This is a great game. It's really classic in the sense that you never seen a modern platformer with controls this exact. Modern games (including GBA/DS Castlevanias) all use the (brilliant) Mario-style controls where you have a little looseness. That works great in Mario and many games. In Castlevania, however, the exact controls work beautiful. The preciseness of them make it a really solid experience. The stick you get just when you land from a jump really makes it feel like the character has weight. Truly classic gameplay.
Also, the game has a perfect level of difficulty. The VC's beautiful save feature means you don't need to use the horrid passwords. Because of this it's a smooth ride to replay and master the levels as you go. Some of the bosses are HARD though, and I've spent the most time facing them.
The best part, though, is the awesome music. A lot of Castlevania games are well known for their music (Symphony of the Night) and this is no exception. One of the most complex and technically impressive 16-bit soundtracks, and also one of the best.
9.5/10 and a MUST purchase on the VC