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The Castlevania: Symphony of the Night( or simply aka SOTN) speedruns focus on movement and efficient combat. Alucard, Richter and Maria have their own separate categories and unique playstyles. The runs feature heavy usage of many mobility-based special abilities with complex, fighting game style inputs.This wiki focuses mainly on the PSX, PSN and Xbox360 version of the game for Alucard and Richter and Sega Saturn for Maria. The Saturn and Dracula X Chronicles/Requiem versions of the game work differently and would be covered in separate pages that we will potentially make in the future and link as separate categories. <!-- {| class="wikitable"!colspan="4"|Upcoming Marathon Runs|-!Runner!Date!Category!Event|-|style="background-color:#252525;"|Aldriel|style="background-color:#252525;"|Friday, 3rd August 2018|style="background-color:#252525;"|Alucard All Bosses|style="background-color:#252525;"|https://www.speedrun.com/sgus2018/schedule |} -->

== Input Reader / Input Mechanics == *The game requires every direction of a motion to be inputted exactly, no input approximation is included in the engine. For example J+874126+J would result in a failed wingsmash due to the missing 3 diagonal. *Special move inputs are non exclusive and can be buffered into each other or from other actions. For example a jump can be inserted into the airslash move input just before pressing attack: 823+jump+attack

The game requires every direction of a motion to be inputted exactly, no input approximation is included in *Inputs are buffered/stored for 19 frames or until 25 frames have passed since the enginebutton started being held. For example J+874126+J would result if you hold up for 15 frames it will only be stored for another 9 frames in a failed wingsmash due to the missing 3 diagonal. An exception is the summon spirit spell, which works if motion for an airslash before you simply return have to neutral after pressing the back direction instead of pressing forwardinput down.

Special move inputs are non exclusive and can be buffered into each other *After holding a direction for 29 frames it stops being counted towards an input with the exception of some hold or from other actionscharge moves. For example a jump can be inserted into the airslash move input just before pressing attack: 823+jump+attack

Inputs are buffered/stored for 15 frames or 1/4s or a maximum of 25 frames *Typically moves require pressing the activation button at least one frame after completing the button started being heldmotion input.

After holding a direction for 29 frames it stops being counted towards *Some character states can ignore inputs or clear the start of an input with the exception of some hold or charge movesbuffer entirely.

Typically moves require pressing the activation button at least *Blue doors buffer one frame after completing the motion input.

Some character states *Level Up animation buffers one input and halts buffer decay until the end of the animation. Example: you can ignore do a wing smash input half-way, hold inputs or clear during freeze, then finish the input buffer entirelyafter the animation.

! colspan="2" |Notes

| Xbox 360 XBLA NA || ~59.94 ||Some console models seem to lose additional time, we have not confirmed why yet. |rowspan="2"|Significantly faster loading times. Playing while online causes lag due to xbla time attack leaderboards. No texture mapping glitches. No third outer wall warp glitch.

| Xbox 360 XBLA EU || ~60 ||Significantly faster loading times. Playing while online causes lag due to xbla time attack leaderboards. No texture mapping glitches. No third outer wall warp glitch.