Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!
 

Every Halloween, without fail, I find myself seized with the burning desire to play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It's actually one of only two Castlevania games I've ever completed (the other being Aria of Sorrow for the DS), though I've got a few more I haven't beaten. SotN just remains very dear to my heart, though. I love 2D platformers... as long as they aren't TOO hard, and this one is about perfect difficulty-wise. It's also got an amazing soundtrack, graphics that hold up surprisingly well, and that famously so-bad-it's-awesome voice acting.

So, Castlevania! What's your favorite in the series and why?

(...what is a man? A miserable little pile of SECRETS!)

SotN is the only Castlevania game I've played, but I LOVED it. I played it so much, I completely blew out the TV. I've played through it multiple times, I never got tired of it. I never did get 206% or whatever the very highest is, but I did find all the best gear. Unfortunately, even though I bought the game with my own allowance back in the day, the PS2 is my sister's so I didn't take the game with me when I moved out. I've toyed with the idea of buying a PS3 and a newer Castlevania game, but everyone says SotN was the best game of the whole series and I don't want to be let down by the other ones.

Aria of Sorrow is pretty on par with it, IMO. Similar platforming and a pretty solid story, though it's not as long.

I enjoyed the PS2 ones I played -- Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness -- but I never beat either of them ^_^* At least with Lament of Innocence I got to the end. I just got stuck on a boss >.

Oh! But Aria of Sorrow isn't for the DS, it's for the GBA. My bad! There was a DS sequel but the art style changed from the gorgeous Ayami Kojima art to this really generic anime junk and it didn't appeal to me at all... = /

I also vaguely recall renting one for the N64 that was "okay" but I never got all that far in it.

That will probably sound like a strange anwser, but either Castlevania 3 Dracula curse because of the multiple paths and characters, and off course the Help Me (I damn love that one), and Castlevania 64 for personal bias because I like Carrie. I actualy love Bloodlines too, I have fun burrying Eric's head in the ground when the orb falls after bosses xD Speaking of bloodlines, my favorite boss is Elisabeth Bathory/Medusa from this one ^^ Too bad it's like a mini-bush rush mode in that part, and I have no idea where to find health outside Death.

I played pretty much all of them and finished pretty much all of them too. I just did Castlevania Chronicle a few days ago. The only thing is that I suck royaly at it/castlevania in general, but still whatever. xD

Also, Schmoo is an awesome ennemy in SotN for the name alone. I love saying that, Schmoo Schmoo Schmoo Schmoo Schmoo :D I have no idea what they're suppose to represent but whatever. They're fun, and I think they're the ennemy that can drop the Chrisagreaim or something like that.

Schmoos! Yes! They drop either ramen, which is one of the best healing food items, or the Crissaegrim, which is the best sword ever, period. Once you get the Crissaegrim you basically have the game sewn up. You can even run while still swinging it. It's just a wall of death in front of you at all times XD

Basically when I replay, I get to the inverted library as soon as I can get to the alternate castle, and just farm Schmoos, haha.

The food drops in Castlevania did seem odd to me, like spagetti and ketchup. What was with that?

I've only played Lament of Innocence so far. I haven't finished it yet, but like many of my stalled games, I'm stuck right before a boss fight and since I haven't played it in so long I'm out of practice. I'm in the Pagoda now. I stopped at the top of the really long staircase but because of the save points I'll have to run through the pagoda again. I do like the soundtrack.

I have the DS one, Order of Ecclesia I think, but I'm stuck on the first boss. Even my friend, the video game master is having issues with the stupid crab.

I'm a fan of Kojima's artwork too. :). Wasn't so fond of the artwork on the cover of Aria of Sorrow. Just didn't seem to have the mood going for it.

Oh! I totally forgot about Order of Ecclesia! ...I'm stuck on a boss right AFTER that stupid crab...

Actualy, I kind of like the Shield Rod with the Alucard Shield, I mean come on, it's basicaly God Mode with the added benefit of Hurting people incredibly fast. I think it's the most broken... ANYTHING... in a video game.

Yeah, some food drop are kind of weird in this castlevania, like a complete set of tea. The hell? ''Hey Blood Skeleton wanna get some tea and read poetry? I mean, we're not MONSTERS, are we?''

I think some guy even drops peanut, that made me laugh for no reason xD

It still makes more sense than breaking a wall and eating a dusty turkey or something from there. Or spawning Mohai heads by crouching on a tiny ledge in an underway filled with Aquamen lizards thingy. Or crowns.

I saw a goofy thing on YouTube once where Dracula was chilling in his castle about to enjoy a pot roast dinner and then a Belmont showed up to challenge him and he was like "Oh no! Hide the pot roast! We'll stuff it in these candlesticks!"

I mean that might as well be what happens XD The peanuts in SotN were funny because you usually couldn't even eat them... they'd just fly in the air and fall onto the ground. Very very silly.

Oh yeah, I think I saw that one, I'm also pretty sure that was from Newgrounds originaly. Ironicaly I think the only place I never saw a Turkey Chicken Pork whatever Roast is in a candle. I remember the ones hidden in statues from Castlevania 64 though xD

Actualy, I think that's how you're supposed to eat them. You throw them on the ground and go over them, like the food tickets. There are a few others things like that too, I think one of the tea item does in one of the gba/ds game.

CastleVania... -drool-

I adore those games. A LOT. All of them. It's hard to pick a favorite because I have enjoyed all of them. I suppose I'd have to go with CastleVania 2 for the NES just because that's the one that first snared me...and I've been playing them ever since.

I haven't gotten the PS3 ones yet...but I certainly want them when I have the funds to do so.

I got a kick out of the intro to LoI that neatly explains why there's all this crap floating around the castle, and why Dracula doesn't seem to mind having some random guy and his store right outside the castle gates.

"It seems eternal life is extremely boring..."

Lestrade: how did you kill the stupid crab?

Um, practice? I eventually got to the point where I more or less understood its movements and could dodge its claw a lot of the time, and then it was just a matter of luck really.

Ah. I'm usually okay with the claw, but the bubbles get me. I hit problems when I get to the top and there's no further to jump, so I end up crouching in the corner and trying to hit it. I've tackled it some ten times now.

I totally read your title in his voice too.

I used to own it, LOVED it, but then the PS3 wasn't backwards compatible and I had to store it in my closet.

And that is why I never got a PS3.

But my PS2 is still going strong = )

Better be in his original one, I kinda don't like the remake one <.< I guess I'm just too used to the original.

Speaking of Backward compatibility, my copy of Chrono Trigger on PS1 doesn't work on PS2/3 T.T The final fantasy game (4 I think) that is with it work just fine though <.<

Anyway, Castlevania. They're making a sequel or something to Lord of Shadows on 3DS? That's kind of weird.

I know with some games you need to have a PS1 memory card to go with them if you play them on a PS1. Is SotN a PS1 game? I've heard of it but am not familiar with the system. Is that the one with Richter? Who appears to be most people's favourite Belmont from what I've seen in terms of fanart and such.

Well it was free.
Strangely enough, one of my moms co-workers was getting rid of it and it's hard to pass up free things.

@Quiet, SotN is originally a PS1 game but I know it's on a PSP CastleVania game as a bonus, the Dracula X Chronicles. I sort of remember a DS release too but I'm not sure why.

For Order of Ecclesia, I did pretty well until near the end. The game is mostly about memorizing how the bosses work and dodging, rather than just leveling up and just being strong enough to take hits. I remember the crab took a while for me...and it was a while ago so I'm afraid I don't remember how I cleared it >.>;

Darn! I miss the days of level codes so you could hunt them down and skip the odd thing. Sometimes. ;). Stupid crab. -.-. I always manage to get trapped at the same spot and haven't yet figured out how to get around it. Do you recall if you were above the crab or beneath it at the end?

Actualy, SoTN was released on the X360 arcade. Why they didn't release it on the PSN, you know, being a PS1 game, is beyond me but whatever.

@Quiet, you're still on the crab? I don't exactly remember much of it other than it pissed me off to no end, but I remember beating it by Tank him and assaulting with whatever I got whenever I had the chance. (That probably won't help)

PS1 games, when played on a PS2, do require a PS1 memory card. I guess the file formatting is different between systems or something.

I just started a replay of Lament of Innocence, partly because I remember it not actually being very long. Let's see if I can beat it this time -- I really suck at the platforming aspect of things though! Worse than I ever remember being! Last night I wasted like 20 minutes trying to get to a special door and when I finally succeeded there was a secret miniboss in it that killed me XD

I'm playing Slender, and debating if I want to play as a vampire in Skyrim and do all the dark brotherhood quests and the other darkish quests in the game.

Would that be the fire guy Lestrade? I remember walking in on a miniboss by accident. Did kill it though. I failed to notice the suspiciously elaborate doorway and what it probably meant. -.-

I'm pretty good with platform stuff, most of the time anyway. I attribute that to the hours spent playing Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2 on SNES.

Stupid crab. -.- I went after it some 15 times and then got pissed off and put the game down. Haven't picked it up since. I can wound it a good deal but can't seem to kill it. I had less trouble with Phantom round 1 on Devil May Cry.

@Lestrade, It's because PS1 games were made to read "blocks" and PS2 games just used KB without the restrictions. It's just that PS1 games needed a particular format to read the save files and a PS2 memory card wasn't built that way.

@Quiet, I seem to remember being over it the whole time but it's been a long time...I'd probably have to go back and play it. Come to think of it, Order of Ecclesia bosses remind me a lot of the early CastleVania bosses, in that you need to memorize stuff to beat them. And dealing with the semi random elements that put you in "always hit" locations
><

@Rico, SotN was on the Xbox marketplace? That does seem odd but then again most PS3s can play PS1 games. Though I guess it's not easy to find a hard copy of SotN now.

It was that, yes XD I've gotten a few HP and heart increases since then so I'll try again soon.

I was probably lucky in being tough enough the first time.

Wait, there was a remake? *blinks, is all kinds of slow apparently*

@Belial, yupe, it's on PSP along with Rondo of Blood. It's called Dracula X Chronicle. Because the original Rondo of Blood never got realeased here, but we got Castlevania Dracula X, 5 or Vampire Kiss depending on where you live. DAMN YOU PC ENGINE! Hurray for emulator <.<

I think they changed SotN credit music and isn't I am the wind anymore. (Why do I even know that)

There was a different ending song for like, the Sega Saturn version or something? It's a pretty song called "Nocturne". I like it waaaaay better than "I Am The Wind" which is pretty cheesy. They're both on the soundtrack though.

Oh yeah, I love Nocturne. I taught it was hidden on the PS1 version by doing something with the CD I forgot what, like opening it with a PC or something. It has a childish horror feel to it, like the password song from Bloodlines (damn I love that bit :D)

I haven't played the Saturn version ._. I heard you can glitch it to get under the bridge at the begining (I think there's a way to do it in the PS1 version too, but it's just a room or two). They have a few different aera on Saturn too if I remember right.

I played it a bit at a friend's house (he actually had the Japanese import of it). That was years ago though.

I liked the Saturn one because Maria was playable. She's not completely OP like she was in Rondo of Blood though...although for the most part still stronger than Richter. I sort of remember they added Maria in the PSP one...maybe> Been a while since I've played it.