Simon Belmont's Super Famicom return is a Konami masterclass. Freer controls, gothic mood and a genius soundtrack make this an absolute peak.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player12+
Description
Action-adventure featuring Simon Belmont hunting Dracula through a gothic castle across five levels. Published by Konami, released in Japan in 1991. Whip usable in seven directions to battle creatures of the night, sub-weapons to find, Mode 7 visuals and memorable music by Masanori Adachi and Taro Kudo. Original Japanese version of the foundational Super Castlevania IV, a series masterpiece.
Akumajou Dracula review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Hand-drawn sprites of rare finesse, a gothic castle teeming with detail and flickering light: the game raises pixel art to a peak of morbid elegance. The richness of the animation and the spellbinding atmosphere overflow with refinement. This graphic virtuosity, dark and sumptuous, remains an absolute of the genre.
Deeply reinventing the series' sonic identity, Konami's music trades urgency for a dark, spellbinding atmosphere of rare beauty. Reverb, deep basses and subtle re-orchestrations plunge the castle into a striking melancholy. This masterful score is hailed as one of the peaks of the SNES.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Wielding a whip that strikes in all eight directions and latches onto rings opens an exhilarating freedom in exploring the cursed castle. The gothic atmosphere, animated backdrops and spellbinding soundtrack grab you from the first rooms. Precise, demanding and gorgeous, this peak of 2D action-adventure distils a pleasure as snappy as it is immersive.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Cracking the whip in eight directions, smashing a candelabra, then edging warily toward the boss builds a gothic tension that carries from one screen to the next. Every room promises a secret, a throwing weapon, or a ledge cleared—reason enough to dive back in after a fall. Demanding without being unfair, this trek through the castle keeps its atmospheric hold fully intact.
The original Super Famicom version of 'Super Castlevania IV', Japan-exclusive under this name. The Japanese cart sports a more restrained cover and an original title distinct from the Western branding. The 'Castlevania Anniversary Collection' put the game back in the spotlight without weighing on the Japanese physical cote. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated Konami manual remains a target for completionist Konami Super Famicom collectors.
Memorable bosses
A gothic high point of the machine, this entry sets Simon's whip against a court of baroque creatures showcased by Mode 7 rotations: golems, spectral riders, Death and a Count Dracula of successive forms. The eight-way whip sharpens pattern reading, while a masterful score dramatizes every encounter. Fair difficulty and a twilight mood make these duels the stuff of legend.
Is Akumajou Dracula still worth playing in 2026?
Akumajou Dracula, known as Super Castlevania IV in the West, stands as one of Konami's most striking 16 bit showcases. The whip, finally freed across eight directions, reshapes the controls, and the castle unfolds through bold Mode 7 effects and unforgettable panoramas. The soundtrack reorchestrates the classic themes with rare authority and the gothic mood stays impeccable. A peak of 2D platforming that still feels strikingly natural to return to today. Essential to fans of Konami and crisp platform action.
