Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest is an incredibly innovative game for its time. It originated in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, as Konami's sequel to the wildly popular Castlevania. The Castlevania series is so vast that I am unsure of exactly how many games in the series exist. Anyways, the game was ported to the PC as shareware in 2002, and it is being shared with you here.
At the end of the original Castlevania game, Simon Belmont, vampire-hunter extraordinaire defeats the evil Count Dracula. However, with his dying breath (well, not dying, because he's technically already dead, but I digress), the Count places a curse on Simon that will ensure that he will have a premature and painful death, unless the Count is revived later on.
Simon must search through small towns and old haunted mansions to gather up body parts of the count (specifically, his eye, heart, nail, rib, and ring). These body parts must then be combined for a final showdown with ol' Drac himself.
This game was the first I had ever played to incorporate a time change. As you walk through the countryside, fighting monsters, the scene will shift from day to night. At night, monsters are stronger and more numerous, and many of the townspeople in the small towns have taken refuge in their homes. In addition to the time change, there are some elements of an RPG in this adventure game. Defeating enemies gives you hearts, which are used as currency in this game, as opposed
to health. Hearts can be used to buy upgrades to your famous whip, secondary weapons like daggers or holy water, and various-colored crystals that have several different uses throughout the game.
The mansions can be some of the most challenging points in the game, especially due to the invisible holes in the floor. There is nothing more infuriating than spending 30 minutes getting to the top of the mansion, only to fall through a hole. A major hint: use the holy water to test for holes.
Overall, this was a very innovative game for its time. It may seem unimpressive by today's standards, but it’s a must play for fans of this series and this genre.
