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    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

    Game » consists of 20 releases. Released Mar 20, 1997

    Dracula's castle has risen from the mist and the Belmont heir is missing! The open-ended gameplay mixed with RPG mechanics in this installment of Castlevania platformers set the template for later games in the series (coining the term "Metroidvania").

    Short summary describing this game.

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    5 (9)
    4 (1)
    3 (2)
    2 (0)
    1 (1)
    4.3 stars

    Average score of 13 user reviews

    Solidifying A Genre 0

    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was the first game of the series to move on from a linear action-platformer to a more exploration based style of game. Similar to what we got from Super Metroid, having a lot of back tracking, making you open a new path each time you got a new ability/upgrade, becoming the genre we know now as Metroidvania(the combination of the two names).In this game you play as Alucard, the son of Dracula. It's a direct sequel to Rondo of Blood, the first level of this game...

    6 out of 6 found this review helpful.

    Time has withered away much of what once made this game great 0

    Symphony of the Night is often considered one of video game’s greats and it contributed the second half of the name for its genre, the “Metroidvania”. Unlike Super Metroid, though, this game hasn’t held up so well in the face of two decades’ worth of iterations on the formula, both within and outside of the Metroid and Castlevania franchises.That’s not to say that I don’t think this game is worth playing. It certainly has its strong points – some o...

    5 out of 5 found this review helpful.

    "What do you here?" 2

    Casltevania as a series can be seen in three very different lights; a set of linear yet difficult and strategic 2D platformers, a side-scrolling Metroidvania, and a set of 3D hack-and-slash action games. The original iterations, which fall under the linear description, hold their place in history in the evolution of the series, but were basically halted production upon arrival of the fifth-generation of consoles. I have personally played the first four games on the NES and SNES to completion, an...

    2 out of 2 found this review helpful.

    Symphony of the Night, best 2D game ever made. 0

    IntroToday I'm going to review one of my favourite games of all time:' Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.' A good 11 years ago Konami had released the game on the original Playstation, The game later was ported to the Saturn, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN and the Playstation Portable in a rehashed version of Rondo of Blood. The PS and Saturn version can be found in barging bins if you're lucky but if you really want to start playing right now you can either get it on PS3 or Xbox360 for 10 dollars on th...

    1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

    The classic returns! 0

    If you never got the chance to play this back when it was released over ten years ago, now is the perfect chance. If you've ever played any of the castlevania games on the DS, you'll have a pretty good idea of what's going on when you first start. However, Symphony of the Night is by far the best execution of the castlevania formula. If you've never played it, you absolutely owe it to yourself as a gamer to. It's absolutely that good....

    0 out of 2 found this review helpful.

    Classical Symphony 0

    Anyone who can tell me why this picture is relevant will get a prize to be named later.If you could only play one Castlevania game, which one would it be? Chances are you picked Symphony of the Night. As good as many of the Castlevania games have been, none are as important or influential as the series' flagship PSOne entry. The next question is about how well Symphony stands for itself after nearly twenty years of games that have lived by the formula it helped perfect. The answer: it still hol...

    1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

    (Old Review) Hack-and-Slash Dreams Come True 0

    Please note: This is a reposting of a review I had written in 2006.  Its content has not been altered in any way.  Subsequently, it is in no way indicative of my current writing style, observational prowess, or critical standards and opinions.  For all we know, this was the zenith of my game critic career. Above and beyond the standard for downloadable games lies Symphony of the Night, a PlayStation classic much more a timeless adventure than a casual title for the occasional hobbyists. Though i...

    0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

    Everything the PlayStation Version Offers and More! 0

    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (or SotN, as it’s often referred to as) marked a turning point in the history of the Castlevania series. Gone was the level-by-level progression that the series had already come to be known for, as SotN introduced Castlevania fans to a world not terribly dissimilar from that of Super Metroid in that it allowed for an almost entirely non-linear game play experience.Originally released on PlayStation, SotN is widely considered to be one of the best 2D adventure g...

    0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

    A Timeless Masterpiece of Gothic Gaming 0

    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, released in 1997 for the PlayStation 1, is one of the most iconic and influential titles in video gaming history. Developed by Konami, this instalment in the long-running Castlevania series revolutionised the action-platformer genre with its innovative gameplay mechanics, stunning visuals, and hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack. Symphony of the Night continues to captivate gamers worldwide nearly three decades after its initial release.Symphony of the Night boa...

    1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

    Sublime. 2

    Some people will try to sell you on the idea that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is still the greatest game ever made. Disregard these people. Enter Castlevania without expectations and grandeur and you'll find that this game is still shockingly fresh, as many modern games now considered somewhat "innovative" are largely taking cues from this excellent game.For the uninitiated, Symphony of the Night is the first exploration-focused title in the Castlevania franchise, the game that adds the "...

    0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

    Ohhh i love the game but... 5

    Yes i do love the game and so but when i bought it on xbla it is unplayable due to the controller on the xbox being fucked up. I mean the special attack that you do with up and triangle on the PS controller go off bu itself because of the D-pad on the 360 is not working. it is unusable....

    0 out of 9 found this review helpful.

    Amazing Platformer/RPG 0

    I don't believe that I played anything else for about two months straight. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is highly addictive even today. Yes, it is 2D, but all of the greatest games were!Even though it's 2D, they used cell shading and some graphics to simulate 3D in the scenery. ALUCARD, the main character, DRACULA's hybrid son, must survive Castlevania by slashing, shooting, and blowing up whatever is in his/your path.And just when you thought you were done, just wait til the castle flips ...

    0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

    New Console, Old Problems 2

                It’s rare that I find the time to return to classic games, and even rarer that I finish them. I’ve tried many established “classics”, and while I can appreciate the influence they’ve had, it is hard for me to ignore problems that have been solved in later iterations and generations. Symphony of the Night is one of the lucky ones that I’ve finished—perhaps due to the fact that it is on the XBLA for ten dollars—but that doesn’t mean it is without fault. No, for every instance of good ...

    0 out of 2 found this review helpful.

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