A new patch for the Sega Saturn version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night just dropped, and it seems we might finally have a definitive way to play the original Metroidvania classic in English with all its bonus features and no compromises.
Symphony of the Night was an instant classic when it launched in 1997, revamping the once-linear platformer series with an open-ended map that seemed to take heavy cues from Nintendo's Metroid series. This would set the Castlevania formula for years to come - a formula that would, eventually, come to be known as the 'Metroidvania' and inspire entire generations of indie developers.
In 1998, Symphony of the Night got a Japan-exclusive port to the Saturn, featuring a new playable character in Maria and a number of additional areas to explore. On paper, it should be the definitive version of the game. Unfortunately, it also has numerous missing graphical effects, incorrect sprite proportions, poor performance, and lengthy, frequent loading times.
A modder who goes by paul_met released a patch for the Saturn version of Symphony of the Night years ago, addressing many of that version's shortcomings, essentially making it a viable way to play an all-time classic - as long as you didn't mind the fact that it's entirely in Japanese. Translation patches are out there too, but you can't run a translation patch at the same time as the broader improvement patch.
But now, a group called Meduza has combined the improvements of paul_met's patch with an English translation based on the 2007 PSP remaster, turning Symphony of the Night's flawed Saturn port into the definitive edition of the game. Visual effects are restored, sprite proportions are as they should be, and the performance and loading times are greatly improved. All that with the Saturn version's added content.
You can download that patch right now and apply it to your own copy of Symphony of the Night on Saturn. If you've never played Symphony of the Night in any of its incarnations, you're in for a treat. It's aged like a fine wine and still stands up well against the many excellent games it inspired.
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