On Christmas day, we put in an order for Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for my Nintendo DS. I’m a long time Castlevania fan, going way back to the original I had on my very old PC. I got back into the series for the launch of the Game Boy Advance. I nearly lost my eyesight due to the dark colors and the lack of a back light while playing Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. I stuck around playing the series on the GBA and later the SP, but got full on love for the titles when I could actually see them on my Nintendo DS. I beat Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow shortly after it’s release in English.
Since we had put an order in for the English copy, I had to wait a few days for my Christmas gift. I’m completely fine waiting for a game of such quality. I’ve actually have been waiting for a few weeks since it’s English release trying to potentially pick it up used, but decided I had waited long enough and wanted to get it for myself new even at a premium price. My wife gave her phone number to the importers, and they were going to call her when it arrived. That was on Monday.
Yesterday, I had planned on eating at the department store where my game would arrive. Even thought they hadn’t called my wife, I stopped in the game store. I didn’t think they had forgotten my order. I just simply had been "around" and decided to check. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. The importers looked at me like, "Man, just WAIT for it to arrive, okay?"
Of all the times I’ve really shown restraint about picking up a game, this was it. The temptation to order it online before Christmas was rather high, yet I get a dirty look for stopping in without a call? I was just stopping by on my way to the food court. Honest.
The call came today, so after work I returned to pick up the title. I’m just starting out, but so far, it’s so good. The two player mechanics throw a mix into the game, and I’m still trying to recall all the different combinations of attacks and magic I can use in combination as I defeat my enemies. It’s more complex than the last game I played, but looks to also be more rewarding. I’m enjoying my Christmas present.
