Cool shattering glass effects (Stage 1), jaw-dropping (for 1994) reflections (Stage 2), swaying structures and faux 3-D (Stage 3 and 5), and even a stab at some cool lighting effects (Stage 5). Let's not even discuss the ghastly Mode 7 sequences in SCIV, as they cannot hold a candle (lol) to Bloodlines' visual effects. Yeah, there's some odd color choices here and there, but it also uses color to greater effect to make each area jump out. But Bloodlines goes to so many more interesting places and is therefore more visually interesting, at least to me. Bloodlines' sprites aren't nearly as animated or detailed as Simon Belmont, nor is there any question that the SNES is the superior system in terms of graphics. There are colorful bits here and there, don't get me wrong, but it has a pretty low saturation color palette that sort of makes everything feel sort of dull and faded. Whereas that game has a really unified, top-notch aesthetic from one end to the other, I've always found it a little. Visually, I think Bloodlines beats out Super Castlevania IV. There's always something right in front of you that needs to be dealt with. It's not even that difficult, really, it's just that its paced so well from start to finish that it feels like it doesn't let up. Outside of those sections and a few showy set pieces, this game doesn't really let up for more than a moment or two to catch your breath. Even then, I'd say that they're packed not only with particularly nasty enemies (the swinging mantis things in the first outdoor areas, the knights and fleamen/birds in the interiors and rooftop respectively) but genuine traps (which are surprisingly scarce in the series). If there's anything resembling a dull moment in this game, it's in the longer stretches of Stage 5 (Versailles) which feel a little like padding. It's mostly because it's just so damn pitch-perfect. I'm going to dig into the details here because I have a feeling this might be a bit of a controversial opinion. Yeah, nostalgia has a hand in the decision, but it's more than that since nostalgia should reasonably bump Castlevania I and III much higher on my list. While not the definitive Castlevania (see #2 ), or even amongst the most 'pure' (the setting and multi-character approach makes sure of that), it's still my favorite.
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