The darkhorse of the series is fantastic
The open worlds you get to explore in between the towns are an exciting change from the normal atmosphere of Draculas castle. There are swamps, mountains, graveyards, and large lakes to explore; along with multiple castles each hiding the remains of Dracula. Its a different feel from other Castlevanias but I love it for its creativity and execution.
The one downside is the fact that its not straight forward at all. Its a "Nintendo Power game" where you need to flip through the pages of your strategy guide in order to figure out where to go next.
Another flaw is the fact that the bosses are a HUGE letdown. Castlevania bosses are traditionally epic encounters that will beat you down repeatedly. But here they are real pushovers and provide no challenge whatsoever, not to mention there are only 3 of them in the whole game.
Shortcummings aside its fantastic and should be played by all fans of the NES, Castlevania, or just videogames in general.