This week's buy: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

If you're like me, you've played many titles in the Castlevania series. You've probably even owned a few titles here and there. I have been enamored with Castlevania Symphony of the Night since I first played it. Sadly, I had not heard of or played the title on its original platform, the PlayStation 1. It was not until the heyday of the PlayStation 2 that I had the opportunity to dive into this wonderful, 2-D beauty. I borrowed it from a friend and played it until completion. In recent years, I have played it on the PlayStation Plus network service.  I've had this title on my "must have" list since I started collecting games. A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to add this wonderful title to my collection. I turned to eBay in hopes of finding a deal.

From left to right: Castlevania Symphony of the Night black label, custom case, and greatest hits

While I did find both the black label and the greatest hits edition of the game, I did not find a bottom-dollar bargain. Each copy that I could find cost around $30 USD. While there are certainly more expensive copies out there, I had hoped to get a very very low cost copy for playing. In the end, the copies I purchased were in great shape. The greatest hits version looks as if it were just opened.  Fantastic!  I also decided to purchase a custom case (pictured in the center above). Clearly, the cost of this title illustrates how desirable it is to own and to play. I'm hopeful that Konami decides to either remake or create a new title in this series that follows in the footsteps of SOTN.  I'd love to own a mint, unopened copy.  Anyone have one for under $100? :) All that's left to do now is to wire up a PlayStation 1 and fire it up!