When SotN came out on PS1 and I first played it...my metaphoric wall had my mind splattered all over the paint. How could Castlevania, a franchise I loved, somehow evolve into a game this good? The exploration, the red book audio...the sprite work...it was a 10/10 home run. I spent the better part of a month exploring the entire castle just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. To this day I still play from start to finish once a year (sometimes solo, sometimes with friends)
but...for the last seven years when I do my yearly SotN run I do it on Saturn....and that’s because I really do think it’s the better version of the game compared to the PS1 version! (Covers face and head to avoid the rocks incoming....lol)
I loved 90’s gaming. Hardware was evolving to the point where you had SNES in the beginning and Dreamcast by the end. Iconic games were releasing monthly. Graphics were improving by leaps and bounds...but what DONT I miss? The reviewers.
Does SotN on the Saturn have slowdown? In spots definitely. Does it have longer loading times? Definitely. Are the transparencies from the PS1 version gone? 100%
and that was enough for reviews of the Japanese import to get ravaged. You’d think reading them the game was hot garbage. A real Staten Island dumpster fire of an experience.
but what did we get in return? Maria as a playable character, some awesome remixes of iconic tracks, and new areas of the castle to explore with new songs and enemies. We’re the new areas perfect? No...but it was more SotN and I’ll give up transparencies and throw in a bit of loading time patience to get more of the game I love.
I really just wish Konami would give us a modern physical copy edition of SotN on the PS1 code with the Saturn extras. Combine it together as one experience and sell it to us...I’d buy another version of the game!
If you are reading this Konami...step away from the pachislot machines and give us some new and awesome Castlevania games!
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