SNES, 1991; VC release 25 December 2006; 800 Points.

What is it?

Simon Belmont rides yet again… Super Castlevania IV is a remake of the 1987 NES game Castlevania. When localizing, Konami tried to pretend this was a sequel to Simon’s Quest, but it was made as a retelling of the story of Simon Belmont’s first encounter with Dracula, with all new levels, enemies, music, and more. This is also the story that was ported to the PS1 from the Sharp 68000, under the name Castlevania Chronicles.

How does it play?

Particularly in comparison to its predecessors, Castlevania IV plays like a dream. The controls are unique in the series: Simon is able to whip in all eight directions (though not in any of the three down directions when his feet are on the ground) and, in a change that would be repeated in some successive Castlevanias, he can dangle the whip after a whip-strike to use it as a simple shield against small enemies and projectiles.

Jumping control is very precise, which combined with the advanced whip control, succeeds in allowing more challenging level design. The levels are linear, but there are a lot of interesting things to see and do in each stage. Whether you’re hopping across swinging chandeliers or swinging from your whip on metal rings set into the walls, it’s all very well executed.

How does it look and sound?

At the time of its release in 1991, Castlevania IV was likely the best looking and sounding title on the platform. The level of realism was rarely approached on the SNES, and in the series, IV wasn’t even bested until the release of Symphony of the Night on PS1 five years later. The music, while it has some overlap with the original game, is completely redone and much of it is original. Some new songs, like Theme of Simon, have become staples now and can be found in several of the later games. The sound effects are very much like those you’d hear in an arcade, very deep and strong, but often not exactly what you’d expect from an event.

How is the replay value?

Not too great. Once you’ve beaten the game, there aren’t any additional modes, stages, or playable characters. There isn’t even an adjustable difficulty level. There are hidden items and secret cheats throughout the game, such as one that requires a leap of faith right before the final boss, but all these are available on the first playthrough. If you’re a fan of the series, this is one of its high points, but if that alone is not enough to keep it close at hand, there is really nothing else.

Is it worth it?

As a Castlevania addict, I wonder how well I can answer this question. Eight dollars would be a bargain for the actual SNES cartridge, and the convenience of the Virtual Console is incalculable. Gameplay on a Gamecube controller (which is required if you don’t have a Classic Controller, and I do not) is clumsy, but using my Hori Digital Pad Gamecube controller, which uses the same button map as the stock controller, made a big difference. The ideal would be to be able to play it with a SNES controller on the Virtual Console, and there’s no inexpensive way to do that without some real skill in electronics and a soldering iron. Whether this is worth it comes down to what matters to you. I tend to lean towards “buy” for such a tight game, but if you have the original cartridge and a working SNES, you might wish to think about it for a while.

More Castlevania on Aeropause.
Nintendo’s gamepage for Super Castlevania IV.