Testing out a few games on the mednafen emulator at work, Erik suggested we try out this, a Castlevania game he never played. I had a feeling he would like it, and before we went home, he had stabbed his way through the early parts of the game, reaching the Hippogryph boss fight.
2015-07-16
5551
I'm on the train from Brighton to Gatwick Airport after attending the Develop conference, spending the last of my laptop battery playing some more SotN.
2015-07-17
5552
I defeated the Hippogryph on the first try using a lot of low slashes with my Saber. I trying to get to the Castle Keep to find the Leap Stone, which should open up a lot of new stuff.
5553
I have the Leap Stone!
2015-07-21
5567
Oh no, it's a octopus-dog-lady! The horror!
5568
Pummeled her into submission with my Morning Star.
5570
A very important mednafen setting:
psx.videoip 0 ; disables pixel interpolation
5571
Now I have a lot of new items, allowing me to transform into a bat, turn into mist, and I have a Faerie Familiar. Now I know where the Castle Crashers Animal Orbs come from.
completed the game.
I beat Richter! And now: credits and some smooth sax.
5573
OK, now it gets real: I need a Gold Ring and a Silver Ring, that should be worn in the clock room. The Gold Ring is guarded by the Succubus in the Underground Caverns, the Silver Ring is in the Royal Chapel.
5574
The Silver Ring is in the spiked passage, which requires Spikebreaker Armor, which is in the Catacombs beneath the Underground Caverns.
5575
Library Cards are 500$ in the library shop.
5576
I defeated the Granfaloon, a 'Nightmarish creature, composed of many.' Couldn't have said it better myself.
5577
Got the Silver Ring.
5578
Got the Holy Glasses.
5579
Shaft is no longer controlling Richter Belmont, and I've started exploring the Inverted Castle.
5580
I was just killed by Death. Unsurprising turn of events, really.
5581
Death is dead. Long live ... me.
5582
Galamoth is *hard*. I figured out I should use the Shield Rod and the Alucard Shield to make it easier, and I also figured out I had the 'Alucart Shield', which I assumed was a spelling error. Not so, I hadn't found the right thing yet. Now I have it, let's see how it goes...
5583
Did Beezelbub the same way I did Galamoth. Real easy.
2015-07-22
5584
completed the game (Reverse Castle).
That Shield Rod / Alucard Shield combination trivialized the end of the game to such a degree that I wish I hadn't found it. Anyway, the rest of the game was pretty amazing. I got the ending where Richter was alive and Maria let Alucard go.
5585
Time: 7:50:30, 143.9%
5586
I started a new game with Richter. He is pretty overpowered early in the game, but it seems he can't be upgraded or get new weapons, so it might get more challenging later on. I played with a couple of guys watching on Twitch, and they got me started with Richter. Many thanks to Xknightfallx and exetoad for the help.
