When I was in elementary school, fantasizing about the long distant day when the Super Nintendo would become a reality, Super Castlevania IV was one of those games that kept me up at night with anticipation. I saw pictures in magazines, but I really didn’t believe any game, on any system, could look anywhere near that good.But it did. It may seem old-fashioned now, but when it came out in late 1991 it was a showpiece game for the Super Nintendo. Some of the extra graphical touches are a little gratuitous—I’ve yet to figure out exactly what I’m inside when the room is spinning like a barrel in the fourth level. It looks cool, but that’s about it. No matter what you think of the some of the graphical bells and whistles, there’s no question that this game is visually leaps and bounds ahead of the NES games. The transition from 8-bit to 16-bit was as revolutionary in its time as the change from 2D to 3D gaming would be a few years later, and one need look no further than Super Castlevania IV for evidence.
It remains unclear exactly what the storyline of this game was supposed to be, but most agree that it is essentially a remake and expansion of the first game. You again play as Simon Belmont on a quest to kill Dracula. This time Simon’s hair is brown both in the game and on the box, plus he’s upgraded his wardrobe to a suit of stylish black armor. For some reason, instead of leg armor he wears a very short armored skirt, but we can forgive him. I guess fighting Dracula requires a lot of flexibility. Thanks to the Super Nintendo’s power the new Simon is also several times taller than his NES incarnation. He actually looks like a human being, his animation is much improved, and he moves less like a bag of rocks. Outside of Simon the game sports great new graphical touches all over. From the ghostly horses in the background of stable level to the eerie dining tables in the first level of Dracula’s castle, the designers put in so many little flourishes that you’ll be noticing something new on every playthrough.
Like the very first Castlevania, this game is completely linear, though like Castlevania II and III some of the stages take place outside of the castle itself. If losing the freedom of Castlevania II and the choices and companions from Castlevania III seems like a step back for the series, Castlevania IV makes up for it with absolutely stellar side scrolling action. This is the only Castlevania game ever where Simon’s whip actually works like a whip instead of just a long stick. You can attack with the whip in any direction, and even, in some instances, swing from it like Indiana Jones (though why Dracula would fill his castle with objects specifically designed for whip swinging is beyond me). All this versatility makes the game slightly easier than the NES classics, but there are still plenty of opportunities for the gnashing of teeth.
Enemy design really shines in Castlevania IV as well, once again owing to the Super Nintendo’s improved capabilities. By this time it was finally possible to have giant bosses that take up the entire screen, and some of the boss monsters, like the giant golem and the twin sea serpents, are particularly memorable. I personally enjoy the bizarre creepiness of the dancing ghosts at the end of level 6. There’s something about a ghostly couple who are equally intent on dancing as they are on murdering the player that’s very effective. Only Dracula himself is a little disappointing. After so many innovative bosses, the fight with Dracula, who has essentially one form (he even gives you life, for the love of God!) is pretty anticlimactic, as is the overused “collapsing castle” ending. At least in Castlevania II and III we got a little bit of badly translated text to go with the scene.Last but not least, special mention goes to the music. The Super Nintendo’s music chip was one of the big reasons it finally won out against the Genesis, and with the already stellar tunes of Castlevania the system really delivered. “Vampire Killer,” “Bloody Tears,” and “The Beginning” from the previous three games all make their triumphant return here, each one more fleshed out and powerful than ever before. In addition there are plenty of new tracks, each one just right for the level. The standout from this game is probably “Simon’s Theme”—it accompanies the very first level, and puts one in the mood for some cheesy Universal Monster slaying adventures.
Castlevania IV is one of the best games for Super Nintendo, but it was the end of an era. Soon the popular series would go off in a new direction once more, and these classic action games of the past would be forgotten.
To be concluded. . .
No comments:
Post a Comment