the blood way

I always found the idea of sprite comics to be amusing; to consider memorable characters from the 8-bit video games of yesteryear in situations outside their natural environment in theory should provide instant comedy. For the most part this isn't true, but I'm not about to start a tirade against the world of sprite comics.

Instead I've come across something that might be considered a developing trend - I'll leave that for others to decide - where old video games are revisited with Flash. With Mega Man vs. Ghosts 'n Goblins, Staticreator took Mega Man and put him into one of the hardest video games ever made and let nature take its course. Or what about Mega Man vs. Metroid, where Mega Man is transported to the planet Zebes to create an alternate universe where the alien menace is destroyed by an android with an arm for a blaster cannon.

What I really need to mention, though, is Castlevania: The Blood Way. Instead of taking existing games and merging them, an entirely new adventure has been created with all the sensibilities of any other Castlevania game, taking the shape of something that could easily appear on the GBA. You'll recognize a few sprites here and there, maybe even a theme song from the venerable Symphony of the Night - but that's where the comparison ends. You haven't played with Ethan Belmont before, and The Blood Way's first full level does a fine job adding itself to the Castlevania lineage.

all this heavy irony