If you compare this video with the original series review AVGN did a long time ago, it looks like he has lost all passion for what he is doing. This new video feels like he quickly put something together and phoned it in, while the original felt more like a genuine passion project.
SCIV has always been my favorite, and the free form controls (and 8 way whip) is part of the reason, but I also recognize that the entire game has to be structured around those mechanics, or the game will be unbalanced, like SCIV is. SCIV is my personal favorite, but I absolutely do not think simply adding 8 way whip into games that weren't designed for it is a reasonable thing to do. My favorite NES entry is the original Castlevania, I like it better than the often regarded superior CV3, mainly because I feel like the difficulty balance in CV1 is perfect... you have stiff, limited controls, but every challenge in the game (for the most part) is carefully designed around said limited controls.
I hope James AVGN can find a project he can be passionate about again. His original CV series review had roughly the same opinions, but the nerd's passion for the subject seemed genuine, and his personality came through much more strongly in that version than in this new version.