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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is 20 years old!

S

SomewhatGroovy

Banned
What is a game? Well, here's one that truly is a blueprint on how to redefine a classic series and keeping it fresh while reinventing a genre. Symphony of the Night was released on 3/20/1997.

castlevania_symphony_of_the_night.jpg
Click to expand...

Not only do we get horribly cheesy (albeit charming) voice acting, we are introduced to Alucard, out to seek vengeance for his mother's demise. Game was capped with a masterful (imo perfect) OST by composer Michiru Yamane. It is truly one of the greatest games ever made and has aged gracefully.
 
S

superNESjoe

Member
Sir_Crocodile said:
I love the game, but did it really reinvent a genre? All it did was add exp to the metroid formula.
Click to expand...

Wow, SotN truly is old if people are now questioning how important it was and the entire genre it created. "All it did" was something nothing had done before, better than most imitators that would follow.
 
Q

QFNS

Unconfirmed Member
I still play this game every year or so. It's a masterpiece and is wonderful on every platform I've played it on (except maybe the Saturn).
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
My favourite Metroidvania, Super Metroid may have it beat in gameplay (Ori as well now I think about it) but SotN nails that complete package, rough edges and all.
Such a memorable map that for the most part manages to feel kind of tangible as a (supernatural) castle structure as opposed to a bunch of areas cobbled together, that atmosphere, that soundtrack, that voice acting!
 
S

Sir_Crocodile

Member
superNESjoe said:
Wow, SotN truly is old if people are now questioning how important it was and the entire genre it created. "All it did" was something nothing had done before, better than most imitators that would follow.
Click to expand...

What something did it do that Metroid hadn't other then what I mentioned?
 
T

Transistor

Banned
An absolute masterpiece. Amazing gameplay, a ridiculous amount of secrets, a perfect soundtrack.

Fuck, now I have to do another 200.8%
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
Sir_Crocodile said:
What something did it do that Metroid hadn't other then what I mentioned?
Click to expand...

I like to think that keeping the sub genre in rotation with its own twists while Metroid took a breather is worth something.
Really though the vania part of the equation can stretch back to Simon's Quest on the NES.
 
B

BriGuy

Member
Sir_Crocodile said:
I love the game, but did it really reinvent a genre? All it did was add exp and loot to the metroid formula.
Click to expand...
Look at it this way, Super Metroid didn't get a 2D follow up for seven freaking years after its release, then it got a remake of the first game a few years later, and then 2D Metroid got the middle finger. Metroidvania wouldn't be a genre without castlevania sotn and what followed.
 
O

Oneself

Member
My favorite game is 20 years old.

-_-

And I'm still chasing "Metroidvanias" all the time in hopes of feeling *that* again. Oh well, Bloodstained maybe.
 
J

Jebral

Member
It's odd and I can't really say it for any other game... but I have probably not gone a year without playing it at least a little since it came out. I remember picking it up at launch at my local Wal Mart, years before my town had a decent game store. I love all the Igavanias to death so I occasionally go back to this fantastic turning point in the series. Heck, it's on my phone right now! Plays great on my 8bitdo controller.

Hoping Bloodstained can be half as good!
 
R

Rezae

Member
Ugh... time for another replay!


Definitely in my all-time Top 10. Amazing in every way. It's almost a miracle this got released with Sony's stance on 2D games for the longest time.
 
B

blackjaw

Member
Got it on release day on PSX when I was 16...now I feel old

I still replay this about once a year though...still holds up as one of the best
 
S

Sir_Crocodile

Member
Nocturnowl said:
I like to think that keeping the sub genre in rotation with its own twists while Metroid took a breather is worth something.
Really though the vania part of the equation can stretch back to Simon's Quest on the NES.
Click to expand...

Or even further to Vampire Killer on the MSX in parts, yes.

But the OP claim was that SOTN specifically "reinventing a genre", and as good as the game is (and it is fantastic), I'm not seeing that. Redefined the series, sure.
 
O

Ouroboros

Member
I remember playing this in 8th grade when it was released. What a game. Still my 2nd favorite Castlevania game....1st is Castlevania 64.
/s
 
amdb00mer

amdb00mer

Member
Transistor said:
An absolute masterpiece. Amazing gameplay, a ridiculous amount of secrets, a perfect soundtrack.

Fuck, now I have to do another 200.8%
Click to expand...

I always thought it was weird this game was supposed to have a 200.8% completion percentage. Then I read up on why and about the upside down castle and after beating the main game.

On a side note, does anybody wish Konami would make a sequel to SOTN using the original dev team? Could go a long way in repairing their relationship with fans after the whole Hideo saga.
 
T

Transistor

Banned
Sir_Crocodile said:
Or even further to Vampire Killer on the MSX in parts, yes.

But the OP claim was that SOTN specifically "reinventing a genre", and as good as the game is (and it is fantastic), I'm not seeing that. Redefined the series, sure.
Click to expand...

I think it absolutely did reinvent it. It took the Metroid genre (which Castlevania already did with Simon's Quest), and introduced heavy RPG elements. Not to mention different endings and the fact that you can beat the game by only playing half of it.
 
C

Creaking

He touched the black heart of a mod
Such a fantastic game. I don't think any Castlevania or Castlevania-like will ever top it for atmosphere. And such marvelous excess. Lean games can be fun, but when they aren't lean, I prefer them to be like SotN.

Wish there was a version available on PS4 so I could play through it again. Seriously Sony, what the hell is with the complete absence of PS1 game support?
 
S

Sir_Crocodile

Member
BriGuy said:
Look at it this way, Super Metroid didn't get a 2D follow up for seven freaking years after its release, then it got a remake of the first game a few years later, and then 2D Metroid got the middle finger. Metroidvania wouldn't be a genre without castlevania sotn and what followed.
Click to expand...

So you're saying it reinventing a genre by doing much the same thing as Super Metroid but three years later? If that's your definition of reinvention then I guess so.

Transistor said:
I think it absolutely did reinvent it. It took the Metroid genre (which Castlevania already did with Simon's Quest), and introduced heavy RPG elements
Click to expand...

Yeah, that was my original point, whether the level stats & loot was enough to call it a reinvention of the genre. Not sure on that.
 
amdb00mer

amdb00mer

Member
Ouroboros said:
I remember playing this in 8th grade when it was released. What a game. Still my 2nd favorite Castlevania game....1st is Castlevania 64.
/s
Click to expand...

Good thing you indicated you were being sarcastic. Otherwise somebody probably would have revoked your geek card.
 
H

HomerSimpson-Man

Member
Top 3 in my favorite games of all time. I'm so grateful they didn't try a 3d Castlevania on the Playstation and used 3d for visual effects instead as it's such a beautiful game.
And then there is the fantastic music to go with the visuals.
 
M

Menthuss

Member
Amazing game! Played it for the first time somewhere in 2012 and was blown away by how well it had aged. The sprites look amazing even now and the gameplay is just on point.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Jigorath said:
Greatest 2D action game ever made?

Well it's certainly up there.



The genre's called metroidvania, so it had to have some impact.
Click to expand...

Nah, it acquired that name because there was still some novelty in being a game like Metroid. I consider SOTN to be either my first or second favorite game of all time (basically tied with Super Metroid, incidentally), but I don't think it really had that much impact on gaming as a whole. The blueprint was there, SOTN just did a fucking amazing job with it.

Also, 20 years old? God, that's a weird thought.
 
T

Tain

Member
A great game. The gear and character customization and open-ended castle make for something ultimately less engaging than the action-platformers, but it's still so aesthetically strong that it almost makes up for it.
 
N

Napalm_Frank

Member
This is the only PS1 classic (I don't doubt there are a ton of other great games I haven't played but from those big names that come up again and again) I have never really played. I did play only few minutes of the intro on my PSP as a part of Dracula X Chronicles (great game).

It's one of those games I tell myself I need to give at least a fair shot, wether it's the OG or DXC version.
 
A

Altazor

Member
BUT ENOUGH TALK! HAVE AT YOU!

Great fucking game. A bit on the easier side once you get some incredibly OP weapons, and some of its sequels have refined the formula but it's still (arguably) better than every other IGAvania that followed.

That feeling when you realize there's an INVERTED CASTLE, omg!
even if it ends up being a tiny bit disappointing in some respects
 
S

senj

Member
Chacranajxy said:
Nah, it acquired that name because there was still some novelty in being a game like Metroid. I consider SOTN to be either my first or second favorite game of all time (basically tied with Super Metroid, incidentally), but I don't think it really had that much impact on gaming as a whole. The blueprint was there, SOTN just did a fucking amazing job with it.
Click to expand...

My understanding was that there was a difference between a metroid-like game (exploration, seeing things you can't reach, backtracking to those things on acquisition of new skills) and a metroidvania (those things, plus RPG elements, which SOTN introduced).
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
Sir_Crocodile said:
Or even further to Vampire Killer on the MSX in parts, yes.

But the OP claim was that SOTN specifically "reinventing a genre", and as good as the game is (and it is fantastic), I'm not seeing that. Redefined the series, sure.
Click to expand...

I agree that it didn't so much reinvent as it just did a really good job with the formula.
 
P

Peltz

Member
Yea, I love 2D games and Metroidvanias, but this one just never grabbed me. I gave it a few chances and still.... nothing.

Great artwork though. I can feel that it's a quality game when I play it (the controls feel great), but the level design feels kind of loose to me.
 
S

SomewhatGroovy

Banned
Altazor said:
BUT ENOUGH TALK! HAVE AT YOU!

Great fucking game. A bit on the easier side once you get some incredibly OP weapons, and some of its sequels have refined the formula but it's still (arguably) better than every other IGAvania that followed.

That feeling when you realize there's an INVERTED CASTLE, omg!
even if it ends up being a tiny bit disappointing in some respects
Click to expand...

Here's what I want to know: did they know they were inverting the castle or was it a decision made mid-production? I can't help but think a lot of thought went into how the castle was designed from the get-go so that if they flip things around, the player would still have a good time platforming.
 
C

Crankshaft

Member
Have finished the game many times across PS1\PSP\Saturn\360

Personally one of my favorite games of all time. I think Konami should port it to everything so no one has an excuse for not playing it lol.
 
M

MegaManTrigger

Banned
Absolute favourite metroidvania for me, and my all time favourite game. Alucard controls wickedly smooth and the devs went all out in terms of enemy sprite quality and animation.
 
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