Things I wonder: Symphony of the Night edition

January 26, 2011

So, yo, I'm playing the Live Arcade port of Symphony of the Night and I've noticed that I'm struggling a bit more than usual with this game. Like, even to the point of occasionally dying in rooms other than that one where you have to use Sonic Bat powers to get through the dark, spiky room. I've come up with three theories for this. If anyone who is familiar with this game, both on the PS and Live Arcade, has insight...well, that's what I'm hoping for!

1. While this is essentially a direct port with nothing new besides "leaderboard" stuff, there was subtle difficulty tweaking. Like maybe certain enemies hit harder. I just entered the Reverse Castle last night and found the Chapel area to be tough, just because those Snipers of Goth flying angel-like enemies could bust the crap out of me with arrow attacks. I don't remember having that tough a time with them before.

2. Controls. Things don't feel as tight with the 360 controller as they did with the PS one. This game originally came out before the analog sticks became an integral part of gaming, so the game may not work as well because you're using them now. I do notice that when swinging at short enemies (ie: Thornweeds), I usually use the control pad instead of the stick to aim down with my sword.

3. The simple fact it's been a long-ass time since I've played the game. Like years after I'd beat it every few months back in the day. I had a particular order by which I'd do everything that I never strayed from which allowed me to go through both castles efficiently. There's no way I could remember that, so the deviations from the plan could be working to make things more difficult. But I wouldn't think that'd be a big deal now. I'm just entering the Reverse Castle after doing EVERYTHING in the first one and I'm pretty sure my plan always involved starting with the Darkwing Bat and then turning around, taking out the Medusa and going through the chapel. Unless there was a side trip into reverse Olrox or Coliseum I'd take for a weapon or armor or something that I'm not able to remember.

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The latest in my really infrequent blogs An update on gaming The progress thing which I've forgotten to do for ages.

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zippdementia - January 26, 2011 (07:10 PM)
I can tell you that, in my opinion, number three has nothing to do with it; I played the game for the first time ever last year when I reviewed it and found it easier than any other Castlevania game I've played, with maybe (MAYBE) the exception of Portrait of Ruin.

I can't really comment on one because I simply don't remember. I didn't have any trouble in the reverse castle, though. A death here and there, but it was always because I did something REALLY stupid.

I'm betting it's point number two that really captures what's wrong here: I can't imagine playing the game on an analog. With the PSN, I used the directional pad.

joseph_valencia - January 26, 2011 (08:01 PM)
From my experience, parts of SoTN can veer from really easy to really brutal. It's still easy relative to most Castlevania games, though.

overdrive - January 26, 2011 (08:10 PM)
I think after tonight that it was mainly controller. Part doing things in a different order, but mainly the camera. I think I'd go into the chapel as far as Medusa and then turn around and go through the clock tower to the walls to the library. By exploring, you get good sword and armor upgrades and if you're lucky or, like me tonight, refuse to leave the fucking library until a damn worthless Schmoo drops it, you get to break the game with the Crissaegrim. Sure, it might take an hour of going back and forth through the big chamber next to the save point...grrrrr...

Tomorrow, my task shall be to harvest Guardians until it's too tedious to get levels (this takes some time) and then beat that stupid mummy boss in .3 seconds.

I do have to say...damn, this sword should be like the Resident Evil infinite rocket launcher/Chicago Typewriter sort of thing. IE: something you get for a replay. It's just hilarious how it takes every bit of skill out of the game. "WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM...well, there's another room cleared of enemies."

JoeTheDestroyer - January 27, 2011 (01:34 AM)
I always tell myself I'm not going to get the Crissaegrim every time I go through it because of how ridiculously easy it makes the game, yet I still find myself committing genocide on the Schmoos to get it. I can't deny it, that weapon makes me wet.

japanaman - January 27, 2011 (09:17 AM)
Sorry, no help here. I only completed 50% of the PS one game. When I got the XBLA port I was able to beat it and a lot of the game the next time around, so I find the XBLA port to be easier.

overdrive - January 27, 2011 (11:15 AM)
Joe

I know what you mean. I'd only had the Crissaegrim one other time. The second or third time I beat it, when I was playing it with my best friend and we were switching the control pad back and forth. It was one of those fluky times when a Schmoo dropped it super-quick and we got it while just going through the place with no harvesting. And then equipped it and were like, "WHOA!!!! WTF????" and then slaughtered everything after harvesting Guardians until they weren't giving levels without a lot of work.

The next time I played it, I was like, "I gotta get that thing again!", but didn't. Probably because, for whatever reason, I thought it was Tin Man that dropped it, so I was in the back of the library where there are a lot of Tin Man enemies (in a Schmoo-less room). This time...no way in hell I wasn't getting that sword.

overdrive - January 27, 2011 (08:26 PM)
Surprisingly, the game isn't that difficult with Crissaegrim Alucard at L60 with just under 1000 HP. I love merciless domination. Bosses are like, "GRAAA...? Oh...I do believe I'm already dead. Well, so much for that."

Feedback
	zippdementia - January 26, 2011 (07:10 PM) I can tell you that, in my opinion, number three has nothing to do with it; I played the game for the first time ever last year when I reviewed it and found it easier than any other Castlevania game I've played, with maybe (MAYBE) the exception of Portrait of Ruin. I can't really comment on one because I simply don't remember. I didn't have any trouble in the reverse castle, though. A death here and there, but it was always because I did something REALLY stupid. I'm betting it's point number two that really captures what's wrong here: I can't imagine playing the game on an analog. With the PSN, I used the directional pad.
	joseph_valencia - January 26, 2011 (08:01 PM) From my experience, parts of SoTN can veer from really easy to really brutal. It's still easy relative to most Castlevania games, though.
	overdrive - January 26, 2011 (08:10 PM) I think after tonight that it was mainly controller. Part doing things in a different order, but mainly the camera. I think I'd go into the chapel as far as Medusa and then turn around and go through the clock tower to the walls to the library. By exploring, you get good sword and armor upgrades and if you're lucky or, like me tonight, refuse to leave the fucking library until a damn worthless Schmoo drops it, you get to break the game with the Crissaegrim. Sure, it might take an hour of going back and forth through the big chamber next to the save point...grrrrr... Tomorrow, my task shall be to harvest Guardians until it's too tedious to get levels (this takes some time) and then beat that stupid mummy boss in .3 seconds. I do have to say...damn, this sword should be like the Resident Evil infinite rocket launcher/Chicago Typewriter sort of thing. IE: something you get for a replay. It's just hilarious how it takes every bit of skill out of the game. "WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM...well, there's another room cleared of enemies."
	JoeTheDestroyer - January 27, 2011 (01:34 AM) I always tell myself I'm not going to get the Crissaegrim every time I go through it because of how ridiculously easy it makes the game, yet I still find myself committing genocide on the Schmoos to get it. I can't deny it, that weapon makes me wet.
	japanaman - January 27, 2011 (09:17 AM) Sorry, no help here. I only completed 50% of the PS one game. When I got the XBLA port I was able to beat it and a lot of the game the next time around, so I find the XBLA port to be easier.
	overdrive - January 27, 2011 (11:15 AM) Joe I know what you mean. I'd only had the Crissaegrim one other time. The second or third time I beat it, when I was playing it with my best friend and we were switching the control pad back and forth. It was one of those fluky times when a Schmoo dropped it super-quick and we got it while just going through the place with no harvesting. And then equipped it and were like, "WHOA!!!! WTF????" and then slaughtered everything after harvesting Guardians until they weren't giving levels without a lot of work. The next time I played it, I was like, "I gotta get that thing again!", but didn't. Probably because, for whatever reason, I thought it was Tin Man that dropped it, so I was in the back of the library where there are a lot of Tin Man enemies (in a Schmoo-less room). This time...no way in hell I wasn't getting that sword.
	overdrive - January 27, 2011 (08:26 PM) Surprisingly, the game isn't that difficult with Crissaegrim Alucard at L60 with just under 1000 HP. I love merciless domination. Bosses are like, "GRAAA...? Oh...I do believe I'm already dead. Well, so much for that."

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