Castlevania

Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross get cracking on Castlevania, live at PRGE!

Watch out for Fireballs! episode 114 is about Castlevania for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The episode aired on November 19th, 2015. it was recorded at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo in Portland, OR on October 18th, 2015.

Episode

Skit

This episode does not have a skit.

Summary

(1:46-3:40) Gary and Kole do intros. They start by asking the audience if there's any new WOFF! listeners in the audience. They joke about being able to win an actual Belmont whip, from the game and jest about hidden meat throughout the convention center.

(3:41-16:03) They start talking about the details about Castlevania. They explain the story from the game and how its the simplest story in Castlevania's history. Gary mentions how he likes the name of the whip is just what it does. They explain how the timeline is pretty complex. Gary mentions the horror setting was unusual for the NES. they talk about it being a very hard game, but not being the only thing of note. The NES version is harder than the Famicom version, because there is no save feature. there's talk about how the game is more deliberate in terms of how you control the character and how the player must think of when they jump and also use their attack. They go on to talk about the game mechanics more and explain generalities about common ways to die and enemies.

(16:04-21:37 ) Kole starts talking about Stage 1 and how he loves how the game opens. Gary mentions how good the atmosphere is. They both praise the levels intentional design and how it trains you. Gary talks about how you kind of have to recognize when a boss is about to happen, as theres no clear indicator. The first boss, much like the first level, is pretty kind and is designed like a tutorial. Gary tells a story about how he might ave been bitten by a rabies infested bat.

(21:38-26:23) Kole starts talking about Stage 2. Gary praises the map and the geometry. Gary compares it to Dark Souls. Kole says this is where the platforming really begins and the game introduces the infamous Medusa Heads. Gary talks about how you can manipulate the enemy spawns and how enemy spawns are factored in to how you're approaching the situation. Gary and Kole agree that the boss isn't too difficult and neither are the snakes the boss spawns.

(26:24-(29:27) Gary starts talking about Stage 3. Gary says the bone throwing skeletons are his favorite [of course] and how they are just super goofy. Gary mentions how the game starts to mix and match enemy types and how its a minor difficulty spike. Kole jokes about how the boss has a similar beginning strategy to the Capra Demon, purposefully poking fun at himself and Gary for comparing everything to Dark Souls. They don't really seem to have a problem with the boss of the stage, but forebode about how more than one boss at a time is a bit of a wrinkle for the current and the next boss.

(29:28-32:08) Gary starts talking about Stage 3 by explaining how you're on the way to the top of the castle, when you suddenly fall down in to the Catacombs. Gary mentions how the game becomes unreasonably tough at this point. How enemies take way to many hits to kill. Gary mentions how this part feels pretty cinematic. Gary laments about the bird enemies that drop Flea Men. They start talking about the boss of this area, Frankenstein's Monster and Igor. They mention how this boss is a real difficulty spike and is a pretty tough boss.

(32:09-) Gary starts talking about Stage 5. Gary mentions a game that's really gory on the NES and gets confirmation he isn't making it up thanks to the crowd. Gary mentions the Axe Knights and how they are the tankiest enemies in the game. Gary mentions how the hallway leading to death is probably the hardest area in the game, for him. Kole says the room is visually striking. Kole also mentions how the Axe Knights are majorly nerfed in most other Castlevania titles, as opposed ot them feeling like minibosses. Gary is surprised when he finds out that Kole thinks the boss of this area, Death, is easier than the Igor fight. Kole elaborates by saying that Death is more predictable than Igor, so it was an easier fight. Gary found Death much harder than Igor. Gary brings up that you can cheese the fight by simply throwing a bunch of holy water at him, making him unable to even move.

(36:15-14:08) Kole starts talking about Stage 6 and mentions how it is rather short. Gary talks about how the Clock Tower bit is shorter and more simpler compared to later Castlevania titles. Gary loves the way the area before the boss mirrors the beginning of the game by being an ascension full of power-ups. The boss fight for this area is Dracula. Gary thinks its super spooky how you go to fight Dracula and he is not in his coffin. Gary really likes this fight. Kole likes how Dracula goes in to his Beast form and actually becomes easier, due to being less calculated.

(40:09-40:38) Gary starts talking about the credits sequence and how its full of goofs. They talk about how after the game you're thrown into New Game+, which seems to just be a bunch of buffed up enemies.

(40:39-44:23) They start talking about their final thoughts and how the 3D Castlevania games aren't too great. Gary talks about how the series has a good Hit to Miss ratio. Gary talks about how Castlevania 2 was the one he actually played more of as a kid and how Castlevania 3 is great. Kole and Gary thank everyone who came out to see them and they say goodbye.

(44:24-44:51) Gary chimes in to mention that all the music will be in the Extrasode,

Show Notes

No show notes, except to thank Brayton Cameron, Nick Glauber, and the staff of the Portland Retro Games Expo. Also, thanks so much to everyone who came out to the show!

Music

The music is mainly in the Castlevania Extrasode, as the live setting makes it hard to break for places to insert the music.
Vampire Killer

Extrasode

The Castlevania Extrasode aired on November 25th, 2015

Summary

(0:00-0:42) Gary does a quick opening thanking everyone for helping out during Duckstream!

(0:43-29:35) Gary and Kole talk about how great it was to be able to acquire the audio straight from the soundboard from Portland Retro Game Expo. They go one to talk about their experience at PRGE and how its a great way to feel how the network has grown over the years, in terms of fanbase. Gary talks about how 20 or so young children own "Down With the Crickness" buttons and how funny it is. Gary mentions how great t would be to have to explain how Michael Crick and Josh Groban are jokes on the Network and he'd love to do this before he died. Gary talks about meeting the hosts of Retronauts. They talk about how its pretty cool to have people compliment the fact they tend to talk politics on the show. They also talk about all the things they saw and did at PRGE, like Joust Pinball. Gary talks about how his big takeaway is of the kindness and creativity of the attenders and attendees at PRGE. They go on to talk about the things they bought/wanted to buy, but couldn't. Gary teases making a new Check it Out, Comrade! theme song with the NES Maestro he bought.

(29:36-39:50) This is where all the responses are (detailed below.) There are 9 responses, 3 from the Contact page on the Duckfeed.tv website. The rest are audio responses from PRGE.

(39:51-49:58) Some admin stuff and more thanks. They start playing the audio from the crowd responses from PRGE, interviewed after they attempted to get as far as they could in one life at the WOFF! Booth. This is where the bulk of the music is put in. Between the live responses.

Responses

(29:36-30:35) Nick via Contact. He talks about the first Castlevania he played, Symphony of the Night. Gary and Kole talk about the game briefly, mainly about the Inverted Castle "secret".

(30:36-34:14) [I don't understand the name Gary says here. I think its 'Leland'] via Contact. [Leland(?)] talks about bouncing off of the game at first, due to starting the game in an area where there are Medusa heads. but,ends up going back after awhile and loving it. Gary and Kole talk about Leland winning the whip they offered to whomever got the furthest in Castlevania in one life during their PRGE panel and how Kole still gets S&M suggestions on Amazon because of the purchase.

(34:15-39:50) Greg via Contact. He mentions that the game is one of his favorite games of all time, but not his favorite Castlevania game. Mentions how he wrote a letter to Nintendo about why Castlevania was so hard to find. Nintendo replied explaining why. Gary and Kole mentions how the game still holds up. They talk about how marketing has changed over the years.

Outtakes

There are no outtakes for this episode.

Music

Stalker
Wicked Child
Heart of Fire
Out of Time
Poison Mind
Nothing to Lose
Black Night
Voyager

Show Notes

Again, there are no Show Notes for this Extrasode.

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