Nevertheless, this is as good of a comprehensive printed Castlevania guide that we're ever gonna get, especially since Konami seems to have put this legendary series out to pasture. I'm surprised that there isn't more emphasis on Castlevania lore, since the original series timeline is one of the most wonderfully convoluted things in video games, and when it comes to the Lords of Shadow sub-series, I personally feel that Kurt is too harsh. Longer sections devoted to this kind of thing would be appreciated in later revisions of this book.Īs for my nitpicks, some of the screenshots seem to have been stretched and ripped from the Video Game Museum, and could afford to be higher resolution. Also, totally dug the sections at the end where he shows various trends in the series, like all the clocktowers and the "castle crumbles in the background" closing shots. My favorite parts of this guide were Kurt's looks at Castlevania fan games, especially an old Japanese release called Vampire that I remember downloading as a kid. P's Castlevania Realm (tough to be as in-depth as that site), but Kurt's writing is still highly detailed, outlining the pluses and minuses of each game in the franchise as well as the various spinoffs, cameos, manga releases, soundtrack albums, etc. It's not quite as in-depth as the stuff on Mr. This book is a printed collection of information available on The Castlevania Dungeon, except revised and up to date. P's Castlevania Realm and Kurt Katala's The Castlevania Dungeon. P's Castlevania Realm (tough to be as in-depth as that site), but Kurt's writing is still highly d I've been a huge Castlevania junkie for years, and when I was a wee laddie just getting into the games, two sites out there really stoked the fandom fires in my brain - Mr. I've been a huge Castlevania junkie for years, and when I was a wee laddie just getting into the games, two sites out there really stoked the fandom fires in my brain - Mr.
#Hardcore gaming 101 xcom professional
But fans chomping at the bit for a professional series retrospective should keep petitioning Konami to put out an official volume.more Grammatical errors permeate the text, which makes one wonder why a copy editor is even credited.Īs a source for research, the book is perfectly serviceable. The text is small and cramped, with multiple small thumbnails stuffed onto each page. Outside of a fantastic cover by Rusty Shackles, the book has numerous issues with writing and design. Unfortunately, that breadth of information isn’t presented in a very attractive way that, in turn, makes the book a chore to read. Lacking an official series retrospective from Konami (a la Dark Horse’s Hyrule Historia), Hardcore Gaming’s Castlevania book is an exhaustive survey of the titular game series that manages to compile a ton of information into a single book. Outside of a fantastic cover by Rusty Shackles, the book has numerous issues with writi Credit must be given where credit is due.
He's just a head.moreĬredit must be given where credit is due. That kid may or may not be on the shitter. I looked like that 4 kid while reading this. Oh, also, there used to be that kid in the Gamepro ratings who was like asleep for a 1, bored for a 2, smiling for a three, really excited for a 4, and his hair was exploding off his head for a 5. I don't know what to say about it other than it delivers exactly what it promises. It's Well, it's a pretty damn thorough book about Castlevania. Well, it's a pretty damn thorough book about Castlevania.