Difference between revisions of "Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance"

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'''''Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance''''' is a platform adventure game for the Game Boy Advance an published by [[Konami]]. Overall it's just an okay game; worth playing, but nothing new or exciting.
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[[Image:Castlevania - Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American box art.]]
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'''''Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance''''' is a platform adventure game developed by [[Konami Tokyo]] and published by [[Konami]] for the [[Game Boy Advance]] on 2002-06-06. It is one of many ''[[Castlevania (universe)|Castlevania]]'' games.
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I didn't know anything about the game other than it was a later ''Castlevania'' game, and that was enough to get me to want to play it. I played it an beat it in 2016. Overall it's just an okay game; worth playing, but nothing new or exciting.
 +
 
 +
==Status==
 +
I do not own this game, but I have beat it and seen all three endings, although I needed hints to see the best ending.
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
 +
* '''Overall:''' 5/10
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* '''Best Version:''' Game Boy Advance
 +
 +
{{Spoilers}}
 +
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
* The game yields a lot of play time, and creating a light and dark side of the castle was a clever way to add difficulty and length, but also introduce some nice puzzles.
+
* Having a light and dark side of the castle was a clever way to add difficulty and length to the game as well as introduce some nice puzzles.
* Some of the backgrounds had amazing graphics.
+
* Some of the backgrounds have amazing graphics.
* Some of the puzzles were challenging and took several attempts, but none seemed unfair.
+
* Some of the puzzles are challenging and took me several attempts, but none seemed unfair.
* I liked how the secondary weapons could be affected by the various spell books to create more special abilities.
+
* I liked how your secondary weapon can be affected by the various spell books to create more special abilities.
* Some of the monsters were quite clever, like the level 3 skeleton dragon that curled around the columns.
+
* Some of the monsters had a lot of work put into them, like the level 3 skeleton dragon that curled around the columns.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
 
* The story is pretty garbage and none of the characters are interesting.
 
* The story is pretty garbage and none of the characters are interesting.
* A lot of the graphics are pretty bad, especially the character sprites.
+
* A lot of the sprites are pretty bad, especially the character sprites.
* The fact that this came out ''after'' Circle of the Moon should have been embarrassing to Konami.
+
* Most of the monsters were just repeats of earlier ''Castlevanias'' with very little originality.
* Most of the monsters were just repeats of earlier Castlevanias with very little originality.
 
 
* There are surprisingly few secrets.
 
* There are surprisingly few secrets.
 
* The game has a ''lot'' of backtracking.
 
* The game has a ''lot'' of backtracking.
* Using Maxim's ring to unlock one of the doors took forever to find!
+
* Needing to use Maxim's ring to unlock one of the castle's ''many'' locked doors took me forever to figure out.
* Why does Juste have an ethereal after-image from the beginning? It doesn't feel earned, and it's visually distracting.
+
* Why does Juste have an ethereal after-image right from the beginning? It doesn't feel earned, and it's visually distracting.
 
* The same weak enemies remain for most of the game making backtracking rather pointless.
 
* The same weak enemies remain for most of the game making backtracking rather pointless.
* I wish they had come up with a better way to handle the secondary weapon. I kept accidentally picking up a weapon I didn't want.
+
* I wish the developers had come up with a better way to handle the secondary weapon. I kept accidentally picking up a weapon I didn't want.
* The cross is vastly superior to the other weapons.
+
* The cross is vastly superior to the other weapons, so, when you get it, all the others are obsolete.
 
* There aren't any decent hints for getting the good ending.
 
* There aren't any decent hints for getting the good ending.
 +
* The fact that this came out ''after'' ''[[Castlevania: Circle of the Moon]]'', which is better in every way, is embarrassing for Konami!
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
 
* Nothing really.
 
* Nothing really.
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 +
==Media==
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===Box Art===
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<gallery>
 +
Castlevania - Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - Japan.jpg|The original Japanese art is very well painted and certainly adds to the Gothic feel.
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Castlevania - Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - USA.jpg|All other regions used a more-cropped version of the art with English, and a more tame Castlevania logo. Inferior.
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</gallery>
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 +
===Documentation===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Castlevania - Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - USA - Manual.pdf|Manual (North America).
 +
Castlevania - Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - Japan - Manual.pdf|Manual (Japan).
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
===Maps===
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<gallery>
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Castlevania - Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - Map - Castle A.png|Castle A.
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Castlevania - Harmony of Dissonance - GBA - Map - Castle B.png|Castle B.
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</gallery>
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===Videos===
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siIAivGSySs youtube.com/watch?v=siIAivGSySs] - Longplay.
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==Titles==
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{| class="wikitable"
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! Language !! Native !! Transliteration !! Translation
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|-
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| English || Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance || ||
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|-
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| Japanese || キャッスルヴァニア 白夜の協奏曲 || Kyassuruvania Byakuya no Koncheruto || Castlevania: Concerto of Midnight Sun
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|}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/castlevania-harmony-of-dissonance mobygames.com/game/castlevania-harmony-of-dissonance] - Moby Games.
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{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/castlevania-harmony-of-dissonance}}
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{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/Castlevania:_Harmony_of_Dissonance}}
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[[Category: Game]]
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[[Category: Games]]
[[Category: Videogame]]
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[[Category: Video Games]]
[[Category: Platform]]
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[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Adventure, Action, Strategy]]
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[[Category: Video Game Genre - Beat 'Em Up]]
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[[Category: Game Mechanic - Boss Rush]]
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[[Category: Game Boy Advance Games]]
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[[Category: Platformer]]
 
[[Category: Action]]
 
[[Category: Action]]
 
[[Category: Adventure]]
 
[[Category: Adventure]]
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[[Category: Metroidvania]]
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[[Category: Horror]]
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[[Category: Trope - Damsel In Distress]]
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[[Category: Vampires]]
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]

Revision as of 09:59, 17 September 2019

North American box art.

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance is a platform adventure game developed by Konami Tokyo and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance on 2002-06-06. It is one of many Castlevania games.

I didn't know anything about the game other than it was a later Castlevania game, and that was enough to get me to want to play it. I played it an beat it in 2016. Overall it's just an okay game; worth playing, but nothing new or exciting.

Status

I do not own this game, but I have beat it and seen all three endings, although I needed hints to see the best ending.

Review

  • Overall: 5/10
  • Best Version: Game Boy Advance

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • Having a light and dark side of the castle was a clever way to add difficulty and length to the game as well as introduce some nice puzzles.
  • Some of the backgrounds have amazing graphics.
  • Some of the puzzles are challenging and took me several attempts, but none seemed unfair.
  • I liked how your secondary weapon can be affected by the various spell books to create more special abilities.
  • Some of the monsters had a lot of work put into them, like the level 3 skeleton dragon that curled around the columns.

Bad

  • The story is pretty garbage and none of the characters are interesting.
  • A lot of the sprites are pretty bad, especially the character sprites.
  • Most of the monsters were just repeats of earlier Castlevanias with very little originality.
  • There are surprisingly few secrets.
  • The game has a lot of backtracking.
  • Needing to use Maxim's ring to unlock one of the castle's many locked doors took me forever to figure out.
  • Why does Juste have an ethereal after-image right from the beginning? It doesn't feel earned, and it's visually distracting.
  • The same weak enemies remain for most of the game making backtracking rather pointless.
  • I wish the developers had come up with a better way to handle the secondary weapon. I kept accidentally picking up a weapon I didn't want.
  • The cross is vastly superior to the other weapons, so, when you get it, all the others are obsolete.
  • There aren't any decent hints for getting the good ending.
  • The fact that this came out after Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, which is better in every way, is embarrassing for Konami!

Ugly

  • Nothing really.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Videos

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Japanese キャッスルヴァニア 白夜の協奏曲 Kyassuruvania Byakuya no Koncheruto Castlevania: Concerto of Midnight Sun

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-TCRF.png