Arguably the best Castlevania game ever, thanks to inspiration from Super Metroid.
Lows: Cheap deaths, annoying enemies, slow character movement, long loading times.
Verdict: The game which set the standard for future Castlevania games.
After the same old linear, arcade style versions of Castlevania, Konami decided to go to the drawing board, and truly set a standard for one of their key franchises. What they did was take Castlevania and give it Metroid-style gameplay elements along with some JRPG elements as well. That was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, released for the PlayStation in 1997 and the Sega Saturn in 1998(Japan only). This game is not only the best Castlevania game, but more importantly, Konami's answer to Super Metroid. Taking place in 1792, you play as Alucard, as he is on a mission to stop his evil father, Count Dracula from taking over the world, and rid his curse once and for all, restoring peace to the world once again. With returning series characters Richter Belmont and Maria Renard, the trio have one gigantic castle to explore, defeating enemies as they go, in order to end the curse of Dracula. Playing SOTN is like playing a Metroid game mixed with a Final Fantasy game, as you are doing lots of backtracking, exploring, searching for hidden items and secrets, plus defeating enemies and bosses in order to level up your powers, getting money along the way to buy equipment from the castle librarian to increase you offensive and defensive stats, and more. The secrets are rewarding as some of the items you find can increase your max health, increase your heart capacity, and more. The story is excellent as the plot leaves you guessing until the very end, with some shocking moments and what have you. There are different endings you get in the game, depending on your actions throughout the game. The music is excellent as the tunes are memorable, rockin and unforgettable, seems like Konami Kukeiha Club outdid themselves with the soundtrack. SOTN is great, but there are problems unfortunately. The game is sadistically difficult, as it is full of annoying enemies that push you back, and drain your health, sometimes causing lots of cheap deaths, your character movement is kinda slow as Alucard just speedwalks throughout the whole game. Lastly, SOTN is plagued by long loading times, as the game sometimes takes up to 15 seconds or more to load your game or whenever you go to different areas of the castle. Overall, Symphony of the Night is not only the best Castlevania game, but the best Super Metroid clone I've ever seen. Starting prices for copies of SOTN on Amazon are somewhat reasonable, as they start out at about $20-25, or you can play this on Xbox Live Arcade. This is one game you should totally try out.