Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

For those who haven’t played it, the Castlevania series is Konami’s gothic horror action-adventure game franchise. It’s a series that draws inspiration from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Victorian literature and schlocky Hollywood movies (think stop-motion Harryhausen monsters).

While much of the gameplay has you navigating 2-D levels, it also contains elements found in role-playing video games like leveling up Alucard’s hit points, magic points, and sub-weapons; scavenging hearts dropped by enemies; and finding trunks that open new paths.

Impact & Influence

While it’s not the first Castlevania game to incorporate exploration and RPG elements. Symphony of the Night (Devil Castle Dracula X: Nocturne in Moonlight in Japan) is the one that helped coin the term “Metroidvania”. It also was the earliest known entry to avoid the Excuse Plot trope. Thus, it’s still ranking as a top game in the series.

Directed by Toru Hagihara, who steered the previous game Rondo of Blood, and assisted by Koji Igarashi, who would oversee every iteration of the franchise after, this was an ambitious game that introduced a number of new systems. This included non-linear progression and a more open Super Metroid(SNES)style of level-by-level platforming mixed with ideas from role-playing games.

It was ported to Xbox Live Arcade in 2007 and features leaderboards, 12 achievements and a graphical filter for widescreen televisions. To save space, the original music was removed, but it has since been restored in a patch for the Japanese version of the title.

Gameplay

In the NES, Castlevania was one of the most challenging games available. Enemies do a lot of damage and it takes a few hits to kill them.

The graphical style is decent for the time, although some of the foreground sprites look awkward or incomplete and the color palette has a strange shade of orange that’s not very appealing.

But the music is fantastic, even for the NES era. It’s no surprise that this game is a favorite among video game cover bands and remixers. It’s also one of the few NES games to feature multiple different songs, each of which is unique and has its own feel. Many of these songs have become iconic and popular in their own right. The gameplay consists of traversing 2-D levels by avoiding traps and using swords, whips and magic to defeat enemies. Other aspects of the game include a leveling system, collecting magical orbs and items, discovering trunks that contain new equipment and quest paths, summoned objects and more.

castlevania symphony of the night Soundtrack

Unlike most video game music, the soundtrack to Castlevania is composed of a full orchestra. This makes the music stand out from other games in its genre and has pushed video game music into a different direction.

The first step into a bigger change in the gaming community’s opinion of video game music was taken with this album. This was the first time that a video game had music that correctly embodied the ambiance of the environment. The song “Bloody Tears” was a big part of this, but the entire soundtrack is amazing.

The use of instruments like the harpsichord and classical rhythm textures are reminiscent of Baroque music. The style of Romanticism, a simpler movement in music composition that puts more emphasis on the actual melody is also evident throughout the soundtrack. The soundtrack is a great example of the work that can be accomplished with a small sound chip. The SNES PCM is a powerful tool when used well, and Jun Ferando does an excellent job translating a CD quality score into the sound of the console.

Story

The story of the Castlevania series spans centuries, but the most important component is the eternal struggle between good and evil. From the Belmonts to Alucard, there have been many heroes who sought to defeat Dracula.

Unlike earlier games, Symphony of the Night introduced more fluid controls for its protagonist, allowing him to back-dash and attack with a single button press. Additionally, he can equip weapons and shields that grant him stat bonuses. He can also acquire unique magic spells that unlock with specific combos.

It was also the first game in the franchise to use RPG-like elements. As Alucard progresses through the castle, he gains experience points that increase his statistics, including attack power and defensive strength. He can also find special items that increase his maximum hit points and heart capacity. He can restore his health or normal status using various foodstuffs and potions, as well as special rooms that act as save points.