Super Castlevania 4 is a 16-bit Super NES remake of the original Castlevania on the Nintendo. While its action is not revolutionary and the ways it tries to show-off the Super NES's then-new hardware sometimes makes it feel more like a tech-demo than a finished game, the outstanding soundtrack, dark atmosphere and exciting boss-battles leave this title feeling like much more than the sum of its parts.
If not for a spooky opening scene and a satisfying conclusion, the story of Castlevania would be told exclusively by watching the hero Simon Belmont travel to and then through evil Dracula's castle (with the minor exception of a between-mission map sequence that show's the hero's progress). However, I did not mark Castlevania too low for story because the different areas to which he travels are so distinct that playing through the game does feel like a story, in a way. Suffice to say, the story consists of the Belmont clan rising up to kill Dracula every 100 years, and this time it's Simon Belmont's turn.
Where would an action horror game be without epic, spooky and atmospheric music? On this front Castlevania 4 delivers in spades, and if you don't believe me there is a handy soundtest in the option menu at the beginning of the game (although the music is best enjoyed in the context of the undead action). Whoever composed the music for this game not only cranked out some winning tunes but used the SNES's audio capabilities to its fullest. Often the notes themselves just sound cool, not to mention how they are put together.
The graphics, while lacking a strong graphical style that ties it all together, shines brightly in places. The main character kind of looks like a weak, grubby pixelated version of He-Man. I hate to say it but the anime-inspired visual theme of its sequels is an improvement. Many of the monsters, on the other hand, look amazing, as do the backgrounds, especially those monsters and scenes which seem invented just to stretch out the SNES hardware, such as a two headed dragon with a thoroughly animated neck, or rotating rooms that try to tip the hero onto spikes.
In the gameplay department, Castlevania consistently entertains but does not amaze. Simon is a larger playable character than he was in the original game, and as if to show off he now can whip in all 8 directions and dangle his whip to form a shield or to hit objects in-between the 8 directions. The problem with this humongous, versatile Simon is that he enjoys a huge advantage over every enemy he meets except some of the bosses. As soon as they enter the screen, they are almost within range of his whip, so killing enemies consists of moving 1 or 2 steps into proper position and whipping repeatedly from a position of complete safety. Other times it is even more simple and Simon need not even whip quickly to enjoy complete safety, such as when he stands underneath a platform supporting an Ax-wielding suit-of-armor demon enemy (an enemy who presented a challenge in all of the game's prequels). It is not surprising that in the sequels the hero has lost his multi-directional whip, the challenge of playing through the levels is almost completely erased. Luckily, the boss battles and certain platforming sections present a thrilling challenge, and if you are able to defeat Dracula after a grueling series of boss battles including against the angel of death you will feel quite accomplished.
If you are looking for some amazing music, great atmosphere and an early demonstration of some of the Super NES's graphical capabilities, not to mention a less crazy-difficult iteration of a long-running horror franchise, Castlevania 4 is for you. If, however, you prefer your games more insanely challenging, you may prefer checking out a different Castlevania title such as its prequels or sequels. If you prefer your Castlevania more Metroid-like the GBA sequels will hit the spot particularly well. Super Castlevania 4 is a 16-bit Super NES remake of the original Castlevania on the Nintendo. While its action is not revolutionary and the ways it tries to show-off the Super NES's then-new hardware sometimes makes it feel more like a tech-demo than a finished game, the outstanding soundtrack, dark atmosphere and exciting boss-battles leave this title feeling like much more than the sum of its parts.
If not for a spooky opening scene and a satisfying conclusion, the story of Castlevania would be told exclusively by watching the hero Simon Belmont travel to and then through evil Dracula's castle (with the minor exception of a between-mission map sequence that show's the hero's progress). However, I did not mark Castlevania too low for story because the different areas to which he travels are so distinct that playing through the game does feel like a story, in a way. Suffice to say, the story consists of the Belmont clan rising up to kill Dracula every 100 years, and this time it's Simon Belmont's turn.
Where would an action horror game be without epic, spooky and atmospheric music? On this front Castlevania 4 delivers in spades, and if you don't believe me there is a handy soundtest in the option menu at the beginning of the game (although the music is best enjoyed in the context of the undead action). Whoever composed the music for this game not only cranked out some winning tunes but used the SNES's audio capabilities to its fullest. Often the notes themselves just sound cool, not to mention how they are put together.
The graphics, while lacking a strong graphical style that ties it all together, shines brightly in places. The main character kind of looks like a weak, grubby pixelated version of He-Man. I hate to say it but the anime-inspired visual theme of its sequels is an improvement. Many of the monsters, on the other hand, look amazing, as do the backgrounds, especially those monsters and scenes which seem invented just to stretch out the SNES hardware, such as a two headed dragon with a thoroughly animated neck, or rotating rooms that try to tip the hero onto spikes.
In the gameplay department, Castlevania consistently entertains but does not amaze. Simon is a larger playable character than he was in the original game, and as if to show off he now can whip in all 8 directions and dangle his whip to form a shield or to hit objects in-between the 8 directions. The problem with this humongous, versatile Simon is that he enjoys a huge advantage over every enemy he meets except some of the bosses. As soon as they enter the screen, they are almost within range of his whip, so killing enemies consists of moving 1 or 2 steps into proper position and whipping repeatedly from a position of complete safety. Other times it is even more simple and Simon need not even whip quickly to enjoy complete safety, such as when he stands underneath a platform supporting an Ax-wielding suit-of-armor demon enemy (an enemy who presented a challenge in all of the game's prequels). It is not surprising that in the sequels the hero has lost his multi-directional whip, the challenge of playing through the levels is almost completely erased. Luckily, the boss battles and certain platforming sections present a thrilling challenge, and if you are able to defeat Dracula after a grueling series of boss battles including against the angel of death you will feel quite accomplished.
If you are looking for some amazing music, great atmosphere and an early demonstration of some of the Super NES's graphical capabilities, not to mention a less crazy-difficult iteration of a long-running horror franchise, Castlevania 4 is for you. If, however, you prefer your games more insanely challenging, you may prefer checking out a different Castlevania title such as its prequels or sequels. If you prefer your Castlevania more Metroid-like the GBA sequels will hit the spot particularly well. |