Simon Belmont's first steps on the Snes aren't without their problems.
The game's graphics were much better than the NES predecessors, but haven't aged well at all. The backgrounds are detailed in the sense that Konami put in what they could, but even then looked uncoloured and flat.
Simon himself is a big, blocky-looking character and his movements, while more flexible than recent games - he is able to move a little when in mid-jump, and his trusty whip can be held out, and rotated to block or hit incoming enemies - seem to lack cohesion. Indeed, there is often a point where you intend to attack with the whip, and end up rotating it, resulting in only blocking and not killing the enemy, and subsequently taking a hit.
That said, the gameplay isn't without its charm. It's a 2D scrolling platformer, and the enemies come thick and fast. The whip is basic but can quickly be powered up to a chain-variant, resulting in a longer and more powerful attack. Simon is able to anchor the whip onto circular holes and swing across gaps onto otherwise out of reach platforms, although the swinging motion isn't as refined as it should be. However, it's essential at points where the then-advanced graphical power of the Snes allows the levels to rotate as Simon dangles precariously from his whip, as spikes and other deadly obstacles are rotated around him.
As with many games of its ilk, climbing upwards through levels only to miss a jump and plummet to your death instead of into what was previously the platform below is a constant risk, and kind of annoying, although it's unfair in a way to be too critical, given that it was very common in games of the time.
The bosses are fairly easy to defeat, and their attacks, often seeming random, are still relatively easy to anticipate. They're typical of the series, with equivalents of Medusa, Golems, zombies and dragons all making an appearance.
The soundtrack is suitably creepy and does suit the mood of the game. The sound effects are ridiculously basic by comparison, but not enough to really put you off.
What does put you off is the ease of the game, and at the same time, the annoying way enemies can hit you when you're trying to time an attack, only for the game to have a senior moment and have Simon spin the whip and take a hit as a result.
Though many rightly look upon this with fond memories, it's a hallmark of an era where such platforming games were on their way out, namely because they lacked refinement. Compared to the likes of Super Mario World, which allowed Mario to fall any height or distance without costing him his life, this looks embarrassing. It's one for the fans, but it won't draw many new ones.