Feels "tough but fair" until the last few levels, when you start to say "Oh come on, that was bullshit" after one too many times falling down a bottomless pit because an enemy nudged you slightly. The game is very generous with its infinite continues, though. Overall a great foundation for the later games in the Castlevania series, and I don't think it's a bad game at all, but I've never been able to clear it because it just got too frustrating for me personally and stopped being fun.