Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is unquestionably one of the best games of the '90s, and arguably one of the most influential titles of the past few decades. Along with Super Metroid, it sired the Metroidvania genre which continues to see new additions up to this very day. It also boasts amazing 2D artwork and a sumptuous soundtrack; basically, it's good stuff, and should be on as many platforms as possible in 2020.
The good news is that Konami is listening. The bad news is that it has chosen to release Symphony of the Night on smartphones rather than the Nintendo Switch. The game has just launched on iOS and Android for the astonishingly low price of $2.99 / £2.99 (and with no in-app purchases, either), which means this classic title can be enjoyed by millions of new players (well, 'enjoyed' being a loosely-used term given that it has horribly imprecise on-screen controls which mean your fingers obscure most of the action).
Now, we're all for Konami using its existing IP to generate more revenue – and with the release of Castlevania: Series 3 on Netflix this week, the timing makes perfect sense. But really, Konami? Smartphones are getting Symphony of the Night before the Switch? That's too much to stomach, honestly. We've had to have a couple of strong coffees and a short lie down to get over the news, if we're honest.
In all seriousness, it's high time this legendary title arrived on a Nintendo system. Over the years it has been ported to the Sega Saturn, Xbox 360, PSP and (more recently) PlayStation 4, but Nintendo fans have never had the chance to experience its greatness. Hopefully, with the game now on smartphones, Konami will see fit to also bring it to Switch. Our fingers, toes, arms and legs are crossed at the prospect (which makes typing this really hard).
Comments 117
Give it to me. Now. You miserable pile of secrets!
I’d rather have an igavania Collection myself, personally.
We do..... It's just called Bloodstained now :3
Edit: come on now people, of course I wasn't serious, you silly geese
Just yesterday, I got an email survey from Nintendo about my recent purchase of the Castlevania: Anniversary Collection. I took advantage of the opportunity to ask Nintendo to please lean on Konami and bring SotN to the Switch. Here's hoping the recent collection sold well enough to justify it!
@danemord The two are in different leagues. SotN is a masterpiece from day 1 while Bloodstained suffered with huge delays and still is launched unpolished.
Curse of the Moon was all around better even if not a Metroidvania game.
Who knows what Konami is thinking... Every Metal Gear game except 5 and Survive are stuck on previous gen hardware. Same with the Silent Hill series.
They release Requiem for PS4 and nothing else, then do a really great job with Contra and Castlevania Anniversary Collections.
Now strangely SoTN appears on mobile phones before some weird mobile only Castlevania entry comes in 2020.
Hoping for some more support of their series across consoles, but you can never tell with this crazy company.
I'd heard that the recent Castlevania Requiem release on the Playstation 4 may've been part-funded by Sony, which may be part of why we're not seeing it release on the Nintendo Switch. Sony wants to maintain console exclusivity even though it's previously been on Xbox 360.
SotN if it were released on the Switch would be hugely popular anyway, the later SotN-influenced entries on the GBA and DS would also be greatly welcomed as most have not had any form of a re-release.
Yeah I don't get this decision either. Who wants to play this with a touchscreen gamepad?
@Zuljaras I may have been a little sarcastic in my comment
@RazumikhinPG
It's a business decision that has absolutely no understanding or care other than a surface-level assessment that "mobile games generate the most profit".
This would've made sense a decade ago when porting your classic games to smart phones was a fashionable thing to do, like various ports of Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man 2, Mega Man X, Chu Chu Rocket, and so on, but to do it now won't look great.
At least an Android version of SotN would work with Bluetooth controllers or specialized devices, I'd hope.
It's been sat on my Vita for years - and I still haven't gotten around to it.
@NotTelevision Well I think that Konami clearly not caring anymore is a huge reason to why things happen as they do.
I would imagine these older games may not have sold well enough with previous releases or sequels, or maybe with them being older games and consumers having expectations (as well as Konami having a poor reputation these days) they can't see any value in porting them again if they can't further monetise them.
Maybe with Metal Gear Solid being a Kojima game (as MGS5 let us know approximately 59,000 times) and Silent Hill now having strong ties to Kojima, they're "done" with those franchises, or at least the older games. It's no secret that there's bad blood between Konami and Kojima.
SotN obviously stands out here given it goes against everything I've suggested, but I'm also under the impression it was partially funded by Sony which may have been the factor in having it ported at all. That's obviously just speculation on my part (as is most of what I've said), but it would make sense as to why SotN has been ported again but not any other game in Konami's library despite there clearly being an audience for them.
@danemord really?
Lol.
Thats like saying "we have our own Ferrari now" and you're standing next to a TVR.
I completely agree- we desperately need Castlevania SoTN and the classic GBA games on the Switch!!
@Razer
Excatly
Castlevania Collection 2 please.
@RupeeClock To be more precise it was funded by Sony and uses the in-house PSP emulator. There is no way this game will come to another platform. Now if Konami ports a version themselves for PC and Switch...
I would like a Vol.2 in the Collection with GBA/DS games though.
@Tao Konami are kinda seething with anger right now after Kojima and particularly the success with Death Stranding, quite a few people that worked on that defected from Konami, it wasn't just Kojima.
But there's another layer to this story you see, because it seems Sony has sided with Kojima as well in all this. Probably because Sony staff have worked with Kojima on so many projects.
The dude practically ran Konami while them and Sony had that strong relationship. So more than likely that has been passed onto Kojima.
So right now Konami are not happy. But on the plus side i can see them trying to get in sweet with Nintendo instead.
Which would be great for us if they do.
@belmont
Konami porting the game themselves seems less likely, as of recently they seem interested enough in using their old IP to allow some small developers to take on smaller business ventures to develop budget titles or ports and collections, or otherwise license them out.
As you say, I'd love if they did a volume 2 of Castlevania games representing the Metroidvania selection, and then would adore if they did a Volumes 1 + 2 physical release.
From volume 2 I'd expect:
It won't sell on the Switch, it's as simple as that...
😜
Have to stick to playing this on vita although for a ps1 game it looks nice on the vitas oled screen but would look even better on switch come on Konami these decisions are obviously made by the money men at the company and not the developers
Sees Castlevania, knows Damien wrote the article.
Would rather have the better DS-Castlevanias. 🙂
Maybe we'll get it. Surely, "if there is demand for it".
Don't make us beg Konami...just don't.
@Gwynbleidd $2.99 is too cheap, it should be $5.99 at the least but no more than $9.99.
@RupeeClock
You forgot Castlevania Legends, Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness, Castevania 64 and its sequel and Chronicles.
I would be glad to pay € 29,99 to have that physical in my collection.
I don't need it as a standalone release (I have it on 360 anyway...), just put it in a second collection. Speaking of which, a GBA-DS Castlevania collection should be released at some point.
Something is clearly on between Konami and Sony, their products go to PlayStation systems first (even Arcade Archive games that arrived to the Switch 3 or 4 years after they were released on PS4). It seems that Sony paid for the Castlevania Requiem release, which is odd because it's nothing more than literally 2 games collected. It's not like funding Shenmue III and then keep it away from Microsoft consoles. It's the re-release of two 16-bit games, for Pete's sake.
If Castlevania Requiem released on Switch... well, that mini collection would be a good way to fill the gap between the first Castlevania Collection and a second one with the aforementioned GBA-DS titles. Sure, there are some omissions there, like Castlevania Legends or Castlevania 64, but you know what I mean.
If not, and we don't have a PS4, at least we can play SOTN on Xbox 360 (and PS3 I think) and Rondo of Blood will be included in the upcoming PC Engine Mini anyway.
@GameOtaku
There's a ton of Castlevania games, and all the ones you've listed I've never played.
I believe many of those would fall under another volume of 3D adventure titles? The titles I mentioned were all Metroidvanias, nearly all involving Igarashi as a producer or director.
While we’re at imagining Konami is a halfway competent gaming company, how about an HD re-release of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, complete with the Wii motion controls?
Damn that was a good game.
I'd gladly pay upwards from 60 bucks for a truly complete Castlevania Collection. With everything included. But sure, they might dripfeed it to us for more moolah!
Ok I played it for a bit on my S10 and the controls are actually not that terrible. The price point makes it a no-brainer anyway. Still hoping this means there are plans to play it on a superior device like the Switch.
PS - I'm sad they decided to use the re-translation and new voice over No more miserable pile of secrets.
@RupeeClock Sony doesn't want to let SOTN be popular because they want to destroy the japanese industry. That's why they limit the exposure of this game they didn't even fund. They just bribed the editor as usual.
Either autopilot marketing or a shot at conspicuously newer and younger audiences of the generation who can actually play two-hand input action genres on a completely flat buttonless surface. Me, I've long concluded that I must be too old for that, and the lack of buttons (only mitigated by bluetooth peripherals, but these phone-holder gamepads are an extra cost and usually a rather tangible extra cost at that, especially if you don't live within the shipping scope of western stores like Amazon) still remains the ball'n'chain of the once omnidreaded mobile gaming - but the surviving trickle of ports like this and Grid Autosport (the game whose Switch port was met with advance laments for the mere lack of triggers!) suggests the existence of a market niche. Or the industry's undying belief in one - which is good for them, but I admit wishing they would have similarly sturdy faith in some other franchises and markets.
All that said, a factual release would draw my focus towards itself (as per the usual "Switch Uber Alles" wishlist/repurchase trends of mine), especially seeing as the smartphone port apparently keeps the option to play as Richter and Maria... but until/unless it happens, it's no pressing matter - the Dracula X Chronicles pack from the PSP days is available for Vita, after all. And, as others have already mentioned, Switch library has a more than worthy successor in Bloodstained for now (@danemord comment may have been humorous, but it's the straight face rebuttals like @Zuljaras that read like a real joke - for all its production and launch troubles, Bloodstained is still SotN on steroids plus the legacy of later stuff like Sorrow and Ecclesia which built up on and outgrew SotN in themselves). Still, if it ever happens... I'm game.
"Our fingers, toes, arms and legs are crossed at the prospect (which makes typing this really hard)."
@Damo is confirmed to have a beak. Never believe profile photos in the 21st century.
Nintendolife, you need to stop trolling mobile gamers. The touchscreen controls for SOTN are actually pretty good for 2 reasons: your character rarely ventures from the centre of the screen and there is little up/down d-pad movement needed. A touchscreen inventory is much better and there are shortcuts for the spells instead of those annoying combos.
Of course it’s /better/ with joypad controls (also an option in the mobile release) but that doesn’t mean the iOS port is worthless.
@RadioHedgeFund Well said, there are plenty of touchscreen games that are perfectly playable. I've collected everything in GTAIII and Vice City as well as beaten Sonic 1 and 2 with all the Chaos Emeralds on touch screen.
Like you say, touch screens aren't ideal, but can be perfectly serviceable and avoids the need to carry a controller around with you everywhere.
One thing to note: this seems to be the re-dub rather than the original "miserable secrets" dub.
@nhSnork Well that is my opinion and to many others as well. Bloodstained not SotN on steroids it is copy/paste done badly.
I 100% the game twice and it was not the same feeling as the older IGAvanias.
Do want, despite never finishing the game originally. Didn't even spent that much time on Bloodstained either... Anyways, do want!
I would like to give sotn another go. I tried it once, but I hated the inverted castle, up until that point, the game was fantastic.
How bout a castlevania game from Konami on switch period? Not a compilation of old stuff either. A new game. Tell me, what was the last Konami game on home consoles anyone cared about? All i can think of is Silent Hill and Metal gear solid which are both dead franchises sadly. Next thing you know they'll wanna release it on the vita.
Mobile gaming my ass! Every gamer knows that's not real gaming.
i have it on PS1, i have it on PSP/Vita, i have it on XB360,/XB1, i have it on PS4 i have it on PS3/PSP/Vita (via digital version of the PS1 release) and i would love it on Switch but no way in hell will i buy it on mobile
gaming on mobile (and i use that term loosely) is horrible for games that were NOT specifically designed for it
Konami should release classic masterpieces that people don't have access to nowadays. For example, "Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth" and "Contra Rebirth" were released on WiiWare, so nobody is playing them anymore. Also "Hard Corps Uprising", another game in the Contra series, was only released on PS3 and Xbox360, so very few people are playing it today. If Konami released these games on Switch, they would make millions. Instead, they release the shoddy "Contra Rogue Corps" which isn't even a side-scrolling game like the classic Contra games. And when they put out collections of games, they give us games that we already have on our NES and SNES Classic Mini systems. Independent developers are getting rich off Konami's incompetence, releasing their own Contra and Castlevania games, such as "Blazing Chrome" and "Odallus". Those games are excellent.
"Please Konami, Stop Trolling Us And Release Castlevania: SotN On Switch Already"
Oh, if you trully want play in this game that much, just stop squeaking and play it NOW on PSone, Sega Saturn, PSP, Xbox 360 or PS4. You don't need to play it on smartphones.
@TheWingedAvenger i still play Rebirth but then again i still have my Wii
game is awesome but i agree they need to re-release all the classic games on modern systems, the collection released last year was a great start that they failed to capitalise on
That just makes no sense. Mobile before the switch? Sell it for double that price on switch and youll sell triple the copies. I just can't understand the business decisions of companies these days.
I hate to admit it but I'd probably pay the $14.99 that they'd charge for the Switch version and do it while smiling. Such a ridiculously good game and not even my fave of the Iga titles which all need to be collected together and rereleased pronto.
Sigh, I both want to and not want to know what goes on in Konami’s decision making room. Cos I’m picturing a lot of people wearing suits only in their top halves and lots of pillow forts being built; as well as possibly more unsettling actions cos that’s the only explanation i can give for how these decisions get green lit.
if they DO release it, I hope it's an English release based on the Saturn version!!! I liked being able to play Maria from the get-go and also welcomed her changes from the original game🙂
With iOS you can use PS4 and Xbox controllers, so it might be decent on an iPad?
@Jack_Goetz was just about to make the same point; iOS has had PS4/Xbox controller support for a while now, but think the game needs to opt-in (no automatic support). Wish this was covered in the review :'-(
It won't run on the switch, well it can but only at locked 25fps and lower resolution.
My phone is the last place I'd want to play this.
@RupeeClock
Sign me up for the 2nd collection
@Zuljaras yo I was playing SOTN on my wii thru homebrew and could run it at 80 fps
C’mon people, we’ve already played this on Nintendo platforms: all the IGA games that came out on GBA and DS are basically SotN re skinned. I’d prefer the N64 games to come out
Have it on 360 and PS4. I probably won’t get it again if it does come to Switch but it would be nice if it did.
Lol touchscreen controls that cover 50% of the screen. Use a real controller.
@JJtheTexan they always send me surveys for games I've bought and never played.
I'm one who has never played Symphony of the Night but would welcome a chance to play it on more modern platforms....One that ISN'T a smart phone.
Jesus, the Switch doesn't deserve everything under the sun. Stop complaining and report on actual news for once.
@FullbringIchigo I wish they would rerelease ReBirth. That one is so good. One of my favorites, honestly.
I know the chances of this actually happening are slimmer than a 20th century Barbie doll waistline, but Nintendo could easily afford to publish a port. I just hope Shigeru Miyamoto would not be involved though. Turning Maria into a damsel in distress, replacing the music with tunes that sound like they belong in a Zelda game, and/or having the characters exclaim excitement with an annoying line every time they get a new power-up could at least partially ruin the experience. I guess I wouldn't mind having Link as a playable character as long as Maria and/or Richter aren't removed in the process.
For the record, I don't hate Zelda music (much), but the only tune I could think of that might fit in a Castlevania game would be the original dungeon theme... Maybe the Zelda II dungeon theme and the Ocarina of Time battle against Gannon. As optional songs, or course. None of the music in SOTN should be replaced.
That's all speculation anyway, and if it somehow actually happens, I'll strongly consider becoming a professional psychic.
@DrDaisy be honest though, dressing Alucard up as Mario or Link would be pretty cool
Please Konami, give us a subscription we have to pay yearly to play some of your old games, and some silly online space where to store saved games!
Oh, that doesn't sound like a great idea? Weird, some other publisher is doing the same.
For everyone complaining about iOS and touchscreen controls... you can use Xbox or PS4 Dual Shock controllers with iOS and iPadOS. So no problem there.
@RazumikhinPG Not me... which is why I use a PS4 DualShock with my iPad.
@BulkSlash Yes, it’s a shame but it is the re-dub version.
@RadioHedgeFund And the author of this article seemed to forget you can use regular Xbox/PS4 joypads with iOS.
One of the best game. ever.
Yeah I would buy this and play on switch. Played for the first time last year and really enjoyed, I like the graphics and lush music but only got about 5 hours in and gave up when I got stuck on where to go next after exhausting all options. I was then frustrated. I could have gone online for help but I really don’t like doing that, I would have loved the game to help me and give me a clue. I did really enjoy all the gushing reviews and the replay ability of the game but the secrets in it, especially about a certain game changing thing later just sounded so obscure to me that I find a bit off putting. I know I don’t like hard games, but I don’t like games where I am lost for hours. I did have fun with my time with it though x x x
If they do, I would love to see the Saturn exclusive areas (prison and greenhouse), items, and playable characters make their way over. Seems like it would be really easy to make a "complete" version of SotN without messing something up.
Considering Konami doesn't know how to make good Castlevania games anymore, re-releasing old classics is a good money making tactics. I hope they release this game as a collection for the Switch alongside Rondo of Blood, Dracula X (SNES version), Adventure Rebirth, and the GBA Castlevania trilogy. Call it the Castlevania Collection Vol.2.
honestly i wish konami would port sotn to everything while also giving us the option to play with the original dialogue or the redubbed psp port dialogue. i love yuri lowenthal but he's no robbie belgrade, plus the vintage cheese is iconic and an integral part of the sotn experience
I've played SotN to death. I'd kill for a remaster/collection of the GBA and DS games myself. I would love to play Dawn, Portrait and Ecclesia on the big screen especially.
If they're willing to put it on mobile platforms, hopefully they'll follow with a PC version(Steam for sure, GOG would be nice). And it would be cool if they offer the GBA and DS games. And if they did that, I would like for them to remove the horrible touch gimmicks from Dawn of Sorrow. There's a ROM hack that takes care of that. It's possible. Make it official.
@FullbringIchigo I can see how that would appeal to some people.
As for the redub, my guess is that offering the PS1/XBLA language option has crossed Konami's mind when re-releasing the game, but there are probably royalty issues. The guy who did the voice of Alucard might give his full consent considering he voiced a character in a free game (or so I've heard) but he's not the only actor they'd need permission from. There are also additional lines from Maria's voice actress to consider since at least one of the interactions with her are different in more recent ports.
@DrDaisy i must be one of the few people who is ok with the redub, i think the original is only so popular because of it;'s eghh "meme" value (i bloody hate it when games get popular because of memes)
If they don't want to make another Castlevania collection they could even release it as paid DLC for the Anniversary Collection, I'd buy that!
I was surprised to see this release pop up this morning. The price makes this a must have.
Secondly, Bethesda released Doom Classic across the board and at $5 while Konami doesn’t even seem to want to port this to the Switch which makes no sense since the Switch is essentially a tablet.
If YoU WaNt SoTn BuY PlAyStAtIoN.
SotN is great and all but...I need Konami to port the Suikoden series next
PLEASE!!!!!!! Please.
I'm alright with playing this on my PSP and/or PS Vita.
Though a Switch port would be great for folks who missed it.
@coderkind Just read that this game does support controllers on iOS and iPadOS.
I’ll definitely get SOTN or a Castlevania collection 2 if it comes to Switch. In the meantime i dropped $3 bucks to play this on my iPad Pro paired with my Xbox One controller.
@Jack_Goetz thanks for the update
This game deserves a Nintendo Switch and PC port.
Also, why isn't this article classified under "soapbox"?
Because, as much as I agree with the writers sentiment, this isn't really news, it's just him ranting about how sotn isn't on the Switch.
Too bad it isn’t able to run on the Apple TV currently. The iOS version supports controllers already so they’re half way there to having a very affordable and good way to play the title.
Port begging the topic. Just play the game on another platform...
$2.99 on smartphones. Hmm... If my calculations are correct, it’ll cost about... $14.99 if they port the exact same smartphone game to Switch.
Why? Because.
When it comes to Switch, and it better, I’ll be there with my wallet in one hand and my other on the rope that leads back to my getaway chopper floating above. That’s right, I’m imagining myself fast-roping down to extract this software before they change their mind and pull it back.
The controls are freaking awful on my SE (and there is no customization). Half the time the fake attack ‘button’ doesn’t register. I have to rely entirely on Blood Metamorphosis and the Flying spirits spells
@FullbringIchigo The original script and localization is popular because it gave it a very neat, dramatic stage-play feel. Also the excessive reverb made it sound grander.
@RPGamer There is a Castlevania collection on Switch but it’s of the older games
@Dragonslacker1 Guessing you’re referring to the clock
@Tyranexx Isn’t it downloadable on PS4
@FX102A “They dip their balls in cocaine and rub it all over each other” -Rick Sanchez
@JedRock This iOs release allows you to play as Richter or Maria from the start, just have to enter their name(s) in the file creation
I’ve never understood why Castlevania gets credit for helping launch the genre when Metroid already had 3 games released before SotN. Shouldn’t it be “Metroid-like” rather than “Metroidvania.”
I recently played SotN for the first time on PSP, but I would much prefer it on Switch as part of a collection with Rondo and the GBA and DS games. Put all that on a cartridge and I’d buy it day one.
I think the GBA and DS games are just as important to reappear. Especially the reworking of the DS games for one-screen play.
@Joekun Because SotN gave levelling your character and equipping different weapons, armor, accessories etc to the formula. While Metroid formula is to gather power-ups like the energy tanks and you only get "relics" that power your shooting and abilities.
Combine both and you get MetroidVania.
@Antraxx777 D'oh, you're right. I should change my last comment to say "more modern platforms".
@RupeeClock
I’d add
Rondo of Blood
Castlevania the adventure rebirth
Castlevania Lament of Innocence
Castlevania Curse of darkness
Solid list otherwise. I wish harmony of despair had an active online community. I like that game
@Gofixmeaplate
Again, my suggested volume 2 consists of the "Metroidvania" selection of titles.
Hi @antraxx777 yeah I think so , or u had to wear glasses or something. Will find out again one day! X
I wonder how casting the spells and doing the certain weapon specials are gonna work in mobile. God forbid trying Sword Brothers...
@Zuljaras Let's be honest, the original Metroidvania is Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. No one really remembers this because the clues we were given to advance the game were confusing or poorly translated, making the game a little unplayable without outside assistance. Otherwise it had the Metroid elements (acquiring items to open new areas, open map to freely explore) and the RPG elements new to the series (gaining experience to level up, quests, powering up your whip, etc). All of these things SOTN did too, but magnified it 10-fold and then some.
SOTN would be great on the Switch, but not the only one I want to see. Someone else mentioned that Aria of Sorrow was a great game and I completely agree. I'd almost go so far as say that it was even better! Obviously, that's open for debate. If this was to be done right, we should be getting all of the GBA Castlevania games together in one package, all of the DS games together in another package and a separate package with games never before released on the Nintendo systems, including SOTN. Price them all around $10-15 and they'll sell like hotcakes!
@xylott That is true. Simon's Quest was my very first Castlevania ever. And because of it I love the genre
@Zuljaras Ah, now I see, interesting. Thanks for the info.
@Antraxx777 welp... that does me no good ... I have a Samsung.. that said... haven't seen it on the Play Store...
Don't worry, guys, the new pachinko machine will be out soon!
This needs to happen . ..
@Kimba-lion We got Aria Of Sorrow (and circle of the moon, harmony of dissonance and dracula x via Advance Collection) on Switch for now.
I hope we do get SOTN soon though.
Also recently found out a lot of Castlevania titles use musical terminology in their titles.
Yeah that was a day one pick up, eagerly awaiting a physical version. Yeah I never noticed that about the music. I would be happy enough for Konami to not make a new castlevania, although I wish they would… with the pay off being, getting my hands on the all the old library. Desperately won’t SOTN, MVC2, DUCKTALES, BATMAN ARKHAM, MASS EFFECT, DRAGON CROWN and MICKEY MOUSE CASTLE OF ILLUSION for switch. All above in that order.. so many gems missing of my switch.
Come back to this, hopefully it will change. I need this and MVC2 in my switch life
Tap here to load 117 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...