Ep.78 – Dracula's Best Kept Secret: How Symphony of the Night Turned Castlevania into a Metroidvania
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
A Trip Down Memory Card Lane · David Kassin and Robert Kassin
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Show Notes
In 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night redefined the franchise and helped cement the “Metroidvania” genre. We revisit how Konami scrapped The Bloodletting for Sega’s 32X and shifted development to PlayStation, with Toru Hagihara starting the project and Koji Igarashi stepping in to direct. The episode highlights Igarashi’s push for an explorable open castle, Zelda-inspired backtracking, and RPG mechanics that made the game more accessible. We also look at Ayami Kojima’s debut artwork, the upside-down castle twist, and Alucard’s role as a new kind of hero. Our conversation digs into critic and user reviews, the game’s ports, and its legacy across handhelds, compilations, and even Netflix. Join us as we whip, transform, and explore Dracula’s castle on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.