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.
