Symphony of the Night, still a classic

[indecks]

Such an amazing game. Im still not at 200.6% (for the achievement) because I can't seem to get like 2 little blocks somewhere! I haven't played it in ages, but I'm VERY tempted to start a completely new game.

[Doctor Fugue]

Is there anybody here who never played SOTN until recently? I never played Castlevania games until the GBA versions (except a bit of the Genesis game). I beat all those, then I finished all the DS games. I'm not a huge Castlevania fan, I must add, but occasionally I have the urge. Then finally last year I downloaded SOTN and wasn't impressed (I've played it through twice).

Not having any nostalgia for the game, it just seemed like a step back from the DS games. I was rather bored the whole time; I won't go into all the list of things I think Portrait of Ruin does better. Other than being on a big screen, the design didn't strike me very well.

I agree that it is an important game in the series and set many standards, but that alone doesn't mean I should like it. (DonPachi set standards but aged somewhat poorly compared to its sequels.)

I know I'm considered an idiot by 100 percent of the population for thinking poorly about SOTN, so can someone tell me what I'm missing?

Are you a fan of Super Metroid? Because thats waht makes SOTN sooooo good. It's everything SMet was but better. It's got a more advanced item collection/equipment method and very creative and wonderfully animated bosses and enemies. You can learn spells, get familiars and collect tons of items. Plus if you get the glasses and beat the little orb the castle flip upside down and you do it all over again with increased difficulty. To top it off its friggin Castlevania and the music is amazing. I think it's a perfect balance of old and new school.
thats just me.

Call me insane, but I also don't really get into the Metroid games. Any kind of branching paths or back-tracking bothers me a little. And the collecting/RPG elements doesn't do it for me. I guess I just don't appreciate this kind of game.

My problem with SOTN is that I don't see why every time a new one comes out on the DS people say "ohhhhh, not as good as SOTN" when really they are all quite similar. I find the newer ones to have better refinement in weapons and magic, as well as more interesting rooms. The music is better in SOTN, but perhaps mainly because of the limitations in the DS carts.

I think the hype killed it for me. Everyone says it's one of the greatest games of all time and I was fully expecting to be blown out of my mind. Instead, it is my least favourite XBLA game that I have.

[ott0bot]

Is there anybody here who never played SOTN until recently? I never played Castlevania games until the GBA versions (except a bit of the Genesis game). I beat all those, then I finished all the DS games. I'm not a huge Castlevania fan, I must add, but occasionally I have the urge. Then finally last year I downloaded SOTN and wasn't impressed (I've played it through twice).

Not having any nostalgia for the game, it just seemed like a step back from the DS games. I was rather bored the whole time; I won't go into all the list of things I think Portrait of Ruin does better. Other than being on a big screen, the design didn't strike me very well.

I agree that it is an important game in the series and set many standards, but that alone doesn't mean I should like it. (DonPachi set standards but aged somewhat poorly compared to its sequels.)

I know I'm considered an idiot by 100 percent of the population for thinking poorly about SOTN, so can someone tell me what I'm missing?

Are you a fan of Super Metroid? Because thats waht makes SOTN sooooo good. It's everything SMet was but better. It's got a more advanced item collection/equipment method and very creative and wonderfully animated bosses and enemies. You can learn spells, get familiars and collect tons of items. Plus if you get the glasses and beat the little orb the castle flip upside down and you do it all over again with increased difficulty. To top it off its friggin Castlevania and the music is amazing. I think it's a perfect balance of old and new school.
thats just me.

Call me insane, but I also don't really get into the Metroid games. Any kind of branching paths or back-tracking bothers me a little. And the collecting/RPG elements doesn't do it for me. I guess I just don't appreciate this kind of game.

My problem with SOTN is that I don't see why every time a new one comes out on the DS people say "ohhhhh, not as good as SOTN" when really they are all quite similar. I find the newer ones to have better refinement in weapons and magic, as well as more interesting rooms. The music is better in SOTN, but perhaps mainly because of the limitations in the DS carts.

I think the hype killed it for me. Everyone says it's one of the greatest games of all time and I was fully expecting to be blown out of my mind. Instead, it is my least favourite XBLA game that I have.

You're insane!

But i see what you're saying about the DS titles. Definatly over-hyped, but they are still quality titles....even though they aren't original.

[Funk, E]

Call me insane, but I also don't really get into the Metroid games. Any kind of branching paths or back-tracking bothers me a little. And the collecting/RPG elements doesn't do it for me. I guess I just don't appreciate this kind of game.

The doc requires complete and total linearity at all times, people.

[Ack]

Got a good friend who is the same way with his games. Nothing wrong with it.

[AwesomeMonstar]

I have mixed feeling about SotN - firstly, I love it because it's the best Metroidvania style Castlevania game in my opinion, the GBA & DS games are good but have never matched up to the experience of playing SotN for the first time - secondly, I hate Syphony of the Night because it spelled the death of the original Castlevania format that I love. If someone had said to me back in 1996 "hey, here's an awesome new Castlevania game, it's not linear and is more like an RPG...but, it means you'll never get another traditional Castlevania game again" I would've told them to stuff it and gone back to re-playing Super Castlevania IV and praying for a Rondo of Blood PSX port. Ever since Symphony of the Night the series has taken a direction I really don't aprove of, firstly the terrible N64 3d CV games were a waste of time and secondly the fact that the series has abandonned consoles and become handheld only.

In an ideal world Konami would make the Metroidvania games for DS that everyone loves, and make Castlevania V as a 2d HD downloadble game in the classic Castlevania style to appease the long-term fans longing for a traditional Castlevania.

You know they remade rondo of blood for psp, which is essentially the best of the classic castlevania? Also the creator has stated if it does well he might delve a tad into the old castlevania stile.

Hate to be a downer, but recently Igarashi(is that his name?)implied that there doesn't seem to be much interest in old school style Castlevania, which is why the next one is going to be a fighter

Yes, you heard me. Castlevania is now a fighting game. Makes me appreciate Symphony of the Night even more.

I think this guy really wants to stick to doing Castlevania as a 2-d old school style game, but it seems like the big dogs at Konami have no faith in Castlevania as a franchise and think that turning it into a gimmicky fighter for the Wii will get people's interest...which may be an indicator that this "casual gaming" rennaissance is getting a bit out of hand.

Anyway, here's the article:

http://kotaku.com/5020097/wii-castlevan ... hting-game

Honestly, do we really need this? We've already got Soul Calibur which is the same game that keeps getting released over and over again with a different number after the title each time...and is getting ridiculously gimmicky with characters like Spawn, Yoda and Link in it.

Alright, if your going to use a kotaku article, atleast use the recent one. http://kotaku.com/5028782/igarashi-wii- ... ream-alive . also... order of eclesia? did you forget about that or something?
Also, stop the soul caliber comparison. Read the previews and you'll find out that this game is more like powerstone than anything.

[Doctor Fugue]

Call me insane, but I also don't really get into the Metroid games. Any kind of branching paths or back-tracking bothers me a little. And the collecting/RPG elements doesn't do it for me. I guess I just don't appreciate this kind of game.

The doc requires complete and total linearity at all times, people.

That is very true.

Linearity = Arcade = The Doc loves it

[Ivo]

I think the first one I played was Circle of the Moon. I haven't yet played SotN, but after CotM I played the first NES one, and then the 2nd GBA (Harmony of Dissonance? I get them all mixed up)

[Bootaaay]

You know they remade rondo of blood for psp, which is essentially the best of the classic castlevania?

Yeah, I played through Dracula X Chronicles and it's quite a good re-make, although jumping feels a bit weird - thankfully the original Rondo can be unlocked. Personally I think the original Castlevania titles peaked with Super Castlevania IV, easily my favourite of the whole series.

[nateup2]

I have mixed feeling about SotN - firstly, I love it because it's the best Metroidvania style Castlevania game in my opinion, the GBA & DS games are good but have never matched up to the experience of playing SotN for the first time - secondly, I hate Syphony of the Night because it spelled the death of the original Castlevania format that I love. If someone had said to me back in 1996 "hey, here's an awesome new Castlevania game, it's not linear and is more like an RPG...but, it means you'll never get another traditional Castlevania game again" I would've told them to stuff it and gone back to re-playing Super Castlevania IV and praying for a Rondo of Blood PSX port. Ever since Symphony of the Night the series has taken a direction I really don't aprove of, firstly the terrible N64 3d CV games were a waste of time and secondly the fact that the series has abandonned consoles and become handheld only.

In an ideal world Konami would make the Metroidvania games for DS that everyone loves, and make Castlevania V as a 2d HD downloadble game in the classic Castlevania style to appease the long-term fans longing for a traditional Castlevania.

Yup Yup