Super Castlevania IV (SNES) Review

When one thinks about Halloween, they’ll generally think of the horror genre. There are some notable video games that one can associate with the horror genre – classic series such as Resident Evil or Silent Hill and more modern games such as Dead Space. I’m not a big fan of the survival horror genre, which the series I mentioned are a part of, but oddly enough I’m interested in revisiting Resident Evil 4 on the Nintendo GameCube and trying out Resident Evil HD Remastered which was recently released for the PlayStation Network – I’ve been in a retro/nostalgic phase lately.

I like to associate Halloween with classic movie monsters such a Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, mummies, werewolves, etc. There’s a ton of video games that use these classic monsters, however the majority of them  aren’t very good. However, there is one notable video game series that uses all these  monsters – Castlevania. One of the best games from the 16-bit era is Super Castlevania IV for the SNES.

Super Castlevania IV is available now via the Nintendo Wii U eShop

A remake of the original Castlevania that was released on the NES, Super Castlevania IV took what was already a great game and made it even better. One of the earlier releases in the SNES library, Super Castlevania IV showed off all the fancy new features that the SNES offered, like enhanced 16-bit graphics, 32,000 colors, Mode 7 effects, and 16-bit stereo. It may not seem like much compared to today’s consoles, but at the time it was awesome. Who am I kidding? It’s still awesome.

My favorite speed run of Super Castlevania IV

I love how easy it is to control Simon Belmont (the character you play as.) It feels like you have complete control over his movements and attacks. If you’ve played any of he previous games on the NES, you’ll know how important fluid controls are. Deaths don’t feel ‘cheap’ like they used to, but are fair and encourage you to shrug them off and keep going forward. You get challenge without the frustration!

Another great part of Super Castlevania IV is the atmosphere it presents to you. Each stage has a unique feel and high level of detail which makes you forget that you’re playing a 16-bit video game. (If you played the game back 1991, you would have thought that the graphics were ‘mind blowing!’) Then there’s the soundtrack – it’s one of the best in the series, let alone on the SNES, and perfectly sets the mood for each stage in the game.

Dance of the Holy Man (Simon’s Theme), from Super Castlevania IV

If you love classic games, you definitely have to play Super Castlevania IV. It is one of the best games from the 16-bit era and a must have if you’re a Super Nintendo collector. The downside, as a result of its popularity, is that the grey market prices for loose carts start at $40 and $100 for games that come complete with box and manual. If you just want to play the game, and don’t mind not having a physical copy, the cheapest way is to buy the game via the Nintendo Wii U Virtual Console.