I'm a big fan of Dracula's Curse on the NES. Yes, it's brutally difficult and littered with cheap deaths (particularly on the Hard Path), but it's the most cinematic 8-Bit game I've played, innovating the typical Castlevania formula with its unique, enjoyable and genuinely balanced multiple character system.
In that respect, the 'back to basics' approach of Super Castlevania IV can't help but feel like a regression. Simon isn't as fun to play as Grant, Syfa or possibly even Alucard in Dracula's Curse. Ultimately, there's just a lot less strategy involved when there's only one character in this format, and conceptually a lot of the levels seem to lack the ambition of its predecessor.
What is righted is Dracula's Curse's biggest flaw, the cheap deaths. They're in far fewer proportion here, and it makes for a much smoother playing experience. And some of the levels here feature quite incredible little details that wouldn't have been possible on the NES' hardware, and some really memorable moments make use of Mode7.
Still felt this was going to end up as a step down on the third entry until a quite amazing final couple of levels and bosses. In general, I found the bosses in this game far too easy, but the final few levels introduce a complexity into the level design and boss battles that was sorely lacking before. This results in a properly rousing finale, the ascent through Dracula's Castle a death-defying gauntlet that feels intense and relentless in a way no Castlevania game has to this point. It's a marvellous final act, and elevated what had prior to that point been a slightly unambitious project.
Super Castlevania IV saves its best material for the end. If you're struggling through the early and mid-game, I'd definitely advise you stick with it. Its flourishes toward the end actually put it on a pretty similar par to Dracula's Curse as a whole. Certainly there's far fewer moments of tearing one's hair out at unfair deaths than in that game, even if the whole isn't as exciting or ambitious. It's a more polished experience, similarly cinematic in its own way (more in its little details than in its Hollywood spectacle).
In that respect, the 'back to basics' approach of Super Castlevania IV can't help but feel like a regression. Simon isn't as fun to play as Grant, Syfa or possibly even Alucard in Dracula's Curse. Ultimately, there's just a lot less strategy involved when there's only one character in this format, and conceptually a lot of the levels seem to lack the ambition of its predecessor.
What is righted is Dracula's Curse's biggest flaw, the cheap deaths. They're in far fewer proportion here, and it makes for a much smoother playing experience. And some of the levels here feature quite incredible little details that wouldn't have been possible on the NES' hardware, and some really memorable moments make use of Mode7.
Still felt this was going to end up as a step down on the third entry until a quite amazing final couple of levels and bosses. In general, I found the bosses in this game far too easy, but the final few levels introduce a complexity into the level design and boss battles that was sorely lacking before. This results in a properly rousing finale, the ascent through Dracula's Castle a death-defying gauntlet that feels intense and relentless in a way no Castlevania game has to this point. It's a marvellous final act, and elevated what had prior to that point been a slightly unambitious project.
Super Castlevania IV saves its best material for the end. If you're struggling through the early and mid-game, I'd definitely advise you stick with it. Its flourishes toward the end actually put it on a pretty similar par to Dracula's Curse as a whole. Certainly there's far fewer moments of tearing one's hair out at unfair deaths than in that game, even if the whole isn't as exciting or ambitious. It's a more polished experience, similarly cinematic in its own way (more in its little details than in its Hollywood spectacle).