Why are the Castlevania games considered good?

[ARamdomGamer]

I think most have a good sense of atmosphere, the challenge plus the excellent soundtracks, just the whole feel of the game grabbed me when I played the first Castlevania a couple of years ago.

I still prefer the classic ones to the Metroid style ones tho, except for Circle of the Moon, the only one that blends the great challenge of classic Castlevania with polished controls and the exploration, power ups and the like of Metroid.

Overall favorites from the series are IV, Circle of the Moon and Rondo of Blood (PC Engine version).