Vimm's Lair: SNES Reviews - Super Castlevania IV

Super Nintendo
Super Castlevania IV

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
8.69
8.77
8.51
8.62
Votes: 61
Reviews: 2


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Reviewer: GrEnDeL fLy Date: Dec 13, 2006
Having read the review above, I'll have to say that I couldn't agree more.

Graphics: 10
For Super Nintendo, this was it. Premier graphics; so much care taken to create the works of art that make up the fore & backgrounds of this masterpiece. From the sky changing from red to black as the storm clouds gather over Dracula's headstone, so the lightning may then crash down & release him from his cold, black tomb- to the eerie crescent moon setting in the sky just before the final battle,,, not to mention the "painted" ending sequence.

Sound: 10
Oh man- oh man oh man oh man..... the music- my FAVOURITE thing about the game... I listen to the music from this game FAR more often than I listen to the radio OR my cd's. It's the catchiest video game music I've ever come across in my life (I no longer own a copy of the game, so MIDI's on the computer are the only link I have to these awesome songs)- "Bloody Tears"-"Dracula's Theme"-"Room Of Close Associates"- just to name a few of my faves....

Gameplay: 10
Took me a while- but I can now beat the game with ease. You gotta love the multi-directional whip slinging. Hours spent chokin' the chain....

Overall: 10
This is my ideal Super Nintendo game. Can't get enough of this addictive-ass game. Hopefully I'll get another copy soon...

SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV- there's no stopping it...........

 

Reviewer: C-Murder Date: Nov 20, 2004
It started with the arcade coin-op Haunted Castle, a terribly difficult platformer. No continues, and very little health meant death was imminent for most people within a minute. This was followed by Castlevania 1, 2, and 3 on the NES. I've never really enjoyed these because I played Super Castlevania IV first, but I'm sure they were quite good for their time. Then came the wonderful Super Castlevania IV on the Super Nintendo. With beautiful graphics and sound, great gameplay and a good story behind it, it was destined to be a classic. Followed by more forgettable entries in the Castlevania series, I believe Super Castlevania IV is the king of the Castlevania series.

Graphics: 9
Wonderful rich graphics are showcased throughout this entire game. The backgrounds are full of color and very well drawn, as are all the enemies and end level bosses who are also very well animated. Levels 2 and 3 are outstandingly beautiful, and keep a lookout for the revolving room on level 5. Its awesome! Equally cool is the Koranot boss on Level 5 who grows each time he is hit. The only letdown is our main character Simon who is quite badly drawn! Dang!

Sound: 10
Excellent sound effects and music. The tunes are very well orchestrated and some very nice sounding instruments, including flutes and pianos, are used to perfection. Standout tunes are the relaxing rhythms in Level 3, and the grandiose pianowork throught the tunes in level 6, though all are great and set the mood very well. Sound effects also fit perfectly, my favourite being when the main character dies. Not that I hear it very often ;)

Gameplay: 9
Very fun to play. There are several different enemies to beat around either with your whip, or various weapons you can pick up by whipping the candles that hang in the air. End level bosses are excellent, although not that much of a challenge once you know what you're doing. I always find that I want to play this game the whole way through, not getting tired of it at any time. The enticing graphics and spectacular music make monster killing all the more fun ;) Only problem here is Simon's terrible jumping technique. It gets him into all kinds of trouble ;)

Overall: 9
Super Castlavania IV is a very polished game which I recommend that everyone should have a go at. Turn off the lights, plug your AV cable into the stereo, turn it up loud, and have a blast :)

Super Castlevania IV is the only Castlevania game in which Simon can swing his whip in 8 directions, which makes things very fun and alot less difficult indeed. 1, 2, and 3 could have benefitted from this, and the entries into the series after Super Castlevania IV were so frustrating for their lack of this.