Konami 1988

Platformer / Adventure

NES

 

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

You're Simon Belmont, bravest of the brave, boldest of the bold, a gothic warrior respected by kings. You earned your praise, not by crushing Viking invaders or Turkish hordes, but by destroying the evil Count Dracula in a duel to the death at Castlevania. But your victory proved painful, as the wounds inflicted during the duel slowly gnawed at your soul.

One day, though, a beautiful maiden appeared. With a soft voice she warned that you were possessed by the Count's curse. She said your only hope of destroying the curse and healing your scars was t find the five body parts of Count Dracula and burn them in his Castle, ending forever the reign of the Prince of Darkness.

Suddenly, like most beautiful visions, she began to fade. And as you reached to touch her, she spoke her final words - "Fear not, brave Simon, for if you have the courage to risk your life, you will find the strength to win again."

 

Castlevania II
This Castlevania sequel is an adventure game at heart with more emphasis on exploration than the hack and slash of the original. Fortunately play control is almost identical, allowing you to pick up right where you left off. Castlevania II also introduces rpg elements to the series for the first time. By collecting a number hearts from vanquished monsters, Simon's maximum health will continue to increase.

Like any proper adventure, just finding the path forward can be half of the challenge. You may find yourself backtracking due to arriving at a dead-end or not having the correct item to proceed. You will encounter many towns on Simon's Quest where villagers will share helpful and sometimes misleading clues. Many towns also have shops that allow you to trade hearts for valuable items, some of which are returning sub-weapons from the first game.

Castlevania II also contains its notorious day-night system. After a certain amount of time passes, darkness will fall and monsters roaming the land will gain a hefty increase in strength, but will also reward more hearts. This can be deadly if you are caught unaware while passing through the more dangerous areas.

Just like Zelda 2, Simon's quest is a divisive game that offers a new and unique experience in the series.