Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Game Overview

In looking over the history of video games, and not just the Castlevania series specifically, there are many instances where a video game series is forced to evolve, to become something new to keep up with not only fan expectations but the growing changes in the market as a whole. The argument could be made that many franchises drastically changed after a single title (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, to name a few), with the old way of doing business left behind (never to been seen again, except in compilations and purposeful revisits to specific titles). Of course, the moment where that happened in the (classic) Castlevania series can be traced to 1997's seminal work, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

It's hard to overstate the significance of Symphony of the Night on the rest of the series. Although Castlevania had seen its share of exploration-based platforming titles -- Vampire KillerA loose port of Castlevania for the MSX2, this platforming adventure took the bones of the original game but blended in minor exploration elements to create something different and interesting. and Castlevania II: Simon's QuestThe first true sequel in the franchise, and one of the few direct sequels ever released. It was the first game in the series to introduce players to the concepts that would eventually become the Metroidvania genre. -- those games had only flirted with the genre that would come to be known as "MetroidvaniaAt the intersection of Metroid and Castlevania lies the exploration platformer genre, the game style with heroes wandering expansive worlds, looking for items to expand their quest, known as Metroidvania.". It was Symphony of the Night that put the "vania" in Metroidvania, and the reason for this was the excellence of the game. Symphony of the Night is a masterwork of the Castlevania series.

The brain-child of Koji Igarashi (who had been hired by Konami previously to work on a romantic dating sim, which reportedly was a hit, giving Igarashi carte blanche to work on whatever next title he desired), Symphony of the Night was the culmination of all of the weird ideas Igarashi wanted to see in the series (at least, after an abortive first attempt to build his game on the soon-to-fail Sega Genesis 32x attachment, then under the working title of Castlevania: The BloodlettingThis title was meant to be the follow up to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, a Sega 32X-exclusive cart that would have seen the return of Richter Belmont and Maria Renard to take on vampires once more. However, the failure of the 32X attachment all but ensured this game wouldn’t see the light of day, with its basic materials getting reworked into Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.). Igarashi had observed the development of Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of BloodThe first adventure for Richter Belmont, this game didn't originally make it to the West (instead seeing a SNES remake to replace it) as was considered something of a prized collector's item by fans. and loved the way that game played; he wanted to take that title and, working with that game's director, Toru Hagihara, create a game that built on that foundation but was bigger and better in all regards.

The resulting game, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasokyoku, translated as "Demon Castle Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight"), was a labor of love that far exceeded the groundwork laid by the games that came before. Mixing the base of Castlevania with RPG elements and MetroidStarted by Nintendo in 1986, the Metroid series is one of the fundamental games of the exploration platforming genre, adding the "Metroid" to Metroidvania. action, Symphony of the Night crafts an expansive adventure to the delight of fans of the series.

AlucardOne of three heroes recruited by Trevor Belmont on his quest to defeat Dracula, Alucard was the son of Dracula who turned from his fathers evil, battling against his cursed family line again and again., son of DraculaThe lead antagonist of the Castlevania series and most famous vampire character in all media, all thanks to Bram Stoker. Based on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, a vicious ruler of Wallachia in the mid-1500s., arrives at the demon castle after sensing the rise of Dracula's dark magic. Exploring why, he comes across DeathThe Grim Reaper who, in the series, is Dracula's right hand man and most reliable supporter (although the Netflix series changes this some). He comes for the souls of the living, especially those of the Belmont clan. who steals Alucard's equipment, forcing the son of Dracula to explore the castle looking for the powers, and the arsenal, that will aid him in his quest.

But Alucard is not entirely alone in this quest. As a direct sequel to Castlevania Dracula X, Symphony involves the heroes from that previous title, too. As Alucard adventures, he encounters Maria RenardA young heroine, and cousin to Richter Belmont, with the blood of the Belmont clan in her veins, Maria teams with Richter to fight back Dracula and the forces of darkness in the late 1700s., there looking for her brother (or brother-in-law, depending on the version of continuity you accept), Richter BelmontRevealed first in Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood in Japan, and then Castlevania: Dracula X in the West, Richter is the Belmont hero of the late 1700s who worked with Maria Renard to bring down Dracula.. It seems Richter went missing sometime before, and then Dracula's castle showed up, leading both heroes to think there is some connection between these events. It's through Alucard's adventure, and Maria's assistance, that the mystery of Richter's disappearance, and how it ties in to the resurrection of Castle Dracula, is solved.

In style and action, Symphony of the Night is pure Castlevania. Like heroes of the past, Alucard is a close up fighter, using his melee weapons to battle back the hordes of demons populating the castle. The graphics and music craft a stunning exhibit for the PlayStation that still feels delightfully of-a-piece with the previous games in the series. But, as Alucard explores, the other influences on the game come to light. Quickly, Alucard will find weapons and armor that drop off enemies and he can equip these items via his inventory. Additionally, he'll gain experience, leveling up as his quest unfolds. These RPG elements, both experience and inventory, were included in the game, as Igarashi put it, to make the game a little easier, allowing not only the hardcore fans of the series, but new and casual fans as well, a chance to see all the sights of the castle, potentially making the ending accessible for all that came to the party.

New powers and abilities could be unlocked, too. Some items, like the Jewel of Open, were simply key-lock items, but deeper into the adventure Alucard would gain access to more impressive functionality. His vampiric powers, such as the Souls of Bat and Wolf, as well as the Form of Mist, grant Alucard better ways to explore the castle, increasing his damage output and attacks as well as increasing his reach. This is the Metroid side of things which, coupled with a map you can reference to explore the castle more efficiently, makes this title a worthy answer to Nintendo's own Super MetroidThe third release in the Metroid series, Super Metroid is often cited as the best game in the series, improving on the gameplay of the previous two entries while also introducing so many new foundational elements of the series that it’s fair to say that the franchise didn’t truly start until this SNES title., which are big shoes to fill, certainly.

As Alucard explores the castle, he'll even find and unlock even more stuff to aid him in battle, such as magical spells he can cast (fireballs and blood magic and so forth), and familiars he can summon and level up (such as a bat, a spectral sword, a ghost, a fairy, or a devil). There are quite a number of various options and ways to navigate the game, it does seem at times like the entire programming group was just sitting around going "oh, and wouldn't it be cool if we added this!"

The legacy of Symphony of the Night looms large over all of the Castlevania series. It can be seen in how the series evolved to focus on Metroidvania game play, with Alucard's larger role in the series and repeated appearances going forward, and with Igarashi eventually becoming the series lead through what is often considered the artistic "golden age" for the series. Fans would consider this the greatest success in the series, the biggest hit Castlevania had ever seen. Artistically that might be true, but, at least in the U.S., the game's initial release was anything but a rousing success.

In Japan, the game was quite successful, with its blend of 2D visuals and new game play ideas culminating in brisk sales and critical success. In the U.S., though, the critics were less kind. For whatever reason, magazines often denigrated the game, calling it "old" because it featured 2D game play at a time when every console was going into 3D polygonal graphics. The game was described as "flat" and "old", and this critical lambasting resulted in poor sales of only 40,000 copies in both the U.S. and European regions. There was an eventual shift of opinion about the game, leading to steady sales over time with over 700,000 copies of the game selling over the life of the PlayStation (and Sega Saturn). Lifetime sales for the game eventually reached 1.57 Million via re-releases and digital sales, too, finally becoming the "million seller" Konami desired, but that took time and tempered the company's initial expectations for the game.

That goes some way to explaining the next moves the company made. The Saturn-exclusive remake of the game (see: Castlevania: Nocturne in the MoonlightThe Saturn port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, commonly referred to by it's Japanese name to differentiate it from the PlayStation version. It had more features built in, but not everything about this port was superior.) was released only in Japan (where sales of the initial game were brisk). Then, instead of making another Metroidvania title, the company shifted to the Nintendo 64, trying to give the West the 3D title in the series fans supposedly desired (they didn't warm to the game, and Castlevania for the Nintendo 64After a number of titles for non-Nintendo systems, Castlevania’s return should have been marked by much love and enjoyment from the fans. Sadly the first version of the game on Nintendo’s 64-bit console was a flawed game, interesting in places but not the kind of game fans were clamoring for in 1999. was also a financial disappointment). It wouldn't be until the first true sequel to the Metroidvania format, Castlevania: Circle of the MoonThe second Metroidvania-style game in the franchise, Circle of the Moon was developed by the KCET team within Konami, who had previously developed the much beloved Super Castlevania IV. Although not considered a perfect game by fans, this Game Boy Advance title did show that there was much that could be done with the Metroidvania mechanics in the series beyond Symphony of the Night., that Konami would find both sales and artistic success with the genre, and with that, the promise of Symphony of the Night would truly be fulfilled.

The Legacy of Symphony of the Night:

Although Symphony of the Night would eventually become a watershed moment for the series, redefining what it would mean to be a Castlevania game, that transition did not come without some growing pains. Many fans would end up lamenting the shift in focus, demanding a return to "old school" titles (although when one of those titles was released, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirthDeveloped for the Nintendo Wii, this game was a loose remake of The Castlevania Adventure, taking inspiration from many of the later games in the series, creating a hybrid adventure very different from the original Game Boy game. also wasn't a huge sales hit). While the Castlevania series reached new heights in popularity after Symphony of the Night, there were many that would grouse about "one more Symphony-clone" (the term Castleroid, which eventually morphed into MetroidvaniaAt the intersection of Metroid and Castlevania lies the exploration platformer genre, the game style with heroes wandering expansive worlds, looking for items to expand their quest, known as Metroidvania., was used by some as a derogatory term).

Metroidvania games were easier, unlike old-school platformers that defined the series. Classic fans wanted their old, difficult, "Nintendo Hard" games, while the new audience wanted more of what drew them in -- Symphony of the Night and its stylistic sequels. It was a push/pull for the series that might, in the long run, have actually hurt sales leading to lower numbers for the series after Circle of the Moon.

There is also the possibility that the desire to recreate Symphony of the Night over and over led the company into something of a rut. Each successive game started feeling like more of the same and there were calls among fan-sites (this one included, back in the day) for Konami to return the series to its roots. Having plenty of Metroidvania titles was great, but the series needed a fresh new look and style to help carry it forward.

There's something of a monkey's paw to that request, of course, as the series did get a fresh coat of paint in the early 2010s. That was when Konami teamed with MercurySteam to produce the Castlevania series reboot, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. That game was a financial success when it came out, but it also felt like an even bigger departure for the series than Symphony of the Night, and its sequels, too, met with financial disappointment. Long run, you can trace the heights of the series from the starting point of Symphony of the Night right down to the crash of the series after Lords of Shadow, leading to the company all but giving up on the series entirely.

Regional Differences:

As a U.S.-based fan site, it's not our goal at the Inverted Dungeon to track all the various minutiae that changes between the Japanese and U.S. releases of a Castlevania game -- whether there are covered breasts or naked boobs on a statue, whether a cross is included or removed on a gravestone. That said, it's important to note that the original U.S. release of Symphony of the Night omitted two familiars included in the Japanese version of the game: the Sprite and the Nose Demon. These two familiars were based on Japanese comedians and as such would have made no sense to American players.

Additionally, they had the same functionality in game as two other familiars: the Fairy and the Devil (respectively), meaning their removal from the game did not substantially change it in any way. It's only vital to report this as, in the Castlevania: The Dracula X ChroniclesA remake of Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood which featured updated graphics, music, and some new gameplay elements. It also included classic versions of Rondo and Symphony of the Night (the latter of which had a new bonus Maria mode). reissue of the game, those two familiars were included back into the game. We at the Inverted Dungeon still don't get the references (we can't speak Japanese), but appreciate their inclusion.

Also included in later remakes of the game were playable versions of Maria Renard. The Saturn version of the game featured a rather "punchy" version of Maria, but her Chronicles version functioned much more like her version in Rondo of Blood. The inclusion of Maria here helped to create the most "complete" version of the game Americans had ever received (although the two bonus levels included in the Saturn release did not also make the cut for the Chronicles edition).

Later releases of the game -- first as part of the Castlevania Requiem package (with Symphony and Rondo packed together) and then the later release of Symphony on cellphones, have been based on the PSP Chronicles port of the game. The cellphone version does include on-screen controls as well as the ability to play with a controller, but otherwise the game was not changed at all between all these ports.

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