Easily the best GBA Castlevania. If you want a great game to challenge you this is your game.
This game presents itself with great challenge from the start, and great style of game-play. As I first played this game when I was younger, I thought "How will I ever beat this boss?" ...or "How will I get to THAT part of the castle?" As you play, you have to get used to the style of game-play (such as the double tapping dash and utilization of the AWESOME card system). Once you get in the groove, you get addicted - quickly. There are so many challenging enemies in this game that I can remember, such as the Twin Dragons and Adremelech. If you're like me, and try to beat the boss at the current level you meet him at, you are in for a rough ride.
The graphics in my opinion, kick major butt and I wish all the other Castlevania GBA games were this dark and menacing. The story doesn't even matter most of the time, because you're so immersed into the game-play.
This game has an interesting atmosphere and environment AND has great music that you will find yourself humming later on in the day.
If the regular Vampire Killer Mode wasn't enough for you, play the other modes that can present you with an even harder challenge. (Personally I've beaten every mode and I think magician and shooter were the hardest.) The replay value is monstrous.
I seriously cannot find anything wrong with this game.
Music - 10
Graphics and Level Design - 10
Control/Game-play - 10
Story - 9 (only because it's kind of hard to find the relevance in time-line)
If you can find something in this game that you hate besides the fact that it is too difficult for you, please comment.
This is a MUST PLAY in the series, and yes, I think it's better than Symphony of the Night.