Super Castlevania IV

"One of the best games released in the series"

Introduction
The CastleVania series has always been a very interesting series, in my opinion. I have never really been a huge fan of the series, but it has provided me with enough fun over the years. Of all the CastleVania games ever released, I consider only two of them to be truly great and classic games. One of them is the Playstation version of the great series, Symphony of the Night. The other one is one of the few games in the series released for the Super Nintendo, Super CastleVania 4. This is one of the greatest games ever released for the Super Nintendo, in my opinion. It is a lot of fun to play, and still holds it own compared to today’s games even though it was released way back in 1992 or so. This is a very fun game which featured incredible control (being able to control your whip is a nice touch), super graphics, and great music! Definitely worth a purchase if you own a Super Nintendo. This is one of the best games released not only in the entire CastleVania series, but in terms of the entire history of the Super Nintendo. It really is a fun game and I still have fun playing it, even to this day!

Graphics (10/10)
Yes, I am giving this game a 10/10 in the graphics department. Now, let me explain why. The first thing is, this game looks amazing compared to some of the other games released in its time frame. For a 1992 game, this game looks awesome, as everything from the backgrounds to the boss designs are great and very detailed. In the backgrounds, everything is very detailed, as you can make out things such as a leaky pipe, curtains blowing in the wind, etc. The backgrounds look simply amazing. The enemy designs in the game are awesome and very detailed, as is the design of the main character. A cool thing about the game (especially back around the time when the game was released) is the Mode 7 effects incorporated into the game. Let’s say you are walking and are in this huge vast space with nothing but a floor. Suddenly, you are shifted into Mode 7 and the screen moves with you and enables you to move onto a different section of the stage. It simply looked incredible. Overall, the graphics in this game are amazing!

Music and Sound Effects (9/10)
This game sounds simply amazing, and would have gotten a 10/10 had every stage featured as good as the music in the opening stage. It starts off nice and quiet and kind of eerie, which sounds good. Then you enter the castle and the mood starts to change a bit. Suddenly, the new beat plays. It sounds simply wonderful, and I will go on record as saying the music in the opening stage of this game is some of the best music I have ever heard in a video game. Ever. It is such a shame that the other music in the game does not sound nearly as good, although it does sound great, just not as good when compared to the opening stage. The boss theme music sounds amazing also, and it is one of the best ever. Now onto sound effects, the sound effects in the game are awesome and some of the best. Sounds like earthquakes and doors opening run rampant, and they sound wonderful. Overall, the music and sound effects in the game are great!

Gameplay and Control (9/10)
What an amazing game this really is, because the gameplay and control in the game are awesome. First off, I have to discuss the control in the game. The improvements Konami made to the game are incredible, as the game controls a lot better than some of the other games in the series. Highlights of the control in the game include being able to walk up stairs without pushing up and the direction of the stairs (left or right) and the ability to control your whip on command (you can move it up, down, diagonal, any way you wish). Now onto gameplay. Basic gameplay is a lot like the other games in the series, as you still have to go around killing enemies while collecting items in candles. There are some new innovations but most of the game is a lot like the other games in the series. This is not necessarily a bad thing because the other games in the series controlled great and were a lot of fun to play. Of all the CastleVania games released (and there have been a lot), this is my favorite one of them all. This is one of the best games released not only in the entire CastleVania series, but in terms of the entire history of the Super Nintendo. Overall, the game features incredible control and classic CastleVania gameplay.

Replay Value: Above Average
You will want to play through this game for a while, well at least I did. It is so much fun to play, and is very unique despite the fact the basic gameplay uses the same structure as the other games in the CastleVania series. Replay value comes down to two things: how much you want to beat the game, and how much you want to play the game after beating it. Super CastleVania 4 has great replay value in the first category, as there are a lot of stages and you will want to go through all of them (due to the variety of them) to see the ending. After defeating the game, you will still want to play it a lot, because it is a lot of fun to play. This is one of those games that you will play forever. Overall, this game has above average replay value, before and after beating it.

Challenge: Just Average
Why do I say ''just average''? Call me crazy, but as the CastleVania moves on, I think the games got easier and easier. This is another prime example, as I had relatively little trouble completing the game. Sure, certain areas were difficult but overall the difficulty level was not up to par with what I expected, considering the series has always been known to be tough and very challenging. I mean, the game does have its moments of challenge (like some of the bosses) but most of it is relatively simple, just like Symphony of the Night. Overall, the challenge level of the game disappointed me, as it was just average. Make sure to play it on the highest difficulty level.

Overall (9/10)
This is one of the best games released not only in the entire CastleVania series, but in terms of the entire history of the Super Nintendo. It is very fun, and features amazing graphics, incredible music and sound effects, the best control ever for the series (being able to control the whip is simply too sweet), and the same old classic gameplay CastleVania fans have come to know and love. It may have some basic structure problems (the game really isn’t all that innovative, and it is not that challenging when compared to the other games in the series) but overall it is a very fun game that I guarantee you will enjoy!

Would Terra Branford buy this game?
This is one of the best games released not only in the entire CastleVania series, but in terms of the entire history of the Super Nintendo. With that being said, I think this game is a must buy if you own a Super Nintendo, especially if you are a huge fan of the CastleVania series, because this is one of the best (even if Bloodlines for the Genesis is just as good)!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/22/00, Updated 07/22/00