Castlevania IV is an odd game, but a good one. It feels like the designers are beginning to move towards the feel of the more modern games while still using the structure and ideas of the NES trilogy. Typical for an early SNES game, it feels more like an NES game than like the system's later and more polished experiences. To this end, the controls have been improved, but there's still some stiffness to be felt in the jumps and knockback physics. Overall, it's a game that falls right in line with the first and third games.