Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation)

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Also known as: Akumajou Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku (Japan) Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Platform: PlayStation Released in JP: March 20, 1997 Released in US: October 2, 1997 Released in EU: November 1997 This game has unused areas. This game has unused items. This game has unused music. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the originator of the "Metroidvania" games in this long-running series. What is a game? A miserable little pile of secrets (that the programmers never expected you to find in the code)!

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Unused Voice Clips‎ Lots of assorted unused voice clips, including an unused ending!

Unused Areas

Small Cave

Well no wonder it was closed off.

Near the very entrance of Dracula's castle is a small grate which never opens at any point in the game. There is something down there, however, and while it's not terribly interesting, it's possible to reach it via glitches.

All this hidden area consists of is a small vertical tunnel with a save point at the end, which is bizarrely graphically glitched if you're playing as Alucard but looks fine if you're playing as Richter. In either case, the save point functions as it should. Upon exiting the cave, the grate opens, allowing this little area to be re-entered without further glitching.

In the Sega Saturn port, this path can be accessed normally and leads to the Underground Gardens, an area exclusive to that port. It seems the developers started to include it in the PS1 version as well, but ran out of time and simply sealed it away. As it stands, there's no actual purpose to this area beyond adding an extra .3% to your map exploration total.

This little hallway also exists in the inverted castle, although there is no known way short of using a cheat device to access it. It's identical, except upside-down, has a reddish palette, and the grate does not open upon trying to exit.

To do: See if the "Edge Travel" glitch can grant access to the inverted version - it is at least possible in the PSP version, but that version seems to introduce more glitches so it may behave differently.

Debug Room

A debug room can be found by entering GameShark codes 80097918 0040 and 800974A0 0040. The map location of the debug room in relation to the rest of the castle can be found here.

Debug Room Japanese voice track

"Hi, I'm Joji Yanami. I'm not a young man anymore. I've done this job for a long time. Eyup. I've done a lot of stupid roles. Man, though, this year has been so hot, I could die. It's way too much... I'm an old man, you see. I can't do anything anymore. It's exhausting. Someone save me, please. It's already September. I think something will come of all this, maybe. Old age is old age. Maybe not, though. Yeah. Well, that's all. See you, then."

Unused Richter Animations

Darkening.

Some unused Richter animations have been found. Some are later used in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, such as the kicking animation.

These animations seem to show Richter taking elemental damage such as electricity and being frozen in a block of ice.

File:SOTN RichterCloak.gif A sprite of Richter standing in his outfit seen in artwork. It is shown in the game but the bottom half is cut off. A screenshot of the sprite as seen in the game can be seen here.

Unused Items

This flashing treasure chest is mixed in with the other "money" objects, and can be made to appear when candles are slashed. It gives you $5,000 when picked up; more than any other item in the game. It's a mystery as to why it was left unused, as it works perfectly, and it's not as though there weren't places to put it.

There is a turkey in the game as an inventory item, but one can also be made to appear when candles are slashed, although it does nothing. Traditionally, meat restores some or all of your energy in Castlevania games, so this is likely a leftover from an early stage of development.

Books. One has a hand on the cover and the other has a "?". Could be a powerup.

Potion. Guessed to be a MP increase potion, similar to the HP and Heart increase items.

Alucard Spear. Weapon. This later appeared in the Saturn version.

Astral Dagger. Weapon. This later appeared in the Saturn version.

Double Blade Axe. Weapon.

No! Can be equipped in Alucard's right hand and protects him from holy attacks.[1]

Now Make. Perhaps a placeholder graphic. A perfectly usable sword that uses this icon can be equipped using a Gameshark code (80097C00 00FD for the U.S. version, and 80097C10 00FD for PAL territories). Seems to have no special attributes. There are other weapons that use this sprite too but the Now Make sword listed here is the most unique. It cause Alucard to grunt with every attack.

Unknown item. Looks like a sword, stick, or spear. Looks to be on fire.

Unknown sword. Perhaps something dripping from the sword?

Unknown sword. Looks like a sword.

Autograph. Item. This later appeared in the Saturn version.

Perhaps a Bag? It's use is unknown. Perhaps contained a powerup?

Lyrics Card. Item. This later appeared in the Saturn version. In the Saturn version it must be equipped to allow the Fairy familiar sing when you fall asleep in a chair.

Unknown item. Looks like it says DAMMY (a mis-translation of 'dummy' caused by the way the Japanese say it, ダミー). Could be a placeholder graphic.

Pehaps Axelord Helmet? Armor.

Unknown item. Looks like a helmet.

Ivy Shield. Shield. This later appeared in the Saturn version.

Unknown item. Looks like a shield.

Unknown item. Looks like boots.

Boots of Godspeed. These later appeared in the Saturn version. In the Saturn game they were a relic that would allow Alucard go faster by double tapping left or right.

Delicious Meal. Food. Probably restored HP.

Smelly Rice. Food. Probably deducts HP or poisons the character.

Rainbow Robe. Cape. This later appeared in the Saturn version.

Unknown Cape. Cape.

Unknown item. Looks similar to the autograph. Perhaps it was gonna be a series? Or could have meant to be used like the Power of Sire to harm enemies.

Unknown item. Looks similar to the autograph. Perhaps it was gonna be a series? Or could have meant to be used like the Power of Sire to harm enemies.

Unknown item. Looks similar to the edge of two books, or possibly twin vials.

Unknown item. It says ヨビ, apparently used as a placeholder graphic.

Unused Music

Dracula Castle Remix

A Redbook Audio track that can be played directly from the game disc. It begins with a warning about playing the data track, then segues into a remix of the Dracula Castle theme. This track is not actually used in the game and is just a little bonus.

Nocturne

This is supposed to be a hidden song that you could get the Half-Fairy Familiar to sing, but said familiar was removed from international releases. Additionally, it will only play through normal means in the Japanese "The Best" re-release; it is locked out of other versions (except the Saturn release, which required the exclusive item "Lyrics Card").

Silence

This short song is present in the Sound Test, but it's not actually used anywhere.

Unknown Song

This strange lullaby-like song is one of only two tracks in the game that aren't streamed. It also isn't used anywhere.

Regional Differences

Unused Familiars

Two familiars are available in the Japanese version but not in the US version. They are called Fairy and Nose Demon (counterparts of the Faerie and Demon, respectively) in the English PSP version. The Nose Demon has no new abilities but the Fairy will sing normally when Alucard sits in a chair in the Japanese "The Best" re-release, Saturn version when certain circumstances are met, and the PSP Dracula X Chronicles version.

The Japanese-exclusive familiars are still programmed and can be activated with certain game enhancer codes, but their cards were removed from the game and they will leave once the player changes their familiar settings. In addition to this (or perhaps because of it), some key items were reordered throughout the game.

Oddities

Gargoyle Statue

This is not unused, but it occurs very rarely. Whenever Alucard is petrified, there's a slight chance he'll turn into a gargoyle statue instead of his normal petrified form. While he normally takes several times the normal amount of damage if hit by an enemy while petrified, he is invulnerable to enemy attacks in this form.