Taking the Easy Road for Castlevania
(and why “exclusives” are unwise)

By Sam Mills - 2/16/05

With the current state of the video game industry, it isn’t surprising that there are many gamers torn between much of what is offered out there. With 3 current competing consoles and things heating up in the handheld market, it’s no wonder why “exclusives” are such a touchy subject. I have a few thoughts about this subject regarding Castlevania, and while I generalize a lot, I can at least convey what I’ve observed and share a few assumptions.

While many companies have chosen multi-platforming as the way to make everyone happy, one company has apparently made it a point not to do this with individual games in a particular series. While just about every system in history has been graced with at least one Castlevania title, rarely has more than one system shared the same title. This strategy of selectiveness seems a little unusually compared to other series. Usually, a series is confined to one system; if it is shared between multiple consoles, the same game tends to appear on more than one system.

As a gamer that has a deep love and admiration for the series, I feel I’d do anything to play the newest installments of Castlevania. This means going out and buying a new system if need be (which I have). However, not every gamer out there is that dedicated. I’d assume most people can’t (or won’t) spend that kind of money. Lately, Konami has been basing the release of new Castlevania’s on the most “popular” systems (specifically the PS2), which is why exclusively Xbox and GameCube gamers are left with no offering of the series.

I guess what I’m trying to ask is: would it kill Konami to either port the PS2 Castlevania(s) to the other 2 systems, or give them one of their own? I love Castlevania and would follow it to wherever it goes, but why treat it like a rare prize? While I’m sure financial prospects are the main concern here, it’s not as if the Xbox and GameCube don’t have an audience out there who would love to play Castlevania on their system of choice. I’d be willing to bet that a majority of GameCube owners, who have stuck with Nintendo all these years, would buy a GameCube Castlevania. On the other hand, thought the PS2 has well over 3 times as many gamers, I wonder if only a handful may be interested in the Castlevania series.

I know I’m speculating here, and perhaps assuming stereo-types. But many of the gamers I speak to tend to buy systems based on what they need and want. I myself have always been a Nintendo fan (and have been for years), though not stubbornly so. It seems Nintendo gamers tend to be drawn to the more creative games that are abundant on this system. Castlevania has always been a series rooted in creativity, ever since the old 8-bit days. There was more going on while playing them just what was on the screen. Castlevania has always had a way of stirring my imagination, and creating scenarios in my mind. Quite often, the adventure kept going long after the system had cooled off.

I’d go out on a limb and say that classic Castlevania is as much an icon for the NES as Mario or Zelda. If you look at the (soon to be) 21 or so Castlevania games created, a majority of them have been for a Nintendo system. And yet, Nintendo’s most ambitious system yet is denied a game in the series. Konami won’t share its PS2 titles, nor make it one of its own. For now, Nintendo fans are treated to installments on its portables, and (not surprisingly) because of the abundant number of GBA owners.

Castlevania’s main developer, Koji, says he’d love to work more with 2D. I think on the GameCube, he could get away with a 2D 128 bit version. The system has some pretty high profile 2D games, such as Paper Mario, Viewful Joe, and to some extent, Super Smash Bros. Melee.

As for the Xbox, that’s another story all together. I had a late introduction to this surprisingly awesome system. It shares many titles with the PS2 and Cube, but a lot of the time, does them just a little better. Its exclusive games (like Halo) are plain awesome. However, I don’t think anyone expected some of the more recent “everyone” oriented games to be so popular. With the release of Sonic and the upcoming Mega Man Anniversary Collection, Xbox gamers are getting their dose of imagination on what was once thought of as a more mature gamers system.

Relating this, I think that the Xbox would benefit a lot from a Castlevania release as well. For example, if Castlevania: Lament of Innocence were on the Xbox, this game would be the perfect blend of mature (with its “M” rating) and general orientation. Outside of the gore, the game tone is not a particular harsh compared to other games on the system.

If Konami were ambitious enough, Castlevania would be the perfect opportunity to do something that hasn’t (I think) happened before: release a Castlevania game for the GameCube and Xbox, but leave the PS2 out of the loop. Imagine what kind of audience they would get from gamers that choose not to get the most “popular” system, but go for a less popular alternative? I’d say that anyone who owns an Xbox or Cube, whether it is with or without owning a Playstation 2, would be the kind of gamer that is more geared to the likes of Castlevania.

Castlevania is a classic series that has never quite been known to play it safe. It’s too bad that Konami has been taking the safe road instead of breaking free and taking a chance with the series. I’m not saying I hate the PS2; I love it, and in fact, I think it’s the best system for casual gamers. What I dislike is how Konami has looked upon it. By releasing Castlevania only on PS2 is taking the easy road, but not necessarily the right one. I could be wrong, but I’d bet that anyone who bought the last game in the series for the PS2 had either a GameCube or Xbox as well. For those of us who like something a little deeper, and for those of us who like to travel the road less traveled, Castlevania is a series for our kind. And I think we deserve better.

Sam Mills can be reached at sammycut1@aol.com

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