I agree with most everything you said, except about the music. This is one of those soundtracks I have gone back to for years. I think it really captures the creepy and haunting feeling while also having the action game flair. I can literally listen to this soundtrack whenever and enjoy it. I honestly don't know what sporting events you go to, but I think if I heard Entrance Hall at a sporting event everyone around me would be WTFing all over the place. I think the best part about the soundtrack is that there is variety, it's not just all rock organ music. It has some complete changes like Submerged City and Forest of Monsters. It has more atmospheric type titles, that are really more like soundscapes, like the Cave or Dracula Battle. It's got some great use of organ, which we expect, but also drums, which are totally unexpected. As far as I'm concerned this is one of the best soundtracks on the system.
I agree. 2 of my favorite tracks are the cave and waterfall sections.....they're so somber and serene. I really feel the weak point for the music is when it retreaded over older tracks. For the longest time I couldn't remember what the music for the last few levels was because.....well......they didn't add anything new, just midi renditions of Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, and Beginnings, and by modern standards pretty weak versions at that.
Jonathan Martin I didn’t like the music at first. But one day after a few plays it clicked with me and I realized the music wasn’t bad, I was just being ignorant and that it was actually amazing.
SCIV got some of the best bass writing I've seen in a videogame OST. You clearly notice these tracks were made with a "live sound" in mind. In particular, Forest of Monsters, Treasure Room, the remixed Bloody Tears and Beginning all have badass basslines.
I love your videos. They're balanced and fair. I'm getting tired of so many RUclipsrs copying each other, repeating the same popular opinion again and again. So thank you for making these videos the way you do.
Although I myself picture a haunting atmosphere when listening to Entrance hall ( it’s also my favorite track in the game ), I can actually see what you mean by “ sports theme “ considering that it sounds like “ Take me out to the ball game “ or whatever it’s called. Great video as always!
Wouldnt call the graphics bland or ugly they were going for a very specific look: old school dark fantasy horror magazine comics, western RPG, DND etc and it nails that look. The NES games tried but couldnt totally do it with the hardware so on SNES I find 4 to be the idea of vision that the series originally wanted to show. Then regarding the music they tried a more ambient and emotional OST, one I find trying to convey Simon's emotions given his respective situations. Like the jazzy stage 3 track is weird but Simon is traveling through ancient Greek ruins hidden away deep underground, something that would feel strange and opening. The Waterfall music beforehand I find to be like the depressing thoughts of his dangerous quest only just starting after the adrenaline of the first few stages wears off. Stage 4's 2nd theme dizzying and relentless like the obstacles faced there. This is how I've always seen it anyway: more thematic for the protagonist's struggles and it always immersed me into the hero's adventure more than other CV games have. It's different from most of the series and I think it's beautiful (Bloodlines, 64, SOTN, Aria and 3 also tried this but not quite as effectively). The unique presentation is why it's my favorite in the series along with 3. Will say it's nice to see the first positive review of CV4 in ages. After egoraptor's video a lot of people fell into groupthink and just call the game bad now (same thing happened to Sonic and DKC in recent years, popular games to hate on)
"After egoraptor's video a lot of people fell into groupthink and just call the game bad now (same thing happened to Sonic and DKC in recent years, popular games to hate on)" That's one way to look at it. Another is that sacred cow games aren't very interesting and taking one down from its pedestal so actual analysis can be performed is a doing the hobby a service.
@@willmistretta Pointing out flaws in an objective analysis is different from saying "this thing that people like was never good and you're wrong for liking it" which is what a lot of those videos come off as. Egoraptor and Jim Sterling have an attitude like "I'm smarter than the people who like this game" along with their RUclips followers who blow what they say out of proportion. It's not to say these games are flawless but to act like they were never good or dont have good qualities feels kind of wrong.
@@TheT3rr0rMask I'm not sure I follow. I went back and watched that Egoraptor vid and he explicitly concludes that CVIV isn't "a bad game or a bad sequel." So does he think he's smarter than himself? And if Jim Sterling has a review of it online, I'd like to see it. That would be funny, at least.
I agree on your points about the music. I love the music of other castlevanias too but honestly never found em to be very fitting with the horror atmosphere of the graphics at all.
I always enjoy your reviews! They are the most detailed & thoughtful - even though I've seen youtube reviews on this game before, I forgot that you could use the whip as a shield
Watching again after reupload because it’s an excellent video. I’m excited to see where you go from here since the series diverges in so many directions.
@@assoluto9327 I'm not Kris, but I know quite a number of people that think number values are arbitrary and devalue the true artistic nature of media. They serve little purpose and many people won't feel compelled to finish a video if they can just skip to the number rating.
What Jared said :) I also find review scores are too easily weaponized. "Don't listen to this guy, he gave Sonic Unleashed a 7!" or "everyone else gave this game an 8 but you gave it a 4, you clearly don't know what you're talking about." If someone is going to dismiss me, they are going to have to work a little harder for it ;) But seriously, Jared hit the nail on the head.
@@implantgames Thanks for the reply. I hope you review Rondo of Blood in the future. I love your reviews and I really want you to review that game. It's my favorite Castlevania game ever.
I'm on the late train as usual, but fantastic video Kris! Loving this Castlevania marathon, by the way. Always exciting to see what you're cooking up for us. :)
Thanks Jared!! After the Castlevania marathon I would like to revisit Sonic Adventure 1 & 2. Then after that there is so many things I wouldn't mind visiting... the original Mega Mans (still need to track down a copy of 5), Metroid Primes, 3D Mario, 3D Zelda. My mind is all over the place :)
The music in this you don't get is absolutely genious. That means, if you don't get it, you're not a genious! ;) The treasurechamber music is actually among the most amazing music I've ever heard!
I'll admit it took me a bit to get to these Castlevania videos, and that's mostly because I was waiting for this one. Really excited to hear your thoughts. I thoroughly enjoyed this game myself, so I'm looking forward to this.
Seems like we mostly agree on everything. The only thing I disagree on is the music section. Some of the tracks you listed were actually ones I was a fan of. Regardless this was a great video. Looking forward to your next one.
I discovered this game in the 2000s and really start playing it when I download it to my Wii in the late-2000s and now have it on an SNES classic, but yes I've always thought this game was awesome ever since I played it. it's strange how I grew up in the 90s and didn't play any Castlevania games until the 2000s
@@NESADDICT i've played the hell out of this game and i have multiple ways to play. The original, wii u virtual console, snes classic, and the collection on switch. I also recently got the original snes copy complete in great condition. I LOVE this game!
@@NESADDICT just watched, and that top 5 list is pretty much what i expected. however, my list my differ since i never really got into Metroid or Zelda much. not sure what i would put in place, though. maybe Super Double Dragon. i love beat em ups and while i understand many people prefer the original or Double Dragon 2 on nes i personally like Super Double Dragon the most. Super Mario World most definitely belongs on that list. but #1, and not just on snes, my #1 all-time favorite game is Super Castlevania IV. out of any game for any system ever made this one tops them all for me. oh, and it's Castlevania(as in mania). sorry, the Castlevanyuh pronounciation is just a minor pet peeve. no offense, i just try to pronounce it correctly. =)
I do disagree with the assessment of the omnidirectional whip and its effect on the game. The whip in Castlevania 1 and 3, while not optimal, was still a very solid weapon on its own that you could use to handle nearly everything in the game if you were good enough; I can beat 1 and NES 3 whip only without issue, with the only serious roadblocks being Death in both games, the Doppelganger in the third with bad luck, and Dracula's final form in the third. Additionally subweapon placements were generous in 1/3, upon dying you will almost always have something nearby and never be forced to take on a boss whip only, and will often have an ideal subweapon available before bosses too; suicides before reaching a checkpoint because you got the wrong subweapon will never be forced. The main problem though isn't that an omnidirectional whip is incompatible with Castlevania gameplay, but rather Castlevania 4 was designed with 1's and 3's design philosophies balanced around the old whip, rather than being designed around the new improved whip. Besides the subweapons not being improved or changed to give them more apparent purpose in conjunction with the new whip, the enemies weren't improved either. You touched on this somewhat with how most of the bosses can be beaten by just mashing the whip at them with no real effort to dodge their attacks (though I think you give too much credit to the Knight and Frankenstein's Monster, they too can be easily beaten by just whip mashing, and it's really only the Zapf Bat and final four that require real effort), but the enemies too are substantially nerfed in their threat compared to the original games, as their simplistic patterns/attacks were designed around the more limited gameplay of 1/3 and were retained pretty much exactly in 4; Axe Armors still slowly back away while throwing one slow boomerang axe low or high, Bone Pillars still periodically shoot a sequence of three small fireballs purely horizontally, Skeletons slowly walk around periodically throwing one arching bone or simply swinging a melee weapon your whip hugely outclasses, and so on. Some of them were even weakened, like the Axe Armors and Bone Pillars taking half the hits to kill, and have reduced damage output overall. Then since you can whip in any direction, enemies can't really make up for the shortcomings with tricky positioning, as you can just whip them from wherever while they often can't retaliate. Combine this with the much more plentiful health powerups, and you should almost never die from combat outside of against the final four bosses, difficult parts in 4 pretty much only come from tricky platforming with bottomless pits and instant death spikes. The omnidirectional whip really isn't taken advantage of for other gameplay aspects either, you got the underutilized whip swinging and that's about it. Now the omnidirectional whip is fun in its own way and I would have certainly liked to have seen another Classicvania with the omnidirectional whip, but this time actually with the game, enemies, and bosses actively designed around the whip's advanced capabilities. Shame Konami never gave that sort of game a shot before moving the series on to only Metroidvanias and the 3D titles. Overall I see 4 as a substantially less engaging game than 1 and 3 because of this, it doesn't help that a lot of the levels and songs are so dull too, so I've replayed 4 a lot less often than I play 1 and 3.
You had to been there going from NES, TG16, to the SNES and hearing that sound and music on a nice stereo set up back in 1992 to really appreciate it. Magazines proclaimed it near CD quality at the time. As for the soundtrack, there's definitely a Brad Fiedel vibe to it.
Something I like about Super Castlevania 4 is that the sub weapons are activated using their own dedicated button, it just makes much more sense to me than holding up and wipping. I find that the typical complaints about the whip being overpowered are exaggerated (especially since wiggling the whip does less damage than swinging it), but not without merit, as in many vertical sections I found myself hitting enemies from underneath the platforms they appeared on. Other than that I found the levels and enemies complement the whip for the most part, though I did feel ad though having less restrictive controls and attacks made the levels feel a little less deliberate, at least compared to RoB. But still, it is a great game imo. Also I see you used the invisible stairs to get 99 hearts and a triple cross on Dracula lol
excellent review but i do dsagree on some parts. the graphics are fine. not everything has to be dark and brooding. i love how the game looks aside from slowdown issues. i also like the difficulty. a little easy at first but it does get challenging later on, but not to the point of being damn near impossible like how a lot of castlevania 3 felt. i also love the soundtrack. i enjoy the entire thing. with the entrance hall well, it gives off that grand ballroom kinda vibe so i think the music kinda fits with that. controls? controls are good. and being able to whip in every direction and the flailing does make it easier but i enjoy it. with a boomerang cross with the triple shot, i can obliterate medusa in less than 10 seconds if i time it right. i love everything about this game and it will forever be my favorite game of all-time.
We'll have to agree to disagree about the music. I can't follow where you're coming from talking about sporting events and things like that. Perhaps hearing it for the first time in 1992 after only having an NES previously makes it more memorable for me, but it remains a favorite until this day. Everything else is spot on. I do think this game benefits more than most from being played on a CRT, as far as the backgrounds and foregrounds running together, but the color choices are whacky in some levels regardless. This is my favorite Castlevania game and your video is great, keep up the good work.
1:42 Okay, someone's been watching too much Sequelitis. Ha. While I don't wholy disagree wjth Arin's opinion of the SCIV whip, I maintain that I still make use of the sub-weapons. Does anyone NOT make use of the cross against Dracula?
Great review I actually first played through CV4 this year and honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of it but this video has made me appreciate it a bit more
A very well thought out review...I don't entirely agree with it though. 1. Sub weapons are not undermined by the new whip as much as you think. Like the CV's before it, there was a few weapons that lacked any real utility and one that was OP. In this game the triple cross can greatly improve forward movement in levels and can straight up trash all but a handful of bosses in seconds. I would suggest, if you've not done so, look up a recent speedrun for CV4. You'll see very quickly what I'm talking about and you'll find that most of this is very easy to execute with a tiny bit of practice. 2. While the sound track is a bit more spread out, I do think the tracks actually do a good job of providing theme to the levels. The treasure rooms track has a sense of adventure. The theme in stage 3 - 1 sounds like a desolate cave, while 3 - B sounds like a depressing slog up a waterfall. I think the music works well with the level design overall. 3. My only major complain with this game is how under powered Dracula is in this game. I feel like a second form would have added to the game. As it stands Dracula is one of the bosses that can be easily destroyed with a good cross strategy. I've found that I can normally finish Dracula in 6 cycles or less. At any rate, I enjoyed watching this and can't wait for the next video.
Implant, there's another remake of the original Castlevania, originally developed for the japanese only X68000 computer and re-released to the Playstation in 2001 as Castlevania Chronicles. It would be great to hear your thoughts on it!
Oh, man. The X68000 one is one of my favorites. Classic no-frills CV action and probably the hardest game in the series apart from the terrible arcade one, Haunted Castle. Three different versions of the soundtrack (plus a fourth in the PS1 port) is the icing on the cake.
So when are you going to do the bloodstained curse of the moon games? They are damn solid classic castlevanias. Can't say that they are the best though. I personally need more time with the second
About the music of the castle entrance, it's inspired in "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" from J.S. Bach. This theme inspired several OSTs in history. "Dancing Mad", from Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III in USA) is heavily inspired in this theme too. The Castle sound have a strong reminiscence to the european Barroque. ruclips.net/video/ho9rZjlsyYY/видео.html
In all seriousness, the section where he called the visuals bland and then showed the one skeleton in the rotating room section as a "rare counterexample of the bland visuals" really had me scratching my head. Did he play the same game I did? Did he just simply not notice all the little touches in the backgrounds, like seeing the castle far, far in the distance in stage 2, along with so many other examples? Whatever one's opinions on the gameplay, someone experiencing the aesthetics of this game as bland, when to me they are its strongest facet (I mean both the graphics and music), can only be indicative of an individual who is always going to find SNES style aesthetics bland, and says more about the prejudices of the individual than the game itself. Of course, I freely admit to being prejudiced in the opposite direction, finding SNES style aesthetics inherently pleasing, but if you're going to call out the art direction and then just ignore the plethora of examples of unique touches throughout the game, you've got some prejudices influencing your perspective. Like there's a spot in stage 2 where you can stand, with glorious but subdued and complex music playing, and look at a miniature rendition of the castle in the far distance, with gorgeous parallax stormclouds framing the scene... and this is just one little part of that level, and the entire game is stuffed full of these moments. I know, I should just make my own CVIV appreciation video, hehe.
Its always amazed me that people who are objectively better at Castlevania games than me (I'll probably never beat the original) find this game to be challenging; I had no trouble beating this game at all.
Yeah, because I would argue that they are fundamentally different games. The original Castlevania, and a lesser extent Castlevania 3 are action games with platforming elements while Super Castlevania is a straight platformer. And since most people are more used to platforming games those people would be better at Super Castlevania. I am one of those people you mention that is better at the first game as opposed to this one. And I have played Super Mario Bros 3, and I have more problems beating that than Castlevania 1. I also find the stiff jumps to be comforting because I always know where I’m going to land. Another frustration I have is that the levels are way too long. So for people like you who have no issues with this game, you might not notice this, but when you die in Super Castlevania, you go back to the beginning of the level, which is so frustrating that you have to go through it again. When you die in the original game it is way easier to get to where you were before. As far as the difficulty for the linear Castlevania games, I find SCIV to be in the middle. It is harder than the original and Rondo of Blood but easier than Bloodlines and Dracula’s Curse (Japanese version is the only one I’ve played for C3).
Don't know how far you intend to go with this series but I hope you cover the lesser known/loved Castlevania titles such as Vampire Killer for MSX2 and Legends on Game Boy. Interested in your take on those 2 in particular.
I don't even want to know what an MSX2 and Vampire Killer cost ;) I did review the first Game Boy game a while back if you want to check that out, and I wouldn't mind doing the entire GB trilogy.
@@implantgamesOh no, no, no...don't do that. That's a car payment. 😁 You can emulate it or play it on the Wii Virtual Console if you have the means (also emulation, of course). I'll check out the GB review. I must've overlooked it.
The hardest stage of Castlevania IV is definitely stage 8, not stage B. I honestly find this game to be a step down from Castlevania III. I feel like it dumbed down the combat and increased the platforming. I understand that appeals to a lot of people, but it’s not really why I love Castlevania.
@Tom Ffrench 3 has great graphics for an 8 bit game (one of the best looking games in the entire NES library), but you can't even compare it to ANY of the 16 bit Castlevanias (for ANY of the 16 bit consoles), including this one.
it was actually never intended as a remake/retelling of anything - it is a sequel. IGA basically pulled the idea of it being a remake out of his ass (just like when he said the 64 games were never canon despite those two games being the first main series titles since scv4). An unfinished jp novel is a sequel to scv4 and features Simon as a dhampir as he is described to be in the guide for scv4. That said the novel retcons Belmont history hard so you could argue scv4 is a reboot/semi-sequel, it is not however and has never been a remake. Interviews across internet from dev team support that this is a sequel, only intended to be 'back to basics' in the same way that say Halloween 4 is to the 1978 film. Later post-IGA sprouting rubbish interviews describe scv4 as a semi-sequel or in one case a 'half remake'. This is all just a case of rewriting history which plagues the classic CV games.
@shadowshinobi06 wrong in all accounts I'm afraid. The director of scv4 long after IGA made his comments said that he "only considers it" to be "a half-remake". If you look at design documents or just look at old material from the game itself and it's various guides you'll find that it is not in any way intended as a remake - it was meant to be 'back to basics' thus light on plot, but key details obviously exist to move it into new territory such as the dhampir bit, the grave in the intro clearly being designed after Simon's quests ending (please do try to ignore that obvious one) The first stage is built to resemble a destroyed version of the mansions from cv2. I could go on but I am talking to a member of a fan base that can't even see colours right since they all think blonde Conan Simon existed before x68k. So it's probably pointless. The author of the jp novel did indeed want to make his own story with no connection to the original and got all annoyed about it but his novel is clearly a sequel to the game as it was published as such and indeed follows on from implications within scv4 itself and retains Simon as a dhampir and the 100 year cycle despite numerous retconning done to the Belmonts and Dracula. Finally Los has far more to do with the original castlevania series and characters than the sorrow games, OoE, CotM, LoI, PoR, so on. The only IGA games that really truly feel like they're even trying to continue Castlevania are HoD and CoD. Though HoD gets far closer in tone and style than CoD which feels far more like everything else IGA turned the series into. It's totally fine liking IGA's games more than the others but trying to pretend like his series was more CV like than LoS or just blindly agreeing with latter day history rewriting simply because it's become the popular viewpoint is ridiculous.
@shadowshinobi06 I get what you're saying but no it is not a remake and never was. The title change to just akumajou Dracula is trivial since as you say haunted castle had done the same (haunted castle's place narritavely is nebulous at best I would say non canon spin off by default though elements of the selena idea found their way into much of the castlevania expanded media and were directly connected at times to the mysterious woman from cv2 throughout the 80s/90s much of this actually came from the cv1 jp gamebook however) furthermore considering they did not title cv3 as the third entry in Japan titling scv4 as the third or fourth would have been a little silly and confusing when they were trying to go back to basics.
@shadowshinobi06 I'm well aware - in marketing cv3 in Japan as more of an offshoot it'd make little sense to title scv4 in Japan as a numbered entry seeing as the last numbered entry would have been in 1987 and this was 1991 with 1 console game 1 arcade game and 2 game boy games being released in between.
@Tom Ffrench you’re misinformed. Rondo was officially a spin off and non canon before IGA wrote the timeline in 2002. Scv4 was always considered a sequel by its creators and no not a “gameplay sequel” - that’s a term you made up.
As far as I can tell, the music really is a matter of taste. For instance I have never been to a hockey or baseball game, thus no track gave me that feeling of attending to a sports event. Personnally I love most of Castlevania IV OST. I actually find the "weird" tracks atmospheric even if not exactly *memorable*. Visually, I find the game uneven. But in another way, it gives the feeling of entering a crazy-world. I would no to as far as to say it was intended by the game's artists but it feels a bit like it. And the visual are a bit dated, I have to admit although they did not aged too bad. The final thought of the video is correct: the game just "works", the sense of progression is satisfying. It really is journey, not an easy one for me, but one I want to play again.
I play through this one every year or so and each time it feels longer, and not in a positive way. They really could have cut large portions of the trip to the castle without losing anything of value. Levels two and three in particular are pretty dang dull. It's still enjoyable, but wow did it need the video gaming equivalent of an editor. When it comes to the eight-way whipping debate: Konami never did re-visit the concept. That's pretty strong ammunition for the naysayer camp, I think. A noble experiment, but a failed one.
I always felt this game was too long, but I miss the 8-directional whip and increased aerial mobility. The game may not have been Castlevania III hard, but it was still challenging.
@@stayskeptic3923 I strongly agree that the game was designed around old Simon, pretty much all the enemies are just graphically scaled up versions of their NES selves designed to be fought with the old whip, but with no changes made to account for Simon's improved abilities and are weaker to boot.
OH BOY Super Castlevania IV i like this game enough i think i've been spoiled by Rondo of Blood and Bloodlines (two of my favorites in the Classic series) and...by level B that level almost drove me insane my first time through but yeah it feels like a finale when the game doesn't decide to troll you with the stairs.....yeah i fell thanks to the stairs don't wanting me to advance. 5:13 Now i hate you more Kris first on Twitter now here what's wrong with you man XD nah jk. Level 8 what a nightmare that was and still is for me. I gotta say the game's soundtrack is atmospheric and yeah some tracks don't fit but others yeah they rock specially Simon and the elite trio theme god that theme is just delicious. You're the first person i know that likes Slogra (and the first one that didn't get cheap shot by his wonky hitbox) Gaibon yeah he's a joke and Death is easier than Slogra but yeah he puts a fight. Now that i've seen this video i have to try the whip as a Shield cause i've never thought that i can cheese the mini fireballs. And when you said cheap unfair and relentless hah i remembered Dracula X and stages 5 and 6.....kill me please. Well as always a great review and yeah this game is Super like the channel man 😉
Everybody i know says this is the best old-school castlevania. I don't like it because it's SOOOOOO EASY. There's no challenge at all. I can beat it without taking any damage
I agree with the music being not as good for the most part. All my friends loved this game more than the NES ones, when I was a kid, but I always thought the NES ones were better and I still love the NES Castlevania games the most. All of them are good, of course, but the NES ones are the best.
This game the first time I played it seemed slow and tiring, but as you progress it improves, although I think it is a very overrated game, I think Castlevania Bloodlines is better even Castlevania Dracula X has better things but that game is also very slow and hard. Of course these are games that came out several years after Super Castlevania IV, although I must admit that some levels and bosses I liked in this game, but it is not the type of game to play any day but you need a particular state of mind to play this Title. For me the best Castlevania are Symphony of the night and Aria of Sorrow and on the 8 bits and 16 bits era I would choose 1)Rondo of blood, 2)Bloodlines 3)Super Castlevania IV. 4)Castlevania 3 5)Castlevania 6)Castlevania 2
I don't really care much for this game, the music is just not good enough and i don't like the ridiculous amounts of censored stuff on the western version.
very detailed content. i too think castlevania 4 looks like shit BUT like you said, the game is amazing in every other part even the music which I think is some of the best on the SNES
Couldn't disagree more.on the OST. The dungeon, the library, the forest, wow wonderful music. And doesn't have any of that garbage cheesy speech of SOTN. Absolutely wonderful atmospheric tunes, the music on the way to Dracula, so so good.
Super Castlevania 4 great graphics and music overall, great controls, but very easy for my taste. The only hard spot that I have some issues is at stage 8-2 (9:11 in video). It is very easy and a simple game and i don't like it
I agree with most everything you said, except about the music. This is one of those soundtracks I have gone back to for years. I think it really captures the creepy and haunting feeling while also having the action game flair. I can literally listen to this soundtrack whenever and enjoy it. I honestly don't know what sporting events you go to, but I think if I heard Entrance Hall at a sporting event everyone around me would be WTFing all over the place. I think the best part about the soundtrack is that there is variety, it's not just all rock organ music. It has some complete changes like Submerged City and Forest of Monsters. It has more atmospheric type titles, that are really more like soundscapes, like the Cave or Dracula Battle. It's got some great use of organ, which we expect, but also drums, which are totally unexpected. As far as I'm concerned this is one of the best soundtracks on the system.
I agree. 2 of my favorite tracks are the cave and waterfall sections.....they're so somber and serene. I really feel the weak point for the music is when it retreaded over older tracks. For the longest time I couldn't remember what the music for the last few levels was because.....well......they didn't add anything new, just midi renditions of Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, and Beginnings, and by modern standards pretty weak versions at that.
Jonathan Martin I didn’t like the music at first. But one day after a few plays it clicked with me and I realized the music wasn’t bad, I was just being ignorant and that it was actually amazing.
WrathOf Fulgore totally agree! The library stage is awesome too!
SCIV got some of the best bass writing I've seen in a videogame OST. You clearly notice these tracks were made with a "live sound" in mind. In particular, Forest of Monsters, Treasure Room, the remixed Bloody Tears and Beginning all have badass basslines.
A~~
I love your videos. They're balanced and fair. I'm getting tired of so many RUclipsrs copying each other, repeating the same popular opinion again and again. So thank you for making these videos the way you do.
Kris always says it as it is, that's why I value his opinion
Although I myself picture a haunting atmosphere when listening to Entrance hall ( it’s also my favorite track in the game ), I can actually see what you mean by “ sports theme “ considering that it sounds like “ Take me out to the ball game “ or whatever it’s called. Great video as always!
Bro, how do you only have 27k subs? Your videos are so good. You should be up to at least 100k+ by now. RUclips confuses me sometimes.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
implantgames lol
I assume this video was taken down and re-uploaded to fix the sections that didn't have any footage.
Also the whole Capcom and Konami slip up
PolecatsRock what happened?
I just love the look of both this and SUPER GHOULS AND GHOSTS as both are gorgeous looking SNES games and fun to play today.
The video was "super" as well.
Great job as usual!
Thanks J! Happy holidays!!
Wouldnt call the graphics bland or ugly they were going for a very specific look: old school dark fantasy horror magazine comics, western RPG, DND etc and it nails that look. The NES games tried but couldnt totally do it with the hardware so on SNES I find 4 to be the idea of vision that the series originally wanted to show.
Then regarding the music they tried a more ambient and emotional OST, one I find trying to convey Simon's emotions given his respective situations. Like the jazzy stage 3 track is weird but Simon is traveling through ancient Greek ruins hidden away deep underground, something that would feel strange and opening. The Waterfall music beforehand I find to be like the depressing thoughts of his dangerous quest only just starting after the adrenaline of the first few stages wears off. Stage 4's 2nd theme dizzying and relentless like the obstacles faced there. This is how I've always seen it anyway: more thematic for the protagonist's struggles and it always immersed me into the hero's adventure more than other CV games have. It's different from most of the series and I think it's beautiful (Bloodlines, 64, SOTN, Aria and 3 also tried this but not quite as effectively). The unique presentation is why it's my favorite in the series along with 3.
Will say it's nice to see the first positive review of CV4 in ages. After egoraptor's video a lot of people fell into groupthink and just call the game bad now (same thing happened to Sonic and DKC in recent years, popular games to hate on)
"After egoraptor's video a lot of people fell into groupthink and just call the game bad now (same thing happened to Sonic and DKC in recent years, popular games to hate on)"
That's one way to look at it. Another is that sacred cow games aren't very interesting and taking one down from its pedestal so actual analysis can be performed is a doing the hobby a service.
@@willmistretta Pointing out flaws in an objective analysis is different from saying "this thing that people like was never good and you're wrong for liking it" which is what a lot of those videos come off as. Egoraptor and Jim Sterling have an attitude like "I'm smarter than the people who like this game" along with their RUclips followers who blow what they say out of proportion.
It's not to say these games are flawless but to act like they were never good or dont have good qualities feels kind of wrong.
@@TheT3rr0rMask I'm not sure I follow. I went back and watched that Egoraptor vid and he explicitly concludes that CVIV isn't "a bad game or a bad sequel." So does he think he's smarter than himself? And if Jim Sterling has a review of it online, I'd like to see it. That would be funny, at least.
@@willmistretta Maybe he does
I agree on your points about the music. I love the music of other castlevanias too but honestly never found em to be very fitting with the horror atmosphere of the graphics at all.
I always enjoy your reviews! They are the most detailed & thoughtful - even though I've seen youtube reviews on this game before, I forgot that you could use the whip as a shield
Glad to hear it Marcus, thank you!
It always makes my day to see you've uploaded a video :)
Great videos. You've become one of my favorite gaming channels on RUclips. Keep it up!
You have some of the best in depth reviews on RUclips!
Just love seeing all your videos! Great info, games and length.
Thank you Dk!
Watching again after reupload because it’s an excellent video. I’m excited to see where you go from here since the series diverges in so many directions.
Thanks for the second watch :) Hopefully the missing clips made the introduction make more sense :D
I love how implantable always sounds so jovial.
I love autocorrect :D
@@implantgames Why is it that you don't give a score to the games in your reviews?
@@assoluto9327 I'm not Kris, but I know quite a number of people that think number values are arbitrary and devalue the true artistic nature of media. They serve little purpose and many people won't feel compelled to finish a video if they can just skip to the number rating.
What Jared said :) I also find review scores are too easily weaponized. "Don't listen to this guy, he gave Sonic Unleashed a 7!" or "everyone else gave this game an 8 but you gave it a 4, you clearly don't know what you're talking about." If someone is going to dismiss me, they are going to have to work a little harder for it ;) But seriously, Jared hit the nail on the head.
@@implantgames Thanks for the reply. I hope you review Rondo of Blood in the future. I love your reviews and I really want you to review that game. It's my favorite Castlevania game ever.
I'm on the late train as usual, but fantastic video Kris! Loving this Castlevania marathon, by the way. Always exciting to see what you're cooking up for us. :)
Thanks Jared!! After the Castlevania marathon I would like to revisit Sonic Adventure 1 & 2. Then after that there is so many things I wouldn't mind visiting... the original Mega Mans (still need to track down a copy of 5), Metroid Primes, 3D Mario, 3D Zelda. My mind is all over the place :)
The music in this you don't get is absolutely genious. That means, if you don't get it, you're not a genious! ;) The treasurechamber music is actually among the most amazing music I've ever heard!
Great video. I never thought so in depth about things in a game. Very interesting....
Thanks Matty!
Thank you so much I was so confused and I have been waiting for this video
Really enjoy your videos. Thanks for all the excellent content.
Glad to hear it, thank you!
I'll admit it took me a bit to get to these Castlevania videos, and that's mostly because I was waiting for this one. Really excited to hear your thoughts. I thoroughly enjoyed this game myself, so I'm looking forward to this.
Seems like we mostly agree on everything. The only thing I disagree on is the music section. Some of the tracks you listed were actually ones I was a fan of. Regardless this was a great video. Looking forward to your next one.
I discovered this game in the 2000s and really start playing it when I download it to my Wii in the late-2000s and now have it on an SNES classic, but yes I've always thought this game was awesome ever since I played it. it's strange how I grew up in the 90s and didn't play any Castlevania games until the 2000s
I personally enjoy this game more than all others. Hands down my favorite of all time.
this isn't just my favorite Castlevania game, this is my all-time, #1, favorite game!
derek221122 I’m not sure I clarified but that’s what I also meant. Like I’d rather play this than literally anything in existence. 🙌
@@NESADDICT i've played the hell out of this game and i have multiple ways to play. The original, wii u virtual console, snes classic, and the collection on switch. I also recently got the original snes copy complete in great condition. I LOVE this game!
derek221122 check out my top 5 snes games video ;) I explain there
@@NESADDICT just watched, and that top 5 list is pretty much what i expected. however, my list my differ since i never really got into Metroid or Zelda much. not sure what i would put in place, though. maybe Super Double Dragon. i love beat em ups and while i understand many people prefer the original or Double Dragon 2 on nes i personally like Super Double Dragon the most. Super Mario World most definitely belongs on that list. but #1, and not just on snes, my #1 all-time favorite game is Super Castlevania IV. out of any game for any system ever made this one tops them all for me. oh, and it's Castlevania(as in mania). sorry, the Castlevanyuh pronounciation is just a minor pet peeve. no offense, i just try to pronounce it correctly. =)
*prepares massive essay*
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Nah, I'm just kidding. Good video!
Have to disagree with you on Dracula as I found him incredibly easy especially when compared to the dual form Dracula in the original.
I do disagree with the assessment of the omnidirectional whip and its effect on the game. The whip in Castlevania 1 and 3, while not optimal, was still a very solid weapon on its own that you could use to handle nearly everything in the game if you were good enough; I can beat 1 and NES 3 whip only without issue, with the only serious roadblocks being Death in both games, the Doppelganger in the third with bad luck, and Dracula's final form in the third. Additionally subweapon placements were generous in 1/3, upon dying you will almost always have something nearby and never be forced to take on a boss whip only, and will often have an ideal subweapon available before bosses too; suicides before reaching a checkpoint because you got the wrong subweapon will never be forced.
The main problem though isn't that an omnidirectional whip is incompatible with Castlevania gameplay, but rather Castlevania 4 was designed with 1's and 3's design philosophies balanced around the old whip, rather than being designed around the new improved whip. Besides the subweapons not being improved or changed to give them more apparent purpose in conjunction with the new whip, the enemies weren't improved either. You touched on this somewhat with how most of the bosses can be beaten by just mashing the whip at them with no real effort to dodge their attacks (though I think you give too much credit to the Knight and Frankenstein's Monster, they too can be easily beaten by just whip mashing, and it's really only the Zapf Bat and final four that require real effort), but the enemies too are substantially nerfed in their threat compared to the original games, as their simplistic patterns/attacks were designed around the more limited gameplay of 1/3 and were retained pretty much exactly in 4; Axe Armors still slowly back away while throwing one slow boomerang axe low or high, Bone Pillars still periodically shoot a sequence of three small fireballs purely horizontally, Skeletons slowly walk around periodically throwing one arching bone or simply swinging a melee weapon your whip hugely outclasses, and so on. Some of them were even weakened, like the Axe Armors and Bone Pillars taking half the hits to kill, and have reduced damage output overall. Then since you can whip in any direction, enemies can't really make up for the shortcomings with tricky positioning, as you can just whip them from wherever while they often can't retaliate. Combine this with the much more plentiful health powerups, and you should almost never die from combat outside of against the final four bosses, difficult parts in 4 pretty much only come from tricky platforming with bottomless pits and instant death spikes.
The omnidirectional whip really isn't taken advantage of for other gameplay aspects either, you got the underutilized whip swinging and that's about it. Now the omnidirectional whip is fun in its own way and I would have certainly liked to have seen another Classicvania with the omnidirectional whip, but this time actually with the game, enemies, and bosses actively designed around the whip's advanced capabilities. Shame Konami never gave that sort of game a shot before moving the series on to only Metroidvanias and the 3D titles. Overall I see 4 as a substantially less engaging game than 1 and 3 because of this, it doesn't help that a lot of the levels and songs are so dull too, so I've replayed 4 a lot less often than I play 1 and 3.
I agree about the whip; I can't even get very far in the original, but I beat this game without any difficulty.
On that soundtrack front, I love some of the tracks, but that free jazz flute piece for the water stage has always confused me.
You had to been there going from NES, TG16, to the SNES and hearing that sound and music on a nice stereo set up back in 1992 to really appreciate it. Magazines proclaimed it near CD quality at the time. As for the soundtrack, there's definitely a Brad Fiedel vibe to it.
@Tom Ffrench that’s a tg16cd game, it uses cd audio
The music in this game is amazing.
Hmmm... I never considered the critique of the music and the art but you've given me something to chew on. Good work.
At first I didn’t like the music either, but after a couple plays I got it. I personally think this sound track is an all time classic and I love it.
Something I like about Super Castlevania 4 is that the sub weapons are activated using their own dedicated button, it just makes much more sense to me than holding up and wipping.
I find that the typical complaints about the whip being overpowered are exaggerated (especially since wiggling the whip does less damage than swinging it), but not without merit, as in many vertical sections I found myself hitting enemies from underneath the platforms they appeared on. Other than that I found the levels and enemies complement the whip for the most part, though I did feel ad though having less restrictive controls and attacks made the levels feel a little less deliberate, at least compared to RoB. But still, it is a great game imo.
Also I see you used the invisible stairs to get 99 hearts and a triple cross on Dracula lol
The reason this game is the best is because Simon can flail his whip, and it can be the funniest thing to see.
It is charming for sure haha :)
it's fun to mess around with
excellent review but i do dsagree on some parts. the graphics are fine. not everything has to be dark and brooding. i love how the game looks aside from slowdown issues. i also like the difficulty. a little easy at first but it does get challenging later on, but not to the point of being damn near impossible like how a lot of castlevania 3 felt. i also love the soundtrack. i enjoy the entire thing. with the entrance hall well, it gives off that grand ballroom kinda vibe so i think the music kinda fits with that. controls? controls are good. and being able to whip in every direction and the flailing does make it easier but i enjoy it. with a boomerang cross with the triple shot, i can obliterate medusa in less than 10 seconds if i time it right. i love everything about this game and it will forever be my favorite game of all-time.
5:14 "Right off the bat"
I see what you did there
I just wanted to write that too :D
Subbed love the channel keep it up buddy!
You hear so many great things about Castlevania 3 Dracula's curse,but this game is the true classic.
Since this is a retelling/remake of the original game, has there ever been a direct sequel to this remake?
We'll have to agree to disagree about the music. I can't follow where you're coming from talking about sporting events and things like that. Perhaps hearing it for the first time in 1992 after only having an NES previously makes it more memorable for me, but it remains a favorite until this day.
Everything else is spot on. I do think this game benefits more than most from being played on a CRT, as far as the backgrounds and foregrounds running together, but the color choices are whacky in some levels regardless. This is my favorite Castlevania game and your video is great, keep up the good work.
1:42 Okay, someone's been watching too much Sequelitis. Ha. While I don't wholy disagree wjth Arin's opinion of the SCIV whip, I maintain that I still make use of the sub-weapons. Does anyone NOT make use of the cross against Dracula?
will you do episodes on the other CastleVania games? (Like Rondo of Blood Symphony of the Night and the GBA CastleVania games)
The slowdown? Should've had "Blast Processing"... };-)>
Finally a reviewer after my own heart
Great review
I actually first played through CV4 this year and honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of it but this video has made me appreciate it a bit more
12:49 I’m pretty sure this guy was in the Castlevania Netflix adaptation. He had a cool fight with Trevor. Same beak and spear, even!
it included both Slogra and Gaibon. Slogra is the bony thing with the beak and spear. Gaibon is the gargoyle looking demon thing.
A very well thought out review...I don't entirely agree with it though.
1. Sub weapons are not undermined by the new whip as much as you think. Like the CV's before it, there was a few weapons that lacked any real utility and one that was OP. In this game the triple cross can greatly improve forward movement in levels and can straight up trash all but a handful of bosses in seconds. I would suggest, if you've not done so, look up a recent speedrun for CV4. You'll see very quickly what I'm talking about and you'll find that most of this is very easy to execute with a tiny bit of practice.
2. While the sound track is a bit more spread out, I do think the tracks actually do a good job of providing theme to the levels. The treasure rooms track has a sense of adventure. The theme in stage 3 - 1 sounds like a desolate cave, while 3 - B sounds like a depressing slog up a waterfall. I think the music works well with the level design overall.
3. My only major complain with this game is how under powered Dracula is in this game. I feel like a second form would have added to the game. As it stands Dracula is one of the bosses that can be easily destroyed with a good cross strategy. I've found that I can normally finish Dracula in 6 cycles or less.
At any rate, I enjoyed watching this and can't wait for the next video.
Love this video! And I absolutely love Super Castlevania IV for the Super Nintendo 🤗
1:26
That blew up my mind...
Implant, there's another remake of the original Castlevania, originally developed for the japanese only X68000 computer and re-released to the Playstation in 2001 as Castlevania Chronicles. It would be great to hear your thoughts on it!
Oh, man. The X68000 one is one of my favorites. Classic no-frills CV action and probably the hardest game in the series apart from the terrible arcade one, Haunted Castle. Three different versions of the soundtrack (plus a fourth in the PS1 port) is the icing on the cake.
Super Castlevania 4 has the best Castlevania music ever
@Tom Ffrench Haha 🤣🤣🤣NO
Love your reviews! SCIV is regarded as one of the greatest 16 bit era games.
My favorite RUclipsr
Are you gonna do the Game Boy games from this era? Would have loved to see them stuck in there in release order
So when are you going to do the bloodstained curse of the moon games? They are damn solid classic castlevanias. Can't say that they are the best though. I personally need more time with the second
I love Akmodan as a boss. It is such a fun encounter!
Are you going to do the Megadrive Castlevania too?
Si!
About the music of the castle entrance, it's inspired in "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" from J.S. Bach. This theme inspired several OSTs in history. "Dancing Mad", from Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III in USA) is heavily inspired in this theme too. The Castle sound have a strong reminiscence to the european Barroque.
ruclips.net/video/ho9rZjlsyYY/видео.html
2:31 can argue that's just an issue with the nes games level design so no the whip being too reliable doesn't have any benefits gameplay wise
He criticized the music and the art!!!! What's happening!???????
:-O
In all seriousness, the section where he called the visuals bland and then showed the one skeleton in the rotating room section as a "rare counterexample of the bland visuals" really had me scratching my head. Did he play the same game I did? Did he just simply not notice all the little touches in the backgrounds, like seeing the castle far, far in the distance in stage 2, along with so many other examples? Whatever one's opinions on the gameplay, someone experiencing the aesthetics of this game as bland, when to me they are its strongest facet (I mean both the graphics and music), can only be indicative of an individual who is always going to find SNES style aesthetics bland, and says more about the prejudices of the individual than the game itself. Of course, I freely admit to being prejudiced in the opposite direction, finding SNES style aesthetics inherently pleasing, but if you're going to call out the art direction and then just ignore the plethora of examples of unique touches throughout the game, you've got some prejudices influencing your perspective. Like there's a spot in stage 2 where you can stand, with glorious but subdued and complex music playing, and look at a miniature rendition of the castle in the far distance, with gorgeous parallax stormclouds framing the scene... and this is just one little part of that level, and the entire game is stuffed full of these moments. I know, I should just make my own CVIV appreciation video, hehe.
I also felt the graphics were too colorful, it was jarring for me back in 1992. I expected bleak, grungy graphics.
Youre spot on w the soundtrack. It’s definitely good but it is no way close to Rondo, the 8 bits and Bloodlines
Great review, as usual!!!
..... Next up, Bloodlines, I hope!!!
Next is Dracula X/Rondo of Blood, _then_ Bloodlines.
@@Balefactor oooh yeah, that's right.
...darn. can't wait to hear his take on Bloodlines... 😅
Bloodlines is next! Then hopefully RoB...
Its always amazed me that people who are objectively better at Castlevania games than me (I'll probably never beat the original) find this game to be challenging; I had no trouble beating this game at all.
Yeah, because I would argue that they are fundamentally different games. The original Castlevania, and a lesser extent Castlevania 3 are action games with platforming elements while Super Castlevania is a straight platformer. And since most people are more used to platforming games those people would be better at Super Castlevania. I am one of those people you mention that is better at the first game as opposed to this one. And I have played Super Mario Bros 3, and I have more problems beating that than Castlevania 1. I also find the stiff jumps to be comforting because I always know where I’m going to land.
Another frustration I have is that the levels are way too long. So for people like you who have no issues with this game, you might not notice this, but when you die in Super Castlevania, you go back to the beginning of the level, which is so frustrating that you have to go through it again. When you die in the original game it is way easier to get to where you were before. As far as the difficulty for the linear Castlevania games, I find SCIV to be in the middle. It is harder than the original and Rondo of Blood but easier than Bloodlines and Dracula’s Curse (Japanese version is the only one I’ve played for C3).
Don't know how far you intend to go with this series but I hope you cover the lesser known/loved Castlevania titles such as Vampire Killer for MSX2 and Legends on Game Boy. Interested in your take on those 2 in particular.
I don't even want to know what an MSX2 and Vampire Killer cost ;) I did review the first Game Boy game a while back if you want to check that out, and I wouldn't mind doing the entire GB trilogy.
@@implantgamesOh no, no, no...don't do that. That's a car payment. 😁 You can emulate it or play it on the Wii Virtual Console if you have the means (also emulation, of course). I'll check out the GB review. I must've overlooked it.
Feel like the treasury was supposed to be like a monster boogie, whereas the entrance is an eerie ballroom dance
Exactly, I don't get how someone familiar with the series would feel confused about this
The music went for a Japanese New Age feel. It was trendy in the early 90s.
The hardest stage of Castlevania IV is definitely stage 8, not stage B. I honestly find this game to be a step down from Castlevania III. I feel like it dumbed down the combat and increased the platforming. I understand that appeals to a lot of people, but it’s not really why I love Castlevania.
I couldn't disagree more on the graphics and music...this is an almost perfect game, IMO.
@Tom Ffrench 3 has great graphics for an 8 bit game (one of the best looking games in the entire NES library), but you can't even compare it to ANY of the 16 bit Castlevanias (for ANY of the 16 bit consoles), including this one.
it was actually never intended as a remake/retelling of anything - it is a sequel. IGA basically pulled the idea of it being a remake out of his ass (just like when he said the 64 games were never canon despite those two games being the first main series titles since scv4). An unfinished jp novel is a sequel to scv4 and features Simon as a dhampir as he is described to be in the guide for scv4. That said the novel retcons Belmont history hard so you could argue scv4 is a reboot/semi-sequel, it is not however and has never been a remake. Interviews across internet from dev team support that this is a sequel, only intended to be 'back to basics' in the same way that say Halloween 4 is to the 1978 film. Later post-IGA sprouting rubbish interviews describe scv4 as a semi-sequel or in one case a 'half remake'. This is all just a case of rewriting history which plagues the classic CV games.
@shadowshinobi06 wrong in all accounts I'm afraid.
The director of scv4 long after IGA made his comments said that he "only considers it" to be "a half-remake". If you look at design documents or just look at old material from the game itself and it's various guides you'll find that it is not in any way intended as a remake - it was meant to be 'back to basics' thus light on plot, but key details obviously exist to move it into new territory such as the dhampir bit, the grave in the intro clearly being designed after Simon's quests ending (please do try to ignore that obvious one) The first stage is built to resemble a destroyed version of the mansions from cv2. I could go on but I am talking to a member of a fan base that can't even see colours right since they all think blonde Conan Simon existed before x68k. So it's probably pointless. The author of the jp novel did indeed want to make his own story with no connection to the original and got all annoyed about it but his novel is clearly a sequel to the game as it was published as such and indeed follows on from implications within scv4 itself and retains Simon as a dhampir and the 100 year cycle despite numerous retconning done to the Belmonts and Dracula. Finally Los has far more to do with the original castlevania series and characters than the sorrow games, OoE, CotM, LoI, PoR, so on. The only IGA games that really truly feel like they're even trying to continue Castlevania are HoD and CoD. Though HoD gets far closer in tone and style than CoD which feels far more like everything else IGA turned the series into.
It's totally fine liking IGA's games more than the others but trying to pretend like his series was more CV like than LoS or just blindly agreeing with latter day history rewriting simply because it's become the popular viewpoint is ridiculous.
@shadowshinobi06 I get what you're saying but no it is not a remake and never was. The title change to just akumajou Dracula is trivial since as you say haunted castle had done the same (haunted castle's place narritavely is nebulous at best I would say non canon spin off by default though elements of the selena idea found their way into much of the castlevania expanded media and were directly connected at times to the mysterious woman from cv2 throughout the 80s/90s much of this actually came from the cv1 jp gamebook however) furthermore considering they did not title cv3 as the third entry in Japan titling scv4 as the third or fourth would have been a little silly and confusing when they were trying to go back to basics.
@shadowshinobi06 I'm well aware - in marketing cv3 in Japan as more of an offshoot it'd make little sense to title scv4 in Japan as a numbered entry seeing as the last numbered entry would have been in 1987 and this was 1991 with 1 console game 1 arcade game and 2 game boy games being released in between.
@Tom Ffrench you’re misinformed. Rondo was officially a spin off and non canon before IGA wrote the timeline in 2002. Scv4 was always considered a sequel by its creators and no not a “gameplay sequel” - that’s a term you made up.
I dunno, the entrance hall theme just reminds me 17th century aristocracy lol
i think it makes you feel like you're in a grand ballroom and i enjoy it quite well.
I thought the instrument of choice was a harpsichord or i suppose a pipe organ.
I feel I hear harpsichord many times.
i play this with a patch palette hack+Uncensored Patch+CV 1 & 3 Font and HUD+Hard mod
The limp whip shield...
As far as I can tell, the music really is a matter of taste. For instance I have never been to a hockey or baseball game, thus no track gave me that feeling of attending to a sports event.
Personnally I love most of Castlevania IV OST. I actually find the "weird" tracks atmospheric even if not exactly *memorable*.
Visually, I find the game uneven. But in another way, it gives the feeling of entering a crazy-world. I would no to as far as to say it was intended by the game's artists but it feels a bit like it. And the visual are a bit dated, I have to admit although they did not aged too bad.
The final thought of the video is correct: the game just "works", the sense of progression is satisfying. It really is journey, not an easy one for me, but one I want to play again.
You gonna do Dracula X next?
Not next, but it should be coming!
Epilepsy Warning 16:54 to 17:09. I'm not affected but Christ was that painful.
I play through this one every year or so and each time it feels longer, and not in a positive way. They really could have cut large portions of the trip to the castle without losing anything of value. Levels two and three in particular are pretty dang dull. It's still enjoyable, but wow did it need the video gaming equivalent of an editor.
When it comes to the eight-way whipping debate: Konami never did re-visit the concept. That's pretty strong ammunition for the naysayer camp, I think. A noble experiment, but a failed one.
I always felt this game was too long, but I miss the 8-directional whip and increased aerial mobility. The game may not have been Castlevania III hard, but it was still challenging.
@@stayskeptic3923 I strongly agree that the game was designed around old Simon, pretty much all the enemies are just graphically scaled up versions of their NES selves designed to be fought with the old whip, but with no changes made to account for Simon's improved abilities and are weaker to boot.
That's because back then they would add new features without ruining the things that work.
OH BOY Super Castlevania IV i like this game enough i think i've been spoiled by Rondo of Blood and Bloodlines (two of my favorites in the Classic series) and...by level B that level almost drove me insane my first time through but yeah it feels like a finale when the game doesn't decide to troll you with the stairs.....yeah i fell thanks to the stairs don't wanting me to advance. 5:13 Now i hate you more Kris first on Twitter now here what's wrong with you man XD nah jk. Level 8 what a nightmare that was and still is for me. I gotta say the game's soundtrack is atmospheric and yeah some tracks don't fit but others yeah they rock specially Simon and the elite trio theme god that theme is just delicious. You're the first person i know that likes Slogra (and the first one that didn't get cheap shot by his wonky hitbox) Gaibon yeah he's a joke and Death is easier than Slogra but yeah he puts a fight. Now that i've seen this video i have to try the whip as a Shield cause i've never thought that i can cheese the mini fireballs. And when you said cheap unfair and relentless hah i remembered Dracula X and stages 5 and 6.....kill me please. Well as always a great review and yeah this game is Super like the channel man 😉
Everybody i know says this is the best old-school castlevania. I don't like it because it's SOOOOOO EASY. There's no challenge at all. I can beat it without taking any damage
That’s seriously impressive, actually. Compared to older Castlevania games, it’s easier, but more fair. Every damage in SC4 is the player’s fault.
@@AkaiAzul i wish i could have beaten CV1 or CV3 without getting hit. It might be possible but why bother?
@@blarg917 It's certainly possible, but I like having hair on my head more.
Best music in the series hands down
No way you can use the whip as a shield ??
The best Castlevania.
I agree with the music being not as good for the most part. All my friends loved this game more than the NES ones, when I was a kid, but I always thought the NES ones were better and I still love the NES Castlevania games the most. All of them are good, of course, but the NES ones are the best.
For a sec I was like "another one? Dang, you're fast."
Did you ever find the homeless ghost and his dog?
urbanesmala don’t hurt the puppy!
Castlevania 4 is a masterpiece
Can you look at rain world🐌
It looks charming AF, but sadly I do not own a PS4 :(
I too felt the graphics were a tad too colorful. A bit too whimsical for the game's theme.
Still one of the greatest 2D games ever.
Best Castlevania game!
This game looks really good on the SNES it is overlooked in my opinion.
bump for do sotn through handhelds or else
Haha :) I believe Retropolis Zone will have you covered on that front beginning in late January.
I think the game is amazing.
Dude, are you trying to set a world record for most uses of the word "one" in a single video? 🤣
This game the first time I played it seemed slow and tiring, but as you progress it improves, although I think it is a very overrated game, I think Castlevania Bloodlines is better even Castlevania Dracula X has better things but that game is also very slow and hard. Of course these are games that came out several years after Super Castlevania IV, although I must admit that some levels and bosses I liked in this game, but it is not the type of game to play any day but you need a particular state of mind to play this Title.
For me the best Castlevania are Symphony of the night and Aria of Sorrow and on the 8 bits and 16 bits era I would choose
1)Rondo of blood,
2)Bloodlines
3)Super Castlevania IV.
4)Castlevania 3
5)Castlevania
6)Castlevania 2
I don't really care much for this game, the music is just not good enough and i don't like the ridiculous amounts of censored stuff on the western version.
Super awesome! Too bad the absolutely killer score wasn't to your taste.
very detailed content. i too think castlevania 4 looks like shit BUT like you said, the game is amazing in every other part even the music which I think is some of the best on the SNES
Couldn't disagree more.on the OST. The dungeon, the library, the forest, wow wonderful music. And doesn't have any of that garbage cheesy speech of SOTN. Absolutely wonderful atmospheric tunes, the music on the way to Dracula, so so good.
Super Castlevania 4 great graphics and music overall, great controls, but very easy for my taste. The only hard spot that I have some issues is at stage 8-2 (9:11 in video). It is very easy and a simple game and i don't like it