Kinda suck at this game. I haven't played it for a long time, and I'm used to the PAL version.
8760, Block 2-3

What is the notable difference?  Is the game not re-timed to play the same as the NTSC version?

I dunno It is indeed retimed but I probably said that in order to blame the game and not my pretty poor CV skills

Hate this game just as much as I hated it when I was a kid. And just as much as I hated it when it was in the contest last year. I'll just take my party point and start practicing for next week. 

babywuchki - 7950 Block 2-1

Made it to Frankie last night... too bad we aren't taking pictures at actual farthest progression (and instead using Life 0).

I was on my last contest-life and only had 1 hit point, so he made short work of me
The real shame, was that for such an otherwise decent game, i pissed away a life in the clock tower for no reason on a stupid fall.

Yeah, same here... those double sea dragons I use to always have trouble with on the first life because I would forget their pattern.  But, until you get that pattern down and realize only hit their head, you can stay on the middle platform and just move from side to side (though it takes awile but since its a low scoring contest it will kill some time off the clock instead of waiting til it reaches zero).
That Frankestein boss can be a bit of a pain the first go around if you don't know he throws blocks at you.

Not even a factor for me, right now.

I'm counting on the platforming and boss fights to be a sufficient differentiator to not even worry about the score

I think I had around 60k pts when I reached Frankie, and I'm pretty sure it'd be possible to get there with less than 20k, if you were really careful about what you killed and burned down the clock and your hearts every time.

Had another attempt last night after work, death at the EXACT same spot, but with a higher score :/ lol

Strategy Question:

Is it worth taking Sypha so that you have the fire attack for the mummies?

You miss out on a 1-up before Medusa, but there are at least two boss fights that could be dramatically easier with Sypha's fire attack.

Frankie turned out to not be too bad (probably would have fared better yesterday if I'd known there was meat hidden in the room!)

Navigating the waterfall in Stage 6-0B proved to be too treacherous...
(hopefully my screen name is obvious in the picture)

Stage 6-0B  -- score 77,360

Damn... That's a hell of a run!

Believe it or not, that still included a stupid death on the clock tower

I think all of my other deaths occured in the bone-dragon tower-run (level 5-0D), once on Frankie, and then once in 6-0B.  (I had two 1-ups found with Grant -- one in the clock tower, one before medusa, and three 1-ups from points -- 1 at 20k, 1 at 50k, and 1 at 70k, I think --- needless to say, burned through a TON of lives )


The "trick" (other than not dying on the platforming), is to have triple holy water until you get the boomerang.
Then get triple boomerang as quickly as possible, and avoid any other weapon changes.

Made the twin mummies a cakewalk, versus a spot of many frustrating deaths.




Also, this negates my strategy question a few posts ago.
Grant is vastly superior as a partner, since he gives you access to AT LEAST two 1-ups that are otherwise impossible to reach.
Beyond that, weapon selection, and maintaining upgrades is vital.  Changes some boss battles from "on the raggedy edge" to being super-easy.

I sure have a lot to learn.... I'm terrible at this game and have no clue of any strategies. lol

I'm making it up as I go along

I think I beat this game a few years back, with continues, of course.  Haven't really played it since.

But I get the notions of relative powers of the different special weapons.

Early-on, being able to make the bosses stand in multiple holy water flames is really useful.

Once you can get the cross/boomerang, though TAKE IT, since you're going to start running into bosses that need to be hit in the head.

If you get a string of kills, exclusively with a subweapons, the upgrades will appear (the II and III roman numerals).
They also show up in certain hidden spots.

Being able to get 3 boomerangs flying in the air makes short work of some of the bosses since they hit in both directions of their flight.  


Also, it's a great weapon to clear ahead of you, to make jumps safer.  
Basically, anywhere that felt like it had "cheap kills" where enemies knock you backwards back into the pit you jumped across, if you send a stream of boomerangs ahead of your jump, they will keep moving forward while the screen is scrolling, and keep clearing a path.

See, I didn't even bother to realize what the roman numerals did. :/

I think I was too focused on points and not enough on actually clearing areas. Now, I have never been that great at any CV game, but I am having a blast with this contest. I'm hoping to at least make it to Stage 3 by Sunday, but your run is super sexy!

Went to go play this game and found out that I have number 1 and 2 but not 3

So once we get to life "0" we are not supposed to play anymore right?

Exactly.

Played some CV3 last night, couldn't get past level 2 without using a continue. This challenge is brutal. Dunno if I'm gonna be able to compete. :-/

Played 2 games last night

Game 1 made it to the boss on level 3

Game 2 didn't make it past 2-3

As I forget with castlevania 1 and 3 just because I got to a certain spot in a level doesn't mean the very next time you play you will automatically get there or further again lol

So many cheap pits and hits into a pit you really have to focus the entire time!

I decided to give it a shot, but man, I need to read the rules next time. Here I am, remembering "Oh, holy water, I can rack up the score, get a 1-up here plus triples before I leave stage one" Get through it with 30k in points, picked the lower path because gears suck, and cruising along. Then I see lowest score, and always take the high path.

Your first goal is to beat the game though, whatever your score, if you're the only one to beat the game during the week, you win!

Hm. Why do people keep posting the clock tower? Man I wish I had more time to compete in fun stuff like this.

Jumping, gears, medusa heads.  It's not really all that bad of a section though, it's only level 2, and MOST of the time if you just keep moving the medusas wont get close

Here's an awesome and informative run with Sypha in case anyone's interested:





I don't think I have any time to participate in this myself, and I'm not good at this game, anyway. Good luck, everyone!