(Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku) Fantastic!
I just got my copy in the mail yesterday. Having played the American PSX version \"SOTN\" and after looking at the reviews that lot of people have made, I actually considered not buying the Saturn version. It seems that a lot of people have beef with this game, I think it has something to do with the animosity between PSX and Saturn owners. PSX owners think they have the superior version and claim it openly. Apparently, 99% of these die hard PSX fans haven\'t even played the Saturn version. I have heard claims of outrageous load times, crappy graphics, and unbearable slowdowns. The simple fact of the matter is, these claims are superfluous. The load times are barely noticeable, the graphics are basically exactly the same, and the slowdowns only happen at quirky times. None of the above have any affect on the gameplay. If you haven\'t memorized every single nuance of the PSX version, you would never notice any of those things. Now, on to the good things! Despite it\'s slight short comings, the game has a lot of amazing things going for it! Alucard gets some running shoes that make exploring the 2nd castle a heck of a lot more fun. Alucard, Richter, and Maria are all selectable from the start(this feature alone justifies the purchase). In addition, all 3 characters have their own custom theme song when they start on the first floor of the castle. If you hold up while selecting Richter, you get to play him in his long sleeve \"renaissance style\" costume, which is extremely cool. Two new areas have been added to the game, both with cool new monsters and items to be found. As far as the voice acting, don\'t get me started! The American PSX release has notoriously cheesy voice acting, it\'s unbearable at times and it almost makes the game unplayable for otaku. This is where the Saturn version shines! Perfect tonal voice acting that not only matches the mood of the game, but perfectly accentuates the character animations as well! It simply doesn\'t get much better in the voice acting department. All in all, the Saturn version is a wonderful upgrade to one of the greatest 2d videogames of all time. Having played the PSX version and now the Saturn version, I can honestly say that the positives destroy the negatives. The Saturn version is worth every penny and I would buy it again if I had too!
