Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation, 1997)

Absolutely amazing game! No wonder it is going for $60 used for a game that is 10+ years old!!!!! I think that is enough said about that!!

One of the best Video Game Soundtracks Ever!

As I sit here once again, listening to the soundtrack to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night I find myself inspired to write a review for this amazing game.

First of all I like to say this game is tied with the Nintendo 64 Castlevania as the best overall Castlevania's. I bought, and played this game initially when it just got released. And it reeled me in right off the bat. It was simply an amazing, engaging, and addictive game. I seldom play a game more than once. But I replayed this game right after I finished it, and twice more in the years after that.

Konami has tried to replicate the success with this game many times since, but has failed to completely nail it. After the Nintendo 64 version, the other Castlevania's were simply not up to par with the latter two counterparts.

The game has a decent storyline. But what shines in this masterpiece is the Sountrack, and the gameplay depth. Great level design, great boss battles, TONS of secrets to find, a great menu system, superb controls, cool sidekicks (familiars), super type moves that are actually useful from the getgo, an insane number of different enemies superbly and uniquely designed (and I am not talking about color pallette swaps, but litterally about a hundred different enemies or more that have their own unique look and design), great voice acting, replayability, addictive, great artistic graphics, great equipment, and FINALLY GREAT GAME!!!!!

This game is a must own. Buy it, play it, or regret it!

Unlike all the predecessor castlevania games you get to play as Alucard, son of Dracula. You invade dracula's castle and encounter hordes of strange and horrid enemies and along the way you not only get to change armor but you can pick up very cool weapons(mostly swords) which when you change them have different animations when you equip them on Alucard. You also acquire artifacts that allow you to change into a bat, mist, and a wolf. There are many different endings to the game, each one based on how lazy or determined you were to get through the game. Therein lies the fun. If you really explore and collect all the artifacts and find out what to get and where to go, there is an identical castle to explore, except it's inverted and the enemies and traps there are far more unforgiving. The best thing about this game is the fact that you play as Alucard. You are not limited in your jumps. You can move pretty fast, restore your life if you need to while in combat with the bad guys, there are save points located throughout. This game is not just the best Castlevania ever, it's the best action RPG ever.

Definitely, a classic for any video game fan. As the subtitle implies this is symphony, the blend of great musical scores and intense action.

The Castlevania Symphony of the Night game was a gem for the PS1 that was here and gone all too quickly. Before I could get my hands on a copy, the PS2 was all the rage and the PS1 was done and gone. I liked the reviews this seller had and purchased it from the seller. The game arrived in perfect condition, the seller was very courteous, and the game plays just as I remember it. Great controls, great action, great graphics. The story-line was a little less than stellar, but it had all the elements of a great side-scrolling action game.

this game is and awsome add to any collection. you gain levels and items as you fight through draculas castles. You learn special abilities and gain familiars. this has awsome gameplay and feels like you are in an arcade. great buy!!!!!

The first of its kind. Symphony of the Night combines the action of previous side-scroller Castlevanias with the exploratory aspects offered in games like Metroid. Consequently, this type of game is often referred to as a Castleroid. This is a knockout combination that works well and expands upon the winning formula of the older games. You play as Alucard, the son of Dracula, on a quest to put a stop to his resurrection. The story of this game is pretty good, especially for this series. The graphics are very pretty, offering 3-D backgrounds against well animated 2-D action. Add in arguably the best score of the series, and this game presents a strong, demonic atmosphere. It has good control and a wide variety of moves to be learned. Although some of the magic must be learned by accident, which is strange. Another problem is that once you reach maybe a few hours into the game, it becomes far too easy. Most bosses are weak, and some random monsters will give you a level-up in a few kills, making it even easier. The only challenge in the game becomes figuring out where to go next. However, this does not make the game unenjoyable, but it does detract from replay value. Overall, a very good game.

During the past two decades, i've played plenty of 2D platformers. But after the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, i've been hard-pressed to find another worthy of its stature. And it's been nearly 10 years since it's release. The game starts off with a bit of deja vu, although i won't go into it in case someone, somewhere, somehow, hasn't played this game yet. After that, the actual game itself kicks off. The character this time isn't your typical vampire slayer. In fact, he's only half-human - his other half being vampire, of all things. And unlike prior Castlevanias (or at least to my knowledge), SotN is a very well-designed & extensive Action/RPG. The character, Alucard, gains experience from showing enemies who's boss, has a massive variety of items, weapons & armor to collect throughout the game, as well as Relics which each provide a specific power-up, attribute or Familiar, which is a whole different aspect altogether. The environment & graphics themselves belong in a museum, they're so gorgeously done. Enemies are as high in detail as the main character and the backgrounds can make you forget that this game is two-dimensional. Case in point is one of the Chapel rooms, with the background being a long cathedral hall lined with a dozen tall stained-glass windows. Not only is it breath-taking, but the perspective changes with the character's position on-screen.

Difficulty level is actually quite low but still challenging, since one missed slash or hesitant attack can equal some major scars for Alucard. But play the game for 30 minutes and you'll understand that you've got to be quick and precise, as a half-man/half-vampire warrior should be. Of course, there are several tactics (and items) for each enemy and boss to help you get by, as well as simply spending time leveling yourself up to make it all that much easier. There is also a plethora of save points that also restore your hp/mp levels, which are all quite convenient - every boss has a save point nearby.

There are as wide a variety of enemies as there are weapons & items avalaible to defeat them. The music sets the mood very well and the game seems to have an extensive soundtrack of its own. You may even find some of the music stuck in your head for days on end. And just in case any of that could possibly bore you, the game has a HANDFUL of different endings depending on the completion percentage - good luck seeing all of them.

One of the best Video Game Soundtracks Ever!

As I sit here once again, listening to the soundtrack to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night I find myself inspired to write a review for this amazing game.

First of all I like to say this game is tied with the Nintendo 64 Castlevania as the best overall Castlevania's. I bought, and played this game initially when it just got released. And it reeled me in right off the bat. It was simply an amazing, engaging, and addictive game. I seldom play a game more than once. But I replayed this game right after I finished it, and twice more in the years after that.

Konami has tried to replicate the success with this game many times since, but has failed to completely nail it. After the Nintendo 64 version, the other Castlevania's were simply not up to par with the latter two counterparts.

The game has a decent storyline. But what shines in this masterpiece is the Sountrack, and the gameplay depth. Great level design, great boss battles, TONS of secrets to find, a great menu system, superb controls, cool sidekicks (familiars), super type moves that are actually useful from the getgo, an insane number of different enemies superbly and uniquely designed (and I am not talking about color pallette swaps, but litterally about a hundred different enemies or more that have their own unique look and design), great voice acting, replayability, addictive, great artistic graphics, great equipment, and FINALLY GREAT GAME!!!!!

This game is a must own. Buy it, play it, or regret it!

This game is perfect for any gamer. This game has everything a gamer wants it may not be the top of the line graphics but the game play makes up for it. This is also a vintage classic that should not be passed up.
There are tons of weapons you can get and plenty of places to explore and a good variety of enemies. So everybody should get this game and play it right now.

The best sidescroller ever. This game will never lose its playability. I played it back in the day and was completely blown away. Now that I finally got another copy, I still got that same feeling from it.

Whether you like to explore or fight monsters, Castlevania Symphony of the
Night has it all. It's the Final Fantasy 7 of it's series. You play Alucard,
the son of Dracula, once again awakened by the threat of your father's return
to power. You must battle through Castlevania's creatures of the night and
explore areas to gain new abilites. The plot is simple and the voice acting
isn't perfect but these flaws are easy looked passed as soon as you finish the
the intro. You are not completely alone for there are those willing to help
you like the librarian and familars. It's a great example of an RPG/Action
game.

Graphics: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Difficulty: 4/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Voice-acting: 4/5
Number of Hours to Complete: 20-30
Replay Value: 5/5

This game is truly unique. It has almost all the good qualities of a great
RPG but has the replay value of an awesome action game. You can't go wrong
getting this game.

I liked it because it is a good fighting adventure game with lots of challenges. It starts off tricky because you have to jump off ledges to get to more ledges. Then you fight off little monsters and then the boss. This game has lots of bosses. It will keep you on your toes and very interesting throughout. Very fun game.

I absolutely adore this game! Castlevania: SOTN is the greatest PSOne game ever! It's been over ten years after the game's release and even until this very day it is still highly sought after.

this is an awesome Castlevania game. any one who likes any of the Castlevania games will love this one.

I played this when I was younger on my first Playstation and probably played all the way through the game at least 4 or 5 times. I lost my original copy sometime during my many moves. The graphics and gameplay are 2D but they still look great and are clean and crisp looking. The gameplay is really where this game makes its money however. Your are able to explore a lot of Dracula's castle at your own pace and there are not set stages or levels. The ability to advance in levels, gain new weapons and items, learn new spells, and use familiars makes the roleplaying aspect of this game rewarding as well as the action. Great buy.

I got it for my nephew. He absolutly loved it, and has already completed the game. I liked it. I have played it before with my nephew when he was about 7. When they moved, it got lost. Now he's a happy camper.

I loved that the game was in excellent condition, as very few copies of the game are still in such condition. And the seller didn't charge an overly-inflated sum for the game; the price was exactly in my buying range. Also, the seller made purchase by money order possible instead of forcing me to use a paypal credit card. All in all, I would definitely do business with this seller again if he had what I was looking for.

Andrew Kippenhan

This is probably one of the greatest games of all time. It is certainly up there with the other titans of video games such as Super Metroid, Final Fantasy VII, and Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Though this game is unique in itself, it actually carries traits of all three of the aforementioned games. As in Super metroid, it is a side-scrolling platformer where you have a certain amount of hit points which increase over time and you also fight bosses that are just as unique as the game. As with Final Fantasy VII, you run around and fight monsters (and again, bosses) and gain experience which is used to level up and become stronger in order to deal with the more difficult areas of the castle. And, of course, just like in Zelda, your character is equipped with various swords and shields used to hack and slash his way through the unforgiving wave of monsters as well as deflect any projectiles sent towards Alucard.

Another unique facet of the game is that you do not even play as Richtor Belmont. An evil priest has taken control of Richtor and you, Alucard, a half-human, half-vampire (probably the coolest hero I've seen in a long time), must stop the priest and Dracula, your father, from wreaking havoc in the world again. There are two endings for the game. One ending, which I consider the "alternate ending," may be accomplished at about 100% of the way through the game. I say 100% of the way through because after continuing the story line of the primary ending, you get a neat little suprise which I have never seen in any other game--you get to play back through the entire castle up to 200% completion, however this time it is flipped upside down and all the monsters are new and definately improved. By this point you should already have some decent gear as well as a useful relic. The relics never really change after the 100% mark, but you'll quickly learn which ones are useful to keep and which ones you will never use. The relics are sort of like "special attacks" when used, however some of the weapons you will get have their own unique attacks such as a teleportation move, an elemental strike or an impressive and powerful sword thrust. There are other unique attacks, there are even rare and unique item drops, some offensive, some defensive, and you will know which ones will really hammer your opponents and which ones can be discarded.

Now if obliterating all who stand in your way with swords and relics isn't enough for you, it gets better. You will eventually be capable of shape-shifting into other animals at any time you desire in order to gain certain objectives or to explore out of reach areas. On top of that, you even get a Mist Form which can be used for avoiding danger and accessing areas only reachable by this form. Not even done yet. Just to put the icing on the cake, Alucard also has his own personal supply of special moves which he may employ at any time given the correct button combinations to help him fight and survive.

The originality of this game is really stunning, and the replay factor is through the roof. Despite everything I reviewed, there is yet another feature: Once you beat the game with Alucard you can start over at 0% and play through as our legendary hero Richtor Belmont. All his special moves are available to you at the start and you can even use them multiple times at once in order to kick butt or just explore high areas.

To put it bluntly, this is a must-buy, and I'm out of characters.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is one of the best Playstation games out there. The graphics are really cool, and the soundtrack is amazing. A must have for anyone with a Playstation.

Great game on the PS1 and really fun to play A MASTERPIECE not that dumb DS versions... Only one Reason for me to have this game, a PSP 3.03OE-C and i can still enjoy it from a decade ago!, that is if you have a psp, Muwahahaha!! PSP RULEZ!!

What is there to say? Its the best castlevania ever made. It has a 2D look and feel (a classic feel) to it. The gameplay is intense and attention grabbing.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is one of GREATEST games ever made,and it's still the BEST one in the series. Symphony is my personal favorite.

the greatest playstation game of all time as well as the greatest castlevania title ever. non stop side scrolling rpg action at its finest with a great storyline and some sappy voice overs. down with dracula.