NES Works looks back on Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

The granddaddy of the Metrodvania

26 October 2022
by rawmeatcowboy 1

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest came to the NES back in 1988, and it quickly became one of the most infamous titles in the system’s library. There are certainly plenty of people who love this installment in the long-running series (myself included!), but there’s no denying its obtuse design in multiple areas.

Players would spend months completely stuck on where to go and what to do, thanks to rather vague clues, along with NPCs who tell you flat-out lies. Working your way through this one could seem downright impossible at first, but as word spread between players, eventually people started to piece together the way forward.

While Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest may have treated its players with a bit of malice, there’s no denying the importance of this title in gaming history. Castlevania II was pretty much the birth of the Metroidvania genre, even if we didn’t know it at the time. These baby steps would help bring about one of gaming’s most popular genres just a decade later.

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Comments (1)

mamba909

1+ y ago

Count me in the like/love this game club. I didn't mind the change in the game formula; rather, I found it innovative. Granted, I did have a guide for the game, so that saved me from frustration. (I mean, c'mon. Who would've figured out that kneeling at that wall to summon that tornado.) But yeah, I enjoyed the exploration and upgrading aspects of the game, and Konami putting a twist in the Castlevania formula.