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[DragoonKain]

I've been playing this for the last few days. I never owned it when I was younger for PS1 but I did play it. I never remember if I finished it though, I remember renting it and playing it at a friend's house. Regardless, whatever I did play of it, I forgot it entirely, and I always wanted to go back and play it because Metroidvanias have become my favorite genre. So I'm playing it on PS4 and I love it. The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard, and gameplay is really good. The only thing that sucks on PS4 is the analog stick doesn't work right with this port. I know people will say "Always use d pad with old school games" and I will if I have to, but my fingers always get little blisters on them when I use the d pad for too long. Maybe I press down too hard subconsciously. I've been switching back and forth to ease up on my thumb.

I love the art style as well. It has some old school flaws like movement is a little stiff and item drops disappear rather quickly. But overall I love it.

I was thinking about going back and playing through a bunch of Castlevanias this year. Which ones are most like Symphony of the Night that gives the full Metroidvania experience? I know SOTN is regarded as the "Most Metroidvania-y" but what one should I play next that is closest to this and has the most Metroidvania elements(ability upgrades, backtracking, exploration, being able to access new areas, health upgrades, etc).

 

[Spukc]

Symphony of the Night

 

[jshackles]

I was thinking about going back and playing through a bunch of Castlevanias this year. Which ones are most like Symphony of the Night that gives the full Metroidvania experience? I know SOTN is regarded as the "Most Metroidvania-y" but what one should I play next that is closest to this and has the most Metroidvania elements(ability upgrades, backtracking, exploration, being able to access new areas, health upgrades, etc).

You'll always be chasing that dragon after Symphony of the Night, OP

But the DS games are probably the closest.

Castlevania Dominus Collection

Three games from the Castlevania series have finally returned

store.playstation.com

 

[Team Skoda]

Bloodstained. It's Castlevania in all but name.

 

[Saber]

Worst thing about it is the health item usage. Incredibly outdated and nonsensical. Also the actual health being stated only by numbers and not bars still icks me. I take all the DS and GBA versions of Castlevanias over this, specially the DS versions. Not a bad game by all means though.

 

[thefool]

How do you even beat this game without a guide

 

[PauloRoberto]

I unfortunately cannot stand this game... every time I start the inverted castle, i start to get nauseous (literally).

 

[IAmRei]

looks like i have to replay this game again, as once per year, i usually finished one or two metroid or castlevania, so this time, should be SoTN

 

[Rentahamster]

How do you even beat this game without a guide

I employed the tried and true strategy of being good at video games.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Aria of Sorrow is on par with SotN and for a GBA game it's insane.

 

[cireza]

I strongly recommend the last GBA game and the three DS games if you enjoy SotN.

In retrospect, SotN was incredibly forward thinking. Sure, there were already some open and connected games before, like Metroid or Monster World games. But it nailed a perfect blend of open world platforming with RPG elements.

And the artistic direction as well as the soundtrack were definitely some of the highest points of the series.

I do think that later games improved some aspects, but SotN deserves the praise.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Which ones are most like Symphony of the Night that gives the full Metroidvania experience?

My favorite is Aria of Sorrow.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

One of the best games I've ever played. A super cool story... The coolest thing was that you don't control a Belmont... but Dracula's son. That really impressed me and I loved it.

There are still many secrets, and the best part was that there's another half of the game. Its soundtrack...

The new style of RPG gameplay. I give it a 9.5 rating.

 

[simpatico]

I recently bought a PS2 and the original PSX copy of this. I play it on a CRT. It's pretty darn sweet. Would still love an eventual Steam port, but hope they actually go back to the PSX original and not just give the PSP port again. It's the one true goat.

 

[Arsic]

I've been playing this for the last few days. I never owned it when I was younger for PS1 but I did play it. I never remember if I finished it though, I remember renting it and playing it at a friend's house. Regardless, whatever I did play of it, I forgot it entirely, and I always wanted to go back and play it because Metroidvanias have become my favorite genre. So I'm playing it on PS4 and I love it. The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard, and gameplay is really good. The only thing that sucks on PS4 is the analog stick doesn't work right with this port. I know people will say "Always use d pad with old school games" and I will if I have to, but my fingers always get little blisters on them when I use the d pad for too long. Maybe I press down too hard subconsciously. I've been switching back and forth to ease up on my thumb.

I love the art style as well. It has some old school flaws like movement is a little stiff and item drops disappear rather quickly. But overall I love it.

I was thinking about going back and playing through a bunch of Castlevanias this year. Which ones are most like Symphony of the Night that gives the full Metroidvania experience? I know SOTN is regarded as the "Most Metroidvania-y" but what one should I play next that is closest to this and has the most Metroidvania elements(ability upgrades, backtracking, exploration, being able to access new areas, health upgrades, etc).

Sorrow games are a must

Dominus collection is what you want.

And I still recommend super Castlevania 4 if just for the banger OST:

 

[uncreativename]

How do you even beat this game without a guide

? The only flaw of Symphony of the Night is that it's difficult not to accidentally overlevel and make the game incredibly easy. The only thing I could maaybe see someone needing a guide for is the bit with the clock.

Also btw OP my favourite other game in the series is Order of Ecclesia. Be aware that it's a very hard game in spots, though.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

My favorite is Aria of Sorrow.

When the first track in the game goes this hard you know it's amazing.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Castlevania 2 Simon's Quest
Castlevania: Dominus Collection
Super Metroid

 

[DreamcastSkies]

One of my most favorite games.

 

[TintoConCasera]

When the first track in the game goes this hard you know it's amazing.

It's amazing what they were able to do with the GBA's sound chip, that shit is the shit.

 

[uncreativename]

I don't think that Judgment is very good, but I think it's got the best version of this classic Castlevania track, btw

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

Just because I really loved it, I wanna namedrop Chronicles Of The Wolf in here. It has a few rough edges considering it's basically two dudes but it makes up for any of that in sheer Castlevania fanboy spirit. Game is a fantastic mix of Simon's Quest, Rondo and SotN that never feels like just a cheap copy or anything imo.

 

[Plague Doctor]

Welcome to the GOAT, OP.

Many times copied but rarely matched.

 

[The_hunter]

Great game, legendary soundtrack and pixel art.

 

[GymWolf]

Enjoy one of the best game ever created, one of the best OST ever created and arguably the best metroidvania ever created.

One of the REAL generational games.

And do yourself a favour, try without much spoilers to unlock the "endgame" in your first and possibly only run, it is fucking worthy.

 

[Dr Bass]

One of my favorite gamers of all time. Try playing with the D pad. That's what it was made for. And yeah, don't press so hard!

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

As some have said, the GBA titles are good games of similar style. Circle of Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria of Sorrow. I hadn't made it to the DS titles yet, but seems they continue the tradition.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia are the ones that give the same feels overall. But the first two have a collecting element based on RNG that I was never cool with, and Ecclesia has a very different area design, plus it has some nasty difficulty spikes.

SOTN is by far the most accomplished package. The artwork is superb, the OST is legendary. It has almost perfect progression. What little VA it has is unforgettable, and the writing, as simple as it is, is still better than some nonsense the series has seen (Aria's writing is downright insulting in its anime trope-ness). It's a legendary game for a reason.

 

[thefool]

? The only flaw of Symphony of the Night is that it's difficult not to accidentally overlevel and make the game incredibly easy. The only thing I could maaybe see someone needing a guide for is the bit with the clock.

Also btw OP my favourite other game in the series is Order of Ecclesia. Be aware that it's a very hard game in spots, though.

Are you for real? Just the clock? You telling me with a straight face unlocking the inverted castle is straightforward?

 

[Muchacho]

Defs one of the best games ever made.

First time I played it having just beaten Rondo of Blood and playing that first part as Richter I thought I got ripped off only to get my jaw dropped straight after with Alucard's reveal. The awesome pixel art, the one of a kind OST and all the game's secrets. Fuck it I'm gonna start a play through as well. Damn you DragoonKain .

While most enjoy GBA/DS metroidvanias like Aria and Dawn of Sorrow more I liked Circle of the moon most.

Also had a great soundtrack for GBA:


Recommend:
Circle of the Moon
Aria of Sorrow
Order of Ecclesia
Portrait of Ruin
Dawn of Sorrow
Bloodstained (Sotn spiritual successor)

Also keep an eye out for Belmont's Curse coming sometime this year.

 

[struggler_guts]

I need to go back and finish it one day too OP, I'm pretty sure I got stuck on where to go after the inversion...

 

[DragoonKain]

I'm definitely going to go through all of them. I've played random Castlevanias, but not the whole series. I was not a hardcore Castlevania fan growing up like I was Metroid. I think I'll just start with Aria of Sorrow after this and then run through the DS ones as well, then maybe circle back to the other GBA ones. Not sure, I'll see. Depends how long this takes and time between upcoming releases.

 

[uncreativename]

Are you for real? Just the clock? You telling me with a straight face unlocking the inverted castle is straightforward?

I'm saying that I think it's the only hard part of unlocking the inverted castle. The rest you just find naturally if you explore the entire map

 

[amigastar]

This and Dawn of Sorrow on the DS are the only two castlevanias i've played through.

 

[rm082e]

Top 10 all time game for me. The GOAT of metroidvanias. I replay it about once every 2 years.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Great game. I even rebought it on XBLA for 800 pts. I almost never rebuy games, but this is one of them. I think I've rebought maybe 5 games in my life and this is one of them.

I had to use the internet to get over 100% rooms explored. LOL. There were a couple spots it'd be impossible to know them unless you randomly just broke every brick or floor tile all day.

 

[NeverYouMind]

I recommend Rondo of Blood with the disclaimer that it does not feature RPG elements and has a branching level structure with points of no return.

P.S. It is also fairly challenging.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Still the king. Nothing has topped it for me since its release.

Also fuck Hollow Knight and the like.

 

[Nocty]

Still the king. Nothing has topped it still for me.

Also fuck Hollow Knight and the like.

Never really understood the hate for Silksong. It's one of the best games of this genre ever made.

SotN will always be my favourite though so I agree with you on that part.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

 

[Evil Smurf King]

Just out of curiosity, "Lord Vinheteiro" a Brazilian youtuber and classic music influencer dude playing the Library stage soundtrack on two pianos simultaneously... Dracula himself would say "impressive human!"

For me, it's the best game ever!

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Order of Ecclesia has one of the most savage difficulty spikes I've ever came across in games. I bought a physical copy back in 08 but never finished it.

 

[riko]

The GBA/DS games were fun, but nothing has dethroned SOTN for me. I replay it ever 5 years or so and enjoy it each time.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

This thread just got me to boot up SOTY. I dabbled with it a couple years ago but never got very far. I'm gonna give it another shot.

 

[Crew511A]

This thread just got me to boot up SOTY. I dabbled with it a couple years ago but never got very far. I'm gonna give it another shot.

It didn't stick with me right away either. After about an hour of play time, I couldn't put it down. The actual story told in-game was pretty amazing.

 

[EntelechyFuff]

Defs one of the best games ever made.

First time I played it having just beaten Rondo of Blood and playing that first part as Richter I thought I got ripped off only to get my jaw dropped straight after with Alucard's reveal. The awesome pixel art, the one of a kind OST and all the game's secrets. Fuck it I'm gonna start a play through as well. Damn you DragoonKain .

While most enjoy GBA/DS metroidvanias like Aria and Dawn of Sorrow more I liked Circle of the moon most.

Also had a great soundtrack for GBA:


Recommend:
Circle of the Moon
Aria of Sorrow
Order of Ecclesia
Portrait of Ruin
Dawn of Sorrow
Bloodstained (Sotn spiritual successor)

Also keep an eye out for Belmont's Curse coming sometime this year.

Y'know, I think Circle of the Moon is a really good shout.

I'm in the camp where I think no game--Castlevania series or otherwise--has ever touched what Symphony did, and I suspect no game ever will.

But CotM maintains the tone well, while also being something other than "how do we do replicate Symphony, again?". It also feels more comfortable in its own skin (i.e. being developed for and played on a handheld) than the other CV games, which all felt to me like they were craving higher budgets, bigger screens, and greater sound quality.

 

[cartman414]

Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia are the ones that give the same feels overall. But the first two have a collecting element based on RNG that I was never cool with, and Ecclesia has a very different area design, plus it has some nasty difficulty spikes.

SOTN is by far the most accomplished package. The artwork is superb, the OST is legendary. It has almost perfect progression. What little VA it has is unforgettable, and the writing, as simple as it is, is still better than some nonsense the series has seen (Aria's writing is downright insulting in its anime trope-ness). It's a legendary game for a reason.

I feel that SotN's backtracky castle design was a bigger offense than the collecting element, but that's just me. Aria and Dawn had better progression as a result, helped by the more generous warp room allotment.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I never used any kind of guidebook or checked the internet at time I played it on PS1, so when you'd get new items you'd goof around testing it out what magic powers it had.

I milked the Moon Rod (I think that's what it's called) which shot a bunch of blade things doing massive damage. But then sometimes I'd do a move with an item which I had no idea what it did. It might make a diamond or star symbol on screen but nothing happened.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

I played SotN for the first time a few years ago, and it really holds up as one of the best metroidvanias of all time. Dawn of Sorrow is the next best, and probably Aria after that. Portrait of Ruin was pretty good but didn't reach the highs of the others. Can't comment on Order of Ecclesia as I haven't played it, yet.

 

[vodka-bull]

How do you even beat this game without a guide

I have no idea, but that's exactly the reason I stopped playing it. I always need a guide for almost all metroidvanias because whenever I play a game I can't remember shit for backtracking. The only metroidvania that did a great job in this regard was PoP the lost crown, because that game let you do screenshots of the areas you're stuck at so whenever you got a new ability you instantly knew where to use it.