Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Konami finally releases the 32-bit upgrade to a classic NES title. And the results of tried & true gaming shines through. The game is easy for anyone to pick up. The controls are simple & even familar (the scheme has been used before). It seems like a straight forward action platformer until you realize all the events that unfold in front of you & how much it adds to the game. Alucard, the main character, loses his weapons early in the game. And so your search uncovers an endless amount of better/upgraded weapons. Not to mention stronger armor. All which have different effects such as increasing health or repelling lightning attacks. And of course there's also a skill level that increases with every bad guy taken out. At certain points you'll learn new magic attacks. Then there's the whole transforming & creature aspect. Each that helps Alucard get to certain points in a stage & opens up a wider array of attacks at his disposal. The whole thing is immersive & really shows how much attention to detail & effort was put into the title. Graphic-wise, Castlevania is a 2D masterpiece. Featuring wild looking & mythological creatures of past history. Attacking them reveals several layers of armor & more than one surprise to these amazing creatures of the undead. Just wait till you meet up with the screen wide bosses. Huge & Devastating! Some are down right disturbing too. There's one boss that's a huge blob-like mess of dead bodies. And out of nowhere they start falling off & attacking you. This game is not for the weak of heart. The only problem I can see anyone having with this title is the fact that the genre has almost been certainly played to death. Meaning that at first glance some people might assume it's nothing more than your basic Mario game. But actual play of the game reveals otherwise. Check this title out now!

Overall 9.0