Since
I spent the last feature article bashing the crappier side of the
Super NES platforming genre, I feel I should rain some positivity
down on the 16-bit wonder console. And what better way to do than so
than to sink my teeth into two of the finest games for the system,
Super Castlevania 4 and Zelda : A Link To The Past? I have recently
reacquired both titles and am currently playing through them again.
Firstly I will look at the whip cracking, bat whacking adventures of
Castlevania.
The
Castlevania series is one of the longest running franchises in video
games. Ever since players assumed the role of Simon Belmont over 25
years ago, the series has maintained its popularity. It seems
vanquishing Count Dracula is something that resonates with many
gamers. There is even a new 3DS game, the long winded Castlevania: Lords
of Shadow – Mirror of Fate. There have been over 25 games in the series so far, ranging from outstanding (Symphony of the Night) to absolutely dreadful (Castlevania 64). Here I want to focus on one of the series' highlights, one that holds fond memories for many gamers of a certain age. I am, of course, talking about Super Castlevania 4 on Super Nintendo.
A familiar sight for fans of the series - Castlevania 4's castle stages
soon switch to underground caverns, graveyards and librarys
Before I begin to talk about the 4th game I should first admit that I was never really a fan of the first 3 NES Castlevania titles. I
found them too difficult to be considered enjoyable, and actually
quite dull to play. The second NES installment, Simon's Quest, tried to
do something different by adding an open world to explore, but was completely ruined by overly cryptic
puzzles that were impossible to solve without a guide book. The third
game fared better as it played much more like the original but improved on
it massively by adding additional playable characters, updated
graphics, and multiple routes through the stages. It was still
bastard hard though and I was never able to complete it, and my interest in the franchise all but disappeared.
NES - Castlevania
NES - Castlevania 2 : Simon's Quest
NES - Castlevania 3 : Dracula's Curse
1991's SNES
edition of the blood sucker slayer was to rekindle my interest though. Super Castlevania 4 amped everything up tenfold, and
was one game that definitely deserved its Super
prefix. It put the machine's 16-bit power
to good use, with many sections showcasing the SNES's abilities. Who
can forget the abundance of graphical trickery such as the swinging
chandeliers, the rotating tunnel stage and the Mode 7 level that saw you
hanging from a hook while the level turned around you?
This rotating stage looks awesome in motion, showing
off the Super Nintendo's graphical prowess
Another SNES graphical trick shows these giant chandeliers
swinging from side to side as you attempt
to navigate them - take your time
It
wasn't just visually impressive either, new abilities such as being
able to swing your whip in multiple directions – a gimmick that
disappeared in some of the future installments – and using hooks to
swing, Tarzan style, over gaps enhanced the experience no end. The
game also has one of the most memorable beginnings in game history.
Starting outside of the castle, with only the sound of atmospheric pads setting the mood, you make your way to a closing
drawbridge and enter the castle grounds. Upon entering, the screen
begins to rumble as fences rise from the ground and Gothic orchestral
music begins. Once it reaches it's peak it switches into the iconic
music that anyone who has played the game will forever remember, and
you really get the feeling that you are now undertaking an epic
quest. Perfect.
The atmosphere throughout the game is top notch - here we
see Simon using his trusty whip to swing over a deadly drop
All
the familiar Castlevania gameplay elements are here – hitting
candles to release hearts that, rather strangely, work as the amount
of secondary weapon you can use, which include axes, throwing knives, burning potions and a boomerang-like crucifix. The selection of beasts you face include the usual assortment of bats,
skeletons, undead knights and zombies. Even the irritating Medusa
heads are here, causing many deaths as you try to navigate platforms
over pitfalls. Indeed, fans of the series will spy many familiar
sprites as the series seems to reuse them in abundance. Even the
recent Metroidvania games contain many of the same enemies and
obstacles from the earlier titles.
Fighting a familiar foe in an underground cavern - the bottom one
doesn't seem to realise he is facing the wrong way
As with the rest of the series,
Super Castlevania 4 is extremely challenging. The levels throw many
enemies at you as well as expecting you to perform tricky jumps. Death can result in restarting a fair way back from where you perished, so navigating the instant-death pits can be quite hair-raising. The
staircases can also be problematic as you cannot easily avoid projectiles
when climbing or descending them, and moving on to them without
holding the appropriate direction can lead to you falling through
them, often to your death. It can be frustrating but as the gameplay
is so good, you are willing to overlook many of the unfair elements
the game throws at you. The bosses are memorable too, from the two headed hydra and Frankenstein's monster, to the stone
gollum that changes size as you batter him with your whip. There are 11 stages to overcome so it is a great relief that the game features a handy password system for those of you who
don't have the time to sit through the entire game in one sitting.
Just one of the many memorable boss encounters - despite
having two heads, this hydra is fairly easy to defeat
For
fans who were first introduced to Castlevania via Symphony of the Night or the multiple hand-held games, the SNES game may seem quite
archaic and limited. There is no levelling up or inventory here, but
this also means the game feels like a pure test of skill rather than
an RPG-lite open world adventure. While I still prefer the
Metroidvania games (the sublime Symphony of the Night being my personal favourite), Super Castlevania 4 is both an extremely
exciting and satisfying game to play, as well as a great showcase of
the Super Nintendo's power. It is a classic title that is well worth
tracking down and, with prices for a cartridge copy (especially
boxed) spiralling, now is the perfect time to grab a copy and enjoy
this seminal SNES title.
UK PAL
USA NTSC
Japanese Super Famicom
