wow the super nintendo really got shafted for castlevania. the other members of the big 3 16-bit machines got bangers while this one is just... uhhhhhhh it's fine.
i don't think the 8-directional whip an inherently bad idea. especially not after a god-tier game like CVIII that would leave any series in a "where do we go from here?" state. the problem is SCVIV totally fails to build challenges around it. the best it comes up with for most of the game is placing enemies slightly below the player that are best dealt with by tediously bouncing the whip around, and some preeeetty bad grappling hook platforming sections. the death and dracula fights actually make some decent use of it but it's way too little too late. and that would all be one thing but they seemed aware that the game would be way way easier than its NES predecessors so they filled the back half of the game with an actually obnoxious amount of tedious instant death traps. where the late-game levels of CVI and CVIII are back-breaking but extremely satisfying to piece together (the medusa+knight hallway is a prsitine example) SCVIV really feels like work near the end. the finesse just isn't there.
presentation wise the game punches unbelievably far above its weight as a near-launch title. it really is stunning, i just wish it could play as good as it looks and sounds.