2007 Year in Review Part I

This is an opinion editorial

As 2007 draws to a close, the staff at Planet Xbox 360 begins its look back at what was probably one the best years in console gaming history; at least for Xbox 360 owners.  While Sony scuffled with lost exclusives and ever-changing hardware configurations, and developers struggled with designing quality games for the Wii, Xbox 360 gamers reaped the benefits of a system already a year into its lifecycle.  No matter which game genres you prefer, 2007 produced multiple titles worthy of your hard-earned currency.  Over the next few weeks, the staff of PX360 will present the games that we feel earned special recognition in 2007.  Hopefully you haven’t mailed your letter to Santa just yet, as there may have been a few games you missed this year that are worthy of every gamer’s library.

Xbox Live Arcade Game of 2007
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

With the list of available XBLA titles now exceeding 100, Xbox 360 gamers continue to reap the benefits that Microsoft and its third parties provide. With so many arcade titles to choose from, knowing the best of the bunch is vital and for 2007, there were many notable additions. We saw the new and improved Prince of Persia Classic, the Bejeweled-like RPG Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, and the explosive Bomberman Live. All of the aforementioned were no doubt great titles to expand the XBLA gaming library but only one stood out like a supernova in the midst of many stars. The absolute best addition to the XBLA for 2007 is none other than Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.


When Symphony of the Night first released in 1997 for the PlayStation, a number of gamers had preconceived notions about its 2D graphics. 3D was now the industry norm and in some ways 2D was considered outdated. It was a new era in the gaming industry, however, Konami affirmed the old adage that graphics do not make the game and SOTN silenced the haters by receiving high praise from gamers and critics alike.

Ten years later, it is no different. PX360’s own Chad Grishow stated in his review of Castlevania: SOTN that it, “puts just about all content on the Arcade to shame”. Over time, his statement has been proven to be spot on. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is simply one of the greatest games ever made and arguably the best Castlevania title to date. The fact that it is now an XBLA title practically makes this award a no-brainer.


In SOTN, Dracula’s castle has reemerged and it is up to Alucard, the son of Dracula, to find out why. Alucard must traverse through the castle, battling demon after demon with a variety of weapons and abilities, in the hopes of finding out what has happened to Richter Belmont and how to prevent Dracula from ending everything as we know it. Needless to say, it is a special journey. This classic game stepped away from the previous Castlevania’s linear, level-by-level gameplay and brought forth a more open-ended design fused with RPG elements. This proved to be a great move resulting in addictive gameplay and many memorable moments.


What makes SOTN so great is that you simply do not want to stop playing the damn game. The amount of time that can be spent on this title is near limitless. SOTN came before the time when 10 hour campaigns were considered rather standard for a game of its genre but expect to be busy with this one. To summarize; with multiple endings, unforgettable and wonderfully-executed boss battles, tons of secret areas, countless weapons, items and abilities, in conjunction with its RPG level-up system, obviously this is the deepest XBLA title on the Marketplace.

For only 800 MS points, only one question must be asked. Providing the gamer with an incredible amount of content with a near endless amount of activities you can do in a world rich and wonderful to explore, the question to ask isn’t whether you should buy it - it’s whether you have the time to play it. Because once you boot this baby up you’ll be hard-pressed to turn it off. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a prime example of why we play games in the first place. That is why it stands out above the rest and that is why it is been selected as the PX360 Xbox Live Arcade Game of 2007.

Check out our full review of SOTN courtesy of Chad Grishow right here.