Super Castlevania IV

The setting of the game is none other than the old tale of good versus evil, with protagonist Simon Belmont readying his trusty whip to head off on a journey to despatch the villainous Dracula. And that is about it; 'simply' work your way through the hordes of minions along the way and break into Dracula's castle to meet him in a t

 

As for the way it actually plays, the game is more of a linear platform romp than the Metroid-esque adventure game you may be used to from recent outings on the GBA and Nintendo DS. But that is not to say things are for the worse in this old edition

 

Your character (none other than Simon Belmont himself) comes equipped with the standard whip that can be lashed out forwards, backwards, upwards and even diagonally and holding the attack button results in it falling limp, ready to be spun around by rotating the D-pad with your thumb to reach awkwardly placed enemies. But in addition to this, there are various sub-weapons (holy water bottles, spinning crosses, daggers and so on and so forth...) that can be used against the evil in your path. However, you need to be careful as these particular weapons can only be used in short supply, being restocked by slashing at candles strewn throughout levels and collecting the hearts that are dropped (either that or new weapons are actually dropped).

 

And going back to the whip for a moment, it can be used to navigate your way round the cleverly structured levels (that include 3D rotating sections later on as well!). For example, there are instances where you simply cannot make the required jump from platform to the next. However, look around and you will likely see a hook that your whip can latch onto in order to swing Belmont across the void to safety. Aspects such as this help to make the adventure rip-roaringly fun and ensure the game retains its classic status well over a decade after its original release.