If I recall, the US version completely dropped the Armenian Genocide aspect and changed it so that it takes place after a nuclear war and Orin is tasked to collect the 8 Eyes, a set of jewels believed to have the power to rebuild society. After you get all the jewels, you have to place them in eight slots in the right order and the hints are only in clue scrolls (like the yellow jewel is to the left of the green jewel or something like that).
There was no Armenian Genocide aspect because this game takes place in the late 19th century, and the Armenian Genocide didn't happen until 1915. What did happen around this time were the Armenian massacres.
I remember the very disappointing weekend my friends and I had renting the US version. We were so excited - Castlevania with a command-able bird! - but after like an hour we stopped playing and went and did something else.
This is one of those rare cases where I love everything about a game except the actual gameplay. Both versions of the loco story, the bird gimmick, the surprisingly expansive classical-inspired soundtrack, all very cool. That action, though? Awful.
I make it a point to play the games you cover (when I can) and fortunately for me I've already experienced this. Played it for the first time on my Super Retrocade and was so glad I didn't spend money on this when I was a kid! Maybe not quite as bad as Hydlide or King's Knight, but it would have been in the top ten for bad ways to spend $20.
Didn't get around to this one originally, at least I don't remember it. I remember trying to play a ROM of it in the past handful of years but I recall it being tough!! .... that's quite the backstory, though.
It's set up to drag the players out as much as they can and if you're just randomly guessing you have to play through the eight stages an average of 22 times before you can beat it.
This game is more nuanced than it seems especially with the hawk controls. I've beaten all three loops of it and there's a lot of depth. That being said, it's definitely a game that never stops hating the player. Your skill at mitigating the nonsense never quite catches up with the game's ability to produce more nonsense.
Huh, what does this game even have to do with Armenia, how weird of them to mention that in the JP manual randomly, not to mention that the story seems to be completely different in the English version... (though, taking the recent 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War into consideration, it's sadly rather topical.) And yeah, the game is not a good Castlevania clone. I'd rather replay Master of Darkness instead.
ok i usually like your videos and i like how you point out some of the more unsavory aspects of the games, but didn’t you stop to think that it was a little absurd to accuse a bunch of japanese people in the 80s of maliciously trying to justify a genocide that happened nearly a century before in another nation? like i said there’s nothing wrong with pointing out how historically inaccurate and messed up the story is, but treating ignorance and malice with the same anger is very immature for someone your age. obviously, the story is bad, and it should be pointed out, but you seem to hold it against the developers too much by outright calling them out for “justifying genocide”, giving them the same anger that would direct towards people who were actually being malicious, when they were only taught the wrong information. it’s just an unsavory, matter of factly way of going about discussing the problems with the game. once again, i’m glad you pointed out the issues with the story and i would like you to do that with other games with similar issues going forward, but i would suggest not to blame the developers for being uneducated and ignorant as that’s extremely reductive.
8:04 No, it doesn't. It's just an unnecessary, misinformed detail that has no impact on the quality of the game. Not to mention, this game takes place in the late 19th century, and the Armenian Genocide didn't happen until 1915. What did happen around this time were the Armenian massacres. Even so, simply presenting genocide is not justifying it, and the game doesn't villainize Armenians the way you're sarcastically suggesting, but rather downplays the reason why they're attacking the Turks. Actually, the backstory states that the terrorism and assassinations are being carried out by the *Free* Armenian Army and that the "Powder Keg of the Balkans" is taking place, so the game still acknowledges that Armenia's attacks on the Ottoman Empire are not unprovoked. I can't even find any information about the plot that explicitly states that Ruth Grandier is Armenian. The only one talking about "genocide denial" is you is to make up excuse to hate the game. Pretty dishonest, if you ask me.
Who said 8-bit games can't be terrifying? The idiot sociopath behind the story and game design has lost their humanity in a way Lovecraft would surely admire.
They can be terrifying, just not in the way you're suggesting. Neither the story or game design are enough of a justification to deem the person who made this game an "idiot sociopath" who "has lost their humanity in a way Lovecraft would surely admire." That's a cynical and harsh judgement. Anyone who comes up with a game in which you play as a skilled swordsman and falconer named Sir Julian James Bond who has to recover stolen artifacts that conceal demonic secrets and could be used in a dark ritual to resurrect demons has to be a genius who puts a lot of thought into things.
@@imfsresidentotaku9699 Lovecraft was also a racist, so why wouldn't he admire their common perspective? The gameplay traps speak for themselves. Unless he was psychic and saw how save states and GameFAQs would improve the ROM download experience.
If I recall, the US version completely dropped the Armenian Genocide aspect and changed it so that it takes place after a nuclear war and Orin is tasked to collect the 8 Eyes, a set of jewels believed to have the power to rebuild society. After you get all the jewels, you have to place them in eight slots in the right order and the hints are only in clue scrolls (like the yellow jewel is to the left of the green jewel or something like that).
There was no Armenian Genocide aspect because this game takes place in the late 19th century, and the Armenian Genocide didn't happen until 1915. What did happen around this time were the Armenian massacres.
@@imfsresidentotaku9699 same difference franky
You ever think about how American game stories assumed nuclear war was inevitable?
I remember the very disappointing weekend my friends and I had renting the US version. We were so excited - Castlevania with a command-able bird! - but after like an hour we stopped playing and went and did something else.
Well, not _quite_ “Hitler congratulates you if you win” but it’s up there. 😬
No, it's not.
This is one of those rare cases where I love everything about a game except the actual gameplay. Both versions of the loco story, the bird gimmick, the surprisingly expansive classical-inspired soundtrack, all very cool. That action, though? Awful.
Far from "awful."
I make it a point to play the games you cover (when I can) and fortunately for me I've already experienced this. Played it for the first time on my Super Retrocade and was so glad I didn't spend money on this when I was a kid! Maybe not quite as bad as Hydlide or King's Knight, but it would have been in the top ten for bad ways to spend $20.
Far from "the top ten."
@@imfsresidentotaku9699 Far from a good comment template
Didn't get around to this one originally, at least I don't remember it. I remember trying to play a ROM of it in the past handful of years but I recall it being tough!! .... that's quite the backstory, though.
my girlfriend loves falcons so i bought this game specifically to play co-op with her. and oh my, that falcon controls terribly
And four years before RockMan got Beat!
I tried this with a friend once. We couldn't figure out how to make any real progress.
It's set up to drag the players out as much as they can and if you're just randomly guessing you have to play through the eight stages an average of 22 times before you can beat it.
This game is more nuanced than it seems especially with the hawk controls. I've beaten all three loops of it and there's a lot of depth. That being said, it's definitely a game that never stops hating the player. Your skill at mitigating the nonsense never quite catches up with the game's ability to produce more nonsense.
You don't like the MSX Vampire Slayer ?
Huh, what does this game even have to do with Armenia, how weird of them to mention that in the JP manual randomly, not to mention that the story seems to be completely different in the English version... (though, taking the recent 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War into consideration, it's sadly rather topical.) And yeah, the game is not a good Castlevania clone. I'd rather replay Master of Darkness instead.
They just use it as a backdrop. It's one of the strangest things I've encountered so far.
@@RndStranger angel cop levels of believing racist bull because you have no frame to see it as a lie
ok i usually like your videos and i like how you point out some of the more unsavory aspects of the games, but didn’t you stop to think that it was a little absurd to accuse a bunch of japanese people in the 80s of maliciously trying to justify a genocide that happened nearly a century before in another nation? like i said there’s nothing wrong with pointing out how historically inaccurate and messed up the story is, but treating ignorance and malice with the same anger is very immature for someone your age. obviously, the story is bad, and it should be pointed out, but you seem to hold it against the developers too much by outright calling them out for “justifying genocide”, giving them the same anger that would direct towards people who were actually being malicious, when they were only taught the wrong information. it’s just an unsavory, matter of factly way of going about discussing the problems with the game.
once again, i’m glad you pointed out the issues with the story and i would like you to do that with other games with similar issues going forward, but i would suggest not to blame the developers for being uneducated and ignorant as that’s extremely reductive.
8:04 No, it doesn't. It's just an unnecessary, misinformed detail that has no impact on the quality of the game. Not to mention, this game takes place in the late 19th century, and the Armenian Genocide didn't happen until 1915. What did happen around this time were the Armenian massacres. Even so, simply presenting genocide is not justifying it, and the game doesn't villainize Armenians the way you're sarcastically suggesting, but rather downplays the reason why they're attacking the Turks. Actually, the backstory states that the terrorism and assassinations are being carried out by the *Free* Armenian Army and that the "Powder Keg of the Balkans" is taking place, so the game still acknowledges that Armenia's attacks on the Ottoman Empire are not unprovoked. I can't even find any information about the plot that explicitly states that Ruth Grandier is Armenian. The only one talking about "genocide denial" is you is to make up excuse to hate the game. Pretty dishonest, if you ask me.
one the earlier event was genocide two the plot is about the "BAD ONES" justifying the killing.
Who said 8-bit games can't be terrifying? The idiot sociopath behind the story and game design has lost their humanity in a way Lovecraft would surely admire.
They can be terrifying, just not in the way you're suggesting. Neither the story or game design are enough of a justification to deem the person who made this game an "idiot sociopath" who "has lost their humanity in a way Lovecraft would surely admire." That's a cynical and harsh judgement. Anyone who comes up with a game in which you play as a skilled swordsman and falconer named Sir Julian James Bond who has to recover stolen artifacts that conceal demonic secrets and could be used in a dark ritual to resurrect demons has to be a genius who puts a lot of thought into things.
@@imfsresidentotaku9699 Lovecraft was also a racist, so why wouldn't he admire their common perspective?
The gameplay traps speak for themselves. Unless he was psychic and saw how save states and GameFAQs would improve the ROM download experience.
@@imfsresidentotaku9699 a demon that just happened to be a tragic victim