I’ve been scanning a lot of manuals (aka instruction books/booklets) recently. I noticed that my favourite manuals site, Replacementdocs, was missing some that I could contribute. Unfortunately their approvals process is slow and anything that isn’t specifically requested could take months to be published on the site, if ever. I wanted to put the manuals I’d scanned out there because I don’t want others to have the experience of getting a second hand game without a manual and having no recourse. They’re also useful for research on a game series you like or simply digital collecting.
So I’m uploading and linking all the manuals I scanned here (some of them are published on Replacementdocs, but many aren’t yet). It’s a weird selection but this is what I have on my shelf, people. Of course, I have a lot of others but for the most part their manuals are already online. Please note that a few of these included a second language, such as French or Spanish, but I omitted them from the scan; sorry non-English speakers. Here we go then; game, platform, region:
This took ages, so somebody better download and enjoy these things!
Now, I’ll also recommend a few sites that I use whenever I’m looking for a manual. Obviously, Replacementdocs is the first place to look. Nintendo of America quite usefully hosts manuals for some Wii U/3DS/Wii/DS games, and even a few GCN/GBA ones. Freegamemanuals used to be a quite comprehensive if slightly dodgy resource, but has unfortunately shut down; maybe it’ll be back one day? The “Games Database” is, well a database of games, with some manual scans included; just do a search and see if they have it. NintendoAge is similar, and sometimes has pictures of the manual. Vimm’s Lair and the DP Library are slightly more specialised/limited, but worth a try especially for older systems. For even more specificity in systems covered, Handheld Museum is good for self-contained LCD-type games and Planet Virtual Boy is just fantastic, if only for, well, the Virtual Boy. You can also try the Video Game Museum or the Video Game Archeologist or failing all of that, just Google it. Special mention to the Ni no Kuni manual, which I started scanning until I noticed the manual itself told me that there was a high-res colour version online; cheers, Namco!
I was very impressed by Dawn of Sorrow, the first DS Castlevania, so got hold of the next one to see how it held up without the addictive soul-collecting system. It’s another Metroidvania-type free-explore-y one (ie. the ones I’m interested in), and the gimmick this time is the partner system. You have the vampire hunter Jonathan Morris and the mage Charlotte Aulin, so it’s a bit like DoS’s Julius mode. But this time you can have both on screen at once, fighting together! It’s a good feeling, a bit like playing Ice Climbers in Smash but with different skills between your characters.
This, along with a variety of equippable weapons (although not enough variety for Charlotte) and sub-weapons/spells gives you a good range of options… maybe too many. As in DoS, I had a bit of analysis paralysis when choosing skills, and changing them for different situations requires menu-wrangling; the partner system has superceded DoS’s dual equipment setup. Still, eventually I figured out how they all work and which few to stick with.
The partner thing is kind of a theme for the game. Your antagonists include a pair of vampire sisters who are also a fighter/mage combo, and *spoilers* even Death and Dracula team up for the final battle. Cool! This one is set during World War 2, a unique setting with potential, but much like DoS’s near-future setting isn’t used too much to inform the game itself, unfortunately. More significant to the game’s layout is the magic painting system: like Mario 64, you reach different worlds through paintings, including an Egyptian pyramid, a spooky forest, a dimensionally-twisted circus or something, and an English town. This is a neat idea that gives you variety in locales and smaller self-contained maps to explore. On the downside, the castle hub feels rather plain in comparison.
It’s also a sequel to the Mega Drive’s Bloodlines, a fact which didn’t resonate much with me. It’s worth reading up a bit on the backstory but the game explains itself quite well without playing that one, which features the previous generation to this. The plot is developed fairly well for this type of game as you play through and the characters are mostly appealing.
The game looks nice; since each map looks different and has a unique design, they feel fresh. Sprite animation is as great as ever, but there is sometimes that odd mix of 3D polygons with the mostly 2D spritework, mostly for backgrounds and the occasional enemy. (I like it and it’s used sparingly.) The enemies are also the usual mix of cool monsters with the sometimes cute or humorous one, although some sprites are jarringly recycled from the previous game; fair enough.
Portrait of Ruin has in total 4 extra playable modes including Hard mode, which I think is a lot (although I haven’t played too many of these yet). It really extends the life of the game and each one plays differently enough to be interesting. You’ve got Richter & Maria as a team, which I gather is based on their playstyle from Rondo of Blood on the PC Engine; the secret and demanding Old Axe Armor, which is more basic but satisfying; and my favourite, the vampire sisters who are controlled entirely with the touch screen. This latter is very inventive and also the easiest.
So, PoR is really great. But is it better than Dawn of Sorrow? Well, there’s more modes here, which works well with the self-contained maps as you can master each of them. This fragmentation can get tedious though, with 9 areas in total, and they tend to be more sprawling compared to DoS’s relatively compact design. The soul-collecting system has been replaced by the enemies sometimes dropping a new spell or weapon, which is not as satisfying to me; in DoS, every single enemy was potentially a useful new skill or ability, and each one was necessary for completion. The new quest system here is a good idea, and the complicated weapon synthesis system has thankfully been axed. I also really liked the partner dynamic with its feeling of cooperation, which carried through most of the extra modes too. So I’ll give the edge to Portrait of Ruin, with its evolution in game design even if there were some compromises with the different core mechanic and level design. Hooray!
I’m really digging this Castlevania thing, yeah. The GBA ones are coming out now on the Wii U’s Virtual Console, so I might check those out next so I don’t spoil myself with the more technologically advanced Symphony of the Night or Order of Ecclesia. But those 5 are all the Metroidvania ones left! Konami, forget this dumb 3D Lords of Shadow bollocks and make some more sweet 2D exploratory action! No problem.
Some years ago, I decided it was time to try a Castlevania game. After a quick Internet search, I somehow arrived at Aria of Sorrow being a good example, at least of the exploration-based “Metroidvania” style. I emulated it and was very impressed, loving the style and well-crafted gameplay, along with the addictive soul-collecting mechanic. Emulation problems meant I couldn’t actually finish it, but after briefly borrowing the DS sequel last year, I’ve been on the lookout for my own copy. And finally I procured one for myself!
I couldn’t be happier with the game. As I type this I’ve just finished my third playthrough, in the unlockable “Julius Mode” which lets you play as a team of supporting characters with different abilities that supposedly call back to earlier games. I wouldn’t know, but even without a deep knowledge of the series I found it an absolute delight. The sprites and animation are just gorgeous, and it’s a dream to play. Collecting all the items and souls is still a powerful drive, and the unlockables are satisfying.
In fact, I was so impressed that Order of Ecclesia went straight on my wish list, and I may even look into Portrait of Ruin later (the other two DS instalments, which reviewed almost as well as this one). Symphony of the Night has also, I am now aware, often been touted as the high point of the series.
My only question at this point is why has it taken me so long to get into this series of excellent 2D action-platformers, one of my favourite genres? I don’t know, but I’ll try not to play them all so quickly, as I’m afraid of burning out on the seemingly homogenised aesthetics. Despite many taking place in radically different time periods, the castle and enemies always seem to look pretty similar in screenshots.
Oh well, as I said the sprite art is amazing anyway. The plot is also not too deep or groundbreaking, but I did get attached to the characters involved, despite the slightly spotty localisation. Touch screen use is a tad gimmicky but does add, rather than detract, from the experience. So despite a few small quibbles, I loved this one. I have absolutely no complaints about the control or structure of the game itself, it’s wonderful.
I find myself running short on words for this, because it was just so good. So I’ll leave it at that. I hope other games in the series can engage me as much as this has, even if they don’t have the addictive soul-collecting mechanic.
I recently had brief experiences with both these games, so I think it’d be fruitful to compare them. I’m certainly no expert on Castlevania but even I could see the differences here. I played DoS for a couple of hours when my sister-in-law borrowed it from a friend. I previously played through all of Aria of Sorrow (GBA) via emulation, and this was a direct sequel. The other, MoF, was a demo on the 3DS eShop that I got the gist of with one playthrough (about 10 minutes).
For being not so far apart, the two games are radically different. DoS is an extension of what the series has always been, more exploration-based but with a new “soul-capturing” system where you can collect abilities from every enemy. This was introduced in Aria and I like it as a motivation for defeating as many enemies as you can and changing up the combat however you want (even if I only ever used a few abilities once I found ones I liked). But the combat was tight, with responsive controls (accounting for lag of your actions) and highly defined pixel art. These factors are, from what I can tell, typical of classic Castlevania games (except for the soul ability thing).
On the other hand, MoF is more centred around combat, doing combos on enemies with high health and moving linearly through 2.5D environments (ie. 3D modelled backgrounds, 2D playing area). I’ve heard it’s an attempt to bring the mechanics of 3D Castlevania games to 2D gameplay, and that makes for a very different feel and mechanics. The areas may look very nice, but they are very small and flat compared to DoS’s sprawling castle. You may have a lot of moves in MoF, but they’re all pretty samey and not better than mashing the same button, plus they seem very slow and laggy, the comboing being at cross purposes with the need to avoid attacks. It may be I’m not used to that style of game and I’m not, but it is certainly very different to most Castlevanias, insofar as they are represented by DoS.
MoF is reviewing very badly, and I tend to agree. In addition to the gameplay criticisms I’ve noted, there are serious framerate issues and the game is constantly switching between three characters, undermining progression in the traditional exploratory sense in favour of plot-driven linear set pieces. It doesn’t seem that mashing the 3D style into the 2D world works very well, especially if people are expecting traditional Castlevania. To be honest, the demo was maybe not enough for me to see all these issues, but I found it frustrating. And too many Quicktime events, seriously why are we still doing that?
I guess it’s part of the modern vs retro thing. DoS evokes classic games that were well tuned, and simple in presentation (ie pixels) but deep in mechanics. MoF seems indicative of modern games that are big on flair but shallow in gameplay and half-baked in execution.
I don’t know a whole lot about Castlevania lore so I don’t think I should go into it, but I’ve said the important part I think so this one’s short and sweet. You can thank me later.
