Super Castlevania IV
Encyclopedia
Super Castlevania IV, known as in Japan, is a platform game developed and published by Konami
and the first Castlevania
game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
. The game was originally released in 1991 and later re-released on the Nintendo
Wii
's Virtual Console
in 2006. While Super Castlevania IV features the same plot and premise of the first Castlevania on the NES, it also has eleven new stages (five taking place outside of Dracula's castle), expanded play control, 16-bit
graphics featuring SNES Mode 7
, and a soundtrack featuring brand new pieces and remixes based on previous Castlevania music.
In comparison to its predecessors, Simon's ability to jump has also been expanded on. To a limited extent, Simon can now be controlled in the air. This opens up the possibility to dodge and maneuver away from danger. Simon can also climb stairs in mid-jump, as well as crouch while moving forward.
Like most Castlevania games, Simon can utilize sub-weapons and whip power-up
s. Sub-weapons are powered by hearts found in candles and slain enemies. Specifically, these sub-weapons include a dagger, cross-like boomerang, axe, holy water and pocket watch. Notably, the more powerful sub-weapons, such as the watch, require more hearts to use. Since the control pad is used to aim the whip, the R button is used to attack with sub weapons, rather than pressing up and the attack button. On the other hand, whip power-ups, which increase the strength and length of the whip, are automatic, usually found in candles and are not regulated by hearts.
Following the model set by the previous games, Super Castlevania IV employs the usage of many the series' recurring elements, such as moving platforms, pits with spikes, and stairs that one can traverse by pressing the Up or Down direction on the D-Pad
.
Unique to Super Castlevania IV' s level design is its connection with Simon's whip, the Vampire Killer whip. Occasionally, objects similar to door knockers will appear in the player's view, and the player must use Simon's whip to grab onto them and swing across pits to gain access to the next part of the stage. Simon is also able to adjust the length of the whip while swinging if the player uses the D-pad
accordingly.
The game took advantage of the SNES's then state-of-the-art technology to create levels which would have been impossible to render in the 8-bit NES version of the game; one level involves the player running across stationary blocks in the center of a giant, rotating, cylindrical room, while another involves the player being made to jump from platforms suspended from a pseudo-3D chandelier while the screen slowly flashes red and black.
Even though Super Castlevania IV is based on the original Castlevania, this game is more of an expansion. The original game offers six stages of Dracula's castle, as does Super Castlevania IV, which also includes five more stages leading up to the castle, for a total of eleven stages altogether.
Like previous entries in the series, the game's bestiary shows inspiration from American
horror movies, Eastern European folklore and Greek mythology
. Many of the more powerful monsters are reproductions of the Universal Monsters
, with Boris Karloff's depictions of Frankenstein's Monster
and The Mummy
serving as the bosses in two of the game's later levels. Some of the other monsters culled from classical depiction include Medusa
, The Grim Reaper and a Golem
.
) and "Bloody Tears" (from Simon's Quest), two themes that would eventually reappear in many more games. "Beginning", the song played on stage 1 from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
, is also present.
"Theme of Simon Belmont", now considered to be the character's trademark theme song, was played on the last stage in Castlevania Chronicles/Akumajō Dracula X68000
, the last half of the final stage in Castlevania: Bloodlines
, and as a secret music track in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
. The "Theme of Simon Belmont" victory fanfare, which was used in Super Castlevania IV whenever a crystal was obtained after defeating a boss, was also featured in Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
if one of the six children was rescued in Henry Mode.
for the Nintendo Famicom Disk System.
In the Japanese version of the game, there were crosses on top of some of the tombstones in the introduction. This was removed for the North American and PAL Region localizations to avoid religious controversies. The misspelled name "Dracura" (a case of Engrish
) is also clearly written (in Roman letters) on the tombstone in the Japanese version; this was replaced with an unreadable smudge in the Western versions.
As with many games
on the Super NES, there were censorship issues as well. The statues in stage 6, which were originally topless, were redrawn wearing tunics, although Medusa remains topless, but lacks nipples. Blood dripping from the ceilings as well as pools of blood in stage 8 were re-colored from red to green, effectively turning it into slime or acid, and blood dripped from the opening logo in the Japanese version of the game which resembled the original Akumajō Dracula title screen from the Family Computer Disk System.
gave the game four overall scores of 4.0, 4.0, 4.5 and 4.5 out of 5. Among several items, the magazine cited the game's graphics, music, and action sequences as positives. In 2006, the game was then named by Nintendo Power as the 66th best game made on a Nintendo system.
Official Nintendo Magazine placed the game at 56 on their list of the 100 best Nintendo games ever.
Aside from Nintendo Power
, in 1994, the game was reviewed by Sandy Petersen
in Dragon
#209's "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
and the first Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. The game was originally released in 1991 and later re-released on the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in 2006. While Super Castlevania IV features the same plot and premise of the first Castlevania on the NES, it also has eleven new stages (five taking place outside of Dracula's castle), expanded play control, 16-bit
History of video game consoles (fourth generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of Nippon Electric Company's PC Engine...
graphics featuring SNES Mode 7
Mode 7
Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the Super NES video game console that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled on a scanline-by-scanline basis to create many different effects. The most famous of these effects this can create is the application of a perspective effect on a background layer...
, and a soundtrack featuring brand new pieces and remixes based on previous Castlevania music.
Gameplay
The control scheme has been expanded upon from its predecessors. This includes the ability for the main character, Simon Belmont, to whip in eight directions. Additionally, Simon can also keep his whip held out. Players can get Simon to hold out his whip by holding the attack button. This feature allows Simon to swing his whip around and in effect, more easily block enemy projectiles or rapidly hit enemies with minor damage. Lastly, Simon can also latch his whip onto grappling points, letting him swing over various obstacles.In comparison to its predecessors, Simon's ability to jump has also been expanded on. To a limited extent, Simon can now be controlled in the air. This opens up the possibility to dodge and maneuver away from danger. Simon can also climb stairs in mid-jump, as well as crouch while moving forward.
Like most Castlevania games, Simon can utilize sub-weapons and whip power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s. Sub-weapons are powered by hearts found in candles and slain enemies. Specifically, these sub-weapons include a dagger, cross-like boomerang, axe, holy water and pocket watch. Notably, the more powerful sub-weapons, such as the watch, require more hearts to use. Since the control pad is used to aim the whip, the R button is used to attack with sub weapons, rather than pressing up and the attack button. On the other hand, whip power-ups, which increase the strength and length of the whip, are automatic, usually found in candles and are not regulated by hearts.
Following the model set by the previous games, Super Castlevania IV employs the usage of many the series' recurring elements, such as moving platforms, pits with spikes, and stairs that one can traverse by pressing the Up or Down direction on the D-Pad
D-pad
A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones...
.
Unique to Super Castlevania IV
D-pad
A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones...
accordingly.
The game took advantage of the SNES's then state-of-the-art technology to create levels which would have been impossible to render in the 8-bit NES version of the game; one level involves the player running across stationary blocks in the center of a giant, rotating, cylindrical room, while another involves the player being made to jump from platforms suspended from a pseudo-3D chandelier while the screen slowly flashes red and black.
Even though Super Castlevania IV is based on the original Castlevania, this game is more of an expansion. The original game offers six stages of Dracula's castle, as does Super Castlevania IV, which also includes five more stages leading up to the castle, for a total of eleven stages altogether.
Like previous entries in the series, the game's bestiary shows inspiration from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
horror movies, Eastern European folklore and Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. Many of the more powerful monsters are reproductions of the Universal Monsters
Universal Monsters
Universal Monsters or Universal Horror is the name given to a series of distinctive horror, suspense and science fiction films made by Universal Studios from 1923 to 1960...
, with Boris Karloff's depictions of Frankenstein's Monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
and The Mummy
The Mummy (1932 film)
The Mummy is a 1932 horror film from Universal Studios directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff as a revived ancient Egyptian priest. The movie also features Zita Johann, David Manners and Edward Van Sloan...
serving as the bosses in two of the game's later levels. Some of the other monsters culled from classical depiction include Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
, The Grim Reaper and a Golem
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
.
Audio
Super Castlevania IVs soundtrack includes remixes of songs from past games. These include "Vampire Killer" (from CastlevaniaCastlevania (video game)
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a console video game developed and published by Konami for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in September 1986. A year later, in May 1987 it was ported to cartridge format and released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System followed by a...
) and "Bloody Tears" (from Simon's Quest), two themes that would eventually reappear in many more games. "Beginning", the song played on stage 1 from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
-Reception and legacy:Nintendo Power listed it as the ninth best Nintendo Entertainment System video game, praising it for its strong improvements over previous entries in the series.A 1991 Captain N episode was based on this game....
, is also present.
"Theme of Simon Belmont", now considered to be the character's trademark theme song, was played on the last stage in Castlevania Chronicles/Akumajō Dracula X68000
Castlevania Chronicles
Castlevania Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a platform video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and released for the PlayStation video game console in 2001...
, the last half of the final stage in Castlevania: Bloodlines
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Castlevania: Bloodlines is the only Castlevania video game released on the Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed and published by Konami, and was first released in North America, on March 17, 1994. Its Japanese title is . This version featured a considerable amount of violence, with the American...
, and as a secret music track in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, known in Japan as , is an action video game developed and published by Konami. The game was released on November 16, 2006 in Japan, and in the US on December 5, 2006 for the Nintendo DS handheld game console...
. The "Theme of Simon Belmont" victory fanfare, which was used in Super Castlevania IV whenever a crystal was obtained after defeating a boss, was also featured in Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is a video game that was developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. It was first released in North America on November 30, 1999 and is a sequel to the first Castlevania game on the Nintendo 64, but also contains a remake of the original game with improved...
if one of the six children was rescued in Henry Mode.
Development
The North American and PAL Region localizations of the game contain some differences from the original Japanese version which is named Akumajō Dracula. The Japanese version of this game was named Akumajō Dracula because this game is another remake of the original Akumajō DraculaCastlevania (video game)
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a console video game developed and published by Konami for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in September 1986. A year later, in May 1987 it was ported to cartridge format and released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System followed by a...
for the Nintendo Famicom Disk System.
In the Japanese version of the game, there were crosses on top of some of the tombstones in the introduction. This was removed for the North American and PAL Region localizations to avoid religious controversies. The misspelled name "Dracura" (a case of Engrish
Engrish
refers to unusual forms of English language usage by native speakers of some East Asian languages. The term itself relates to Japanese speakers' tendency to inadvertently substitute the English phonemes "R" and "L" for one another, because the Japanese language has one alveolar consonant in place...
) is also clearly written (in Roman letters) on the tombstone in the Japanese version; this was replaced with an unreadable smudge in the Western versions.
As with many games
Video games censored by Nintendo of America
Nintendo of America has gained notoriety for its formerly strict ban policy, particularly with regard to video games bearing religious symbols , references to widely practiced religions, violence, profanity, death references, political propaganda, copyright issues and so forth...
on the Super NES, there were censorship issues as well. The statues in stage 6, which were originally topless, were redrawn wearing tunics, although Medusa remains topless, but lacks nipples. Blood dripping from the ceilings as well as pools of blood in stage 8 were re-colored from red to green, effectively turning it into slime or acid, and blood dripped from the opening logo in the Japanese version of the game which resembled the original Akumajō Dracula title screen from the Family Computer Disk System.
Critical reception
Upon Super Castlevania IV's North American release, the game was acclaimed by critics. Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
gave the game four overall scores of 4.0, 4.0, 4.5 and 4.5 out of 5. Among several items, the magazine cited the game's graphics, music, and action sequences as positives. In 2006, the game was then named by Nintendo Power as the 66th best game made on a Nintendo system.
Official Nintendo Magazine placed the game at 56 on their list of the 100 best Nintendo games ever.
Aside from Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, in 1994, the game was reviewed by Sandy Petersen
Sandy Petersen
Carl Sanford Joslyn Petersen is a game designer.Petersen was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended University of California, Berkeley, majoring in zoology....
in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#209's "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.