


This was more of an enhancement-port of the original PlayStation version, rather than just a direct port. In Japan in 1998, Symphony of the Night was ported to the Sega Saturn.

On Saturn more elaborate musical tracks, two additional zones, a handful of exclusive equippables, three additional familiars, worse performance and effects than any other version, a dedicated Item button so you needn’t equip Alucard with a consumable, and a playable Maria (where she uses ninjutsu and shurikens rather than animal summons). In Dracula X Chronicles for PSP, a retranslation and re-recording of audio, brighter colors, two additional familiars (and familiar placement differences), a new boss fight, and re-done Maria mode from the Saturn version (she uses birds rather than shurikens).

Has the bare-bones featureset of the PSOne version, minus a few video files. On Xbox 360 / XOne a performance so unintentionally smooth it removes intentional slowdown post-boss fights. In the absence of a Remaster, what’s the best way to play this masterpiece? Why Konami hasn’t remastered it eludes me. It’s the sequel to Rondo of Blood and sees Dracula’s son Alucard from Castlevania III face off against that game’s protagonist and the last slayer of Dracula, Richter Belmont. Symphony of the Night is one of the greatest games ever made, and to this day plays better than the sea of games it’s influenced.
