Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest
Reviewed by Bill O'Toole III
Graphics 8 out of 10
Big surprise here. As in almost every other Konami NES release,
Castlevania 2 is decorated with some pretty spiffy graphics.
Granted, these aren't the best that Konami could do, but they are
light years ahead of the original Castlevania. The monsters that
you fight for Dracula's body parts look pretty good and the men
hanging from nooses in some of the mansions are always a great
attention grabber.
Sound 10 out of 10
Awesome. The only NES games which may have better music than
Castlevania 2 are Maniac Mansion and Kirby's Adventure, which
both feature truly great soundtracks. I do believe that this is the
best Konami-composed music to be heard of all time (although a
lot of their other games do come very close). The music when night
falls is especially good-- it actually gives the player a sense of
fear and the unknown. The music in this game really fits the atmospheres.
Play Control 7 out of 10
You may run into some problems controlling Simon here and
there, but the control was vastly improved from the jerky and
non-responsiveness of the original. Granted, you will probably
run into some problems with the control along the way, be it
trying to jump over water or an enemy or something. It could
get a bit frustrating, but it shouldn't bother you too much.
Fun Factor 8.5 out of 10
Some (it seems most, actually) prefer the setup of the other two
Castlevania more than this one because Simon's Quest is set up
more like Metroid and has many RPG elements while the other two
are more like straight-forward action games. Not me. I definitely
think that Simon's Quest is the best Castlevania game for the NES.
I am a big fan of the adventure/RPG category, and if you are too,
then you'll definitely be a big fan of this one.
Challenge 9 out of 10
This is a wickedly hard game. The enemies aren't so bad to deal
with, but trying to find the mansions (and in order) is an almost
impossible task without a walkthrough. If you consider yourself a
hardcore explorer, then have fun with this one. If you're not, then I
suggest picking up a walkthrough somewhere before you get totally
and utterly lost.
Replay Value 6.5 out of 10
It shouldn't be too hard to figure out that RPG and adventure type
games won't have the replayability of games like Pac-Man. This is
no exception. Things that do add to the replay value is the fact that
the game has three different endings and it is a great game. After
you beat it, you may not come back to it right away, but give it
time....eventually, you'll come crawling back for more.
Overall 8.5 out of 10
This is the best CV game for the NES in my opinion. The new RPG
elements and non-linear, Metroid-like gameplay makes this game a
must for any NES fan's library. However, be warned that some
Castlevania fans actually don't like this one. If you think you may
be one of the nay sayers, than try this one out before a purchase.