I love symphony of the night, and I love the gothic style. But Super Metroid is the winner, it's the perfect game. Never gets old playing it, perfect for speed run, exploration, you can pass it in different order if you learn the tricks. No game out there has Super Metroid beat.

Two of my favorite games of all time

After several attempts over the years at starting Super Metroid (via emulation, mind), I finally got a cartridge, played through the whole game last summer, and absolutely loved it. It's astonishing how well it holds up today. Sadly, I still haven't played SoTN. I decided some time ago that once I finally have a copy, I'll put whatever else I'm playing on hold to give it a proper playthrough.

I do have to say. RIP SNES. My Mode 7 stopped working during this game. You can tell during some of the segments such as when Samus's ship is flying around or when Mother Brain shows up in her final form. -_-

Great job! I generally LOVE aesthetic of Castlevania but I agree that the Metroid gameplay is probably a little superior.

I missed both these games when they were released, and going back to try and play them now seems overwhelming. I haven't even tried SOTN. Great video man.

Thanks for the great analysis! Looking forward to more like this.

Superb vid man, appreciate the stress you describe that's gone in to making it, nice one. SotN is a great game. However, Super Mertroid is one of the best games ever made so there's no contest in my mind. Gutted you didn't pick a winner. Go on choose one haha, it's a face off! 😀

Crissaegrim... the only weapon that matters. Once you get it, you might as well send a message to Dracula asking if he wants to give himself up and save you from facerolling the rest of the game.

Lovin this new format!

Fantastic job on this one sir. SOTN is one of my fav games ever. I really haven't played a ton of super metroid.

Great video, I recently played both this summer and I want to say I prefer SOTN because I just prefer the Gothic Horror Fantasy vibe over Space-themed sci-fi of Metroid. That and I like having RPG elements to make your character progressively stronger. But I will agree Super Metroid feels more polished.

I really like this approach to a review, and for the first for your channel, you really went big! I've never played SotN, myself, but would really like to give it a try soon. I do love Super Metroid, though I can't wall jump to save my life.

Personally, Castlevania Symphony of the Night is the winner for me. The RPG system really made the game for me. Super Metroid is fantastic too. I will say this. Super Metroid is more fun to complete while SOTN is more fun to finish. I also like how Alucard controls.

In a Castlevania fan but Super Metroid is overall more weighty. By my metric Metroid wins.

When playing Metroid I am aware of the game's forula, clearing areas in a formulaic manner. When playing Castlevania I'm not aware of this and exploring the castle feels more natural. I also prefer the way Alucard controls.

This how I see it SOTN had the more recognized characters that we have known since we were kids. Metroid was a great game but most characters we had seen were forgettable. let's look at something as simple as the underground and music themes from SOTN compared to some of those in SM. they both made you feel that you were underground but SOTN with it's music made it a true experience and then dropping down into those catacombs just scared the shit out of you

Now I want to play them back to back

When it comes to these two games it’s a situation of apple to oranges. But when it comes to the series as a whole it’s a close call but I think I like Castlevania just a bit more. I like both of them but I think the point that won me over is that Castlevania IMO has one of the most legendary soundtracks in gaming history.

Another excellent vid!! Would love to see more of these Face Off videos down the road. Sadly I never really experienced Metroid or Super Metroid when they were first released. I was always a Castlevania fan and when SOTN came out for the PS that was one of the first games I got for the system. I think the biggest draw for me over the years to the game is the replayability of it. It's been a little while but If I remember correctly there were unlockable characters that you could replay the game as with each time you beat the game. Some made the game more challenging. I still have my SOTN copy for the PS but upgraded to the digital version on my PS3 so I can keep going back to it. My poor PS1 copy was almost worn out from being played so much lol! However the Metroid series is on my list to pickup and give them a shot one day. This video makes me want to go back and replay SOTN as soon as I get home from work lol.

Dang...this was such a slick, well-edited video! Love the style, and while I never played through all of SotN since I didn't know about it until later in life, I definitely know the comparisons between them as being famous...and I love the Sorrow games (Aria and Dawn) that also take a lot from SotN, so I can still relate. No game will ever beat out Super Metroid for me, though

Good video man

Excellent job, very comprehensive. Super Metroid is one of my favorite games of all time and believe it or not, I've never played symphony of the night - but I've always wanted to!

Excellent video. Finally playing SOtN after meaning to for over 20 years lol, and it’s really superb. Super Metroid is my original best game of all time, so know it really well.

I seem to recall asking this very question on Twitter not too long ago. Anyway, the answer is Castlevania.

Super metroid is the best metroid game ofc, BUT symphony of the night is in a different league maybe my favourite game of all time. Almost perfect game.

I have to admit that, at this moment, I haven't played either of these games. I know, for shame. :P I have played the NES games for both of the series, but I haven't picked them up since then. I did pick up the Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles on PSP, which has Symphony of the Night as an unlockable. So I need to work on that. Regardless, good video! I'll look forward to future Faceoff's. :)

Very nice, would love to see more face-offs!

Something I wanted to add to your point about jumping being a bit impresice, when you're spining in air you can just fire a shot to get control back over your jump.

I've beaten both numerous times. Both games are great but SOTN, in my opinion, is the better game. Better atmosphere, gameplay, and way better music. You say it comes down to opinion and then end your video. It would be nice if you shared your opinion on which game you prefer. Your future faceoffs won't be fun if you don't share your opinion. Great video by the way.

I think you hit on the main difference in that Symphony of the Night isn't quite as polished or tightly designed. Both are masterpieces though, with Symphony standing on Super Metroid's shoulders.

both great games but i cant speed run sotn yet thanks for the video keep up the good work

I’d love to see them do a Castlevania game in 2022 in the style of symphony of the night or dawn of sorrow The way they did Metroid dread. Yes, I have/ know bloodstained ritual of the night exists but I want namebrand dammit. I either want to play as Alucard again or a Belmont in a brand new 2D or 2.5 D Castlevania

12:32 This is something I've noticed when playing SOTN, it's exploration is less item/upgrade reliant as Super Metroid when playing the game in a standard fashion. You can cover a lot more of SOTN's map without key upgrades than you can in Super Metroid. Thus this technically makes SOTN the less linear of the two.

good video. enjoyed it. make more of these.. never played much of castlevania now i want to try this game out... just dont have a playstation -.-

Really great video! What game do you think i should get and play first outve the original castlevania and metroid?

Some might say the lack of a definitive answer is a ripoff, but I can't help but agree with your decision. Both are great games that are noticeably different despite their similarities. Different setting, different method of progression, noticeably different length and so on. SOTN is a longer game because it has a much larger map, not even counting the Inverted Castle. What do you prefer? What mood are you in? Super Metroid is about clearing the game as quickly as possible with either all of the items or as little items as possible. SOTN is a grand adventure to stop the return of Dracula by searching every inch of his castle (literally). In a "having a gun to my head" kind of decision, determining which is the better game is very difficult since they both play very differently. I prefer Super Metroid because of it's length, progression and the fact that I prefer sci-fi over fantasy. That's not much of a definitive answer though, that's just my opinion. Pretty good video good sir, basically summed up my thoughts on this comparison. On a side note it's strange how some old castle is larger than the entirety of planet Zebes. "This castle is a creature of chaos. It may take many incarnations."

one thing you didn't touch on, which is often overlooked when talking about super metroid and games which followed/replicated it, is the depth in each of samus' powerups and abilities. most of her abilities have a dual funaction and get better only with your own skill in using them. wall jumping isn't just a power up that you pick up and is then easy to use (like in the recent hollow knight for instance), it's just a normal function of her jump and takes skill and practice to make the most of. the same can be said for shinesparking, it's just a secondary function of the speedbooster and requires skill and practice. neither of these things is explicitly needed to complete the game, but the depth they add to samus' kit allows you to get really creative with how you approach the game and your path through it. to me it's not a question of if you like gothic horror or sci fi more but rather do you prefer levelling up your avatar and having a lot of different options with that or do you prefer having the game open up more only as you level up your own skill. they are just two different approaches to adding replayability to this kind of game, personally i prefer the latter.

Both are in my top 3 favorite games of all time & it's kinda hard which ones I like better; especially since I'm a fan of these 2 franchise.

What no actual choice for better game? What a cop out. Lol just kidding great video man

SOTN doesn’t make you look for breakable walls to progress through the game. And even if it did, you can check a breakable wall by simply swinging a sword, while in Super Metroid you have to transform first and plant a bomb. IMO if you want to have fun - play SoTN, if you want to have a headache - play Super Metroid

I wanna see more video game faceoffs, I'm letting you know in the comments.

I love SOTN but Super Metroid wins for me. I think it's still the best game the genre has ever produced.

Map completion is more fun in SOTN than in Super Metroid. I think many can agree on that ;) !

Super Metroid is perfect but SOTN is IMO slightly better. It's a matter of preference ;) !

The two games that make up Metroid and Vania go head to head

I've beat SOTN 20 times or so , just once on 210%. I just got through my first run on super metroid last week. SOTN has so many secrets it's mind boggling. There's places you need familiars to access , the amount of items that are random drops is crazy as well . If you get dual crissaegrim or Shield rod/Iron shield the game is cake. Music is great too . Super Metroid, other than driving myself crazy getting lost I had a blast. then there's crap like- Shadow Complex.....

you are great! sub! also, (I know this is the biggest nitpick ever) thecnically samus starts off without the items she had in prime 3, not metroid 2

While I would say that Symphony of the Night's aesthetic and gameplay are what make it the much better game in my own personal opinion and tastes, there is just one thing that makes it far superior to Super Metroid: The map has doors on it. I had a terrible time with Super Metroid on my first playthrough because I couldn't remember where doors were when two corridors or large rooms touched on the map, but with Symphony of the Night I could far more easily navigate. This is probably why I enjoyed Metroid Fusion far more than Super Metroid despite it being more linear. It was just easier to navigate because the map was better. It also helped that you could see the entire map at once, unlike in the Metroid games, but I feel this might be because they wanted to make sure you knew where the different areas were. I think Axiom Verge improved on this a lot by showing just the area you're in, but then having an overview map off to the side that showed rough shapes to point of how the areas connected.

i like all these new channels. that you really notice passion on things they like. before they get big on only making content for the views

I think both are masterpieces....super metroid edges it out as I'd rather play it probably 60% of the time, but popping in sotn on say Halloween or in the fall and really getting lost in that Gothic atmosphere is incredible as well

Makoto Kano was the lead designer and writer of Super Metroid, not the producer.

you were great in Knocked Up

Technically speaking, Symphony of the night is quite a better game; you compare a tiny Snes cartridge against a powerful CD. Alucard adventure is longer, bigger, deeper due to lots of items and that RPG element allowing you to play the game at your will and get creative, is harder, stands around the peek of pixel art. I think is Metroid Prime the one gets to rival in the Metroidvania field and Fusion gets close in some but gets away in others. I give the win to Castlevania, but Metroid achieves being "the first one", doing what Castlevania and many other games in future did and still holds up quite well today in pretty much every aspects. In a CD disc you could put around 20 times Super Metroid, but back in the days they just put out every single bit of non-pre-rendered potencial of that Snes lame capacity to make a legendary game. The only reason I like better Metroid is the sci-fi theme.

SotN is superior!

I like the secrets of sotn more than metroid. richter and maria mode, and that second castle and "real" ending. its still a game I go back to today. Both are amazing games, I can't wait for the next castlevania or metroid game that are surely coming.... right?? Also loved the video format, please do finals fights vs streets of rage

I like and have played more SOTN than Super M. Super M is more difficult in my experience. With SOTN you just need to find relics & beat bosses to advance, but Super M you gotta learn specific moves to advance causing you to get stuck if you don't master a move. Luckily I have both games on the same console.

Aaah the old and epic battle that has been going on between these two for two decades now, hmm it's a hard battle where some take one side and others take the other side. Castlevania has superior graphics outstanding music, amazing sound effects and the castle is very atmospheric. Metroid has better puzzles, the planet is well designed the map exploration is more since I feel it's a slightly bigger game and the boss fights although less they are different from each other. You need tactics and thinking to finish Metroid, while Castlevania you just need raw power and some intuition. Which is better is a hard question, I personally prefer Castlevania since the leveling up the killing all kinds of monsters is my cup of tea. If it weren't for that I would say they are on par. Actually what makes Castlevania all that better is Alucard, the gameplay with Richter or Maria isn't that great TBH, if it weren't for Alucard I would say Super Metroid is a better game but in the end of the day Alucard > Samus.

woah. let me get this straight. planet zebes isn't pronounced 'zeebs'? i @_o

Why does everyone say that Metroid 2 was "different"? I don't see it as the "different" game the was Castlevania, Zelda, and Mario 2 were. I mean it was different in the sense that it didn't really have differently defined area's (because the gameboy didn't have the color palette to allow for that) and it had multiple mini-mini "bosses" rather than 2 major mini bosses. But overall it was a Metroid game through and through. It had one huge interconnected maze like world that had to be explored, and certain area's couldn't be reached without certain items. I know I'm nitpicking and this point isn't really relevant to the video, but it's just something I hear said often and I don't really agree with it.

15:08 we will never know if samus did the jump...

I need that Raph

I don't think these are even the best metroidvania games in their respective series. Metroid Zero Mission Vs Order Of Ecclesia would have been a tougher comparison. They're amazing. Also, not really a face off if you don't pick a winner.

9:00 why are you grabbing an NES controller when you're playing both a SNES game and a PS1 game?? 😂

#1 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night #2 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow #3 Super Metroid #4 Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance #5 Metroid Fusion #6 Momodora: Reverie under the moonlight #7 Hollow Knight #8 Guacamelee #9 Cave Story #10 Salt and Sanctuary

Super Metroid was the first Metorid game i meet. I remenber my cousin got it when was new, those days I was a PC gamer and I didnt feel much atraccted to the 16 bits console games. So I wasent much interested to play it, So I used only to watch it how my cousin played it, years later I got almost for free a Snes when N64 come out but I didnt got Super Metroid I didnt even played by emulation but I played others snes games by emulaion. Until now I still dont play it. With Castlevania SOTN was different , ther very first time i saw that game I feeled like I wanted to play it and Final Fantasy 7. So I got a PlayStation and until now is one of my favoritre games of all times, while I still dont play not even the first alien pterodactyl level of Super Metroid. Maybe one day I would play.

Castlevania II deserves a remake.

I'm Castlevania fan over Metroid, and EVEN THEN, I prefer Super Metroid over SOTN.

Castlevania is the best

To me both are incredible games (not for nothing these two created a genre) my only (and i repeat ONLY) complain its with super metroid's music.

Good review on both Superb Game bro. Like you said, it's a matter of preference. Personally I prefer Metroid fusion than super metroid, hahaha.

Metroid > Castlevania

Shadow Complex wins.

SMW, ALTTP, SM and SOTN are among the best games of all time.

Super Metroid is more perfect. But SOTN is more fun.

Cave Story>>>^33

Sotn no contest

I prefer SM.in sotn I don't like the RPG elements , and boss Battles on.they rely more on farming than skill. Plus i find the world and combat system more repetive and dull (but tolerable). For me sm hás only big fault. The advanced controls when it cames to wall jump, hyper jump, etc they are simply awfull.

As crazy as it sounds, IGA actually said Zelda was the inspiration for the changes in Castlevania, not metroid. www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-03-21-koji-igarashi-says-castlevania-sotn-was-inspired-by-zelda-not-metroid I agree with everything you say in the review. The coincidences are just too close to not add up to Super Metroid being an inspiration. I just wanted to share the IGAvania tid bit. If you like these two games, I strongly encourage you to look into Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Come on over to bloodstainedfanforums.com and igavania.com and be part of the growing base of fans for IGA's next game.

Gana Metroid

super metroid!!!! the best

Hands down I prefer SOTN. The jump controls in SM are just off and hurt its replay value, that and without any form of teleporters / fast transport doing multiple runs gets kinda tedious. I love all the little tidbits they added in SOTN, the extra details that do nothing but are there just for flavor. That being said, I think some of the handheld igavanias surpassed both and really streamlined the genre.

Two of my favorite games ever but SM definitely takes the cake. The level design and atmosphere is incredible

Super Metroid all day. Symphony was great until the 2nd half of the game. I think the inverted castle is horrendous and the gameplay falls off a cliff at that point.

metroid gets real boring half way through

The only problem I can see in SOTN is the lack of balance in some enemies. But overall, SOTN is superior than Super Metroid in almost every way imo. I think it's a simple matter of taste, both games are nearly perfect.

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