Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku

Even after six years, I went back and replayed SotN to gladly find not an ounce of its charms has been lost with time. With growing emphasis and interest in RPGs and the entire evolution of the gaming industry as is, I think I've grown to like this simple little game even more.

CastleVania: SotN is not without its faults. I will admit, the plot is a lame excuse to bring back Dracula for yet another round of CastleVania (if you can consider it having a plot at all), and the voice-acted dialogue screams cheesy b-film. In the end, that's made me like SotN all the more now then I did in 1997 when it first debuted. My only -real- complaint against SotN is its difficulty setting – it's too easy to beat.

Symphony of the Night's success comes from the fact that it acknowledges it is a game to be played, not a movie to be watched or a novel to be read. You -play- CastleVania, and all the game elements are as rock-solid as they come. It plays as a fantastic exploration game in the same vein as Super Metroid, which was a step away from previous CastleVania straight-action-side-scroller formula it had used since the original NES game.

Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, aka Alucard, is the most intriguing CastleVania character the gamer has ever taken control of (and he's way badder than he was in CastleVania3). No more the Belmont Vampire Hunter, now we play as the son of Dracula to take on the father, and as we explore the Demon Castle we really get to tap into Alucard's growing vampiric powers . . . and to this date, I've never seen a game character to top Alucard's ability to become a cloud of mist on command.

Not just one, but two beautifully drawn castles to explore, some of the best boss/enemy designs and a well thought out castle-design. I'd of liked to have seen some instant-death pitfalls/spikes/lava/whatever (and a way of knowing that it is instant death and not another route to explore); most gamers hate 'em, but with SotN's wonderful controls it wouldn't have been much of a problem avoiding them unless you just get careless. Towards the end of the game, Alucard's abilities would make falling into them virtually impossible.

CastleVania also sports my favorite video-game artwork and musical score by the talented Ayame Kojima and Michuru Yamane respectively. Though the premise of the exploration and level ups are borrowed from other games, SotN stands out as its own. By the music, artwork, setting, characters, and gameplay, it is distinctly CastleVania. Nowhere else have I seen game so distinctly its own.

There is are many words to describe this title: classic, masterpiece, flawless. But it is only done justice in the phrase above. Castlevania is everything a great video game should be. It has amazing graphics, incredible sound, an easy to use control system, a multitude of secrets, a highly involving storyline, high replay value, and, most important of all, an addictive quality that keeps you coming back for more.

Many people ignored this title because it was in 2D. While the huge game area would have been amazing to see in 3D, it also might have created camera and control problems that would have only hampered the game play quality. Using a 2D interface makes for a much cleaner and "user-friendly" game, especially at the time when this game was released, a time when 3D gaming was an aspect that had yet to be perfected.

I could go on and on about this game. It was one of the few games I've played that actually lures me back after I've beaten it. While Metal Gear Solid and Goldeneye have done this too, it has only been for a little while, to relive some of my favourite moments. Castlevania, however, still has unexplored elements to it. I have had the game for two years and have yet to see EVERYTHING, to defeat EVERY enemy and obtain EVERY item.

It's a shame this game is a rare find. It is a definite collector's item, and if you see it pick it up. Did I forget to mention that it also merges RPG and action-adventure gaming elements seamlessly, giving fans of both genres something to love? I would like to end my review with a challenge to all video game developers out there: Make a better game than this. Trust me, you'll DIE trying.

This is the best Playstation game I have ever played, and by far the best of the Castlevania series.

Great music, spectacular gameplay, a recommendation to anyone.

Also a unforgettable storyline and alot of replayability.

10 out of 10.

This was a very fun Castlevania game, in the spirit of those on the NES, Sega Genesis and SNES, but with a bit more game play depth to it. Basically it looks like the Castlevania games on the SNES with the graphics on the characters improved a bit and the background more so. The music is also improved in this one as there are some really stand out pieces in sections of the game. It is a challenge too, but not overly so. Basically, there are no parts of the game where you are watching in stunned belief at all the enemies and such thinking the game is impossible, like in the older games. Even if the odds look insurmountable, you can find a way around it. The game is not perfect though as there are some things that could have been done to make the game even more enjoyable.

The story starts out with Richter Belmont about to face off against Dracula. This is basically a recap battle showing the final battle from the game Castlevania X or something to that effect for the SNES or the other game that it was based off of for a computer gaming system only sold in Japan. Suffice to say, I want to play that game, but it is rare and expensive. After the battle is won, you see Alucard (Dracula's son) storming the castle. He seems unbeatable, until the Grim Reaper takes away all his powerful equipment. Now Alucard must navigate his way through the castle fighting monsters of all kinds so that he can gain abilities and equipment that will help him win the day. From time to time you cross paths with a woman named Maria who is looking for Richter...who has disappeared. Alucard sees him at one point, but it seems he is the lord of the castle now! The fighting is different than previous Castlevania games in that you use a sword and can also use a shield. Though no matter how powerful a shield I got, it never seemed to deflect anything. You could also use potions, buy armor and things that one is more accustomed to seeing in a role playing game. You also have the ability later to change into different things such as a wolf, a bat and mist. You can change into mist and basically bypass any really difficult areas later in the game. So there are many different aspects to the game, but it still feels like you are playing Castlevania. I can see where the Metroid references come from, but how many Metroid games actually followed this format? I believe only Super Metroid followed it to a tee.

I enjoyed this game, but there are some improvements that could of been made. First, is the fact there is spoken dialog in this game. I am not going to complain about how bad it is (though it is not top notched), I am simply going to say it needed more. Basically, they did not really keep the story advancing and at times it was simply Alucard moving from room to room and then coming across a boss out of the blue. There needed more interaction between Alucard and other characters to keep the player up to date on the story. The game also has a cheap ending that one can easily get by accident if one is not entirely sure what to do. Basically, the game can end without a final showdown with Dracula. And as good as the music is, the song they play during the credits sounds like it came from a romantic drama.

Overall, this game was a fun game to play. It had more to it than your standard Castlevania, while not overstaying its welcome like so many games of today do. The music is good (I especially enjoy the piece right at the beginning as Alucard dominates early on) and the game play is simple to pick up. This one is as good as my other favorite Super Castlevania IV, and could of been even better had it made a few tweaks.

Satisfying.

Growing up as a youth I wasn't much of a Castlevania fan but after downloading Castlevania: Sotn on X.B.L.A (Xbox Live Arcade) out of curiosity, I want to dress up as Alucard next Halloween.

The game begins in 1792, Except you play as Richter Belmont first. It comes off the end of Castlevania; Rondo of Blood (which was misinterpreted as Castlevania: Bloodlines) where Richter Slays Count Vlad Tepes Dracula. 5 years pass. Dracula's Son, Alucard (which if you haven't guessed, is Dracula's Name reversed) Enters his fathers castle with the initial plan of Destroying it, but what follows is an in-depth story, accompanied by Challenging gameplay, that most Castlevania fans like to play again and again.

This game has a lot of good things going for it, like it's gameplay, which is very addicting. I think this is the most rewarding game i've ever played. You are hungry for everything you can get your hands on, cutscenes, weapons, items, XP and map coverage. But the biggest thing is the music. the Legendary Michiru Yamane Composed the tunes that go through your eardrums, and each tune is worth listening to 1000 times over.

In our modern times, Vampires have become the subject of romance and youth drama in stories like twilight. Sadly it's soiled the blood-thirsty image of vampires. With heroes like Alucard, it's great we have a hero to root for.

Folks, go buy this title for the PS1 on Ebay or amazon, or download it through the PSN store or XBLA.