, Castlevania Judgment is: 2.5/5
Unbalanced and toned down for the Wii audience. There are some technical moves to pull off here, but it's a very mash-friendly fighting game with a few exceptionally overpowered characters. The subweapons aren't all that useful, and "super attacks" (that are activated with a push of the X button on the GCN controller when the super meter is full) can drain an opponent of 75%+ of a life bar. There aren't that many characters to choose from, and the hazards in the environments feel like an afterthought (remember Mace: The Dark Age on N64? Yeah, kinda like that). I can't help but feel that this game wasn't meant to be a balanced fighter. All that said, it's still leaps and bounds ahead of Namco's sophomore Wii effort Soulcalibur Legends... then again, just about ANYTHING would have been better than Soulcalibur Legends.
As a third-person action game, Castlevania Judgment is: 3.5/5
More or less, if you liked the 3D titles in the Castlevania series... Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness, this game plays like a jacked-up version of the boss fights from those games. The controls are a bit different, and due to the emphasis on 1 on 1 fighting, obviously there are differences in how the game "feels", but its action roots are certainly apparent. I can't help but wonder if the game began life as a new 3D Castlevania on the Wii. Thanks, but no thanks. I actually prefer Judgment's current gameplay when compared to to running through empty corridor after empty corridor with little scenery, stopping to fight some guys, and then do the whole thing over again. Though all of these issues could have been avoided if they would have just released a real 2D Castlevania on the Wii... Judgment isn't bad, it just isn't that great either.
As a Wii game, Castlevania Judgment is: 4/5
I'll be the first to admit I popped this game into my Wii expecting it to suck hard. Really hard.
After reading the reviews I wanted to remove it from my Gamefly queue to avoid wasting both my time and theirs. I was completely expecting a Castlevania-flavored Soulcalibur Legends style turd to be squeezed out by Konami to capitalize on the waggle craze. Thus I can't help but give it points for being BETTER than completely horrible. And that's a sad thing, but a true one. As a fighting fan, and a Castlevania fan, I'm having a good time with this game. I know it's shallow, and I know I'll probably be returning it in a few days, but for the moment, it's a lot of fun. The online is smooth and doesn't require friend codes, and the graphics are beautiful (especially with the anti-jaggie filter turned on) for a Wii game. Lots of particle effects, very little slowdown. The development team had love for this game. I don't think they had as much time as they would have liked to work on this title, but what's there is solid. And that alone is worth a rating boost, because this is one of the few third-party efforts not in the "Bratz Babiez Partyz Fashionz Dolphinz Happy Fun Ninjabreadz Manz" line of titles that sadly continue to sell to the idiot masses.
Note to the Hardcore:
As I said above, and I can't emphasize this enough: DO NOT PLAY WITH WAGGLE TURNED ON. It's just as broken as Soulcalibur Legends or Bleach, probably moreso. There's nothing I hate more than a Wii fighting game that forces waggle for every attack it's just stupid, and I know most of you agree.
Treat this as a fanservice game, a "popcorn game" that won't have much longevity but will be fun in short bursts or to pull out at parties. It's very simplistic.
As far as how it plays (with existing games for reference)... it's two parts Destrega and one part Power Stone, coated with a thin Castlevania shell sprinkled with bits of Mace: The Dark Age. I know Destrega and Mace are pretty obscure games nowadays, but they contained several elements that made their way into Judgment: simple controls, over-the-top moves, half-baked environmental hazards, and 1 on 1 versus gameplay. In fact, Mace and Destrega keep coming up in my mind as I play Judgment. Since I liked both of those games back in the day, I don't have a ton of complaints. It's a light snack of a game in-between rich, calorie-laden first-party Nintendo goodness. That being said, it's also one of the best non-Capcom third-party efforts on the system so far. That's intended as a compliment to Konami... I'm not saying rush out to the store and buy it, but definitely give it a shot. Chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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I'll admit, I scoffed at this game when it was announced. Outlandish new character designs? A fighting game? On the Wii? I love Castlevania, but I dismissed this game outright, and totally ignored it at retail. Later, a friend gave it to me as a gag gift, but I decided to actually play it. At first I couldn't even beat the first match, and was convinced the game was a broken mess, just as it had been (widely) reviewed.
Of course, the next day I made another attempt, this time going through the in-game tutorial. This time was completely different. I found that the game had a unique, and surprisingly deep system. I was intrigued. I played more.
Now, I've played the game to death, and can honestly say that it's one of the most fun fighting games I've played in recent memory, and easily my favorite of the 3D Castlevanias.
It's hard to really call Judgment a fighting game, mostly because it doesn't entirely play like one. If pressed, I'd say that the game plays more like the Boss Rush mode of the ps2 games than anything else. This is actually a good thing, because the biggest problem with previous 3D Castlevania games was never the action; it was the running around aimlessly down featureless hallways to get to the action. Judgment removes that element entirely, and structures the game around fast-paced arcade action, not totally unlike the classic NES roots of the franchise. There are enemies to fight, items to get, hearts and meat to pick up, so in many ways this is classic Castlevania stuff; you can even perform the Item Crash, like in Dracula X! Even the arenas manage to be more evocative of the franchise than the uninspired hallways of the ps2 games; stages are full of interactive elements like traps, pitfalls, and monsters. The prerequisite "crossing the collapsing bridge into the castle" stage appears for the first time since the SNES, and the Clock Tower stage is the most functional incarnation of the classic Castlevania trope to grace home consoles since the N64. Overall, this game manages to capture the feeling of old school Castlevania better any of the recent console games in the franchise.
Despite all the action game style play, Judgment takes on the structure of a fighting game, and as such introduces many of the typical tropes of the genre. Combat is combo heavy, with lots of special moves and even super attacks. The classic sub weapons, cross, axe, knife, etc, are incorporated quite well, and can be chained into any combo or used alone, provided you have the hearts necessary. The combat is easy to learn, but surprisingly deep for a casual fighter. There's a counter to everything, provided the player has the skill to do it, and the game is overall very well balanced. There are no infinite combos, no chip damage, and no stockpiling super combos. Every character has their own unique play style, and the variety here is very impressive; they all move, jump, dodge, attack in their own ways, moreso than in any fighter I've played this generation.
This is where the game really shines, because it makes playing with each character a new experience. You really have to learn what each character is capable of, their subtle nuances, their strategies, strengths and weaknesses. Some are easy to get into, others a bit tricky, but they all have their pros and cons. They also interact in unique ways, as you'll frequently get special intro and win quotes based on who you're playing as and against. It's a nice touch, and will likely bring a smile to old school fans of the series.
To round out the experience, Judgment also features a Castle mode. Players move from level to level on a map of Castlevania, completing special goals or winning battles under certain conditions. Save rooms are scattered throughout the map to restore your health and serve as starting points when you die. Playing through Castle mode unlocks accessories to equip to your characters. They seem to be purely aesthetic, but collecting them is fun, and their descriptions are often quite funny. Overall Castle mode can be a bit daunting, but provides a good challenge for players that have exhausted the Story mode.
Finally, the soundtrack is great, and is composed mostly of remixes and rearrangements of classic Castlevania tunes. Some of the original compositions, like the title track "Darkness of Fear" are really great as well. As a long time fan of the franchise, the music is one of the things I look forward to most in a new Castlevania game, and Judgment did not dissapoint.
Although largely maligned by critics, Castlevania Judgment is by no means a bad game. As an experimental foray into the action/fighting game genre, it takes a bit to get used to, but ultimately pays off as a satisfying and fun game, whether you're looking for single player action or multiplayer fun. It's basically dirt cheap now, unfortunately, so anyone craving some action on their Wii with an open mind shouldn't hesitate to make a purchase.
For anyone on the fence, IGN's Mark Bozon's review is one of the best I've read. He does a great job of detailing the game's pros and cons, and I recommend it for anyone considering this purchase.
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Since the Wii first came out, I had been waiting for Castlevania to be released. This game takes the 13 most popular characters from the series (Dracula, Alucard, Simon, Carmilla, Cornell,Grant, Maria, Trevor, Eric, Golem, Death, Shanoa, and Sypha) and adds a new character, Aeon, to a fighting game. Some people dislike this game because it is a 3D game and isn't a classic travel through the castle and kill dracula kind of game. Others also say its wrong to mix these characters together. Personaly. I think it's good to have a different type of Castlevania. If you can get over the fact that this a completely new style of gameplay, this an amazing addition to the series. Another cool feature to this game is that you can play with friends. This is a first for the Castlevania series that really does enhance the play.
One more thing to say: the Wii remotes are terrible for this game. They are way to hard to maneuver. I found them impossible to use and went back to using the Gamecube controller. Once I figured out to use the old controller, I really loved the game.
Honest reviews on Castlevania Judgment
First of all you can't compare fighting games from xbox or ps3 to Wii. So, from the perspective of a Wii console owner, this is a great buy if you enjoy fighting games and anime style characters.
Using the wii mote for attacks takes some getting used to, but if you actually do the three tutorials you'll be just fine. I haven't played the game using a classic controller.
The graphics are great (for Wii). Each character is fairly unique to play even though you use the same motions to trigger abilities for all characters. Makes switching around characters easier once you get the basic mechanics down. Each character's special attacks can have different gameplay effects even though they are executed the same on the remote.
My only complaints are sometimes the camera angles briefly get in the way of the action. The AI for some characters seems more difficult than others. And it seems the CPU is able to block super finisher moves rather easily.
That being said, when you pull off a character's super finisher move you'll be smiling that you bought this game!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Castlevania Judgment
I'm a fan of fighting games. From Mortal Kombat (the original) to Street Fighter and Virtual Fighter -I've been playing them for ages. On top of that, I really liked Castlevania. I used to play it when I was a kid (Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was the first I'd played), so there was nostalgia there, as well. Honestly, I really wanted to like this game, but I just can't. Now, if you remember the old Castlevania games, you remember how hard they were and all of the frustration involved in playing those (remember the rib in Simon's Quest?). This game just wasn't at all what I'd have thought, or wanted. I was hesitant, as Castlevania had been an adventure game, but I wanted to see what they'd do with a fighting game.
I found that the controls were clunky and awkward (it takes time getting used to Wii instead of classic console controls, anyhow). Some may pick up on those faster, but in all honesty, even after going through, they're not that responsive. While spending more time with this game would probably have made this easier and more fun to play, it just isn't that fun to learn.
Story line? What story line!? This game has about as much story as the Arcade mode in Soul Caliber (in fact, a bit less). I was very disappointed about that.
This game is difficult. There's no doubt about that, and the challenge is part of the fun. However, when you're struggling with controls and unresponsiveness, it can be a bit much.
It's not all bad, though -you still get that dark and gloomy feel that the old Castlevania games gave. It definitely brought enough atmosphere to make me feel nostalgic, so I will likely keep this game and try to get better with the controls, etc...
The fighting system is new and very against the grain of most fighting games I've played. It's a bit refreshing and has the feeling that they tried to do something very cool.
Overall: This isn't going to be a game for everyone. Absolutely not. It's a niche game, and definitely will appeal more to those who are looking for a bit of the past. If you don't mind getting used to the very off the wall controls and fighting system (and have the time), it's well worth more than the low price it sits at now. For the rest -do yourself a favor and get Soul Caliber or another more popular and mainstream fighting game. Overall, I'm a bit disappointed, as I really wanted to pop this in and say, "Wow! This is great!" Unfortunately, I took it out after an hour, and have played it a couple of times since I've made the purchase.
