If you walk off a wall and push against it you can no longer turn to the opposite direction. Pushing left here does nothing.
Hm... I just checked in Castlevania. and he's right, in Castlevania, Simon walks against the wall when pressing the direction toward it.
Sorry for the bump, but try doing that against the pipe in 1-2 or any sideways pipe. You moonwalk up it. It's funny and cute.