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Super Castlevania IV |
| Platform: SNES • Developer: Konami • Genre: Action/Platformer • ESRB Rating: N/A • Words: Man9child |
| If ever there were an SNES game worthy of the annoying and overused "Super" adjective, it would be Super Castlevania IV. Technically a remake of the original--though in plot only--Super Castlevania serves as just another excuse to have Simon Belmont trek through Dracula's castle. And Goddamn it, that's fine by me because in the process, the men who would later go on to form Treasure and create some of the best action games that the world has ever (or for that sad majority, never) known, have taken the basic Castlevania formula and injected it with a lethal dose of kick-ass. |
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| The most obvious upgrades aside from the gorgeous 16-bit paintjob show themselves in Simon's responsive play mechanics. Medusa heads be damned, you now have a fully controllable jump, the ability to strike your whip in eight directions, brandish it defensively in 360 degrees, and even (get this) jump onto staircases. I know. It's as if Konami could somehow hear you cursing the gods during your playthroughs of the first Vania title and, after getting a good chuckle (and two sequels) out of it, finally decided to do something about it. Granted, compared to the heroes in the NES adventures, this Simon is a bit of a powerhouse. This does throw off the game’s balance somewhat as the level design hasn't progressed quite as much as the play control. Enemies above and below you, while once a considerable threat, are now virtual punching bags from your new multi-directional attacks. But the sense of fluidity gained by being able to leap towards a foe and pop them a diagonally-aimed shot to the face more than makes up for that. |
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| And while the improvements in the core gameplay are certainly the most substantial, they aren't all that's worth mentioning. Utilizing the then-novel mode 7 effects of the Super Nintendo to their fullest extent, Konami tries to give you that same freaked out feeling you got when you rode the swinging pendulums in Castlevania III's clock tower for the first time, except they grossly outdo themselves this time around. At certain points during your adventure you'll be swinging from a latch while a spiked room rotates ominously around you. You'll race across a collapsing bridge in a rotating tunnel as enemies burst out of the background and into the direct line of your heathen fury. In the end, Castlevania IV tires to be a game not only about spiked pits and stage bosses, but rather, a game comprised of experiences. |
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| To that end, Castlevania's soundtrack has grown up somewhat to reflect its shift in priorities. Some of this may be attributed to the SNES's sound chip, as the composers of CvIV were able to synthesize real instruments which undoubtedly influenced their composition. But more than that, the composition has grown up some from its catchy 4/4 Baroque rock origins to encompass a wider range of styles. CvIV includes the first few pieces of jazz, something that would later become a staple in Castlevania soundtracks. The waterfall section in the third stage features an especially poignant chordal piece that conjures up shades of what would become Super Metroid's Maridia theme. And, yes, Simon's theme and the Vampire Killer remix show that the music can still rock when it needs to. |
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| But for all of this evolution, it's disappointing to see CvIV adopt the same linear path system of the original after CvIII's non-linear stage progression. Being able to plot your own course through that game added so much replayability because, even after you had seen all that the game had to offer, you still had a choice in the matter of where you would like to go. Still, I suppose it's enough that there are no real stinker stages that you would want to skip, CvIII, underground dungeon– I'm talking to you. Just who thought that the block melting portions of Dracula's Curse were a good idea anyway? I just want to thank whoever gave that idea the go ahead for wasting what must be hours (cumulatively speaking) of my time. You schmuck. But at least the linear progression conveniently avoids another qualm I had with CvIII, and that is that depending on which path you took , it was possible to fight the same boss twice, or maybe even three times. That's not so here. As you would expect from the guys who would later go on to create games like Radiant Silvergun and Alien Soldier, the boss fights in this game are some of the best the series has ever seen. A lot of that has to do with all the new gameplay features– Simon is simply a lot more capable this time around. CvIV is set up in a way that facilitates more involved boss battles. Sure, some matches still degenerate down to the occasional slugging match, but if you can honestly tell me by the time you go through the Slogra/Gaibon/Reaper gauntlet that you haven't just experienced some of the best action gaming 2D has to offer, you have no soul. |
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| And I think that segment about the boss fights is indicative of the game as a whole. It's the same candle busting, demon slaying Castlevania that you've always known, it's just that now it plays a hell of a lot looser and less constricting than it used to. If part of the fun of the early Castlevania games was fighting against your restrictive abilities, than the fun here comes from reveling in the fact that you don't have to any more. Super Castlevania IV is an action classic and a must own for any Castlevania enthusiast. |
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9.0 |
 + Backgrounds are multilayered and dense. + Simon--his awkward and ever present flexing biceps not withstanding--animates well. ++ Excellent use of the system’s special effects. |
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9.5 |
 ++ Sophisticated, superb, and entirely fitting. Continues the tradition of outstanding Castlevania soundtracks. |
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9.5 |
 ++ The most intuitive and user friendly control interface ever included in a Castlevania game. + Ace boss battles, easily topping what we've seen in the series so far. |
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7.5 |
 + CvIV introduces characters and designs that would be recycled years later in SotN and beyond. + Enemies and environments from earlier entries are treated to a nice make over. - Due to Nintendo of America's censuring, pools of blood and the like have been turned into pools of green…stuff…for the North American release. - Questionable choice in color palette means that you'll be seeing a lot of yellows and bright greens where maybe a more subdued shade would be in order, this being the castle of the Prince of Darkness and all. |
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8.0 |
 +/- While it's true that when compared to CvIII and its multiple characters/routes through the game, CvIV is decidedly lacking…it's the incredible gameplay that makes coming back for a second or third romp worth it. |
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9.1 |
 + CvIV set the new standard for play control within the series and delivered Castlevania up to the 16-bit systems with not a bang so much as a full on blast. |
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