(Concluded) Castlevania: SotN 20th Anniversary, 2k members

hmm. i could use an extra copy to give to girlfriend.

The exploration, battles, and different equipment is lots of fun. On top of that, it's home to some of the best videogame music ever composed. Plus the way the graphics of SotN look just brings back a flood of late '90s memories. There's just something very charming about gothic horror/fantasy pixel art. Oh, and who could forget the incredible voice acting performances of the original release?

Bloodstained is looking pretty hopeful of picking up where the DS series left off SotN's legacy from what I've seen so far, I really can't wait for the release!

Oooh, okay. I always have loved doing that, and haven't really done it in a while.

The game actually felt like a really strong part of my childhood. Growing up with an older brother and stepdad both into gaming and a mom who'd step her toes in it once in a while, it seemed like during the age of the PS1, it was all their favorite game to play. I wasn't often given the chance to play the game myself back then but I was always mesmerized by the its quality music and beautiful visuals. The mighty Alucard seemed like he could do anything! He had every tool at his disposal between swords and shields and bombs and even potions on the ground that he could use to summon monsters. He found familiars that grew and evolved as he did and he could even do cool spells that had nothing to do with what was equpped. He seemed to charge through an army of all sorts of various beasts of the night with ease as they flared up in a fantastic display of flames upon defeat. I watched them play more and more of the game and I watched them learn find all sorts of secrets and easter eggs. I loved the gongs of the bells as he leaped atop them and how sitting at the Chapel caused ghosts to appear: some nice, some not-so-nice. I still remember how terrified I was as a little one when I first saw the HUGE skull enemy in the Clock Tower. It actually gave Little Dumpling nightmares.

I was often grounded a lot so I never really got to play the game myself back then. I was usually kept in my room not allowed to do much. But even when I was grounded, I still had the opportunity to watch my stepdad play this game. See, my stepdad was a blind man, and his vision only continued to worsen. We bought a big 52 inch TV (absolutely ridiculous for the time, lord knows how anyone moved the thing around) so that he could see just enough detail in the blurs to continue to play his games. So what would happen is that, even though I was always grounded, he'd call me out into the living room to help him play the game. I'd help him navigate the map, and when he was grinding for items I'd let him know when that item dropped. So for large parts of my childhood, watching him play the game was the most interesting aspect of my life. It was my life.

One of the things I was allowed to do when I was grounded was read. It was basically the only thing I was allowed to do when grounded. But it just so happened that my Dad had a copy of the unofficial strategy guide for Castlevania SotN, which he gave to me. I still have it to this day!



I spent a lot of time overlooking this book, the closest thing I could do to playing it at the time. When I was younger I spent most of my time looking through the Monster List in the back because I was fascinated with just how many there were.



As I got older I started looking more than just the pictures and actually through the walkthrough, every step of the game. So by the time I actually got my hands on it, I was prepared.

I didn't actually get to play the game myself (completely) until about when I entered high school. On my birthday (October 18th, so shortly after Freshman year began), my stepdad bestowed to me his PS2 with all of his PS1/PS2 games and accessories. Said his sight had gotten too bad and that he couldn't play video games anymore. It was really tragic but also bittersweet. To this day I still have his games and PS2, and I cherish all of his favorites. From Drakengard to Zone of the Enders, to PS1 discs of 30 Activision and Intellivision classics each of games that he played when he was a kid. And of course, this one here, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Since then, SOTN is definitely the game I've played the most out of any. It was the prefect game for me to rub that itch of childlike whimsical wonder and exploration. I've played SotN on a PS1, on my PS2, on my friend's 360, on my PSP, on my PS3, and on PC with PS1 and Saturn emulation. I've beaten the game again and again and again and again, and for some reason I can't stop. For most games, I beat it once and I'm done. For a few like Dragon's Dogma, I might play again to make another character or do another build. But SotN is a game that I just can't stop playing. It's my comfort game. The one I always fall back to when I don't feel like playing anything else. It's a game I wish to explore every little nook and cranny of and I'm honestly shocked when to this day I occasionally learn something new about the game that I had never found before. I recently got my first ever Platinum trophies: for Lego Marvel Superheroes and for NieR Automata. And while I love NieR to death, I know that had achievement systems been a thing during SotN's time, it'd have been my first years ago.

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I'm going to be honest. I didn't hop on this project because it was Koji Igarashi's work, or because it was a spiritual successor to Castlevania. I did it because it was pitched as a successor to Symphony of the Night specifically. No other game has captured its magic for me and I know that Bloodstained isn't exactly going to be able to combat my nostalgia for Symphony either. But I still want to show it the same love and passion that I feel for Symphony. I want to see a new world to explore through Miriam's eyes. I want to create new memories with Bloodstained and share them with others the way my family and especially my stepdad did for me. NieR Automata is my second favorite game of all time because it did the same for me and how I grew up with my stepdad's love of Drakengard. So I am absolutely excited in every way to jump into the world Igarashi and his team are weaving for me here with Bloodstained. I may be a cynical adult now who has lost her childhood whimsy and wonder but I can feel it coming back just this once for this game.

Thank you again everyone for listening to my story and giving me the chance to once again tell it~
I can't wait till Bloodstained is finally in our hands!

How do I enter the contest?

I have not yet slacker backed the game.

Hi puri, I am glad you asked the question.
By the way, for me, the main reason I wanted to participate to this thread was to recall on these lost fun times and to share it with everyone, but also prove my passion for the 'stained project.

My CSOTN's story runs deep actually, way before the game itself.
I began my videogames quest with the NES, where the roots of some of the most known legendary series lie. Megaman, The Super Mario games and of course Castlevania (the 1st and Simon's Quest, back then I couldn't try CV III).
My Golden Age was during the SNES and PS1 eras though, a time when companies developed all sorts of games with fresh concepts. The stories were more developed too and of course in a graphical and sound perspective, they were better.
Super CV IV no matter how old it can be, still has a special place in my heart, as well as Castlevania Chronicles, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge and of course the igavanias.

I also always have been an adventure/RPG fan.
How did my passion for Castlevania begin?
The idea of having all sorts of mythological monsters in a series fascinated me (and it sure still does!). A game with tight gameplay (without it being unfair or sadistic) and immersive ambience I can only be a sucker for. I am one of those who enjoy that gothic atmosphere, playing as a character representing a ray of hope, progressing in a huge castle full of traps and malevolent creatures.

When I began CSOTN, I could feel how immense the castle would be. The music, sound effects and richness in details were truly entrancing.
The game is fluid as well. There is a RPG aspect, with level ups, tons of equipment, spells and so on. I always preferred 2D to 3D, too.
It also had a link with Rondo of Blood, a game that countless ones had to give up on since it was on the PC Engine back then.

You never knew where a corridor would lead, what you'd find next. Would you be safe trying to progress further? Would you rather grind a little more to ensure that you are strong enough? How worthy that new piece of equipment compared to the ones you already own?
These are RPG questions set in a platform-rich game. Isn't it strange, isn't it cool?
For me it was a superb blend. Add Alucard's tragic family story, a Belmont that goes weird and a female stalker, a charismatic vampire, his two allies, one female demon, a glimpse of the past... and you have a lot to discover in the end. 

Needless to say that Michiru Yamane's performance on this game transcended time. I still deeply  love these pieces, they truly convey emotions... Lost Painting, Crystal Teardrops and Waltz of Pearls (Dance of Pales) are still my favorites. I don't mind listening to them for hours.*
Ayami Kojima's art is splendid as well. So detailed, so rich in colors, so fitting the ambience. Real pieces of art.

To this day, old PS1 players still remember and make fun of iconic lines like "Die monster, you don't belong in this world!", "What is a man? a miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk, have at you!", or "I'm interested in this", yes, even in our little Bloodstained Discord. Come pay us a visit! *grins* My favorite among them is Dracula's voice actor (as well as Alucard's). It is like he is singing. I wish he were back as one of the 'stained cast members.
...That and the silly details, like the peanuts or the familiars' reactions...

My favorite weapons in the game? The Heaven Sword and the Rune Sword. They're fun and so much spammable. Great for destroying walls, too (I wonder if I became a wall mac hunter because of it. Nah, maybe not).
The duplicator... Yes, I keep all of the one use-only items to spam them when getting this nifty accessory.

I discovered that CSOTN was rushed in the end. Imagine if they could have implemented all that was planned!
It was already memorable as is, but still!

Now to return to more recent times, I bought the Dracula X Chronicles when the game was still fresh. CSOTN as unlockable? Rondo of Blood in both original and remade form? Instant purchase!
The redub of CSOTN has good lines, but I prefer the voice actors of the PS1 version and these oh so beautiful cheesy dialogues.

I slacker-backed Bloodstained in December of 2016... It was my first online transaction too.
I was genuinely admiring the 'stained trailer as well as the "design a boss" video. Master Iga's struggle touched me as well.
I also couldn't believe how a company would fall from grace that much and that badly. He was free from the corporate shackles, though, to bring to us more of his talent, to deliver a game that no usual company would put trust in. I am so happy that fans like me responded massively to his call. We are the Army of the Night!

On top of that, it was a game that would be the successor of the Castlevania games with that hybrid genre... In 2.5D, too, meaning you got perspective and special effects in animation!
A fresh start, a compelling story, a new setting, tons of new music, sound effects, a brand new bestiary and weapons, characters that aren't tied to anything before, game events linked to reality (that eruption), crafting, game modes, surely a tons of fun details and so on...
I can't fathom to which range the game can go in content.

I wish with all my heart that the game succeeds. Every time I hear that nothing is cut and that the pacing is great, I feel at ease. Thanks, Angel-Corlux!
Oh and I have met some wonderful people since I joined this community. It is like we knew each other for longer than that. I dedicate this post to them, too.
There is so much more to discover about it still and I am ready for it. I will definitely wait. For the best game ever can be created, with the input of everyone.

Thank you, Master Iga, for choosing that path. We trust you, we will follow you in your quest. Also a big thanks to the grand names that accompany him towards his goal.

Thanks for reading! Take care.

I'm already pledged for two physical copies of the game, but the shirt would be kind of cool to have. Count me in.

Well this is super keen! I can think of a few people who would love a copy, or I could always use a new shirt

Mana for president ! man sotn was quite a journey in my childhood i am really glad i managed to clear the game though i didnt bothered to "explore" the outside of the walls for the aditional explored % but i did farm all the items and hit the librarian chair nonstop gold times... i hope we can also have a lot of fun exploring the bloodstained castle collecting items discovering that weapons have secret moves or special abilities like alucard´s shield~ Really interested in the swordwhip i have high hopes for it (not hoping for another crissaegrim/valmanway as it was braindead...though the design was cool) i wanna find out too how does the asynchronous online multiplayer works.. the playable characters besides miriam! The crafting..
Looking foward to it!~
Also played castlevania legacy of darkness castlevania judgement aria of sorrow circle of the moon lords of shadow.