[FistfulOAwesome]

I've played Rondo, and it is highly overrated. The level design isn't that great, mostly because it's fairly devoid of jumping challenge and it doesn't have much drive. The fights against some of the enemies are fairly exhilarating (the axe armors in particular), but the lack of Super style controls cripples the combat (and the game even) from being amazing, rather than just good. I actually like Dracula X (the SNES remake) more, because even though the game has some truly wonky level design (screw the guy who put pits in level 3 and during the Dracula battle), it equally has good level design (like more exhilarating levels 1 and 2, most of level 5, and a few other areas) and makes a bit more of Rondo's punchy combat.

I've recently played Bloodlines , and I'd say that that game and Super are tops in Castlevania-land. Woe is Bloodlines that it is somewhat forgotten because it was released on the Genesis rather than the Super Nintendo. It really shouldn't be, because in terms of a pure rollercoaster experience, it is the best Castlevania. It also is Yamane's first Castlevania ST, and one of her best (only OOE is real competition for me).