Dracula II: Noroi no Fûin

This is a honorable mention in favorite games for the NES and in the action RPG genre and also a bit of an under the radar gem. This was a surprising entry as it was one that was taking the not entirely familiar path which was common in sequels in not just video games but also movies at the time because back in the 80s (as well as before that) and early 90's sequels had no set rules yet, with new entries you can go any direction you want it to go.

With the second volume to "Castlevania" they decided to make it an action RPG and I felt it was the right direction as Castlevania and that genre really do make a good combination, but also this entry predates the direction the franchise would take many years later in its cycle which will be stories for another time.

This sequel was no doubt ambitious because with the action RPG genre it meant they could expand and broaden the world of "Castlevania" which makes sense as the game is set in a dark fantasy world so why not. There not much in story just a plotline the progresses as you go on which was common in most of the old action RPG's, which never bothered me as with most of these action RPG we were all in it more for the action and adventure which is exactly what we get.

The gameplay is still intact it's the usual whip attack and jump, but here you have all of the RPG elements. Like the hearts you collect are now currency which you need to purchase certain items and weapons. From a thorn whip, power crystals to increase your health, attacks and even strength in places of the game, but also projectile weapons like the holy water and the best thing about this is you practically have unlimited ammo, unlike in the first game where the hearts were your ammo meter for each of the projectile weapons collected. I even like that you have the experience point system as you progress and fight more you grow stronger which always means things get a little easier than before.

I really like each of the areas that you explore which each all have that dark fantasy and gothic horror theme to them from the forests, caves, and my favorites the castles and mansions which are pretty much the dungeon exploring aspect, but those parts of the game are fun as it's not just finding a way to get from point A to B to get what you need in order to go on to the next area; also there are certain secret passages and areas which are always fun to find as a little extra goodies always help.

You have a good variety of enemies who are your usual bump in the night variety from zombies, werewolves, gill men, spiders, undead knights, flying eyeballs and demons, etc. There are even some boss battles though only a few, which that's ok by me as a few more might have made the game too long; though it's true that the boss battles compared to the rest of the game are on the easy side at least for me but their still fun and each are unique and cool looking from a Grim Reaper that throws scathe blades, though the best one for me is the last one Dracula himself. The look of him is really unique as he kind of looks more like Skeletor from "He-Man" but I didn't mind as I'm a "He-Man" fan and makes sense as he's came back from the dead so he wouldn't be all so perfect looking.

One other unique feature is the multiple endings which wasn't common in video games at the time, and you can say sort of pertains to the "Chose your Own Adventure" book series which was popular in the 80's. In that book series you got different endings depending on which decisions you made, this games sort of has that same principle as you get a different ending depending on how long and well you play the game, which is why I like to finish it well and fast so I can get the best ending.

Of course, there is the music, as usual with the "Castlevania" games this game has some of the best tracks ever, that always sing dark fantasy and goth horror. But also, to this day are still being listened to and even when remixed still sound so good.

But this game isn't perfect as it does have a couple of whip burns. One of my problems are the fact certain clues and places are just a little too far away and a few a bit vague, which I felt was a slight unnecessary difficulty. This wouldn't be a problem if the game had a map to keep track of your progress and where you're at in the game, but this is easily remedied as you can watch some of the playthrough/guide videos on "YouTube" to see where you're at and where to go next, so I can let this part slide.

However, it's really some backtracking which I never like because it can take away a little of the momentum of the game, however it's only in some places of the game so that's another I can let slide.

Overall, this I thought was a very good sequel, if you're a fan of the "Castlevania" franchise or just of the action RPG genre in general and you looking for vintage editions for both then this entry is worth a crack.

Rating: 3 and a half stars.

In 1987, two games were released that pushed RPGs in a very different direction. One was Zelda 2: Adventure of Link, a game which merged the overhead map screens of the original Zelda with 2D side scrolling dungeons and an experience system allowing the player to customize their Link. The second was Dracula II, released in the US as Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest.

For any who played the game when it was released, the name alone brings back either fond or hateful memories. Like Zelda 2, Castlevania 2 took the tried-and-true side scrolling action of the original and built on it with an experience system that allowed Simon Belmont to grow in strength through the course of the game. Simon could also accumulate hearts from fallen enemies with which he could purchase upgraded weapons and various special weapons (which were used to enter new areas) from the scattered merchants of Transylvania. And if that's not genius enough, Castlevania 2 featured a progressive time system, by which enemies would become much stronger and more dangerous during the night, while NPCs would only be available during the day. Transylvania was also a complete world the player could explore at their own will, creating a non-linear adventure with multiple endings.

The plot of Castlevania 2 is certainly one of the most unique for the time, and probably even today. Before Dracula died, he placed a curse on the land that its nights would be covered in evil until his resurrection. Simon Belmont, determined to resolve the situation once and for all, must search the land for Dracula's various parts, each hidden within a complex castle, and use them to revive the bloody Count only to kill him again, thus lifting the curse. The body parts also worked themselves into the game play, allowing Simon to use Dracula's parts for various purposes (for instance, Dracula's Rib is a shield used to deflect missile attacks).

With such groundbreaking game play and an intriguing plot, how could a game like this go wrong? Although Castlevania 2 didn't depart as drastically from its original game play as Zelda 2 did, it suffered the same problem -- fans of the original. Unlike the linear, Mario-like plat former that the original Castlevania was, Simon's Quest required the player to do much backtracking and experience building, things RPG gamers are used to but plat formers are not. At the time, there weren't many fans of this action-RPG style.

Another crippling factor of Castlevania 2 was a common problem among games of its time, but compounded to the nth degree in this particular game. That factor is its translation. Castlevania 2 did not feature obvious puzzles (like Resident Evil's 'you see a square hole on the crank, so you must find a handle with a square plug'). One puzzle in particular requires the player to kneel near a cliff to reveal a staircase leading down to a new area. The hint to help you solve this puzzle, given to you by one of the many NPCs, is "Hit Deborah Cliff with your head to make a hole." Needless to say, if you managed to beat this game you either cheated, played the Japanese version, or did so by accident or hand of God.

Still, Castlevania 2's solid game play, morbidly original plot, and minimal learning curve made it a blast to play for anyone into RPGs, but the rest of the gaming world would have rather forgotten it, preferring instead the branching stages of its sequel (Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse in the USA, but lacking a cardinal in Japanese, instead called 'Legend of the Demon Castle'). Little did anyone know that Simon's Quest's game play would be picked up 10 years later and fashioned into one of the greatest games ever made, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Nocturne in the Moonlight), which has become the set standard for 2D Castlevania games.

Castlevania 2 was a game as ambitious as it was basic, but was released at a time where its innovations could not be fully realized and appreciated. For that reason, this is one of those games that you either love for its ingenuity or hate for its faulty execution.

The Castlevania series is one of the most different adventure video games! The characters, the action, and the sure thrill of adventure makes this game a fun non-stop playing time! Below is a brief look how I think the game is!

Game Play: The game play is very good. There is really basic controls here and is easy to perform. Novice gamers should have a good time here!

Graphics: The graphics are wonderful especially for the first Nintendo system! The backgrounds are really beautiful!

Difficulty: The game is easy but as it goes on you find out that it will become more difficult!

Music: Just fantastic catchy tunes through out the game! In My opinion its some of the best music ever in a video game!

Sound: The sound is great. Nuff said!

Overall: I have always loved Castlevania II: Simon's Quest! If you like excellent adventure games that has Dracula, Werewolves, Ghosts, and more then I strongly recommend you play this game!

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So they took the Gothic Horror side-scrolling feel of Castlevania and injected a healthy dose of RPG into it where the NPC's lie to you...

... and it worked.

It was EPIC. It looked fantastic (for the 80s) it was dark, it was a horror RPG that you ran home from school to play with the lights off in the basement.

It was spooky role playing fun and probably one of the best, and at times, most frustrating and confusing games ever released on NES.

This game is the first sequel and another entry into the popular Castlevania series of games. It is also considered by many to be a vastly inferior sequel to the original as many complain about many of the new features in this one. Even Angry Video Game Nerd has reviewed the game twice during the run of his show. However, I enjoyed this entry to the series and liked the new touches. A sequel should be different to the original in some ways otherwise you are just playing the same game. I look at the original Super Mario Brothers 2 that was released under the title Super Mario Brothers: the lost chapters as a prime example. It is essentially the same game with nothing added to the mix except for extreme difficulty and poison mushrooms. This one has Simon wandering the Transylvania countryside searching mansions for the remains of Dracula's corpse. Seems poor Simon has been cursed, and to undo that curse the remains of Dracula must be destroyed! Again. You go through many towns, and the townspeople are about useless in helping you in your quest. I completely agree with AVGN about this, though I still enjoy talking to all of them. Some do sell you weapons, upgrades to your whip and other useful items, but figuring out how to get to some of the mansions is just hard! However, of the three Castlevania games released on the NES this is the only one I was able to complete. However, I never really played the third one all that much, I rented the first one all the time. Enjoyed it a good deal, but I could never win it. This one is much easier in that regard and like I said it is a different sort of game. The third one would be a bit more similar to the first game, but it too added enough features to keep the game different and fresh. The music in this one is excellent and makes one wonder why other NES games get so lazy with the music by playing only one tune throughout the game. Even AVGN will tell you the music in this one is good. So for me, an enjoyable entry into the Castlevania series, though my favorite by far is Super Castlevania.