Don't misunderstand me; the PSone version is the original and is a modern masterpiece. The only fault on your part was saying the XBLA version was the best port. That is just not accurate.

Re-releases are anything but unique. They happen all the time. Regardless, I can certainly appreciate wanting to play a classic game on a modern platform. I have bought many re-release ports myself. My issue with the XBLA port of SotN (and many other 2D ports) is simply their decision to wash away the pixels in some sort of lazy attempt to make the game look newer when, in fact, it just looks messier.

Absolutely! Games that are natively 3D rendered upscale to HD just fine. I have no issues with the games included in that collection.

Great points, man ;)
Just great!

Yes, but either one of the commercial versions (especially of modern time), lacks either parts, or the entirety, of Sega Saturn's version of the game, that although deemed by many players (both modern and old) "inferior" (mostly for graphics/effects and slightly longer loading times), it has 2 new big areas, more than 10 new items (a fabulous alucard cosmetic portrait among them and weapons with special moves, new food item types etc), new bosses, playable Maria and enemy Maria, etc. Sega Saturn was a "port" of the original PS1 version to Saturn and something like the "Definitive Edition", with all the content added whatsoever. Content which was PLANNED in the original PS1 version but not finalized into the game (you could use a glitch to fall into the floor from main entrance to castle and find an unfinished save chamber, this in Saturn is an underground extra area)...

So that's what it's all about!!! I once glitch and fall to that area when playing as ritcher, and it looks weird as it is just empty area. So that's an unfinished level.

This unused area is also present is the inverted castle entrance. It's a little bit more finished than it's normal counterpart. It doesn't contain water, but it does contain a door leading to the "Hell Garden". Like the original, there is only a save room after that door. You can watch details here:

BTW, why these save rooms are glitchy? My theory - the game recognized these rooms as both save rooms and corridors between areas. Also for some weird reason, these save rooms doesn't have these glitches when you play as Richter (but AFAIK he can't reach the inverted hidden save room). Also, although I haven't tested it yet, Richter can't even reach the original unused "Underground Garden" in the PSP version, because I heard that you can't move until the door closes.

Saturn obviously is a different story.

Thanks for the opportunity to hear Finale Toccata again.

Strangely, this is actually one of my favorite tracks from the game. I like the rather unusual combination of organ and 5/4 time. (Can you name any other examples of organ music in strange time signatures? Transcriptions don't count unless the transcription is more popular than the original.)