Konami’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night has seen a few re-releases since its iconic debut on PlayStation One in 1997. However, you can now experience it on iOS and Android. The publisher recently released the genre-defining action platformer RPG for just $2.99.

The story doesn’t focus on a Belmont but rather on Alucard, the son of Dracula who’s looking to slay his father. This was done by exploring a large castle, gaining new weapons and abilities, and revisiting previous areas to find the way forward. Seen as ground-breaking for its time, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Metroid would define the Metroidvania genre as we know it.

The mobile version offers quite full support for controllers along with implementing a “new continue feature”. Players can also choose between six different languages including English, Japanese, French, German and so on. Furthermore, you can earn achievements for completing certain tasks. If you’re keen on experiencing the game on consoles, it might be worth looking into Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood for PS4.

Despite the hype surrounding the PlayStation 5, there are very few games that have actually been announced for the platform. However, one that sticks out is Bluepoint Games’ next remake. This isn’t because the developer has hyped it as “a re-envisioning given that it goes well beyond” what the studio had achieved with Shadow of the Colossus.

Rather, it’s because of the number of cryptic teases that have been made recently. Is it Demon’s Souls? Metal Gear Solid? Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Whichever it may be, Bluepoint president Marco Thrush said there’s no question that it will become the studio’s most proud achievement.

Speaking to Segment Next, Thrush said, “We [Bluepoint Games] originally remastered Shadow of the Colossus for the PS3 and then remade it for the PS4. It’s the only one we’ve touched twice and to date it is our greatest achievement, so it’s easy to say that is our personal favorite. However, there’s no question in our minds that our current project will become the achievement we’re most proud of.”

Thrush added that, “Fortunately the Bluepoint Engine and toolset has been in development for many years. We have significantly invested in ways that allow our process of remastering or remaking games to be powerful and efficient. It is flexible and able to take advantage of any hardware.”

For now, it seems we aren’t going to hear any more about the actual game until Sony officially announces the same. The PlayStation 5 is currently slated to release in Holiday 2020 but is rumored to be revealed during an upcoming PlayStation Meeting in February. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime – it’s going to be a long road to the next generation.

Though PlayStation Plus doesn’t have a whole lot to look forward to this month, the same can’t be said for Xbox Live Gold. Microsoft has announced the free Games With Gold for Xbox One and Xbox 360. While Big Crown: Showdown and Meet the Robinsons may not appeal to you, there’s also Inside and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Inside is from Playdead and offers atmospheric platforming, much like Limbo. It sees a boy traveling through a strange, dimly lit world, gleaning details about mind control and other horrors from his environment. Suffice it to say that the ending comes out of nowhere. Inside is available for free from July 1st to 31st.

As for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, it’s one of the titles to contribute to the Metroidvania genre and arguably the finest title in the franchise. It’s developed by Koji Igarashi, who recently released a spiritual successor to the title in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Despite its age, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is well worth checking out – it’s available for Gold members from July 1st to 15th.

While Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night were originally released in 1993 and 1997, respectively, although the former was a Japan-only release, the versions of the two games in Requiem are based on The Dracula x Chronicles compilation for the PSP. This means that fans of the original Symphony of the Night may find themselves disappointed as the original script and voice acting were replaced for The Dracula x Chronicles, which took away some of the iconic lines from the 1997 release. Another caveat is that while The Dracula X Chronicles featured two versions of Rondo of Blood, the original and a 2.5D remake of the game, Requiem only features the former, albeit with new scripts and voice acting as well.

"Castlevania Requiem does bring some improvements and new features to both games including expected trophy support, customizable controls, a weird quick save feature, and the ability to switch between Japanese or English audio."

As previously mentioned, Rondo of Blood wasn’t initially released outside of Japan, making it the less popular of the two titles. Regardless, it’s still definitely worth playing for those who have already finished Symphony of the Night and those who are just getting into the two games or even the franchise itself. It’s about an hour long and is one of the last of the “classic” Castlevania games, which features a traditional linear format. Players take on the role of Richter Belmont or Maria Renard (once unlocked) and go through Castlevania on a quest to defeat Dracula and his horde of demons. It must be noted though that those unfamiliar with Rondo of Blood might find it difficult as the game relentlessly throws challenges at you.

In spite being a sequel to Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night was the game that ultimately became the franchise’s most popular and one of the reasons why the term Metroidvania exists. It took the core gameplay of Rondo of Blood and infused it with non-linear level design, exploration, and role-playing game elements, something that wasn’t really common at the time. Playing as Dracula’s son, Alucard, players get to level him up to improve his stats as well as equip him with  weapons and items, giving the game a satisfying character progression outside of the story. In spite the loss of the original script and voice acting, Symphony of the Night is still as enjoyable as it was when it was initially released.

Castlevania Requiem does bring some improvements and new features to both games including expected trophy support, customizable controls, a weird quick save feature, and the ability to switch between Japanese or English audio. The video resolution has also been bumped up to support up to 4K and players will be able to choose between “normal” aspect ratio and fullscreen modes, with the former having an accompanying assortment of backgrounds to fill up the would-be black vertical spaces. There’s also options to simulate scanlines, activate a smoothing filter, and an interlaced mode.

In spite of the graphical improvements that the new features introduce, both games have really begun to show their age, most especially Rondo of Blood, which reveals  just how much Konami could have done to make this release much more than it is. A visual overhaul, the choice to switch between the classic and revamped script and voice acting, and more quality of life improvements would have put this release on par with some of the recent notable classic collections of the past couple of years.

"Castlevania Requiem really feels like a missed opportunity by Konami to create a PS4 release of both games that would not only introduce them to newcomers but also give long-time fans something significantly new to experience."

While both games are still undeniably enjoyable, the package just feels like a basic port or re-release for the sole purpose of tying in with the aforementioned Castlevania animated series, especially when considering that the last Castlevania game was released four years ago.

In conclusion, Castlevania Requiem really feels like a missed opportunity by Konami to create a PS4 release of both games that would not only introduce them to newcomers but also give long-time fans something significantly new to experience. And while both games are still as enjoyable as they were when they were first released, there’s just so much more they could have done with these ports. Nonetheless, those who’ve never played either or both titles should definitely consider picking this up while those who have already finished both may find themselves disappointed to find that not many things have changed with this release, unless they really just want to play either or both games on the PS4.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

After a few recent reports, Konami has confirmed Castlevania Requiem, a bundle containing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood for €19.99 (Europe). It will be out on October 26th exclusively for PS4. Yes, exclusively.

Speaking to GameSpot, a representative for Konami stated, “There are no plans to bring Requiem to other platforms – [Requiem] is a PS4 exclusive.” So if you were counting on having two of the greatest Castlevania titles ever on the go with Switch or on PC, it’s not currently happening.

The good news is that both titles will support 4K/1080p upscaling on the PS4. Multiple high resolution backgrounds and various rendering options for smoothing out the visuals will also be included. Trophy support has also been confirmed, along with DualShock 4 analog stick support for movement. Interestingly, the release date also marks the day that the second season of Netflix’s Castlevania animated series will debut.

If that weren’t enough, check out the screenshots and trailer below to get a proper idea of how well the games run. We’re fairly impressed, to say the least.

SA-X – Metroid Fusion

The Metroid series was creating atmosphere and tension from simple world design as far back as its inception, so when Metroid Fusion took the series on a slightly different path for a handheld game, their masterstroke was introducing the SA-X. The result of her infected Power Suit being pulled together by the mimetic X Parasites, the player is hunted throughout the game by the heartless creature with the full power of a endgame Samus. Powerless to harm the SA-X, should they hear the telltale footsteps and accompanying anxiety, the player can only run or hide throughout the entirety of the game, until the final showdown at least. 

Final Fantasy 7

For many people, this was the reason they bought a PlayStation One. Sure, the CG cutscenes didn’t indicate the amount of turn-based combat that it had but Final Fantasy 7 was still a trail-blazer for its time. It took Japan-developed RPGs into the mainstream, catering to more mature audiences; the graphics were leaps and bounds above any of the SNES Final Fantasy games; and the story of Cloud and Sephiroth remains etched in gaming history. Oh and Final Fantasy 7 is also a pretty robust, insanely involving, highly entertaining RPG in its own right as well.

Since the days of Castlevania and Metroid (the latter which is making a comeback with Metroid: Samus Returns, a remake of the second game, and Metroid Prime 4), the Metroidvania genre has seen its share of interesting takes. Dust: An Elysian Tail had a compelling, almost Devil May Cry-like combat system along with a stunning art style and narrative to push players forward. Axiom Verge took a more retro approach with its graphics but was incredibly contemporary in how it pushed exploration, guiding the player along while still making each new discovery feel spontaneous.

Similarly, there are games like Ori and The Blind Forest, Hollow Knight, Guacamelee, Strider, Valdis Story: Abyssal City, Salt and Sanctuary and so on that have provided the well-crafted, expertly honed gameplay that’s to be expected. Whether it’s amazing combat or hand-crafted gameplay loops set to beautiful pre-defined stages, each game offers an excellent experience.

However, a new type of Metroidvania title has been gaining traction for some time. In a way, it’s completely changing what we think of the genre. What if – and this is a bit crazy but – what if a large portion of the stages were randomly generated as well as hand-crafted? What if the RPG-like progression was more rogue-like, focusing on more long-term upgrades but effectively starting you at the beginning with each run? What if such a Metroidvania title tried to balance between rewarding you for discovery while attempting to kill you and send you back to the beginning?

Rogue Legacy was the first Metroidvania title to experiment with this, featuring a large castle with randomly generated areas but four key “zones” with the same four bosses. Each time the player would die, control would be passed on to his heirs who would have unique traits and abilities. Some were positive, like being small and able to fit through tiny gaps, while others – like colour blindness – could trip you up if you weren’t careful. Gold gained through a single run could be used to upgrade your heirs, thus providing potency down the line. However, the thrill of trying to complete the entire castle with one single heir was addictive, to say the least.

"There’s no back-tracking to previous stages and whatever permanent abilities are gained simply serve to diversify the beaten paths you can travel down."

Nowadays, games like Dead Cells and Sundered provide a different motivation. Dead Cells is perhaps one of the more popular new titles in this rogue-like sub-genre (it’s currently in Steam Early). Its long-term progression can be fairly slow however. In Dead Cells, you gain random weapons/equipment and stat buffs and battle enemies to progress. Sounds simple enough but each enemy can dole out some pretty lethal damage if you’re not careful. The game starts scaling damage very quickly to the point that a single hit from a particular enemy can kill you.

However, it also has the Bloodborne mechanic of being able to regain lost health by attacking an enemy. Dead Cells’ player damage also isn’t entirely reliant on buffing weapon stats. You could invest in your Balanced Blade or Dual Daggers doing more damage with Cells or you could discover random weapons with status effects that inter-play with each other. For instance, pick up an Assassin’s Dagger which crits enemies from behind and deals 100 percent extra damage to burning enemies, pair it with a Teleport ability for dealing extra damage from behind (while also dropping oil and igniting the floor) and throw in a Freeze grenade for good measure.

The satisfying and responsive nature of Dead Cells’ combat combined with the utter diversity of item builds and constant worry of taking even a shred of damage in certain situations makes the game highly replayable. This is despite the fact that even if you’re vigilant, you can die incredibly quick. Furthermore, exploration often involves traveling off the beaten path to potentially discover Elite enemies, Cursed Treasure chests, stat boosts, items, merchants and so on.

It’s risk vs. reward at times as you neither know what enemies will try to kill or what kind of boons can be expected (random generation of these beaten paths helps keep them fresh each time). Still, there’s no back-tracking to previous stages and whatever permanent abilities are gained simply serve to diversify the beaten paths you can travel down. You’re not going to find a brand new area or story progression by doing so. And in many ways, despite how powerful certain items and combinations may be, it comes down to your own skill when pulling them off.

"The Metroidvania crowd hasn’t been decrying Dead Cells as a twisted version of the genre that shouldn’t be."

Now I’m not going to tell you that everyone is in love with Dead Cells (though the praise for Rogue Legacy was very strong). I’ve read plenty of criticisms about its cheapness. Some believe that many of the combat mechanics and difficult mirror Dark Souls, thus attracting that more hardcore subset that also happens to like pixel art and platforming. However, the Metroidvania crowd hasn’t been decrying Dead Cells as a twisted version of the genre that shouldn’t be. In fact, it’s received praise for doing something different. In a way, many of the core aspects of the genre emerge in unorthodox ways throughout Dead Cells like the aforementioned exploration, using certain abilities to unlock previously inaccessible areas, unlocking more weapons and powering up players enough to explore further and so on.

Then there’s a game like Sundered from Thunder Lotus Games, the developer of Jotun. Sundered is arguably more Metroidvania then Dead Cells. There is a central hub but it mixes a heavy degree of crafted areas with random generation. The kicker is that the randomly generated areas can be fairly repetitive with each success run through them. Though Dead Cells does the same thing, it’s core repeating area is pretty straightforward – the randomly generated branching paths are fairly unique each time but in smaller ways (that become more obvious as time goes by).

Sundered has plenty of back-tracking with its unique abilities, allowing you to access previously unreachable areas and bosses. There’s also a lot more lore inherent as you learn about the Valkyries, this strange Eldritch being that’s helping you and how certain icons were seemingly driven mad. When you die, you don’t lose all of your collected currency (referred to as Shards) and they’re pretty valuable.

These provide your permanent upgrades and are pretty much what will get you through latter game portions unlock with the perks you equip. Sundered does have a way of being decidedly rouge-like though. You may set a goal, say, traversing to a certain area that could potentially be open with your new ability. However, the longer you stay alive, the more hordes of enemies the game will throw at you. You might be strong enough to resist them, maybe even dominate them.

"It’s like withe every death, the game is testing you and telling you to go back with whatever Shards have been earned to become stronger."

Battles can move from skill-based running, jumping and attacking to simply standing around and whacking enemies, regenerating health and shields accordingly while avoiding environmental traps. If you die, then maybe you gathered enough Shards for more upgrades to make you sturdier. Wash, rinse and repeat. The process of progressing through Sundered feels a bit like survival initially – the stronger you get, the more comfortable you feel exploring and back-tracking through the world. You can still die if you let your guard down though.

This approach has been met with somewhat of a mixed response despite how gorgeous Sundered looks. The enemies can spawn in droves and cutting down your HP bit by bit until you’re dead – and at times, that can irrespective of trying to escape or standing your ground. The game’s appeal of “changing” areas doesn’t really offer much that’s different from what you traversed before. This in itself is interesting because it brings to mind the back-tracking that occurs in a normal Metroidvania title.

It’s not like Sundered is creating impossible environmental situations for you to cross – those lazer trip-wires and escape through poisoned clouds can be traversed with enough practice. It’s the hordes that can strike at almost any time, even when you’re upgrading skills, that can wear on the player. The longer you stay alive, the more difficult enemies you’ll face until even the Elites join the party. It’s like with every death, the game is testing you and telling you to go back with whatever Shards have been earned to become stronger. Of course, there’s no enemy level scaling so it’s more like the game’s way to telling you to make the same run again, probably not die because now you’re strong enough, and thus progress.

Make no mistake though. This is a Metroidvania title. Seeing the response to it is interesting. Remember – even Jotun was fairly divisive among people. Sundered will either make you obsess over its world and grinding to become stronger and pushing forward. The hordes may be a nuisance but overtime, they can either be destroyed very easily or avoided because of your tankiness. Perhaps the biggest oversight to me is the real lack of randomly generated sub-paths or unique discoveries like Dead Cells. Randomly generated areas will become repetitive eventually and really, to offer the player some semblance of assistance, it’s a good idea to not come up with some truly bizarre combination of areas. But that’s another matter entirely.

"I do wonder at times if these games can capture the same sense of wonder we had when fighting Mother Brain for the first time."

When I look at the history of Metroidvania games, it’s easy to see what made them click. Games like Sundered and Dead Cells take many of the same tropes but are seemingly more “run” driven, benefiting those who don’t want to spend hours figuring out where to go next or testing certain items for certain puzzles. They’re seemingly meant for those who want to beat things up with powerful attacks and if they die, become potentially more powerful in the next run and thus, the feedback loop continues.

However, there’s a certain charm to this mix of rogue-like, hand-crafted and random generation, as they prompt exploration and that urge of what lays around the next corner. And really, when you consider how many Metroidvania games were completed and moved on from, a game like Dead Cells can prompt the player to come back and test their mettle. Because who knows what weapons, statuses and overpowered builds they’ll have this time? Of course, this doesn’t quite apply to Sundered which doesn’t dole out weapons and stat buffs on an RNG basis.

I do wonder at times if these games can capture the same sense of wonder we had when fighting Mother Brain for the first time. That same charm of playing as Alucard in Symphony of the Night or the revelations behind Soma Cruz in Aria of Sorrow, not to mention the intricately mapped areas of Metroid Prime series with some of its frustrating but creative bosses. Granted, these games do have their own bosses but they seem to emphasize moment-to-moment gameplay more heavily, with Sundered doing a somewhat better job of building to a boss fight.

Those games will still continue to be made, which is great, and developers will branch of into newer things which is also great. Regardless and despite the criticism that games like Sundered are currently facing, the Metroidvania is alive and well. Even better, it’s a genre that’s grown into its own without having to rely on solely Metroid and Castlevania to exist.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to GamingBolt as an organization.

Three new games have become backwards compatible on the Xbox One. They’re nothing major by any stretch by Xbox One gamers can now play Alan Wake, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Pac-Man on their consoles.

The backwards compatibility for Alan Wake comes just in time – Quantum Break will be releasing in April and includes a digital version of Alan Wake with its DLC for playing. If you find the game somewhere or just want something to do once Quantum Break wraps, then Alan Wake isn’t the worst option.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is arguably more appealing though, especially since it’s one of the best Castlevania games ever made. It’s also responsible for the modern era of 2D Castlevania titles which took a more Metroid-like approach to exploration and upgrades (thus creating the term Metroid-vania).

And Pac-Man is…well, Pac-Man. Still fun though.

Stay tuned for more information on other titles that will support Xbox One backwards compatibility in the coming months.

8. Inversion: Nothing You Did Mattered!

Inversion follows two cops trying to stop some other-wordly dudes from doing something or the other involving gravity and guns. But the main character Davis, like us, didn’t care about that crap. After the death of his wife, he simply wanted to find his daughter, whom he still believed to be alive. Unfortunately not only did Davis not survive the final battle but his partner Leo reveals the truth at the end. While Davis was mourning the loss of his wife, Leo did some snooping around the apartment and found Davis’s daughter crushed by rubble. He didn’t tell Davis however, believing that she deserved avenging more than anything. In a game that tried to beat us over the head with fantastical reveals and ho-hum confrontations, this one tragedy stuck out the most.

7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Goes Ground Zero

It’s not the first time that a protagonist has died in a game. But for reasons we can’t fathom, it’s been a while since we recalled any other popular first person shooter that killed off it’s player character. Now, Call of Duty 4 had two protagonists, who’s perspective you shifted between throughout the game. But the way our marine went out was nothing short of shock and awe: A nuclear explosion. That our guy survived the helicopter crash but eventually died from the radiation, crawling out of the wreckage to see his entire team laid to waste, was nothing short of horrifying.

6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Introduces Alucard

The game begins simply as you, Richter Belmont, walk into Dracula’s castle and get all up in his business. Ignore for a moment that he looks like Bob Hope (trust us), and something odd happens. Suddenly, it’s 5 years later and you’re playing as Alucard, Dracula’s son. Considering that this goes against the entire process of having a Belmont as the protagonist of every Castlevania game, it was quite a shock at the time. We later learned that Richter was the protagonist of Rondo of Blood (also known as Dracula X) and the beginning of the game was actually the concluding moments of the former. Rondo of Blood only saw NA and EU release via virtual console nearly 17 years after it’s initial launch.