Castlevania Anniversary Collection (Sniper)
Genre: Action platformer
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

Graphics
The best part about this Castlevania collection are its display options: it has pixel-perfect modes for each game, with optional above-average quality scanlines. The Game Boy titles can be played with the original system's green screen, in Micro-esque black and white, or even in Color mode. Everything is wrapped in a high resolution yet still attractive menuing system.

Sound
Considering that sound is the most difficult thing to emulate, and that this collection emulates four different pieces of hardware, it's pleasant to discover that the audio is essentially spot-on. From the neoclassical riffs of the original NES titles to the foreboding ambient "Super Castlevania IV" tunes, it's all here and well represented.

Gameplay
Lots of Switch software suffers from serious input lag issues. Thankfully, none of those problems are to be found here, as the titles feel razor sharp to play. Unfortunately, there is bizarrely only one save state slot per game, no rewind feature, and every drop in and out of the menu is met with a couple-of-seconds "Ready?" graphic and delay.

Overall
As emulated collections of games go, this Castlevania product is one of the best. While more save state slots and-- especially!-- a rewind feature would have been nice, the games look, sound, and play great, allowing their difficult-to-put-down strengths to shine. The "Limited Run" physical edition even comes with a full color manual!

Sniper's verdict: