Castlevania: Symphony of the Night PSone Review

Castlevania holds a special place in my gaming heart.  Back in the NES days, I spent many an hour fighting evil in the first Castlevania, solving the puzzles of Simon's Quest, and enjoying the branching paths of the third entry.  The series has had its ups and downs since then; and I certainly haven't played every title in the series, but I've managed to fight my way through most of them.  None, however, completely captures my attention and respect more than Symphony of the Night does.  It is the ultimate Castlevania title, and it will be a special day when (and if) Konami can trump this masterpiece.

The earlier entries in the series were some solid and fun action/platformers (with a sprig of RPG thanks to Simon's Quest), but it was cozying up to the Metroid formula that gave the series the edge it needed to make a more lasting impression.  Recently, as I began playing through it once again, I was a little apprehensive that the pixelated visuals would get in the way of the classic fun I remembered.  However, after chopping through some zombies and getting my equipment yoinked by Death himself, I was ready to scour the depths, heights and in-betweens of Dracula's castle.

Castlevania's music is always the first thing that grabs my attention when I begin a new installment, and going back to this old title was still an aural treat.  It's a curious mix of metal, stringed orchestral, and even dirge-like themes sung by solemn choirs.  Each main area of the castle has its own tune, and even the least memorable of the mix is still a standout tune.  I would definitley enjoy listening to the soundtrack even when not playing the game itself - I like it that much.

As I said above, I was a little afraid the aged visuals wouldn't appeal to me quite as much as they used to; however, unlike most PSone era games that have aged very poorly, this title still holds that nostalgic feel that old 8-bit and 16-bit games hold.  As a matter of fact, I made a point to turn off the smoothing option on my PS3 just to enjoy all those pixels.  It's surprising how much detail and animation can be conveyed by all those little colored boxes when they're arranged just right.  That said, the interior and the few exterior areas of the castle are still a joy to look at after all these years.  You'll find your view sometimes obstructed by a creeping mist, and climbing to the heights of the castle rewards you with a view of clouds zipping by at breakneck speed (it's an odd effect, but still awesome to see).  If you find yourself playing through this gem, be sure to look closely at the backgrounds - these are talented artists and level designers, so there's a lot of detail that a speedy gamer may miss.

Not only is it still nice to look at in that retro sort of way, but the game is fun as crap to play.  On top, it's your straight-up action/platformer - attack, jump, block, it's all pretty standard.  The game deviates from mere simplicity, however, by letting the player turn into either mist, a bat, or a wolf.  Taking things up even another notch, the player can also cast magic spells that heal, throw fireballs, etc., by inputting combos with the d-pad a la Street Fighter.  While it was nice to have magic at my disposal, I often found myself hacking away with the standard attack and utilizing the classic Castlevania secondary weapons (dagger, holy water, axe).  Not to say the spellcasting didn't work or wasn't useful, it's just a matter of personal preference.  Of course, I'd be doing the game a disservice by not mentioning the familiars you can obtain.  In my playthrough I found a fairy, a skull, a small demon(my favorite), and a bat.  I'd be hardpressed to say they're extremely useful; however, my fairy found a few secret areas, and my demon... well, he would stab things and yell "Die!", which I dare anyone to say isn't awesome.

Of course, this yummy cake of a game wouldn't be complete without character leveling and more items than you can shake a whip at (a weapon that is sadly omitted from this entry, by the way).  There's just something inherently satisfying as you see those words, "Level Up", flash across the screen, and then picking up an item you've never seen before.  And speaking of the latter, the game hands out new weapons and armor like candy.  I was constantly going into my inventory to examine a new item, weighing the benefits of one attribute over another for the sake of more power or more defense.  Honestly, after collecting so many different items, it did seem a bit like overkill as many pieces were similar in appearance and attributes; although, the useful pieces were always awesome and I enjoyed being able to customize my character to that extent.

If you haven't noticed, I really liked this game.  The fact that the gameplay is still so enjoyable today is a testament to its stellar design; in fact, I'd venture to say this game is a timeless classic and can only pray that an eventual remake doesn't sully the experience for those new to the series.  If you haven't tried this game, check it out on PSN and Xbox Live, or locate the original PSone disc for that true old-school feel.  If a mix of platforming, action, and vampires named Shaft sounds appealing to you, this a great place to introduce yourself to one of gamings great franchises.