Is PSX Symphony of the Night still the definitive version?

[Genesis Knight]

Recently I've been doing a lot of comparisons trying to figure out which version to get and keep.

I mean, the Sega Saturn version has the extra content but also has longer loading times, delay to pull up the map, dithering, and so on. The map delay alone is pretty much a deal killer for me, and the Japanese item text is rough since I don't know the game very well.

The XBLA version is missing the CG videos and plays in a pretty small frame. Is it just me or is the frame actually smaller than the PSX version?

It's too bad I'm not much of a Sony collector; I have a PSX but this would be about the only game I would keep for it.

Any comments from the Racketboy crowd?

[dsheinem]

I think the PSP version is actually the best in terms of graphics/content/loading/music/etc.

[BurningDoom]

I had the XBLA version first, then got the PS1 version, the Greatest Hits edition to be exact. And I can easily recommend the PS1 version over the XBLA version. There is video cut out of XBLA version as well as some of the marvelous original soundtrack.

[irixith]

I shall preface this by saying that Symphony of the Night is my favourite game of all time. Period. It is the quality bar by which other games are measured, and I probably know more about this single game than the majority of other games I have played in my entire life.



The North American PS1 release (either the black or green label, doesn't matter) is the best and definitive version of the game.

The Saturn version is second, only after you've played the PS1 version to appreciate the additional butchered content that was added in to it. You get two new areas per castle, 16 new enemies, 2 new boss fights and Maria Renard as a playable character. The map has various changes from the PS1 version, extra equipment to find and different relic placement. The game doesn't feel the same, looks terrible stretched on the Saturn, and has atrocious (and more frequent) load times. Some larger rooms in the castle are actually broken up in the Saturn version to facilitate loading.

The PSP version is a distant third, but only if that's the only way you have to access the game. It is a bizarre meld of the first run Japanese version (replete with all the bugs that were fixed in the US version) and the first run US version, with Maria Renard thrown in for good measure -- but no, not the Saturn version Maria or Maria boss fight. Basically you get the two extra familiars that were cut from the US version, some re-translated item names, some slightly different item placement and a forced battle with Maria thrown in. This version has completely re-voiced and re-written dialogue as well, done by the same voice actors that did Rondo. That isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but it does dial down the heavier tone of the original. Also, because this is based on the first run Japanese version, the difficulty level is easier than the US version. (I know, how often does THAT happen?)

If you have questions about any of the versions, I can go into disgusting detail on any of them, having played them all many, many times. Do yourself a favour though and grab the US version -- it's the one you want to play.

[Gamerforlife]

Well, it's all a matter of opinion, but most people will disagree with that opinion and say the PSP one is the definitive one. Hell, Koji Igarashi himself says it's the definitive version. irixith is pretty much the only person I know who says otherwise. We've had other threads on this if you search around.

I've played the original Playstation one and the PSP one and the PSP version kicks its ass

[irixith]

I have no idea why people would think the PSP version is better. It's pretty bastardized, has some bizarre bugs and is far too easy. Having IGA to produce the PSP version probably has a lot to do with the inferior changes to the game. What IGA has to say doesn't interest me -- without Toru Hagihara, Castlevania has quite simply never been the same. Castlevania under Hagihara brought us Rondo and SOTN. Under IGA, there has never been another to match it.

/slightly off-topic

[Genesis Knight]

I don't own a PSP, so it's sort of a non-issue for me, but it's interesting to discuss. Sorry for not searching; I actually totally forgot to do that before making a new thread.

irixith, is the XBLA inferior to the PSX original in any way other than omitted CG sequences? Like I said, I downloaded the demo and it seems smaller/fuzzier than the PSX version over RGB.

[irixith]

The XBLA version...

...has achievements and leaderboards.
...has "I am the Wind", the original ending credit track replaced with "Admiration Towards the Clan."
...has various changes to weapon power and experience gained from enemies.
...has certain choice bugs fixed.
...has extremely compressed music.
...has some sort of graphic filter applied to faux HD it.
...has the opening cut scene missing.

It's pretty close to the PS1 original, but I find that it looks and sounds pretty poor on the 360. If it was released today, it would have had the benefit of all the changes that the XBLA service has had, and likely could have been a better port. If you get the PS1 classics version from PSN and play it on your PS3, it looks much better. Simply the original game with upscaling that looks far better in 1080p than the XBLA version with the HD filter.

Without the filter, you're doomed to playing it (on the 360) bordered. The 360 version is hugely compressed, and it shows.

[Genesis Knight]

Very detailed. Thanks. And that would explain why the XBLA port looks so...different. It sounds like you're saying there's a way to ditch the border, though? When I put the graphics to "Enhanced" it still has a border...I wonder if the Full version has more options.

Edit: Found it in the in-game options menu. It's not in the main menu options.

[TheyCallMeTheSwede]

I've noticed in the XBLA version, Phantom Skull's sound actually sounded different, I think its the compression gone wrong, it kind of bugged me that it sounded so different, oh and the upside down castle FMV is removed.