Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth (WiiWare, 2009)
Graphics-7 Sound-8 Control-7/6* Challenge-7.5 Story-4
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8 Fun-7.5 Originality-5
Overall Score-7
*Classic player style mode
+
Locked doors and keys (Vampire Killer, Rondo of Blood)
Good bosses overall (very good final boss w/ three phases)
Mini-bosses for most (?) levels
Very good mid-air control
Heavily remixed levels and faster+tighter movement compared to the GB game (better variety, borrows elements from Belmont's Revenge like the spear platforms and others like the swinging blade traps, multi-part spinning traps are similar to Bloodlines)
Branching paths within levels (not between them though and no level map appears after beating the game like in RoB)
Nice OPM/YM215-style remixes of previous themes and pretty satisfying sfx
Some interesting level design (some detours leading to minor platforming puzzles, enemies are also hit by falling chandelier traps, dark rooms lit up by fireballs and holy water, frankenstein's monster mini-boss)
Difficulty options (easy-hard+player style mode - classic removes mid-air control+the fireball power up ends when hit+no axe or stop watch)
+/-
Unlimited continues (restart at the beginning of the current level)
Sometimes forgiving hit detection (bat mini-boss, medusa heads)
No rewards from beaten mini-bosses
No block or dodge moves (limits combat complexity)
Can't jump from ducking position and can't move while crouching
Temporary (time limited) powered up whip here (shoots fireballs, in Bloodlines for example it's based on skill instead as it's lost when hit)
Can't attack diagonally nor up/down with the whip
Have to time your strikes properly or the next attack won't register
No new sub weapons and the ones that are included aren't upgradedable nor do they have alternate attack modes
No "classic mode" with authentic GB game levels and bosses
No climbable ropes
-
Some control/interface issues (no item inventory and keys replace sub weapons+the previous weapon isn't dropped in-game when picking up a new one so you can't switch back and forth, no jump height control, fall straight down if walking off a ledge, can't jump onto nor off of stairs, can't hit enemies behind you with your swings but not torches)
Overly harsh level timers at times (died in the first level and at the level 3 boss - this boss stays high up in the air too much so if you don't have the axe there's a lot of waiting) and you only regain a couple of minutes if you die at a boss
A bit too short (5 proper levels followed by a short intro before the final boss, about 50 mins long if you're good)
Trial & error (finding some paths and keys, boss patterns, green torches=sub weapons+coins+whip upgrades in some levels but not others (would've been better if consistent and they only contained sub weapons and keys), room in level 3 where if you jump down to the right then you can't reach the chicken in the wall in the platform you jumped from)
Kinda generic art style compared to the 16-bit and later games
Can't move back to previous segments/sub levels within a level nor replay beaten levels (can move backwards between rooms within a sub level however) - feels arbitrary at times when there's no closed door
Too many point (money) items - some time extenders would've been nice
Time keeps going for a couple of seconds even after killing a boss
Some tedious segments (some vertical platforming, some looping maze parts)
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8 Fun-7.5 Originality-5
Overall Score-7
*Classic player style mode
+
Locked doors and keys (Vampire Killer, Rondo of Blood)
Good bosses overall (very good final boss w/ three phases)
Mini-bosses for most (?) levels
Very good mid-air control
Heavily remixed levels and faster+tighter movement compared to the GB game (better variety, borrows elements from Belmont's Revenge like the spear platforms and others like the swinging blade traps, multi-part spinning traps are similar to Bloodlines)
Branching paths within levels (not between them though and no level map appears after beating the game like in RoB)
Nice OPM/YM215-style remixes of previous themes and pretty satisfying sfx
Some interesting level design (some detours leading to minor platforming puzzles, enemies are also hit by falling chandelier traps, dark rooms lit up by fireballs and holy water, frankenstein's monster mini-boss)
Difficulty options (easy-hard+player style mode - classic removes mid-air control+the fireball power up ends when hit+no axe or stop watch)
+/-
Unlimited continues (restart at the beginning of the current level)
Sometimes forgiving hit detection (bat mini-boss, medusa heads)
No rewards from beaten mini-bosses
No block or dodge moves (limits combat complexity)
Can't jump from ducking position and can't move while crouching
Temporary (time limited) powered up whip here (shoots fireballs, in Bloodlines for example it's based on skill instead as it's lost when hit)
Can't attack diagonally nor up/down with the whip
Have to time your strikes properly or the next attack won't register
No new sub weapons and the ones that are included aren't upgradedable nor do they have alternate attack modes
No "classic mode" with authentic GB game levels and bosses
No climbable ropes
-
Some control/interface issues (no item inventory and keys replace sub weapons+the previous weapon isn't dropped in-game when picking up a new one so you can't switch back and forth, no jump height control, fall straight down if walking off a ledge, can't jump onto nor off of stairs, can't hit enemies behind you with your swings but not torches)
Overly harsh level timers at times (died in the first level and at the level 3 boss - this boss stays high up in the air too much so if you don't have the axe there's a lot of waiting) and you only regain a couple of minutes if you die at a boss
A bit too short (5 proper levels followed by a short intro before the final boss, about 50 mins long if you're good)
Trial & error (finding some paths and keys, boss patterns, green torches=sub weapons+coins+whip upgrades in some levels but not others (would've been better if consistent and they only contained sub weapons and keys), room in level 3 where if you jump down to the right then you can't reach the chicken in the wall in the platform you jumped from)
Kinda generic art style compared to the 16-bit and later games
Can't move back to previous segments/sub levels within a level nor replay beaten levels (can move backwards between rooms within a sub level however) - feels arbitrary at times when there's no closed door
Too many point (money) items - some time extenders would've been nice
Time keeps going for a couple of seconds even after killing a boss
Some tedious segments (some vertical platforming, some looping maze parts)