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Game Resources / SNES / Super Castlevania IV

This page lists known tricks and glitches in Super Castlevania IV.

TODO: Add images and .gifs demonstrating various tricks.

General Movement and Attacking Tricks

Ring Tricks

Dealing with Lag

Super Castlevania IV is quite suspectible to lag. In general, the most common causes of lag are:

In those cases, using your limp whip may cause lag, in more extreme cases, using your whip at all. Some enemies have highly elaborate death animations that tend to lag the screen, killing them should be avoided then. In other cases, killing enemies is the best way to cut lag, since fewer enemies are onscreen then. Ultimately, some lag is unavoidable.

Zipping Tricks

It is possible for Simon to enter solid walls using a couple of different tricks. Depending on his position in relation to the edges of the wall, he will either be ejected before he has a chance to enter properly, be killed, or be zipped around at a high speed in the direction opposite to the one he is facing.

Ways to enter a wall

Using rings

Simon can use his whip as a grappling hook to swing on rings. While he's doing that, all collision with level geometry is disabled. This is the easiest way to get Simon into the wall and can be done in a lot of places. It however does not work on ledges that are only one block tall, since the game will just place Simon either above or below said ledge, depending on your position and vertical momentum. Letting go off the ring while Simon is completely surrounded by the wall will generally kill him.

Using moving blocks

A series of moving blocks in Stage 4-4 can also be used to enter solid walls. Usually, getting between such a block and the ceiling will just crush Simon. If he receives damage immediately beforehand, he'll be invincible and able to enter a wall. To do this, you must hold Down while taking damage, otherwise, Simon won't change position while hit and be crushed anyway. Also important is the direction you face, which can determine wether you die or enter the wall properly.

Using rising platforms

Stage B-2 contains a series of diagonally rising platforms. Like moving blocks, they can crush Simon if he gets caught between them and the ceiling. If you walk off however at just the right moment, Simon's head will be in the ceiling, allowing him to zip.

Through corners

If Simon stands on a falling platform that is right next to a solid block, he can walk off the platform into the block as it falls. In some places, it is possible to get far enough into the wall that you can start zipping by holding the direction opposite to the one you were walking.

Zipping Mechanics

Simon zips at a high speed in the opposite direction he is facing. To stay in one position, Left and Right need to be alternated on each frame. It is impossible to crouch while zipping, unless Simon already entered the wall crouched. Jumping is only possible if there's empty space above Simon. Jumping then exits the wall. Simon can attack while in the wall, though his high movement speed may make enemies hard to hit. If Simon takes damage while completely surrounded by the wall, the game will send him straight downwards. If Simon is still completely in the wall while his damage invulnerability ends, he will be killed.

If Simon zips offscreen, he may arbitrarily change height or die. The effects can mainly be obsereved in Stage 4-4, as it is the only one that offers enough room for this to happen.

Other Tricks

Enemy duplication

Some enemies can be duplicated over and over agian by continuously alternating between Left and Right on alternating frames at the right place.

Landing on a Stair whipping

A small visual trick. If you whip diagonally downwards and land on a stair while you do so, it messes up Simon's sprite for a moment.

Early Vertical Camera Scroll

In various vertical levels, you want the camera to scroll up early. Examples include Block 3-2, where doing so allows you to reach a ring earlier and A-2, where the big gears only begin moving once they come onscreen. This can usually be done by taking damage, moving the camera upwards.

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GameResources/SNES/SuperCastlevaniaIV last edited by scrimpeh on 2011-08-05 17:31:28
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