Whip it, into shape... This is the 4th Castlevania game that I've beaten and easily the best one.
Gameplay: Whip it good. This is a really fun game and it's also the best Castlevania game ever made. It's classic platforming action, but not as old and clunky as the original NES editions. The newer games also do not stack up to this old-school gem. In Super Castlevania 4, Simon can whip in eight directions unlike the earlier versions. Whipping, swinging, spike jumping, crumbling stairs and bridges, and lava dodging are standard elements of this game. Enemies include diving bats, bone-throwing skeletons, wild dogs, earthen golems, and transparent ghosts. Whipping enemies is cool, and you can also use the whip as a grappling hook to swing on. As you make your way through the levels you break little candles with your whip to find sub-weapons, hearts, and meat platters (yes I said meat platters). You can also find secret compartments where the wall breaks apart and you find items hidden inside. There's several sub-weapons which you throw, including holy water, axe, and cross. The cross is the best one to have and does the most damage to enemies. It's a relatively long game boasting 11 unique levels which include graveyards, courtyards, castles, clock towers, and even a treasury piled high with gold. Most of the bosses are surprisingly easy, except Dracula is a pain in the ass to beat. Took me about 25 tries but I sent him back to hell where he belongs...
Graphics: Very solid but not really the strong point of the game. Graphically it did not blow me away, but the little things really won me over - especially the backgrounds and the level design. No two stages are alike. Simon is dressed like Conan the Barbarian in this version.
Audio: Each stage has a different score which adds to the feeling of uniqueness and no two stages being alike. Not only that, the music and sound effects are top notch. I turn the volume up when I play this game.
Cons: Some players may find it linear and simplistic compared to newer systems. But not me, I think it's almost perfect and super classic. Some of the bosses could be harder though. Most are 1-and-done.
Graphics: 8.0
Gameplay: 9.5
Audio: 9.0
Difficulty: 7.5
Overall: 9.3 !! If you're a fan of Castlevania at all you should like this game a lot. Prototype game for the entire series, and the best Castlevania title I've ever played. (To be fair I haven't tried Syphony of the Night which is also supposed to be excellent) The older versions on the NES are simply not as fun, and the newer 3-d versions aren't as classic. This is the one to get. SNES RULES!