Sega Saturn - Akumajo Dracula X ~Gekka no Yasoukyoku~ (Nocturne in the Moonlight / Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
Developer: Akumajo Dracula X ~Gekka no Yasoukyoku~ / 悪魔城ドラキュラＸ ～月下の夜想曲～
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Nagoya / Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Release date: 25 June 1998
Possibly the best Castlevania game ever created by Konami hits the Saturn and PlayStation. Konami has always been known to give Sega the cold shoulder so this game coming to the Saturn is a miracle in itself and we should be grateful, or should we? The problem is that Konami gave one of their less talented studios, Konami Nagoya the task of porting the PlayStation original to the Saturn. Think of it as a "we couldn't really give a crap" attitude while the PlayStation version was made by Konami's head Castlevania team at Konami Tokyo. As a result, the Saturn port suffers from extensive slowdown, improperly scaled graphics, and increased load times.
Thankfully Konami Nagoya had a soft spot for the Saturn and included two extra areas that weren't in the PlayStation version. Also, as an added bonus they gave Saturn owners a sound test to listen to all those classic Castlevania tunes. Unfortunately, being a less talented team than the original programmers, Konami Nagoya didn't bother adding transparencies to the Saturn version. We all know that it can be done as games such as Silhouette Mirage, Burning Rangers, D-Xhird and even the very early Astal have all proven. The Saturn game also suffers from chronic slowdown which is a disgrace considering the 2D capabilities of the machine.
In this outing of the Castlevania series, you can choose from 3 different characters: Alucard, Maria, and Richter, who all have special abilities. Unlike the original Castlevania games, this one mixes light RPG elements and potion-making into the game. While this may seem a bit of a chore at first it does add greatly to the gaming experience. Levels are long and varied although you will have to travel through quite a few of them repeatedly as you find yourself getting lost. So, remember to keep an eye on the map.
Akumajo Dracula X will be keeping you entertained for many months.
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