I have been dreaming of playing Dracula X on an actual console for decades! I've played the emulated version on PSP, Wii and PC. Castlevania is my favorite game series and I own them all, and have beaten each one, other than Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2. The first game I asked my parents to get for the NES in '87 was Castlevania. I am in the process of buying a Duo to play my copy of Dracula X for the first time. It's the only CV game I don't have a console for.
For me, DX is the main reason I am getting into the PC Engine. The reason so many CV fans freak out about this game is because it is undoubtedly the finest of the 16-bit era. That's saying a lot considering Bloodlines and CVIV, two very good adventures. I read about this coming out in a magazine and was blown away by the graphics and first impressions. Two or three years later I played Dracula X on the SNES and was kind of disappointed. I played the real deal for the first time emulated many years later and was amazed! I don't consider it the best title in the series, but it's definitely up there. In some small part due to serving as the true prequel to Symphony of the Night.
I never really had a chance to play the TG-16, save for a time at a Toys 'R Us with a few minutes of Bonk. There were a couple of kids in school that had them. But most people had SNES, so I got to play the two CV titles on there when we would switches consoles for a week or so. At home I was enjoying bloody Mortal Kombat and Dragon's Fury on my Genesis. I knew Sega had a CD add-on, but had never heard of TG-16 CD.
So while I'm not a noob to gaming and I grew up in the 16-bit era, you can absolutely include me in the group of those whose primary reason for owning a PCE is Dracula X. There are other games I am looking to play, like Splatterhouse, and of course Bonk. Faussette Armour and Renny Blaster look cool too. Can you tell I like platformers and brawlers?
I certainly can't speak to how Richter stacks up to the rest of the library. Still, I have to imagine with the number of "Top PC Engine Games" lists that I have seen which rank it at #1, it has introduced a good deal of hardcore CV fans like myself to that (all due respect), "other" 16-bit console from the 90's.
I will be sure and let you know my impressions once I get my new Duo and play a few levels.