I really enjoyed this game.  Sure it has it tough points but I found it wasnt nearly as hard as I remembered it when it came out.
I would play through every boss using whatever continues i needed then i would restart and complete the boss with no lives lost, biggest trick i found was hiding in the towns waiting for the equinox to refill the life meter.  It really wasnt hard at all.  I did find the timing of the Moon a bit tricky.