Symphony of the Night was the best of the Metroid-esque Castlevania games (and rightfully so being the first). Many see it as a "correct" implementation of what Castlevania 2 so nobly tried many years before. It's a fantastic game in all respects, and would probably rank much higher on my top 25 if there weren't just so many games I treasure slightly more. The art, soundtrack, and design are all excellent. Only fault I can find is that it's a bit too easy. The last few IGA-created Castlevania games however are much too difficult, so it's a fault I can easily forgive.