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Watch Castlevania Producer IGA Play the Best Game in the Series

Two-plus hours of Koji Igarashi discussing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

144 Comments

Koji Igarashi's long-running involvement with the Castlevania series started with 1997's Symphony of the Night, widely regarded as not only the franchise's best game, but also one of the best games of all time. If you've ever wanted to hear his thoughts while he plays through the game and sips red wine, you're in luck.

As part of Double Fine's Devs Play series where various game developers share their thoughts while playing games they either love and/or worked on, Igarashi--also known as IGA--sat down for some time with SotN. He's joined by Double Fine senior gameplay programmer Anna Kipnis, who describes SotN as her favorite game of all-time. The two take turns playing while Igarashi offers various thoughts over the course of two-plus hours.

Igarashi went on to contribute to more than a dozen other Castlevania games. He's currently working for Japanese company ArtPlay, which he says is trying to "create new experiences for mobile and consumer devices."

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elsmitty

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Come on gamespot it was a great game but the series just kept getting better.

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Xristophoros

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@elsmitty: which one in the series is better? i have played all the ds entries and none of them surpass sotn in my opinion except for some of the boss battles. they are all fantastic in their own right, though.

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RSM-HQ

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@Xristophoros@elsmitty: Have you played Super CastleVania IV? Very good game!

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Thanatos2k

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@RSM-HQ@Xristophoros@elsmitty: Well yes, but not better than SOTN.

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RSM-HQ

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For once << LINK REMOVED >> can you write like a nomal gamer and state why?


Sure Symphony of the Night is fantastic! However summing it like a five year old brings nothing to the discussion.


I preferred the platforming in Super IV as an example, and overall preferred the Dracula encounter.


SOTN on the other hand for creative depth and none linear level design. None-the-less SOTN is FAR too easy a game.

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Thanatos2k

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@RSM-HQ@Thanatos2k: Oh, so difficulty is the only metric of quality now?


Five year old, indeed.

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RSM-HQ

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@Thanatos2k: You must be if that's the only part you could read.


But thanks for proving my point.


Move along if you can't bring anything worth conversation to the discussion.

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Thanatos2k

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@RSM-HQ@Thanatos2k: The platforming in SOTN is above and beyond superior to Super4. The freedom of movement expands gradually and you end up with near total freedom by the end.


"The Dracula encounter" really? One fight out of how many great ones in SOTN? Come on now. Talking about now bringing anything worth conversation.

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Xristophoros

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@RSM-HQ: no i have not... might have to add that to the bucket list.

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RSM-HQ

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@Xristophoros: Enjoy if you grab it. A very enjoyable game. To many ranked the 'best' of the Belmont CV games.

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Thanatos2k

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swordorwhip.com

Why haven't you mentioned that?

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DrFlyntCoal

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@Thanatos2k: #TeamWhip represent.

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drumjod

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@drflyntcoal@Thanatos2k: Clan Katana here. We've been rivals with Clan Bullwhip for a while.

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_Plaguelight_

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"The Best" is an opinionated statement, Gamespot. Please learn grammar before posting an article like this, as it makes a claim that their is only one opinion on said topic.


See comments for further analysis.

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RSM-HQ

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@_plaguelight_: Which is your favorite?

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_Plaguelight_

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@RSM-HQ@_plaguelight_: Of those I have played, the entire GBA and DS games in the series were pretty enjoyable. As much as some like to cry and whine about the N64 ones, they were fun AT TIMES.

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RSM-HQ

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@_plaguelight_: Legacy of Darkness had it moments. Played a lot like Soul Reaver.

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DanielL5583

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@_plaguelight_: On a technical level, though, it kinda is the best.

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DrFlyntCoal

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@_plaguelight_: Lol.

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Renunciation

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@_plaguelight_: "Please learn grammar before posting an article like this, as it makes a claim that their is only one opinion on said topic."

LOL.

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_Plaguelight_

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@Renunciation@_plaguelight_: Welp, I dun goofeded, din't I? :P


See what happens when you spend too long on this site? It takes hold of you, corrupts you...

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Renunciation

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@_plaguelight_@Renunciation: It's okay, we all make mistakes. Mistakes are an inseparable part of mankind's legacy. ...And what is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!

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Thanatos2k

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@_plaguelight_: But it is the best. Anyone who has played it knows that.

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_Plaguelight_

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@Thanatos2k@_plaguelight_: Clearly not, as I know at least a hundred or so who do not claim SotN as their favorite of the series.

Again, "best" is an opinionated term.

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Thanatos2k

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@_plaguelight_@Thanatos2k: But it is the best, as the vast majority attest to. Sometimes you're just wrong.

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ItchyIsVegeta

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Super Castlevania 4 is the best.

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Gaealiege

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@ItchyIsVegeta: Super 4 was great, but they're not the same type of Castlevania whatsoever. People that prefer Metroid-style exploration prefer SotN and people that prefer platforming lean toward Super IV.

Both great games, but not comparable.

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ItchyIsVegeta

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@gaealiege: It's comparable to the sense of, "which one is your favorite/most fun/etc" and not in terms of which one is the best in terms of a critical standpoint. Super 4 is my favorite when I look back and how much enjoyment I got out of them at the time. That is what I mean by the best.

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PixelAddict

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I know SOTN is on XBL for the 360, but... Man, I'd love to see this hit PSN and XBL current gen along with the first, second, and a few other truly old school Castlevania titles.

Very first game was absolutely brutal. After playing it, I bet first-time players would want to shift to the Souls games as a relief. ;)

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drumjod

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@PixelAddict: Castlevania was tough but beatable with some practice. Castlevania 3 however, was hard as hell towards the end. Even with unlimited continues in 3 it was harder than the first one.

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OrdosAlpha

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Moonlight Nocturne isn't the best in the series. Re-incarnation/Rondo of Blood is the best in the series.

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filthy_casual_

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Does this game have any quotable lines?

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DrFlyntCoal

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@filthy_casual_: You really have to be a filthy casual to not know any quotable lines from Symphony of the Night.

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RSM-HQ

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@drflyntcoal@filthy_casual_: "Your words are as empty as your soul, mankind ill needs a savior such as you."

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DrFlyntCoal

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Watching it right now. Igarashi looks like Dracula himself. No wonder he made the best Castlevania.

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thedeadraptor

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Bob: "...Yes! the character is more régal, elegant, graceful, perhaps delicate and..."
Bill: "You mean he looks like a girl"
Bob: "...uhm... yeah"

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Moonco

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Moonco  Moderator

Best in the series is Rondo of Blood :-p

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RexPowerColt

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Still have original PSX copy. One of the best game soundtracks ever

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silentmobius

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@rexpowercolt:

Have the original copy too and it is hands down my favourite game of all time. I listen to the soundtrack all the time. I wish they would remaster it for HD though, because playing this in widescreen format and full surround sound would be amazing.

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Minishdriveby

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I'm playing through it right now. It definitely laid the foundation, but like many foundations later games have made improvements to the formula. Most influential is probably how I would describe SotN, not best in series.

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deactivated-5b69bebd1b0b6

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Seeing as Konami has pretty much killed all their game franchises.. This guy should make a spiritual successor to Castlevania. I would totally back this idea on kickstarter.

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Megamandrew

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@Crossel777: You're going to be very happy in 3 days: << LINK REMOVED >>

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Racso1616

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Whip it is!

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deactivated-5b69bebd1b0b6

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@Megamandrew@Crossel777:


I have no idea what that is.. It's some kind of teaser for some Castlevania related I'm guessing? :P Is it confirmed to be a kickstarter? If so then holy shiit.

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greaseman1985

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Never got into any other castlevania game, but Symphony of the Night is amazing. Still have it for Playstation.

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RSM-HQ

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@greaseman1985: Super IV or the DS trilogy may be worth your time if you enjoyed SotN.

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