Quite simply this is quite possibly the best game ever made, period. By taking the standard formula which Super Metroid perfected on the Super Nintendo, of finding items and opening up new areas, Castlevania Symphony of the Night excels on every level to combine and create the most significant game accomplishment, in my opinion ever made. By using the standard side scrolling elements of the classic games from the 8 bit days and combining them with some of the lushest and most breathtaking visuals and special effects, the hand drawn effect that this game creates rivals almost any game on the original Playststion. The music is etheral accomplishment and ranks at the top of my best soundtracks for a game ever, joining the ranks of Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and Silent Hill 2 as some of the most noticeable and well done music to ever pass through the gaming world. The music combines orchestra type composure in a rock opera vibe that fits every single enviroment so well that you will never dread entering any area, in fact you wil even find yourself backtracking to previous areas just to hear this music again (By the way I own the soundtrack, thats how damn good this games music is.) The gameplay is some of the best ever in a game, incorporating all the classic elements of the Castlevania series, and combining them with experience and equipping items from Role Playing Games to form a natural bond that still makes me wonder why more developers have not tried to make a game like this (probably due to the fact that few could accomplish what Konami has done with this game). The only weak part of this game is the voice acting which literally sucks (pun intended) it seems like they picked people who were overly ambitious in their voice acting skills, and I'm sure the dialogue was bad because of the Japanes to English translation when it was brought stateside. Beyond that though if you buy this game I can guarantee you will not be dissappointed. Every boss fight, every encounter, everything about this game pushes it leaps and bounds ahead of the competion. No 3dimensional game I have ever played can crete the sheer passion and joy of controlling Alucard; his movements and actions are graceful and even just picking up the HP max ups is a chilling experience. This game cannot be missed, and I guarantee that I will still play this game when I am like 50 years old and wondering what in the hell happenned to the artistry and pure skill that a two dimensional "old-school" game can pull off and achieve so well.