Castlevania SOTN is one of the most beloved PS1 games of all time.
The game starts off with the most bad ass Hard Goth Rock Metal riff in history and the entire game itself in Richter's story as he just storms the castle going upstairs to meet Dracula and get in an ultimate battle starting with the cheesiest dialogue in the world "DIE MONSTER! YOU DON'T BELONG IN THIS WORLD?!" Is just too iconic.
As for the game itself. There is not much story and it may not be 3D but it's truly one the greats. Easy to play and get into . Not much of a learning curve for your average gamer. It's a Metroidvania so that means you'll get abilities to progress through explorable locations and explore each which is so damn rewarding. Killing off every terrifying enemy with a weapon of your choice. All which are great and balanced except for shields which never work. There are so many good RPG elements. This mansion is HUGE! It's not too hard and not too easy.
The graphics are pretty good as the animation and effects are very dazzling and fluid peppered with some 3D effects. By the late 90's we have just mastered 2D graphics so this is a testament to that as a sidescroller game.
Each place in the game is filled with great music which has it's own vibe. It's quite exciting.
Overall, CV:SOTN won't change your life but it is super addicting.