data/claims/castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history.yamlCastlevania II: Simon's Quest (history and reception)
Konami dates Simon's Quest's release in Japan to 28 August 1987, on the Famicom Disk System as Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin; in North America to 24 November 1988, on the NES; and in Europe to February 1990, on the NES. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/release
game entry, release and platform lines — the next line gives the platform, ファミリーコンピュータ ディスクシステム (Family Computer Disk System)発売日：1987年8月28日Castlevania Portal: Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (1987 Famicom Disk System) · game entry, platform lineファミリーコンピュータ ディスクシステムCastlevania Portal: Castlevania II Simon's Quest (United States) · title header, release lineNov 24, 1988Castlevania Portal: Castlevania II Simon's Quest (Europe) · title header, release line — Konami's Europe page gives the month onlyFeb. 1990Cited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Konami calls Simon's Quest the second game in the series and describes it as a break from the stage-clear format common to 2D action games: the player travels from town to town after items scattered across the land, clears dungeons, and beats bosses, a progression it likens to a role-playing game. It also names day and night that change with time among the game's ambitious systems. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/structure
Game section — translation (ours): the series' second gameシリーズ2作目Castlevania Portal: Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (1987 Famicom Disk System) · Game section — translation (ours): not the stage-clear type common to 2D action games2Dアクションによくあるステージクリア型ではなくCastlevania Portal: Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (1987 Famicom Disk System) · Game section — translation (ours): moves from town to town, conquers dungeons, and defeats bosses街から街へと移動し、ダンジョンを攻略し、ボスを倒すCastlevania Portal: Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (1987 Famicom Disk System) · Game section — translation (ours): the progression is just like an RPG'sさながらRPGのような進行になっているCastlevania Portal: Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (1987 Famicom Disk System) · Game section — translation (ours): it adopted many ambitious systems, such as day and night switching with time時間によって昼夜が入れ替わるなど、野心的なシステムを数多く採用したCited by: Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
The player is Simon Belmont, who searches for Count Dracula's five missing body parts and, once he has them, goes to Dracula's castle to fight the count again. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/quest
3, Basic Playtake on the role of Simon Belmont on his quest to uncover Count Dracula's five missing body partsCastlevania II: Simon's Quest instruction booklet (NES, North America) · 3, Basic Playproceed to Dracula's castle, where you'll again duel to the death with the countCited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
The manual says Simon's experience rating grows the longer he survives, and his soul grows stronger with it. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/experience
3, Basic Playthe longer you survive, the greater your experience rating, and the stronger your vulnerable soul will becomeCited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
In the towns Simon talks to townspeople for clues, though some of them are pranksters who give false information, and merchants sell weapons and other items for hearts. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/towns
3, Basic PlayStop and talk to the townspeople for helpful cluesCastlevania II: Simon's Quest instruction booklet (NES, North America) · 3, Basic Playsome of the townspeople are pranksters, and will give Simon falsified informationCastlevania II: Simon's Quest instruction booklet (NES, North America) · 3, Basic Playmerchants who'll sell you weapons and other mystical items. Your purchasing power depends on how many hearts you've collectedCited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
At night the townspeople are gone and the stores and churches are closed, and enemies are more powerful but give more experience points and hearts. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/night
3, Basic Play, Night-TimeTownspeople are conspicuously absent during the night, and stores and churches are closed.Castlevania II: Simon's Quest instruction booklet (NES, North America) · 3, Basic Play, Night-TimeEnemies are also more powerful at night, and as a result you gain more experience points and hearts when you defeat them.Cited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
A former Konami developer whom Hitoshi Akamatsu, the creator of Castlevania, mentored recalls that Akamatsu came up with the American title, Simon's Quest, himself. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/title
introductionHitoshi Akamatsu, the creator of the legendary Castlevania, was my bossCastlevania – Developer Commentary · Castlevania II – Simon's Questin America it’s called Simon’s Quest, which Akamatsu came up with himself.Secondhand: the developer, who isn't named, recalls what Akamatsu told him; shmuplations translated and compiled the recollections.
Cited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Asked whether Metroid influenced Simon's Quest, Akamatsu answered, by the same developer's account, that he was thinking more of Konami's own Maze of Galious. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/influence
Castlevania II – Simon's QuestI asked Akamatsu whether Metroid was an influence on the developmentCastlevania – Developer Commentary · Castlevania II – Simon's Quest — the quoted answer ends with the title Maze of GaliousI was thinking more of Konami’s ownCited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
By the same developer's account, the zombies in the towns at night first hopped, like jiangshi, and Akamatsu reluctantly made them walk after people said they were too strong. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/zombies
Castlevania II – Simon's QuestThe zombies that appear in the towns at night in Simon’s Quest originally hopped aroundCastlevania – Developer Commentary · Castlevania II – Simon's QuestPeople said they were too strong though, so Akamatsu reluctantly toned them down to just walking zombies.Cited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
The same developer recalls that Akamatsu's sequels to Castlevania sold poorly, so that he was demoted to working in one of Konami's game centers, and that he then quit. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/sales
On Director Hitoshi AkamatsuAkamatsu’s sequels to Castlevania sold poorly, so he was demoted to working in one of Konami’s game centers, and then he quit.The recollection doesn't say which sequels, or give figures.
Cited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
By the account of Kinuyo Yamashita, who scored Castlevania, Kenichi Matsubara composed the music. She says she was working on other games at the time and that her superior removed her from Castlevania II. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/composer
answer on the series' later musicKenichi Matsubara, a person who exclusively composed music, took charge of the score for the sequel.Kinuyo Yamashita Interview: Castlevania Composer · answer on the series' later music — the sentence ends with the title Castlevania IIregrettably my superior removed me from the role ofKinuyo Yamashita Interview: Castlevania Composer · answer on the series' later musicI was taking charge of other games at the timeCited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Computer Entertainer's January 1989 review recommended Simon's Quest, saying it outdoes its predecessor in every way and leans much more on adventure, with clues from villagers and weapons to buy; it counted the change from day to night, when creatures appear in great numbers, among its touches. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/review-ce
PDF p. 11, NINTENDO Softwareoutdoes its predecessor in every wayComputer Entertainer, vol. 7, no. 10 (January 1989) · PDF p. 11, NINTENDO Softwaremuch more reliance on adventure gaming elementsComputer Entertainer, vol. 7, no. 10 (January 1989) · PDF p. 11, NINTENDO Softwarechanges from day to night when the evil creatures appear in great numbersComputer Entertainer, vol. 7, no. 10 (January 1989) · PDF p. 11, NINTENDO SoftwareRecommended.The review is unsigned, and its rating symbols don't survive the scan's OCR.
Cited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Jordan Jackson's 2005 retrospective review for RPGamer praised the music but found most areas palette swaps of others, with the same enemies repeated, and much of what the townsfolk say strange. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/review-rpgamer
music paragraphThe music is one of the places where the game excels.Castlevania II: Simon's Quest Retroview · visuals paragraphmost of the game’s areas are merely pallete swaps of other locationsCastlevania II: Simon's Quest Retroview · visuals paragraphthis repetition also applies to the enemiesCastlevania II: Simon's Quest Retroview · menus and localization paragrapha lot of what the townsfolk say seems rather strangeCited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
The same review calls Simon's Quest a template for later games such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and says a couple of its tunes recur in later games of the series. castlevania-ii-simons-quest-history/legacy
closing paragraph — the sentence ends with Castlevania: Symphony of the Nightit served as a template for great games likeCastlevania II: Simon's Quest Retroview · opening paragraphbecame a very rough blueprint for some amazing games to comeCastlevania II: Simon's Quest Retroview · music paragrapha couple of the tunes became recurring songs in future gamesCited by: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest