Early Castlevania games tended to be hit or miss affairs, and unfortunately this is . When I originally posted this review in 2003, I had made a concerted effort to create an honest review for the average player; I was (and still am) quite fond of the game. If I were to redo my rating scale, perhaps I'd score it slightly higher at three stars. All the same, I still feel that this game provides a low amount of fun given the intense challenge, and the rating is deserved given that overriding criteria.