Castlevania SotN Xbox Live Review

So does the "Best Castlevania of all time" stand the test of time? Of course it does! Castlevania Symphony of the night is better than ever in $10 downloadable form. In fact, my favorite feature of the game is the ability to sit on my couch and switch to Castlevania for some exploring without having to switch my game discs or the like. This is a classic that is an absolute steal at $10.

Gameplay: 10/10
Pros: Classic and epic 2D adventuring! This is really the type of game for me and the type of game I am draw a lot of influence from. The gameplay is just as good as it was on PS or Sega Saturn.
Cons: Is it just me or is Symphony a lot easier than I remember? Easier than the more recent DS Portrait of Ruin for sure.

Graphics: 8.5/10
Pros: The enhanced version really smooths out the pixels from the original. The animation is top-notch in all of its 2D glory.
Cons: The enhanced version is really just a pixel filter...imagine if they had actually redrawn the graphics for HD like in Alien Hominid. Also, the widescreen support could've been handled better...how bout extending the view of the castle instead of stretching it into ugliness or having a spiffy border (btw border is definitely the way to go).

Sound/Music: 9/10
Pros: Fantastic orchestral score, great sound effects
Cons: comical and shoddy voice work and some music compression issues moving from CD to downloadable content

Lasting Appeal: 9.5/10
Pros: Online leaderboards, an additional inverted castle, another playable character, and 200 achievement points that are well planned and difficult to earn.
Cons: Lacks the ability to play as Maria...a feature available in the Sega Saturn edition: Nocturne in the Moonlight.

Average: 92.50%
Tilt: +2.50%

This game is an absolute must buy and must play. It offers a very very lengthy quest that upon completion doubles (or more) in scope with the additional castle and playable character. It's playability makes it an absolute steal at $10 compared to the other Arcade games out there.

As a side note, why such a big deal about the size of Symphony? Yes, Microsoft increased the download Max to 250MB, but SotN is only 93MB. After all the fuss, I expected to wait longer for my download.

Verdict: 95%