Review: Super Castlevania 4

Dracula is about to get OWNED!!!

Now, as my name suggest, I am a HUGE SEGA fan. But, close to SEGA is Konami. Lets face it, Konami is awesome. I mean Metal Gear and Contra are just to name a few great franchises that Konami made. But my personal favorite has got to be Castlevania.

Castlevania added two things that I love. Action and Horror. From the NES days to today, Konami has made a bunch of awesome Castlevania games. Castlevania 1 and 3, Rondo of Blood, Bloodlines, and of course, Symphony of The Night. So, you may be asking, what is my favorite Castlevania game. Well, if you looked at the title screen, you may have already guessed what it is. Thats right, Super Castlevania 4 for the SNES.

Lets start with the plot. This game is actually a remake of the first game. So the plots the same. Its basically you are Simon Belmont and your duty is to stop Dracula from taking control of the land. So yeah, the plots not all that deep, but do you really care about the plot? No. All you care about is the game itself. And boy did it deliver.

So, why is this my favorite in the series? Where should I begin? Lets start out with the graphics. Lets just put it plain and simple, the graphics are AWESOME. The enemies look great, the backgrounds look amazing, and the explosions look really cool. This game looks really good even to this day. For me, it's one of the best looking games on the system.

How about the music? Oh boy. This is some top notch material right here. From the opening song till the end, its just straight up classic. The soundtrack is again a remix of the first games sound track. The sound effects are really good too. The sound effects when you hit an enemy is really good. So, no complaints on the sound.

How about the controls? One word, solid. One of my main problems with the NES games is that the controls are pretty stiff and the jump also feels kinda tight. Every time I died, it would feel cheap. But here, the jump mechanics is better and you can actually control your guy mid jump. So when I died, I felt like it was my fault and was to hasty in my judgement. So controls, no problem here.

But the most important part of any game is the gameplay and this is where the game really shines. Even though its a remake of the first game, it feels fresh and new. Plus it has more stages, which is always a good thing. Its just plain and simple. Go from poin A to point B fighting enemies, and facing a boss at the end. Its not like SOTN where you go all over the place like Metroid, but more of a Mega Man feel to it. You use a whip and you can attack enemies in eight direction. You can also moonwalk on the stairs ( im not make in it up, try it for yourself.)

So, what do we have? An ok plot, awesome graphics, tight controls, solid music, and amazing gameplay. Well, this is a recipe for a great game. If you have a Super Nintendo, do yourself a favor and go pick this one up. You will not be dissapointed. Buy it now.

OVERALL:

9.5/10

Comments

I just bought the game again recently and its just as awesome as I remember it. To me, the music will always take me back to my childhood. Its up there for best game soundchecks. Great read.

Lords Of shadow was pretty good.I prefer the classics of course but check it out if you got a 360.

forgot to mention, in the dracula x chronicles version, whatever music you unlock you can use them in the "sound arrange" mode and put whatever music from dracula x chronicles, rondo of blood, or symphony of the night on any level so you can hear them while you play. pretty nifty

All this talk of Rondo made me install it on my Wii VC. Good fun. Rondo is one of those games that, even in Japanese, is still immersing and fun.

Thanks for the incredibly detailed info Clockworkengine!

Hmmm, why do I get the feeling that Rondo is going to be my 2nd favorite Castlevania game hehe...Yet I doubt it's going to surpass my experience and mad love for SCIV. ;p

Anyways, I'm going to give Rondo a go after I'm done with Kirby's Super Star Ultra for the DS. And really, am I the only one who lights candles at night whenever they experience a Castlevania game for the first time?lol It's a must! ;D

lol... 97 comments and most of them arguments...

the "choo choo award"? well i did watch a bit of thomas the tank engine during my childhood, so i guess it makes sense. but the derailment does not. because what's the use of having the award if the train is going off of the rails?

Congratulations Maniac, you're helping D-rail this article by pointlessly commenting on our comments.

I love it when people talk about derailment all while contributing non-relevant information. Information from a corrupted source is useless to me.

Congratulations Sega, you have officially been D-railed. Clockwork, Ben, and RJ have taken your article (good, bad, or indifferent) and turned it into a worn out arguement on what makes a good article. I think the review was good. I like pictures. I am a guy and well pictures make more sense to me. I am simple to say the least. But you did a good job on the review. But congrats on the D-railment. You get a thumbs up, and these three get the choo-choo award.

@WaveBoy

i think super castlevania IV's music sounds more atmospheric, however with rondo of blood it has cd quality and certainly has some late 80's-early 90's bass and music synthesizer tunes to them, though when you're in the room before the boss, the music doesn't come from the come from the cd but the game itself. weird. but it does offer a great challenge, if not frustrating at times. but as clockworkengine said, playing as maria makes the game smooth sailing. it's kind of like in megaman x4, in megaman's game, it offers a decent challenge, but when you're playing as zero, it's much more difficult

Here's a little mid-retro moment:
Way back before the advent of broadband, the only way to get Rondo playing on an emulator was to collect the individual files that made up the disc from varying places on the net, then make a cue sheet for the files, compile the iso, and only THEN burn the disc. I can't tell you how many coasters I made during that quest, not really knowing anything about iso's or cue sheets yet. It was a nightmare! The day I finally succeeded me and my friends had a jockish sounding but deeply nerdy football-player-motivational-shouting-match.

Rondo of Blood's vibe is strictly japanese. From Maria's subweapons (cute zodiac animals) to the hand-drawn anime cutscenes throughout. The graphics are somewhere between 8 and 16 bit, but the detail applied to the graphics makes up for the lack of raw power in the TG16. Still, the graphics could be considered moderately simplistic. There are no rotating rooms or 3D scaling effects to be found, or any interactive backgrounds (like CVIV's fence), and sometimes the colors are a bit washed out.
The music is, I'm happy to report, nothing short of spectacular. The primary advantage of the CD format is the enabled use of real instruments and synths, and Rondo takes full advantage. Think about the Symphony soundtrack, and realize that it was much different from your typical castlevania soundtrack in terms of song arrangement and structure. Rondo's music by comparison is definitely classic Castlevania, if a little embellished at times with glamorous synth channels that sound a little too uppity to be in with such a dark musical style.
The gameplay is where this game shines above most previous Castlevania titles. You start as Richter Belmont, and you must infiltrate Dracula's castle and rescue your girl Annette. While there, Richter meets other imprisoned girls/women when he discovers their respective hidden prison rooms. To do so, Richter must find a key in the level (by slashing the right candle). He must carry these keys, which replaces whatever special weapon he is carrying and sits inert in the weapon slot until used, without dying through branching levels until he finds the door. Maria, the second character, is unlocked in this fashion. When you get her, the game becomes much more fun. She can triple jump (changing direction anytime mid-air), run faster, shoot free (and powerful) projectiles that return for double damage all while running. She also has ridiculous subweapons that deal massive damage.
The keys Richter and Maria find throughout the castle also unlock secret exits which lead to alternate levels. There is a web of levels that you must explore thoroughly to unlock more, like Super Mario World or Star Fox 64. Or Castlevania III, except you must find secret exits to get to different levels. Additionally, each exit has a unique boss for the most part, so in effect, each level as two to three different possible bosses to face. Crazy!

You'll have fun playing the game, believe me. In the first level alone the fun begins. You have to walk through a town from Castlevania II (nostalgic even in it's own time) while the place burns down. You can break down a wall revealing a secret passage that leads to an optional boss and a different level 2. The game keeps track of your progress for both characters individually, and you can visit any level you've discovered at anytime to attempt to explore and find that secret exit or hidden item.

Ok, is that enough information? Now you've got to play the game!

That's the only thinkg that bugged me about CVIII: Dracula's Curse, which was the "pick a path" none linear gameplay. Because no matter what when you beat the game there will be a few levels you missed out on because of it, not to mention depending on what path you picked you could of missed out on playing as a certain character, or playing as them at different times.

I know that offers solid replay value, but to me it's just annoying. CVIII is also tough as nails, and as much as much as I love challenging games, CVIII isn't the type no matter how good you are that you can blaze through considering it's a tad slow. It's still one ofthe best Castlevania games, but I doubt I'll ever pick it up again and try to finish it again. Yet i 'would' play SCIV, I and ReBirth again.

By the way, how does Rondo of Blood's atmosphere and music stack up against SCIV's?

i'm more than happy to have dracula x chronicles. the rondo remake feels out of place in terms of trying to be like the original, so i'm glad that you can unlock and play the original rondo as well as symphony of the night

The best part about Rondo is Maria and her awesome play control and devastating sub-weapons. It's an awesome game that takes the "pick a path" style of CVIII: Dracula's Curse to a whole new level.

And RetroJerk, wash that Blood off your face, Halloween is over.lol
*Says the guy with the spooky Halloween Colgate Tooth Paste Avatar. ;p

Time to deck the halls, and throw on a christmas hat!

I still need to give Rondo of Blood on The Wii's Virtual Console a go, and of course Bloodlines for the Genesis. As for Lord of Shadows, I'll pass. I'm not into 3D beat em ups....If it's anything like God of War(more like god of bore) than it's a big fat giant no. Devil May Cry at least involves skill and doesn't come off like some retard button masher, but even that franchise doesn't quite do it for me, it's just not my cup of tea.

And I'm just too into my Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is up next, can't wait! hehe. Along with Kirby's Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Golden Eye 007!

And as for Metroidvania, as much as I love metroid I much prefer the classic styled castlevania games. SCIV is easily my favorite, while I and III

racula's Curse are a tie, II: Simon's Quest had a killer soundtrack and some solid atmosphere...But like many have already said, it's easily the worst if you ask me. ReBirth was a fun one, but it could of been alittle longer and the stage design patterns got alittle repetitive. Yet the boss battles were fantastic and I loved a few of the soundtrack remixes. But really, it's all about the dangling whip mechanic and SCIV's is the only one that has it. ;p

And Retrojerk, I loved mega man 9...Such an amazimg experience, even besting MM2 in ways and it felt like a true successor or companion to MM2. It totaly made me feel like I was 6 all over again. Talk about a sugar coated radical nostalgiac-like kick to the face! ;D But I gotta say, MM10 was dissapointing.

And how's Rondo of Blood by the way? it gets such high praise from most Castlevani freaks.

Heh heh, as you said way way earlier, these are different times. We come from a simpler time, Jerk. Now if there aren't kamehamehas and huge giants and effeminate protagonists a game may be overlooked.

I probably wont play it until its in the discount bin. It doesnt look like anything new to me. I dont understand why they cant just make an accurate 3d version of castlevania that reflects the old series that everyone loved. This one looks like they threw in a bunch of artsy fartsy extra stuff when all i want to see is Simon fighting against frankenstein monsters, mummies and medusa heads.

I was hoping you could tell me... I haven't played it either!

Not yet, sort of looks like god of war/devil may cry. How is it?

Did you play that new one? Uh, Lords of Shadow?

Although I think that side scrolling is a huge step in the right direction for the series (with rebirth) I still want that 16 bit artwork style from super cv4.

I like to consider the Metroidvania games true Castlevania titles. The reason is Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. It was only the second game in the NES series (a series which I believe put Castlevania on the map), and it was very similar to today's Metroidvania titles, albeit much more crude.

Unlike James Rolfe, I love Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. What a horrible night to have a curse.

Regarding Castlevania V, a version of Rondo was released on the SNES which I guess is Castlevania V. There's also Castlevania: Adventure Rebirth on the Wii VC if you've got one. It's the true classic Castlevania experience.

or possibly a final fantasy XVIII

super castlevania IV was a groundbreaking game for me. it seemed at the time that a lot of early snes titles had to show off the mode 7 effects, but the way the levels are mapped out are great, and the diagonal whip attack is pretty nifty

Yes clockwork I crack myself up too. You know I love those titles as well but are they true castlevania games? Or just spin offs? Wouldnt it be great if konami came out with a castlevania 5 sort of like megaman 9 and 10?

Lol, retrojerk you really crack me up sometimes. Touche'!
I really love the game. It isn't my favorite, but only because I love the Metroidvania titles the most. It is my favorite level based Castlevania game though.

jeez people, face it. some people like pictures, some people think it is not important. I think we can all live with that? (besides the fact that we are CURSING at each other!!!) *sigh* I agree with retrojerk's last comment.

Judging by your persistence you obviously do not. This game is great, its the best castlevania and its a work of art in both sound and vision. I'd love to see some pictures of it so I guess ill go to some other site to check that out.

go ahead

Can we talk about the game now? I bore easily, I'm afraid.

i ended the argument that I never started? I have never once said my opinion is better than anyone else EVER! YOU are the one who said my opinion was crap and that im an idiot who doesnt know what hes talking about. You sir are the douche or bags.

Good, then I'm done arguing because you just finished the argument for me.
Your opinion is valid. But no more valid than anyone else's on the site. Including the author of this article whose opinion did not include the use of pictures. End of the thing.

So c'mon. Call me more names, genius, lol!

I have never criticized anyone on english or punctuation EVER. My comment was that this article was too short and that it needed pictures. Do you disagree?

Looks like im not done after all, guess we're both liars now. I dont have to have an english degree to know what is good and what is bad. These are only comments and they are usually made quickly and without much thought into composition considering they are not supposed to be judged by others, unlike the articles here. I have never once stated that my opinion is more important than anyone elses, but my opinion is just as valid as any other person on the site and you nor anybody else can invalidate my opinion. And thinking that you can is what makes you an idiot.

The funniest thing is that you just don't get my entire argument:
You've got so much 'advice' to magnanimously offer, but I can clearly see that you don't have knowledge at all. That's why I called you out on your quotations and your gut-busting misuse of the word 'paraphras(ing)'. To demonstrate that you don't even know what you're talking about!!!

The truth is, I couldn't care less if you use proper English or not. But if you can't, don't criticize someone else's work. It's that simple, mate.

I argue to demonstrate to everyone that you don't have any knowledge from which to base your 'article reviews'. You don't know what paraphrasing is, nor can you use proper English. It's laughable that you should feel capable of reviewing a turd sandwich, much less a work of literature. You must be literate to understand literature. And you call me an idiot, lol.

Nah sorry Ben, I'm done with this idiot. I dont know why but every single time someone has a problem with my criticism they end up attacking me personally. Why cant people just let my opinions speak for themselves without trying to discredit ME personally? I simply said that this article needs pictures and I end up having to defend my use of paraphrasing? How did we end up there? What does that have to do with pictures in an article? Why do you guys always say I should be ignored yet you end up arguing with me for days about pointless things like quotation marks? Who shot John F Kennedy? These are all mysteries that even Robert Stack would have trouble solving.

Well you sure remind me of a high school kid. Retrojerk, lol.

uhhh no... i graduated in the same year that i joined the site.

sheesh, retrojerk did a much better job at handling you than i did. i'll let him handle the rest, since you assume so much bullcrap from others

You really cling to the seniority thing, huh? That tells me that you're probably a high school student or something with seniority in very few situations...

I've read most articles on this site. I've seen plenty with pictures and plenty without. If pictureless articles were forbidden, they would not be approved. THAT is a fact.
So once again, you just think you know.

thinking, no, knowing, yes. going back to articles from the back pages, people won't just post a usual comment, they'll say what could have been done in the article and point out the problems with it. it's not an opinion, it's a fact, just as long as you went into the back page section and observe each post that those have made on them. the more newbie members will accept the article for what it is, but anyone who's been here for more than a couple of years is sure to know how articles are to be done on this site. MrNostalgia and WaveBoy said in the most sincere way that articles need pictures, so you're the one who's taking the so-called "ignorance"

No, I realize that people think it is. A million wrongs don't make a right, and neither does mass ignorance. If everyone wants to view the comments box as an invitation to offer Siskel and Ebert's amateur retro article services no one asked for, then so be it. I won't complain any further.

but you just said "everyone's a critic". before you were babbling about the comments box not being about typing critiques or reviews. so now you understand that the comments box isn't just for typing comments in general

What's not to understand? I feel the same way you do. I just don't believe in critiquing every article I read, get me?

well, at least you finally understand the critiquing part. it's your deal with no pictures that baffles me

Thanks for getting involved. I'm glad you came down to my level to tell me I was being bad.

So what if people don't like it when I stand up for what I believe? What you call bloody babble is someone calling people on thinking they should format others' articles. I believe people should respect others' uniquity. I believe pictures>no pictures too but not everyone will agree with that. Hey, everyone's a critic.

enough of this bloody babble.
Like most will agree the article would of benifited by using pictures, 'like' any other article. You two won't seem to give up with your arguements, it's never ending. It's not the end of the world, just relax.

Pictures > No pictures

Just give each other alittle retro kissy kiss and make up.

I agree it could have used some pictures.Like that beginning cut scene where Draculas grave is hit by lightning would have been sweet.Seems a lot of people take stuff too seriously on this site, everybody got their own opinion no use arguing over it but I don't really give a crap either.

Sigh, these comment boxes aren't for reviews. They're for comments. Especially not from someone who doesn't even know what paraphrasing is but tries to look knowledgeable by using the term. That makes you look utterly stupid. To me, anyway. I don't know about everyone else.

The Shooter said it best.

I don't really expect perfection. I'm just demonstrating to you what it's like to have your output judged by others. You love to dish it out but you can't seem to take it.

Well you see clockwork, you're judging me on my grammar and what not but im not creating comments for public showcase and review. You dont want me to take articles so serious? Then stop expecting perfection from my comments.

I really don't understand a lot of you guys. So many people on this site seem to be so quick to jump on others because of things like grammar, the way they format their articles and their writing styles.

Did I miss something, somewhere? Is this site this site a nationally published magazine or something? No? Is it a site meant for a collection of college level thesises about expounding on the wonders of Teddy Ruxpin and The Snorks? No? Is this a site meant to judge people on their grasp of the english language? No?

Is it supposed to be a fun place for people to come to, to reminisce with others about childhood memories and escape from the sometimes drab realities of life for a while? Last time I checked, yes.

You guys seem to have become so preoccupied along the way with stuff - that, in context let's face it is kind of rediculious - that you seem to be missing what I thought was the entire point of this site.

You take all the fun out of it when you make people feel intimidated to write something about a darn toy or cartoon or something just because their writing skills may not be up to your preconceived expectations.

Long story short - loosen up a little, already. It's a fan site mostly devoted to kids stuff.

@clockworkengine A game review generally requires pictures of some sort. This article wouldn't have been as bad if it had been twice as long with a few shabby pictures here and there. Super Castlevania 4 is a game of legendary status... one would think that it deserves to be reviewed with a few more sentences. The article isn't terrible but it could be improved however. I really don't think this is something you should lose your head over so lets all calm down.

If he adds more pictures and a little more text there wouldn't be so many critical responses.

I don't know what the creator of this website knows, I just know what I know. Articles consist of words, and pictures are optional. If you disagree with that then that's your problem. I'll just cope with people thinking they're professional literature critics when they don't even know what paraphrasing is, or the proper way to use the English language. Look to yourself before you criticize others.

Pictures are a must, especially for Retro Junk articles...They're needed to remind us of the awesome memories and nostalgia and they help break up text. Just having color in an article helps. No pictures makes me feel like an un-nostalgiac panda indeed.

Well twinkie, its pretty surprising that many people arent using pictures these days considering on the writer's corner page Vertex says "-Use lots of pictures, readers like to have a visual aid as they read about something." But then again what does he know? He only made this site.

I've never played this game, so without pictures, this article doesn't leave an impression with me. Like someone said above, how do you write a video game article without a single picture? I could probably say the same thing, and just replace "a single picture" with "proper punctuation and grammar." Two strikes.

Good review and an amazing game.
You might want to add some pics though.

Nice review, 9.5 is a great score for this game.
Its my Top 10 favourite games of all time.

Aww, arent you smart? I know what paraphrasing is Mr.English teacher its a restatement of a text in different words, often to clarify meaning. Hows this for quotation? "It is an amateur forum, and I mean that technically and not insultingly. Just because you posted a few highschool level articles on this site doesn't qualify you to judge every article ever posted on here." Same gos for comments pal. Practice what you preach. I wasnt critiquing the article for form and format I was critiquing it on content. By the way, I thought you were leaving hypocrite/liar/douchebaggins.

Well if you don't know how to paraphrase, don't use the term.
I don't know about you, but I generally speak from knowledge. For instance, when you use quotation marks, you must use brackets if you wish to make the statement fit into the sentence. I'm sorry, my mistake. I figured that since you're so ready to critique writing and articles for form and format that you knew what you were talking about, so I mistakenly assumed you knew actual terminology rather than just nonsensically blathering off realistic sounding terms to sound knowledgeable when you're actually not. So yes, you misquoted me three times, though in your ignorance you were only trying to "paraphrase" my statement.

"[Hey!]

shit got real, yo

My jerkdom knows no limits because it has no limits! Bwahahaha!

I wouldn't say you were a jerk, you just don't seem to know your own limitations, which is a little worse.

I thought you quit. So you're a liar too?

I was paraphrasing not misquoting. Your basic message was "hey ignore these guys" so that's what I said. Im sorry if I hurt your feelings, Im a bit a jerk.

And who are you to talk about class? Calling names when you can't win an argument? That is what I call a complete lack of class, and being a sore loser at that.

That is the second time you grossly misquoted me. You are not qualified to make any kind of critical analysis. Name calling and grandstanding are useless so quit it.

^ I mean overtly critical WITH comments. Give me a break im tired.

Second exodus gets a thumbs up from me, you disagree with me yet handle it with class. Kudos to you sir.

Now im calling you an idiot. Nobody asked your opinion and thats why you didnt offer it? Seems like you offered it to me when you said "hey ignore these guys." I have interest in this game and in game reviews, thats why I gave my critique. I dont give opinions on articles im not interested in unless they really suck, this article does not really suck, it just needs to be longer and have visual aids. Thus my first comment above, you know the one you said to ignore. And you are a hypocrite. You complain about peoples overtly critical comments by being overtly critical of comments. That makes you a hypocrite and a slight bag of douche.

I think you guys are going too far, pictures help but they don't make an article great and if you think that you don't read a single word you just look at the pictures. They help, that is for sure, no one is disputing that but some on here feel that you can have an article without pictures. I want to see an article with just pictures, no works or any attempt to put words in those pictures and see how it does. Then we can say 'words are not necessary but they help'.

I agree with you guys on one thing this is my opinion it is not fact, but I don't think you guys are stating facts just opinions. I have read a few articles I like that have no pictures that go to the back page but not all of those picture-less articles go there. If pictures are that important and you can't enjoy an article without them then vote it down for that alone, I just hope you guys read a great picture-less article on here some time that gives you guys second thoughts on this matter. I just wouldn't judge an article harshly because it didn't have pictures when it is well written. Then again if the author does a good job with pictures my scale tips towards liking it but if they are just screen grabs and box covers I tend to read a little bit more critically.

and then you went on with saying "oh and just ignore the people on here who demand pictures". we're not demanding, that's how articles work here. if you say that you've been on this site since it first launched, then you shouldn't have a problem at all on how they're correctly formatted, because the article system has been like this since the site first came around

Nobody asked my opinion. That is why I didn't offer it. When I commented, I talked about how the game affected me. If you don't have interest, it is not necessary to express disinterest. But you're right, if you enjoy expressing your disinterest and allot no flexibility for artistic decision making, I guess I'd be a hypocrite to tell you to stop. So please, continue assuming that everything you see is a mistake rather than a conscious decision. And you call me an elitist.

You dont disagree with the criticism yet you say "ignore the criticism"? That makes no sense. What makes you an elitist is that you are saying your opinion is to be listened to and other contradictory opinions should be ignored. Who are you to judge others' opinions? The box says comment, so guess what? Any and all comments about the article are going to be left. Whether that be a "hey great job" or "this article sucks", its a public forum and all types of comments are going to be left, not just ones you agree with.

but pictures are necessary for articles here, hence why there's the "upload picture" button. look at any of the articles on the back page, many of them either have bad spelling, shortness in length, or no pictures at all. these three things are the reason why we have the back page, because it took no interest to the viewers due to the mediocre format of the article.

ummm, where exactly are you going with the point with the word "some"? if it's true it's true. if anything there could be pictures for EVERY article put in the newspaper, but that's another thing. you're supposed to have pictures, but you're not supposed to have so many as to make it look like the article is a photo gallery, so when i used the word "some" i didn't leave anything out.

@second exodus

sure you may have seen screens of the game, but i'm sure there's a majority of readers here who haven't

I don't deny that pictures make an article better. I don't really disagree with the criticism. But my point is twofold:
a) The link says Add Comment, not Add Judgment. It is not a license to dictate what is and isn't acceptable in an article nor does it provide you with the skills and wisdom necessary to be a useful critic.
b) as your previous post even proves it- pictures are not necessary to an article. The suggestion that pictures make articles better is subject to opinion.

Let's look at your statement:
i mean c'mon, some of the articles coming from newspapers have pictures to flesh out the stories that are featured in it, and that proves right there that articles as a whole are supposed to have pictures.

SOME. You use the word SOME here. "SOME of the articles [in] newspapers have pictures...." Then you said "That proves that articles as a whole are supposed to have pictures." What?!?!
If anything, it proves the exact opposite. That means that if SOME have pictures, then SOME don't. And you're not going to tell me that you know better than the professional. A professional wouldn't make a circular argument like that.

I only glanced at this last night, and thought the pics just didn't load for me. Now now I see there are no pics at all

well if you claim to have been on this site, or perhaps being a lurker before having an account, you shouldn't have a problem with articles having pictures, now would you? and what if i said i know better than them? i never claimed it nor would i make a comment so rash. the point is that articles on here, no matter what, need pictures to help lead the reader and add entertainment. just blocks of text throughout a whole article makes the reader feel like they're reading a novel rather than an article

Uh, I've been on this site since it started, bucco. I've seen all the articles. If you knew anything about this site you'd know it was a place to post writings for enjoyment, not for judgment. Everyone has their opinions, but not everyone demands that others produce work that adheres to their criteria. An article is the written word. Pictures are optional. The fact that we see articles in the newspaper and online at all proves it. Professional newspaper, website, and magazine editors run articles that lack pictures regularly. Are you saying that you know better than they? I think not, because like me you are an amateur with only speculation and comparison to offer. Don't try mentioning your tenure on this site because mine is greater, and your articles are decent but definitely not of a caliber that suggests you are qualified to judge the work of others or suggest the "correct" way things are done.

What is it with critical reviews due to lack of pictures? This article is about Castlevania 4, I've seen it, I've played it, pictures of it just wouldn't help me enjoy it anymore. I don't know but I read a lot of articles online that don't have pictures and it doesn't bug me. I read newspapers that don't have pictures. I read magazines that don't have pictures. I mean the majority of what I read don't have images in them other than the ads which I hate, so yeah, lack of images doesn't bug me, I look more at the written content presented. Pictures sometimes help but they are not the article.

and we've been on the site much longer than you to know it. hell i've been on here since 2006. i've observed hundreds of articles on here to know how they're done on this site. i mean c'mon, some of the articles coming from newspapers have pictures to flesh out the stories that are featured in it, and that proves right there that articles as a whole are supposed to have pictures. you can't say articles aren't supposed to have pictures when it's been done countless times

I know that a lot of you think you know how things work.

the essential clockworkengine. he has his way, yet he has no idea how things work around here

At that, this is not a website for masterpieces either. I haven't read any. It is an amateur forum, and I mean that technically and not insultingly. Just because you posted a few highschool level articles on this site doesn't qualify you to judge every article ever posted on here.

That's your opinion. Call me an elitist, while every comment you post is a critical analysis regarding length or pictures or whatnot. Everyone thinks they're siskel and ebert, but they're not. They're just amateurs speculating on what they think is right or wrong.
I promote freedom. Some people just don't care about pictures.

I am torn between giving this a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Make it longer and add pictures and its a thumbs up.

This is the internet circa 2010 not 1982, and we have jpegs for a reason. The page before your eyes is literally saturated in images along with the other billions of sites on the web, so why should this article be any different? This isnt a novel its supposed to be an informative review so it needs pictures. Ever pick up a video game magazine with no pictures? No. Why not? Because images are vital to the medium. And as far as "don't listen to the guys who demand pictures." My opinion is just as valid as anyone else so screw you and your elitist attitude.

@ clockworkengine Even so this isn't exactly the place to publish novels it's a website for articles meaning a few pictures would be required. if your going to make an article with no pictures to guide us along at least make the article a decent length. A couple of sentences can't really be classified as an article anyway. The game is terrific you could write thousands of words if you wanted and all we get is a few sentences.

I'm not going to rate it thumbs down seeing as it's your second article but do try to improve. It's a game review a decent length and pictures are a must have. I really don't like being so critical so forgive me if I sound harsh..

Ah I was just playing this game yesterday, still have the original cartrige from when I was a kid.I agree that the music was awesome, this is one of my favourite snes games.Couple of screenshots may have helped this article but I liked it anyway cause I love that game.

Oh and don't listen to the guys who demand pictures. They seem to think that they are the only people on the site with an opinion, lol.
I am an adult and most of the novels I read don't have pictures! I guess these guys would really have laid into shakespeare or homer for their unprofessional lack of pictures!

Nice article. My Super Castlevania IV play sessions are frustrating these days as for the last ten years or so I've played with the intention of completing the game without dying. Which means I turn it off if I die. So far I've made it to the underground dungeon without dying.

This was one my favorite games back in the day. The music in it was some of the best music in a videogame and the visuals were stunning.

The review is too short. This game is a masterpiece and could be talked about for days yet all I see are a hand full of paragraphs (or what can barely be considered paragraphs) and without pictures this article's shabby length is in plain sight. What is the deal with these no picture articles there days? This isn't ye olden times when we had to print our literature on a Gutenberg so why not act like this is the digital age and show me some pictures? This game is a work of art how can you not show its beauty in your review?

I agree with MrNostalgia, it would have been a better article if there was some pictures or screenshots from the game. And the soundtrack for the game can be found on disc 1 of Akumajo Dracula Best Volume 2 which translated into English is Demon Castle Dracula Best Volume 2.

And it can be found on play-asia.com for $32

Wheres the pictures? your work could have benefited from a longer length and pictures to guide us along.

My favorite Classic Castlevania game, although I haven't given Rondo of Blood a go yet, But I will in a week or so on the Wii's Virtual Console. Anyways, SCIV had fantastic atmosphere, a brilliant sound track and I LOVED the whip dangling mechanic.

this article would have taken my interest if you had put in some pictures

It is THE essential game in the Castlevania series.

2nd best game in the series IMO. Good article. Soundtrack is worthy of buying, if you can find it.