 That is how Super Castlevania IV opens. This is an example of a game where the simplicity of the 16-bit era plays in a game's favor. If this game were made today, no doubt you'd have state-of-the-art fancy-ass 3D cutscenes with stylish-looking characters posing for the camera, but in 1991 we got one single still shot of a tombstone that gets struck by lightning. Dracula is released, the music plays, and the fog slowly rolls in as the story is introduced. It's efficient, it's effective, and it's brilliant. This game first and foremost is all about presentation, setting a mood and creating an atmosphere. Games like Mario or Star Fox or Contra are your classic pick-up-and-play style games, where the substance is mostly in the gameplay. Super Castlevania IV is different. It's a game that creates a world where you just want to hang out for a while because, thanks to the music and the art style, it's just so absorbing and captivating. And let's be honest, it's just plain frickin' cool. Super Metroid is kinda like that too, but there's a certain weight to the Castlevania universe, a certain heaviness to it. This game is like a song you only listen to when the mood strikes. You don't listen to it all the time, but when the time is right on a rainy day, you just gotta hear it. Now, under the gameplay itself, Super Castlevania IV is a tough game to rate objectively when it comes to that, because when it comes down to the controls, you either love them or hate them. The game is either uniquely challenging or unfair and frustrating, and that, beyond all the bells and whistles, is what's gonna shape your opinion of this game. Super Castlevania IV is a platformer, so the immediate temptation is to rock it right through each level as quickly as possible with no regard for anything. If this is your approach to this game, then yes, it's almost a guarantee you will hate the controls, but if you're patient and careful as this game demands you to be, you'll probably get along just fine. A big point of contention for many people is Simon involuntarily jumping backwards every time he's hit. Many people have a bone to pick with this quirk, and it's hard to fault them at times, but I can't hate on the game for that. There's an easy solution, obviously. Don't get hit. I know that's kind of a dick response, but I mean, you know, I'm not saying it's possible to go through the entire game without getting hit, but again, if you're calculated and deliberate instead of going all Rambo like you're playing Super Mario World, you should manage okay. And that's because the game is so well balanced, and by balanced I mean everything has an equal pace. The level design fits Simon's range of motion well, and believe me, his range of motion is a lot. He can whip in eight directions, and even do kind of a grade school spaz attack with the whip too, which is always amusing. You also get an additional weapon, and you can even control Simon when he's in the air. The criticism that's a little tougher to address is the fact that the later levels of this game are just a remake of the first Castlevania game. I guess that's both pretty cool and kind of a letdown at the same time. I get why somebody would be bummed out at that. Seems like a missed opportunity. Anyway, one thing I can comfortably say objectively is that Super Castlevania IV has such great music. I know I say that about a lot of Super Nintendo games, but between Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy VI, and Super Metroid, I think the Super Castlevania IV soundtrack is just as good, if not better, than all of those games. It really is that good. One level after another, the music is beautiful, creepy, chilling, inspiring. I could go on and on. Even the piece of music that plays between levels is really cool. So yeah, does Super Castlevania IV live up to its reputation? It absolutely does, because it's a game that's not only capable of creating such a rich, detailed atmosphere, it creates a world where you just want to hang out and experience. Every level looks and feels totally different from the library, to the torture chamber, to the treasure room, to this weird, creepy ballroom where these dancing ghosts hang out. Put all the pieces together, the atmosphere, the art style, the music, the backgrounds, the uniqueness of each level, and the amount of control. And Super Castlevania IV is one of the 10 best games on the Super Nintendo.