Castlevania II: Simon's Quest Copyright Konami 1988 Written By Brian P. Sulpher E-mail: briansulpher@hotmail.com Version 1.4 Dates Written: January 3rd to 7th, 2008 I dedicate this FAQ to Dave "ZoopSoul" McCutcheon. He is a good dude, a great friend, and a guy who deserves to be fully appreciated by his peers. You rock David, keep yourself happy and live life to the fullest, just like I know you can, duder. Also, for Cougar, Howler, and Koonce. I miss you, and I hope you are living it up in the afterlife as you did in this world. You will always be in my memories, and you will never be forgotten. If you enjoy this FAQ and want to give back, you can click the Donate button by my author name above, and send some money my way (via Paypal). I have no set amount or minimum, so feel free to donate as little as you like (this is simply a from the bottom of your heart deal). Thanks for your consideration, now on with the FAQ! ----------- Version 1.0 ----------- -Submitted guide on January 7th, 2008 ----------- Version 1.1 ----------- -Submitted guide on August 9th, 2009 -Made a few small corrections (thanks to junglequeen18) ----------- Version 1.2 ----------- -Submitted guide on January 4th, 2010 -Made a few small corrections (thanks to Scott Harrington, Marty Davis, and Albert Wesker) ----------- Version 1.3 ----------- -Submitted guide on January 15th, 2013 -Made a correction to a directions error (thanks to DAN MC) ----------- Version 1.4 ----------- -Submitted guide on December 18th, 2013 -Made a correction to a directions error (thanks to Scott M) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------Table Of Contents------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Introduction 2) Controls 3) Basics 4) Walkthrough 5) Items/Weapons 6) Enemies 7) Final Word ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------Introduction--------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) The following is taken directly from the Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest instruction booklet, and is in no way the work of Brian P. Sulpher: The second coming of Count Dracula You're Simon Belmont, bravest of the brave, boldest of the bold, a gothic warrior respected by kings. You earned your praise, not by crushing Viking invaders or Turkish hordes, but by destroying the evil Count Dracula in a duel to the death at Castlevania. But your victory proved painful, as the wounds inflicted during the duel slowly gnawed at your soul. One day, though, a beautiful maiden appeared. With a soft voice she warned that you were possessed by the Count's curse. She said your only hope of destroying the curse and healing your scars was to find the five body parts of Count Dracula and burn them all in his Castle, ending forever the reign of the Prince of Darkness. Suddenly, like most beautiful visions, she began to fade. And as you reached to touch her, she spoke her final words: "Fear not, brave Simon, for if you have the courage to risk your life, you will find the strength to win again." Not exactly that descriptive, nor does it tell what you are doing really. Due to that curse from Dracula, Simon must bring all of the parts of Dracula back to the scene of the battle, recombining them to revive Dracula (lifting the curse). This will lead to another battle of course, but for Simon and Transylvania to be free of the curse, Belmont must risk the permanent return of the unholy terror! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------Controls----------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) This section will examine the controls to use to save Transylvania from the ghostly grip of Count Dracula's grim curse. D-Pad...: LEFT and RIGHT move Simon/the menu cursor in the corresponding directions. UP and DOWN will climb and descend stairs, and UP is used with the B BUTTON to use some Items. SELECT..: Pauses/unpauses the game. START...: Brings up/exits the menu screen. B Button: Uses the whip and initiates/ends conversations. Use it with UP to use some Items. A Button: Simon will heroically leap into the air with this Button. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------Basics------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) This section will go over some basics of the gameplay, outlining how to better understand how the game operates, meaning the somewhat confusing game mechanics will not lessen your experience. o------------------o | Time Progression | o------------------o i) The world of Castlevania II runs on a 24 hour clock. ii) The 24 hours are split into two equal parts (12 hours a piece), day and night. In the day monsters are weaker than in night, but at night the monsters yield more valuable Heart values than they do in the day. iii) Each second of real time equals 4 minutes of in-game time. iv) When Simon is in a house in a town, in a Mansion, or on the Menu Screen, time will not progress. v) The time on the Menu Screen looks like this, with the following spots counting for different values: _____________ Key | | DD - Days | HH - Hours | DD:HH:MM MM - Minutes | | _____________| o-------------------o | Sub-Menu Listings | o-------------------o _______________ ______________ Key | | | | | T-DD:HH:MM | T - Time | | | E - Experience | | E-0000 L-00 | L - Life Stock | | | H - Hearts | | H-0000 | | | | _______________| |______________| i) Time (see Time Progression above for specifics on how it works). ii) Experience is gained by collecting Hearts, and every time Simon reaches a certain total, his life bar and/or resistance will increase slightly, and his life will automatically be refilled. The Experience total will reset to zero on every level-up, or when Simon loses all of his lives. The total experience gained per Heart type is below, as is the amount of levels that can be gained in the game: _______ ______ | Level | Exp. | |_______|______| | 1 | 100 | _______ ______ |_______|______| | Heart | Exp. | | 2 | 150 | |_______|______| |_______|______| | Small | 1 | | 3 | 200 | |_______|______| |_______|______| | Half | 3 | | 4 | 250 | |_______|______| |_______|______| | Full | 5 | | 5 | 300 | |_______|______| |_______|______| | 6 | 350 | |_______|______| If you are playing for the best ending but want to get to the highest levels, the Mansion are a SUPERB place to fight away and level up in. However, once an area has seen a level-up, the experience gained will typically be reduced to zero, so use each mansion as you play for this to avoid the issue of no experience being gained. iii) Life Stock is the amount of lives that Simon has left on a specific playthrough. Once they run out, Simon will have to continue or take a password to play later. Continuing will allow Simon to play right from where he just died, but using a password starts him back at the very first town each time. iv) Hearts are the currency in the game, used to purchase Weapons and Items in the towns and Mansions of the game. The various Hearts are worth the amounts listed below: _______ ______ | Heart |Values| |_______|______| | Small | 2 | |_______|______| | Half | 4 | |_______|______| | Full | 6 | |_______|______| Note that despite there being four numbers on the Menu Screen for this collectible, the maximum number that can be collected is 256. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Walkthrough--------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) The following sub-sections will guide you through the entire game, locating each item and getting you to the end of the game. The hint books will not be mentioned unless they are incredibly easy to reach, so if you are a completionist you will need to find reference elsewhere to these obnoxious things. o---------------------o | The First Two Towns | o---------------------o Begin by exiting the town on the eastern side, followed by going right to kill a Skeleton and two Wolfmen. Now move back and forth between these two Wolfmen as they regenerate, killing them to build up a collection of 100 Hearts. If it is night time when this is reached, keep on fighting these two to rack up more Hearts. Once day break hits, head west to re-enter town of Jova. Climb the nearby stairs and speak to the fellow in the grey cloak to obtain a White Crystal for 50 Hearts, followed by entering the door that lies nearby to purchase Holy Water for 50 Hearts. All that remains in this town to purchase is a Thorn Whip, but it is best to skip purchasing it (not worth the money for the time you would use it). Instead, head out of town by going east once more. Battle past the various Wolfmen and Skeletons of the first screen to find a wide river to be crossed via a bridge that has seen better days. Complicating matters will be constant attacks from the water in the form of Fishmen, who are able to leap up to attack at the worst moments (so be ready to whip them when in mid-jump). Take the high path on the next screen, whipping the Skeletons along the way, finding more Skeletons near the start of the next area to attack. Use this area to get up to at least 150 Hearts before going down the stairs, as heading right will lead into the next town (named Veros). The main objective here is to purchase the Chain Whip, but the Dagger is also a solid purchase. The Dagger is found in the first open door of town (use Holy Water on the walls at the back of the room to find the saleman with the Dagger, priced at 50 Hearts), while the Chain Whip is found in a doorway on a raised platform (use Holy Water on the floor near the entrance to go down into hidden basement, purchasing the Chain Whip for a steep 150 Hearts). With this shopping spree all finished up, it is time to exit town the way that Simon entered, climbing back up the long staircase. Head east from here, battling through the Skeletons. On the next screen are more Skeletons and a single Fishman, so avoid his fireballs and let him retreat before crossing the water, passing through the area to find an ominous structure ahead. This is the Berkeley Mansion, the first stop for the ominous quest of recovering the spread out body parts of the deceased Count Dracula! o----------------------------o | Berkeley Mansion - The Rib | o----------------------------o Equip the White Crystal immediately to make an invisible platform appear (you can ride it without the Crystal, but it will not be visible to the naked eye), so jump onto it and ride it up to allow Simon to jump across the blocks on the right. Use the Dagger (if it is available) to kill the Knight on the ledge ahead, leaping across the gap to go through some Skeleton Swordsmen, climbing the first staircase that goes upwards. Move to the left while killing Slimes and a Gargoyle, reaching a set of ledges to leap up (killing the Skeleton Swordsmen). Kill the Knight and leap across the gap to the left, scaling the stairs to walk to the right, killing the Skeleton Swordsmen, reaching the end of the ledge. The first two bricks of the next ledge are illusionary, so leap as if they are not there, looking to land Simon on the third brick, leaving one last Skeleton Swordsmen to battle through to the next screen. Bust up the Skeleton Swordsmen ahead, dropping to the platform below to take the stairs down to the next ledge. Turn left and go up the stairs, leaping across the spikes ahead to speak to the cloaked salesmen, who is selling Oak Stakes for 50 Hearts. Purchase one for the task ahead, making sure to not waste it before the time comes to use it. Leap back across the spikes and drop down to the ledge below, going down the stairs on the left to take the next set after that down to another ledge. Head right and equip the Holy Water, using it to find the illusionary blocks near the pillar (watch the Skeleton Swordsman to see where he turns around, that shows the spot where the solid ground ends), leaping across to scale the stairs, whipping the Skeleton Swordsmen to open the path to a glowing orb on a pedestal. Equip the Oak Stake and hurl it into the glowing orb, revealing a bag, so grab it to gain possession (or to "prossess"... yeah, it really does say that) of Dracula's Rib! This is a perfect item to equip most of the time, as it gives Simon a shield to deflect incoming fireball attacks. With the valuable treasure collected, it is time to exit the mansion, so two options are available. The first is to go back to the left, dropping through the false floor, leaping to the left across the gaps ahead, battling past the Gargoyles and Knights, exiting the screen to find a path leading to a long staircase, leading up to the first major hallway of the mansion. Head to the left from here, jumping the gaps to fall down on the left side of the room, exiting the mansion. The alternative is to go back through the route that was taken to get through the Mansion, but it is only advisable to go this way if you are seeking to get a replacement Oak Stake for use in future mansions. o-------------------------------o | Another Town, Another Mansion | o-------------------------------o Head right to enter some gloomy woods, whipping the Skeletons and Bats, taking the high path to exit the screen. The next screen is short, but it boasts an annoying foe in the Tarantulas and the webs they shoot. Run past them and jump up just before they attack, throwing off ther aim, whipping the Skeleton to start climbing the ledges, going right through the narrow opening to the next area. Run across the ledge ahead, whipping Eyeballs, passing through the opening on the far side, facing more Eyeballs and Bats on the next ledge. Once Simon goes down the ledges, use Holy Water on the bottom two blocks to destroy them, opening the path to the left, where the constantly spawning enemy will need to be dispatched, allowing Simon to snag the Sacred Flame by destroying the blocks found by the tall wall with Holy Water! Head right, battling all foes to go off the screen on the right side, facing Skeletons and Tarantulas once again. Battle past the foes (this time it is better to kill the Tarantulas due to the layout of the land) to exit the screen, finding an area with Skeletons and a large staircase leading downwards. Ignore the stairs for now and go right, killing Skeletons to find another screen with the combo of Skeletons and Tarantulas. Pass through this screen to finally reach a new town, Aljiba! Enter the first open an door and use Holy Water to destroy the floor, walking down the stairs to find a grey cloaked salesman, who is pimping his Garlic. You only need two pieces for the entire game, so buy from him once, making sure to not waste any on your adventures (or you will have to buy more later on), though it can be used as a weapon on mobile enemies, so use it if you wish (but not worth it). Head right from this door, ignoring the next door, continuing to the right until a staircase appears for Simon to scale, moving right again briefly, entering the door to repeat the Holy Water floor destruction, heading down into the basement to buy some Laurels from the grey cloaked salesman. This leaves one more job to get done, so climb the next set of stairs, going left past all the people to speak to the grey hunter looking fellow, and he will exchange his Blue Crystal for Simon's White Crystal! With the town tour all finished up, head out of town by going to the east entrance, entering the graveyard. Immediately use a clove of Garlic to make an odd fellow appear in front of Simon, who will bestow the Silver Knife upon Simon once the Vampire Hunter speaks to the fellow! Head back to the left, passing through town and the next screen, getting to the area with Skeletons and a large staircase leading down into the ground. Head down said staircase, going to the right to exit the screen, finding Skeletons and Eyeballs to contend with. The higher path through this area leaves little room to fight off the Eyeballs, but the lower path has watery death waiting for those who make a single mis-step, so choose which ever path sounds better for your playing skill. When going onto the next screen, DO NOT hold right like you would normally, as their is a lake right in front of Simon. Equip the Blue Crystal and kneel by the water, waiting for the screen to scroll down a bit, allowing Simon to descend, looking to go through the opening on the right side of the screen. Enter the doorway ahead to gain access to the Rover Mansion! Knights and Skeleton Swordsmen will greet Simon right at the door, so whip them into shape (or out of shape, which ever suits your linguistic needs) while Simon goes to the right (ignoring the staircase). Leap across the water to the raised ledge, followed by leaping to the right, passing through the illusionary blocks (trust me, they are not there) to head right to exit the screen. Deal with the Skeleton Swordsmen while going right past some stairs (if you have an Oak Stake from the previous mansion, skip to the next paragraph) to leap onto a ledge with moving blocks. Leap over the moving blocks and take the lower path, jumping past the spikes to speak to the purple cloaked salesmen, purchasing an Oak Stake. Backtrack to the left to go up the three flights of stairs that are guarded by a lot of Skeleton Swordsmen, turning right at the top to go past some Knights to find another staircase to scale. The next challenges are some precarious leaps back and forth through a long vertical shaft, so make sure to not jump too early or late, or else a long fall will mean having to climb all the way back up to the top once more. Upon reaching the top, cut a path through the monsters ahead to go down the next flight of stairs, turning left to walk until another vertical shaft appears, which is where Simon should drop down to the bottom. Now move to the right, equipping the Oak Stake, hurling it into the glowing orb in the large room with the hung bodies, revealing Dracula's Heart! Sadly, you still have to PROSSESS it, rather than possess it, so I think this may become a regularity... With the treasure in hand, it is now time to escape from the Mansion, so repeat the same passage to get all the way down to the bottom floor of this area, where you can head right briefly to get another Oak Stake (if desired, as it makes the next mansion easier), or just head left to the next screen, continuing to the left to find the exit of the Rover Mansion! o---------------------------o | Have A Heart, Will Travel | o---------------------------o Head back up through the hidden lake entrance, crossing the water ways on the next screen with great care (watch out for the Eyeballs), followed by scaling the large staircase on the screen after that. Now Simon must head directly west, passing through Tarantula infested woods, destroying the multitudes of Skeleton, Bats, and Eyeballs, past Berkeley Mansion, and across the river, arriving back at the Town of Jova. Fill up at the Church before continuing to move west, exiting the town to find the first instance of Lizardmen and Wolves, followed by Swamp Creatures. Use a Laurel to cross the swamp without taking any damage, followed by whipping through the next screen to arrive at the Ferryman's crossing. Equip Dracula's Heart before speaking to him, and he will say "Let me show you the way" in a manner that seems too straightforward and cheerful for a guy who spends his time hanging out on a Fishman infested river. While making the crossing, be sure to stand in the middle of the boat, making sure to re-equip Dracula's Rib upon reaching the far shore (jump off the boat, as he does not dock). Kill the Lizardmen to go to the next screen, arriving at the entrance to the third Mansion, but Simon has a slight detour to take before entering. Continue to the left to jump across floating blocks in the water, making sure to leap off each block when it is rising to gain the necessary momentum to get to the next block, leading to the next screen where Mummies, Vultures, Phantoms, Medusas, and Venus Fly Traps will all attack. Whip through the various apparitions that are attacking, moving to the left to reach a brown cloaked fellow who will bestow a Diamond upon Simon! With the new weapon in hand, battle back to the east, fighting the five different foes in the area here, followed by carefully leaping across the blocks on the water, reaching the entrance to Brahm Mansion! Head right across the spiky area, climbing the three flights of stairs (be wary of the Knights as you climb), turning left to battle the Slimes to find two more flights of stairs to scale. Move out to the right, killing the Skeleton Swordsmen while using more stairs to reach a floor with a Gargoyle and Knight waiting to try and sandwhich Simon (kill one of them quickly to avoid the squeeze). Head right to exit the screen, bringing Simon to a dual Gargoyle grouping that needs to be hit with the Sacred Flame to take them out with ease. Go down the stairs to kill the Knight that is waiting at the bottom, going left to exit the screen, finding a Knight to beat down before hopping across the gap to the purple cloaked salesman, purchasing an Oak Stake. Head downwards past the Knights and a Skeleton Swordsman, descending on the next set of stairs with care, watching out for Slime attacks coming from below. Go into the next room and run underneath the Mansion Bats, coming into the next room equipped with the Sacred Flame, as the first boss foe of the game will attack inside the next room! The Grim Reaper attacks by homing in on Simon, throwing sickles at Simon periodically. The best way to defeat the monster is to run right across the screen immediately upon entering, getting on the right side of the death angel, followed by using the Sacred Flame repeatedly to freeze the Grim Reaper in place. While he is frozen by the weapon, also be sure to keep whipping away. If done correctly, the fight will take a little bit longer than just using the whip, but the skeletal incarnation of Death will be unable to attack, making the fight extremely easy to win. For defeating the foe, he will yield the Golden Dagger, one of the most broken and strong weapons in gaming history! Head into the next room and use the Oak Stake on the glowing orb, revealing Dracula's Eyeball, all ready to be PROSSESSED (this just gets less funny each time)! When you leave this room, keep running to the left, as the Grim Reaper will be back, so if you do not hustle through, he will trap you in, meaning you have to retreat or beat him again to exit (though he will yield another Golden Knife... odd). To exit the mansion, simply backtrack through the large hallways, beating all the foes that challenge Simon on the way, taking note that grabbing an Oak Stake on the way out is so easy I highly recommend that you buy one (it is just too easy to get the replacement here). o--------------------------------o | Town Hopping & Item Collection | o--------------------------------o The next section will be focusing on picking up new weaponry and items, prepping for the last half of the game. Start off by going right from the mansion, killing the Lizardmen to get onto the Ferryman's boat, who will be a little more sinister this time, proclaiming "Sure, I'll take you to a good place. HEH!! HEH!! HEH!!" (FREAK!). Ride across the water, remaining on the boat when he reaches the far side, riding it back across again, jumping off on the shore, which is a different location than before. Battle past the nearby Lizardmen to gain entry to the town of Aldra. Aldra has Laurels and Garlic for sale in the various open doors, but you should have enough of those for now. The only point of interest that you need to visit here is the grey hunter fellow (find him by climbing the first stairs encountered, followed by going left to leap a gap), as he will exchange his Red Crystal for a Blue Crystal! Go out of town via the west side, throwing Simon into a battle with Slimes, Bone Dragons, and Skeletons. The next screen has some Skeletons and Zombies to contend with, but the main concern is the nearby staircase, so go down the passage, moving left to pass through to a new screen. In a graveyard, kill the Hands, the Bone Dragons, and Slimes while moving to the left, reaching a wall that can not be scaled. Use the Garlic clove you have left, revealing a green cloaked fellow, and he will bestow a Silk bag upon Simon, which will double the amount of Laurels and Garlic that Simon can carry (so more Laurels, as your Garlic using days are officially over) as well as increasing his defense slightly. Head back to the right, climbing the stairs on the next screen, heading back into town for a refill. Once ready to advance onwards, go left from the stairs, killing the Skeletons and Zombies to find an area populated entirely by the relentlessly persistent Slimes. Fight past these pains to find another urban centre, the town of Oldon! Climb the stairs you see, heading right to climb another flight of stairs, this time heading to the left. When Simon encounters a doorway on a raised ledge, enter to go down the stairs inside to find a separate basement room where a grey cloaked salesman will be offering a Morning Star weapon for the steep (but totally worth it!) price of 200 Hearts. Laurels can be purchased on the east side of town, but invest in a buy only if you have the spare Hearts to do so. With all of this run around done, go to the west side of town to continue your journey. o----------------------------o | Boldly into Bodley Mansion | o----------------------------o Simon will find Phantoms and Mummies to deal with (easy to do with the Morning Star in hand), followed by he old floating blocks in the water (jump off them while they are moving upwards to get the distance needed on the jump). On solid ground once more, approach the massive wall ahead, equip the Red Crystal, and then kneel, waiting for a vortex of air to appear, which will pluck Simon from the ground, carrying him past the barrier! Even better for Simon, he has landed outside a mansion, so time to enter Bodley Mansion! A quick note here, bringing in an Oak Stake from another Mansion is an incredible time saver, so I suggest you do so. I will cover both paths to take, if Simon has an Oak Stake, and if Simon has no Oak Stake, leading to a Rejoined sub-section when both paths rejoin one another. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Simon Has An Oak Stake ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Go to the right, killing the Knight and Skeleton Swordsman, approaching the wall ahead. Leap up and hold RIGHT to pass through the illusionary wall, equipping the Holy Water to destroy the bricks ahead (be very careful throwing them to clear a path, making sure to not fall into the water below). Head down the two set of stairs, followed by going to the Rejoined sub-section below to continue the walkthrough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Simon Has No Oak Stake ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Go to the right, killing the Knight and Skeleton Swordsman, climbing the first staircase that Simon encounters. Kill the Skeleton Swordsman on each of the next two landings, but look for illusionary blocks in the floor of the third landings (Slimes can dive through them while you climb too, so be wary), avoiding an annoying fall. Once Simon has finished scaling the stairs, move off to the right, killing Skeleton Swordsmen while making the leaps across the gaps, taking the high path to find a wall. Leap through the top bricks of the wall to find the next screen. Jump off of the ledges to tackle the Skeleton Swordsmen, finding a solid wall to knock down with Holy Water. Continue to the right (more Skeleton Swordsmen are wandering the halls, so knock them dead... again) to leap the spike pit, dealing with a Knight before leaping off the ledge on the right. Kill the Knight and leap off the ledge to the left, jumping against the wall on the left to pass through more illusionary blocks. Walk to the left, finally reaching the orange cloaked Oak Stake dealer, purchasing one for 50 Hearts! Keep moving to the left to fall through illusionary blocks, heading left from the landing point to walk off this ledge and fall to the ground, reaching the Rejoined sub-section below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Rejoined ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kill the Skeleton Swordsmen while moving to the right, entering the large room ahead, equipping the Oak Stake, hurling it into the glowing orb to PROSSESS Dracula's Nail! Now it is time to exit the Mansion, so go back to the left, climbing up the three sets of stairs, exiting the screen on the first opening on the left. Climb the stairs here to kill Skeleton Swordsmen while moving to the left, leaping through the illusionary blocks in the double block wall, followed by battling past the few remaining foes while going to the far left, exiting the Mansion! o--------------------------------o | Light In The Darkness & Sorrow | o--------------------------------o Head left from the Mansion, crossing the small screen to exit the far side, followed by stopping all pressure on the D-Pad, as Simon will be standing right beside water. Equip the Red Crystal, kneel by the lake, and the hidden passage will be revealed, allowing Simon to descend and continue to the left. Jump over the brick ahead and keep moving to the left, carefully hopping across the floating bricks, using Holy Water on the wall on the far side to gain access to the enclosed room. Speak to the fellow in the purple cloak to have the Morning Star (and only the Morning Star... no other whip will work) powered up with fire! Backtrack to the block that was jumped over earlier, using it as a stepping stone to climb upwards. Face the Skeletons while using the Holy Water on the walls in Simon’s path as he heads left, dodging Skulls. The next screen has Skulls and Firebugs, so whip them all before they can surround Simon, using charging attacks to take them down before they can start attacking. The next challenge for Simon is to cross a massive swamp, which has Snakes and Swamp Creatures to deal with, so use Laurels and slog through the muck, taking time to kill the Swamp Creatures (use Dracula's Rib to shield against their fireballs), making sure to constantly hop in the air if you have no more Laurels. Once Simon is across the peat-filled sludge, he will find himself at the entrance to the fifth and final Mansion... Laruba Mansion! Skeleton Swordsmen and Knights greet Simon, so fight to the right, scaling the first flight of stairs that he encounters, going left through more of the usual suspects, climbing another flight of stairs. Leap the gap and ignore the stairs, whipping through the Skeleton Swordsmen to leap up the ledges ahead, followed by leaping across the floating ledges, exiting the screen on the far side. Jump past the Skeleton Swordsmen, kill him, and then use his ledge to leap up to the nearby stairs, going upwards to the next ledge. Head to the right, avoiding the obstacles and locating a grey cloaked fellow who deals in sharpened Oak Stakes, purchasing one for 50 Hearts. Move up the stairs here, turning right to find a series of ledges to leap down, watching out for the flying bones from the Skeleton Swordsmen and the sharp tridents of the Knights, reaching a point where a jump to the right will get Simon clear of a wall located below. If he fails to make the jump, he will have to take a HUGE detour to get back to the spot he was jumping for. SIMON IS HERE __ __ __ __ __ | | | | | | |__|__|__|__|__| TARGET AREA __ | | |__| Next up are a Knight and a Skeleton Swordsmen, so make use of Scared Flame to roast them from above, followed by going down and to the right to find the entrance to the next area, BUT stop for a moment, making sure that Dracula's Rib and the Golden Knife are both equipped, as the second Boss of the game is in the next room! The Weeping Mask will rise into the air, letting the "bloody tears" of fireballs it possesses fall to the ground, sending them splattering in all directions. After doing this a couple of times, it will circle around in the air before resuming it's position in the air, weeping out more fireballs. To win this bout easily, block the bloody tears and let the disembodied mask begin to float around the screen, at which point you will leap and throw a Golden Knife into the mask, trying to time the next thrown knife so it will connect with the monster just as the previous one wears off. If Hearts run out, just jump and whip to finish it off, just stand around the fourth brick from the left side of the screen, and the foe will be defeated without Simon taking a single hit! The reward for defeating this monstrosity is the Magic Cross, which is required to gain access to Dracula's sealed off castle. Head into the next room, equip the Oak Stake, and hurl it into the glowing orb to make it possible to PROSSESS Dracula's Ring! YES!!! You now PROSSESS all the parts of Dracula that had been safely scattered, so make your escape from the mansion, as Dracula's Castle beckons. Head left to exit the room, running right through the next room, as the Weeping Mask will have regenerated. Continue moving to the left, crossing the dangerous spike pit on the moving ledges (watch out for Tarantula attacks from above) to speak to the old man in the grey cloak to get a fully filled inventory of Laurels. Head back across the pit (use a Laurel to make it easier) to go and climb up the ledges by the Knight, turning to the left to jump the wall, killing Tarantulas while en route to the far side of their lair. Jump up the bricks ahead carefully, killing the Skeleton Swordsmen to reach an opening on the left wall, passing through to the next screen. Head left until a stairway appears, take it down to the ledge below, which is beside a drop on the left for Simon to take. Now head left, battling through the last line of Knights and Skeleton Swordsmen, reaching the exit of the Mansion. o----------------o | The Final Push | o----------------o Now Simon will need to head back to the right (east), so equip the Laurels and plow through the swamp, followed by killing the Firebugs and Skulls in the next area to advance. More Skulls and Skeletons greet Simon here, so jump up to the first large ledge, moving to the right to Holy Water the wall to let Simon descend on the small ledges to reach the far side of the screen. Climb the ledges in the next area, followed by moving through the two enemy free screens, going right past the mansion (this is Bodley Mansion, which you already cleaned out) to find new areas to traverse. Fight the Mummies, Harpies, Medusas, and Venus Fly Traps, entering the town of Fetra. The only points of interest here are a Church and an open door on the east side of town which sell Laurels, as most people are just interested in insulting you and screaming at you for returning after the last trip into Castlevania (real gratitude there). Head east from the town, finding a river with Skeletons and powered-up Fishmen to contend with, so whip the Fishmen as you cross, or else face their fast moving fireball attacks. Next up are fast-moving Lizardmen and a small swamp to cross, followed by a few Skeletons guarding a staircase. Move down the stairs, heading to the right, passing through to the next screen, which is the last town on the journey, the town of Ghulash. However, due to the close proximity to Dracula's Castle, the town has not yet recovered from all of the vile that emanated from there. Only one person lives in the town, and they are rather lonely it seems, so best to just get out of town as fast as possible. A graveyard is the next stop for Simon Belmont, facing Mummies, Vultures, and Phantoms, so move quickly over the tombstones to arrive at the outskirts of Dracula's Castle. Use Holy Water to break the bricks blocking the way forward, followed by making the quiet, eerie journey across the lake to pass through the entrance into Dracula's former domain! Move to the right, leaping the first platform to keep on moving, using Holy Water on the stack of blocks to open the path downward. Move down the stairs, following the narrow passages to reach two sets of stairs, taking the set leading upwards. Leap across the gap to clear the block wall ahead, falling down to go to the right, equipping the Golden Knife before entering the next area, as the Count is about to be reborn! After Dracula is reborn, Simon must defeat him. Dracula will attack by rapidly spinning about the room, throwing spinning fireballs at Simon periodically. Simon should use his whip to destroy the fireballs as they come towards him. To defeat Dracula with incredible ease, throw Gold Knives at him, as they will damage him greatly, but they also stun him into staying in the same place, which will keep him from attacking. Land as many whip shots while Dracula is stunned, and the fight will end in mere moments! CONGRATULATIONS! You have defeated Count Dracula, but did you finish the game fast enough to save Simon Belmont? Refer to the Endings section of the FAQ to determine which ending you got, then try to get the best possible ending! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------Items/Weapons-------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) This section will examine each object, listing their uses and where to locate them in the game. o-------o | Whips | o-------o The main weapon for Simon if the whip, and these are listed in the order of power, from weakest to strongest. Name..: Leather Whip Found.: Begin with it Price.: Free Useful: It serves Simon well enough in the first area, but upgrade to something else early on. Name..: Thorn Whip Found.: Jova Price.: 100 Hearts Useful: Double the power of the Leather Whip, it is not really worth the investment of that amount of Hearts that early in the game. Name..: Chain Whip Found.: Veros Price.: 150 Hearts Useful: Double the power of the Thorn Whip, it is more worthy of a lot of Hearts, as the early game superior whip is found in the second town. Name..: Morning Star Found.: Oldon Price.: 200 Hearts Useful: Found far into the game, Simon should have the Heart totals to buy this, and being twice as powerful as the Chain Whip, it is highly recommended to purchase. Name..: Flame Whip Found.: Four screens west of Bodley mansion; in dark area in enclosed space Price.: Free Useful: Visit the old man in the enclosed room to power-up the Morning Star (and only the Morning Star, no other whip will work) to double the amount a regular Morning Star can achieve. o-------------o | Sub-Weapons | o-------------o These Items are used as the secondary weapons for Simon (along with the Dagger/Knives that are in the next sub-section) to use. Name..: Diamond Found.: Two screens west of Brahm Mansion Price.: Free Uses..: Thrown off of surfaces at 1 Heart per use, it is best used in an enclosed area. Name..: Holy Water Found.: Jova Price.: 50 Hearts Uses..: It can be thrown at foes (equivalent power of the Leather Whip) as well as a block destroyer/illusionary block searching device. Name..: Oak Stake Found.: Every Mansion Price.: 50 Hearts Uses..: A one time use, these are the only way to break the glowing orbs in the Mansions, making the body part of Dracula available for pick-up. Only one at a time may be carried, so each new Mansion requires a new Oak Stake. Name..: Sacred Flame Found.: Four screens east of Berkeley Mansion hidden in blocks. Price.: Free Uses..: Creating a long lasting, multiple hit dealing fire (equivalent power of the Thorn Whip) will create a small wall of flame to damage the enemy at the price of one Heart per use. o-----------------o | Throwing Knives | o-----------------o A unique type sub-weapon for Simon, these beauties come in increasingly useful models. Name..: Dagger Found.: Veros Price.: 50 Hearts Uses..: With limited range and the low power of the Thorn Whip, it is best used to attack foes across gaps where a jumping whip attack would be too dangerous. Name..: Silver Knife Found.: In cemetery east of Aljiba Price.: 1 piece of Garlic Uses..: Although it has the same power as the dagger (equivalent of a Thorn Whip), this knife will pass through enemies and cross the entire screen (at the cost of 1 Heart per throw). This makes it an ideal weapon to use on a large group. Name..: Golden Knife Found.: In Brahm Mansion Price.: Defeat the Grim Reaper Uses..: The most overpowered weapon in the entire game, for the cost of 2 hearts per use, Simon has a weapon with the power equivalent of the Flame Whip, stuns enemies, and hits the enemy multiple times. o---------------------o | Miscellaneous Items | o---------------------o These Items are the non-weapons in Simon's arsenal, but they all have their uses, meaning they should not be overlooked (especially the Magic Cross). Name..: Garlic Found.: Aljiba/Aldra Price.: 50 Hearts for 2 pieces Uses..: Garlic has the primary use in two cemeteries in the game, revealing hidden old men who will yield the Silver Knife and Silk Bag. However, can also be laid on the ground to damage and stun enemies if they come into contact with it. Name..: Laurels Found.: Aljiba/Aldra/Oldon/Fetra, Laruba Mansion Price.: 50 Hearts, free in Laruba Mansion Uses..: These seemingly magical plants will render Simon invulnerable to both enemies and stamina draining swamps alike (for a few seconds at any rate). Name..: Magic Cross Found.: In Laruba Mansion Price.: Defeat the Weeping Mask Uses..: It has no direct applicable use for Simon, but collecting it will allow him to gain access to Dracula's Castle. Name..: Silk Bag Found.: in the cemetery west two screens/south one screen/west one screen from Aldra Price.: 1 piece of Garlic Uses..: The Silk Bag can not be used directly, but collecting it will allow Simon to hold double the amount of Laurels and Garlic (up to 8 apiece) as well as increase his resistance versus damage. o----------------o | Magic Crystals | o----------------o When equipped, these Crystals can perform feats that would otherwise be impossible. Name..: White Crystal Found.: Jova Price.: 50 Hearts Uses..: When it is equipped, Simon is able to see the invisible platform at the entrance of Berkeley Mansion. Name..: Blue Crystal Found.: Aljiba Price.: Exchanging the White Crystal Uses..: When it is equipped, Simon is able to kneel by ponds to reveal the water is an illusion, uncovering the path forward. Name..: Red Crystal Found.: Aldra Price.: Exchanging the Blue Crystal Uses..: When it is equipped, Simon is able to kneel by ponds to reveal the water is an illusion, uncovering the path forward and he can summon a helpful soul who will bear him across a vast cliff. o-------------------o | Dracula's Remains | o-------------------o The prizes that are held within the five Mansions in Transylvania, they can be utilized by Simon on his journeys, assisting him to reach Dracula's Castle. Name..: Rib Found.: Berkeley Mansion Price.: 1 Oak Stake Uses..: Simon can hold this in both hands when standing still to have a shield against the fireballs that enemies attack with. Name..: Heart Found.: Rover Mansion Price.: 1 Oak Stake Uses..: Equip it when talking to the Ferryman to have him take Simon to a different shoreline. Name..: Eyeball Found.: Brahm Mansion Price.: 1 Oak Stake Uses..: When held in the hand, Simon is able to see the hidden cluebooks that are strewn about Transylvania. Name..: Nail Found.: Bodley Mansion Price.: 1 Oak Stake Uses..: When equipped, Simon's whip is capable of destroying any blocks that Holy Water can remove. Name..: Ring Found.: Laruba Mansion Price.: 1 Oak Stake Uses..: It serves no purpose other than to help reform Dracula for the purpose of removing the curse. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------Enemies----------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) This section will examine the enemies in the game, listing their appearance, behaviour, and how best to deal with them. The three boss characters will be listed after the normal enemies section. o--------------o | Regular Foes | o--------------o ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Bat ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Leathery winged flying mammal. Behaviour.: They fly across the screen in a zig-zag flapping pattern. Method....: If they are directly in the way of Simon, slash them quickly or hit them with a Sacred Flame. However, the flapping makes them annoying to destroy, so avoid them if at all possible. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Bone Dragon ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Skeletal bodies with a skull head. Behaviour.: They stand in place, spitting fireballs. Method....: Approach them carefully, blocking the fireballs, whipping them in the head to defeat them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Eyeball ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Floating eyeball. Behaviour.: They home in on Simon, getting onto his level horizontally as soon as possible. Method....: If they are coming from below, try to use Holy Water or Sacred Flame to send them packing, but most times they will line up with Simon horizontally, allowing him to whip them into oblivion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Firebug ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: a humanoid completely engulfed in flames. Behaviour.: Walking back and forth across a small area of land, throwing fireballs. Method....: The fireballs are blockable with Dracula's Rib id Simon ducks (the projectiles hug the ground, so only way to do it), but you can leap these attacks and get in close enough to land a Knife or whip attack as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Fishman ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Half fish, half man humanoid. Behaviour.: Jump out of the water to land on solid ground, where they move about briefly before spitting fireballs as a farewell gift (they leap back into the water at this point). Method....: Either kill them quickly so they can not spit out their fireballs, or use the Rib as a shield to bounce back the projectile. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Gargoyle ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: A horned, green demon. Behaviour.: Bounces along the ground, spitting fireballs. Method....: Run up and whip them quickly, as their bouncing attacks and fireballs can prove to be tough once the monster gets active. ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Hands ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Ghoulish, clutching hands from the graves of the dea. Behaviour.: They simply reach up and down, trying to snag passersby. Method....: Kneel and whip them to make sure they do not damage Simon as he draws near. ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Harpy ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Half bird, half man humanoid. Behaviour.: They will dive down to the ground, looking to hit Simon as they land on their hind legs. Method....: Either ignore them and move on past quickly, or draw them down into the range of Simon's whip. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Knight ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: An armored foe with a trident lance. Behaviour.: Charges forward in small bursts. Method....: A longer range attack is the best way to deal with them (a Dagger is best), but the whip can also work well. Just watch out for the lunging attacks when in close. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Lizardman ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Half lizard, half man humanoid. Behaviour.: Running back and forth across a small area of land, spitting fireballs. Method....: Stand still to let Dracula's Rib deflect the fireballs, letting the enemy draw near enough to land some whip strokes. Projectile attacks can also be very effective, hitting the enemy with throwing Daggers/Knives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Mansion Bat ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Leathery winged flying mammal. Behaviour.: They fly around the screen in swooping patterns. Method....: They are quite elusive and tough to whip, so try to run on by without getting into a conflict, or use your whip repeatedly to make it tough for them to penetrate Simon's defenses. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Medusa ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: A floating head with snake hair. Behaviour.: They home in on Simon, getting onto his level horizontally as soon as possible. Method....: If they are coming from below, try to use Holy Water or Sacred Flame to send them packing, but most times they will line up with Simon horizontally, allowing him to whip them into oblivion. ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Mummy ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Bandaged corpses. Behaviour.: Shuffling back and forth in a set area. Method....: They almost always fall after one or two snaps of the whip, so take them down to move on to tougher targets without worry of them sneaking up on Simon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Phantom ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Floating skulls covered in ectoplasm. Behaviour.: They fly across the screen in a zig-zag pattern. Method....: If they are directly in the way of Simon, slash them quickly or hit them with a Sacred Flame. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Rubble ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Loose pieces of Mansion walls. Behaviour.: As Simon draws near, the stones fall down in an arc. Method....: They are invulnerable, so best bet is to just run underneath them at full speed, as they will harmlessly away from Simon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Skeleton ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: A bony skeleton. Behaviour.: Walking back and forth across a small area of land. Method....: They almost always crumble after one or two snaps of the whip, so take them down to move on to tougher targets without worry of them sneaking up on Simon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Skeleton Swordsman~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: A blue skeleton with a sword or shield. Behaviour.: Walking back and forth across a small area of land, tossing Bones in the area sometimes. Method....: They almost always crumble after one or two snaps of the whip, so take them down to move on to tougher targets without worry of them sneaking up on Simon. ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Skull ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: A flying, fleshless skull. Behaviour.: They home in on Simon, getting onto his level horizontally as soon as possible. Method....: If they are coming from below, try to use Holy Water or Sacred Flame to send them packing, but most times they will line up with Simon horizontally, allowing him to whip them into oblivion. ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Slime ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Small blobs of gooey matter. Behaviour.: Bouncing along vertically and horizontally. Method....: They are tough ones to whip easily all the time, so the Sacred Flame is the best way to cut off the goo as it bounces toward Simon. ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Snake ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: A brown, scaly creature. Behaviour.: Bounces up and down in poisonous swamps. Method....: They are really not a big concern, so land a whip stroke to get rid of them easily. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Swamp Creature ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Peat covered humanoids. Behaviour.: Rising and falling into the murk of the Transylvanian swamps, they use fireball projectiles to attack Simon. Method....: Block their attacks with Dracula's Rib while drawing closer to whip them. Silver/Golden Knife attacks will also work well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Tarantula ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: spiders hanging from webs in high locales. Behaviour.: Moving across the tree tops/ceilings, they drop down on a web to shoot additional webs at Simon before retreating back to their perch. Method....: They can be killed by shipping them with a jumping attack, but due to their attacking in groups, it is usually best to jump as you run past (to throw off their aim) and ignore them unless there is no room to escape them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Venus Fly Trap ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: A large, red blossomed plant. Behaviour.: Stationary beings, they attack by spitting fireballs. Method....: Deflect the fireballs with Dracula's Rib, advancing steadily to whip them into pieces. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Vulture ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Birds with strong claws and beak. Behaviour.: Flying in the air, they will swoop down to attack before attempting to flee the screen. Method....: Try to use jumps to throw off their dives, or get them to dive close to let Simon whip them before they try a second attack run. ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Wolf ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Small and furry four legged animal. Behaviour.: Runs across the screen rapidly, sometimes leaping off of the end of platforms. Method....: They are best dealt with a kneeling whip stroke, though Sacred Flame is also very effective. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Wolfman ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Half wolf, half man humanoid. Behaviour.: Walking back and forth across a small area of land, they will leap around in excitement when Simon draws near. Method....: Approach them and begin to whip away as soon as they are within range, as they take a few hits to kill early on in the game. Later on they are easier to kill though, so treat them with less respect after weapons have been upgraded. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Zombie ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance: Dark, skinny humanoids. Behaviour.: Walking back and forth, attempting to grab whatever is close. Method....: Similar to Skeletons in appearance, these guys actually change their path of movement as they see fit, not aimlessly wandering back and forth, so approach them with caution to whip them. o--------o | Bosses | o--------o ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Grim Reaper ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Grim Reaper attacks by homing in on Simon, throwing sickles at Simon periodically. The best way to defeat the monster is to run right across the screen immediately upon entering, getting on the right side of the death angel, followed by using the Sacred Flame repeatedly to freeze the Grim Reaper in place. While he is frozen by the weapon, also be sure to keep whipping away. If done correctly, the fight will take a little bit longer than just using the whip, but the skeletal incarnation of Death will be unable to attack, making the fight extremely easy to win. For defeating the foe, he will yield the Golden Dagger, one of the most broken and strong weapons in gaming history! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Weeping Mask ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Weeping Mask will rise into the air, letting the "bloody tears" of fireballs it possesses fall to the ground, sending them splattering in all directions. After doing this a couple of times, it will circle around in the air before resuming it's position in the air, weeping out more fireballs. To win this bout easily, block the bloody tears and let the disembodied mask begin to float around the screen, at which point you will leap and throw a Golden Knife into the mask, trying to time the next thrown knife so it will connect with the monster just as the previous one wears off. If Hearts run out, just jump and whip to finish it off, just stand around the fourth brick from the left side of the screen, and the foe will be defeated without Simon taking a single hit! The reward for defeating this monstrosity is the Magic Cross, which is required to gain access to Dracula's sealed off castle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Count Dracula ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After Dracula is reborn, Simon must defeat him. Dracula will attack by rapidly spinning about the room, throwing spinning fireballs at Simon periodically. Simon should use his whip to destroy the fireballs as they come towards him. To defeat Dracula with incredible ease, throw Gold Knives at him, as they will damage him greatly, but they also stun him into staying in the same place, which will keep him from attacking. Land as many whip shots while Dracula is stunned, and the fight will end in mere moments! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------Endings----------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) This section will contain the three different endings that are possible to achieve in this game. The requirements (see the Basics section to understand the days progression) and resulting ending for each will be listed, so be warned that spoilers are ahead! o-----------o | Ending #1 | o-----------o Requirements: beat the game in 8 days or less. Results.....: Simon will be freed from Dracula's curse (as will Transylvania), but Dracula's hand shoots out of the grave, indicating he may not be done just yet. o-----------o | Ending #2 | o-----------o Requirements: beat the game in 8-15 days. Results.....: Simon will yield to the wounds he sustained in the original Castlevania, but Dracula appears to be permanently defeated. o-----------o | Ending #3 | o-----------o Requirements: beat the game in 16 days or more. Results.....: Simon will not be seen at the grave of Dracula, but it appears as if he has succeeded to free the land of Dracula. As you can see, despite taking the longest, Ending #3 seems to be the best ending. Ending #2 is actually the most negative, despite being the typical ending most gamers will achieve. Ending #1 is positive, but it has the indicator that the Count will return once more. This appears to be a simple programming error, with the wrong ending attributed to the wrong statistics. It appears the proper order of endings should be 3-1-2. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Final Word---------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) As is the usual, this walkthrough is copyright property of Brian P. Sulpher, 2008. The only website, group, person, etc. to have access to post it is www.gamefaqs.com, www.ign.com, www.retronintendo.com, and www.honestgamers.com. You must ask for permission before posting this, as doing so without consent is a violation of international copyright law. If you liked it, hated it, have anything to add, then please E-mail me at briansulpher@hotmail.com. You can also contact me through MSN messenger through the same E-mail address. Can't forget to mention Trace "Meowthnum1" Jackson, who is a Castlevania fan. In fact, he has some very awesome FAQs for other Castlevania games, so be sure to check them out! Also, thanks to RPG Classics for the clarification on the power of the Silver Knife. They have an excellent shrine, and I highly recommend you check it out, though they are lacking information on a few key things (which I cover for you quite nicely in their stead!).