Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami, 1997)
Platform: Playstation (also available on Sega Saturn, PSN and XBLA)
Director/Producer: Toru Hagihara
Concept Artist: Ayami Kojima
Writer: Koji Igarashi & Toshiharu Furukawa
Composer: Michiru Yamane
Let's do the run-down;
Gorgeous 2-D sprites
In a time when everyone was foaming at the mouth about 3-D and polygons, Symphony of the Night (SotN) was mixing last-gen technique with next-gen power. The result is a game that oozes with charm. Every background and platform is filled with detail, a shocking contrast to contemporary games where detailed objects were flat textures. Alucard's cloak is a wonder to behold as it billows behind him as he jumps or steps forward, flutters as he walks, and comes to rest as he stops.
Enemies are just as animated, and the sheer variety of them is impressive.
Each weapon has different swing animations, some simply gorgeous to behold.
Best of all, SotN used the 3-D power of the Playstation to generate sprite scaling, particle effects and animated backgrounds; the best of both worlds.
Stellar Sound
Michiru Yamane's mix of gothic orchestra, metal and jazz is easily one of the best game scores of the 90s, if not ever. There are few tracks, if any, that sound strange or unfitting (yes, even "Wandering Ghosts," the dance mix-ish track heard in the Colosseum). The best of the score is downright haunting, and despite not remixing any previously-heard Castlevania tracks (which are legendary in their own right) the score seems to hit all the right notes and be decisively Castlevania.
The sound effects in the game are equally impressive; enemies scream and roar, weapons make a great deal of impressive swishes and slashes (especially the magic ones which sound practically explosive), and the environmental effects are fantastic.
One of the few downsides of the game, however, is on the audio side; the North American voice acting was rushed and as a result is quite awful. Attempts to improve it have not helped the situation.
Rewarding Gameplay
With the exception of his forward speed (which feels a little plodding by the end of the game), Alucard controls like a dream. Once you start gaining relics like the Leap Stone, Gravity Boots and the various Forms, you can literally flow through the game like a cloud of mist.
SotN also introduces RPG elements to the Castlevania universe, but it does so in a way that gets it right, just as RPGs were starting to really take off (Final Fantasy 7 was released a mere month before SotN). Few of the weapons just grant a straight statistical boost; most have unique attack shapes and styles, special attacks and effects. Leveling up feels smooth and natural, with no need for grinding.
However, apart from the voice acting, the only negative aspect of SotN is that once certain weapons are found, the game's difficulty level nosedives significantly.
Excellent Design
First, there's the whole second castle. Oh, you beat the game? Sorry, son, that's just the
first half. Not only does the inverted castle show up and turn the game you thought you knew on its head (literally), but there's tons of optional areas and multiple endings to aim for.
All of the areas have a unique look with tons of charm, and though there are a few areas that feel like long hallways, the majority of the level design is fantastic. Backtracking is present to some degrees, but the addition of teleportation rooms eases this substantially. At no point does the game feel like a chore.
And of course, the little loving details are
everywhere. Ever hit a Medusa head and randomly turn into a Gargoyle? Ever notice the eye following you in the Marble Gallery? Ever seen the mouse hanging out in the Outer Wall? Found some of the rarer, more impressive weapons (Runesword, Heaven Sword, Chakram, Marsil?) Unlocked all the spells? Ever done the Dual Heaven Sword trick? Found the Beryl Circlet? Gotten 200.6%? Every time I play this game, I see something new.
In Short...
Is it Perfect? nearly 15 years later, it's as close as any game I've ever played and remains my absolute favorite.
(Sorry for the lengthy post, but I've been waiting to write a love letter to this game for a while.)
