Great OP, Rol. SM's advancements are very much like Castlevania 4 in that they make the gameplay much smoother, better and more refined.
Is SM too easy? Nah. It presents a reasonable challenge. I just replayed a few zones a few months back and if felt about right. I came close to dying once and might have actually died once, I can't remember, and I was always way better at the game than anyone else I knew back in the day. Much like Zelda, the NES versions of these games were definitely tougher than the SNES sequels, and in many ways less creepy and exhilarating. This was due to often having to scribble your own map on paper, weaker controls, the first time experiencing a game in the genre and the mysterious detail-lacking back backgrounds.
No question the original is harder, but I wouldn't say better. The one thing any sequel can never capture though is the mystery of a game without the conventions that come from having a predecessor.
