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A for effort . . .

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 37 / 41
Date: December 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The Castlevania series has undergone its fair share of criticism; i.e., the Metroid-style structure has been done to death, and there simply aren't enough innovations to distinguish the games from each other. The 3D games have been particularly aligned, with poor level structure being the widest complaint.

Portrait of Ruin was Konami's answer to those complaints. While the design of the game has been restructured, the overall execution is somewhat lacking.

For example, the game's protagonists, Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin, must use paintings, much in the style of Super Mario 64, to enter new worlds. Here's where part of the problem lies--there are only five distinct levels (Dracula's Castle, a city overrun with monsters, a dark forest, Egypt, and a twisted circus sideshow.) You can find restructured and more difficult versions of these levels later on in the game, but the overall lack of diversity is disappointing. Instead of offering different versions of the same levels, Konami could have delved into Castlevania's 20-year history to deliver us mountain ranges, or sleepy villages, or haunted docks, or sunken ruins . . . the list goes on, and its rather aggravating to find such a lack of effort in this title.

However, the dual-hero system works well for the game. Sadly, there aren't very many puzzles in which you must rely on your partner--yes, there is a segment in which the two characters ride motorcycles and the player must shift between the two to clear the course--but events like these are few and far between. Most often, the only reason you'll switch to Charlotte is to turn into a frog or an owl, or to cast a specific spell. You'll spend the other 90% of the time as Jonathan.

The difficulty is also somewhat skewed. Most enemies can be ripped through quickly and easily, but boss battles can be intensely difficult, with bosses often using attacks that can drain as much as 200 hit points. Attention to patterns and a plentiful supply of potions are necessary to win the day, and while its refreshing to have boss battles reminiscent of the old-school 8-bit Castlevanias, players who entered the series with Symphony of the Night are in for a rude awakening.

However, the story is top-notch, and follows roughly thirty years after the events of Castlevania: Bloodlines for the Sega Genesis. The characters are well-written, and the player will become genuinely intrigued by their stories and their pasts.

Sounds, as usual, are one of the highlights for the game. The voice-acting is present, but generally minimal, and the melodies and sound effects continue to be haunting.

Enemy design is also one of the game's highest points. The sprites are well-animated, and, in many portions of the game, comical. For example, the Persephone enemy shuffles back and forth with a vacuum cleaner; if Jonathan gets too close, he'll be sucked backwards and get his bottom lodged in the end of the appliance. Charlotte, conversely, will be momentarily inconvenienced as she struggles to prevent her skirt from being blown up. One boss enemy can also seduce Jonathan with one of her attacks, causing him to attack Charlotte.

In conclusion, Portrait of Ruin is a game that belongs in every Castlevania fan's library. It's just not particularly memorable.

Story: A
Level Design: C
Music: A
Sound Effects: A
Enemy design: A
Character design: A
Difficulty: B
Overall: B+

It's like Dawn of Sorrow, but with different characters!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Well, I was actually quite pumped up to play this game, so much so that I went and pre-ordered it at EBgames and managed to get some bonus goodies along with the game. But that's another story altogether. Let's make no bones about it, Portrait of Ruin (POR) is a solid entry to the Castlevania franchise that is definitely going to live up to many fans'expectations. It's the same gaming formula that was introduced in the earlier PS2 hit, Symphony of the Night, and was reused in many of the later sequels.

And that is exactly why, while it is a good game, it doesn't succeed in becoming an excellent game. It's the same tried and true offering with minimal changes. There are a lot of reused character sprites, reused music and even reused plot developments (no real surprise there, a descendent of the Legendary Belmont clan and his partner encounter the evil of Dracula once more as his castle once again casts its menacing shadow across the land. Ho hum). Even some of the game's boss fights are reused from previous outings (I won't mention which one in case it ruins the surprise). In short, the game plays a lot like something you may have played before.

However, that is no reason for anyone to dismiss this game out of hand. The new partner system, while not being groundbreakingly innovative, is a good example of clever game design, opening up multiple choices as to how to dispatch the unholy dead. The level designs, though familiar, are wonderfully crafted and gorgeous to a 2D affecionado (or anybody, for that matter). There's solid action and RPG elements to keep any gamer happy for hours on end (I ended up playing more than 6 hours straight on my first day...even through my class lectures).

Ultimately, the game doesn't really offer anything deviously new and doesn't really tread away from the tried and true Castlevania formula. But if you're looking for a good game that is more than worth your buck, then this is surely one of the games you must get, even if you're not a huge Castlevania fan.

If you're already a fan of the series, then this is another good reason to delve into the world of Castlevania again to fight Dracula another day.

Bottom line: great game, and a good buy, but if you've played a lot of the previous incarnations don't expect anything fabulously different.

More Castlevania on the go? Count me in

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It's a safe bet that when Konami creates a Castlevania for a handheld that it's going to be pretty good. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is no exception, and while it doesn't do much we haven't seen before in the series, it still manages to pack one heck of a punch. Following up the wonderful Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin puts you in the shoes of Jonathan and Charlotte; a whip and magic wielding duo that you play as together throughout the game. This new dynamic adds some spice to the tried but true side scrolling gameplay, which is rich with a horde of weapons, items, and power-ups to find. And, since this is a Castlevania game, it's only natural that the boss battles are nothing short of fantastic and the best parts of the game. The graphics look sharp with superb animation and effects that really show off what the DS is capable of with 2-D graphics. The music and sound is superb as well, and the game offers some decent touch screen capabilities that are more substancial than the ones found in Dawn of Sorrow. If there's any cons to Portrait of Ruin, it's that the level designs don't have that personality that we've seen in previous Castlevania games like Dawn of Sorrow and the GBA titles, but that's not a huge gripe. All in all, Portrait of Ruin is another superb portable Castlevania game, and yet another must own title for the DS.

Castlevania!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I pre-ordered this game with high expectations after playing Dawn of Sorrow, and was extremely satisfied (Especially with the pre-order bonus I got from EBgames).

The game is very fast paced compared to some of its predecessors, and the interaction between the two playable characters is really fun. It's possible to have both characters fighting at once, and to even control them both at the same time (For example, pressing R to have your partner cast magic). Some of the monsters are pretty sick looking, and the entire game is extremely detailed. Switching characters is instantaneous, and both characters have different types of special abilities.

--There is even some puzzle-solving involved, as you need to switch back and forth between the two characters. For example, leaving one character on a mine cart, then using the other to hit the switch.

--Portrait of Ruin boasts a multiplayer feature as well, where you can set up a shop for other players to buy items from you, and even play together in a cooperative mode. Oh, and it's Wi-Fi compatible as well.

--Throughout the castle, there are different paintings imbued with magical power. You can enter these paintings, where the artist's will takes form, providing many different varieties of areas in addition to Dracula's huge castle. It adds a level of uniqueness, as well as brightness, to the 2D-Sidescrolling RPG classic.

--Highly replayable, featuring quests to complete, items to complete, magic spells to collect, and weapon skills to master. If you are aiming to unlock everything in the game, it will take 25 hours at the very least.

--The music in the game is fantastic, and there is some good voice acting when talking to some characters.

OVERALL:: This game is well worth the buy, and I highly reccomend any fan of platformers or action/RPGs to pick a copy up ASAP.

For those of you that have never really been a fan to the Castlevania series, you might want to give it a chance since the two characters add a different fast-paced experience to the previos Castlevania games, but that is up to you.

If you have never played a Castlevania game before, this would be a great game to start with.

Not an experienced player

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I got this game on the recommendation of my daughter's boyfriend. I had just finished "Legend of Zelda, Phantom Hourglass" (five stars there), and was looking for another game. I enjoy this game because of the puzzles and the ease of use of the characters. It's a bit challenging for me as I'm not very experienced with these things (I'm 47). I would recommend this game, but if you're not very experienced, like myself, be prepared to spend some time on it. 'Course that's not a bad thing either.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: December 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Last year, Konami released Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for the Nintendo DS and it was a smash success. It was one of the best DS games to come around. Needless to say Portrait of Ruin has a lot to live up to. It's just as good as Dawn of Sorrow, but it's no where near superior. Still, it's a really fun game, and Castlevania fans can really enjoy what is destined to be another fantastic 2D side scroller.

Portrait of Ruin takes place in the year 1944, in the middle of World War II. However, the problem isn't the war, but rather that Castlevania has appeared again. Only this time, a vampire artist named Brauner is controlling the power of the castle with paintings. As Johnathan Morris and his friend Charlotte Orlean, your job will be to destroy these paintings as well as Brauner and any followers he may have.

The game begins with you entering Castlevania, and you're able to explore the castle as you like in the metroid style way that's been around since Symphany of the Night, and the exploration is complete with warps and hidden walls. However, in exploring, there's a twist this time. As you roam through the castle, you'll come across paintings. When you do come across a painting, it's your job to jump inside and go through the particular area it takes you to. This new aspect is fun simply for the fact that it means there is more exploration to be done in this Castlevania than previous entries. Not only must you explore the castle, but several different paintings as well. This really adds a lot of variety to the setting. The first painting is a city, for example, and you'll soon find yourself exploring the desert as well as other areas.

The games environments look spectacular. More detail is given to the backgrounds this time around, some effects being rendered in 3D. They look pretty cool. The game sports quite a bit of detail. Some of the enemies look really good too. There are over 100 enemies in Portrait of Ruin and some of them look absolutely stunning, especially some of the bosses you'll be fighting. Needless to say, you won't tire of looking at the game any time soon.

Portrait of Ruin doesn't use the touch screen for much of anything, though. Gameplay happens on the touch screen but unlike Dawn of Sorrow, you'll never have to use your stylus, and that's fine with me. The map is also displayed on the top screen at all times, much like it was in Dawn of Sorrow. This means no more toggling between the map and gameplay.

An interesting tweak to the gameplay is that you are now in control of two characters as opposed to one. Johnathan and Charlotte. Both characters are not the same, however, so don't expect that you'll never change. Johnathan uses a whip and can use sub weapons such as knives while Charolotte specializes in several different types of magic. As you progress through the game you'll run into a variety of enemies, some of which can only be killed with a specific character.

You can switch characters at any time, but you can also call your partner into battle for some assisstance. The AI will control whichever character you are not controlling. Also, when you call on your partner, the MP guage will become their life guage. If they take too much damage they'll be dismissed. The good news, however, is that your MP refills as you walk around so even if they're taken out it won't be long before you can call on them again.

The game is filled with puzzles to progress further, and you will indeed need both characters to go about some of them. Again, this is unique to the Castlevania experience. Early in the game, for example, you'll need to have one character stand on top of a statue while the other pushes, and you'll have to switch between them to get it going.

Another welcome addition to the gameplay are quests. Early in the game you'll meet a character named Wind who will send you on quests. These quests are optional, but doing them nets you rewards such as new techniques or rare items. There's also a merchant for you to buy goods from.

Co-op play is another welcome addition to the game but it's extremely limited. You can play either with a friend or with anyone from around the world, but you can't go through the main adventure, which is honestly a real drag. The only thing you can do in co-op mode is fight all the bosses. It's a boss rush mode with two players... that's it. It's very disappointing that multiplayer is simply that. Even worse, you both share a life guage, so if your partner dies, you suffer just as much. You can find people through Nintendo Wi-Fi, which is really nice. You can connect with anyone or you can enter a friend code, either way it doesn't matter.

Its unfortunate that Boss Rush mode isn't a whole lot of fun, though. You get rewarded for completing it at least. However, it would've been far better (and more fun) to go through the adventure mode with a friend. Instead your limited to boss rush mode.

Shopping through the wi-fi network isn't bad, though. When you connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi you select a monster and then the wi-fi connection seeks out a shop for you. When you go in, you'll be able to buy items from people. Likewise, you could set up the wi-fi and then sell items as well.

When selling items, however, one has to note that you do not get to choose what price you sell stuff for. You can only sell it for the price that you could sell it to a normal merchant for. This means that you can't find a really rare item, and then sell it to your best friend for one cent. However, to the shopping's credit, if you decide to open up a store and someone buys from you, the item does not disappear from your inventory. So if you have a really powerful weapon, and your friend buys it, you both can use it. It's a fun way to find rare items, however the shop your given is completely random (if you decide not to go into a friend's shop). So there's no guarantee you'll get a good one the first time.

Castlevania is known for having some of the best music in gaming. Portrait of Ruin is no exception. While it isn't as good as Dawn of Sorrow, it still has a lot of flare and passion that will absorb you. Many tunes are indeed memorable. Your characters also grunt when they swing their weapon or take damage.

In the end Portrait of Ruin is a great game. The wi-fi is a little disappointing, but the game as a whole is just a lot of fun to play. Any Castlevania fan will enjoy it.

The Good

+2D Sidescrolling is still fun
+Plenty of detail to the environments
+Sidequests!
+Playing as two characters really adds variety to the game
+Large game, plenty to explore
+The game sounds fantastic
+It's got enough variety to make it extremely fun to play
+Play co-op with a friend or with anyone around the world

The Bad

-Co-op mode is not as good as expected

Konami's done it again.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Portrait of Ruin promised yet another step in the highly acclaimed Symphony of the Night formula of the 20 year old Castlevania franchise, and delivered upon it beautifully.

The familiar physics and engine are there, the designs, music, environments and characters are true to the standard, but PoR doesn't suffer the stagnant repetition that plagues titles in some long-running series. Konami seems to know how to insert certain features to keep the game fresh, while remaining loyal to the precedent. Aria of Sorrow introduced the soul system, which carried over to Dawn of Sorrow, along with an innovative system of drawing seals in order to progress and/or banish boss monsters.

Portrait of Ruin introduces a dual-character feature and miniquests, making it even more RPG-like than its predecessors. Touch screen use is limited, but as the seals in Dawn of Sorrow got frustratingly complex at later stages of the game, this is more a relief than a dissappointment.

I, personally, haven't gotten that far into PoR, but even a short trek into the first stages of this game has been highly entertaining and rewarding, leaving you wanting for nothing but more and more.

Any true Castlevania fan will adore this latest masterpiece in this long-running and strong-running franchise. Even a casual gamer could easily get sucked into this game and appreciate all the things that have made this series as legendary as it has become.

Return of the Whip

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Last year's Dawn of Sorrow was Castlevania's first entrance into the DS library. It proved to be a hit, both in critical acclaim and sales. It isn't a surprise, therefore, to see Konami releasing the next instalment of its popular Dracula-related series, just in time for the Christmas holidays. Portrait of Ruin isn't exactly related to Dawn of Sorrow, but both share similar core gameplay elements. New features are included this time round as well to keep things fresh. The result is an instantly satisfying title that will go down in the books as another great Castlevania game.

The story of Portrait of Ruin is set in the year 1944, during World War II. In the midst of hellish times, Dracula's castle mysteriously reappears. Two vampire hunters, Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin, join forces to investigate the occurrence. This is as simple as it gets when it comes to the game's premise - it's merely an excuse to get your characters to explore a huge castle again. This is not really a bad thing though, since it's what Castlevania is all about. The interesting thing here is, you will get the chance to control BOTH Jonathan and Charlotte. This is something that is uncommon in the series.

As you may have expected, both characters have different abilities - Jonathan is the powerhouse that deals high melee damages, while Charlotte is more of a magic user. Despite their differences, controlling them isn't difficult. The basic controls are similar to Dawn of Sorrow, but you can choose to control only one character, call forth your partner to fight beside you, and even switch between characters. All these options are accessible at the push of a button, which makes this double-team attribute extremely user-friendly. There's even an option to perform combo attacks, giving this team feature a further edge as compared to previous single-character campaigns. The downside of this arrangement is that both Jonathan and Charlotte share the same HP and MP. If you choose to play with both of them, losing health for Jonathan means losing health for Charlotte as well. Thankfully, when your partner is hit, he or she wouldn't lose health. Instead, your MP decreases. This is definitely a friendlier approach, since MP does recharge itself over time. With these restrictions in mind, however, you may have to decide whether it's worthwhile to play with the partner.

I won't go much into the weapons, skills and items that you will acquire in this game, except that the whip (originating from the very first Castlevania) is back. Most of these are recycled from previous games, and many of them are rewards for killing enemies or getting into obscure corners. Some of these, however, can only be acquired upon completing quests. Quests are new additions to the Castlevania fold, and are basically things you do that may not have major consequences to the story. For example, one of the quests requires you to kill a certain number of a certain enemy, another tasks you to perform a sword skill a few times. Quests are also largely optional, except for one. The rewards for doing them, however, are exclusive contents that cannot be found anywhere else. True to Castlevania fashion, skills acquired (not necessary from quests) can help you venture further into the castle. The Lizard Tail, for example, allows you to slide through lower ceilings. The Acrobat, on the other hand, lets you use your partner's shoulders as a launching pad for jumping onto a previously unreachable ledge. They are extremely useful, therefore, if you intend to cover every inch of the building.

The castle is once again separated by various themes. The themes aren't as colourful as Dawn of Sorrow, and appear more generic than innovative. You have the locations like the Buried Chamber and the Great Stairway - places that sound, and look darker than the playhouses and gardens from the previous game. However, Portrait of Ruin also introduces an "alternate castle" feature. These additional castles can be accessed by entering various portraits (hence the title of the game) found in the main castle. They are, of course, defined by different themes too. Areas within portraits are comparatively more colourful, which provide great contrast between both universes. It would be a giveaway to explain why you can enter portraits though, so I would just leave that aspect for you to explore. You will no longer be contended just by achieving 100% map coverage anymore though - with these new areas, it's possible to cover as much as 1,000% map, which REALLY sounds like great adventuring prospects.

To complement said adventures, Portrait of Ruin excels in both graphical and audio performances. The game plays like your typical 2D side-scroller, but the backgrounds are rendered in 3D, which give the on-screen action more depth than ever. The details are magnificent as usual, and even with an overall darker feel to the game, the colors remain vibrant and pleasing to the eye. Like Dawn of Sorrow, this game also features an upper screen map support, which, despite its superb functionality, isn't adopted by many other games of similar genre. Music wise, let's just say that the opening theme is good enough to give us goosebumps (the good ones). Sound effects also maintain the high standards set from the last game.

It seems that with each instalment of Castlevania, Konami are getting better at the job. Like Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin is a candidate for the game of the year on the DS, and it's hard to see how Konami can further better the series in the next instalment. For now, however, Portrait of Ruin is definitely the game that you should get for the seasons.

My first foray into Castlevania and I liked it

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Notice I said "like" since Portrait of Ruin lately is one of those games where people play it and go "it's not Dawn of Sorrow". Well to be honest, I haven't actually played that one. The only real Castlevania I started playing was Lament of Innocence which even series fans didn't really care for. As a Christmas gift, I received this and finally started my first blown try at a Castlevania game and I actually did like it. While it does have a noticeable Metroid root (so dubbed by people Metroidvania), it's also quite enjoyable despite some minor but noticeable flaws.

Story: With this series it's just like Mario only instead of saving the Princess we have to contend with another castle and baddie in a different time period. Taking him on during World War II era is Jonathan and his companion Charlotte. It doesn't really have huge twists but it's at least a good story to experience.

Graphics: They almost feel GBA-quality and it isn't a knock against the game. The other game I asked for was Final Fantasy III which has some great 3D graphics. Portrait's graphics aren't really that stellar but they've been like this for awhile so it's hard to knock them. I like having the varied locations for the levels though. Levels are essentially portraits you enter with places like an old town or a desert.

Sound/Music: The in-game sound effects are nice and fit the world but don't think they're going to impress since they're just meant to add realism to a fantastic world. The voice acting is minimal at times, relegated to sound bytes with the story told through text but the always dependable music doesn't disappoint either.

Gameplay: An RPG format with levelling up and weapons and equipment found along the way. The problem is like a lot of RPG's you might find yourself overwhelmed but it's kind of inconsistent since you can dispatch enemies no problem but then there's a boss with a killer hit taking off a HUGE chunk of life, literally making it 2 hits and you die. Purchasing equipment is not really a problem except things can get pretty expensive but since by that time you need more Potions, Anti-Venom or Curse antidotes than you never really get to purchase that next armor since you're spending it on life-saving stuff.

The game has a Dual-Character system where you can switch between action heavy Jonathan or book-wielding/spellcasting Charlotte. Again, it's inconsistent since you'll mainly use Jonathan since he hits harder. There's a couple of puzzles where you can call him/her to fight with you or solving a puzzle. An early example is having her stand on a statue and pushing it so you can access a higher path that's too high to jump. There's room for a lot of these but that's evident through the game.

Of course it's not going to eclipse Symphony of the Night in fans' eyes or even Dawn of Sorrow but regardless it's a really enjoyable game that shows that even if it's familiar, they don't do wrong either...unless they're in 3D.

Pretty generic in gameplay, rather disappointing graphics

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: March 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

CPR, as this game has come to be known, is, frankly speaking, a generic game in the Castlevania series. I'm glad I played it as a rental instead of shelling out $30 of good money for it. The storyline is both nondescript and nonexistent, and the game plays straightforwardly. The graphics, like other Castlevania games, is rather poor, little improved over the old GBA versions. Overall it makes a worthwhile play for hardcore Castlevania fans -- and Amazon's super-low price is a big help.

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