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Talk:Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation)

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Richter electrocuted and frozen?

I was poking around through Richter's sprite files (X:\BIN\RIC.BIN, on the CD) and I found some frames I don't believe I've ever seen before.

SOTN-RichterElec.png

SOTN-RichterFreez.png

These are both missing frames and are in an AWFUL palette because Tile Molester doesn't like me and won't properly resize the in-between frames.

Now I'm no Richter-player, but I'm pretty sure when you get hit with electric or ice attacks, Richter just... does normal damage recoil, with either an Ice or Elec damage effect on him. I don't remember ever getting turned into a block of ice or going blanka-electrocution. --RahanAkero 20:45, 3 June 2010 (EDT)

I added it to the article.--LufiaLover 14:09, 25 November 2011 (EST)

I played SoTN with a friend's PlayStation game console instead of an emulator and saw the frames shown above. If my memory serves me right, those frames are used when I was hit with Drac's fireball during the prologue fight for some odd reason. --ZeroTheEro 13:53, 20 December 2011 (EST)

I just checked this out and Richter uses his standard damage sprite (which these are based on) and a fiery orange palette when getting hit by Drac's fireballs, not the electrocuted sprites. On that note, there is a palette loaded in VRAM that seems intended for them; it's his standard palette with an electric blue where a red usually is. This may be used by some of his other attacks, Richter has quite a few palettes with single color variations. The electric blue palette works good with certain frames, but the skeleton frames seem intended to use a different one, and the ice definitely needs a different one. If I don't have any luck finding those, I'll just reupload the eletrocuted frames with Richter's palette. That will definitely look better than what's in the article now, even if it's not the intended palette. --Dragonsbrethren 21:10, 21 April 2013 (EDT)
Of note for the unused Richter sprites we need to get beter versions of htem that don't look like the composite image was nicked from Castlevania Dungeon (Or at least credit them for the image). Of note that one "Hadoken" sprite of Richter looks more like a sweep kick if anything. That and yeah I saw most of them unused sprites get some use in Portrait of Ruin as well. MightyKombat 08:15, 26 June 2012 (EDT)

Japanese voice track

"My name is Yamami Jyouji, I'm no longer young and have been doing those stupid work for a long time. The temperature of this year is always high that I can't stand for. Ah, I'm getting older and don't know what to do in the future, I want to call for your help or waiting for death. Maybe I would feel better as September is nearby. An old guy is always an old guy, I can't think of how to deal with it. Yeah, that's all, goodbye."

This is played in the debug room. Mammal Sauce 23:12, 24 November 2011 (EST)

I added it to the article.--LufiaLover 14:09, 25 November 2011 (EST)

This was actually used in the final game, in the Japanese version's Sound Test menu... (source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Aaae5ZCfPvw#t=87s) --dtr138 12:38, 28 March 2013 (EST)

Unused audio

check this faq here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps/196885-castlevania-symphony-of-the-night/faqs/3789 on the Audio section it has lots of unused sound clips listed. Someone should try ripping the sound clips and post them here.--LufiaLover 14:37, 25 November 2011 (EST)

Just a bit more.

http://www.castlevaniadungeon.net/games/sotnweird.html http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/2/extras-sotn.htm

These page note a few more unused things, such as the full cloaked Richter sprite and more items (including those which would be included in the Saturn version, like the Boots of Godspeed and Rainbow Robe). LinkTheLefty 19:53, 16 May 2012 (EDT)

Unused Familiars

In a follow-up to what has been stated on the main page (But not sure what is worth updating): - You do not need the familiar cards for familiars to appear. A separate byte handles which familiar is currently equipped. Changing cards will change this byte, but the value is not dependent on what cards a player has collected.

0 - Nothing
1 - Bat
2 - Ghost
3 - Fairy
4 - Demon
5 - Sword
6 - Fairy #2
7 - Demon #2

- Both fairies will sit with Alucard when he sits down. I have yet to see Fairy #2 sing at level 1 (Did say something in Japanese, once), but will always sing at level 99.

- Demon #2 has a sound file that does a "Baaaah, bah bah baaaah!" then some speech. Sounds like this might be a joke familiar...? Regardless, it still has impressive attacks at higher levels.

- Both unused familiars gain experience, like the normal ones do. Each familiar has 4 bytes for experience and 1 byte for level. The level byte is constantly updated by the total experience collected after an enemy is defeated, so if anyone is going to modify the level, it would make more sense to modify the experience pool. Kuro-chan 15:29, 25 Dec 2017 (EST)

Different Up Sprite?

As the main page mentions the requirements to get the gargoyle statue petrification status, I was wondering if anyone has figured out what must be done to get Alucard to hold his cloak up when pressing up, as opposed to his normal sprite that he turns his body outward? Is there any unknown benefit from one to the other?

As far as I know, standing on an edge or on stairs allows you to do this (notice his stance changes). I don't believe it provides any special benefit. --BMF54123 22:39, 3 January 2013 (EST)
Actually it sort of does.. When he's a gargoyle statue he doesn't take any damage at all if he's attacked. Normally he takes several times the amount of damage than normal if he's hurt while stoned. MightyKombat 07:54, 4 January 2013 (EST)

Double-jump Gargoyle

From what I gathered, the Leap Stone is called 'Flight Stone' in the japanese version of SOTN which leads to the assumption that there's a connection between Gargoyles and the double jump. Furthermore, there are "wings" visible when performing said double-jump further indicating that connection.

I would assume that it isn't an "oddity" but entirely intentional. Your thoughts?

I don't think the article implies that it wasn't intentional. We just tend to put obscure, not-really-unused stuff like that under the heading "Oddities" to separate it from everything else. The wings=gargoyle connection could be mentioned there, but it's not super important. --BMF54123 09:55, 9 January 2013 (EST)
Alright. I just didn't consider something intentional as an 'oddity'. :) --Vkins 11:22, 9 January 2013 (EST)
I've noticed what looks to be a flickery version of the stone gargoyle sprite when Alucard jumps around inside a transition room - you can only see it in the black part above, and it's too brief/flickery to get a decent screenshot. Is this a glitch, or potential remnant of there being more to Alucard's gargoyle form at one point? I can't find any info online... --Nocturnesthesia 20:34, 1 April 2013 (EDT)

Unused Nightmare Level Entrance

Using a gameshark code to disable the walls in the Marble Gallery area where you get the Holy Glasses/Fight Shaft+Dracula will take you to the Nightmare level if you fall to the bottom of the screen (top of the screen on inverted castle). As theres a designated width and not the whole screen I think there was once a easy way to access this level for testers and developers. There was probably a hole in the floor for testers to fall into early on, perhaps before the nightmare container entrance was created. I can't remember if it is in the normal or inverted castle tho. Can someone test this? BTW, in once castle it leads to the nightmare level, but on the other castle it just goes to a black screen meaning the room was put there intentionally. The gameshark code is this:

Toggle Walls On And Off (Press Up+L2 To Turn On, Down+L2 To Turn Off) D0097490 1001 80097914 0000 D0097490 4001 80097914 000F

It don't work with the PEC plugin for ePSXe so someone with the real console will have to test this.--MathUser 15:36, 2 February 2013 (EST)

Sweep kicks =/= Hadokens

Those set of unused Richter sprites. He's doing a sweep kick. NOT a Hadoken powerup. Why do you think he's sticking his leg out? Besides, its used in Portrait of Ruin in his hidden combo attack and its a physical kick move so there you go, sweep kick. Sorry I went off on a tangent like this but it kinda annoys me people just can't tell the difference. MightyKombat 08:42, 28 March 2013 (EDT)

You're probably right...but in all fairness, just because it's used as one thing later on doesn't mean it wasn't intended to be another thing at an earlier point. LinkTheLefty 16:07, 28 March 2013 (EDT)
Good point but I see him sticking his leg out. I doubt anyone charging a fireball would go to the effort of deliberately stretching their leg out. MightyKombat 20:43, 28 March 2013 (EDT)
Is that third frame used as part of the animation in PoR? It looks out of place next to the kick. --Dragonsbrethren 13:07, 29 March 2013 (EDT)
Now that you mention it I don't think it is. Theoretically it could have been used in the sweep kick as a sort of crouching animation. MightyKombat 13:47, 29 March 2013 (EDT)

Artwork Richter Sprite

SOTN RichterCloak Screen.png

Given this sprite is at double resolution already, I'm guessing it wasn't ripped by anyone here and comes from another website, like a lot of this article's content. Are we sure this is actually in the game? I haven't found it yet if it is, and only the parts shown in-game are loaded into VRAM, complete with the thought bubble surrounding it, alongside the rest of Maria's sprites. Going back years and years, I recall reading that the origin of this sprite was actually Konami's website for the game, not the game itself. It's possible it's in there somewhere, I haven't found Maria's adult sprites or any of the monsters yet, but given how it's loaded into RAM as it appears in-game, I'm starting to doubt it. I may just remove the sprite/screenshot from the article, given its dubious origin, until there's proof it's on the disc. --Dragonsbrethren 13:43, 22 April 2013 (EDT)

Wasn't artwork-style Richter just a redesigned sprite for the Saturn port? I don't believe it was ever actually in the PS game. Jonny2x4 14:20, 22 April 2013 (EDT)
The top half of the sprite is used in game, but not the legs, and the thought bubble is actually a part of the sprite. The Saturn Richter sprites are unrelated to this one; those are edits of his Rondo sprites, while this is in a different style. I was curious, so I checked out the sprites loaded for the Colosseum boss and the full sprite isn't used there, either. I really doubt it's actually in the game. --Dragonsbrethren 14:27, 22 April 2013 (EDT)
Now that I remember, that Ayami Kojima-style rendition of Richter was in a sprite sheet that Konami released more than a decade ago (around the time Castlevania on the N64 was released) that also showed a bunch of other sprites from the recent 2D games at the time (including sprites from an unmade 32X sequel to Dracula X featuring Richter and Maria). Maybe it was drawn, but never actually included in the game. Here it is. Jonny2x4 15:29, 22 April 2013 (EDT)
Yeah, that's what I was thinking of, memory was just fuzzy from it being so long ago. --Dragonsbrethren 16:04, 22 April 2013 (EDT)

Unused Item Graphics

(Administrator's note: This was removed from the main article because MathUser is an idiot and a lot of these don't seem to exist in the PSX version. If someone competent could go through this list and pick out the things that DO appear in the PSX version's files--and maybe get some new, clean rips--that would be pretty swell. --BMF54123 14:27, 24 June 2013 (EDT))

Yeah, I can do it. I was hoping someone more competent than me found them, maybe compressed in one of the other files or something similar to that, but given no one's come forward, I'll just document the ones that are in DRA.BIN. --Dragonsbrethren 14:45, 24 June 2013 (EDT)

Item Graphics

Hmmm...
To do:
Many of these icons are not present in DRA.BIN. Are there icons stored elsewhere, or are some of these unused Saturn items?

Books

SOTN UnusedBooks.gif

One has a hand on the cover and the other has a "?".

Rainbow Colored Potion

SOTN UnusedPotion.gif

This could be a Magic Max Up potion, since it is found alongside the Health and Heart Max Up graphics.

A proof? The 2 Books and Rainbow Colored Potion sprite can be found in PSP port extracting the tex in realtime using PPSSPP (don't know hot to fix the pallet). So maybe there is a way to find it in PSOne version --Serebiishirine 04:18, 30 Dec 2020 (EDT)

512x Proof.png

Now the Real Proof!! Using the same same idea I did on PSP port, I used PSX-vram with ePSXe emulator to view the PSOne's SOTN vram (can be done with SotN Editor by Nyxojaele). And AHAH! I found the sprites on the same spot. So I added the two sprites to the article. --Serebiishirine 20:08, 31 Dec 2020 (EDT)
Proof2.png

Alucard Spear

SOTN AlucardSpear.png

This weapon appears in the Saturn version with +28 attack power. It can casts spells that allow it to strike multiple times and fire a laser.

Astral Dagger

SOTN AstralDagger.png

This weapon appears in the Saturn version with +12 attack power. It can cast a homing attack spell.

Double Blade Axe

SOTN DoubleBladeAxe.png

This weapon appears in the Saturn version with +42 attack power.

Unknown Item

SOTN UnknownItem5.png

Looks like it could be a sword, stick, or spear on fire.

Unknown Sword

SOTN UnknownSword1.png

Something appears to be dripping from it.

Unknown Sword

SOTN UnknownSword2.png

Signed Pencil Board

SOTN Autograph.png

An item that appears in the Saturn version, it has no purpose in the game, but it was used for a contest where the winner would receive a pencil board signed by Ayami Kojima.

Bag

SOTN Bag.png

Lyrics card

SOTN LyricsCard.png

An item that appears in the Saturn version, where it can be equipped to allow the Sprite familiar sing when you sit in a chair.

Dummy Item

SOTN DahMy.png

Looks like it says DAMMY (a mistranslation of 'dummy' caused by the way the Japanese say it, ダミー). Likely just a placeholder graphic.

Axelord Helmet

SOTN AxelordHelm.png

Looks like an Axelord Helmet, to compliment the shield and armor.

Unknown Item

SOTN UnknownItem7.png

It looks like a helmet.

Woodland shield

SOTN IvyShield.png

This shield appears in the Saturn version with +3 defense power.

Unknown item

SOTN UnknownItem6.png

Looks like a shield.

Unknown Item

SOTN UnknownItem8.png

Looks like boots.

Boots of Godspeed

SOTN BootsOfGodspeed.png

These boots are a relic item. These later appeared in the Saturn version, where they would allow Alucard to run faster by double tapping left or right.

Delicious Meal

SOTN DeliciousMeal.png

This food item appears in the Saturn version, where it restores 75 HP.

Smelly Rice

SOTN SmellyRice.png

This food item appears in the Saturn version, where it poisons Alucard. It will heal 1 HP when the topaz circlet is equipped.

Rainbow Mantle

SOTN RainbowRobe.png

This cloak appears in the Saturn version with +7 constitution and +4 defense.

Unknown Cape

SOTN UnknownCape1.png

Unknown Item

SOTN UnknownItem1.png

It has a border similar to the signed pencil board.

Unknown Item

SOTN UnknownItem2.png

It is similar to the Alucard face used on the signed pencil board, but without a border.

Unknown Item

SOTN UnknownItem3.png

This graphic could be two books or two glass flasks.

Unknown Item

SOTN UnknownItem4.png

It says ヨビ, apparently used as another placeholder graphic.

Placeholder Graphic

Yay for Engrish!

It reads "now make" so it is probably a placeholder graphic.

Piracy warning

Just so you know, that piracy warning screen was used on virtually every PlayStation game released in Europe (and a handful of US-region games, too) until about mid-1998, with sporadic usage thereafter. I'm just wondering if it's worth adding to the Common Things article. --MrLavisherMoot (talk) 14:53, 9 November 2017 (EST)

Unused Area: Small Cave Hatch codes.

Despite the main page saying that the hatch can only be opened at the beginning because of "the map is later changed to include other entities" i was able to open the hatch with the provided codes after having a full run into the castle and returning to the area on the Japanese version of the game. --Nevada (talk) 14:15, 5 March 2018 (EST)

OVER

OVER

Unsure what this is, as I found it while corrupting the game for giggles. Hopefully this savestate helps find what triggers this? (Bizhawk)

Found in the same forum thread at romhacking and added to the article --Serebiishirine 13:33, 11 Oct 2022 (EDT)
Tried to fix page formating without sucess.. The print is taking space of separation line, sorry... --Serebiishirine 14:02, 11 Oct 2022 (EDT)

Recently Found Collision Boxes

https://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=35462.20

I don't really have a whole lot of personal time to add this to the article, but someone recently found this while going through the game to make a utility. I'll leave this here for someone with more time to add. C: Rick (talk) 16:23, 23 September 2022 (UTC)

Added to the article --Serebiishirine 13:31, 11 Oct 2022 (EDT)

Bridge debug?

Pressing the Triangle button on 2P's control breaks the bridges in the Underground Caverns. Can be done repeatedly. --Metalman (talk) 02:50, 30 December 2022 (UTC)

Dr4gonBlitz used the debug function in a speedrun on an actual console (PS2) --Wanny (talk) 18:57, 1 January 2023 (UTC)

smileyface 94 in VRAM of room 16 of CAT.BIN?

I am literally poking around in SotN_Editor.exe for the very first time and have no idea what I'm doing yet, but I stumbled across this in the VRAM view of the first map I opened, ST/CAT/CAT.BIN:

Smileyface94.png

I intend to get the hang of this program more and figure out how to view it with the correct palette, but I couldn't resist jumping into the talk page to at least check if this is a known thing already? (I assume someone must have found it by now, but it doesn't seem to be on the page?) --RavenWorks (talk) 12:15, 24 January 2024 (UTC)

OK, I finally figured out that you have to scroll down past the 8bpp-mode views to get to the 4bpp-mode views, so I can at least confirm that it's definitely a smileyface and the number 94:

Smielyface94 4bpp.png

I've also now checked, and there are two enemies who appear in that room: the Grave Keeper, and the Hellfire Beast... and in the other rooms where Grave Keepers appear, the smileyface is *not* present... and the Hellfire Beast ONLY appears in this one room in the whole game, which is also the only room I've ever seen the smileyface in VRAM for, so far! So it's looking likely that this is part of the Hellfire Beast's spritesheet.

I've built SotN_Editor from source to try and modify it to give more information about where each chunk in VRAM comes from (so I don't have to guess like this), but unfortunately, it's crashing on the map that I need it to look at?? (I haven't even changed anything yet; it must be something that was changed since the last release version was published...) I've asked on the github issues page, but if I don't hear back soon, I'll poke around in the source or bisect it myself... --RavenWorks (talk) 13:15, 29 January 2024 (UTC)