Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a great 2D playforming game. I still believe it is looked at as one of the best!
User Rating: 8.5 | Akumajou Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku (PSOne Books) PS
This game is so good as a Castvania 2D platform, that it came out again on the PSP. There are levels of difficulty associated with 2D games that rival that of some 3D games. I think it is a great game. It has the old-school form of exploring which I think is interesting. Of course, having to explore the same castle for the second time up-side down, was a bit cheap. The makers of this game did, however, create several new foes to face in the up-side down castle. I also enjoyed how the story of the game can take different turns depending on how you play through. This, I think, increases the replay value of the game. I admit, I have yet to achieve the 'best' ending; but I will one day. For what it is, I like the fact that it is a game you can pick up and play, can come back to it whenever you like. You can actually get quite a bit done within the game in a half hour. A half hour is not a great deal of time with the current generation of games - or so I've seen. Although this game does show its age, Castvania does beckon gamers to play it, and play it well. 
