Castlevania

It really isn't, not compared to the others.

Lacked any real inventory management, just a lackluster drop-based card combo system

I beat Dracula in the inverted castle.

aria of sorrow then all the ds ones.

CotM is kind of a ugly, clunky mess but if you can look past that, you'll find an amazing game underneath. And it's absolute miles ahead of HoD, if you're gonna have to skip one, then for the love of God make sure it's that one.

Any broken shit like the Shield Rod I should be aware of?

what a strange thing to say. are you a fujoshi?

>wanting inventory management in a Castlevania game

What about all of the hallways that have the same repeating enemy?

Claimh Solais. Succubus.

>Also whoever came up with those spell inputs should be shot.
Those were made when Iga was on a fighting game binge at the time. It was one of the few weird things about SotN that I sort of miss given the moves were already there, right off the bat, but you had to find them out either by books or by trial-and-error.

What about all the giant funhouse sections where you're rewarded for discovering new powers and using them to explore every little corner?

I like the idea but some of them are nearly impossible to pull off reliably with a shitty D-pad. I had to use the joystick and even then I didn't make it all the time.

Would be better if they didn't feel like backtracking for the sake of backtracking. The worst cases here are definitely those candles that are at some far from a teleporter, dead-end boss room that you never have any reason to return to unless you already know about the candles.

CHARLOTTE JONATHAN CHARLOTTE JONATHAN CHARLOTTE JONATHAN

Some souls are obviously much better than others and you're likely to get overpowered pretty quick no matter what. Like other user said, Claimh Solais but it's relatively hidden. Here's a tip though: it's a short ass game, going through the second playthrough and saving up for the Soul Eater Ring is preferable to outright grinding for every soul from the very beginning. You'll save yourself some pain by not doing that.

Isn't that the one that went full anime? Is it good?

He's not right, but he's not wrong either. OoE is a fantastic game. And the one that has familiar, which are a cool addition.

Dawn of Sorrow is the one that used the anime portraits first, if that's what you meant.

>creaking skull
>gives Soma a giant boner
>kill enemies with a giant penis
Amusing.

I agree.

It's good except for the anime portraits

Yes, and fuck yes. Ironically the only bad thing that comes to mind are the fucking godawful character portraits.

You're missing out if you haven't played Rondo of Blood first.