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METROIDVANIAADVENTURE

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

1997 · Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

Explore an expanding castle with new movement abilities, varied equipment and secrets behind familiar rooms.

PLATFORMS

PS1Saturn

GAMEBOX SCORE

95

Provisional GAMEBOX editorial ratings. These are not verified facts or aggregate review scores.

/ 100

Retro Score94
Hidden Gem88
Revival Potential85

GAME DNA

experience
Discovery-led · Mastery challenge · Role immersion
genre
Metroidvania · Adventure
mood
Isolation · Mysterious
gameplay
Exploration · Combat · Discovery
difficulty
Hard
era
1990s
pacing
Balanced
perspective
Side-view
structure
Interconnected

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

Game DNA is GAMEBOX editorial classification; era comes from the sourced release year. Ratings are separate editorial judgements.

IsolationMysteriousExplorationCombatDiscovery

ABOUT THE GAME

Explore an expanding castle with new movement abilities, varied equipment and secrets behind familiar rooms.

Explore an expanding castle with new movement abilities, varied equipment and secrets behind familiar rooms.

WHERE CAN I PLAY IT?

Availability information will be added to the GAMEBOX database.

We only list legal and officially available platforms and services.

RETRO HISTORY

First listed release: 1997. Explore the cited source for the game's release and development history.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
1997
Developer
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher
Konami

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

GAMEBOX algorithmic assessments of editorial Game DNA. Confidence describes overlap strength, not a probability of enjoyment.

1994

Super Metroid

92% SIMILAR

VERY STRONG MATCH

Isolation · Mysterious · Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Metroidvania · Adventure

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Isolation / Mysterious mood; Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Metroidvania / Adventure genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: Isolation · Mysterious100% distinctive overlap · 71.4 / 71.4 points
  • genre: Adventure · Metroidvania100% distinctive overlap · 33.4 / 33.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 24.3 / 24.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: Side-view100% distinctive overlap · 14.7 / 14.7 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: 1990s100% distinctive overlap · 4.4 / 4.4 points

2017

Hollow Knight

90% SIMILAR

VERY STRONG MATCH

Isolation · Mysterious · Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Metroidvania · Adventure

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Isolation / Mysterious mood; Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Metroidvania / Adventure genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: Isolation · Mysterious100% distinctive overlap · 71.4 / 71.4 points
  • genre: Adventure · Metroidvania100% distinctive overlap · 33.4 / 33.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 24.3 / 24.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: Side-view100% distinctive overlap · 14.7 / 14.7 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

2002

Metroid Prime

69% SIMILAR

STRONG MATCH

Isolation · Mysterious · Metroidvania · Adventure · Discovery-led

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Isolation / Mysterious mood; Metroidvania / Adventure genre; Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces).

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led25% distinctive overlap · 18.6 / 73.3 points
  • mood: Isolation · Mysterious100% distinctive overlap · 71.4 / 71.4 points
  • genre: Adventure · Metroidvania100% distinctive overlap · 33.4 / 33.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 24.3 / 24.3 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.3 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

2011

Dark Souls

58% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Mysterious

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Mysterious mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge · Role immersion100% distinctive overlap · 74.0 / 74.0 points
  • mood: Mysterious20% distinctive overlap · 14.1 / 71.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration74% distinctive overlap · 18.2 / 24.4 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

2009

Demon's Souls

45% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Mysterious

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Mysterious mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge · Role immersion100% distinctive overlap · 74.0 / 74.0 points
  • mood: Mysterious20% distinctive overlap · 14.1 / 71.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration74% distinctive overlap · 18.2 / 24.4 points
  • structure: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

2017

Prey

34% SIMILAR

LIMITED MATCH

Isolation · Mysterious · Role immersion

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Isolation / Mysterious mood; Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world).

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Role immersion13% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 75.5 points
  • mood: Isolation · Mysterious69% distinctive overlap · 48.3 / 70.4 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 34.5 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration25% distinctive overlap · 6.7 / 27.1 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.3 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points