Cheap Simon's Quest (Video Games) (Nintendo NES) Price

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Customer Reviews of Simon's Quest

Good, but not great
Over the years, Konami has become one of the best-known video gaming third party corporations out there - for a number of reasons. But, their most popular series of all would have to be the vampire-killing franchise, Castlevania. Konami released the first installment of the series on American consoles in 1987, and released a console-only sequel the following year (the original game was released in arcades before it reached consoles.) Read on for my review of the second installment in the series - Simon's Quest.

PROS:
-FOR ITS DAY AND AGE, THESE WERE SOME OF THE BEST VIDEO GAME GRAPHICS OUT THERE. The on-screen graphics move along at a pretty decent pace, and slow-down is very minimal. As far as the NES in the eighties goes, the graphics didn't get a whole lot better than this.
-THE MUSIC IS GREAT FOR THIS KIND OF GAME. I've played a number of NES games with great music in them, but this title features some of the best. The music always suits the mood of the location you are exploring perfectly.
-PLAY CONTROL IS SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT. Basically you move, crouch, jump, attack, and attack with a secondary weapon. This was one of the first video games to feature a secondary weapon - a video gaming feature which has since been copied countless times.
-IT'S CHALLENGING, AND MIND-BOGGLING. If you're a fan of side-scrolling platformers and you're looking for a good challenge, one that will test both brain and brawn alike, this game will give you the best of both worlds!
-IT WAS THE FIRST ENTRY IN THE SERIES TO USE PASSWORDS. Thanks to passwords, you no longer have to start the game over every time you play it! This is a great feature.

CONS:
-THE GAME IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLETE WITHOUT A PLAYERS GUIDE OR AN FAQ. Most of the game revolves around finding certain items, and using them to advance further into the game. However, the game offers virtually no hints to the player whatsoever, and the towns and mansions aren't even really given names in the game - although people in the game and the players guides and FAQs like refer to them by their names!
-PLAY CONTROL CAN SEEM VERY STIFF AT TIMES. Your character has almost no midair jump control whatsoever, which can make life a living hell. Also, having to hold up on the control pad to use a secondary weapon can be a pain. And let's not forget about scaling flights of stairs - that's where the control is at its worse.
-IT'S NOT THE CASTLEVANIA THAT GAMERS KNOW AND LOVE. When someone plays a Castlevania game, they generally want a side-scrolling platformer of nothing but pure action. Unfortunately, this game, for the most part, swaps action in favor of searching.

OVERALL:
Overall this is a very good game, but it just isn't a great one. Many aspects of the game come off seeming unfinished, and ultimately the player ends up being the one that suffers for this. If you're looking for a traditional Castlevania adventure, pass this one by. But if you've got an open mind and you like side-scrollers, give this one a whirl - it might pleasantly surprise you.

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simons quest
this game is not bad at all the graphics is the best out of the three the first castlevania was more dark & sinister this one is more gothic and realistic such as the hills and mountains just like in europe dracula however looks more like the grim reaper drape in a black cloak and massive in size with a face that resembles a skeleton like the grim reaper i give it five stars

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One of the weirdest entries in the series...
The 2nd title in the Castlevania series was this one - Simon's Quest. While the first game was a straightforward platformer, this one used the same play control style in a whole new style of game, based on collecting and trading. Read on for my review.

Graphics: Typical NES graphics, complete with the glitching we've all come to know and love (or hate.) 3/5

Play Control: About average for the Castlevania series, and that's NOT a good thing, since you don't get midair jump control. 3/5

Challenge: This game is extremely confusing because your goals are often unclear. The enemies aren't hard at all (Dracula is a push-over), but the puzzles are mindbending. If you can complete this game without an FAQ, you helped design it. 5/5

Theme/Fun: Because this game is a departure from most Castlevania titles, many will be turned off. However, if you can adjust to the game's stylings, it can be quite fun. 3.75/5

Sound/Music: Like most Castlevania titles, the game features excellent sounds and even better music. 4/5

Storyline: Simon Belmont has been cursed following the defeat of Dracula in the first Castlevania. To lift the curse, he must travel to mansions across the world and unite the body parts of Dracula, to destroy them once and for all. A very unique story; nothing else in the series is like it. 4.5/5

Originality: Probably the most original entry in the series, though that's not entirely a good thing. 4.25/5

Replay Value: This game is really only fun the first time through, if you can call it such. 3/5

OVERALL SCORE: 3/5
This is a good game, no questions asked. However, due to its shortcomings, it's not one of the better titles in the series. If you're an NES owner, get Castlevania III and bypass the first two titles.