Super Castlevania IV retrospective: Simon's big adventure | Super NES Works
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- Опубліковано 21 лис 2024
- Last week we looked at the original Castlevania for NES; now here is its Super NES remake. Sort of. Super Castlevania IV is kind of like a remix of Castlevania 1 and 3 (which does add up to IV!), but it makes some pretty big changes to the core mechanics of controlling Simon Belmont. On the other hand, it carries over a lot of elements from the NES, too. It's an odd duck in the Castlevania series that doesn't always work but has so much loving detail invested into it that it holds up regardless of its flaws.
This was my favorite Castlevania game. It wasn't too difficult, yet not too easy either. It was loaded with atmosphere. It also came along during a tumultuous time in my life and cheered me up.
I never liked it as much as everyone else. But i definitely appreciate it and am glad it exists.
@@thegreatape884try the second quest
Jeremy: “oh man, the soundtrack. Let’s talk about the soundtrack.”
Jeremy: *does not talk and lets soundtrack play*
I enjoyed the soundtrack to this game so much I bought the official score on CD from Japan.👍
Xenofett Me too 👌
Soundtrack spoke for *itself!!*
Probably my favourite SNES game. Just so many good memories. That soundtrack. Oh goodness. The forest, the Dungeon, the 4th level, the library. Stunning. Great memories
If Castlevania 1 was a Universal Monster movie, Super Castlevania IV is a Hammer Horror film.
I dig it.
Oooooo I like!
it would make an excellent movie if it were done right. i don't wanna see the rock as simon belmont and other stupid hollywood bullshit, make. it. right.and yes it does need to have lots of horror elements but done in the right way so it feels like castlevania.
@@derek-64
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
derek221122 there’s already a kickass animated series for it.
I remember putting the cart in my SNES that was hooked up to my hand me down 20" RCA tv and Sanyo stereo and being completely blown away. The jump from 8 bit to 16 bit graphics was truly amazing and the audio was undescribably good. This was favorite Castlevania until Bloodlines and later Symphony and Rando.
Personally, I've always rather liked the altered gameplay mechanics of this game. The increase in whip control really opened up a lot of fun possibilities IMHO. (though in fairness, perhaps it's largely that I appreciate the fact that the game is considerable easier than its predecessors.)
I get that people complain that the sub weapons are kind of inferior to just whipping. But I recently played 4 and found myself using the sub weapons a lot. Especially for bosses. Even the dagger, I used entirely for the first boss. The throwing cross completely wrecks the Medusa boss.
In first Castlevania, I would spam holy water for bosses and that was my only shot at hearing that game. Castlevania 4 made me feel like I was Simon Belmont and not exploring some cheap stun lock weapon.
I admit this game was one of my favorites for the SNES. I loved the soundtrack and mechanics that it had. I wished that the future installments of Castlevania kept the whip mechanics like this one had but instead they went back to the traditional one. It would have been interesting if they made a Castlevania III remake on the SNES with the mechanics and construction that this game had. It really would have been the Super Mario All-Stars of its day.
Although I would like to see an expansion on this game, I’m ultimately happy with the direction that the series took as it would lead to some of my favorite games of all time. And I’m not really that big on Super Castlevania IV either. I just prefer the classic style with fixed jumps and straight whipping
Considering this was basically a launch title for the SNES, Super Castlevania IV set the bar INCREDIBLY high for the console.
To this day, the moment Simon Belmont's Theme starts playing during the end phase of the final battle with Dracula, I get goosebumps.
The song starts with this very ominous, haunting intro that builds up into this upbeat, triumphant number. It just fits the final battle so well (and the starting stage).
It queues up the theme right when Dracula is (essentially) losing the battle and he gets desperate, and in a way the game is like "Now's your chance! Strike! Kick this guy's ass!"
Few moments in gaming top that for me.
For me, final bosses with a music change part way through always makes the best fights. Seiken Densetsu 3 did this well too, playing a very hopeless theme for the first part of the fight and then a more hopeful theme for the second part.
It might be the simplest battle as Dracula only had one life bar, but it still much be my favorite end boss in any CV game just because of the amazing atmosphere, and that unbelievable soundtrack!
That and when the gate comes up on the first level. Master level design from the team.
I hate to admit this as a 32 year old man but I got this game when it was released and it used to give me nightmares lol
I truly adore Akumajou Dracula X68000. It's a true remake of an NES classic done very tastefully. But what I truly love about SCVIV is the scope of the game. You're going on a HUGE journey and that's something that I truly admire. I just wish that at some point someone will make the best of both worlds: The style and gameplay of X68000 and the scope of IV.
I remember when my older brother got this game in 92 when I was around 10. That opening sequence used to scare me soooo much. He would come home after his after school job around 11pm, turn this on and scary music and scenery would haunt me. Good times.
I adore this game so goddamn much. The first game is a close second for my top favorite, but I think I think I gotta give it to Super Castlevania 4. Sure, it's got some problems in it's level design and yes, it's not as difficult as the previous game, but I don't think that matters.
This is a different kind of Castlevania experience, one that focuses more on the reflexes of the player and the atmosphere of the world rather than slowing down and strategically approaching danger; this is vampire killing Castlevania wish fulfilment. The music is gorgeous, the graphics (although causing some minor slowdown issues) are fantastic, the control is fluent and satisfying, and the game prioritizes FUN and making memories above anything else. I can respect your opinion for sure, but nothing is gonna beat this one for me.
While maybe not the *best* Castlevania, definitely my favorite Castlevania.
I'll be candid: the opportunity to replay this game with a wireless-ish controller was what ultimately most drove me to buy a Wii in 2009
Your videos are sort of my companion series for my SNES Classic and NES classic. When I am in the mood I throw on a few of these history vids for my commute home and then play the classic consoles when I get in. Love this stuff! Keep it coming.
Personally, i think this might be the best castlevania in some ways, and i've played most of them. But to each their own. Just so many good entries in the series, its good to have room for debate.
I don't know if I heard a touch more enthusiasm than usual while you're discussing the soundtrack(what with watching on a different sound system than usual), but if so, wholeheartedly seconded. There are parts that are genuinely haunting. The two tracks used in the final battle also being revisits of themes from the beginning of the game still gets to me. Castlevania never really had a soundtrack quite like this one, with Symphony of the Night possibly coming closest, and that one honestly sounds distinct even from her later Castlevania soundtracks.
I agree with the gameplay criticisms from top to bottom, but in my heart of hearts, this is still my favorite of the Classicvanias.
Also, Castlevania X68000 is absolutely as hard as suggested here. I'd honestly say its the hardest of all the Classicvanias. But unlike Haunted Castle, it's *fair*. Those looking for it in physical form would probably be best served looking for the Playstation remaster and rerelease: Castlevania Chronicles. It's a solid package which arguably shows more effort and love than the recent Castlevania Requiem repackage.
All in all this was a pretty good day to have a curse.
I wish they use this engine to remake Simon's Quest.
2 note:
1- Best music on the SNES.
2- Konami-face. LOL
if you buy the Super Castlevania 4 soundtrack the second disk is both of the Castlevania Adventure soundtracks for Gameboy. A great bonus to an already fantastic score.
This game deserves all the praises it gets. However screw that ballroom boss fight. I always struggle with that one.
TRIVIA MOMENT: The development staff of Super Castlevania IV would eventually leave Konami to form their own development studio Treasure, which became a legend of it's own in the 16-bit era.
DariusQ I had NO IDEA that this was the Treasure folks!
I didn't know this either. I honestly had some doubt it was true (cause people seem to like inventing fun facts that aren't entirely factual) so I looked it up. Turns out you are correct! Masato Maegawa and associates also worked on Simpsons Arcade, Contra III and Axelay. I'm surprised that they aren't credited in any way with Hard Corps, that game screams Treasure. All I can find is speculation that they may have been involved in some capacity. Sucks they haven't made an original title since 2014 and are for all intents and purposes not in the business anymore. The world needs more Treasure, even if they don't know it.
I would say their greatest legacy are their shmups, such as Radiant Silvergun, Silpheed, and Ikaruga
uh no only one member Mitsuru Yaida the player programmer would join treasure
@@jokerzwild00 Masato Maegawa worked on none of those him self
"he can even moonwalk!"-james rolf
My favorite Castlevania. None better for me.
exactly how i feel. and this is my favorite game of all-time as well. =)
15:23 "You can't help but be glad the series went back to an old fashion approach for a while"
I could not disagree more. All the shortcomings he pointed out could have been improved on in followup games. Rondo of Blood and Bloodlines are great games in their own right but they aren't superior (or inferior) to Castlevania 4: just different. Konami really should have built on the Castlevania 4 formula for the SNES sequel rather than the weird, pseudo port of Rondo of Blood they gave us.
@Rob S for me with Super Castlevania IV it's the whole package(aside from the slowdown). graphics, music, sound effects, the stages, controls, atmosphere, etc etc. and i've beaten this game countless times as well. i can even tell you how to kill medusa in less than 10 seconds. have extended chain whip, cross with triple shot, wait until about a second before she appears, then crouch and start throwing crosses, and whip like a madman. do it right and she's dead before you know it. there's been times where i killed her in 5 seconds because i got it down.
and yes, i would've liked to have seen more games in this style following it, but we probably wouldn't have the games we have now. still, i would like to see castlevania go back to this or perhaps a mixture of 4 and say 3. the whole metroidvania thing is cool and all but i prefer the classics, and Super Castlevania IV is hands down my favorite. it never gets old.
Same. It quite literally is a masterpiece gameplay wise, artistically and musically.
Me too, can never get enough!
Still my favorite Castlevania game of all time.
My favorite Castlevania game. Cool perspective.
I loved this game and found it quiet difficult aged 14 having skipped most of the NES era. The soundtrack well is exceptional, the graphics gorgeous. And all those gimmicks like the rotating dungeon made a big impact on my younger self.
By far my favorite Castlevania game.
My favorite Castlevania followed by Rondo, and Belmont's Revenge. its an absolute masterpiece of a game,i dont care what anyone else says.
Belmont's Revenge is terribly under rated.
@@kdave9754 I always thought the same. In my opinion its the most underrated Castlevania game.
I do like Super Castlevania IV but I much prefer Bloodlines. Play them one after the other, and Bloodlines is just so much faster. SC4 seems sluggish. And maybe this is weird but I actually dislike whipping in all directions. Whipping just straight in front is vital to making it feel like a Castlevania game, for me. It is what makes the castlevania games so tactical. And why it's so fun once you've learned the optimal route and tactics for every level and can just storm through the games. SC4's whip as well just feels really flimsy to me. Like that satisfying strong whipping of the other games isn't there. Bloodlines is my favourite castlevania I've played. Though I've finally got Rondo of Blood working on an emulator so I'm playing that finally. It's definitely not sluggish. I'm enjoying it so far. I don't like metroidvanias generally but I'm gonna play symphony of the night after this, seeing as it's the sequel.
I’ve never been one for importing game soundtracks, but this one is an exception. One of my favorite SNES games, one of my favorite soundtracks.
It's my absolute favorite Castlevania game, idk y,..its just a masterpiece, I just loved the SNES during this time both of my favorite games were this one and Contra 3..those were the days Konami was in top form.
Super Castlevania 4 is my Favorite Game too.
I’ve been exploring the castlevania series recently, and I’ve noticed that quite a bit of my enjoyment comes from the visceral crunchiness that comes from hitting an enemy. In the post-symphony games, attacks are fast, enemies flash white, the sound is meaty, and enemies may catch on fire and explode afterward. In those games it’s joyful and gut-level rewarding to just move around and attack enemies. It’s typically a quality that sprite based 2D games have, but I felt it in Dracula X Chronicles and Metroid Samus Returns as well. It’s the same mechanical greatness that makes Doom 2016 feel so great, and that impairs my enjoyment of Bethesda RPGs. I don’t know exactly what it is-perhaps fine tuning of the auditory and visual feedback that occurs when the player attacks. But this seems to be a big factor in terms of game enjoyment for me.
Anyway, Super Castlevania doesn’t seem to have that punchiness. I think that may be why I keep bouncing off it when I try and play. Something feels dinky about the whip. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on this.
Yeah I agree. Part of what made the NES castlevanias great, and Bloodlines and Rondo, and even the gameboy ones, was that meaty satisfying whipping. It felt good to whip things. Like it feels good to collect coins in 2D mario. Super Castlevania 4 is pretty good but I don't get why its so widely regarded as the best one. It feels sluggish, clunky, and just lacks that satisfied feeling you get from the others. I know I'm in a minority for thinking this. But yeah. I'll play it every so often but if I'm in a castlevania mood I'll pick most of the others over it. The NES ones particularly I love. Even simons quest, though I only ever play that one using a guide.
It may not be the best, but super castlevania 4 is my overall favourite. And belmonts revenge is 2nd on my list.
Trust me: Super Castlevania 4 is the best of the best. And yes, Belmont's Revenge is a masterpiece.
@@Belmont6830 nah, Bloodlines is better. Super castlevania 4 is the most slow and sluggish castlevania game. And making the whip go in all directions removes what makes a castlevania game a castlevania game. It'd be like making a mega man game where he can shoot in all directions, it just feels different and removes that tactical element that the other non metroidvania castlevanias had
@@duffman18 Super Castlevania 4 has far better controls than Castlevania Bloodlines. And that is more than enough for me to prefer Super Castlevania 4. Also, I LOVE the fact you can whip in all directions. Don't get me wrong, Bloodlines is fantastic! I plan to play it again one of these days.
@@Belmont6830 nah Bloodlines has far better controls than Super Castlevania IV for me. It's just so slow and sluggish. The way the controls and level design is, it forces you to be stopping a lot, as well as the slow movement making the whole thing seem underwater somewhat. And then you get bits like you have to hang onto a thing with your whip and wait 30 seconds for the level to rotate. Waiting challenges are always boring. It's like Marble Zone in Sonic 1, these easy to pass challenges where you just stop and do nothing for 30 seconds. Or the bit where the level is moving and you have to wait and wait and then go into the little gaps to avoid getting crushed, and then wait and wait again. Bloodlines has none of that and feels so fluid and speedy.
It is a subjective thing of course. But I just can't get addicted to super castlevania 4 like I can all the other castlevanias. What I end up doing a lot is use an emulator to play it and assign Fast Forward to the R2 button to skip all the waiting bits in SC4. And sometimes play the game at 1.5x speed to get it feeling more like bloodlines and the NES games
I just sometimes feel like a lot of super castlevania 4 is flashy gimmicks. It's got all rotating mode 7 stuff everywhere and stuff like that. Although the graphics are very muddy and brown and the character sprite for belmont looks really ugly to me. It looks like Missingno. They tried to make it look "realistic" I guess but I don't think I can think of many castlevania games that look worse than it.
All these criticisms are in a way nitpicking, because I do actually still like it a fair bit. It's not a terrible game, but it's only pretty good. I don't think it's a classic. It's better than most snes games but I wouldn't put it in a top 10
Not sure what you're talking about. I play it only on hard mode, and I barely stop walking or jumping forward in almost every section. Just learn to use the subweapons, they're there for a reason.
Rondo is way more sluggish than both games, and it's still better than Bloodlines, even if it's too easy due to item crash becoming a get-out-of-jail free card in the rare situations one gets surrounded.
Your Castlevania videos and podcasts are always a highlight, Jeremy. This is no exception.
The jazz elements remind me of Chick Corea.
rip
I think Super Castlevania IV is like an evolution of the original Castlevania on NES. It’s like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
Funny, I often complain about the bigger sprites in SNES games all the time compared to NES counterparts (e.g. Kirby and Mega Man), but I never had a problem with the bigger sprites in this game.
But I think it's amazing how this launch window SNES game has better graphics and especially music than pretty much the entire SNES library.
Easily the best game in the series. I love Super Castlevania IV so much.
Despite of all the ups and downs, I really really enjoyed the game when it came out, I still play it to this day.
Very awesome review! My favorite video game of all time.
I love Super Castlevania IV.
I haven't seen a review this critical of Super Castlevania IV since Egoraptor's "Sequelitis". It's kinda refreshing.
Keepin it real, man
Happy Halloween! This is definitely a treat....
Super Castlevania 4 is my favorite game ever. I Love it. Never again will a game grant me such emotions. 💖
It's too easy but I find it really really enjoyable. The music and atmosphere is so nice.
Let's talk about the SOUNDTRACK!!! Amazing. My top 3 soundtracks on the SNES
1. Super Castlevania IV
2. FF3/6
F. F-Zero
The soundtrack was spectacular.
You and Sega Lord X both uploaded a video about this game today.. good choice for Halloween!
I never thought SCIV was cheesy
It was the first CV that I actually took seriously tbh.
The atmosphere and music are extremely well done, almost palpable.
Super Castlevaina IV is the entry that marked me the most.
This was my first Castlevania game. I didn't see hardly any of the NES games before it, being here in the UK. I first saw the Super Famicom version in a little computer shop that sold console imports, in my town. I still vividly remember that visit. Where the system was placed, where the TV was placed - I was memorised by the game running in demo mode and it clearly left an inprint on my brain. The PAL system hadn't been released yet, but I knew i just had to have a SNES, if only for this game alone. Back then, it had to take something very special to avert my eyes from my Amiga but, SCIV certainly did that. I've since put right the wrongs of PAL and bought a Japanese system and a copy of the game.
I see your point about the whip real estate, when compared to previous iterations. I just used to think you Americans moaned about it (albeit with more experience of the NES Castlevania games before it) because of the diagnal whipping alone, but now realise it's based on proportions which can make things a tad unbalanced.
Another great Works vid. Thank you for your content!!
A long time favourite of mine. Just (re-)completed it this weekend for possibly the 100th time.
Same, I've must have played through this once a week for the last year (got it last Halloween). The pacing is so perfect and the control so fluid it is incredibly easy to pick up and play.
Greatest 16bit game of all time!!! My favorite.
At this point, I feel Jeremy should simply do this type of in-depth look at all the Castlevanias, just to compare. I would especially like to see a critical analysis of Bloodlines, because for me, that game felt like more of the 16-bit record scratch than SCIV did.
For the record, all his comments about this game are spot on.
IT IS POSSIBLE that I might have registered the domain castlevania-works.com...
My fav game of all time. Right here.
great videos. one thing i don't get in general is the internet group-think over how simon's quest is not a good game. i believe this began with AVGN's comical review of simon's quest and he has openly said that he does like the game and was just exaggerating the game's faults. i didn't own simon's quest or anything when i was younger but i do recall playing it with friends and we were all absolutely fascinated with the game. we would play it late into the night trying to figure out how to get to the next mansion and acquire the next crystal. the crypticness just added to the mystery of the game. i have a feeling most of the hate the game gets now is from people that didn't actually play it when it was out. anyways, just my 2 cents.
It's too cryptic. But it's my favorite to play of the nes trilogy. Underrated imo.
The flailing ultra long range whip in Super Castlevania 4 kind of reminds me of the charging megabuster in Mega Man. It really made the sub weapons feel obsolete and unnecessary.
It really depends on the situation. Mega Man 5 for instance has some parts, where enemies block the ladders, so you have to use some other weapons, since you can't shoot up or down.
@@sanjurosama Sure, just like in Castlevania 4, there are a few places where sub-weapons are good. Largely though, whip and buster are your best option.
Working my way through all your videos, Jeremy, and they're fantastic. Great work!
Thanks!
Here's how I see SCIV today: SCIV is a more slow and methodical game compared to Bloodlines, which is more faster-paced and active, whereas Rondo of Blood is in between SCIV and Bloodlines. I don't know where I would put X68000 Akumajou Dracula but I if asked me, it would be behind Rondo of Blood. I still love SCIV to this day and it remains one of my favorite titles on the SNES, in addition of being one of the few games I can finish on one sitting.
the best in the series for me..and that soundtrack is an all time great...
Terrific bit of trolling on the preview at the end, there.
Amazing work Jeremy. I feel like very few fans of this series look at Super Castlevania IV subjectively. I bought this on launch, enjoyed it, but ultimately feel like Rondo of Blood is a superb experience.
I agree. I wouldn't have minded if the multi-directional whip had stuck around, but Rondo of Blood is so good, I don't really miss it too much. (Besides, it has Maria to help make up for it.)
Rondo feels like more style over substance to me. Like how item crashes are supposed to be a big feature but... item crashes are heinously inefficient. It's still a great game, but I liked IV a lot more.
I see your point. However, the Item Crash offers players a way to deal with troublesome bosses (Holy Water or the Axe for example, so efficiency vastly depends on the item). The game still plays fine if that feature was omitted. I prefer Rondo due to the music, the level design, and the branching paths add more replay value. @@MynameisHukos
The multi-directional whip would work better in Rondo! Richter is a smaller sprite and wouldn't have reach that spans nearly the entire screen.
Excellent work as always!
That was my older brother game back in the day's
Nice Eva at the end there Jeremy :D
Last year, courtesy of both the Castlevania Anniversary Collection and the "Castlevania Requiem" double-pack containing both Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night, I either played or replayed all the Castlevania games from NES to that PS1 masterpiece, in chronological order. And I've gotta say, Super Castlevania IV was the first one that I actually unequivocally enjoyed playing.
I agreed with nearly every point you made in the Castlevania 1 NES Works video, especially in relation to the historical importance of the game, but it's just...not at all fun to play for me. It's just a giant exercise in frustration. Simon's Quest was a little better overall in that some of its bold new ideas actually worked (though others decidedly did not), but that game was also mostly an unenjoyable slog of annoyance. Dracula's Curse was the first I'd label even "decent" from an entertainment value proposition. Adventure on GB was mediocre at best, and Belmont's Revenge was surprisingly better than everything else 8-bit before it, but Super IV is where I could finally say, "Ah, THAT'S why people love this series!"
So many of the things you criticize here, from the 8-way whipping, to the technical gimmicks, to the difficulty curve that doesn't use "let's make the player hate life" as a baseline were things that came to me as a major breath of fresh air. In fact, some of the bits you call out positively as relics of a more challenging era (instant kill traps, for instance) remain some of my biggest beef of the game, like they couldn't quiiiite let go of the oppressive nature of the franchise to date. As you said, with the challenge being scaled back to a level one might describe as "actually fair and reasonable," you're more free to actually revel in the atmosphere, the ambiance, and yes: the soundtrack.
I can respect the heck out of the NES Castlevania titles for what they brought to the system and to gaming in general, but Super Castlevania IV is, to me, when the series finally started to become a fine way to spend an evening.
Except Super Castlevania is not why I love the series. I find it less fair than the original game, and a lot less fun than Dracula’s Curse. It feels more like a generic SNES action platform game with cheap one hit spikes. Sure it’s a good game, but isn’t why Castlevania is appealing. Also the games you like in the series seem to be more platformer based so maybe you just prefer platformers.
Younger me didn't actually mind the easier difficulty (especially as I had found the first and third NES games too hard) and everything about this early Super NES title just seemed, well, super. I find that newer console generations don't really give me that feeling of being blown away by how much more the tech can do anymore like the transition from 8-bit to 16-bit did.
You're a much more positive person on this game than I am and while I do disagree with you on the color choices in Super IV, I can't fault you for your opinions elsewhere on the title. Even where we disagree elsewhere it comes down to personal taste and I feel like you gave this game a much fairer shake than I was expecting. You pointed out the flaws as well as the stuff you enjoyed. I was certainly wrong and I'm glad to be. I've enjoyed listening to you on Retronauts and on here and it's partially due to how you have a much more discerning eye than a lot of people who talk about retro games on YT or elsewhere.
It's clear you care about games and their mechanics and their impact they've had on pop culture and society and that you care about the preservation of them for historical value and it's incredible. For that, thank you for being that type of person. The type who when I agree with, I'm glad that we agree, and when we disagree there's no issues and that's great too. I don't to say it just comes down to presentation, but it certainly helps.
tbh I like Simon's size in this. I dislike modern metroidvania's where your character tends to take up only 1% of the screen lol
Your praise of the game as well as your complaints are equally valid. This is just how Castlevania is (with the exception of the 3d N64 'Vanias, which we probably all hate). We definitely know that later in the series, we saw more RPG elements as well as a heavily influenced anime style, which again, some people loved or hated. Some people got sick of Belmonts and preferred other characters, some people hated Alucard, some loved Alucard, some felt there began to be too many Alucard-clone type characters and so on. I love almost all of them for different reasons, and I welcome the variety of each. Simon's Quest gets a lot of hate these days from UA-cam gamers, but despite its flaws it was one of my favorite games from my childhood.
Wow, turns out SCIV is a fairly divisive game, who knew. I was fairly eager for it back in the day, but even but the screenshots previewed in the magazines I could tell that something was amiss with the game. The final product turned out at times both beautiful and mismatched/ugly, something which was not unfamiliar with the NES prequels although they managed to keep things at least consistent if cluttery. I can't say more than what has already been said about the excellent soundtrack, but I can harp on the gameplay a little, and I'll agree with what was hinted at in this review, it felt simply rushed. That is to say - the gameplay was solid, the levels well layed-out and all, but the pace was kind of a slog and the basic mechanics never felt like they had been put through their proper paces before building an entire game around them. Not the most heinous of crimes, but now all this time later I can so easily go back to a game like the original 1st and 3rd CV games and feel that things are polished and still exceptionally fun to play, whereas this one is best left as a memory.
Brilliant summary video as always. I could listen to Jeremy talk for hours.
It's a brilliant sequel. 😀👍🎮
I don't always agree with J.P., but I also can't recall another game review I thought was more on the nose. Great atmosphere, but I often find myself wishing I had a reason to care what sub-weapon (and multiplier) I'm holding and how many hearts I have left. It's never really a concern and that's a bummer. It's always great to see another series superfan willing to approach a revered entry like this in a level-headed way.
To be honest, I'll never understand some of the backlash this game gets. At the time of release, for obvious reasons, it was the best Castlevania game ever. To me, it's still the best in the series (along with Bloodlines). I won't take into account any modern Castlevania games (the ones that borrow from the PS2 God of War series games), as I never played them. What I believe it stands out with this particular SNES release is that everything Konami approached as brand new (mentioned by Jeremy: 8-direction whip swing, shield-whip, whip-swing) were done correctly. As opposed (just an example), everything new that Konami tried with Castlevania 2 Simon's Quest flops big: day-night cycles, non-linear stages (not to mention the whole Japanese-English translation catastrophe).
IIRC there’s a skeleton with a sword sitting in the corner of the rotating spike lined tower.
Sorry, buddy. ☺️
I’m seriously going to have to just sit down with CV 1 and 3 and keep my hands off the save state buttons
Man, I can't wait to get my Flip Grip! :)
Totally heard Simon's flatulation skills.....hahaha
simon's quest kicks ass bro
9:24 Simon's flatulation skills?
(yeah, I know it's flagellation)
I thought it but wasn't going to say it.
7:22 VAMPIRE KILLER!!!
Jeremy: * criticizes super Castlevania *
Me: Hey, hey HEY!! Stop it! Now you stop it right now!! 😅😅
I get where he's coming from but man I have a soft spot for this one I swear. Those brutally honest observations hit hard!!
It's weird. I don't disagree with your or the general criticisms of Castlevania IV, but it's still easily in the top 3 for the whole series.
I don’t understand how his size makes the game significantly easier.
I’ll tell you what made it a cakewalk, and that was the 8-way whip and, even more so, the ability to control your jump after leaving the ground.
There's an entire section that explains how the change in scale causes Simon's whip to be able to cover nearly the entire screen rather than a small portion of it, making the game easier than its predecessor.
@@JeremyParish I think it's that the controls are spot on and versatile that makes the game seem easier. The 8 way whip, being able to move whilst crouched, Stair Jumping, Whip swinging, I looked for all these features when a new CV game came out and was seriously bummed when they were missing. CV4 controls and movement are the gold standard IMO.
I mean you actually get wall meat while fighting Dracula... true blasphemy
I do like the changes to what the whip can do (I think it was better overall) but the critique of the sub weapons is valid. These either needed to change, perhaps in combination with a reduction on whip length, or have new uses that the whip is not suited for. In almost every circumstance, the whip is just as useful if not more so than the sub weapons. I'm also surprised they didn't lean into the new capabilities of the whip more, especially using it to swing yourself around. Still one of my favorite Castlevania games all things considered.
"Bionic Commando this ain't." 😂
I can actually appreciate the amount of detail that went into this review especially with giving super castlevania IV its fair share of criticism because the game in itself comes across as universally loved and people are almost afraid to criticize it. I have personally completed this game to 100% and it is retired permanently but I personally got my enjoyment out of this game, but its definitely not within my top 5 castlevania games of all time. I think one of the things I took out of this game, is I found that it had an excellent sense of transitional difficulty even though there are more difficult castlevania games out there but it gave me this addictive feeling that when I came across a frustrating part of the game, I was getting through certain areas just a little more with each playthrough. The fact the game had unlimited continues was also a plus. I'm glad that you did bring up some of the games inherent flaws because no game is universally perfect and its nice for you to bring up the apparent flaws that this game had which never really get discussed.
Lol that last frame
I'll now try to end Castlevania stages like that lol.
That clip set off my internal screaming something fierce.
Then again, it was an appropriate choice to close the video, what with all the one-hit-kill spikes.
Awesome vid happy Halloween! Castlevania & J. Parish rrrocks!!!
The 8 directional whip was amazing. This is classic Castlevania at its best.
"Bloody Tears"...
Great vid! Subbed
its a happy coincidence this video ended up on halloween. thank you for your excellent work as always.
No coincidence-I performed many dark rituals to get things to line up like this.
Castlevania IV has it's moments but it's never been one of my favorites. Capcom made the same mistake with sprite size in Mega Man 7.
I don’t really agree that there’s that much of a difference between instant death spikes and enemies that’ll knock you into bottomless pits without warning your first time playing, the latter a common occurrence in the NES days. I’m not saying Super Castlevania is just like those games overall, but that comparison seems a bit off to me
My top 5 snes games: Street Fighter 2 turbo, Gradius 3, Mario Kart, Castlevania 4, and Mario World
This is my favorite SNES game I owned a Sega Genesis and this was the only game I wanted from Nintendo
Fantastic game.
I prefer Bloodlines for gameplay but the music is better for the snes.