One of the masterpieces of the Castlevania series that gained notoriety due to its reputation as the great game that never initially got a release outside japan. Rondo of Blood is a game that lives up to the hype, hitting a sweet spot between the linear design of traditional Castlevania titles with small portion of exploration in branching paths with secrets to uncover, which would later lead to the Metroidvania design of later releases. I like the traditional approach myself, and in my opinion, as good as games like Castlevania III and IV are, this is the peak of traditional Castlevania platforming.