Are you an hardcore CV player??? This one is a most have, at least a most play. Others better pass this one out.
I am a hardcore Castlevania fan, and i don`t just want to pass every game, i want to own every game of the series. So i have to say, if you are a fan of the series, play/get this one; the satisfaction of killing Death and Dracula in this game is priceless. But if you are a new-comer to the series or you don`t like VERY hard games that would dry all your patience, i would not get this one (if you want to try old school, go with Super Castlevania IV or wait until Castlevania III to come)
Gameplay: 7/10. Simon here is very limited. He is just able to swim the whip in one direction, forward. Once he is on the air, your control over him is zero. You start with a leather whip, which you can upgrade 2 level in strength and length, this would go back once you die. You have the usual sub-weapons - ax, boomerang (or cross), holy water, knife - which you are able to use according to the amount of hearts you collected through the game. What is the big FLAW, annoying thing about this game??? THE GLITCH (e.g. if you are in a floor you have to position yourself and push down to go down on the stairs, if you keep going toward the stairs you would fall; some enemies get stuck at the margen of the screen - level 14 and 9, that i remember - and so on... )
Graphics: 8/10. This is a 1987`s game. What would you expect?? 3D?? For the time, the graphics are nice, and enemies are detail enough. The poor Simon is more like a shadow or a blur, thus; but is ok.
Sound: 9/10. As usual great soundtrack. The classic themes of Castlevania started here.
Story: 3/10. This feature is very simple and the ending is TOO simple.. You are Simon and you have to go forward beating skeletons, bats... and some others until you reach Dracula and kill him. No cut-scene and in my opinion the worst ending of all Castlevania games.
Value: 8/10. As i said above, for a Castlevania fan, this is priceless. Others may get frustrated, but if you welcome a HARD, VERY HARD challenge this game is worth it. The game is just 5US$, an amount that for a classic is nothing. The game can be pass in a very short time, but in your 1st try and probably until your tries #10-15, this game would take a lot of your time to beat. After you do so (beat the game) the HARD MODE option would start with a higher challenge.
On a side note: if you like challenging games, and love the feeling of beating an enemy that has being kicking you for the last hour, you would LOVE this game. If you are someone that get frustrated trying the same spot over and over again: STAY AWAY OF THIS GAME.
NOTE: The time i put under TIME SPENT PLAYING, to date: is the time i pass to bit the game for the 1st time after all this year, not the time i have spent playing some level all over.
Have fun... Hope that was able to be objective and that i help on your "choosen process" Thx.