RGM Goes Retro – Castlevania Symphony of the Night

Metroid was a truly unique game for its time.  It was 2D but allowed players to explore an interconnected world at a non-linear pace.  There were exceptions, some areas were inaccessible until you gained a certain item or power up.  However, this style of gameplay and progression for me was truly addictive.  I loved the idea of finding a new power up that allowed me to access an area I passed by several times on my adventure.  Games like Metroid required backtracking, but it never felt like a chore since you were always discovering new locations that were literally right in front of you at the start of the game.  The formula was perfected in games like Super Metroid and Castlevania Symphony of the Night (SoTN). SoTN was the first game in the Castlevania series to adopt the Metroid like exploration but also added in RPG elements such as armor and weapon drops.  With SoTN, a subgenre of action-adventure-RPG games called “Metroidvania” was born.

A metroidvania style map.
A metroidvania style map.

SoTN released on the Sony PlayStation on March 20th, 1997.  This was at a time when Mario 64 released the year prior and ushered in 3D gaming, pushing aside the 2D side-scrolling games we have been playing since the 80s.  Sony also was venturing into the world of 3D with games like Crash Bandicoot.  While well received critically in Japan, SoTN released in the US with barely a notice.  The unassuming SoTN would go on to build a cult following and inspire developers even to this day.

My first experience with SoTN was at my cousin’s house.  I was over there and was watching him play this game.  I was confused at first because I thought it was older by the 2D aspect of it but he told me it was a new release and the latest in the Castlevania series.  I was a big fan of the series on the Nintendo so my interest was piqued.  I watched him play it, saw the map as he explored and watched him collect upgrades and new weapons for the protagonist Alucard.  When the time came and I had to go home, I knew I needed to save up money and buy this game for myself.

After I purchased the game, immediately started playing it as soon as I returned from the store. I remember the opening scene, which is actually the final boss of a previous Castlevania game called Rondo of Blood.  In the opening scene you play as Richter Belmont and confront Dracula.  I remember running up the stairs to Dracula’s chamber and watching as he shouted back at Richter and threw his glass on the floor.  After defeating Dracula, the game jumps four years into the future where you play as Alucard, son of Dracula.  Your intention is to stop the resurrection of your father but before doing that Death himself strips you of all your powers and items.  From here, the game truly begins.

Richter Belmont

Unlike Richter, Alucard used swords as his main weapon instead of a whip. At the time, this was new to Castlevania fans as we’ve grown accustomed to using a whip to defeat our enemies.  It was a quick transition and I was soon hacking away at ghouls and using my back dash to escape danger.  The controls for this game are tight and responsive.  When you died, it was because you messed up and not because the game felt cheap.  There was a way to overcome the challenge though but that required grinding enemy kills for experience points to level up.  I never played this way and preferred the intentional challenge of the game.  Dracula’s castle is basically a giant maze much like Metroid.  To progress you had to find power ups, items, and defeat bosses to upgrade Alucard’s skillset.

The story was also interesting and kept me curious as to what would happen next. For a side scrolling game, I really enjoyed the story aspect and was surprised at how much I liked it.  I remember playing side scrollers and not even knowing the protagonists motivation, here I knew his motivation and I wanted to see him through to the end of his journey.  I was invested in the character of Alucard.

Visually, the game still looks great with sprite based character designs, detailed backdrops and a wonderful color palette. It does show its age compared to newer 2D games, but it’s not something that detracts from the enjoyment.  I always say that 2D games age better than 3D and I will gladly take the visuals of SoTN over that of Goldeneye which looks atrocious by today’s standard.  This game does not look out-of-place since many indie titles have adopted this visual look.

Despite looking slightly aged, in motion the visuals still hold up well.
Despite looking slightly aged, in motion the visuals still hold up well.

One of the first things I remember about this game is the music. I still remember the song from the opening area of the castle after you meet Death.  It’s been stuck in my head for almost 20 years now and I can recall it at will.  The benefit of the Sony PlayStation at the time was the amazing sound quality compared to the Nintendo 64. SoTN took full advantage and featured complex yet catchy music and in my opinion, stands the test of time as one of the best soundtracks in a video game ever.  It’s one of the few videogame soundtracks that I actually own a physical copy of.

Quite simply put, SoTN improved on an already perfect formula left by Super Metroid.  As mentioned previously a subgenre called “metroidvania” was created by gamers because of the influence of SoTN and Metroid.  Today we still have games that use this style, especially indie titles.  Two of the more recent games to use the “metroidvania” style are Ori and the Blind Forest and Song of the Deep, which I reviewed on my site.  As someone who grew up with 2D games I love to see that developers are keeping the genre alive.  The “metroidvania” style has also made its way into non 2D games. Metroid itself has adapted the formula to an FPS with the Metroid Prime trilogy on Gamecube and Wii .The upcoming Prey reboot from Bethesda is said to be a “metroidvania” style game as well.

I’ve played so many “metroidvania” style games yet somehow I’m still not bored of the formula. They are immensely satisfying and take full advantage of a game’s environment. SoTN will always be one of my favorite games and my favorite of this style.  As much as I liked Metroid, it never captivated me as much as SoTN did.  Even though it was released under the radar in the US, it still garnered a huge following and won PlayStation game of the year in Electronic Gaming Monthly.  It’s also aged very well as I just started playing it again on my Xbox One and still love every second of it.  We are fortunate that this masterpiece has been ported over to many other consoles and can still be enjoyed by fans like me and new audiences alike.

If you haven’t played this game, as a gamer, you owe it to yourself to experience a piece of history.

Leave us your comments about this retro classic in the comment section below!