The box art for Castlevania II: Simon's Quest has a surprising inspiration. The top half that consists of Count Dracula gazing from a balcony in his castle is, indeed, remarkably-similar to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Ravenloft cover art. See the comparisons below (↓):

 

There are some differences to spot, though... it is not an exact copy, but close enough. For example, Dracula's menacing gaze is turned toward Simon Belmont and the viewer of the box art, his cape flows more openly and the tower is positioned and designed with slight alterations.

As another interesting point to add, only Simon Belmont and the ground he stands on remains on the European (PAL Region) release of the game. (See below ↓.)

The PAL version came out on April 27, 1990 — almost two years after the North American edition, and nearly three years after the Japanese Famicom Disk System release from August 28, 1987. Perhaps this was done to avoid potential, legal entanglements with the makers of Dungeons & Dragons material.

RETURN TO REVIEW - PRESENTATION SCORE

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest graced the cover of the second-ever issue of Nintendo Power (September/October 1988), released just in time for the upcoming Halloween holiday season. The cover art would live on in infamy for its violent imagery.

In the pictorial — perhaps not the kid-friendliest choice for a magazine that was, interestingly-enough, targeted to children and teens — a decapitated Dracula was depicted. His body lay crumpled over with displaced body parts lying across his cape. His head — a grimacing countenance with fiery-red eyes aglow — dangled from the clenched fist of the valiant Simon Belmont, clad in gilded armor and hero's helmet. In an ironic touch, the headlining Castlevania II: Simon's Quest feature was subtitled "14 Pages of Gory Details".

And in an interesting side-note, the cover actually stays true — at least, partially so — to how Dracula was actually slain in Bram Stoker's novel. Although popular culture would have you believe that he was dispatched with a wooden stake, the Count actually faces a much more grisly demise at the hands of a small band of fighters (Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris directly), finished off by the beheading.

In further issues surrounding questions of controversy and censorship with Simon's Quest, Nintendo's policy against showing religious imagery was tested. As in Castlevania before, contradictory conflicts with much of the upcoming religious imagery abound:

The vial of blue-colored liquid that was self-contradictorily described as a Fire Bomb in the first Castlevania, now became a bottle of red-colored fluid referred to as Holy Water. Besides the mixup in colors for the "water", the reference of being holy was now allowed.

Castlevania's Fire Bomb


Castlevania II's Holy Water

The Prologue from Castlevania II: Simon's Quest details the objective of the game with perhaps some objectionable language for children (as deemed by Nintendo's censors).

If the following parade of religious icons made it past the watchful eyes of Nintendo's panel of censors, then one must wonder what, if anything, would get pulled:

Naturally, the Churches in Transylvania would display crosses.

The password screens showcase ornamental instances of crosses.

Some tombstones in the graveyards and cemeteries of Castlevania II are chiseled in the shape of a cross.

The Magic Cross, found in Laruba Mansion, opens access to the final area of the game.

Ironically, Dracula's grave is crowned with a cross.

Finally, aside from the religious artifacts that were strewn throughout the game, these following questionable images remained untouched:

The reappearance of the Grim Reaper that may have escaped the censors once again.

The Grim Reaper, or Death, is a major character that was allowed to remain... once again.

The introduction of a new major enemy, Vampira (based off of the female lead in Carmilla, an early and very influential vampire novella by Irish writer, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu) and her mask that cries "bloody tears" (although very abstract in reality) may have skirted the line.

Going along this same line, Konami named one of its songs, "Bloody Tears" — a track that would go on to become one of the most popular songs in the Castlevania catalog.

Vampira, also to be known as Carmilla or Camilla in future titles, is represented by a mask that sheds tears of blood... a surprising entry.

Usually seeing images of hanged figures in a game that was predominately marketed and played by adolescents, would send up flags of caution. However, in this game — where so many things seemed to miss crossing an arbitrary line of censorship — it's no big surprise.

Hanged figures seem to be a particularly troublesome choice of images to be missed by Nintendo censors.

RETURN TO REVIEW - CENSORSHIP SECTION

The Wolf Man seemed to be the only major movie monster, unceremoniously, left out of the original Castlevania.

The Wolf Man headlined monster movies of yesteryear, but couldn't make the cut as an enemy boss in Castlevania... like his fellow fiends.

Konami makes up for that gaffe in this game. In fact, from the starting point in the game, the Wolf Man is the very first enemy you encounter when you leave town and take the path to the right. (If you attempt to go left first, the enemies are, presumably, too strong and fast to get past.)

 
The Wolf Man earns some much-deserved respect and appears as the first of "Count Dracula's Best Buddies" that Simon encounters (in many cases) — most likely by purposeful design.

It's as though the game's designers intended for the player to turn right first... and since the Wolf Man is the first foe you see, he makes his triumphant entrance in style... even if he is a little late to the party.

There is only one holdover, major boss from Castlevania. The Grim Reaper returns to lord over one of the Mansions found in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest.

 
The Grim Reaper is one of the few characters that appears in almost every Castlevania game.

The only other major boss — besides the final boss and the aforementioned Grim Reaper — is Vampira (according to the game manual... but also, referred to as Carmilla or Camilla, later in future titles in the series).

 
Above (↑) are two instances of where Camilla/Carmilla is mentioned in the game: (left) the cryptic riddle directly connects Camilla/Carmilla with Vampira, as it hints at the Vampira boss in Laruba Mansion, and (right) the town sign points the way to Camilla Cemetery.

The name, Carmilla, comes from novella and title vampire, Carmilla (1871-1872), penned by Irish writer, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Well-known for his Gothic and horror stories, Le Fanu's story was an early influence about a female vampire that predated, fellow Irish author, Bram Stoker's famous horror novel, Dracula (1897), by nearly 25 years!

In Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Vampira stands in defense of the Magic Cross and Dracula's Ring in Laruba Mansion. She appears as the manifestation of a dark gray mask that sheds tears of blood.

 

Interestingly enough, Vampira/Camilla/Carmilla — in her Castlevania II: Simon's Quest masked form — has made future cameos outside of the series... in another high profile series.

That's right! She appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo) from 2018 on the Nintendo Switch.

 
Carmilla (Vampira) makes a terrifying return as a third-party featured character in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Note the PG-rated, non-blood-colored, purple tears!

RETURN TO REVIEW - CAMILLA/VAMPIRA SECTION

In the spirit of celebrating famous monsters from film, Castlevania II introduced a more modern one. A clawed creeper, who pounces at Belmont with a hair-trigger, slash attack, is called Freddie — an allusion to Freddy Krueger, the bladed-gloved bogeyman who terrorized sleepers in A Nightmare On Elm Street from 1984.

   

The horror film genre wasn't the only source of inspiration for "Count Dracula's Best Buddies" in Simon's Quest. Slimey BarSinister, surprisingly, comes from the world of animated cartoons.

This enemy is a play on names from a character in the cartoon series, Underdog. Simon Bar Sinister was one of the nemeses of the heroic, Underdog. It's not certain why Konami chose to take influence from this character's name, but it is displayed within the game manual.

Underdog was the star of his very own cartoon series that originally ran from October 1964 through 1973.


Simon Bar Sinister was one of the villains of Underdog and was the inspiration for the naming of Slimey BarSinister below (↓).

 

The Ferryman, which is one of the "Six Haunting Scenes", makes his debut in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. He is the second major representative of Greek mythology to enter the Castlevania arena; Medusa being the first.

The Ferryman, known as Charon or Kharon, transports souls of the recently dead over the rivers, Styx and Acheron, in Greek/Roman mythology. This eerie oarsman ferries Simon — ironically, a living soul — across the Dead River to different regions amongst many of the haunted hordes that stalk the land.

An engraving of Charon created by the prolific, French artist, Gustave Dore, from 1861.

RETURN TO REVIEW - THE FERRYMAN FROM THE "SIX HAUNTING SCENES" SECTION

"WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT TO HAVE A CURSE." This message has lived on years after the release of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, existing in various media — in other video games and music even.

This is a demo album, independently-released in May 2001 by death metal/metalcore band, The Black Dahlia Murder. Its name? What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse.

The Black Dahlia Murder, an American death metal/metalcore band, showed its adoration for Simon's Quest by naming its independently-released demo album from May 2001, What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse.

The Black Dahlia Murder's album, Nocturnal, actually contains a song called "What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse" on its playlist.

The Black Dahlia Murder further showed its love by bestowing the same title for the second single released from their later album, Nocturnal (released on September 18, 2007).

The single — released on September 24, 2007 — was actually featured in two video games.

In Saints Row 2 (2008), originally on the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Microsoft Xbox 360, the song can be heard, if the gamer tunes into radio station, Krunch.

The song is, also, downloadable as add-on content for the Rock Band series. It can be found in the PlayStation Store for PS3 and PS4 versions or from the Xbox Marketplace.

Not to be ignored, the flipside phrasing that appears once nightfall ends — "THE MORNING SUN HAS VANQUISHED THE HORRIBLE NIGHT." — is resurrected in a later piece in the Castlevania oeuvre.

Shanoa, heroine from Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia (2008 - Nintendo 3DS), utters a variation of the message during the game:

The original phrase: THE MORNING SUN HAS VANQUISHED THE HORRIBLE NIGHT.

Shanoa's reinterpretation from the Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia game.

Did you know that Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was one of the earliest video games to use the innovation of an internal clock or sense of time change with real consequences to gameplay?

Time affected the strength of enemies and when, where and what could be done (depending upon daytime or nighttime); as well, as which of the different endings would be achieved (dependent upon amount of time played).

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is one of the first games to utilize a system of time that mimicked real days and nights, as well as recording passage of time with real consequences to gameplay.

Did you know that time actually stops — that is, the internal clock pauses — while Belmont is inside a building or Church in the towns; inside a Mansion or at the final area of the game?

Did you know that in the final confrontation of the game, the Oak Stake cannot be used?

If you happen to purchase a spare one from any of the Mansions, then venture to the game's ending fight, the Oak Stake will be displayed in the Multi-Screen, but will be disabled and unresponsive if you try to use it. That's because this item can't be used at any point in the game, except for in retrieving the five body parts.

And if you are looking for other traditional weapons known to afflict vampires, access to Simon's Garlic is taken away in the final battle, as well.

↓


In the final battle of Simon's Quest, the Oak Stake is disabled and any cloves of Garlic that you may have had before you enter the final room are removed — whittled down to zero. Simon Belmont never seems to learn his lesson.

Speaking of the end of the game, did you know that Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is one of the earliest examples of a game that has a number of different endings — each dependent upon the amount of time that passes before you complete the game? (Click here to learn more about the three endings available in PASSWORDS FOR ALL ENDINGS in the SECRETS & TIPS section.)

It shares this distinction with Metroid (1986 - Nintendo) — various endings were attainable depending on how long it took to beat that game.

Both Metroid and Simon's Quest gave gamers the ability to see different endings, depending upon the time it took to defeat each game.

RETURN TO REVIEW - ELEMENT OF TIME SECTION
RETURN TO ENDING? CATEGORY ABOVE

Did you know that during the various endings of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, a shot of Dracula's grave is shown that displays the actual lifespan of the real-life inspiration for Count Dracula, Vlad Tepes?

Vlad Tepes or Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler and inspiration for Dracula, was born in 1431 and died in 1476 — as depicted in Simon's Quest.

Did you know that Castlevania II: Simon's Quest gives another nod to the real-life inspiration for Count Dracula, Vlad Tepes? One of the locations found in the game's revision of Transylvania is named the VRAD GRAVEYARD. (Suspiciously-enough, the VRAD GRAVEYARD rests just outside of the game's final area.)

VRAD seems to be one of the game's notorious mistranslations. (It is rather common for Japanese translations to transpose and confuse the English letters/sounds/phonics, "L" and "R".)

Vlad — not VRAD — Tepes, or Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, was the inspiration for Dracula... and for this graveyard in Simon's Quest.

RETURN TO REVIEW - THE GRAVEYARD FROM THE "SIX HAUNTING SCENES" SECTION

With the number of mistranslations in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, it makes one wonder if the BRAHM MANSION, is actually supposed to be the BRAM MANSION - a nod to Dracula author, BRAM Stoker?

Could BRAHM be confused for Bram — as in BRAM Stoker, the author of Dracula, in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest?

Simon Belmont was a member of the cast of a Saturday morning cartoon that featured Nintendo video games. The show, called Captain N: The Game Master, aired between 1989 and 1991. Simon Belmont was satirized as little more than a vain caricature.

Castlevania's Simon Belmont represented, err... misrepresented on Captain N: The Game Master.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was featured along with a number of other games from similarly-high profile series of the day (Super Mario Bros., The Legend Of Zelda, Mega Man, StarTropics, DuckTales, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Ninja Gaiden, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the rest of the Castlevanias, to be exact) in a special gaming guide.

Officially released by Nintendo, the NES Game Atlas, was printed in 1991. The publication, replete with road signs on its cover, dissected 18 of the best titles the NES had to offer at the time, and created intricately-detailed maps and tips for each game.

Above (↑): The hand-sketched "TERROR-TORY OF TRANSYLVANIA" and the rarely-seen place names found in the NES Game Atlas.

Years before Castlevania's Simon Belmont was immortalized as an Amiibo, his 8-Bit likeness from Simon's Quest existed.

As a promotional giveaway at Comic Con 2007 for the release of Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles on the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console, a limited number of 3.5 inch, pixelated Simon Belmont figurines by NECA (the National Entertainment Collectibles Association) were handed out.

The promotional Simon's Quest Simon Belmont figurine giveaway predates the Amiibo by over a decade! The top image shows the actual figure in its original packaging; the bottom image is the back of the packaged item.

With its entry of "Bloody Tears", Simon's Quest continued to forge Konami's growing, musical reputation with its legendary, Castlevania soundtrack.

This song — named in honor of the teardrops shed by newest villainess, Vampira or Camilla/Carmilla — shows up time and time again across future Castlevania songlists, just like the heroic theme, "Vampire Killer", from the original game.

Although the piece was originally uncredited in the game (some sources now state that Kenichi Matsubara is the composer, while other sources state that Kenichi Matsubara, Satoe Terashima and Kouji Murata all collaborated on the soundtrack), it has grown to become one of the most prolific tracks to be remixed within the Castlevania galaxy, appearing in such games as:

• 𝄞 Haunted Castle (arcade),
• 𝄞 Super Castlevania IV (Super Nintendo (SNES)),
• 𝄞 Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood (PC Engine CD (in Japan) and the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)),
• 𝄞 Castlevania: Bloodlines (Sega Genesis),
• 𝄞 Castlevania: Dracula X (Super Nintendo (SNES)),
• 𝄞 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn and various others),
• 𝄞 Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow (Nintendo DS)
• 𝄞 Castlevania: Judgement (Nintendo Wii)

Take a listen to the classic track below (↓):

"Bloody Tears" ↓

RETURN TO REVIEW - THE MUSIC OF CASTLEVANIA II SECTION

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest — along with a number of other popular franchises, including the Sonic The Hedgehog, Mega Man (Click here to read our Mega Man review.), Paperboy, Double Dragon and Ninja Gaiden (Click here to read our review of the NES version of the title here.) series — was licensed for the portable Tiger Handheld systems.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was converted into a Tiger Electronics LCD Handheld, very loosely-based off of the NES title.

In the 1990s, the Tiger Electronics LCD Handhelds were monochromatic, liquid crystal display games that animated on top of a stationary backdrop. These handhelds were similar, in some respects, to the Nintendo Game Boy, wristwatch games or Tamagotchi digital pets even.

However, they lacked the sophistication and solid gameplay of the original source, due to basic, primarily-stationary graphics; limited controls and range of movements; repetitious play; lack of change of stages or variation of play; vague instructions and the simple audio bleeps and blips associated with the devices.

Konami's licensing of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest resulted in two Tiger LCD products: a handheld device and a wristwatch.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest — along with a number of other classic hits on the NES, including Bionic Commando, Blaster Master and Metal Gear (Click here to read our review here.) — provided the source material for a series of short novelizations known as The World Of Power series.

Targeted to and created for younger audiences, these publications in the early 1990s hit school book fairs and populated order forms. Printed by Scholastic Inc., this paperback was written by author, F.X. Nine. It first landed on shelves on July 1, 1990.

Because of the youthful readership, tamer stories were crafted — loosely-based around the plots and characters. In this story, Simon is joined by young, gaming wizard, Tim Bradley, as they track down Dracula to battle.