Bloodlines>Rondo?
Yes, it's another cross(oy!)-platform thread. In this case, because Konami had an aversion to marketshare and the obvious, particularly as relates to keeping the series alive in the West.
Point being that the four games (+X) are largely defined by hardware rather than series graduation, which means that, in some ways, the first 16-bit release is the most advanced.
Similarly, I think Bloodlines is the weakest because Konami either had the least interest or understanding of the hardware, making a poor match between the series and Sega branding. I think the game would have been better if it was less traditionally in the mold of Castlevania, and more Sega.
Dracula X? A good game, possibly hated because of its source. It's also an inferior follow-up to IV.
Rondo is seen as the Citizen Kane of the series, but I don't know if it defines it in such a way that it's actually superior to either IV or III.

