Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) — Price Guide & Live Deals

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night came out on the original Sony PlayStation in 1997, published by Konami. It moved the series away from level-by-level action toward one large castle that opens up as you gain abilities. Along with Super Metroid, it's one of the two games the "Metroidvania" genre is named after. Collectors want the US PlayStation release in every condition, and it asks well above most PS1 action games. The feed below shows current eBay listings for the US-NTSC PlayStation disc. Pick a condition chip (All, Loose, CIB or Sealed) to narrow it down. The notes below cover what each tier should include and what to check before you pay.

What the Symphony of the Night feed shows

The feed is limited to the US PlayStation release. It filters out the listings most likely to be confused with it:

• The Japanese PlayStation release. Symphony of the Night came out in Japan first, under the title Akumajō Dracula X, and Japanese copies are listed on eBay constantly, often by US-based sellers and often for less than a US copy. A Japanese disc won't boot on an unmodified US PlayStation. The feed drops listings that mention Japan, NTSC-J, the Japanese title, Japanese product codes (SLPM), Japanese budget-reprint labels (The Best, PS one Books), or an obi strip. It also drops listings shipped from Japan, Hong Kong or China, and listings whose item specifics give a region other than US/Canada.
• The Sega Saturn version. A Saturn port came out in Japan only. It shares the title and turns up in the same searches, so the feed excludes anything mentioning Saturn.
• Other bundles that include the game. Castlevania Requiem (PS4) and The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP) both include Symphony of the Night under the same name. Neither is the 1997 disc, so both are filtered out, along with Xbox listings.
• Things that aren't the game. Strategy guides, soundtrack CDs, the promo music sampler, posters, magazines, magnets, reproduction manuals, memory cards with save files, and the Tiger handheld that shares the name are all excluded. So are manual-only, insert-only and artwork-only partial listings.
• Listings with risk flags. Listings that say untested, not working, for parts or as-is are excluded. So are multi-game lots and bundles, sellers under 50 feedback or under 99% positive, and eBay's "Refurbished" condition grade.

Castlevania Symphony of the Night variants & what to look for

• Original print ("Black Label"). This is the first US retail print. Sellers call it "Black Label" to tell it apart from the later budget reprint. Collectors generally pay more for it at every condition tier.
• Greatest Hits reprint. Sony reissued the game in the US under its Greatest Hits budget line. It's the same game on a single disc, with Greatest Hits branding on the packaging. Many sealed copies in the feed are Greatest Hits copies, so check which print you're looking at before comparing a sealed price against Black Label prices.
• Product code. US copies carry the product code SLUS-00067. It's printed on the disc and the packaging, and many sellers put it in the item specifics. An SLPM- code means a Japanese disc.

A listing that says "PS1" and nothing else can be either US print. If the price assumes Black Label, look for the print in the photos: the front insert, the spine and the disc label.

Castlevania Symphony of the Night: loose vs CIB vs sealed

Loose means the disc on its own. Sellers usually say "Disc Only" or "Game Only", and some add a generic or replacement jewel case. Prices within this tier vary with disc condition (surface scratches, label wear) and with whether the listing says the disc was tested. Some loose listings say the disc has been resurfaced. That's a legitimate repair for scratches, but it's worth knowing when you compare prices.

CIB (complete in box) means the original jewel case with the front and back inserts, the disc and the instruction manual. Listings that say "No Manual" are still presented as near-complete and ask less. The biggest drivers of CIB prices are case condition (PS1 jewel cases crack, especially at the hinges), insert fading or water damage, and Black Label vs Greatest Hits.

Sealed copies are still in their factory shrink-wrap, sometimes graded and slabbed. The asking price is set more by the grade and the print than by the game itself. A graded Black Label and a raw Greatest Hits reseal are very different purchases even though both show as "Sealed".

The price table on this page shows current asking prices for each tier from the live feed.

Castlevania Symphony of the Night verification checklist by condition

Loose

• Ask for a photo of the disc's underside. Genuine PlayStation discs are black on the data side. A silver, gold or blue-green underside means a burned CD-R.
• Check the product code on the disc: SLUS-00067 for the US release.
• Look for deep scratches and disc rot (cloudy patches or pinholes when held up to a light). A disc that boots to the title screen can still fail to read later in the game.

CIB

• Confirm the inserts are original prints and not reproductions. Reprinted inserts and manuals for this game are sold openly, and the feed excludes listings that sell them on their own, but a reproduction can still end up inside a "complete" listing. Compare against a known-genuine reference photo.
• Check which print it is (Black Label or Greatest Hits) from the front insert, spine and disc.
• Ask about hinge cracks and whether the jewel case is the original or a replacement.
• Confirm the manual is included. Sellers who leave it out usually say "No Manual" in the title.

Sealed

• Check the print (Black Label or Greatest Hits) before comparing prices.
• For graded copies, look up the certificate number on the grading company's website.
• Be cautious with raw sealed copies from new sellers. Resealing (re-wrapping an opened copy) happens on valuable PS1 titles. Loose wrap, unusual seams, or a price well below other sealed copies are reasons to ask more questions.

Castlevania Symphony of the Night buying gotchas

• Japanese copies listed as "PS1" by US sellers. Many Japanese copies in eBay search results are listed from the US ("US Seller") and look like cheap US copies. The feed removes the ones whose title, region or item location gives them away, but always check the product code and the language on the insert before you buy.
• "Black Label" in the title isn't proof. Use the photos to confirm which print you're getting, especially at the higher end of the CIB range.
• A tested disc can still have been resurfaced. A resurfaced disc can play fine. Just don't pay an original-condition premium for one.
• Low-priced outliers. A loose or CIB copy priced far below the rest of its tier is more often a burned disc, a Japanese copy or a reproduction than a bargain. Ask for photos of the disc's underside and product code first.