Castlevania - Symphony of the Night

[Anonymous No.1828981]

>all those different versions, re-translations, ports and remakes

Fuck.

Which version is recommended?
I always wanted to get into this series and I decided to start with SOTN since it's the closest to the type of games I usually play (RPGs).

[Anonymous No.1828986]

>>1828981

Can't go wrong with the PS1 version.
If you've got a PSP you can get the Dracula X Chronicles, and that nets you Rondo of Blood and its remake too.

[Anonymous No.1828987]

>>1828986
Don't you have to beat those games to unlock SOTN.

[Oakland No.1828992]

Get DXC, they did redo the VA and translation though.

>>1828987
No, just have to find some stuff. It's been a while, so I don't remember.

[Anonymous No.1828993]

>>1828987

SoTN and RoB are unlockables in stage 3' and 4 respectively. Dracula X is a short game so it won't take you long to get there.

[Anonymous No.1828998]

>>1828981
>Looks up the Tiger Electronic

How would this have even resembled SOTN at all? Like, what was the gameplay like?

[Anonymous No.1829004]

>>1828998
I imagine it's a never ending swarm of yellow-tier medusa heads. AKA HELL.

[Anonymous No.1829020]

>>1828992
>>1828986

Just a warning, if you've never played Castlevania than DXC/RoB's controls are going to extremely clunky. SotN will be much smoother.

[Anonymous No.1829075]

>>1828981

JP PS1:

I like this one. It's the original. There's a translation:

http://www.emuparadise.me/Sony_Playstation_ISOs/Akumajou_Dracula_X_-_Gekka_no_Yasoukyoku_%28Japan%29_%28v1.2%29_%5BEn_by_Gemini+Throughhim413_v1.0%5D/53778

NA PS1:

Also fine. The voice acting is pretty awesome. If you play the JP version at least go ahead and watch the cutscenes on youtube. I mostly really like Blaustein's script too.

JP Saturn:

>I understand why fans who've never played the Saturn version would be interested in those features, but I really, really don't feel good about them. I couldn't put my name on that stuff and present it to Castlevania fans.
—Koji Igarashi, June 2007, on the Saturn port[22]

Xbox Live, PSN:

It's fine. Just NA PS1 port.

PSP:

Also fine. The new dubbing is kinda lame. This one has a playable Maria as the biggest difference. The game comes as a bonus to Dracula X: Rondo of Blood remake. The remake itself is pretty shitty.

Tiger:

LOL

[Anonymous No.1829078]

>>1829020
Can I play it on my Vita? Store says PSN only. EU guy if that matters.

[Anonymous No.1829089]

>>1829078

I heard that DXC is one of the few PSP games which doesn't run on Vita. I can't say if you're talking about the PS1 version.

[Anonymous No.1829093]

>>1829089
I fucked up. Of course I meant PSP only. Thank you though.

[Anonymous No.1829096]

>>1829078
Yes, you can

[Anonymous No.1829105]

saturn is best version but it lacks the polish psx versions got. plus its still all japanese.

might as well start with usa psx because the voice acting ended up becoming iconic.

[Anonymous No.1829109]

>>1829093
Oh, I'm not quite sure if your PSStore is anyhow different from mine but it shouldn't matter if you've got TN-V

[Anonymous No.1829113]

>>1829109


Are we talking about DXC or SotN?
I heard the Vita's emulation of the PSP breaks DXC

[Anonymous No.1829120]

>>1828998
Welcome to Tiger LCD games

[Anonymous No.1829121]

>>1829105
>saturn is best version but it lacks the polish psx versions got. plus its still all japanese.

Have you played it?

>done in a rush by some b-team
>dithering instead of transparancies
>LOADING TIMES
>slowdown
>port of the 3D engine for the game, rather than built up anew to exploit the power of the saturn
>slightly stretched graphics
>badly drawn new enemies (b-team effort showing) that look like some fan romhack
>much of the new enemies have a cartoony style that clashes with the rest of the game
>Maria has poor animations and is for some reason a kung fu fighter

[Anonymous No.1829126]

>>1829113
I'm actually interested in DXC. >>1829078 here.

[Anonymous No.1829145]

>>1829126
If you want to buy it, it looks like you are out of luck as >>1829109 pointed out since you are in EU.
If you have TN-V, I have no idea how good the compatibility is.

[Anonymous No.1829149]

>>1829121
I already said "it lacks the polish psx versions got", so I don't know why you bothered to type those minor complaints. Saturn version isn't nearly as bad as you make it out to be, but chances are that you're >>1829075 so there's going to be no arguing with you.

I'll be over here enjoying the run ability instead of backdashing 24/7.

[Anonymous No.1829154]

>>1829149

>slowdown
>extra loading times
>minor

[Anonymous No.1829158]

>>1829149
it is pretty amazing that a Saturn version of a 2D game looks worse than a Playstation version of the same game. I think they did just toss some hack team onto the Saturn port because they knew it would be easy money and could rely on the PS version for reputation.

[Anonymous No.1829165]

>>1829158
>it is pretty amazing that a Saturn version of a 2D game looks worse than a Playstation version of the same game.

It's because the PS1 is a 3D system, and SotN uses a 3D engine and not a true 2D one. Saturn is primarily a 2D system. So the port is taking taking a square peg and putting it into a round hole.

[Anonymous No.1829190]

>>1828986
>>1828993
>>1829075

The PSP version is the Saturn version but well done right? New areas and Maria playable?

[Anonymous No.1829193]

>>1829149
I see you in every fucking SotN thread spouting the same bullshit.

The saturn version sucks dick, deal with it.

[Anonymous No.1829195]

>>1829190

PSP is updated PS1 JP version. It has:

>new voice acting (which is lame)
>Maria as playable with Rondo of Blood powers (Saturn gives her a Kung fu moveset)
>slightly altered script from PS1 NA version.

[Anonymous No.1829196]

>>1829190
They forgot Maria's fucking awesome boss theme.

[Anonymous No.1829201]

>>1829190
No, the PSP version is the PS1 game with a new dub and a playable Maria that's nothing like the Saturn version, and more like her Dracula X self. While it sucks that it doesn't include the Saturn version's bonus areas, as far as I'm aware they were kinda short and pointless anyway.

[Anonymous No.1829204]

>>1829193


>I understand why fans who've never played the Saturn version would be interested in those features, but I really, really don't feel good about them. I couldn't put my name on that stuff and present it to Castlevania fans.
—Koji Igarashi, June 2007, on the Saturn port[22]

[Anonymous No.1829218]

>>1829201
>While it sucks that it doesn't include the Saturn version's bonus areas,

Meh, you're not missing much. It feels half-assed and rushed. The enemies especially are just terrible looking.

[Anonymous No.1829227]

>>1828998

[Anonymous No.1829242]

>>1829227

HAVE AT YOU

[Anonymous No.1829285]

>>1829154
Yes, slight slowdown and loading times are minor when it comes to ports. saturn version has extra content. even if you don't like the extra areas, the running ability added is a godsend.

>>1829193
I actually only post in sotn threads when people are discussing the permanent level 1 save/hack for psx version. I didn't know there know there was some new hatred for the saturn version. I've never seen that one dev quote spammed ever.

[Anonymous No.1829461]

There is no definitive version, but you can't go wrong with any of them. Even the Saturn which has some performing issues makes it up by adding an entirely new zone and boss (short, but still, nice to have extra places and enemies).

My persona favorite is the PSP version from DXC because it has the familiars missing from the original japanese PS1 version, japanese voice with english subs and the best feature is playable Maria, which differs from the Saturn Maria, in thirs version her moveset is a completely redone moveset based on Rondo of Blood. She's OP as fuck and fast too, pretty fun to speedrun through the game.

By the way, I prefer the new ending theme "serenade of Symphathy" better than I am the Wind. Although I admit I am the Wind has the impact of being a vocal track, but I think the music style doesn't really fit Castlevania. I know some people prefer it because of that, because of the contrast or whatever. But I just think this new track they made fits a lot better and I also really like the composition, as always with Michiru Yamane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i0ce-k78zg

[Anonymous No.1829471]

>>1829461
I think in general Dracula X Chronicles is one of my favorite things to come out of the PSP. Rondo's a great game, and the remake is goddamn amazing, and it's a good value since you get both versions and SoTN.

[Anonymous No.1829480]

>>1829471
It's also a best of both worlds thing for players looking to get into the series, since you get one of the best and most newbie friendly games from both Classic and Metroidvania.

[Anonymous No.1829487]

>>1829471
>and the remake is goddamn amazing,

>Shitty 3D graphics in place of one of the prettiest 2D games ever
>"goddamn amazing"

[Anonymous No.1829494]

>>1829487

I don't know what you're complaining about, you get the original too. Even if you just class DXC as bonus content, you get Rondo of Blood and an excellent version of Symphony of the Night so it's a great deal.

[Anonymous No.1829520]

>>1829487

The original has beautiful spritework, nobody can deny that, but sometimes the game looks very simplistic with just walls and bricks, like pic related. However none of the levels is particularly too long and it has a nice variation of cool locations, like the burning city on the first stage or the ghost ship, but sometimes the remake makes the whole game look a lot prettier, not in direct comparition because one is 2D and the other is 3D, but there's a lot more detail on the backgrounds and some levels were even entirely redesigned. Stage 5b on the remake is hard as fuck.
There's a few secret passages that are only found on the remake, as well as a new final form for Dracula, which actually makes the fight challenging.
Not to mention the cool item clash animations.

I don't value it above the original, but I really like it, a remake done well.

[Anonymous No.1829527]

>>1829487
>one of the prettiest 2D games ever
I love Rondo but like >>1829520 said its stages and backgrounds were largely simplistic and blocky, low detail areas. It's far from one of the attractive games in its own series, let alone one of the prettiest 2D games ever made.

[Anonymous No.1829543]

>>1829487
>in place of

Nope. Both the original and the remake in one package.

[Anonymous No.1829548]

>>1829487
>Calling Rondo one of the prettiest 2D games ever.
>In a thread about SoTN, which itself is much, much prettier than Rondo.

[Anonymous No.1829565]

Dracula X on the SNES actually looks a bit better than Rondo of Blood, IMO. I still prefer Rondo though because the graphics are sharper and the colors more defined, but if you excuse the SNES's washed out colors, it looks way more detailed, has cool mode 7 effects and the sprites look a bit bigger to me.

[Anonymous No.1829572]

>>1829487
Its jackasses like you why I fucking hate 4chan. You idiots always go from two extremes.

One side is HURRRR THE OLD GRAPHIX HURT MY EYES!!!

And the other is HURRRRR THE NEW GRAPHIX HURT MY EYES!!!!!

Fuck off with that shit. They're not that bad and if you hate them that much, go play the fucking original since its on the same disc.

Publicly saging because I'm being a /v/tard right now.

[Anonymous No.1829579]

Dracula X on the SNES actually looks a bit better than Rondo of Blood, IMO. I still prefer Rondo though because the graphics are sharper and the colors more defined, but if you excuse the SNES's washed out colors, it looks way more detailed, has cool mode 7 effects and the sprites look a bit bigger to me.

[Anonymous No.1829612]

>>1829579
Dracula X is more detailed yeah, but every now and then you get weird areas where it looks like the tiles were all misplaced and the details have suddenly vanished or were sloppily placed.

Really though its major problem is just the stage design in general being very poor and far too reliant on bottomless pits.

[Anonymous No.1829645]

>>1828981
There's no SOTN remake

[Anonymous No.1829678]

>>1829645
>Tiger SOTN
>not a remake

[Anonymous No.1829737]

>>1829487
>Rondo of Blood
>One of the prettiest 2D games of all time
>Implying you 2D purists know shit about good art

[Anonymous No.1829815]

>>1829548
Many sprites in SotN were taken straight from Rondo(some even from SCVIV) and some of the enemy animations look pixelated. Rondo on the other hand was all original and all the sprites had fluid animation. The Rondo sprites were reused as recent as Portrait of Ruin, simply because they were that good.

SotN definitely has better looking environments and backgrounds though.

[Anonymous No.1829857]

I wonder if the Game.com version would have been any good

Probably not

[Anonymous No.1829876]

>>1829857
Game.com in general blows it.

[Anonymous No.1829886]

>>1829737
I really hated the way they redesigned maria, she looks like a boy. Sometimes the 3D backgrounds made me think there was a platform in the foreground I could jump into, only to fall to my death. It's a minor nitpick with the remake but it was there. Good remake though, wish they made more original stages.

[Anonymous No.1829887]

>>1829815
Most of the sprites in SotN that were reused from Rondo were still touched up a bit because SotN runs at a higher resolution and has a better framerate than the original Rondo did. They intentionally wanted the same sprites for the same enemies to indicate that SotN was a direct sequel to Rondo, but they still worked to make sure the sprites looked good and took advantage of the PS1's hardware.

[Anonymous No.1829896]

>>1829887
>and has a better framerate

They're both 60fps games there bro.

[Anonymous No.1829901]

>>1829887
>>1829815

I'm certain they also made those incredible sprites and animations for Rondo under the belief that they would be reused in the sequel and later games.

[Anonymous No.1829948]

>>1828986
PSP version fucked with a lot of the sound effects for SotN. Like everything has a different pitch which is really distracting if you played it a million times like I did.

[Anonymous No.1829965]

>>1829285
>I didn't know there know there was some new hatred for the saturn version

The hate for the Saturn version has been around forever. Where the fuck have you been? The only praise I ever see it get is for Maria.

[Anonymous No.1830109]

>>1829948
That's not a problem for OP, who never played it before.

[Anonymous No.1830124]

>>1830109
But it is for me because I know he will be playing the version with worse sound effects.

[Anonymous No.1830140]

>>1830124
>SOMEONE SOMEWHERE IS PLAYING GAMES WRONG I SHOULD STOP THEM

[Anonymous No.1830150]

>>1830140
Exactly.

[Anonymous No.1830153]

the autism levels ITT are off the charts

[Anonymous No.1830215]

>>1830124

I also played the PSP version first and I don't even notice the different sound effect from the PS1 version. I thought the sound effects on the PSP ver are fine, nothing sounds wrong.

[Anonymous No.1830236]

>>1829165
Huh, I never knew that. As in, all the objects are really flat polys with sprites mapped to them? I guess that would make sense.

It's a real shame that Konami didn't work toward making a Saturn CV. It could have been really good-looking.

[Anonymous No.1830246]

>>1829527
>>1829520

Have to agree with these two. Hell, I don't even think that Rondo is that remarkable, in fact I'd call it the weakest of the 16-bit Castlevania. Ever since I played it on DXC, I was convinced that people only made a huge deal out of Rondo because it was Japan-only and thus unattainable to most when it came out, plus the SNES port that did come to the west wasn't as good (or rather attempts to fix things and ends up overfixing them).

[Anonymous No.1830404]

Last year I bought it on 360. it was on sale for like $2. I felt kind of cheated because I remember them touting it was an HD port or something(prob up scaling) and when I booted it up. it was in its original aspect with some bullshit portrait around it to fill the screen. I feel bad for the people who paid full price.