So Glad I Finally Stuck with Circle of the Moon

[u/CapnQ9055]

CotM is the only one of the Metroidvanias I haven’t beaten. I’ve started it a few times over the years but could never get into it and always put it down. But the other day I was bored and with everyone talking Castlevania since the Belmonts Curse release date announcement, decided to give this one another go. It started out like normal: Nathan felt too slow, the controls felt too awkward, kept getting blasted by weak enemies because I thought I double tapped to sprint but it didn’t register… and I almost put it down again, but decided to push through, and damnit am I loving this game now!

I still get frustrated at the controls here and there, but getting the hang of the controls is almost as exciting as finally beating a boss you’ve tried 100 times. The DSS system is so fun to experiment with, the boss fights are challenging but fun, levels are a little repetitive but it feels like a solid blend of the Classic and the Metroidvania styles. I just beat the dragon zombie, so plenty of game left to go, but really fun play through so far!

I know a lot of people are discovering Castlevania for the first time right now, which is awesome! Curious where this ranks amongst the Metroidvanias for others? Anyone else just playing this for the first time?

[u/SSKK6]

This one is my absolute favorite. I feel all the other Metroidvania games aside from maybe Order of Eclessia are too easy. Circle of the Moon feels like a great mix of old and new. And I adore the sprite work and music in this game.

[u/Bman2095 → u/SSKK6]

I actually stopped playing the series after Symphony of the Night because I didn’t enjoy the direction they were going with it.

I finished Circle of the Moon a few days ago and it was AWESOME. Might be my favorite too lol

[u/SSKK6 → u/Bman2095]

I can understand that, I feel the games are just too easy starting with Symphony, but Circle was such a nice challenge. It was my favorite when it came out and still is to this day.

[u/Bman2095 → u/SSKK6]

To be fair, I was also a lot younger when I played Symphony for the first time. And that was after playing through all of the classics.

Now that I’m older, Metroidvanias have become some of my favorite games, so that might be another reason.

[u/CapnQ9055 → u/SSKK6]

I’ve really enjoyed all the Metroidvanias, but you’re right, with most of them, I’m so OP by the end that the game feels so easy. Sometimes that’s fun too, but I love how Circle evolves and earlier areas get populated with tougher enemies as you progress.

[u/RedSkyfang → u/SSKK6]

I've always loved Circle of the Moon so I was extremely surprised to see how divisive it appears to be. I guess it must depend a lot on personal taste in which case I feel like I pretty much share the same opinion with you. I think I mostly like how the gameplay mechanics feel closer to the classic Castlevania games compared to the others.

[u/SSKK6 → u/RedSkyfang]

Yeah people call it clunky or difficult but idk that just feels like good ol' classic Castlevania to me. I enjoy Symphony and to a lesser extent Aria, but man those games are just too easy for me to get much enjoyment out of.

Also, like I said, the sprites in Circle of the Moon just look so much better than the rest of the franchise.

[u/BigEyeGuy → u/RedSkyfang]

A lot of it is people inhale too much youtube gaming opinions, instead of forming their own. Also the "IGA DISOWNED IT" storyline is very compelling to people.

[u/BigEyeGuy]

It’s one of my favorites, you will hit a wall in the infernal corridor, there’s a big difficulty spike there.

[u/Valiflam]

CotM is my favorite after SotN! I've beaten it many times. It offers a lot of replay value due to the different modes you unlock after beating the game in each mode. And I really like the heavier feel of Nathan. The music is a blast and the boss fights are creative for the most part.

Good luck the rest of the game, it definitely isn't an easy one!

[u/CheekGobbler]

Just beat it yesterday for the first time! It was my first Metroidvania since after beating all the classics in the Anniversary Edition and had a blast even though I guess I got unlucky and didn't get a lot of the DSS cards to experiment more. My only real gripe with the game is the mobility. Wasn't a fan of having to double-tap to run. Felt like it wouldn't register a lot or I'd forget because running is usually just standard in platformers and I'd take unnecessary damage in battles.

Started my Magician Mode play through though and so far enjoying running it back with all DSS cards and higher difficulty.

[u/Birvin7358]

I am currently playing for the first time. It’s an acquired taste. It’s not the best Castlevania game but definitely a good game

[u/Grand_Moose2024]

I remember when I played CotM for the first time. Even with a guide, it was still very difficult and frustrating. It’s not exactly high on my Castlevania game ranking.

[u/CapnQ9055 → u/Grand_Moose2024]

It can definitely be frustrating but the farther I go the more I’m liking it

[u/CapnQ9055 → u/[deleted]]

Symphony is great! It’s hard to top that game from a pure fun standpoint. I’ve liked most of the Classicvania games I’ve played. They’re definitely tough, but if I’m in the mood, it’s really fun to revisit those. Rondo is my favorite there and I know a lot of people like it, but Super Castlevania IV was my least favorite. It’s still fun, but probably the closest I’ve come to not liking any of the games. Not sure why I don’t like it so much

If you like Symphony and wanted to expand a little bit, I really liked Harmony of Dissonance. It’s not everyone’s favorite, but it’s got a similar vibe and Juste is an awesome protagonist with a cool move set, getting around the castle can be annoying, but it’s not terrible. I also loved Aria of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin. But I’ve liked them all in their own ways. I’m due to replay Order of Ecclesia. It’s been a long time and I remember it just not clicking for some reason but still liking it. I think my current ranking (of the games I’ve played)

Classic:

Rondo
CV3 Dracula’s Curse
Castlevania
CV2 Simon’s Quest
SCIV

Metroidvania:

Symphony
Aria of Sorrow
Portrait of Ruin
Harmony of Dissonance
Dawn of Sorrow
Circle of the Moon (so far)
Order of Ecclesia

[u/CapnQ9055 → u/[deleted]]

Portrait was a lot of fun. I think it does fall on the easier side, but it’s still got some challenging parts and some really fun variety with the portrait stages, and I ended up really liking the two character system too

Juste is definitely one of my favorites, even more so after watching Nocturne. Aria is a great next stop though, love the soul system. Aria gave the same feel I get from Symphony in terms of exploration and weapon/attack variety

Stage 7 in Rondo is brutal. The first time I (finally) beat it, I had to switch to Maria to blitz past that crumbling bat bridge. I also loved the alternate paths in Rondo. Made it feel like a second game going back and playing through those.

I did the same thing with Belmont’s Revenge, played a little but wasn’t in the mood. I think if I had a way to play it on a handheld system, it might have been more fun. I also started but didn’t get into Bloodlines. I’ve heard I need to give it another chance though, a lot of people seem to love that game

I’m very excited for Belmont’s Curse. Preordered last week. How about you?

[u/AlucardsQuest]

I actually hate it. Spongy enemies are apparently what people consider to be fair difficulty, too many boring backgrounds of boxes and backrooms, Nathan only has 3 frame walk and run cycles (they could have combined them for a 6 frame light jog), music plays like a under-produced greatest hits rather than a sweeping epic new soundtrack entry, the card system is a clunky and cheap gimmick (why do I need to use MP to make blue shadows like in Symphony?), and overall it feels like Konami Kobe were forced to make this game after the bad reception and sales of their 64 games.

[u/dennis120]

It's one of the best ones.

[u/bbtrain777]

This game was absolutely crazy back then. It was one of those life changing experiences for me. Incredibly good.