227: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (with Gen Moonen - "Fun" and Games) - Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Gen Moonen ("Fun" and Games) as they discuss Konami's 2006 entry in the Castlevania franchise, Portrait of Ruin. By this point, the series had largely moved past dual-screen and touchscreen gimmicks, settling on putting the menus and map on the bottom screen with the action on top. Add in a dual-protagonist setup and you've got a recipe for a good metroidvania experience. It's not reinventing the wheel, but it's likely got what you're looking for, and there's value in that. Check out the discussion for more, and as always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!

Guest info: Gen Moonen (they/she)

Check out "Fun" and Games https://funandgamespod.com/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gnoisegenerator.bsky.social

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:22 Introductions
6:56 Our Histories with Castlevania
12:40 Top-Level Thoughts
19:51 Story Setup and Dual Protagonists
24:52 Castlevania Stories and Humor
31:19 Character Swapping Gameplay
44:52 Metroid vs Vania
50:13 Boss Fights, Painted Worlds and The Castle
1:03:52 Metroidvania Upgrades
1:08:41 Visual Design
1:16:40 Who Should Play?
1:25:50 "Fun" and Games Podcast
1:30:31 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:32:44 Spoilers- Painted Worlds and The Vampire Killer
1:53:38 Spoilers- More Story & Boss Fights

Music used in the episode is credited to Michiru Yamane unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Gallery of Labyrinth, Invitation of a Crazed Moon (Yuzo Koshiro), Chaotic Playground, Victorian Fear, Name Entry, Crucifix Held Close, The Night Flows

Check out Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum talking about Final Fantasy X: https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog