Back into a Castlevaniamood! Something I did a couple of months ago but that I forgot to share here.

I got inspired by the amazing work done by PigsyandPyronon their Castlevania: Symphony of the Night port for the SEGA MEGA DRIVE/GENESIS,and decided to take their idea of a 16bitversion of the game a step further by making this mockup of how an 8bitversion of it would look.

While it may be a little bit unpractical for an actual game, due to a big amount of spriteson screen, and the flickering that would entail, the mockup follows perfectly all the technical limitations of a NES/FAMICON game with the enhanced attributes of the MMC5chip, meaning its possible to have this level of detail on the real system.

As soon as I get some extra free time, I’d like to make more 8-bit demake mockups like this one, not only for SoTN,but for a lot of other games I love.

Omg I just watched castlevania for the first time and its soo good! Anyway here’s a fan art of Alucard + speedpaint! This is my first illustration using procreate. It’s really nice, but I think I prefer paint tool sai better > o <

Castlevania Nocturne, Story theories based on the lines from the Teaser trailer.

Now as for the story beats from these lines….

I’ve been thinking over the lines that they chose for this trailer, and clearly not all of these are connected and with good reason, since they could be pulled from any place in the voice acting script. However that doesn’t mean these lines don’t hold some information about what’s going on in the story and where our story-lines can and will go. I’ve broken them into groups to make them easier to talk about.

“Don’t Listen to her Richter.”

“I have no choice.”

“There’s always a choice.”

As mentioned in the other post I made about the dialogue, the voice of the first person talking is an older male. Now again this can be pulled at any point in the story but the fact that the lines seem to indicate a familiarity with Richter and that they’re commanding him honestly leads me to think that these lines can be maybe from the same person but with different associations to a situation.

The first line indicates that the person talking is giving a command to Richter. To not listen, and who not to listen to is her, and we don’t know who “Her” is based on the line. But I have some theories of this line. When we look at it coupled to the second line by our first female voice in this trailer, we get a different picture. Our first female voice tells us that she has no choice, but no choice in what? The tone expresses a sense of calm, almost like this is their fate, they have to do this. It’s a polite voice, one that is direct and to the point.

Following this there is the same first man explaining that there’s always a choice, it’s in the same tone of voice as the first. Which makes me think the two are linked but is the woman in the middle also linked?

So going based on what I hear from this, and what I know of the games plot line, and again this is only guesses on my part there’s some theories that emerge from this.

First theory is that this is taking place early in the tv show, and namely the opening moments. The reason why comes down to story-lines in the game. Richter’s small choices, can change over how the story goes. If you take too long to rescue Annette for example she is turned into a vampire by Dracula. Your actions to find these women in the castle are a key factor in what ending you get and who you save and by making choices you change the outcome of the story to the true ending of the game.

In this case the male character is warning Richter that one always has a choice to what one is doing, thus the Don’t listen to her Richter line, however the I have no choice could also tie closely into the aspects of the time period. During the revolution many ended up giving up people in order to protect themselves or loved ones. It was a major plot point in the book the Scarlet Pimpernel, where in the lead’s love interest and wife, had to give up information to save the life of her brother. So there’s a conflict that’s going on here with the two characters.

The man is telling Richter not to listen to this woman, who claims she has no choice in what she is doing, and that she could choose to do something different. Now to me, because the woman is not using Richter’s name, and is so calm I do think this sequence of dialogue could be coming from the Black Mass moment at the start of the game.

In this we meet a sacrificial Maiden, who is a girl abducted from the village where this Mass is taking place. We have no idea of the time period between this and the attack of the village of Aljiba, which is where most of the story starts. In the game there’s little to know about this girl, only that she is killed to wake Dracula by her blood being poured into the coffin which she is laying on.

However given that they will have to expand the story, I feel like this could lead to a few moments which will come back to play a part in how Richter does things in the show. For example, Shaft is the leader of the Dracula cult, and in the game there’s not a lot known about the man. He is, for all aspects, a kind of generic second boss. But it’s clear that he can easily be from the group that Issac had created at the end of the first series. Meaning that Shaft could potentially be connected to that aspect of the story and give us more of what happened to Issac and what happened to his plans, if they decide to go with that.

As such the dialogue could be connected to the idea that Richter, plus whomever comes with him, could be called in to deal with a missing girl in another town. This again could be his father, or his mentor, or grandfather, the mentor choices could be Maria’s father or as I stated before Juste’s friend and former Rival Maxim. It makes me think that after doing some investigation the two of them run into the girl and she acts strange to them, causing the lines to be said before the events of her death happen. In this case the girl is under the sway of the cult and has rejected the offer for help. Thus leading Richter to be unable to save her, and allowing Shaft to complete the ritual.

Another option can be either before he goes into the castle or after he’s inside. In this instance the voice belongs to the Ferryman in the castle, and the Ferryman giving a warning to Richter about seeing a Succubus taking on the form of someone that he cares about, be that Annette, his mother, or some other person, and using her influence on him. Thus the lines about choices.

I honestly feel like this opening set of lines paints a very interesting picture of how this story is going to be playing out and in a way also sets up for the backdrop of the story. Choices need to be made, and claiming one has none in this world doesn’t allow for the protection of others. Unlike Trevor where it was a straight forward, we beat the bad guys, there’s probably going to be more political intrigue in here due to the whole Revolution. For example, if Richter is a noble, should he be considered part of the problem? Are the vampires helping those in power or are they working for the rebellion to undermine it, and what of those who are connected to the Hattian Revolution which was happening at the same time? Each choice Richter is going to make in the story will lead him down a different path, one which, I think Alucard may join him on for this story with Maria.

Also if this is Maria’s dad at the start and he is killed, then it adds to the drama of the relationships, namely the fact that Maria and Richter’s relationship relies on trust and understanding. One that grows over their time in the castle. By adding the connection between them of not only bloodlines through the Belmont clan, as the Renards are part of the Belmont Line and hunters in their own right, but through a tragedy of someone both respected and loved, then you add that level of understanding and why Maria becomes so determined later to help Richter. In addition, if Annette is Maria’s sister, then there’s that factor for family and something of a connection to Maria in having to deal with the possibility of killing her corrupted sister.

Because that is an option too, that this is the corrupted version of Annette, and that whomever is saying this to Richter is warning him not to trust Annette, or in this case she is telling him she had no choice but to allow herself to be turned to protect Maria from Shaft or some other reason.

Personally I think the idea of it being a mentor or father that starts us out in this story would fit with the idea of choices and sacrificing themselves to allow Richter to escape and save the lives of those from Dracula when he starts his shit.

“I’m sorry, Richter.”

This is our second Female voice, showing a connection to Richter, as she calls him by name. As I mentioned in the other post, the way the voice echoes a bit makes it seem that she is either in a room that is stone or has echo like set ups. So this person could be in a cell or it’s a memory. If this is Annette, what is she saying she’s sorry for? Her character is not someone who is weak or seems to be sorry for being taken. Rather she’s willing to kill herself over allowing herself to be turned into Dracula’s bride. Which means that she could be the voice of Richter’s mother or grandmother Lydie. If these are these women then that begs some questions. What are they saying they are sorry about? It’s clear that this is an intimate relationship given the tone of the voice. If this is his mother it’s an interesting line as what does this mean? Did she leave him?Die in some way or some other situation? Has she become a traitor to the revolution? Did she lose her head over something? I mean there’s a lot that could be going on here, including issues with the Belmont Clan and well, the previous curse brought on by Simon, even though he cleared that up.

Not to mention that if this is a memory moment and not the succubus playing a part, then it could be used as a growing moment for Richter and show us where he’s come from and why he’s doing the things he’s doing for the story. This could also be an illusion of some sort, as mentioned before they could bring in the Succubus as a means of adding onto the story and dragging in more of Symphony to connect the two more concretely. This could be a moment that is connected to the event above, where the Succubus is trying to get under Richter’s skin with a memory of some sort, and causing him to second guess his choices so far in the story. If this is the succubus, then this could be a set of testing to allow him to get closer to the end of his goals.

There’s also the chance that this could be one of the other women in the story. If this is Iris then maybe the “I’m sorry Richter” comes from being taken by the Vampires, or some other situation. The other option would be Tera who could feel bad about not being strong enough or that her choices led them to a situation that they have to fight their way out of. The line is vague but also something that clearly has deeper meaning given the tone and the feeling that the character has at this moment.

“He knows you kill Vampires.”

As I said before I really do think this is the voice of Maria Renard, and she’s talking to Richter either about someone, or with someone there. The” He”could be a few people, namely Shaft as a warning, to Richter that Shaft already knows what Richter can do and to watch out, also that because he knows she can help him because she is brave and smart and can beat out a lot of people, thus, Richter needs her for this mission. Or it could be referring to one of the other male characters that seem to be in this one. Which is very limited at this point in time, excluding Dracula himself. Other options could be Magnus the Incubus that wants to help Dracula, or the characters of Lyudmil, a vampire who used to work with Alucard and desires to get revenge for Lisa’s death and is helping Richter due to him being a way to get at Shaft.

The “He” could also be Alucard, though I’m not 100% sure it is his actor we’re hearing or if it’s him. But there is the option of Alucard starting to play his fake roles, which he later completes in the Sorrow Duology. If this is Alucard she’s talking about, it could be a moment when the three of them are meeting and Richter was trying to hide what he did in order to not worry Alucard, and Maria, clearly seeing Alucard can tell that the man is a Belmont, basically points out the fact that he already knows that Richter kills vampires, and it doesn’t matter if he tries to hide it right now.

They could also be taking from the Drama CD that was used, with the He being Cyril or the Vampire hunter Alexis who show up in the Drama CD but that’s more of a story connected to Alucard. In this case Cyril and Alexis are in the castle to try to find Lyudmil and Magnus and stop them from using the drug that they stole from Cyril. The “He” could be Cyril or Alexis and Maria points out that Alexis or Cyril knows Richter is a hunter. Or in this case, it could be the reverse, where Maria is explaining to the two hunters that Richter knows they kill vampires too.

“But I pray for you.”

I honestly think this is a line coming from one of the members of the church. During this time in France the Catholic Church was in a bit of a dilemma with how the new government felt about them. In this case it feels like Richter is meeting with possibly one of the Clergy members who has ties to Tera, a nun, and could be willing to help Richter out in some way. The line feels, the way it is delivered, that Richter might be going through some shit, and that the person saying it is genuinely worried about them. This is why I think this person might be the last person on the outside that Richter interacts with before going into the castle proper. It’s clearly someone with a thicker French accent. In this case, it could be that, as with Sypha’s band, there’s someone there to act as a companion till the castle then this male blesses him before he goes in. This might also be where Richter gets his cross weapon that he’s also known for, and which could be used as a way to make him different from Trevor and how the two act when dealing with people. In this case Richter is more friendly and willing to accept the man’s help, over Trevor who was a solo person until later.

“I’m so sorry.”

This is the hardest one for me to figure out. The voice is soft and British tone of voice. Because the voice sounds different than the other voices, and yet the same because it goes by so fast. So I can’t really place this one yet. Again it could be any of the two women, Iris or Tera, or it could be the Maiden at the start, since we don’t know who they are apologizing to, and the fact that Richter’s name is NOT used here at least says that this person may not be as familiar with him. May be, since this could be part of a longer line, it’s really hard to tell. To me this means that whoever this woman is, it’s someone who is feeling legitimately sorrowful for whatever happens. If it is say Tera, it could be apologizing to God for failing to uphold her vows or something, given how these vampires might treat the women there.

“So part of you has died.”

A number of comments I’ve seen about this voice is that it’s Alucard. If this is him, and he’s in one of his future disguise it could explain why the voice sounds different. The interesting thing about this line is the way it’s spoken, it’s not done as a question, but more of a statement of fact. The line seems to be part of a longer discussion, which becomes important in the story of Richter and Alucard.

So I’m about to spoil a part of the story regarding Symphony, but I’ll try to keep it as small as possible here for fans who have never played the games.

At a future time in the games Richter needs the help of Alucard after dealing with a curse of sorts. Because of this, Alucard grows to understand the younger Belmont and became a benefactor to him. Given that in SotN Alucard doesn’t wake up until he feels a change in things, this three hundred years after Trevor, Sypha, and Grant (or in this case Gerta). In this case, I’m not sure if they will have him sleeping. If they don’t and they have him wandering around, then having him join with Richter to find the girls will actually expand on what’s happening inside the castle as well as having someone other than Maria to talk to Richter and deal with the other monsters that come and cause trouble.

The line, as spoken by Alucard, could be when he’s connected to Richter and is listening to the young man’s pain. The line to me feels like he’s trying to express understanding of the situation, or explain it to Richter in his own way. There’s several parts this can be from, one of which I’m going to avoid like the plague right now.

The most likely though is at some point when Richter is at his lowest and feels like some part of him has died. This could be if they fail to save Annette, or if one of the other women dies, or if someone who is close to him ends up dead. Alucard probably is trying to comfort the man in his own way, afraid of getting close again due to what happened in regard to losing his friends and being alone again. He could be indicating to Richter he has to deal with that and push forward even if he doesn’t think he can. That only he can do this.

It could also be a moment when Richter doesn’t think he has the skills to do what he must, or that he has lost some of his innocence in this place. All of which could connect to the idea of Alucard trying to help him and connect to him. Which can build up their relationship, which could add more to the later story of how Alucard and Maria come to help Richter. Having them bond and become closer, for Richter and Alucard to connect to each other on a deeper level, is not a bad thing. Rather it expands on and makes for a stronger story and gives both men something to connect to on a personal level, along with Maria.

“We’re looking for Someone Called Belmont.”

So my guess is that this is probably a group of people from the Village of Aljiba who has come to find Richter for his help. It’s either that or the people who need help at the start with Shafts group. To me this sounds a lot like “Hero’s call” moment. As I said I suspect this could be Iris or a random person, but it’s clear that whoever this person is, they have a strong voice and ready to do their job getting the man to come help them.

Laughs

I’m pretty sure this is Shaft as in the game he laughs when Richter first fights him. It would make sense that they would want to have some nod to one of the big bads in the game and story. Having Shaft just laugh saves him for the trailer itself. Of note though this could be a new form of Dracula, since he plays a huge role in this game, and you need this man to do certain things to get to symphony.

“Richter!”

The voice sounds a bit like Sypha’s actress, but it is most likely Annette calling out to him at some point when she’s being taken away. It makes the most sense within the story context and fits her personality wellbeing someone who is kind, but willing to do whatever it takes to keep herself from being the reason he’s harmed, including killing herself. This being Annette trying to call to him even as shit is going down makes a lot of sense.

Annette, while in the game she doesn’t do a lot, is a strong woman who stands up to both Shaft and Dracula, and threatens death by her own hand before submitting to either of them. And, given my thoughts on the lines that are said in the Rondo of Blood game, it’s indicated that Dracula has interest in her not only because of her connection to Richter, but also because she does look like Lisa, thus Elisabetha, Dracula’s first wife, so she can possibly be seen as a reincarnation of the character and making it so Dracula may want her due to this.

Having her call out at the end of the trailer and him turning at that moment indicates their devotion to one another. All other character’s words don’t move him, but the moment that he hears Annette calling for him Richter reacts. This, to me, makes me think that their relationship will be a bigger role in the Rondo story of Nocturne.

I’m hoping when we get another trailer we can get more about the lines we hear, but also learn more about the characters that say them, and the story-line that we will be diving into. I’m super excited about how this story can play out, and I hope that it gets people to pick up the original games.