Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night is one of the most beloved entries in the long-running franchise. It first hit the original PlayStation in 1997, and while it didn’t make the biggest impact at the time, it’s now considered one of the best video games ever made.

RELATED: 10 Nintendo Switch Games You Need To Play If You Love Castlevania

The question is, what did this particular entry get so right? While some may tell you that the game lacks a little in focus (as it incorporates so many different gameplay elements), the fact is that it pioneered a lot of the mechanics that lots of today’s Metroidvania titles still use. Transformations to reach new areas, RPG trappings, magical spells… some of the best examples of the genre today use these ideas, and owe a lot to Symphony of the Night as a result. To celebrate this PS1 classic, let’s take a look at all eight of the standard spells Alucard can access in the game.

8 Summon Spirit

While the tone of Symphony of the Night is very much in keeping with Castlevania’s usual vibe, the protagonist allows the player to really mix things up. While Alucard is technically a vampire hunter (and one of the most powerful the franchise has ever seen at that), he’s also a vampire himself. The son of Count Dracula himself, no less, as you’d surely guessed by his cunning encrypted name.

What this means is that Alucard wields a lot more supernatural magic that some of his fellow whip-wielding Castlevania protagonists. Summon Spirit is the first of these spells we’re going to take a look at. While the spirit produced quite maneuverable and its MP cost is low (just 5), it doesn’t really set itself apart from the myriad of similar abilities in the series.

7 Dark Metamorphosis

When you’re venturing into a castle inhabited by an almost infinite number of undead horrors, ghastly apparitions and all-round awful things, it’s safe to assume that… well, there’s going to be a fair amount of danger involved. Something’s going to be chewing on your face at some point, let’s put it that way.

As such, you’re going to want some assurance. Something to reliably heal yourself with, for a start. In Alucard’s magic roster, Dark Metamorphosis is the spell assigned to that duty, and it really isn’t all it could be. For 10 MP, Alucard will have a glowing aura around himself, which will cause spilt blood to heal him for a little. The issue is, only certain enemies bleed, and only certain weapons can cause them to do so. It’s not the most reliable healing ability to have when you’re in a pinch, then, but Dracula has a more potent version of it. So that’s kind of neat, we guess.

6 Wing Smash

What with being a vampire and everything, it’s kind of a given that Alucard’s going to have some kind of bat form to utilize. True enough, he does, and it’s handy for traversing large gaps and getting around quickly. What is it not so effective for? Dispatching the many horrific denizens of the castle, that’s what.

RELATED: Castlevania: The 10 Weirdest Things About The Belmont Family

Fortunately, Bat-Alucard does have some kind of offensive utility, in the form of the spell Wing Smash. While it’s fairy cheap to cast (8 MP) and is nice to have, it’s not exactly the most practical attack around. It helps with mobility, though.

5 Wolf Charge

In keeping with the whole vampire folklore theme, it’s only fair that Alucard be able to transform into a wolf as well. With the right power-up in hand, he can do so, but the wolf form’s standard attack is completely unwieldy. What you need, then, is this next spell: Wolf Charge.

Essentially, this is just what it says on the tin: a charging attack. It’s a cut above Wing Smash, literally, because it deals cutting damage, but it’s also just plain powerful. It isn’t Alucard’s most practical way of dealing damage, granted, but he has far worse options.

4 Sword Brothers

Speaking of impractical attacks, the huge, ridiculous and brilliant Sword Brothers is probably the ultimate. It’s unique in that it’s ‘cast’ by Alucard’s sword familiar rather than himself, conjuring a spinning attack with a vast blade that hits a wide area for a lot of damage.

Its power comes at a cost, though: 30 MP, among the highest in the game. Not only that, but Sword Brothers is infamous for its association with certain glitches and exploits, some of which can leave your save data corrupted. Use its power with care.

3 Tetra Spirit

As we’ve already seen, Alucard boasts a spell that allows him to summon a friendly spirit with which to attack enemies or defend himself. It’s a quick, throwaway spell, that was just a little too vanilla to really climb the rankings. Tetra Spirit, however, is a different beast entirely.

RELATED: 5 Ways Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night Is A Better Castlevania (& 5 Ways It Isn’t)

After all, why throw out a single spirit when you can cast four instead? Its 20 MP cost is a little pricey, but it’s got a good deal more utility in most situations. The motion to perform it is a little tricky, though.

2 Soul Steal

So, Alucard struggles a little with healing spells, as Dark Metamorphosis can be a little too situational. Soul Steal doesn’t really suffer from that issue, though it costs 50MP to cast and so has to be used sparingly.

What do you get for your 50 MP? An attack that strikes all opponents currently on the screen (as well as all breakables, such as those iconic Castlevania flaming torches). For each individual enemy or breakable item it hits, Alucard will receive a small amount of healing. This does mean that its practicality will vary, but it’s also quite useful in that the busier the screen is (the more trouble you’re in, essentially), the more HP you have the potential to recover. In our eyes, there’s only one Symphony of the Night spell better and/or more iconic than this one.

1 Hellfire

Here it is, friends. This is the big one. Of all the spells in Alucard’s repertoire, the greatest of them all has to be Hellfire. It’s an iconic attack straight from his infamous father’s playbook, and you’ve just got to appreciate that.

For long-time Castlevania fans, Hellfire is basically the Dracula special. In the grand scheme of things, there’s isn’t really much to it: it’s a simple produce-multiple-fireballs-from-the-cape routine. There have been different variants of the spell over the years, with Alucard’s version seeing him teleport a short distance before unleashing it. It costs 15 MP and deals some considerable damage, but franchise fans can’t help but get a little pang of nostalgia whenever they cast it. That’s where its true worth lies.

NEXT: Castlevania: 10 Strongest Villains, Ranked