10 Video Game Sequels That COMPLETELY Changed Genre
2. Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Ditching stage-based level design and opting to revolutionise 2D gaming using non-linear mechanics later dubbed 'MetroidVania', Symphony of the Night's switching of genre was the best decision Konami ever made with the franchise.
The original CastleVania games on the NES are some of the most revered games of the 20th century. Their tricky difficulty and stunning pixel art weaved together with fantastic level design and wonderful music to create a collection of games that still yields so much enjoyment some thirty five years and six console generations later.
Altering the formula that brought developer Konami so much success was surely a silly idea, or so we thought.
CastleVania: Symphony of the Night took inspiration from the series' second title, Simon's Quest, but went all in on its non-linear structure. Dracula's castle was the playground for Alucard to wreak havoc upon, slicing through baddies after a brush with Death renders him far less powerful than he was when he entered his fathers' domain.
The castle is the setting throughout, even when flipped at the half-way point. Adventuring through its halls, levelling up as you go, is the hook that keeps you coming back, as high score-based gameplay is left in the rear view mirror.