Symphony of the Night
Latest
'Castlevania: Symphony of the Night' unexpectedly arrives on mobile
Beloved classic Castlevania has been ported many times and now -- entirely without warning -- it's come to mobile. Konami's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is available on both iOS and Android for $3, without in-app purchases. The side-scrolling action-RPG is based on the PSP and PS4 take on the game -- not the original PlayStation version -- and there's support for six languages (English, Japanese, German, French, Italian and Spanish), external controllers and achievements.
Top 5: Castlevania Games
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Top_5_Castlevania_Games'; This week marks the release of the highly anticipated Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Poised to be more than the usual Metroidvania-romp, Ecclesia's glyph system coupled with great diversity in environments and level layout (we're apparently not stuck inside the castle anymore) has all of us whip-enthusiasts drooling with anticipation. To be honest, Konami could slap the word "Castlevania" on a box of assorted animal feces and we'd still pre-order. Here's the part where I'm supposed take a cheap shot at Castlevania Judgment, but admit it: no matter how many times we all spit on the brawler, we never seem to stop checking out movies or screenshots. Castlevania has us whipped; pardon the hideous pun. Assuming I haven't lost all credibility after the Mega Man list, here's another stab at ranking the best of a legendary franchise. Unlike most other Top 5's, this list is not necessarily Nintendo-specific. Take a gander, and try to pretend that you don't know what number one is. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
Deal of the Day: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for $19
If you're one of the few who have a PSP and do not have Castlevania: The Darcula X Chronicles, then we advise you to definitely avail of this bargain. Amazon lists the game at $18.99; back in January the price dropped down to $20 but steadily went back up. We're glad to see the deal return.Anyway, this is a really good deal considering you're actually getting two games. The first game is a remake of the former Japan-only Rondo of Blood, and the second is a port of the uber-popular Symphony of the Night. Need more convincing? How about we sink our vampiric teeth into your neck. How 'bout that?[Via CAG]
Best of the Rest: James' Picks of 2007
Pac-Man Championship Edition (XBLA) If not worthy of a Top 10 spot, then certainly Pac-Man deserves Joystiq's 'Comeback Player of the Year' award. I covered Pac-Man CE's overblown launch in early June, but it wasn't until I became a devoted player at home that I realized the sheer genius of the first true Pac-Man sequel since 'the Ms.' hit the maze in '82. Designer Toru Iwatani managed to scrape off a quarter-century of rust and fashion a remarkably relevant game that held me down during an otherwise punishing summer drought. Geometry Wars might be the most celebrated, but Pac-Man CE is Xbox Live Arcade's true star.
BMG to distribute Konami's music online
The place may be overrun with deadly monstrosities and the overwhelming powers of darkness, but the tunes that echo throughout the hallways of Dracula's castle usually make the vampire killing ordeal worth it. Sensing that others might share the dark lord's fine taste in orchestral compositions, Konami has announced an agreement with Sony BMG Music to distribute its library of tunes through mobile service providers and online music retailers, including iTunes and Rhapsody. The deal encompasses soundtracks beyond those belonging to the obvious Dance Dance Revolution franchise, even catering to those that find the clanging pipes and grating gears of Silent Hill preferable to the latest Ashlee Simpson squealfest.Konami also promises to make its vast history of music available for purchase on its official website, though specific release dates have yet to be announced. [Via Konami press release]
Dracula's castle crashes onto XBLA
Dracula's ethereal castle, Castlevania, has officially materialized on Xbox Live Arcade. Of course, we speak of the oft cited pinnacle of the Castlevania series, Symphony of the Night. The game will set you back 800 points and will cost you a few extra seconds than most XBLA games, thanks to its 90 MB size. There are also some other goodies available should you have any points left, including a 150 point theme and a 100 point picture pack. By the time you're done you might as well slap a Konami logo right onto your Xbox.So, who's getting their Castlevania on?
Interview reveals Symphony of the Night to include updated vocals
You may remember a little title that got everyone talking a few weeks ago: Castlevania. Ever since its incredible debut, Konami has remained silent on this hotly anticipated revival of Rondo of Blood, the only Castlevania title never to be released in the States. The upcoming Castlevania X Chronicles not only includes a 3D remake of Rondo of Blood, but includes the fan-favorite Symphony of the Night as well. Games Radar has an incredible interview with Koji Igarashi from GDC available, and here are some highlights: After years of working on GBA/DS games, the power of the PSP has been startling: "It's better than what I expected, actually. I'm very happy about the quality. Especially with the graphic quality. The PSP hardware system allows a very high resolution." Symphony of the Night will be getting a few enhancements: "So basically, it's mostly a straight port from the original SOTN on PlayStation. I wasn't happy about the quality of the PlayStation SOTN voiceover, so I'm trying to do something about it on the PSP." Don't forget to check out Games Radar for the rest of this brilliant interview.See also:The Symphony of the Night we won't get
The Symphony of the Night we won't get
Some gamers may feel jaded about the lack of improvements the PSP version of Symphony of the Night will feature. If Rondo of Blood can get the full 3D makeover, certainly this beloved PS1 classic can also receive some extras? Well, more isn't necessarily better, as seen by the Saturn version of this beloved adventure game.1UP showcases the horrors of the Saturn version, filled with unnecessary extras that actually detract from the experience more than add to it. This episode of Retronauts shows you the horrors of a great game ruined by an overly ambitious port design. Let's be glad that our version of Symphony of the Night won't be as horrific as this.
The return of Richter Belmont in Rondo of Blood
Ever since Castlevania was announced for PSP, many people have been asking a few questions. Firstly, why remake Rondo of Blood? Easy: it's the only Castlevania game to never have met a US release. As revealed in an IGN interview with Castlevania's producer, Rondo of Blood is the crucial "turning point" in the series. While many loved the changes made in Symphony of the Night, most gamers have missed out on many of the finer details of the classic's story, simply because Rondo of Blood was never released. (Castlevania X for the SNES was a "port" of sorts. However, it strayed significantly from its origins.)Rondo of Blood takes place 5 years before Symphony of the Night, and explains many origins of the characters found in the revered PS1 classic. Players will be treated to seeing Richter Belmont, "the last Belmont," fighting Dracula himself. Who is Shaft and how does he control Richter in Symphony of the Night? Who is Maria Renard? These questions will be unearthed through Rondo of Blood.While Nintendo's handhelds have met great additions to the Castlevania franchise, the future of the series may stay on the PSP. When speaking to IGN, Koji Igarashi revealed his love of the platform. "If the PSP version of Castlevania does great ... [doing sequels] is something I'd love to take a look at."See also:Tales From the Crypt: Castlevania 20th Anniversary Blowout from 1UPPlaying Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner: Part 1 & Part 2
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles & Symphony of the Night heading for PSP!
Remember that awesome game that 1UP was talking about? It's finally revealed! Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles is a completely remastered version of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. This long-forgotten entry in the Castlevania franchise was only available in Japan on the PC Engine Duo, a system I can't even remember existing. The PSP version features a brilliant graphical overhaul, which looks lightyears ahead of any of the DS Castlevania games.Oh, and if that weren't enough, the game comes with a port of Symphony of the Night, considered by many as the best Castlevania of all time.Go past the cut to see a video of the game in action. Expect to see even more of this new PSP-exclusive Castlevania on The 1UP Show tomorrow.[Via 1UP]
Bigger 360 Mem Unit resurfaces, forced back down
GameStop has quietly removed the "Microsoft Xbox 360 Memory Card 512 MB" item from its website, after offering up the upgraded Memory Unit for pre-order yesterday. With news that Xbox Live Arcade titles will soon exceed the prior 50MB limit, come expectations for a new Memory Unit model -- an upgrade from 64MB to 256MB was seemingly confirmed last spring.Either GameStop was acting on a whim, or Microsoft now plans to bump the new MU up to 512MB which, according to the retailer's initial listing could be released as early as March 1 andlikely priced at $49.99. Could that date (early March) also be a clue as to when we can expect Symphony of the Night on XBLA? Don't count on it. But the throwback Castlevania is "approaching."
XBLA file size limit raised to 250MB? [Update: nope]
[Update: Looks like 1UP was off by just about 100 emm bees ... alright, exactly 100 emm bees. The official XBLA file size limit has been raised to 150MB, not 250MB.]It seems that the upcoming Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will no longer be the exception to the rule -- 1UP's Luke Smith reports that the Xbox Live Arcade file size limit has been bumped up from 50MB to 250MB. The move should allow less agile developers to slip beneath the Limbo pole without winding up in a painfully awkward position. Just ask last year's Lumines Live! how chopping a game into 50MB chunks can make microtransactions even harder to swallow.Luke also notes that with Microsoft's approval, certain games might even span 450MB. Returning to the earlier Limbo analogy, this would likely be reserved for developers that insist on wearing full suits of armor to the party. The relaxed rules may lead to games becoming more bloated, but the developer is surely better off worrying less about compression and more about, you know, making a good game. It's worth nothing that owners of the Core Xbox 360 are adversely affected by this decision, as they still find themselves restricted by measly 64MB memory cards (remember those quaint little things?). Microsoft is likely already working on larger memory cards, though even the rumored 256MB variant won't be able to hold many games, much less a 450MB title. [Thanks, Jonah!]
Castlevania punctures XBLA's 50MB size limit
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, considered by many to be the best game in the series, is set to bend the rules by exceeding Microsoft's imposed size limit on Xbox Live Arcade titles, which is currently set at 50MB. The exact size of the download was not revealed.Microsoft explains to GameSpot that the 50MB cap is so that XBLA titles can fit on memory cards and played on a friend's console, and that SotN would be an exception to the rule. Though we do enjoy the fast downloads, now that background downloading is possible (and hard drives potentially expanding), perhaps Microsoft ought to raise that size limit to a point where all of Lumines Live can be downloaded as one purchase.Sony has implemented a cap of 500MB for downloadable titles, though the downloads currently (and annoyingly) take center stage. Symphony of the Night, when it is released (date as of yet unknown), will have a demo that does stay under the 50MB limit.See Also: Enough talk, have at this Castlevania XBLA video
Castlevania breaks 50MB Arcade limit [update 1]
GameSpot reports today that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will be the first Xbox Live Arcade title to break the 50 MB size limit (we were wondering how the hell they got the voice acting and audio in there). The limit was imposed so that 360 owners could transfer Arcade games to memory card, allowing them to be played on another 360. Xbox Live's Greg Canessa told GameSpot that the cap is still in effect, but Microsoft can and will make certain exceptions. Citing SOTN as one of the "most popular games of all time," Cannessa felt that an exception was in order. He further notes, however, that the trial version will fit on a memory card.We've blogged about the 50 MB limit before, and it will be interesting to see how (and if) Castlevania will affect future developments on Live Arcade.Update: It looks like GameSpot got the trial version info wrong. MS informed us (and GameSpot) that it will not fit on a standard memory card.
Enough talk, have at this Castlevania XBLA video
Warning: Watching this CES video may lead to excessive yearning and gnashing of teeth upon the realization that the game in question, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is not yet available for download on Xbox Live Arcade. To cope with this inescapable sensation, distract yourself by contemplating your existence as a miserable little pile of secrets (sadly, Dracula neglects to mention exactly what a woman is). Joking aside, let's ask a serious question: are "fresher" console titles like this more welcome on XBLA than popular coin guzzlers?
Most wanted PS1 to PSP games 2 [Update 1]
We've been reviewing the PSP playable PS1 games that have been released thus far, but are they what we really want? We listed what we'd like to see from the PS1 library last month, but Modojo has their own list now. The list includes the predictable like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but it also includes more cult games like Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (the ending of which made me cry). To see the rest of the list you'll have to go read the article. After you've done that though, come back here and let us know what games that you'd like to see make the leap from PS1 to PSP. [Thanks Justin ][Update 1: Linked to our previous list of Most Wanted PS1 games]
Using your own PSone games for emulation [Update 1]
That Dark_Alex kid is up to it again. His custom firmware currently cracks the protection that PSone games from the PlayStation Store utilize. However, it looks like the next revision, called 3.02 OE-B, will support the ripping of ISO files and turning them into EBOOT files to launch via XMB. This means almost any PSone game you own can be transferred to your PSP. You'll see Castlevania: Symphony of the Night at work in this YouTube demo. Amazing, isn't it? Hopefully, this will convince Sony to release their PlayStation Store games at a much less craptacular rate.[Thanks, jamie!][Update 1: Now available for download at MAXCONSOLE.]
Castlevania heading to PSP?
One of my favorite games on the DS is Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. The series has always mesmerized me, ever since I started playing the Game Boy Advance games. Konami gave me a huge castle to explore, and tons of ways to traverse through it, and I loved it. Unfortunately, I missed what people call the best Castlevania game ever: Symphony of the Night. Yes, it's coming to Xbox 360, but wouldn't it be absolutely lovely on the PSP screen? 1UP spoke with Koji Igarashi and forced the issue:1UP: Castlevania series seems to always stick to the Nintendo handhelds, the GBA and DS. So I'm wondering, do you see yourself doing any PSP Castlevanias in the future? I mean, Konami seems to support the system pretty well -- so I'm wondering if you're personally interested in doing a PSP game. And in the very least, would you want to bring Symphony of the Night to the PSP, given that Sony is eager to start offering PS1 games for download? Igarasahi: I think the PSP is an interesting platform with a big and beautiful screen, so I would like to put my hands on a PSP version. As for offering SOTN, yes, I would love to provide it as a download if the users would want that.This is where, if I were the interviewer, I would turn into a rabid dog and scream "YES!!!" while potentially frothing at the mouth. But the love for the PSP doesn't stop there. It appears that Igarasahi-san wants to develop original games for the system as well:1UP: Can you just clarify your comments about developing for the PSP? Igarasahi: Basically, I would like to move to a multiplatform basis, so PSP is included as one of my targeted platforms.
Symphony of the Night on XBLA!
Fans of androgynous vampires rejoice, 1UP reports that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -- widely regarded as the best in the series, and frequently listed in various "greatest games of all time" lists -- is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. It is, unfortunately, the Playstation version which does not include the Saturn's bonus area. Still, this is incredible news for Castlevania fans and gamers everywhere -- enough to wash away the taste of the awful 3D Castlevanias perhaps? Oh, and Konami is planning quite a few more classics as well (Time Pilot, anyone?). Hit the read link for the whole story.[Thanks Joe(dragonjoe) and Rivithed
Symphony of the Night to be heard on XBLA
At last, every miserable little pile of secrets that owns an Xbox 360 will be able to experience Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a game considered by many to be the best in Konami's esteemed franchise. According to the September issue of EGM, the game is scheduled to hit Xbox Live Arcade in early 2007. It'll be a torturously long wait, though it leaves us time to ponder how exactly a Playstation (and Saturn!) classic will slip under XBLA's 50MB Limbo pole. It seems likely that by next year, the size requirement will have been given a significant bump by larger memory cards and hard drives. After all, we doubt fans would be pleased if anything were to happen to the game's wonderful soundtrack in order to cut down on space.But enough talk. Have at you![Thanks soco and doomx24!]
