Super Castlevania IV is a side-scrolling platform game where the player takes control of Simon through eleven levels.[5] Players begin the game with five lives, and it ends in a game over once they have lost them all. The player will lose a life if all of Simon's health gauge is depleted, fall into a hole or if they do not finish the level within the time limit.[5] The health gauge can be restored through food items that can be dropped from candles and breakable blocks, or with the Magic Crystal, which is received after defeating the boss at the end of each level.[5][6] A password can be entered to continue the game.[7]
With Simon's whip, players can attack enemies in eight directions with the use of the control pad.[7][8] By holding down the attack button, the whip will go limp and can be waved around with the control pad, which can be used to block projectiles.[8] The length and power of the whip can be increased up to two levels by collecting an item called the Morning Star.[6] The whip is used for fighting and for latching onto rings to swing over areas that are too wide or dangerous for the player to jump across.[8] In addition to jumping, the player can control Simon to move while crouching.[9]
Like its predecessors, players can use secondary weapons that consume Simon's "Hearts", which are dropped from candles and enemies.[6][10] The secondary weapons include an axe which can be thrown in an arc, a watch which stops all enemy motion and a dagger that can be thrown across the screen.[10] Collecting the items known as the Double and Triple Shots allows the player to throw secondary weapons up to three times in a row.[6]
