96 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (feat. Scott Benson)
Scott Benson (Night in the Woods, Revenant Hill) and the lads grab some holy water and their sturdiest whips as they cover what is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever made: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Topics include the gorgeous art-style, some sweet speedrunning tricks, and the lasting impact of art that pokes at the edges of its own possibility.
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Scott Benson - Twitter // Instagram
Revenant Hill - Website // Steam
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night // Available on All Major Platforms
“Cynthia Harrell, The Woman Who Sang 'Snake Eater,' Is Ready To Be Heard Again” by Ash Parrish, Kotaku October 21, 2020
“Dendy’s Dream Debased” by Roman Muradov, Medium February 2, 2015.
“Unfinished symphony: Castlevania's keeper speaks” by Simon Parkin, Eurogamer, April 9, 2014.
“What's next for Koji Igarashi, the man who left Castlevania and Konami behind” by Michael McWhertor, Polygon, March 19th, 2014.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Comments (22)
I have played Symphony of the Night nearly every October for years and somehow I find something new in the game *every time*
Fun little note on the kitchen-sink approach to the game's symbols and references: There is a not-insignificant proportion of the gear that is not referencing any real-world mythology, but Tolkein's expanded Legendarium. You can use swords wielded against the servants of Melkor in the wars of the Second Age.
I really enjoyed this, as the video game history stuff outside my realm of knowledge in the US and as a discussion of this game y'all love as art. As a side note, I would love to hear y'all talk about the game Blasphemous, even just from an art and style perspective
I just want you to know that everytime I see your name I hear it in my head to the tune of Feliz Navidad
josh advertising the patreon in a patron only section of an episode is some major hustle grindset behavior
this is the free one!
if i had a nickel for every time there was a 20+ year old game with a level called The Library that was way too goddamn long, i'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice
i can really see that influence of Tiny Unusual Inconsequential Thing You Can Miss when playing nitw and it's always those things that end up being my favorite parts in any game
download button seems to be missing?
are you on the website? it should be accessible by clicking the three dots. pops up with a menu with a “download” option
FYI apparently SAG/AFTRA has guidelines for podcasters during the strike. I don’t know how the guidelines apply to you, but they’re probably worth looking into: https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/podcaster-faqs
thanks for this! our show is not under their jurisdiction but in solidarity we’ve reached out just to make sure that we aren’t doing actions that could count as promoting struck media
A criminally under looked indie metroidvania with serious goth pixel vibes is Astalon: Tears of the Earth. One of the best and most tightly designed maps I've ever played. So many secrets and shortcuts, and it's just such a delight to explore.
I've been reading about the Solomon Islands Campaign lately and there are a handful of placenames that cause the "🎶Malanga🎶" drop to play in my head
Oh man, the listening to Delilah in the car as the sun is setting is MY CHILDHOOD!!! That wistful, nostalgic, melancholy vibe deserves a dedicated German word.
Mist could pass, but she recognizes that passing is a complicated thing and that she'd be just as valid and worthy of love if she didn't pass 🏳️⚧️
Mist could pass, but she recognizes that passing is a complicated social phenomenon and that she is just as valid whether she passes or not.
🎵 This is the symphony of the night The night, oh yeah🎶
Haddaway aka Dracula - "What is man? Oh Belmonts don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more."
If you guys are ever looking to do another Castlevania episode the Netflix show is pretty good. Really enjoyed this episode!
Hey! It's the guy who draws them cats and pokes around in people's old sheds! Love that guy.
This is weird, 2 days ago I was looking this game up just to reminisce. Your content algorithm is spot on.