I'm playing a lot of Bloodlines and 4 lately.
4 was my first Castlevania back when I got it on the Wii in middle school. I love this game to death. I hear people sometimes tear it down and say Bloodlines is thoroughly better, that 4 is actually bad. I think they're both very strong but with different focuses.
Super Castlevania 4 is
very atmospheric. Even more than the search action entries after it except maybe SotN. The game is just drenched in mood right from the moment the Konami logo fades. While of course not "oh my god I'm gonna have nightmares" scary (as an adult), it does lean more into unnerving imagery more than the other 2D games to me. There is an impressive amount of visual detail that sells every frame of the environment with the music being expertly tuned to the environments and imposing during fights. It predates Super Metroid by 3 years but it has a thick atmosphere as though it pulled inspiration from that game. I think it stands next to Super Metroid in terms of atmosphere on the console which is really impressive for a linear, score and time based action platformer that could be right at home in a cabinet.
I do certainly see what detractors mean when they criticize it. The whip is massively powerful being able to hit basically anywhere with recovery time much lower than previous games. And something about the Cross is just unbelievably stupid broken. I can't pinpoint what it is, but it is viable 100% of the time especially when you grab a Triple Shot. So the whip and cross totally nullify Water, Knife, and Ax for the rest of the game unless you lose the Cross.
On top of that Simon has...probably too much control. You don't have to commit to much despite the pace being basically the same as past entries. The game doesn't punish haphazard play and careless missteps like the others. There is less tension and subsequent satisfaction in tighter areas for sure. And you get more health items than probably any other classic title. So the game is much easier than the rest despite most definitely bearing some teeth later on. But I'd argue the change in difficulty was necessary to facilitate the dramatic shift in tone a tone which I guess Konami felt would be better suited to demonstrate the Super Nintendo's power. Because it's impressive for a '91 release. Regardless, the platforming is still very satisfying, well paced, and inventive.
And I love these simpler video game endings. When you grab the final orb and the score counter goes up in silence as the low music plays as though the game is exhaling with you after a tough, arduous journey. Then things transition to just absolutely beautiful credits music and heroic scenery before visually recapping the adventure. It's all very small, but it makes me feel accomplished. I feel like
I won rather than the characters winning. What a terrific video game.
I don't have as much to say on Bloodlines because I'd say it's true classic Castlevania. This game is hard as shit, in your face, and much faster paced than 4. Playing as Eric does give you similar flexibility as SNES Simon, but sub weapons, in my experience, are not nearly as strong as Simon's cross and you have to commit in typical Castlevania fashion with your jumps. The levels are just as inventive and I find the bosses get much harder much sooner than 4's. It also has a LOT of them sort of like Hard Corps except there's actually, you know,
levels too in Bloodlines. Eric is by far more fun than John though. That badass spear reversal is so clean and his super jump is neat. He feels very versatile without taking away the handicaps that make Castlevania what it is. That's a very impressive balancing act and it makes gameplay all the more approachable with the same satisfaction as 1 and 3.
As for the music, I understand Michiru Yamame's glorious debut here is basically the definitive Castlevania sound but I genuinely cannot decide between this or Adachi and Kudo's work in 4. They're so different and wildly good. Bloodlines has the bonus of being Genesis music which I love. But 4's is so bold and teeming with dramatic adventure only to switch to these palette cleaning melancholic pieces. Both using their respective sound chips perfectly and play to the strengths of the consoles. I could drift off to sleep by much of 4's music and Bloodlines gets the blood pumping when I wake up.
Personally, I just love both equally for different reasons. Castlevania
(not you) is just wonderful. I love Castlevania.