Topic: Should I get this CV Game?

[belmontsrock]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=230304274672&Category=139973null&_trksid=p3907.m29

I heard it has special features unlike the Playstation version of Symphony of The Night like you can play as Maria etc.

What do you guys think, thanks let me know because I am really interested in getting this game possibly...

[crisis]

The [special features] include:

-Playable Maria
-2 new areas [Underground Garden] and [Cursed Prison]
-Additional music tracks
-New enemies
-New items

I think that's it. However the game suffers from some serious issues, which may impact your experience. I suggest looking at youtube if you'd like to see the areas!

[uzo]

If you think it'll be fun to play, no. If you're a collector, then yes.

[Rugal]

It's the same fucking game minor graphical flaws. Give me a break already.

[Kale]

Its the same fuckin' game...... with extras.....

The extras aren't worth it. Maria's cool, but her fight is just as easy, and the underground place sucks with the exception of the music, which can be downloaded.

The new enemies are lame, cept maybe the extra boss, but hes not great either. New items are lame, and the 2 new familiars are useless. The sprite has a song thing but its useless too. (and can be downloaded iirc)

[belmontsrock]

Thanks dudes I am definitely going to try and get it now for my Modded Saturn, it is quite a collectible now that you mentioned the features. If anyone else is interested, then I look forward to bidding against you...

[crisis]

In Reply To #4

What's with the attitude? Have a bad day or something?

[Super Waffle]

Shameless plug.

[Rugal]

In Reply To #4

What's with the attitude? Have a bad day or something?

I'd just like to know what these "Major Flaws" are. You make it sound like the game is unplayable. Like I said.. It's the same mother fucking game.

[crisis]

In Reply To #9

Whoa.. relax dude! Didn't mean to strike a nerve, but from what I've heard from others is that the gameplay is slower, there's missing or glitched animations, etc. I didn't even imply that the game was unplayable so don't catch a heart attack! 

I still wouldn't mind playing it.

[Omegasigma]

its not bad but you must consider that consoles limitations, which is what causes the said issues, however its a fine piece to have in a collection

[uzo]

In Reply To #9

I would call the inability to have a transparent graphic a major flaw.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

In Reply To #12

The Sega Genesis would like a word with you.
Also, you mean 'translucency'.  lol I kid, I kid.

The game plays as close to the Playstation version as you can get.  As a person who's played both games, here's what I experienced in the Saturn version which I'd classify as an 'annoyance' (not Flaw, as it did the best it could for a port):

1. The loading rooms are not much help when it comes to loading the next area.  That is, even after you pass the Loading Room, there's still more loading... to the point of being 'annoying'.  This is most likely porting issues (Final Fantasy IV/V/VI and Chrono Trigger for PSX had similar issues when opening the MENUS! lol).  Chalk this up to unoptimized porting to the Saturn.

2. The Saturn's 2D graphics are just as good as the PSX's... but the Saturn did not have native Translucency and AlphaBlending/Channel effects done for this port.  Thus, anything that in the PSX version was translucent or had some kind of an effect going to it (that is, most weapons, most spells, most of the enemies like the Sword Familiar, the Poltergeist Sword, the translucent fire that comes out of the candles/torches), will have a grainy look to it.  They faked the translucency by cleverly punching little pixel-sized holes in the graphic so that when it's overlayed it resembles translucency.

While it achieves a similar effect, it makes that particular graphic appear grainy.  Since there are many graphics like these in the game, the game itself doesn't appear to have the 'polished' look of the PSX version.

-----

Those are the most glaring things I noticed.  In my opinion, it's still good to have the game because of all the other little things thrown in.  But that's just my opinion.  Here are the good things:

1. The audio is ADPCM so it's better than the PSX's XA-Audio.  Most people won't spot the difference though.

2. Extra content:
-two more areas (not counting inverted versions of said areas) with respective enemies.
-two characters playable from the start (not counting Alucard's main game)
-two more familiars
-more items (including a dash item for Alucard)
-little additions here and there.

[uzo]

Don't forget all the graphics were stretched at the base level, for god knows what reason. Makes some things look as ugly as sin. And they didn't do the every other pixel trick for all the translucent effects the PS1 had. Some of them they simply left it solid, looking really bleh.

Some other nitpicks I noticed, you cant view the map unless you're paused first. That was annoying.

[belmontsrock]

It looks like the Special Edition of Symphony of The Night, so I definitely will get it, if you guys want to bid against me then so be it...