365//365: Day 113 – Super Castlevania IV (SNES)

Truth be told – I’ve never been a die hard Castlevania fan. I’m sure by now you’ve SEEN me REVIEW a few CASTLEVANIA GAMES over the last 80 days or so, but I’ve never been a rabid fan that has played every Castlevania title. Most of the ones I’ve played, I have enjoyed immensely. I already reviewed two of the four best Castlevania titles in the form of Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse and Castlevania: Bloodlines. Might as well get Super Castlevania 4 out of the way too!

This is definitely one of the most visually pleasant titles during the 16 bit era.

A remake of the original title on the NES, Super Castlevania IV retains very little of the original title. Instead, each level feels very much different from the first game, as well as Simon Belmont himself gaining a better use of his Vampire Killer whip. With the ability to attack in eight different directions, SCIV opens up the game considerably, making combat not only much easier on the player, but a lot more fun. Attacks were not the only control refinement in SCIV — the actual movement of Simon Belmont is now a lot tighter, with the ability to manipulate the direction you want to move while in mid air. This eliminates the obscenely stiff and robotic controls that the first three Castlevania titles had. You still have that annoying backwards knockback when you receive damage, though it’s not as annoying as it once was. Basically, if you die while jumping from platform to platform, its usually due to a mistake the player makes, rather than an artificial additive to help push you over the edge, so to speak.

As always, the music is exceptional, although I actually prefer a bulk of Castlevania Bloodline’s musical scores to SCIV. It’s still a great musical presentation. though there are a few superior titles. The sound of Simon’s whip is, to be honest, rather annoying. Everything else fits in appropriately. As far as looks go, SCIV impresses on every level. Character detail, background detail and animations are all done quite well here. The Mode 7 powered scaling of certain stages, as well as a certain boss, really adds a layer of refinement that most games only dream of adding. Definitely one of the most visually pleasing titles on the Super Nintendo, and that’s quite a compliment.

The ability to attack in eight directions comes in handy and makes combat a lot more enjoyable than previous Castlevania titles.

With a password system and continues, Super Castlevania will rarely ever feel inaccessible, due to its difficulty. While you will be challenged throughout your adventure, as with Bloodlines, the challenge is never overbearing, and it helps extend the enjoyment and longevity of this title. While not the very best Castlevania title there is, there’s no denying that this belongs up there with Bloodlines, Dracula’s Curse and Symphony of the Night as not only the best of the series, but some of the best 2D titles out there.

Rating: 8.6