The crown jewel of the Caslevania series
It was finally Castlevania: Symphony of the Night that really revived the series. It combined the elements that made the Castlevania series a classic with the gameplay elements of Super Metroid. The similarity to Metroid lies in the collecting of various relics that allow Alucard - the main protagonist, reappearing from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - to reach new areas of the castle. It also has RPG elements in that you can equip armor, and weapons that when used have different ranges and visual effects. The magic is rather disappointing I must say. The most interesting magic in the game lies in the weapons. The independent spells are not very useful, and are just for fun really.
The graphics on the Playstation are first rate for a game of its type. Fluid animations, and cool special effects. Highly polished.
The soundtrack is one of the best parts of the game. The music is very memorable, especially after playing through it 20-30 times. Ok, maybe I remember it better than I should. . . You will laugh at the voice acting though. . . Thank god the game is so superb that it doesn't matter.
There are a lot of secret rooms to find as well. More than enough to keep players busy. However, the best items in the game are where you would least expect them. . .
A game that I compulsively have been drawn back to. I've totally exhausted this game. Before SOTN, I hadn't exhausted a game since the SNES. That's a rare kind of game.
Alongside Super Metroid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is one of the best 2-D platformers ever. It is first of a series of amazing 2-D platformers. Try to get your hands on it if possible. Otherwise, play any of the Gameboy Advance Castlevania's (Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria of Sorrow), or the DS Castlevania's (Dawn of Sorrow, "Portrait of Ruin" rumored for release November 2006).