SNES

Super Castlevania IV

There is much excellence in the Castlevania tradition, and this game does not epitomize it by any means, but certainly this is the only game that can claim to be Super Castlevania. Brilliant.

I made Super Castlevania IV’s acquaintance before anything else, for a then sparkling new Super NES powerhouse. Mode 7, magical music and Castlevania mystique anticipated a final product greater than the sum of all its parts. The equivocal result left me oddly stunned and unsettled when taking on subsequent Super NES games that would come down the pike. While I would always remember SCIV fondly as one of the best Super NES games ever, almost all other games—especially platformers—would suffer in my eyes, struggling to attain even ground in the classic’s wake.

Phew, what a relief to find that Castlevania is in fact the mega-game we were waiting for. All it takes is a little patience on the completely boring early levels and you're met with rewards aplenty as the game turns into a hot love action extravaganza of zombie whipping larks. Neato.

This game is destined to be a classic for the SNES. This time Konami did a great job and really put alot of thought into this cart. The graphics in this game are sensational. The gameplay is great, especially everything that you can do with your whip. The music is great. This game is a must buy for SNES owners.

For the first time, you have complete control of your whip. Not only can you aim it up, down, and diagonally, you can even wave it around to kill small pesky creatures such as bats. Perilous leaps still play a major role in the gameplay, but the crisp, responsive controls make even the most risky jumps a breeze. Navigating stairs, a tricky proposition in previous Castlevanias, is no problem at all in this game. A fantastic soundtrack incorporates a surprising number of musical styles besides the traditional minor-keyed organ hymns. I do have a few minor quibbles. I'm not a fan of the instant death spike traps - I don't think touching one spike should cause you to lose an entire life bar. Second, I found swinging from the whip - a new move - to be trickier than it should be. There's some slow-down here and there, and I hate how the password is given in rows of symbols. Even so, I found Super Castlevania IV to be easier and more enjoyable than any of the NES titles.

Super Castlevania IV mag zwar nur ein Remake sein, aber dafür ein erstklassiges, das viele tolle Gameplayneuerungen einführt und einfach komplett überzeugen kann. Negativ lediglich der etwas zu leicht geratene Schwierigkeitsgrad, der dafür sorgt, dass man das Spiel dann doch arg schnell durch hat.

The graphics are very spooky with big scary ghost bosses and skulls and skeletons. Castlevania really feels like a real horror-movie with it´s creepy atmosphere and great sound effects and extraordinary music. An essential buy!

Titles like this are perfect examples of why classic side-scrollers still have such a rabid following. The only real downside to this title is that it is a tad short, but that just makes it all the easier to pick up and enjoy for a nice afternoon gaming session.

Erst mal das Negative vorweg: Auch bei diesem Spiel hat Konami das Ruckeln nicht ganz im Griff; manchmal wird's etwas langsamer. In diesem Fall merkt man's aber kaum, und es schadet in keinster Weise. Das ist auch mein einziger Kritikpunkt, denn ansonsten bin ich wirklich begeistert. Konami erschlägt alle Fans des Genres mit einer Fülle von guten bis genialen Grafiken und den innovativsten und besten Sounds, die mir je auf einer Konsole untergekommen sind.

Spielerisch greift Konami bewährte Elemente auf: Laufen, Peitschen, Hüpfen. Diverse optische Gags (mit sehr schönen 3-D-Effekten) und ein paar neue Features lockern das Geschehen auf. So unkompliziert der Ablauf, so motiviert kämpft man sich durch die Levels. Dank den Paßwörtern kommt man trotz mächtig großem Umfang schnell voran. Grafisch gefällt mir das Modul nicht so toll (zu bunt, wenig Gruselatmosphäre), einige Highlights in höheren Levels sorgen allerdings für Pluspunkte. Einmalig mutig und grandios stimmungsvoll sind dafür Musik und Soundeffekte - ein Stereo ein wahrer Ohrenschmaus. Castlevania 4 bietet perfekt getunte, aber wenig innovative Plattformaction. Super-Famicom-Besitzer sollten auf jeden Fall zugreifen, auch wenn ein paar Extras mehr oder zusätzliche Spielelemente nicht geschadet hätten.

Si diceva della solida eredità della serie; forse, proprio per far avvicinare più acquirenti, la difficoltà è stata abbassata (sarà per questo che ora si può colpire in ogni direzione), decisamente più "amichevole" rispetto ad uno dei Castlevania precedenti. Quindi, SCIV si riesce a portare a termine con un po' di impegno, ma resta pur sempre un impresa non da tutti far fuori il conte Dracula. Lui non si da poi chissà quanto da fare, tanto già lo sa, fra cento anni puntualmente tornerà...

Though rough all around, there's enough Konami quality to make this well worth playing. It's a game that played better upon its release and it simply hasn't aged as well as some of the companies other titles. If you're really looking for some "Castlevania" action on the Super NES, check out the under appreciated "Dracula X." It's not a great port, but that doesn't mean that it's not a fantastic criminally underrated title.

Four or five good-to-great levels and half a dozen dull ones — yes, much of the game is left wanting, but that's what the passwords are for! Yes, that's right: find a FAQ, grab some codes, and skip the crap, because the best parts of Super Castlevania 4 are actually moderately entertaining.