JAVA | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. ALL. 7. VERSIONS! - SimplyAJ (REVIEW) ft. Dr4gonBlitz

[@dr4gonblitz]

Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this amazing video! Always happy to talk about my favorite game

[@InternetLobster]

This man is the ocean's favorite SOTN runner.

[@AquaRay316]

W Dr4gonBlitz my favorite streamer!

[@GilMarcellana-o4t]

Our goat 😊

[@P4brotagonist]

If there is one thing I am thankful for this holiday, it is your uploads.

[@SimplyAJ]

Thank you so much for the tip, that's extremely generous of you!

[@hummus_exual]

16:48 I’m ashamed to admit that the gladiators in the warp rooms… uh… awoke something in young me.

[@Wecoc1]

Same but with the Venus Weed enemies. This game is too sexy 😆

[@GameplayandTalk]

Awesome stuff as always! I really appreciate how raw/honest you can be, like where you realized mid-filming that you forgot to write in that part of the script and had to improvise on the spot. Regarding the Saturn version, I was actually that kid that played that version first (thank you, Electronics Boutique, who at the time was carrying Saturn imports!). As a long time Castlevania fan by that point, I was absolutely blown away by it and wasn't phased at all by what we now consider inferior features compared to the PS1 version. Sure, now it's a little more rough around the edges thanks to time, but I still appreciate the hell out of it, and it fills a nice little gap in the Saturn's overall library. Oh, fun story regarding getting the Saturn version--On first boot I originally played as Richter because that seemed like the normal Castlevania thing to do. Ohhhh how wrong I was and what a difficult time I was in for.. It wasn't until I swapped it temporarily with a friend, got it back a couple months later, decided to finally gave Alucard a try, that the game *finally* clicked and I was completely absorbed by it for months. In hindisight, I think locking Richter in the original PS1 game was a smart choice.

[@SimplyAJ]

Haha, thanks! Yeah, I mean I figured at that point, just roll with it. I know some people might be wondering why I did the whole thing in one session, as opposed to multiple sessions where I could have fixed errors like that, but, the truth of it is that I have to set up my lighting, camera, and mic every single time I record, then break it all down afterwards. Because of that, I can never quite get the camera, lighting, focus, background the EXACT same each time I record, so it's just easier for me to do it all in one big long segment haha. Something that I didn't mention in the video to take into account too, is the fact that, while yeah, the Saturn version does look a bit worse when played now a days, it was also never meant to be viewed on these clear, crisp monitors and TVs etc. When playing on a classic CRT TV, where the pixels can all "blend" together better, those jagged edges and lines are a LOT less noticeable too. That's pretty awesome that you had it growing up though! Honestly, I hadn't even thought about the fact that there were probably people who jumped into the game the first time with Richter having no clue why it was so hard haha. I'm sure having the manual and stuff would help to steer players in the right direction back in '98 though.

[@Gohrek]

The Saturn port will forever remain my favorite. Despite all its flaws, it feels like I'm playing the complete version of SotN. I hope that one day we'll get a "definitive" version of SotN that has all the extra content from the Saturn port with better-looking pixel graphics and faster load times. Thanks for making this video.

[@SimplyAJ]

I've always hoped that we'd get a "definitive" version as well. Throw both versions of Maria on there and both Richter sprites. I know that will probably never happen, but, yeah, would be amazing to see if it did haha. But yeah, thanks for watchin'!

[@NearLife4life]

Symphony is my favorite PS1 game and probably one of my faves ever, but really, ya can't go wrong with Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain.

[@SimplyAJ]

You're absolutely right. I really love the first Blood Omen a lot, it's a great game haha.

[@pobbityboppity1110]

Killer way to be introduced to what went on to be an amazing gothic franchise

[@HybridAngelZero]

I absolutely ADORE SoTN, I own it on literally every platform it's available on (which somehow none of them are Nintendo) here are a few of random things I want to add: •The mobile version has full controller support! In fact, it'll even chance the menus and interface to have Xbox button prompts! • The 360 version has some control silliness as well: the Start button no longer opens the Equip/Spell/Relic menu, instead it's an XBLA pause menu, moving the regular menu to Back (the 360's version of Select) and the Map to... Left Trigger. While you can rebind almost everything else, those three buttons in particular you can't, so literally every release of SoTN some weird control quirk • It is indeed just pronounced "Game Com" the dot is silent. I actually own one that I've had since I was a kid! It has a touch screen (which was rare at the time) and a lot of PDA/Palm Pilot-esque features like a phone book and even a built-in Solitaire game. It also had two cartridge slots, which I remember wishing my Game Boy had at the time. xD The screen was even smearier than the Game Boy's, though. Simple games like Light's Out and Henry were a lot of fun, but more action focused games like Sonic Jam were pretty miserable. That said, kid me would have probably bought this version of SoTN anyway xD Regardless, welcome back, AJ! Seeing this video in my feed put a huge smile on my face!

[@SimplyAJ]

I appreciate the extra input! There actually WERE other things I meant to put in the video, but due to everything that went on during the making of this video (Maybe I'll tell that story when I hit 10K or something haha), some stuff just didn't quite make it in, cause I sort of jumped the gun on recording it when I did, and then realized I had forgotten some stuff. For instance: - The Saturn Version has an infinite Wingsmash. Once you perform it, you don't need to keep performing the inputs to keep the wingsmash going like in the Playstation version. Meanwhile, in the Requiem version, it's just HARDER to perform the infinite wingsmash. - The Requiem Version and beyond had to remove the credits song "I am the Wind" due to licensing after the singer got signed by a label. - There was a secret ending where Maria turns evil and you have to fight her, but this was cut. The audio for it exists, though! - I meant to voice the part where the spiral sky was cut in the PSP and Requiem version (when you meet Death) cause it always bothered me that it was missing from those versions. But yeah, all things considered I'm still happy with how it turned out. Funny enough, I actually DID get to play with Gamecom earlier this year at PAX West. I almost bought it even, and probably should have haha. I'd love to own one, just for the novelty of it. But that's really cool that you have one! And thanks so much! Happy that this video has been so well received. Hopefully it was worth the wait haha.

[@HybridAngelZero]

@SimplyAJ It was absolutely worth the wait! And yeah, there's so much to SoTN and its intricacies and versions you could probably have doubled the length of the video and still have more to find, so I totally understand xD

[@SimplyAJ]

@@HybridAngelZero Oh yeah for sure haha. Hell, I didn't even get into the 1.00 Japanese release for the 1.1 English version etc etc. There's just.... so SO much haha.

[@P4brotagonist]

The confusion was unreal, like you stated early on. I wandered around for HOURS trying to figure out what I missing in the underground water area. Also, the only thing as a kid cooler than the reverse castle review was the reveal in Silver/Gold that I could go back to Kanto.

[@SimplyAJ]

Oh yeah, agreed. Returning to Kanto is honestly probably on par with the inverted castle for sure!

[@CaseyCleveland-jr7lv]

It is a bit of a shame on how they changed Maria in the later releases. She may have been kind of overpowered but she kind of was in Rondo of Blood anyways.

[@KBroly]

18:30 - While not a Castlevania game, TMNT III: The Radical Rescue by Konami predated Symphony of the Night by 4 years. It's of the same genre, even if it's not that deep.

[@janosaudron42us]

19:16 my smooth brain thought.. “let’s look at the map… oh, that blank space there.. bet there’s shit over there.”

[@Lonewolfz24]

About Alucards movement speed. The reason he moves as slow as he does is because of the way they loaded new areas in the PS1 version. The "loading" hallways (Grey halls with "CD" written in the middle) are where the game loads from the area you are in to the area you are going too, but needs a certain amount of time to complete this without being noticed. This is how they hid the loading times for the PS1 game. You can see hitches if you move through these rooms faster than Alucard walks, looks like the game freezes for 0.5-1 sec before entering the new area. This is also the reason the god speed shoes are in the SS version. Since there was less memory in the SS (without ram carts), it would need to load more often, and does, including loading screens while playing (the PS1 game doesn't do this), then it didn't matter how quickly you get through the "loading hall" since you would need to wait on the loading screen anyway.

[@padremacedo]

Such a passionate video! I can relate to all this passion

[@ThePutosaure]

Currently playing it (well, trying not to get too lost in it) so I think I'll keep the video for later just in case it spoils me some puzzle elements... I'd rather spend hours running in circles!

[@PNW_Marxist]

Came because I saw my boy DB was in the vid, stayed because you're entertaining to listen to, you've got a sub from me :)

[@cleverlydevisedmyth]

AJ has the cutest messy haircut. Yeah, I also got pushed out of the room the first time I got a Crissaegrim too! LOL

[@TheLandofObscusion]

Digital Foundry explained the "stretching" on the Saturn version of SOTN. Essentially, Konami Kobe simply doubled every fourth pixel on the screen in order to take up the full screen, resulting in things like diagonals looking extremely jagged, and since they weren't going to outright redraw the entire game for the Saturn's extra resolution the only other option would have been to surround the game with a border, like what happened with Rockman X3 on the Saturn.

[@chaos120m]

Needs a remaster with the saturn extras included

[@pobbityboppity1110]

That guy with the hair is back!!!!

[@SimplyAJ]

Aha, I wasn't aware that I'm The Guy With the Hair, but I'll take it.

[@DanteLaBrie]

Damn lol I mostly was looking to see the talk about the 360 version, but the video was still super lovely!

[@SimplyAJ]

Aha sorry about that! The 360 version really doesn't have many other differences outside of what I already mentioned in the video (No FMV, worse sound effects due to compression, HP Up load in much faster). There were some other minor things too, like, the Sword Brothers Glitch from the PS1 version was fixed. The original unpatched 360 version was also missong the Vandal Sword enemy, but this was fixed later on. It really just comes down to extremely minor things. That being said it was also a bit of a technical marvel with how much they had to compress it fit the old Xbox Arcade limitations haha. But yeah sorry I didnt go into more detail, but glad ya enjoyed it regardless!

[@DanteLaBrie]

@@SimplyAJ No worries! I appreciate the response honestly! It's the version I discovered the game with so yeah for sure for sure. The compression is something I never knew so even just that was a nice thing to learn!

[@mschmalfeldt]

Always down for.more Castlevania content! Liked and subscribed!

[@SimplyAJ]

Thanks so much, it's appreciated!

[@safruddinaly5822]

Finally you get here, I'm watching this excitedly and never so fast i click notification. Also if you searching for fresh thing to do from your comfort zone i recommend you try covering wuxia game wandering sword and hero adventure road to passion adventure

[@robertanna2693]

While there is a period in the console title, it is pronounced Game Com, Ashens has a video on it from years ago and I honestly am amused at how proudly it declares "Game Com" with an impact sound every time you turn it on. It's genuinely hilarious.

[@SimplyAJ]

Haha, yeah. AFTER I recorded this, I actually ended up finding a Game.com at PAX West and messing around with it. Kind of wish I bought it, but, yeah, I know now that it's just Game Com.

[@caffiend81]

Oh hey the "new" area in the Saturn version has the gargoyle statue on the fountain. The same one that the medusa heads have a teeny tiny chance to turn you into when they turn you to stone. Fun fact - if you get turned into the gargoyle you are invulnerable while turned to stone. I only verified this (many, many times) on the PS1 version back in the day. IDK if it also happens in other versions. I was obsessed with it, thinking it was some uber secret form I could play as if I only I could figure out how to break out without reverting to plain ol' Alucard.

[@clessili]

I bought a PSP in 2011 almost solely for SotN, at that point AoS and the DS trilogy had hooked me! and it took me many attempts in Dracula X Chronicles to finally boot that legend, because I had bought a used copy with a scratched UMD. Also, it was the very first time the game was translated to French.

[@jeffreymontoya9933]

Make sure you check out the upcoming game Chronicles of the Wolf when it comes out! It has the voice of Alucard as narrator and there is a collaboration with Iga between the game and Bloodstained! Should be coming around February!

[@Lonewolfz24]

I own both PS1 and SS versions, and though the issues thrown at it are all justified, I still enjoyed playing through it and collecting all the rare items from the monsters, and extras it provided ... even if I couldn't read any of it =P NOW, you didn't bring up some of the BIGGEST hidden adds to the SS version, since most ppl wouldn't explore the game in these ways. If you put the disc in a computer CD player, and explore the contents, you can find both lower and higher res Bitmap files (pictures) of many of the characters, including a NSFW image of the Succubus. These images are very pretty, and I was using some of them as wallpapers back in the day.

[@RamuneRabbit]

I remember bringing my Saturn copy to campus one day for a game design course they were experimenting and I discovered the image folder on that disc for the first time. I am VERY happy nobody was around to see that Succubus picture that popped up on my desktop screen 😅

[@eldri7ch]

We actually have a December update planned for the randomizer! Hope to see more players!

[@SimplyAJ]

Ooh, looking forward to it!

[@reggieshelton5599]

He's back F0lks!

[@SimplyAJ]

Aha, I never left! This video just took WAY too long to make hahaha.

[@cellularautomatFI]

I see the Simon's Quest respect. I tip my hat to you 🎩

[@SimplyAJ]

It's a great game!

[@Gstv-_-]

Great video as always! And yeah, feeling lost IS the game 💀. I never would've guessed that the statues in the clock room were supposed to move if I hadn't googled it⚰.

[@SimplyAJ]

Aha, yeah for sure! Google didn't even exist when I first started playing this, just had sites like "Game Sages" haha.

[@dljworks]

Yaaaasss king!!!! You get an immediately like from me. You delivered sir!

[@SimplyAJ]

Thanks so much!

[@JEANS__]

The best Saturn addition is the Nocturne song

[@ShadyHitchhiker]

Welcome back

[@SimplyAJ]

Aha thanks! I hadn't gone anywhere, this video just took WAY longer to make is all haha.

[@karlmueller1980]

Some of the times that I have replayed symphony, the night was just sticking around and playing around in the early portions of the Dracula castle compared to the inverted castle, which seemed not as strong gameplay wise as the first half.

[@megatronjmp]

Dude let's me say this out the gate...THANK YOU for going back to my favorite and IMO the GOAT video game....im always searching for old school gamers talk about this game cause it made such an impact in my life how I see video games...this game alone made me fall in love with action RPG games and introduced me to survival horror...my nephew (Rip) brought this game over to my parents house and I paid it no mind as I was into mario and others...but he accidentally left the game so I figured "Ehh, let's try it" and DAYYUM SON...thats all she wrote...I remember keeping my girlfriend up on the phone late into the night describing what I found or enemy I beat(tru story)...but I respectfully disagree bro...this game by far is the GOAT in the franchise cause it made the developers step up each iteration of the franchise...but you gotta admit without SOTN the latter games wouldn't be talked about...I really wish they would bring this game back on the PS5 like they did Silent Hill and Resident Evil....but again thanks bro for diving into this classic and im 53 year old currently residing in Saudi Arabia for my job...great watch..Peace

[@mnicy]

Awesome video

[@fitnessabcvideo]

If you haven't played this years Saturn hack of SOTN, then man you are missing out, alot of these issues and translations are sorted.

[@barb2986]

Hey that's not Dr4gonBlitz that's Dr4gonBlitzDaily

[@cellularautomatFI]

Idk, the vibes I get at 29:06 reminds me of Dr. 4gon Blitz

[@LibraScope]

Bram Stoker's Dracula review when?

[@SimplyAJ]

Man, I missed the opportunity to do a rug pull and make THIS the Bram Stoker's Dracula review. Could have started off the same way, and then just kept talking about that game instead haha.

[@LibraScope]

@@SimplyAJ Hahaha, that would've been amazing :D

[@cleus]

This game is easily top 5 for me of all time, but I can’t believe with all these versions that there isn’t a perfect version of what I want - the sound and graphical quality and dialogue of the PS1, the additional levels and Maria mode of Dracula x chronicles, and the faster loading time of a modern console. For Christ’s sake, someone just make a definitive version

[@foxelius7071]

I definitely think it’s time to retire the term “Metroidvania”…and start using the term “Castletroid”.

[@SimplyAJ]

Sounds ilke an ailment you'd get diagnosed with. "Sorry sir, looks like you have a terminal case of... Castleroids"

[@fitnessabcvideo]

Was that the crissagram sword you werte trying to get? I cant remember but doesn't that do around 6 to 8 hits on one press?

[@SimplyAJ]

Yeah, that was it. I show it off for a few seconds in one of the scenes when fighting Medusa as well.

[@fatenabu1]

So my ideal version of the game would be the PS1 version with the added Saturn content. I wish someone would go into the PSP version/requiem version and just add the saturn areas.

[@AntiWhiteOut]

18 minutes in you were wrong about that first gate you used mist form at being a dead end. There is a secret elevator in that room that gets you some one of the strongest weapons at that point in the game.

[@SimplyAJ]

How was I wrong, exactly? I said it leads to a dead end, which it does. The room behind the gate is the same room that secret elevator takes you to (which you can see I even show at 27:40). The secret elevator just allows you to get the Jewel Knuckle early, prior to getting the Mist, and if you've already used that elevator (as I had done) then when you get the form of mist and go to that gate, it leads to a completely empty room.

[@AntiWhiteOut]

@SimplyAJ maybe I did remember it incorrectly, it's be a few years. I have been playing the dominus collection though. Good video.

[@karlmueller1980]

I only had one game for the 32X and it was Star Wars arcade.

[@ghoctav]

Konami should merge and perfected all Castlevania SOTN version to one .. that's what i thought 😂.. Never play Saturn version, that looks great ..

[@galenfirestone]

I mean, in yours and your mom's defense, Blood Omen 1 is a pretty dope game.

[@SimplyAJ]

I actually really love Blood Omen 1. I feel like it's often overshadowed by Soul Reaver when people talk about Legacy of Kain. I recently purchased an Evercade version of it to see how it plays, so I'm looking forward to playing through it again.

[@fivespot83s24]

How could you forget to mention the Tiger Electronic STANDALONE lcd game? Lol

[@7hndo_89]

Why didn't you talk about updating the pause menu in the mobile version? It looks great and more convenient than the boring ugly blue menu

[@AecvMw13]

For Algo

[@SimplyAJ]

Appreciated!

[@Chino-Kafu]

Awesome video

[@SimplyAJ]

Thank you!