The year is 1997, and Konami is ready to release Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a game that would initially be a commercial failure but go on to be one of the best videogames of all time. Even after 28 years, it still holds that prestigious mantle, garnering even more fans as it becomes a privilege to even play it. Seriously, if you want an original copy for the PlayStation, you need to be ready to part with at least $400 on eBay.
Luckily, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night made its way onto numerous platforms over the years, arriving on PlayStation 4 in 2018 and then on Android and iOS in 2020, and let me tell you, it’s easily one of the best mobile games you can play. We even gave it a 9/10 in our Castlevania: Symphony of the Night review, citing it as “a solid port of one of the greatest games ever made.”
There are a lot of Castlevania games out there, but what is it about Alucard’s adventure that lives rent-free in the minds of fans? For me, it’s how innovative the game is, especially for an ARPG from 1997, and the story is honestly second to none. The atmosphere and aesthetic are gothic in all of the best ways, and while it’s a candidate for one of the hardest games you can play (honestly, you can say that about any Castlevania game), it never feels unfair, and I get a real sense of accomplishment every time I beat it.
If you’re unfamiliar with Symphony of the Night, it puts you in the shoes of Alucard, the son of Dracula. Like other entries before it, you need to fight your way to the famous vampire to put an end to his reign of terror. Usually, in a Castlevania game, you play as a member of the Belmont family, like Simon or Richter, which is another thing that helps SotN to stand out from the rest. Oh, and if you happen to enjoy the rather stellar Netflix Castlevania anime, SotN just might be a must-play, as it inspires parts of the show.
I live in the hope that Konami sees the potential with the Castlevania series, and I get the sense the company might, given it’s released numerous collections over the past couple of years. Still, with the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate such a prestigious history than by giving new players the chance to experience greatness through a remaster or a remake of Symphony of the Night.
The betterment of the hardware over the current Switch makes it more plausible for us to get all these remakes and remasters from Capcom and Konami. I’m still ever so salty that not only is the Silent Hill 2 remake absent from Nintendo’s console, but there are no Silent Hill Switch games at all on the platform. At least I can already enjoy some Castlevania adventures on the go. I can also rely on the best Switch Metroidvanias and horror games, so there is that.