Summary
One of the most surprising announcements from the August 2024 Nintendo Direct showcase was the reveal and launch of theCastlevania Dominus Collection. Bringing together three games previously locked behind their Nintendo DS exclusivity, theCastlevania Dominus Collectionis an important piece of bothCastlevaniafranchise and Metroidvania history, collecting the final three “Igavanias” under the direction or production of series mastermind Koji Igarashi before he would go on to spearheadBloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Together with theCastlevania Advance Collection, almost all of Igarashi’s contributions to theCastlevaniafranchise are now available together, with one glaring exception – 1997’sCastlevania: Symphony of the Night.
One half of the Metroidvania portmanteau (along with the game that inspired it,Super Metroid),Castlevania: Symphony of the Nightis arguably one of thegreatest PlayStation titlesand somehow the one game in the franchise that has yet to appear on a Nintendo console. PlayStation owners have the version of the title collected inCastlevania Requiem, but this is an altered release of the game that changes aspects of the original (and not necessarily for the better). Considering how important Igarashi’s work is to both the Metroidvania subgenre of action platformers and theCastlevaniafranchise, it’s high time thatSymphony of the Nightjoined the rest of theCastlevaniaseries on all platforms.
The Launch of the Castlevania Dominus Collection Is a Big Win for Series Fans, With a Catch
The freeing of the threeNintendo DS-eraCastlevaniatitles from their exclusivity on a dead console is cause for celebration among Metroidvania fans. Not only do these titles represent some of Koji Igarashi’s best work on the franchise (including the highly underratedOrder of Ecclesia), they join the rest of theCastlevaniaseries on modern consoles and PC as an important example of game preservation done right. That said, the inclusion of the originalHaunted Castleand its remake instead ofSymphony of the Nightis a bit of a head-scratcher.
Now, instead of there being parity between all consoles and PC regarding whichCastlevaniatitles are available on the system, Xbox and PlayStation owners have an advantage over Switch and PC players. While all three modernCastlevaniacollections (Anniversary,Advance, and nowDominus) are available on all major platforms and PC, Xbox owners have exclusive access to the Xbox 360 release ofSymphony of the Night(ported from the PlayStation original), whereas PlayStation owners have the altered version included withCastlevania Requiem. That the entire 2D era of the franchise is now collected and universally available - apart from what many consider thebest game in theCastlevaniaseries- is an odd choice.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Deserves Better
There are plenty of Metroidvania titles available on both the PlayStation and Xbox, but it’s safe to say that a large number of players prefer to play games in the genre on a handheld device. As such, it should come as no surprise that the Metroidvania genre continues to thrive on both the Nintendo Switch andthe Steam Deck, with the latter serving as perhaps the best showcase for new and upcoming entries in the genre from indie developers. Having the entireCastlevaniafranchise available on a handheld platform seems like a no-brainer, so it’s doubly surprising to seeCastlevania: Symphony of the Nightstill not making its way to PC or Switch.
All three of the modernCastlevaniacompilations contain the kind of bonuses deserving of legendary titles (original English, PAL, and Japanese versions, museums, galleries, music players, etc.). ThatSymphony of the Nighthas yet to receive the same treatment seems like a missed opportunity for one of the most highly regarded games in both its franchise and genre. Even if it’s not arriving as an inclusion with theDominus Collection,Castlevania: Symphony of the Nightis deserving of its own separate release collecting the original PlayStation and Saturn versions, all regional releases, and digital collections of its iconic concept art, music, and pixel art character models.
