Pyroclastica

It’s a little bit of a shame that I’ve already done the original Castlevania on NES, because this would be a great place to start
This was made at a time when Konami could still make a character control with a “Castlevania feel,” the same way there’s a “Mario feel”
Overall slightly easier than the original Castlevania, with a couple really brutal spots in some levels. The platforming is a lot more generous though
Most boss fights aren’t too bad, and all of them are really fun
Being able to whip in all directions feels awesome
S-Tier soundtrack
Something about the color palette used for text and UI elements is very comfy and nostalgic

Super Castlevania IV