Dracula's castle crashes onto XBLA
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Mar 21st 2007 at 10:00AM }
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?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andrew @ Mar 21st 2007 10:15AM
I've already downloaded and played some, it's just like the old one! It's absolutely awesome except for one thing, no WIDESCREEN support. It just looks ridiculus with all that crap surrounding the screen.
Benjamin09 @ Mar 21st 2007 10:17AM
I would love to go home and play this but....damn you work!
THE SPLIT FACED @ Mar 26th 2007 7:49PM
Andrew-you can change the settng in the menu to make the screen widescreen!
Alex @ Mar 21st 2007 10:33AM
Well you can stretch it out to widescreen, but yes, I too was disappointed that there was no TRUE widescreen.
Toph @ Mar 21st 2007 10:32AM
For those of you of whom read my comments, you know I'm one of the biggest fans (internet annoyances?) of CastleVania: SOTN. I love this damn game. I bought the PS version on a whim when I bought my PS the same day from a Sears in '98..and I've never looked back.
My 360 is in McAllen, Texas today instead of on my shelf where it should be, giving me Alucard love. It died on March 4th and it arrived in the repair shop down there today. Oh irony...thy name is bricked console.
Virtua Fanboy @ Mar 21st 2007 10:39AM
At least it's true to the original game though. Is it the Saturn or PS version? I heard there's a difference.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Mar 21st 2007 10:42AM
I have too many games to play to buy this monster of a title right now. I recall dumping hours and hours into this game and not even finishing it the last time I played.
Tony @ Mar 21st 2007 10:44AM
Playstation.
As someone who owns the Saturn version, I can tell you without hesitation that you're missiong absolutely nothing.
The Saturn version had major framerate problems, it couldn't handle transparencies as well (like any Saturn game). Even assuming those were fixed, the two new areas were tiny and just plain lame. A haunted house area with some ghosts and a slightly more interesting outdoor/greenhouse area with evil plants.
If anything they make the game seem worse. The one interesting idea, being able to play as Maria, isn't quite that interesting simply because the game wasn't made with her in mind whatsoever. It's just a small novelty.
So I don't think anyone's missing anything. Technically the Saturn version has a different name too, so it wouldn't be Symphony of the Night.
Modeps @ Mar 21st 2007 10:46AM
Stretching the picture to widescreen has little negative effect on the overall look. The text gets a bit elongated, but it looks great for the fact that its not natively a widescreen title.
I'm just happy that my favorite game of all time got a wonderful port to my favorite gaming system.
J.Goodwin @ Mar 21st 2007 11:23AM
Played some this morning, it's a good game, but it's not "Castlevania," IMHO.
The last real Castlevania game was Rondo of Blood.
Tony @ Mar 21st 2007 11:44AM
I personally don't think there's much a true "standard" given the set up of Simon's Quest. I would like to see Rondo of Blood on XBLA, though.
dukefett @ Mar 21st 2007 11:55AM
I don't get it, in the press release or whatever they actually mentioned 'widescreen support,' Why would they say that specifically for this game when you can stretch out like every other XBLA game?
ANt @ Mar 21st 2007 11:56AM
#3 don't feel bad, I lost my console to the red rings and MS had it for 37 days!!! Yes 37 days!! But, for $69.99 (half the price of a normal repair out of warranty, they sent me a brand new, quieter 360. So I feel for you brother!!
Oh yeah, my 360 was almost a year and a half old when she bought the ranch!!
37 DAYS......
J.Goodwin @ Mar 21st 2007 12:51PM
If Rondo of Blood made it to XBLA, the entire world would shake with the stomping of feet and catcalls of rejoicing fans.
They're already happy about the PSP version, imagine actually being able to play it on a console you own?
Benjamin09 @ Mar 21st 2007 12:09PM
Has anybody posted the achievements yet?
Otis Whitaker @ Mar 21st 2007 1:00PM
"Played some this morning, it's a good game, but it's not "Castlevania," IMHO."
Yeah, it's fun to play, not like the old CVs, with floaty jumping, lame control, and false difficulty put in because jumping is so floaty.
Old CVs remind me soley of the masochistic design of yester-year more than anything, and I think most folk look back on them with such fondness due to nostalgia tinted goggles.
Going from new CVs to old CVs just annoys me. You go from playing a fast, limber character that controls smoothly, to controlling what is essentially a feeling like controlling a big rock.
Arno @ Mar 21st 2007 12:30PM
What #2 said.
Toph @ Mar 21st 2007 12:36PM
ANt..you didn't make me feel a heapload better about this :)
Thanks for your concern..I've heard horror stories that MS kept thier bricked consoles up to 60 days. It was still within year warranty; let's hope that because of that, my system might come back sooner than later.
atsui @ Mar 21st 2007 3:09PM
Is it possible for them to reprogram games like this and make it widescreen? I wish they were able to do it to wind waker and not have it stretched and re-release it on wii. That would be awesome!
DaKing240 @ Mar 21st 2007 3:09PM
@Benjamin...
We have had the achievements for the last 2 months... http://www.xbox360achievements.org/home/showachievements.php?type=Arcade&gameID=192
Clinton @ Mar 21st 2007 9:42PM
Plunked down the points for this one and it's pretty fun. Feels VERY different from classic CV as a few of you have already pointed out, which isn't a bad thing at all.
Stupid question: how do you save?? where are the checkpoints?
Matt Wagner @ Mar 21st 2007 11:59PM
@20
you gotta find the save points in the game. there rooms where you have to walk through the tunnels to the next screen, like you normally do.
the save checkpoints have this floating box in them, you just go up to it and maybe punch or jump, i'm not sure what triggers it exactly, but it will eventually ask you if you want to save. it will also restore your health.
not a stupid question, i had no idea either. i'm not really an old school CV plaver, but i downloaded this because i was bored and it turns out to be awesome.
Clinton @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:59AM
Thanks Matt. Good to know, after pissing away 20-30 minutes of play and not finding any of those savepoints you described.
You're not talking about those chambers with only a pulsating gem in the middle, are you?