Castlevania II: Simon's Quest Review

Will your write up be in the same tone as the Angry Nintendo Nerd's review by any chance?

I actually suggested to Dazza to use the AVGN's video for this, but his language might be a bit too harsh for readers!

But nevertheless, I'll link to it here for the curious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4we8iFk-fY

Why does this game have to come to come out to the VC?
We already have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I hope this will be a 3 at least. The music was great, but the game play sucked

the game was amazing... it was one the best around when it came out... i'll prob skip it and wait until castlevania 3 though... once you beat this one, you prob won't feel the urge to retread through it...

Oh, man. I can't wait to download this fun game.

Hold on, is this Zelda 2?

Where is Error?

The equivalent of Error in Castlevania II is probably the woman with the single most botched line in the game: "Hit Deborah Cliff with your head to make a hole." That is actually supposed to mean "Duck at Deborah Cliff with the Red Crystal equipped." I honestly have no idea how that got through.

"The equivalent of Error in Castlevania II is probably the woman with the single most botched line in the game: "Hit Deborah Cliff with your head to make a hole." That is actually supposed to mean "Duck at Deborah Cliff with the Red Crystal equipped." I honestly have no idea how that got through." - Drake

I was stuck at that for ages... i had no idea what to do and the internet wasn't really that popular yet (if it was even around at the time). i think i found the answer one day when they finnaly had an article on this game in one of those "How to win at video games" books from the 80s. i found the book in a bookstore and was so overcome with joy that i insisted my parents drive me home immediately so i could get further in the game... (that's how addictive the game was at the time. back in the 80s, this was by far one of the best games ever made)...

I love this. Played it on the NES when it came out (think my dad bought it for me as a surprise). Can feel the nostalgia kicking in...

"Rumor has it the ferryman likes garlic!" and all that jazz... mmm

what a load of crap this game was i hated it it was dull, boring and too repetitive i remeber being dissapointed in this one i aint getting this thats for sure

AVGN's review is enough is enough to show how much this game sucks.

This game is actually pretty good. It's not as good as the original castlevania, but it's ok. It's damn hard, but that's one thing that makes a good game!

This is to anybody who gets this game:here's the the code to fight Dracula: 7MEF 0VFT 151Z Y2Z5
To any who doesn't get the game, Wait for castlevania 3, it'll be worth the wait.

This game doesnt suck. Yeah there are annoyances in it that the AVGN have said about the day to night transitions but thats about it. The game is awesome IMO.

This is definitely down there China Warrior and Urban Champion.

This is obviously 2 stars. Do you agree, Drake? 2 stars?

Wait and see

I thought this would come out this week.

The comments about the poor translation isn't actually true - the townspeople spread as much crap and outright lies in the original Japanese version as well. It's supposed to be a gameplay mechanic, though how anyone could think people would be entertained by it is beyond me.
The hint telling you how to pass Deborah's cliff is a different one, found in one of the mansions, and tells you to "go to Deborah's Cliff with a red crystal and wait for a soul". Given that you've previously made progress by ducking with a blue crystal, it's not THAT hard to make the "you need to duck" connection.
But yeah, horrid gameplay mechanics, pathetically low difficulty level (aside from the inane puzzles) and a huge focus on boring grinding to amass hearts... this is no good game. Blech. Save your money for CV3.

you guys are hard on this sucker. i started replaying it about ten years ago. once and i couldn't put it down. you can def see the early sparks of the sotn and rondo of blood gamestyle in this one. honestly, it's much better than most of the junk they put out back than...

Actually the game isn't as bad as the AVGN claims.
Remeber it IS an old game.
Standards for fairness or gamespeed were different at this time, so it may not be able to entertain everyone.
But it still is a good game of it's time and also a brave try to make a sequel that just isn't a copy of the first game.

Bummer three stars, Im such a castlevania fan, Three stars seem almost unfair. But in reality considering the graphics and game play of this one. By todays Views, This game probibly doesnt even deserve that. Its sad really,, I'll still pick this up. Its not a timeless classic as you can see. But its a classic never the less.

What's up with all them jive turkeys giving Simon's Quest the flap?!
One of my favorite NES games, the atmosphere, the music, murky caves, ghoulish mansions, snow-capped Carpathian mountains! I enjoyed the transition from night into day, the absence of bosses didn't get my goat, and anyone with half a brain could figure out the puzzle with the crystals. I like the ANN but come on, giving it bad press because Simon can't swim? What games were there then that didn't kill you when you fell in a pond?

Downloaded it and started playing and..... couldn't stop!!! No matter what AVGN syas ('im a big fan of his BTW) I like this game.
The game mechanics work quite well. I like the transition from day to night. I'm also happy with the difficulty level. It's challenging but not as insanely difficult as Castlevania 1 or other games from back then. The absence of bosses is a bit strange, though. However, the atmosphere and music are great. I also like the fact that this is a sort of adventure where you can level up your character and explore a relatively big world. It has some gameplay elements that were later included in games like Symphony of the Night or the GBA Castlevania episodes. Some of the riddles are stupid, I agree with James here but it really doesn't matter that much.

It's a good game.

European version runs at 50 Hz, though....

Not much different? They ruined the level design entirely in this one, repetitive areas, difficulty curve goes up and down, illogical puzzles.. etc. It's a mess.

The first game I ever played is on the VC. SWEET!!! I haven't played this game in over 13 years and now I can finally play this game. I'm hoping it comes out this monday in the U.S. I'll be really upset if it doesn't. I don't care what people think how horrible this game was, it's a good game. Not the best, but its around there in my book. PLEASE Nintendo, realease it NOW.

"Some of the riddles are stupid, I agree with James here but it really doesn't matter that much."

Of course it matters. Unless you look up the answer to certain riddles in a guide, there's no way you're even going to see half of this game.

"anyone with half a brain could figure out the puzzle with the crystals."

Uh, how? Because the answer is written in a clue book hidden under a random rock in a random wood? There's no way anyone can possibly stumble over that book at random.

This game is awsome.
I remeber getting it and the first Castlevania for Christmas. I later got 3 for my birthday. I always loved the series. I even liked the later games Castelvania 64 and the first one on PS2 I have not played the other one though. SON is my choice for the second best. Almost every other title that has come out recently has copied it in gameplay as far as the castle bieng a maze and the RPG aspects.
As much as I do like it it is my least fave in the series just because of all of searching.

My Dad bought this for me on the NES when I was a kid. I liked it then so I decided to buy it on VC. Absolutley glad I did - it ages like a fine wine! I have played through it all again already. The music is outstanding. Some of the puzzels I think are too hard and you will need a guide to solve them (due to the translation or whatever - clues dont exist for them) unless you have played it before. A NES classic.

This game was amazing and the Angry Video Game Nerd is an idiot. The "nonsensical clues" villagers gave Simon were RIDDLES, not meant to be literal. They were to make you think. AVGN doesn't know why the flame whip is the best weapon in the game, even though everyone should know fire is the most effective weapon against the undead. What a goon.

The Angry Video Game Nerd actually likes this game. He made that review just to point out the bad stuff in the game. It was in a article about him. A love/hate relationship game to him particuarly. He even said to not take his reviews seriously. Some of the games he reviewed he actually likes. Besides, the AVGN is just a character created by James Rolfe.

I don't see why so many people hate this game.

Without this, there would be no SOTN, COTM, HOD, etc.

Plus, who doesn't love Bloody Tears? That song is epic win.

xdemon25, how do you know about the AVGN actully liking the game?

There's an interview somewhere, I think it's also mentioned in the FAQ on his site.

I agree the switching from day to night gets annoying fast, but there are alot of games with annoying things in them. Why bash this game so much over that one thing. I think the weird stuff you have to do to advance in the game and the blocks on the floor that are fake make the game tougher. I mean how many times do you have to die before you remember the blocks that are fake? So what if you have to throw some holy water to avoid them... Thats called strategy! Since everyone pretty much knows about all the stuff in this game, why continue to beat it up about it? You are talking about a NES game that was one of the most popular games of its time. Check it out, keep an open mind, and enjoy. I guarantee you will like it more than the first one, and you will be online getting all the tips to complete it. Or...*gasp* you could read/talk to the books/people in the game and, *gasp* figure the stuff out for yourself!? OMG! What a concept!

This game really has a bad reputation, but it's definately worth playing. Although I wish Konami took some time to fix some of the bad translations, I'm glad VC gamers will get a chance to judge for themselves how cool this game is rather than assume it's bad because of an entry from the AVGN.

The game is extremely difficult and frustrating, yes. Sometimes you feel like you're playing Zork or some other impossible text adventure because you just run out of ideas and have no idea what to do. Take a deep breath, be patient, and give this game a fair chance. (I'd give it a 3.5/5 if I had that option.)

Personally, I enjoyed this game. It did have the annoyances that the nerd alluded to but the nerd is a character. Try it, and you may like it.

an AVGN Classic! HAHAHAHA

This was always my favorite of the early Castlevanias. I bought the Classic NES version of Castlevania, I bought the VC version of Super Castelvania 4, but neither of them come anywhere close to this. I guess I'm just a sucker for non-linear gameplay. It always makes the game world feel so much bigger. I hope Goonies II comes out.

The game isn't as bad as people say U just have to get look past the big flaws (Day To Night change,Lose all Hearts when you die ETC.)besides along with castlevania IV the music is badass.

I am absolutley in love with this game. It is freakin' great!!!! I like it better than the first one. You haters are insane, or maybe really bad at games that pose a challenge. Fantastic game, fantastic series!!!!!

@Adamant:
It takes half a brain to figure the crystal thing out becomes one of the villagers tells you to kneel (or pray) with a crystal at the dead lake. When you couldn't go further in Simon's Quest, one of the first things to try was "pray" (kneel) with a crystal. It didn't take me a guide or anything.

Zweck36, I wanted to say that I'm not a hater. I just took the AVGN's review seriously because I didn't see the interview about the nerd liking the game.

"It takes half a brain to figure the crystal thing out becomes one of the villagers tells you to kneel (or pray) with a crystal at the dead lake."

No, it's written in a book. Said book is hidden under a rock in a forest somewhere, and unless you make a habit of throwing holy water at EVERY block in the entire game, you're not finding it. Yes, any moron can solve the riddle, the problem is finding the damn riddle in the first place.

Oh, and I just took a look at the Japanese original - all the lies in the translation were trasnlated directly from the original. The lying townspeople and bogus clues WERE a gameplay mechanic, not a result of a bad translation. Kil that myth now, please.

I am in the small minority of actually being a big fan of this installment of Castlevania. I understand that it is a completely different format from the other games in the series, but I still think it works. I got stuck a lot back when I was playing this originally. Figuring things out for yourself takes much longer, but it is awesome when it happens....the clues you get are cryptic at best. If you play it without guidance, expect to go in circles a lot before completing it.

I think this was a good stepping stone for other Castlevania/RPG's like Symphony of the Night.

I don't understand all the hate for this game, I loved it when I was 13/14.

Yes, it was hard, but it introduced a lot of elements that would be used in this type of game later.

I also loved this game when I was a kid but I can't remember ever making any significant progress. I am debating right now to either download this or the original Castlevania but I just can't decide!

I had this when I was a kid and didn't get anywhere near completing it. Can't wait to download it to see if I've got better at games as the years have gone by.

My favorite! I loved it! Best Castlevania of all time!

And it is definitely a 3 out of 5 star game...

Great ideas, great open ended exploration, wish the series expanded on the ideas presented in this game.

Problems? Yes. Oh, hell yes.

Basically this game suffers from a severely broken translation which practically makes referencing a guide a necessity. Also, the illusionary blocks in the mansions are suck. I'll admit that the lack of any real notable boss-enemies to confront really hurts too.

This is still my favorite and its still 3 stars at best.

Deal with it.

Terribly hard for a 7 or 8 year old! Seem to remember playing for about 15 minutes at a time then getting very confused - strangely enough my mum loved it... and actually completed it... without cheating... I never got anywhere near!

Although I have to admit thinking about it now makes me feel very nostalgic, used to love the music and the way Simon would break up into pieces if he died... fantastic

I think this game cops a lot of undeserved stick. Unfortunately to truly appreciate it you basically have to had played it when it first came out, or take a time machine back to the 80s, or play it in extreme retrospect. There wasn't really much out like this at the time... maybe zelda 2 or faxanadu.... or the monsterworld series.... but there wasn't a billion metroid/castlevania games back then so this kinda game was still pretty fresh.
Everyone else has sorta written about the gameplay so i'll just say that this game paved the way for future castlevania titles, mixing in more of an adventure style into the action. The puzzles are ridiculous, but keep a guide handy and this game can be quite enjoyable.

This game is unplayable in 50 Hertz. Sometimes i hate living in Europe. Even the music goes in 50 Hertz (13-15% slower than 60 Hertz) ='(

"Basically this game suffers from a severely broken translation "

No. It doesn't. The townspeople lied in the original as well.

That was the first adventure game I played these times, I'm happy I can play it again.

Many people love it, many people hate it. I Didn't even know this game untill the last couple pf month. I saw the AVGN review first, a more positive one later, got curious, downloaded it and never regretted it ever since. 4 Stars from me.

Not a bad entry. The concept of using Dracula's rib as a shield did weird me out, back in the day. This game has some good rpg elements but it is sometimes too easy to lose lives (and money!).

What a horrible night to have a curse!

I had this game back in the day for my Toaster. It was incredibly frustrating and nigh on impossible to figure out some of the puzzles. Back then, NES games cost between 40 and 50 pounds so you just had to stick with it and play a game to death. I must say, the music in the game is fantastic, there is no denying that (just check out all the renditions people have of these tunes on youtube if you don't believe me) and the graphics were well detailed too. It is a classic game, but thank god for the internet and FAQ's if you are planning on downloading it!

@ Adamant, I think most people understand that the lying townsfolk is a gameplay mechanic but still suffered from a wonky translation.

I love this game. Its true that many new players will probably have to resort to an online walkthrough (just like we had to use Nintendo Power to get us through back in the day) but it is still satisfying and very much ahead of its time. This is your chance to see Kanomi's Castleoid structure for the first time. For $5, its a deal.

I think some people are being a bit harsh on this game. I got the impression that AVGN was just nit-picking over stuff like the password system and the water, I think that, when all is said and done, it's a great adventure game... provided you're willing to invest some of your time scanning a walkthrough

I thought AVGN stood for "A very grumpy nitpicker."

@ stinssd
Ha Ha I actually agree with that. That's funny

Anyway, my name is Tony and I am a Castlevania 2 fan. That's how I introduce myself at Castlevania 2 Anonymous meetings. I disagree with this game getting 3 stars. Yes it's not a perfect game, but it does so many things well for a NES game. It has a eiree atmoshphere for 8-bit title and there is a lot elements that carried over into SOTN. Give this game its due. Even though its not perfect game it is still a lot of fun.

This is my favorite Castlevania game of them all. I love Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night, but at the end of the day, Simon's Quest is still my favorite.

I really wish they made a new Castlevania in this style, especially in 3D. 4/5

The toughest thing for me about this game is the crazy level layout. I mean, you'll descend stairs from the middle of a forest underground, and then you'll be in a town . . . that's underneath a forest! (yet the sun is out) So it's hard to remember how to get to places in light of that making no sense at all. Otherwise talking to townspeople (if only you could whip some of them), buying items and power-ups, and just generally exploring the wilds rather than just point A to point B are a really cool variation on the theme. Great graphics, artwork and music here, too! The level-layout REALLY hurts it more than anything else--especially since you get different endings based on how fast you finish the game--and the absence of bosses, except for the lame Dracula battle.