You can't talk about Metroid without Castlevania, Konami's gothically-tinged hack n' slash masterpiece from 1997. Like Super Metroid, it tends to be the one game in its respective series fans point to as perfecting what its past entries aimed for, yet were technologically limited by - and as the production budget for Symphony lined up with creator Koji Igarashi's genius whims, the end result was the best 2D slasher of the decade. Continuing the past games' (and there were many, if you count the re-releases) barmy plot, you instead would play as the supernaturally gifted Alucard for the first time in a starring role, a string of abilities unlocking across the course of the game. However, although gameplay was a total highlight, it was the architecture, presentation and overall world-design that really makes Symphony so endlessly playable. The score is positively haunting in spots, yet gracefully epic in others, playing into the Shakespearean exchanges each character would have with one another across the campaign. It's a real shame Konami are moving away from the games industry, but Igarashi is set to wow us all again with his first 2D-style Castlevania in years, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Here's hoping it'll get somewhere close to the majesty of this iconic 1997 release.
