10.  Judgment – Wii

Castlevania Judgment may not be obscure, rare, or even all that old, but it’s earned its spot on the list due to sheer reputation.  Judgment has been lambasted over and over again with very few outlets noting anything positive about this unconventional Castlevania release.

As Konami began development of a Castlevania installment for the Wii, they were intent on using the console’s motion controls.  Figuring that the repetitive motion of whipping would get tiring over the course of a typical action-adventure setup, it was decided that a fighting game would make better use of the new controls.  Indeed Castlevania Judgment is not just a fighting game, but a fighting game that incorporates concepts more at home in previous titles in the franchise.  Besides the expected slew of regular fighting moves, characters are armed with subweapons, have the ability to “set traps” and can also summon monsters to assist in battle.

Doesn’t sound too bad, right?  Well it is.  Castlevania fans and critics alike constantly cite a number of problems with the series’ one and only outing on the Wii.  Camera angles, poor artwork hardly representative of past games, and a bizarre and unnatural control scheme are among the most common complaints.  With bad press abundant even before the game’s release, Castlevania Judgment both entered and exited the shelves quietly and is likely to be overlooked by the franchise’s more casual fans.

How can you play it today?

No fancy answers here.  Judgment can be found fairly cheap used and not all that much more new.  Although it may take repeated visits to your local GameStop or a trip to the internet to find a copy, it isn’t because of any high demand.  Judgment was such a bust that pressings of the game were stopped early on and there just aren’t that many copies floating around.  Still, with a bit of perseverance you’ll have your hands on a copy in no time.

Cube’s Recommendation:  BUY IT.

Written by The Cubist

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