October Retro Community Playthrough - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

[JerryGreenwood]

I'd like to defend this game for a second, as I feel a lot of gamers think this is a bad game and I think some feel this way just because the AVGN said so. Almost all of his points are trivial. I've felt strongly about this game for a while so allow me to rant

- There are 2 bad/inexcusable things about this game. The lack of bosses and the few bosses that exist are the easiest bosses in the history of video games and no enemies in Drac's Castle - although one could argue that the long walk to Drac is eerier this way.
- I like James, but he nitpicks minor things and turns molehills into mountains, like spelling or grammar. A spelling error doesn't affect the quality of a game 1%. Many older games have spelling or grammatical errors. If you recall, Final Fantasy VII has a spelling error.
- "Simon's Quest is too cryptic." Welcome to video games in the 1980's. $1,000 to the person who can say they finished Metal Gear or The Legend of Zelda with some kind of guide or help. Punching a random wall? North, West, South, West? Burning a random bush to unlock a labyrinth? Yeah.
- "Townspeople are useless" This has validity and I'm not sure anyone knows why most of them lie to you, but I do think some of the things people say add creepiness to the game.
- "Grinding for hearts is annoying." It's not that hard and doesn't take a long time.
- "The pause between day and night" It takes 5 seconds and I think, it's a nice transition and lets the gamer mentally prepare. You know what's more annoying than the pause? The loading time for any game on a disc.

Now that I've discussed the "horrible" things about Castlevania II, it's time for the guts of the game which are all good.

Graphics - Among the best on the NES at the time.
Music - Among the best in the history of video games.
Controls - Same as any other Castlevania. Pretty good.
Gameplay - Run around whipping monsters. Awesome. Again, the big flaw is the bosses.
Level design/atmosphere - Amazing atmosphere (I like my Castlevania outdoors), although the dungeons could've had variety.
Challenge - Skill-wise, it's an easy game. Could've been harder. Puzzle solving-wise, it's impossible. Could've been easier.

Sorry, I didn't mean to write a review, but I really needed to get that off my chest. It's been brewing for years and now I feel better.

[russlyman]

Just finished customizing a Castlevania NES controller.
I used some stone texture paint with blood splatter. And Got the vinyl over lay Custom Consoles Den Helder. Pretty sweet.

[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/y9aqu7ep.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/je8atynu.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/asupezys.jpg[/img]

[techwizard]

@dezorian i agree, popular opinion on a game can often be wrong or at least misguided, no one can really judge anything without trying it themselves.

@russlyman awesome controller!

[singlebanana]

@dezorian - I concur, valid points all around. The game is definitely not without its flaws. You do a nice job of pointing these out, which is important even if you like the game. I too have never understood the negativity around this title. Sure, it's flawed, but I would be hard pressed to point out a game that isn't.

@russlyman - sweet! Any of those for sale?

[russlyman]

I agree as well. I loved this game as a kid and Still do. I think it plays into that you can go any where you want in the game so as a kid I could just explore. In the first one if I got stuck I had to keep playing the same part over and over. With this one I can go wonder around a town or get hearts and come back to it.
I def love the music and atmosphere of the game too. Creepy for the NES.

I could def sell/trade if people want custom NES remotes. I waiting on more vinyl over lays. I have right now ducktales and Little Nemo.
Here's two others I did
[img width=640 height=640]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/5uze5u3u.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/ura9uqu5.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/pu2azyge.jpg[/img]

[russlyman]

I agree as well. I loved this game as a kid and Still do. I think it plays into that you can go any where you want in the game so as a kid I could just explore. In the first one if I got stuck I had to keep playing the same part over and over. With this one I can go wonder around a town or get hearts and come back to it.
I def love the music and atmosphere of the game too. Creepy for the NES.

I could def sell/trade if people want custom NES remotes. I waiting on more vinyl over lays. I have right now ducktales and Little Nemo.
Here's two others I did
[img width=640 height=640]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/5uze5u3u.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/ura9uqu5.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/pu2azyge.jpg[/img]

[noiseredux]

this just came in the mail for me:

[img width=700 height=933]http://i.imgur.com/eOgEB4X.jpg[/img]

[singlebanana]

Had a little time this weeked and ran through the game in a few hours. Unable to find all of the books, but managed to take care of all the other achievements in the game.

1.   Find the Sacred Flame (2 pts.)
2.   Find the Silver Knife (2 pts.)
3.   Find the Silk Bag (2 pts.)
4.   Find the Diamond (2 pts.)
5.   Obtain the Gold Knife (3 pts.)
6.   Upgrade to the Red Crystal and get "blown away" (2 pts.)
7.   Upgrade to the Flame Whip (2 pts.)
8.   Obtain all items in the game (full inventory) (4 pts.)
9.   Obtain all 5 of Dracula's body parts (5 pts.)
11.  Obtain the Magic Cross by defeating the Crying Mask (2 pts.); take no damage during this battle (bonus 3 pts.)
12.  Resurrect and defeat Dracula (5 pts.); take no damage while battling Dracula (bonus 3 pts.)

I believe Duke mentioned that there were two different endings, can anyone shead some light on this? I had no idea.

[Duke.Togo]

Actually, there are 3 different endings. From: http://www.gamefaqs.com/n...i-simons-quest/faqs/52245

1. BEST ENDING: Requirements are to beat the game in 8 Game
           Days. Sun is setting and we see Simon kneeling at Dracula's
           Grave. You will get the following message: "The encounter
           with Dracula is terminated. Simon Belmont has put an end to
           the eternal darkness in Transylvania. His blood and sweat
           have penetrated the earth and will induce magic & happiness
           for those who walk on this land". And with that, it becomes
           nightfall. But just when things look safe, the grave shakes
           and a hand appears!

        2. GOOD ENDING: Requirements are to beat the game in 8 to 15
           Game Days. Daybreak is upon Simon as he kneels down at
           Dracula's Grave. You will get the following message:
           "Although the confrontation between Simon and Dracula has
           concluded, Simon couldn't survive his fatal wounds.
           Transylvania's only hope is a young man who will triumph
           over evil and ride the city of Dracula's deadly curse." Kind
           of a depressing ending honestly.

        3. BAD ENDING: Requirements are to beat the game in 15 or more
           Game Days. It's nightfall (seriously, it's black and white!)
           has fallen, and we see a lone grave. You will get the
           following message: "The battle has consummated. Now peace
           and serenity have been restored to Transulvania and the
           people are free of Dracula's curse forever. And you, Simon
           Belmont, will always be remembered for your bravery and
           courage." Guess someone kicked the bucket ^_^

[JerryGreenwood]

I guess that makes up for Dracula being super super easy in Simons quest. Ha. Holy water ftw

Laurels really mess up Castlevania II. Being able to turn invincible whenever you want is a little broken IMHO.

I'm going to respectfully disagree for several reasons. It's almost like saying being able to hold a star in SMB3 is broken.

- They only last about 7 seconds
- You can only hold 8 at once (iirc), that's about 1 or 2 screens worth.
- They have no real purpose other than to cross the long marsh.
- Dying means almost nothing in this game because you have unlimited continues that allow you to restart from the exact point where you died - unless you drowned or died in the marsh. That's basically an invincibility code already built-into the game.
- This game is extremely easy. No one should ever need to use a Laurel except to pass through a marsh.

[JerryGreenwood]

Sorry for double post.

I'm officially declaring this game one of the best games on the NES and a masterpiece. As far as I'm concerned, the townspeople speak in hard to comprehend poetry. The town theme should've won a grammy. This game is literally art IMO.

I skipped ahead because in my new place I don't have TV or internet yet. I'm done with everything except killing Dracula.

[singlebanana]

Yeah, I have to agree with the others that the laurels are a bit overpowered for one reason.

**DO NOT HOVER OVER THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE GAME**

Spoiler (hover to show)

You can use them during your final battle with Dracula

If this wasn't the case, I would agree that their only purpose is to cross the poison marshes. Also, comparing them to the stars in SMB is also an apples to oranges comparison. While you can use laurels at any time, stars are strategically placed throughout the levels and can only be used for a short spurt in a specific environment. Truly, their only similarity is that they both offer invincibility.

With that said, I still LOVE Castlevania 2 and think it's one of the best games on the NES.  I agree, the game is extremely easy once you know all of the secrets, but it's still a great play.

Thanks for the clarification on the endings Duke. Wish I would have know earlier and I would have added it to the achievements........hmmm......there's enough of the month left and it's a pretty quick game, why not??? 

[singlebanana]

UPDATE: I have added the achievement to beat the game in less than 8 game days and earn the "best ending". This achievement is worth 10 points and will increase the maximum obtainable points to 60.

I would also like to point out that I am in the points lead......naner, naner, naner.  

[SirPsycho]

I'm gonna get my NES hooked up tonight and get started!

[bombatomba]

Just finished customizing a Castlevania NES controller.
I used some stone texture paint with blood splatter. And Got the vinyl over lay Custom Consoles Den Helder. Pretty sweet.

[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/y9aqu7ep.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/je8atynu.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/05/asupezys.jpg[/img]

That is freakin' awesome.  Also, I love your custom game covers.  What are they made of?

this just came in the mail for me:

That's the version I am playing.  At first I was disappointed that this didn't contain the DOS ports, but now that I'm actually playing them I'm glad they are the NES versions.

Now for my score:

1.   Find the Sacred Flame (2 pts.)
2.   Find the Silver Knife (2 pts.)
3.   Find the Silk Bag (2 pts.)
4.   Find the Diamond (2 pts.)
5.   Obtain the Gold Knife (3 pts.)
6.   Upgrade to the Red Crystal and get "blown away" (2 pts.)
7.   Upgrade to the Flame Whip (2 pts.)
8.   Obtain all items in the game (full inventory) (4 pts.)
9.   Obtain all 5 of Dracula's body parts (5 pts.)
11.  Obtain the Magic Cross by defeating the Crying Mask (2 pts.); take no damage during this battle (bonus 3 pts.)
12.  Resurrect and defeat Dracula (5 pts.); take no damage while battling Dracula (bonus 3 pts.)

Cannot find all the books to save my life, but to be fair I never could.  Plus, I can't seem to get anything but the worst ending (too much time spent grinding?).  Though after this I plan on going over the NES Game Atlas to find all of them.  Anyhoo, three play throughs is enough for me.  I'm going to try for the first Castlevania.