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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is 20 years old!
- Thread starter SomewhatGroovy
- Start date
SoTN is without a doubt the best game of the PS1, and one of the most enduring and ageless of its generation. Decidedly the best in the franchise, and better than all of IGA's posterior clones put together.
SotN is incredibly atmospheric. I would say more than Metroid. Super Metroid in a way provided the basic skeleton of the metroidvania genre, and SotN built on top of that. All in all though they're similar games though.
Hollow Knight is the best game in the genre since SotN. IMO very little chance any IGA game measures up.
SotN is incredibly atmospheric. I would say more than Metroid. Super Metroid in a way provided the basic skeleton of the metroidvania genre, and SotN built on top of that. All in all though they're similar games though.
Hollow Knight is the best game in the genre since SotN. IMO very little chance any IGA game measures up.
Magicpaint
Member
Superb game. Soundtrack, aesthetics, atmosphere -- all perfect. Even the cheesy voice acting and FMV clips work somehow. A true work of beauty. I do think the Igavanias after have built upon and refined the gameplay (Sorrow games and Ecclesia), and I think traversing the castle could be smoother, but the overall package of SoTN is unmatched.
The ring is on the place with the craziest secret ever, If I'm not mistaken... the wolf, bat cave.
That's right. I actually prefer Aria and Order of Ecclesia over SOTN from a purely gameplay perspective. But the overall package SOTN delivered is fucking insane. No other game in the series has the ammount of secrets that SOTN had.
Gai Murakumo
Member
Wow 20 years huh. This game is a masterpiece. The art, music, graphics, gameplay and voice's (though quite cheesy) are all top notch for its time. I love how this game pretty much created a genre known as Metroidvania.
SuperRaddy
Member
I got it for my x360 years ago, but never put much into it... might have to give it a try. Incidentally its BC on the Xbox One too 
Definitely one of my top 3 games of all time (Tetris and Super Mario World included).
I don't mind the voice acting at all; as a matter of fact, I love it and wouldn't change a thing. (Same way I have a soft spot for the original Resident Evil's voice acting. It's cheesy in all the right places.)
I've played this game and completed it (200.6% and above with glitching) numerous times across PS1, PS2 (from PS1 disc), PS3 (both PS1 disc and PSN version), PSP (both original and DXC versions), PS Vita (PSN version), Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
I'd play it again, right now, if I weren't at work.
The soundtrack is my favorite of all time, with Parasite Eve coming in at a close second.
I can't gush enough about this game, minor flaws and all. Still a 10/10 from me, even 20 years later.
I don't mind the voice acting at all; as a matter of fact, I love it and wouldn't change a thing. (Same way I have a soft spot for the original Resident Evil's voice acting. It's cheesy in all the right places.)
I've played this game and completed it (200.6% and above with glitching) numerous times across PS1, PS2 (from PS1 disc), PS3 (both PS1 disc and PSN version), PSP (both original and DXC versions), PS Vita (PSN version), Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
I'd play it again, right now, if I weren't at work.
The soundtrack is my favorite of all time, with Parasite Eve coming in at a close second.
I can't gush enough about this game, minor flaws and all. Still a 10/10 from me, even 20 years later.
Sapiens
Member
Nope - not at all. In fact, very little evolved from SC4.
SotN is a melding of Dracula X PCE / Super Metroid / Castlevania 2 / Castlevania 3
ThEoRy...
Member
Just finished 2 playthroughs very recently. Still awesome after all these years. Story, art, music, gameplay, secrets, simply amazing. Certain things are extremely op like the ring of varda, crissagrim, shield rod + Alucard Shield. Part of it's charm though. Always worth a playthrough every few years. Hard to believe it's been 20 already.
Crissagrim + Alucard's set + Two Rings of Varda + 99 Luck = The Most Broken Videogame Hero Ever!
SOTN is awesome. There are so many ways you can play through game. It's almost too fun.
I've heard that you could glitch the map in such a way that you could rediscover everything and the Wall armor would continue to scale (basically, you become invulnerable).
SOTN is awesome. There are so many ways you can play through game. It's almost too fun.
I've heard that you could glitch the map in such a way that you could rediscover everything and the Wall armor would continue to scale (basically, you become invulnerable).
TheEndOfItAll
Neo Member
One of only a few games from that generation that I'll go back and play. Considering picking it up again if only to get away from all the open world stuff I've been doing recently.
Fun fact: don't use the FPse emulator for this game.
Fun fact: don't use the FPse emulator for this game.
It messes with the in-game clock and prevents you from accessing certain areas later in the game (since the statues by the giant clock in the middle of the map move depending on your play time)
Is it really better than Momodora: RutM?
MrCunningham
Member
Shit how time flies... I remember purchasing this when it was new... I still have the original game in it's case (non greatest hits version too).
Rock And Roll
Member
I tried playing this for the first time last week and guys, I'm defective. I don't like it. My biggest gripe is being juggled. If you get hit, you are completely vunerable and stunned. Then you can get hit by another enemy. Rinse. Repeat. It's super annoying. It's also really annoying when in platforming sections when you are trying to jump but a stupid bird comes out of nowhere and knocks you back to the bottom.
I played the other Castlevania games for the first time last year and loved them all but I can't get into this one. I love the artwork, music and dig the RPG elements but the game is just frustrating. Does anyone have any tips or is it just not going to click for me?
I played the other Castlevania games for the first time last year and loved them all but I can't get into this one. I love the artwork, music and dig the RPG elements but the game is just frustrating. Does anyone have any tips or is it just not going to click for me?
Host Samurai
Member
Best voice acting in a game.
"You steal men's souls and make them your slaves!"
Rock And Roll
Member
Not yet, just 1 through 4. I guess it's more noticeable because there's more enemies on the screen so it's more likely to happen?
mcwizardry
Member
Never got very far into it, time to change that, any essential tips for a first playthrough?
Andrew Korenchkin
Member
One of the best!
Also, the soundtrack is still one of gaming's all time best, no arguments.
Also, the soundtrack is still one of gaming's all time best, no arguments.
That may play a role.
I also brought up Rondo is it has very few invincibility frames, so you're likely to get juggled there too. Much of the staff between that game and SotN are also shared, and of course there's the fact SotN is the sequel to RoB.
Fancy Clown
Member
Played it a couple years ago. Unfortunately outside of the amazing aesthetics, it didn't do much for me. I wasn't super impressed with the level/encounter design, nor the RPG elements.
Well I haven't played that one.
Riesenfass
Member
Just finished this for the first time about a month ago... Fantastic game with an amazing soundtrack. Anyone who hasn't played it and likes action platformers owes it to themselves to play it.
Pathfinder
Member
And I bet you Konami would take it away from us if they were able to.
blame space
Banned
it's the goat
TTOOLL
Member
krizalidzero
Member
Let's cry together for there may never be a 2D game nearly as awesome ever again.
I think so, and RutM was in my top 5 games last year. Especially for one such as yourself that enjoys the atmospheric side of Dark Souls. This is the first game I've played not made by From that really captured what made those worlds special and mysterious.
It's also like 40 hours of content for $15 with additional stuff coming down the way.
Soul of the Beast
Member
I played this game for the first time in 2015, It blows my mind how similar it is to Dark Souls when it comes to level design and game progression. Miyazaki definitely take some notes from the series.
I now understand why people say Souls series are basically just really well made 3D Castlevania games...
Seriously, If you are a big old school Castlevania fan and you want to experience that magic in 3D, play Dark Souls.
Not Demon's Souls, not Dark Souls 2 and 3, not Bloodbonre, but Dark Souls.
The level design is godlike, just like SotN.
I now understand why people say Souls series are basically just really well made 3D Castlevania games...
Seriously, If you are a big old school Castlevania fan and you want to experience that magic in 3D, play Dark Souls.
Not Demon's Souls, not Dark Souls 2 and 3, not Bloodbonre, but Dark Souls.
The level design is godlike, just like SotN.
rottendevice
Member
I played it for the first time on 360 and loved it.
Truthfully I like the GBA sequels more, but SotN invented the genre.
Truthfully I like the GBA sequels more, but SotN invented the genre.
krizalidzero
Member
SOTN or no SOTN, Demon's Souls and everything that came from it are all practically "This is how a 3D Castlevania game should have been" statement (considering every Castlevania game)
Or you could float to the ledge behind him in mist form and juggle him with any sword for 15 minutes until he dies
davidwhangchoi
Member
the 20th anniversary ripping off super metroid
krizalidzero
Member
It's not ripping it off, but what does bother me is how people coined the genre "Metroidvania", when in it's really "Metroid" only. Metroid style games, Castlevania did little for the genre (Even Castlevania 2 came out after Zelda 2, another game by Nintendo with similar characteristics to Metroid).
Played it for the first time on Vita a few years ago as it never seemed accessible to me back in the day, I remember finding Super Castlevania on Snes too difficult so wrote off the series until Dawn of Sorrow.
Dawn of Sorrow is still my favourite Castlevania, but SOTN is a close second and the playthrough was extremely engrossing for a 20 year old game. I can appreciate it as a classic and the series is now one of my favourites. Fingers crossed for Bloodstained.
Dawn of Sorrow is still my favourite Castlevania, but SOTN is a close second and the playthrough was extremely engrossing for a 20 year old game. I can appreciate it as a classic and the series is now one of my favourites. Fingers crossed for Bloodstained.
Ganondorfo
Junior Member
Stupid question: why dont many game have perfect soundtracks like Symphony of the Night. Almost every track on that game is memorable or maybe its nostalgia speaking.