Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Konami’s 1988 action-adventure game for the NES, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. Reprising his role from Castlevania (), Simon Belmont sets off once again in pursuit of pure evil. This time, however, the adventure is much more personal in nature: Simon was badly injured in his fight with Dracula seven years ago in Castlevania‘s finale. A mysterious and beautiful woman appeared to warn Simon that the wound had laid a curse upon his mortal soul, and that if he didn’t take action, the taint would kill him. Simon’s only hope for salvation is to return to Transylvania, find the five remaining intact body parts of Dracula, and burn them at his castle. In a huge departure from the style of the original, this sequel incorporates several RPG mechanics and a non-linear exploratory structure similar to that found in Vampire Killer, a 1986 Castlevania title released for the MSX2 home computer (). Simon must speak with townspeople for hints about what he should do next (though they are oftentimes purposely misleading), buy items in shops, gain levels by collecting hearts from downed enemies, and more. A day/night cycle has also been implemented, significantly changing the flow of the game: at sunset, villagers turn into murderous zombies, and enemy monsters become much more powerful. In order to find all five body parts, Simon must traverse the Transylvanian countryside seeking out mansions that house Dracula’s nail, eyeball, rib, ring, and heart. Once collected, these pieces can be equipped as items (the rib can shield Simon from damage, the eye allows him to see hidden items, the nail allows walls to be destroyed, and so on). Once all of these pieces are collected, Dracula’s citadel, Castlevania, will become available for the final showdown. The game features multiple endings, and which you see is determined by how many in-game days it took to finish the game. The platforming action of Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest is quite similar to that of its predecessor and its controls feel nearly identical. The game is significantly less linear than Castlevania, but the awkward translation and the lying villagers’ advice results in a lot of time being spent aimlessly wandering. This isn’t time completely wasted, however, since Simon will inevitably build up a necessary stockpile of experience and hearts while exploring. And then there are the aesthetics. What atmosphere! The graphics are a big improvement over the original game with better detailed character sprites and fewer garish color schemes - I love the Simon sprite’s blood red clothes and the “old world“ look of the towns - and the music set a new high bar for NES audio. Complementing the action are some of gaming’s most memorable tunes, several of which have appeared remixed in later Castlevania games. Of particular note is the difference in the sound quality between the American NES version and the Japanese disk version: though not usually the case, the cartridge version of the game sounds significantly better than its floppy-based counterpart. The disk system’s hardware could handle more sound channels than the base NES system, but the heavier bass and the drum samples in the American version make the music far more driving and dynamic. Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest is an excellent game and unquestionably a worthy successor to Castlevania, and it’s my favorite game in the entire series. Though the intentional misdirects and the hokey English script makes the game a bit more obtuse than it should have been, the improved graphics, sound, and story make this a worthwhile play for any fan of the Belmont clan. It is, after all, a key stop on the series’ road to Symphony of the Night. (All three endings are shown at the end of the video for anyone who would like to see them.) _____________ No cheats were used during the recording of this video. NintendoComplete () punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!