14 DAY TRIAL // The big announcement from Konami this week is that the Castlevania project is a Nintendo Wii exclusive called Judgment which is no longer a platform game, but a fighting title. The game will be directed by the series veteran Koji Igarashi, also known as IGA, and the art direction is going to be handled by Takeshi Obata.
The game will not introduce any new characters, but will pluck fighters from all the Castlevania titles that were published in the last 20 years. The battling arenas will be modeled in 3D, even if the fights will probably only take place in 2D. The Wiimote and the Nunchuck will be used to control the characters, which are able to perform a variety of moves, from kicking to stabbing and destroying their enemies. There's no word on the exact cast of the game.
The good news is that it will feature complete support for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, so Judgment will offer multiplayer Internet games. The press release also mentions the possibility of connecting it with the new Nintendo DS Castlevania game, called Order of Ecclesia, to receive some extra content.
Anthony Crouts, vice president of marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, said that "We wanted to take this addition to the signature Konami franchise in a direction that really sets it apart from the previous Castlevania titles in the series. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk capabilities, along with the iconic characters, make this game the ideal entry point into the fighting game genre. This combination is certain to thrill old and new fans of the franchise".
Expect a violent backlash from Castlevania hardcore fans in the coming weeks, complete with an online petition asking Capcom to take the game back to its platforming roots. The company will not respond in any way.