I've decided to write reviews for accessible games from now on.  Hopefully these ones will prove more useful.

Title: Super Castlevania 4
Released: December 1991
Platform: Super Nintendo
Publisher: Konami
Wii Points: 800

    Those poor Belmonts.  It seems that every time one of the Belmonts kills Dracula, another group of cultists decide to resurect him.  Don't the Belmonts deserve some time off?  Probably, but hopefully Dracula keeps finding means of being resurrected so that we are regularly supplied with new Castlevania games. 
    Super Castlevania 4 is a retelling of the original Castlevania.  A group of people, described only as "evil," successfully revive the Prince of Darkness (Dracula).  It is then up to Simon Belmont to rid him of this world and restore peace to the land of Transylvania.   Konami took advantage of Super Nintendo's power to revamp a classic series and displayed what a new generation of gaming should look like.  SC4 looks and sounds excellent, but most of the gameplay remains the same as the series' predecessors.

The gold here acts like quicksand and you'll feel a lot like Scrooge McDuck. And Let me tell you...it feels good.

    For the first time, Simon and his band of undead foes are presented in fantastic (for it's time) 16-bit graphics.  Making Simon appear as an actual adult, and giving the game an all around more serious atmosphere.  SC4 uses Super Nintendo's Mode 7 to create beautiful layered backgrounds, providing a deeper feel to the side-scrolling genre.

This background is a good example of the Mode 7 capabilities. The background scrolls up and down giving you a 3-D feel.

    Great soundtracks are a trend in the Castlevania series, and Super Castlevania 4 is no different.  Not only does the game feature brand-new tracks, but includes new remixes of classic Castlevania songs such as the game's theme, "Vampire Killer."  It's always nice to destroy skeletons, zombies and ghouls when accompanied by well composed music.
    The control scheme for SC4 is similar to the previous Castlevanias, with few improvements.  Simon can now whip in eight directions as opposed to only two directions in the earlier games.  After extending the whip, players can then hold the attack button down and control the whip to deflect projectiles and attack enemies for little damage.  Simon can also now crawl while ducking.  These new abilities prove helpful but don't change the classic Castlevania gameplay.

Technically not a Hydra. But I did slice his throat and grab his scrote.

    Unfortunately, the classic gameplay can become frustrating.  Spikes and gravity are among Simon's worst enemies.  Spikes seem to be plentiful in classic games as punishment for being impatient.  Most spikes in SC4 kill you instantly as they fall from the ceiling, or you fall onto them.  You'll also find yourself being knocked off flights of stairs or small platforms frequently due to bats, medusa heads or projectiles.  This normally results in instant death as well.  SC4 does present a new variety to the levels.  Instead of constantly working your way through Dracula's castle, some of the levels take place outside.  You'll also face different enemies in the different areas (including flying horse heads).  These two elements work well together to provide a change of pace for visuals and prevent the game from becoming stale.

You'll encounter some strange bosses. This guy was at one point a bird...I think.

    Seeing as the game is a remake, there isn't much innovation.  If you're expecting something new and different in this Castlevania then you may be playing the wrong game.  But if you're a Castlevania fan looking for a more refined iteration of the original, then Super Castlevania 4 is legit.