A couple things.
Firstly, John Backloggd please change the game game icon to either the title screen or the Japanese artwork because I think the Western promo poster sucks!!!!
Secondly, it's actually okay. I 1cc'ed this bitch (technically? kinda sorta not really?? I mean I used up continues to refill my health because that's how healing works in this game but I never saw the "continue" or "game over" screens) in about 3 attempts because the stopwatch totally destroys this game and kinda makes it one of the easiest games in the franchise??? Like sure, without it you're going to have a bad time and I don't blame people for thinking this is the worst Castlevania related thing ever, but I'm talking easier than Castlevania 1 holy water spam. The hardest part is probably keeping the stopwatch, since there's only one in the whole game, but that just comes down to learning when and where item drops occur since they're fixed. Regardless, it works on bosses, and all bosses take 6-7 sword swings to the face before going down, which you should have by around the middle of stage 3 assuming you don't run out of health. Just make sure to use up your continues to refill your health instead of actually running out of it, and if you really hate the bottomless pits (there's like, 3 sections in the whole game with them and they're incredibly easy to avoid) you can play the Japanese version. Still some moments and enemy patterns that require trial and error to figure out but this might be one of the least offensive arcade quarter munchers of the time if you know what you're doing.
This isn't too dissimilar from traditional classicvania titles. Learn, get better, and conquer. Obviously getting sent back to the very beginning of the game sucks but considering this game is shorter than just about all the others, I think it's not as bad off for it as it otherwise would be.
Thirdly, I also like Castlevania II just as much as CV1 and a little less than CV3. I'm weird and have weird opinions. I can see why this game is particularly despised but I personally had a decent time with it.
Firstly, John Backloggd please change the game game icon to either the title screen or the Japanese artwork because I think the Western promo poster sucks!!!!
Secondly, it's actually okay. I 1cc'ed this bitch (technically? kinda sorta not really?? I mean I used up continues to refill my health because that's how healing works in this game but I never saw the "continue" or "game over" screens) in about 3 attempts because the stopwatch totally destroys this game and kinda makes it one of the easiest games in the franchise??? Like sure, without it you're going to have a bad time and I don't blame people for thinking this is the worst Castlevania related thing ever, but I'm talking easier than Castlevania 1 holy water spam. The hardest part is probably keeping the stopwatch, since there's only one in the whole game, but that just comes down to learning when and where item drops occur since they're fixed. Regardless, it works on bosses, and all bosses take 6-7 sword swings to the face before going down, which you should have by around the middle of stage 3 assuming you don't run out of health. Just make sure to use up your continues to refill your health instead of actually running out of it, and if you really hate the bottomless pits (there's like, 3 sections in the whole game with them and they're incredibly easy to avoid) you can play the Japanese version. Still some moments and enemy patterns that require trial and error to figure out but this might be one of the least offensive arcade quarter munchers of the time if you know what you're doing.
This isn't too dissimilar from traditional classicvania titles. Learn, get better, and conquer. Obviously getting sent back to the very beginning of the game sucks but considering this game is shorter than just about all the others, I think it's not as bad off for it as it otherwise would be.
Thirdly, I also like Castlevania II just as much as CV1 and a little less than CV3. I'm weird and have weird opinions. I can see why this game is particularly despised but I personally had a decent time with it.