A classic that is a steal for this price, and a game that every gamer should play at least once.

User Rating: 9.5 | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night X360
I played the original SOTN for the Playstation when it first came out, and I absolutely loved it. I played the crap out of it, and it sat on my shelf for a few years. When this game was released for XBLA, I didn't even have to think before picking it up. I'm going to tell you why here.

The graphics in this game are the one downfall. They don't look as clean as it could be, but the artistic direction is brilliant. This game isn't going to push the processor to the limit, but I think that you'll rarely tire of the wide array of enemies and backgrounds.

The sound in this game is superb. The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, and the fact that each new area is usually recognizable by the music playing is great. Enemies make some satisfying cries and grunts. The voice acting is a little....corny, but it does get the job done, and is still better than scroll text, in my opinion.

The controls are really easy and responsive. The analog helps in pulling off some of the special moves, and you'll rarely find yourself angry at jumping over or around parts of the castle.

The gameplay is phenomenal. I loved ever minute exploring every inch of the castle. As long as you keep your eyes open, you shouldn't get stuck too often. You usually find a new power-up and you'll think back to somewhere that it could be used. The story is interesting, and there are some surprises if you've never played this game before.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is simply one of thos games that defined a genre. To this day it is still the benchmark for 2D action side-scrollers. This is a game that every 360 owner should download and play because it's a great game, it'll keep you busy for a while, and it's only $10.