-Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest- for the Nintendo Entertainment System ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Complete Guide to Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest on the NES" By Colin Moriarty ----------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail Address: cmoriarty311@cs.com http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/4280.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Version FINAL - Released August 29, 2001 *********************************************************************** PLEASE NOTE: This document was created using Microsoft Word with a 7" width, and is best viewed using either your browser (preferably MSIE 5.0 or higher), and a screen setting of 800x600 pixels or more. If the guide seems jumbled up and not quite right looking, it's not the guide, but your screen and computer settings. If you do experience this problem, you probably have your screen settings on 640x480 pixels or less, which is rare but hey, it could be you. Sorry about whatever problems this may cause. IGN.com is now allowed to host all of my FAQs. Although the disclaimer says only GameFAQs can use my FAQs, IGN.com is now a legal host of all of my work. -TABLE OF CONTENTS- ***************** I.).......... - Disclaimer and Legal Information II.)......... - Introduction III.)........ - Versions of this 'Complete Guide' IV.)......... - Controls V.).......... - Characters VI.)......... - The Main Menu/Night and Day VII.)........ - Items and Weapons (upgrades, et cetera) VII.)........ - Monsters VIII.)....... - The Towns IX.)......... - The Words of the Townsfolk X.).......... - *WALKTHROUGH* XI.)......... - The Endings XII.)........ - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) XIII.)....... - Special Thanks, About the Author, and Closing Notes I.) -DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL INFORMATION- ********** *** ***** *********** This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is copyrighted (c) 2001 to Colin Moriarty, and is the intellectual property of Colin Moriarty. This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is only to be found on GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com). If you are reading and/or found this file ANYWHERE else but GameFAQs, please contact the author, Colin Moriarty, immidiately, at cmoriarty311@cs.com. This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is protected under International Copyright Laws, and it is prohibited to take any piece of this document and reproduce it in anyway without the written consent of the author, Colin Moriarty. Any website or other medium found to have this document without permission will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. Please don't e-mail me and ask to have this document on your webpage. It's too frustrating for me to keep track of all of the webpages that have my document(s) on their page, especially the smaller, domain-less fan sites. GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) is the only, and I repeat, THE ONLY webpage allowed to have this document on his website, GameFAQs.com. CjayC, owner and operator of GameFAQs is the only person allowed to use this document on a webpage, so please, I repeat once more, no e-mails regarding using this document on your webpage. If you do e-mail me about it, your e-mail will be promptly erased and ignored. You ARE allowed to download this off of GameFAQs and keep it on your computer's harddrive for personal use, as long as the document is no edited or otherwise distributed except for personal use. You can even print out the entire FAQ or portions therein to share with a friend who also needs help in the game. Just please don't distribute it as your own, sell it for profit, et cetera. Well, you guys get the idea. Onward. II.) -INTRODUCTION- ************ Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest is a game that is just plain fun. It was released in the last 1980s for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and has been one of my favorite NES games since. It was leaps and bounds ahead of it's time, as it employed such features as a menu with various weapons and items you can use, a day-night system (with enemies that are stronger at night then in the day), and event sequencing (in otherwords, a true RPG in that you can do certain things in any order, or not at all). In the most basic terms, Castlevania 2 is a classic that'll live forever. I've decided to write this walkthrough because at the time of the release of this walkthrough, there were only two other FAQ/Walkthroughs available on GameFAQs, and they both had VERY little information. This is as complete a guide as can be gotten for this game. I hope you enjoy using it as much as I've enjoyed making it. Onward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- III.) -VERSIONS- ******** Now, two versions of this guide exist. This will probably be the second-to-final update for this guide... I basically finished up all of the sections, and polished a few areas. I also changed my e-mail address, which is now cmoriarty311@cs.com. 1.) Version 1.0 - Initial Release (released February 13, 2001) 2.) Version 1.5 - Second Release (released June 14, 2001) - Entailed a finished walkthrough and all sections. 3.) Version FINAL Third and FINAL release (released August 29, 2001) - This is the FINAL version, the FINAL update, of this, my Castlevania II: Simon's Quest guide for the NES. I'm basically going back just to fix a few errors, and also, to make this final so I don't have to worry about it as I've written many things since writing this, and I don't want to have to worry about updating it anymore. - In the past months since I initially wrote this guide, I've gotten many, many e-mails on the uses of Dracula's body parts, so I fixed all of those mistakes and voids in the guide. It's truly complete! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- IV.) -CONTROLS- ******** Below I will draw a NES controller with simple ASCII art, and then, after this illustration, I will explain what each button does on the controller, so you know what you're doing. It's not hard to figure out, this controller only has two buttons and a D-Pad (and start and select, no one cares about those!). But this is a -complete- guide! =) _________________________________ | | | _ Nintendo | | _| |_ | [D-Pad] -------->||_ 0 _| SELECT START A B | | |_| [ ] [ ] o o | | o o o o | |________________________o____o___| D-Pad - The D-Pad is the directional pad, and, like in all videogames, controls the direction in which the character or object you're controlling moves. In Castlevania, you can control the direction in which Simon Belmont is moving. (the only character you can control in this particular game). Also, pushing a certain direction while jumping (A button) controls which way you jump. Holding down B while pressing up allows you to throw or use your special weapon. Select - This button's main feature is to select certain things on the opening game menu, such as "Start" or "Password" and "Continue" or "Password" Start - Press this button to see your menu of weapons and items. A - A's function is to jump. Press A while holding down the D-Pad in the direction which you want to jump towards to jump in that direction. B - B is the main button you'll be using. Press B while facing an enemy (or not facing an enemy, whichever) to use your whip. Hold up on the D- Pad while pressing B to use your special weapon, if you have one at the time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- V.) -CHARACTERS- ********** Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest doesn't really have very many characters that can be readily identified. Just Dracula and Simon Belmont. Name.......... Simon Belmont Occupation.... Vampire Hunter Weapon(s)..... Whip, Dagger, Holy Water, Boomerang, Axe, Stop Watch Description... Simon Belmont has been cursed by Count Dracula of Transylvania and has to go on a long and perilous quest to gather the scattered remains of the Count to ressurect him and destroy him once more, which is the only way to break his curse. To do this he must go through five mansions, holding five body parts of Count Dracula, go to the ruins of the castle, ressurect him, and kill him. Name.......... Count Dracula Occupation.... Count of Transylvania's Castle Weapon(s)..... He's Dracula! Description... Count Dracula was killed by the Belmont's not so long ago, but not before he placed a deadly curse on the areas surrounding his castle. The only way to break the curse is to revive the Count and kill him. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VI.) THE MAIN MENU / NIGHT AND DAY *** **** **** ***** *** *** First, the main menu. When you press start in the game, the main menu appears on the screen. The main menu basically possesses your characters stats and weapons and items. It's a vital aspect of the game, and learning how to use it is important if you want to be successful at the game. Here is some ASCII art of the menu found when pressing the start button. The letters symbolize an item in the game, and although explanations can be found for each of them in the Weapons and Items section, below the art is what the symbols mean, and some other notes. ----------------------------------- | | | T - 00:00:00 | | | | E - 0000 L - 00 | | | | Hearts - 0000 | |-----------------------------------| | ???? Whip [Silk Bag][Magic Cross]| |-----------------------------------| | | | | | Rib Heart Eye Nail Ring Crystal* | | | | | | Dag SilD GoldD HolyW Diam. HolyF**| | | | Laurels 00 Garlic 00 | ----------------------------------- T - 00:00:00 = Time in the game (shown as is). The first two zeros represent the hours, the second two zeros represent the minutes, and the final two zeros represent the seconds. (please note that the game follows "game time" which is NOT "Earth Time" by any means. I'd say the equivelant is 10:1 Game:Real, but I'm not certain). E - 0000 = Experience Points. Experience points reset when you die and are used to see when you're gonna get to the next level. Not an important part of the game. L - 00 = Level. Your level is what experience level you're on. The Level of your character simply has to do with how many enemies you've killed, and impacts only on the amount of health you have. Also not an important part of the game. Hearts - 0000 = The amount of hearts you have. Hearts serve two purposes in the game; as currency to buy items and weapons, and to regulate how much you can use certain weapons. Although next to Hearts is four zeros, you can only carry a maximum of 256 Hearts at one time. Rib = Dracula's Rib. Heart = Dracula's Heart. Eye = Dracula's Eye. Nail = Dracula's Nail. Ring = Dracula's Ring. Crystal = Whatever crystal you have at that point in the game. ( * = There are three different types of crystals in the game; white, blue and red. Simon can only carry one at a time, because he has to trade one to get another. That's why there is only one slot for a crystal and there are three crystals.) Dag = Dagger. SilD = Silver Dagger. GoldD = Golden Dagger. HolyW = Holy Water. Diam = Diamond. HF = Holy Flame. (** = Next to the Holy Flame is where the Oak Stake goes. Since the Oak Stake is a disposable commodity, it is not represented on this map.) Laurels 00 - Number of Laurels owned. Garlic 00 - Number of Garlics owned. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Now, the day and night continuum is an important part of the game because it impacts when and how things are done. For instance, enemies during the day are half as strong as they are at night. In otherwords, enemies can take twice as many hits and do twice as much damage to your character at night as they can during the day. Capice? Furthermore, towns are only open during the day. That means that during the day, stores and shops can be visited and townfolk can be conversed with. But at night... the towns are litered with Zombies and Bats. Simple, no? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.) ITEMS AND WEAPONS ***** *** ******* More then any other NES Casltevania game, Simon's Quest places a lot of emphasis on special items and weapons. Below is a list of these items and weapons, where they can be found, their cost (in hearts), and their effects and uses. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Blue Crystal Cost.................. None Where Found........... Town of Aljiba Description........... The Blue Crystal is used to gain entrance into Rover Mansion. Simon gains it in his quest in the town of Aljiba, as he exchanges it with a traveling man for the White Crystal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Chain Whip Cost.................. 150 Hearts Where Found........... Town of Veros Description........... In the town of Veros, a cloaked man is selling the pretty powerful Chain Whip, at a cost of 150 Hearts. Better than the Long Whip and the Thorn Whip, but weaker than the others. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Dagger Cost.................. 50 Hearts Where Found........... Town of Veros Description........... The Dagger is a good weapon for semi-long range attacks on out of reach enemies. It can be bought from a cloaked man in Veros for 50 hearts. While not especially strong, the Dagger is a useful weapon in many situations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Diamond Cost.................. None Where Found........... Near Aldora Description........... The Diamond is a weapon that you don't have to get, but you should. When equipped, a huge diamond shoots from Simon, passing over a large area of the screen before disappearing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Dracula's Eyeball Cost.................. None Where Found........... Braham Mansion Description........... Originally, I had no idea what this did. But finally, after countless e-mails regarding the uses of this item, I will now tell you! =) Dracula's Eyeball actually allows you to see hidden "secret writings" that are there, but you can't see them without this item equipped! Use these "secret writings" as clues to solve Dracula's riddle. Thank you to ALL of you who e-mailed me telling me about it! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Dracula's Heart Cost.................. None Where Found........... Rover Mansion Description........... Dracula's Heart is mainly used to make the Ferryman take you to a "special place"... that is, Braham Mansion. Equip it, and then talk to him, and he'll take you there. Unequip it and he'll take you elsewhere. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Dracula's Nail Cost.................. None Where Found........... Bodley Mansion Description........... Originally, I had no idea what this did. But finally, after countless e-mails regarding the uses of this item, I will now tell you! =) Dracula's Nail, according to the many e-mails I've gotten, actually makes some blocks that originally can't be destroyed by Holy Water, able to be destroyed by using simply your whip. Pretty useful, eh!? Thanks to ALL who e-mailed me this information! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Dracula's Rib Cost.................. None Where Found........... Berkeley Mansion Description........... Dracula's Rib is the first piece of Dracula you gain on your journey and can be used as a shield once acquired. Use it to protect you from fireball shots from Fishmen, et cetera. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Dracula's Ring Cost.................. None Where Found........... Laruba Mansion Description........... Honestly, I've found no use for it... I hypothosize that it might simply be used as a key into Castlevania. As in, you have to retrieve it in order to enter Castlevania, being that it's the fifth of five pieces of Dracula you get in the game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Flame Whip Cost.................. None Where Found........... To the west of Bodley Mansion. Description........... To the west of the fourth mansion is a weird castle/mansion-like room. In it are enemies that are extremely strong and a cloaked-man trapped in what seems to be a box. Use Holy Water to get through to him and talk to him. If you have the Morning Star as your whip, he'll upgrade it to the Flame Whip, the most powerful whip in the game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Garlic Cost.................. 50 Hearts per two cloves Where Found........... Town of Aljiba Description........... With many uses, Garlic can be used all over the place, mainly to unlock secrets. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Golden Dagger Cost.................. None Where Found........... Braham Mansion Description........... The Golden Dagger is the final upgrade of dagger you achieve in the game. You get it in Braham Mansion when you defeat the Grim Reaper right before you enter the room with the orb to get Dracula's Eyeball. Although it is not necessary to defeat Grim Reaper and therefore get the Golden Dagger, I highly recommend you do so anyway. It is an important and powerful weapon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Holy Water Cost.................. 50 Hearts Where Found........... Town of Jova Description........... The most versatile weapon/item in your arsenal, Holy Water's uses go far beyond a weapon. They can be used to break blocks, leading to areas not before accessable. Also, they can be used as signs to tell the player of invisible walls and floors. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Laurels Cost.................. 50 Hearts per two bunches Where Found........... Town of Aljiba Description........... The Laurels' main purpose in the game is to pay off the ferrymen used to get from place to place in the game, although they have other minor uses. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Leather Whip Cost.................. None Where Found........... N/A Description........... The Leather Whip is the weakest whip in the game, and the whip you start out with. While good in the beginning of the game, your first priority should be to upgrade this whip to something stronger and with more range. You won't get too far if you don't. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Magic Cross Cost.................. None Where Found........... Laruba Mansion Description........... The Magic Cross doesn't do anything special for your stats or abilities. The reason the Magic Cross is a must is that it's the only way you can enter Dracula's Castle at the end of the game, so you MUST get it from the Crying Mask in the final mansion (Laruba Mansion) before proceeding onward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Morning Star Cost.................. 200 Hearts Where Found........... Town of Oldon Description........... The Morning Star is a significant upgrade right before you get the Flame Whip. You should definetly make sure you get this whip too, or the man trapped in the box won't upgrade your whip to the ultimate Flame Whip. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Oak Stake Cost.................. 50 Hearts per Stake Where Found........... All five mansions Description........... The Oak Stake is a vital tool needed to overcome each mansion. Purchase one from the cloaked men in each mansion and when you get to the glowing orb, shoot it into it to free one of Dracula's body parts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Red Crystal Cost.................. None Where Found........... Town of Aldora Description........... The Red Crystal is the final swap for a crystal you do in the game. You trade for it with a gray-suited man in Aldora with your Blue Crystal. Use the Red Crystal to get the mystical tornado to whisk you away to Bodley Mansion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Sacred Flame Cost.................. None Where Found........... Dabi's Path Description........... The Sacred Flame is found in some blocks at Dabi's Path on the way to the second mansion and the town of Aljiba. When used, a flame is spouted on the ground in front of Simon. Useful to deter oncoming enemies. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Silk Bag Cost.................. None Where Found........... Graveyard Description........... The Silk Bag is another one of the optional items you can obtain, and it allows you to carry more Laurels, which is a very good thing. It literally does allow you to "live longer" as the game suggests. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Silver Dagger Cost.................. None Where Found........... Graveyard outside Aljiba Description........... The Silver Dagger is an initial upgrade for the regular old Dagger, and has a range of one full screen, although not as strong as the regular dagger in shear strength. To find it, yu must go to the graveyard to the east of Aljiba and throw a clove of garlic on the ground to make a gold-cloaked man come and give you the dagger. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... Thorn Whip Cost.................. 100 Hearts Where Found........... Town of Jova Description........... The Thorn Whip is the first upgrade of a whip you can purchase in the game, and is found in Jova in the beginning of the game, for 100 Hearts. After it is purchased, your best bet is to head to Veros and upgrade it to the Chain Whip. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Weapon/Item... White Crystal Cost.................. 50 Hearts Where Found........... Town of Jova Description........... While only useful for one reason, the White Crystal must be bought in the beginning of the game to be used as a secret platform-seeker for Berkeley Mansion. After that, however, it should be traded for the Blue Crystal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.) -MONSTERS- ******** The monsters and enemies in Simon's Quest are various. If you've read my walkthrough for the original NES Casltevania, then you'll remember my guide for the enemies, with the amount of hits they can sustain and such. In this game, however, it is too difficult to figure out what each enemy can take from each whip and weapon the game has to offer. The chart would be huge. Instead, this part of the guide will simply show the monster, and what they can do to you, in basic terms. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Bat Description....... The Bat is more of an annoying enemy then anything else. It can be found in various places around the world of Castlevania 2, and is more of a annoyance than an enemy. One hit with any weapon in your arsenal can take care of him, however. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Crying Mask Description....... The Crying Mask is the easiest of the three "bosses" in the game, simply because his/her (?) attack pattern is very, very repetitive and it's easy to be it without getting hit at all. When he circles, hit him. When he starts shooting fireballs, equip Dracula's Rib and guard against them. Simple, no? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Dark Skeleton Description....... A Skeleton with a darkish tint, the Dark Skeleton is simply an upgraded version of the well known regular Skeleton throughout the game. The only difference is this one is smart; he knows where you are and he'll chase you ast high speeds. Hit him from behind, don't let him see you! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Dracula Description....... The good 'ol last boss of the game. Dracula comes to life after you collect the five pieces of his body scattered in five different regions of Castlevania. (in the mansions). So when he comes to life, you must start whipping him when he is starting to form (you can potentially kill him before he even moves). If he does start to move, he spins around rapidly around the room and shoots objects at you (and they semi-home on you, so be careful). Every once in a while he'll stop momentarily, that's your cue to whip him as much as you can. He really isn't too difficult, especially if you have a few Laurels. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Evil Plant Description....... The Evil Plant is a rare creature, and an easy one too. Simply use the Rib to shield you against the fireballs it shoots at you, and get in a few shots at it to clear your path. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Eyeball Description....... The floating Eyeball can do a lot of damage. It is fast moving and homing as well; it'll always follow you whichever way you turn. It is mainly found in cave-like areas with stone backgrounds and not so much in forested areas. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Fire Skeleton Description....... Found in the much latter stages of the game, the Fire Skeleton is a very, very annoying - and shoots fire balls on the ground too! Woo! =) Anyway, simply whip them from a distance (or use a projectile on them) to take care of them in a careful manner. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Fishman Description....... Fishmen are found in areas with water, and ONLY areas with water. Although they are very weak, they jump out of the water with no warning and shoot fireballs that are directed at the position of your character at the time it fires. Once the Rib Shield is acquired, however, they are nothing more then an easy kill. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Gargoyle Description....... The Gargoyle, found in mansions, is a large green enemy that shoots fireballs all over the place and can jump great heights and distances. He is weak to be hit, however, so do hit him and kill him as soon as he comes near, otherwise, he can be a severe nuisance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Ghoul Description....... The Ghouls are homing enemies that are large and gold and float in the air. A skeleton with a golden cloud around it if you will. They are slow however, and obvious, so you'll want to whip them before the get close. They come in pairs often. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Graveyard Hand Description....... The Graveyard Hands are more of an obstacle then an enemy and are easy to kill. Simply crouch down and whip them when you see them, and they'll disappear. Mystical. =) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Grim Reaper Description....... Technically, Grim Reaper is a boss. He is found only once, in Braham Mansion, and is the key to obtaining the Golden Dagger. He is very staionary and throws scythes at you, but if you stay in one place too long, he'll come towards you and can potentially corner you. Whip and run, whip and run, and avoid those scythes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Hawk Description....... The Hawk is an annoying enemy that has the quickness and height to get away after attacking you. He always starts up really high, out of reach of all your weapons, then swoops down, and then swoops at you and out of sight. Hit him on his first swoop, it's really your only chance not to take any damage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Hawkman Description....... While not quite as annoying as the regular old Hawk, the Hawk man flies high in the skies and then swoops down upon Simon, walking on the ground slowly after him. Simply move when he swoops down and then whip the crap out of him when he's stranded on the ground. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Knight Description....... The Knight is a very basic enemy, and comes straight from the original Castlevania like other enemies in the game. He is armed with a long spear that can stab Simon from a pretty long distance away. He is weak however, take him out as soon as you're in range. They are only found in mansions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Lizardman Description....... The Lizarman, while fast moving, is weak and easy to hit. They also drop huge Hearts worth 6, and should be a target in the latter stages of the game if you need hearts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Medusa Head Description....... Straight out of every other Castlevania game that ever exists (and ever will exist), the Medusa Head is a simply enemy that swoops and flies at you in the image of a Medusa Head. The very, very generic Castlevania enemy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Mummy Description....... The Mummy is a slow, stupid monster, but can do a lot of damage if he homes in on you. Whip him from behind, one or two whips should do him in depending on what whip you have. Be sure to not let him see you, or he'll come running at you really fast and take away a decent amount of damage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Skeleton Description....... Skeletons are the most basic of enemies in the game and are the easiest to kill too. They are found everywhere in the game; the most common enemy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Skeleton Head Description....... The Skeleton Heads are very powerful and fast and hard to kill. While running would be the best option, if you're going to kill them, keep whipping them non-stop to make them not be able to move at you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Skeleton Knights Description....... Upgraded versions of the Skeleton, the Skeleton Knights are mansion-only enemies. They are equipped with armor and a sword which makes them noticably stronger, but still nothing that you can take care of pretty easily, especially later in the game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Skeleton Snakes Description....... The Skeleton Snake is an easy foe to contend with barring you have the Rib equipped as a shield against his fireballs, and can get within close range of him to get one good whip in. They are always in areas that are cluttered with other monsters however, and this makes them a little bit more difficult. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Slime Description....... The Slime is a pretty generic enemy with a weak point for any weapon you happen to have. Their upperhand on you is their quickness and their ability to stay out of reach. Make sure to kill them when they swoop down, otherwise they'll fly back up to the ceiling and have another chance to get you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Spider Description....... The Spider, in my opinion, is easily the most annoying of all the enemies in the game, simply because they shoot webs at you which can take away a lot of energy, AND there are always a bunch of them in once place. Plus they can go up and down on the string they hang on, making them annoying to get with a whip. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Swamp Creature Description....... The Swamp Creature is very easy to defeat. Although he shoots fireballs at Simon, it's nothing the Rib Shield can't overcome. When you get in range, whip it. Whip it good. =) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Swamp Snake Description....... Swamp Snakes are a nuisance simply because they jump out of the swamps out of nowhere and can do a clip of damage to Simon. Use Laurels in the swamps so you can go slowly, and allow the Snakes to jump up in front of you and kill them, so they don't jump out under you, doing damage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Town Bat Description....... The Town Bat is a version of the Bat that is smaller, harder to hit, and stronger then the regular bat. It is only found in towns at night, accompanying the green Zombies. They are not found in all towns, however. Make sure to kill them on their first swoop. Otherwise, you're an easy hit for them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Wildcat Description....... Fast moving and hard to hit, the Wildcat is only found in a few areas of the world of Castlevania, but they are annoying. When you see them, immidiatly crouch down and start whipping. Or, you can jump over them. Either way, don't allow them to touch you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name........ Zombie Description....... The Zombies are found only in towns after nightfall. They are green and come in numbers, but are easy to kill and should be your greatest source of hearts in the game. The only good part of night is that if you're near a town, you can literally go to town and collect many hearts over night. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- IX.) -THE TOWNS- *** ***** The towns of Simon's Quest are important for several reasons. First and foremost, they are your source of new weapons and items. They are also home to non-player characters that give you clues, hints, and tips (found in the next section) to help you along on your quest. Also, the towns have churches to heal. Below is a list of the towns and what they have to offer (in the order you should come across the towns). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Town......... Jova Weapons/Items........ White Crystal, Thorn Whip Description.......... This is the town you start the game out in, not only in the beginning, but everytime you enter a password as well. Not much to offer once you get into the game, but good items for the beginner, as well as good tips can be found here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Town......... Veros Weapons/Items........ Chain Whip, Dagger Description.......... The second town on your journey, Veros has the Chain Whip and the Dagger to offer the travelers coming across the town. It is probably the smallest town in the game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Town......... Aljiba Weapons/Items........ Laurel, Garlic Description.......... Aljiba is a town that should be a stop on your journey for several reasons. It's where the all-important Garlic and Laurel can be found, and it is also the place where the man trading the Blue Crystal for your White Crystal can be found. To the east of the town is the secret hiding place of the man possessing the Silver Knife as well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Town......... Aldora Weapons/Items........ Red Crystal, Laurel, Garlic Description.......... Aldora is a large town, but should be used for really only one use (other than buying Laurel and Garlic if needed). Trade your Blue Crystal with the trader here for a Red Crystal. It's a must. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Town......... Oldon Weapons/Items........ Morning Star, Laurel Description.......... Oldon is the last major town you come across, and you should DEFINETLY take advantage of it's facilities. They are the only town that offers you the Morning Star. You must buy this whip if you want an easy time in the latter stages of the game. The whip itself is not only a strong whip, but it's the only whip that can be upgraded to a Flame Whip. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Town......... Fetra Weapons/Items........ Laurel Description.......... Fetra is the last town on your journey that really supports active life (although the active life wants you to get the hell out of their town). This is your last stop to heal and buy Laurels before the castle, because the next town on the list (the TRUE last town before the castle) is anything but alive. It's quite dead, actually... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Town......... Ghulash Weapons/Items........ Nothing Description.......... Ghulash is one weirdass town. It's dormant as anything and has ONE person in it, a crouching man who asks you to live with him. It shows you that the areas around the castle are... well... dead. =) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- X.) -THE WORDS OF THE TOWNSFOLK- *** ***** ** *** ********* The townsfolk were probably more useful in the Japanese Famicom version of the game. I say this because the translation in the game is terrible, so the useful manner in which the townsfolk give you information in the Japanese version was probably much more useful before some translators butchered the American version. You'll probably notice some spelling mistakes too - don't be surprised if you do. Anyway, this is a list of each town's townfolk messages. They all have something to tell you. In no particular order, they are identified by Man, Old Man, Woman, et cetera. (they have no names, naturally). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Jova... Old Man #1 - "First thing to do in this town is buy a White Crystal." Old Man #2 - "A crooked trader is offering bum deals in this town." Old Man #3 - "13 clues will solve Dracula's Riddle." Old Man #4 - "You have a friend in the town of Aldra. Go and see him." Old Man #5 - "A magic potion will destroy the wall of evil." Man #1 - "Clues to Dracula's Curse are in the town of Veros." Man #2 - "A flame is on top of the 6th tree in Denis Woods." Man #3 - "Rumor has it, the Ferryman at Dead River loves Garlic." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Veros... Old Man #1 - "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in Berkeley Mansion." Old Man #2 - "You've got a friend waiting for you in the town of Aljiba." Man #1 - "A rib can shield you from evil." Man #2 - "Laurels in your soup enhance its aroma." Man #3 - "You look pale, my son. You must rest in the church." Woman - "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in the town of Alba." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Aljiba... Weird Man - "Dracula's Eyeball reflects the curse." Old Man #1 - "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in Rover Mansion." Old Man #2 - "A Laurel will protect you from the Poison Marsh." Man #1 - "Buy some Garlic. It has special powers." Man #2 - "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in Veros Woods." Man #3 - "To restore your life, shout in front of the church." Woman - "The Dead River waits to be freed from the curse." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Aldora... Woman #1 - "Get a Silk Bag from the Graveyard Duck to live longer." Woman #2 - "I've been waiting for a good looking guy like you." Woman #3 - "I want to get to know you better." Woman #4 - "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in Bodley Mansion. Woman #5 - "Hit Deborah Cliff with your head to make a hole." Woman #6 - "I'll see you at Midnight of the river bank." Woman #7 - "Sorry pal, no time now. Maybe later." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Oldon... Weird Man - "Don't look into the death star or you will die." Old Man #1 - "Take my daughter, please!!" Old Man #2 - "When I was your age, women loved me." Old Man #3 - "A man living in darkness can give your whip power." Old Man #4 - "Don't make me stay. I'll die." Man #1 - "Believe in magic and you'll be saved." Man #2 - "Dig up the 4th grave in the cemetary for a Diamond." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Fetra... Weird Man - "Get back!!" Old Man #1 - "After Castlevania, I warned you not to return." Old Man #2 - "You've upset the people. Now get out of town!!" Old Man #3 - "The cross in Laruba's Mansion must be found." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Ghulash... Weird Man - "Let's live here together." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.) -WALKTHROUGH- *********** This walkthrough, the most comprehensive walkthrough you'll find on the Internet for Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (as I'm sure you've found true for this entire guide), is segmented into many parts. Each part is marked with a roman numeral in lower case. i = 1, ii = 2, v = 5, x = 10, et cetera. You should know your Roman Numerals by now! =) I hope it helps you in your quest. Enjoy. i - TOWN OF JOVA * **** ** **** As the game begins, you see your character, Simon Belmont. Right next to you is an old man. Talk to him and he'll say, "First thing to do in this town is buy a White Crystal." Take his advice. Continue to head right and talk to the next old man who warns you that, "A crooked trader is offering bum deals in this town." Okay? Pass the church and go down the stairs to the right of the church. Here you'll see a gray-cloaked man. Talk to him to purchase the White Crystal he offers you for 50 Hearts, all of the hearts you start out the game with. The White Crystal you buy here is used in the first mansion you go to, so you'll need it. After purchasing this White Crystal, leave the town through the east entrance. In this next area, run back and forth killing Werewolves and Skeletons, collecting the hearts they often drop. It should turn nighttime while you're doing this, and if/when it does, you should go back into town and fight the green Zombies running around. Remember: During the day hearts are worth 2, at night they are worth 4! Keep fighting until you earn 150 Hearts, then wait until daytime if already isn't daytime, go back into town and buy the two other things you need to buy. Remember where the guy selling the White Crystal was? Go in the door on the same platform and talk to the cloaked man in there and buy Holy Water from him for 50 Hearts. Leave the room, go down the stairs, and go left. Jump over the two water holes and talk to the guy there. He tells you that "Clues to Dracula's Curse are in the town of Veros." Walk up the stairs right by him and talk to another guy there. He says, "A flame is on top of the 6th tree in Denis Woods." Go left on that platform some more, talk to the guy there and learn that, "Rumor has it, the Ferryman at Dead River loves Garlic." Right near that guy is a door. Go in it, talk to the cloaked man, and purchase a Thorn Whip from him for 100 Hearts. You're all set, but in case you want to talk to everyone before you leave the town, go to the left edge of the platform, carefully jump to the higher-up platform at your left and talk to the old man. He says, "13 clues will solve Dracula's Riddle." Then go down the long stairway and talk to the old man found there. He says, "You have a friend in the town of Aldra. Go and see him." Head right, jump over the two water holes and talk to the old man. He lets you know that, "A magic potion will destroy the wall of evil." That's everyone. Go to the church on the topmost platform to heal if need-be, then leave the town to the exit to your east. ii - PATH TO THE TOWN OF VEROS ** **** ** *** **** ** ***** Venture through the first part, which should be familiar. Kill the Skeletons and Werewolves as you go, and make sure to get the hearts they sometimes drop after death. In the next area, kill the Skeletons and Fishmen as you cross the expanse of the bridge. Be careful of the fireballs the Fishmen shoot, which can be a pain from long distance. Cross this area to the next area. Here, you can either take the top path and fight the Skeletons up there to get all the way to the right, or you can destroy the two block on the bottom with your Holy Water, jump over the two poison water holes, and go up the stairs, avoiding all but one or two of the Skeletons. Either way, go to the next screen. Now, instead of going right as usual, go down the long stairway right in front of you, and go right. Here is the town of Veros. Have at least 200 Hearts before coming here. If you don't, fight around the town until you do, or if it's nighttime, go into town and fight the Zombies and Town Bats. Once you do get the 200 Hearts, go back to Veros. iii - TOWN OF VEROS *** **** ** ***** This town is very small in comparison to Jova, so where you need to go is very simple to find. To purchase the Dagger, go to the door closest to the west entrance. Nothing is in the room, however, so go to the wall and use the Holy Water on it. In this secret room revealed by the Holy Water, a cloaked man offers you the Dagger for 50 Hearts. Buy the Dagger from him, and then leave the two rooms so that you are back in the main area of the town. From here, head right. Heal at the church if need be, then go up the stairs at the rightmost part of the town and into the door. Another empty room. But instead of using the Holy Water on the wall, use it on the floor. Go into the hole created by the Holy Water in the floor, down the set of stairs, and purchase a Chain Whip from the cloaked man down there. Then go back to the town, leaving the room. Now, the town is a cluttered mess when it comes to the townsfolk, so I'm gonna make it simple for you. I'm just going to list what they say for you here so you have the option (as you did in Jova and will have everywhere else thanks to this walkthrough) not to talk to them. [this information can also be found in Section IX] Old Man #1 - "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in Berkeley Mansion." Old Man #2 - "You've got a friend waiting for you in the town of Aljiba." Man #1 - "A rib can shield you from evil." Man #2 - "Laurels in your soup enhance its aroma." Man #3 - "You look pale, my son. You must rest in the church." Woman - "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in the town of Alba." Once you either talk to these people or decide one way or another that you're done in Veros, leave the town the way you came in. iv - ROAD TO THE BERKELEY MANSION ** **** ** *** ******** ******* Go back up the long staircase. GO left, kill the Skeletons in your way, and go into the next area. Kill the Skeletons here, and equip your Dagger. Use it on the Fishman that pops out of the water here, avoiding the red platform until he's dead. Kill a few more Skeletons here, exit the area to your right, and enter Berkeley Mansion. v - BERKELEY MANSION * ******** ******* As you enter, make sure you have your White Crystal equipped that you bought in Jova. Once you do, you'll see the otherwise invisible platform moving up and down to your right. Jump onto the platform and ride it up to the lone block, then jukmp right to the two block platforms. Equip your Dagger and kill the Knight before jumping on the platform he was on, over the dead hanging bodies. Proceed to your right, killing Skeleton Knights as you go. Ignore the stairs you come across that go down, and instead ascend the stairs going up. Once up on the platform the stairs lead to, go left. Kill and Gargoyles and Slimes you come across (make sure to pick up the huge hearts worth 6 that the Gargoyles drop) and then equip your Dagger again. Kill the Skeleton on the small platforms with it, and then kill the Knight to your left. From here, don't go right, but jump to the top path, -then- go right. Have your Holy Water equipped. Go right killing any Skeleton Knights in your path. Before you jump to the next platform, use your Holy Water on the first few blocks of the next path, and you'll see they are invisible. Jump through and over them and onto the real path. In this next area, simply go right and kill whatever is in your path. Go down the stairs and down the next set of stairs as well. Head left and kill the Skeleton Knights. Jump up, and then climb the stairs. Jump over the various spiked floors, and talk to the man in the Blue Cloak to buy an Oak Stake from him. DO NOT USE IT YET! Just buy the Oak Stake, then go down the stairs you came up on, and then the next set of stairs down as well. Don't go right, instead go down yet another set of stairs, the one right in front of you. Once down the stairs, walk one step and use the Holy Water. Keep doing this to avoid the wrath of invisible floors. Do this non-stop (and kill any enemies you come across, naturally) until you reach the stairs. Go up them, equip the Oak Stake, and send it on through the glowing orb. The screen'll shake, the orb will turn gold, and then a bag will appear. Get the bag. As funny as it is, it'll say "You know PROSSESS Dracula's Rib" (yes Prossess) =) Anyway, Dracula's Rib can be used as a shield, and is 1/5 of the puzzle. Leave the mansion the way you came in, or drop through the invisible floor, and cut your trip in half. (the second option I've offered you here has you navigate areas I've told you to ignore, but it indeed makes the exiting trip much quicker). Once outside the Mansion, head back to Veros to heal, then go back to the Mansion, and continue to your right. (unequip the White Crystal and equip Dracula's Rib as well. Automatic Shield!) vi - PATH TO ALJIBA ** **** ** ****** Go right, kill the Skeletons and Bats, and keep in mind that no matter which path at the right you take, they lead you to the same place. Here, kill or avoid the Spiders and their webs they shoot. Also, kill any Skeletons you come across, and collect and hearts the enemies drop. The woods'll lead you to Dabi's Path. The first screen of Dabi's Path is very easy - simply stay on the topmost path, and kill any Eyeball and Bats in your way. In the next screen, go to the end of the path, drop down and use your Holy Water on the two blocks blocking your path to go left. Once the two blocks are destroyed, go right and walk to the wall. Use your Holy Water, destroy the blocks and get the Sacred Flame. From here, the terrain is a bit more tricky. I'd just make a mad dask through the first screen, avoiding all contact with those god damn annoying Spiders and their webs. This next area is a tad more mellowed out. Don't go down the long stairway, but continue to head right, killing the weak Skeletons as you go. The next area has some more Spiders to contend with, but they are more scattered and therefore easier to kill. Kill any Skeletons or Spiders you can and then continue right. Welcome to the town of Aljiba. vii - TOWN OF ALJIBA *** **** ** ****** Here, you want to do a few things. Make sure to do the following before you even think about going to Rover Mansion. (from left to right goith the town walkthrough). First thing's first. If you don't have at least 100 Hearts (I suggest 200 hearts for my strategy), then leave the town and fight enemies outside of town (or inside town if it's nighttime) until you get the desired amount of Hearts. Through the first door you come across is an empty room. Use your Holy Water on the floor and go down the sets of stairs. Buy Garlic from the cloaked man (I suggest you buy from him twice, giving you 4 cloves of Garlic). Go right once outside to the next doorway, which leads to yet another empty room. This should prompt you to use Holy Water on the floor. Do so to reveal yet another hidden set of stairs. Go down the two flights of stairs and through the open wall to your right. Talk to the mysterious crouching man, and he'll tell you that, "Dracula's Eyeball reflects the curse." Good to know. Go back to the surface. Go right and talk to the man here. He'll suggest to you that you, "Buy some Garlic. It has special powers." But you've already done this, so go right s'more. Jump over the two water holes and go up the stairs. Talk to the man on this platform. He'll inform you that, "Clues to Dracula's Curse are in Veros Woods." Then go into the door and use Holy Water on the floor. Go down the stairs and into the hole in the wall to your right. Talk to the man in the cloak and buy Laurels (again, I recommend you buy from him twice to have 4 bunches of Laurels). Again, go back to the surface and up the set of stairs. Talk to the old man to learn that, "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in Rover Mansion." Head left and talk to another old man who'll give you a tip that, "A Laurel will protect you from the Poison Marsh." Talk to the woman and she'll say, "The Dead River waits to be freed from the curse." Talk to the man and he'll say, "To restore your life, shout in front of the church." Finally, towards the end of the platform, talk to the man in gray. He'll exchange his Blue Crystal for your White Crystal. Good deal! Now leave the town to your right, and enter the graveyard. Kill the two purple hands and proceed to the water hole underneath a path you can't safely jump to. Throw a piece of Garlic (NOT INTO THE WATER) on the ground, and head back left. Talk to the man in the golden cloak, and he'll give you a Silver Dagger. Score! viii - PATH TO ROVER MANSION **** **** ** ***** ******* Head back through the town and exit to the left. Head left through this area, killing Skeletons and Spiders as you go. In this next area, go down the long staircase you skipped over before. Kill the Skeletons before going down if you'd like, to collect any hearts they may drop. Once down the stairs, go right. In this next area, jump from platform to platform and kill the Skeletons and those pesky Eyeballs as you go. From here, either take the moving platforms or the path you're on to the right and exit the path. In this next area, a huge lake is here which can't be crossed. Equip your nifty, newly acquired Blue Crystal and kneel down. The screen will shift and you can now go down. Go down, head right, and enter Rover Mansion. ix - ROVER MANSION ** ***** ******* At the outset, kill the Skeleton Knight and regular Knight to clear the atmosphere a bit. Go right and jump upon a pillar-like wall. You'll see a "wall" one block in width in front of you, but throw some Holy Water on it and you'll see that it's a fake wall. Head right to the next area. Here, kill the two Skeleton Knights quickly before the bunch up and chuck bones at you. Once this task is complete, jump from platform to platform as you head right. Ignore the stairs, and head right. Work around the vertical platform moving back and forth. Don't go to the topmost platform. Instead, simply jump over the moving platform to the right. Here, jump over the hole of spikes and talk to the cloaked man to purchase an Oak Stake. Then, head back to your left. If you can remember back just two seconds, you'll recall the staircase I told you to skip over. Well now you can go up it. Go up, kill the Skeleton Knight, and then go up the next flight of stairs and repeat the process on both Skeleton Knights. Head right, kill both Knights here, then go up the stairs once more. Kill the Skeleton Knight. Now, the jumping here is very precise and takes patience. I can't really explain what it is, but you'll se what I mean. Once on top, kill the Skeleton Knight and head right. Kill anything else in your path, and then go down the stairs. From here, head left and drop down the pit. Then use the Oak Stake on the orb to your right. Dracula's Heart is yours! Simply exit the mansion in the exact way you got in there to get Dracula's Heart in the first place. x - PATH TO THE TOWN OF ALDORA * **** ** *** **** ** ****** Aldora is a long ways off. It's on the otherside of Jova, the very first town. So first, you'll have to trek all the way back to Jova. You know how to get there, you remember, right? Well go ahead, I'll wait. *waits* There yet? Great. Now simply exit Jova at the western entrance (healing at the church if needed). From here, after going out of the western exit, kill the two Lizardmen (use Dracula's Rib as a shield against their fireballs), and kill the fast moving Wildcats as they come at you. When you get to the poison swamp, use a Laurel to make yourself invisible, and run as quickly as possible through it before it runs out. (kill any Swamp Creatures or Swamp Snakes you'd like for hearts). Once through, head to the next area. Here, quickly kill the two Lizardmen and head left. Go left until you reach a cloaked man on a boat. Equip Dracula's Heart, and then talk to him, and he'll cross you over a river. Once across, head left. The next screen you come to has the mansion on it. Ignore it and head left. This next area is absent of any monsters in the beginning, but you have to cross over some pesky blocks to get across. A tip - Some of the jumps seem impossible. However, the game is programmed so that as the block hits the top of its cycle, Simon'll super jump. Try it. It works. Otherwise, you'll never get across. Anyway, go left into the next area. Kill the Mummy and two Hawks and proceed left. Kill the wide array of Medusa Heads, Evil Plants and Ghouls as you head leftward. You'll eventually hit a dead end with a golden cloaked person. Talk to him and he'll give you a Diamond! Now go back a few screens, make sure Dracula's Heart is unequipped, and talk to him. He'll take you back the way you came. Talk to him again. This time he'll take you somewhere different. Once you land, go left and you'll come to a new town. xi - TOWN OF ALDORA ** **** ** ****** The town of Aldora has one thing to offer you; the Red Crystal. Go up the stairs right as you enter from the east. Unless you need Laurel, ignore the door. Instead, make the jump to your left. Talk to the guy in gray here to trade your Blue Crystal for his Red Crystal. Then go back up the stairs. Time to talk to the townsfolk. Head left and talk to a woman who says, "Get a Silk Bag from the Graveyard Duck to live longer," which is something you'll be doing soon. Go left s'more to another woman, who'll exclaim, "I've been waiting for a good looking guy like you." Go down the stairs again to another woman. She'll say, "I want to get to know you better." What in HELL is going on here!? Go back up the stairs and head all the way right, up another flight of stairs. From here, go up yet another flight of stairs. Talk to two woman up here. The first says that, "Clues to Dracula's Riddle are in Bodely Mansion." The other says, "Hit Deborah Cliff with your head to make a hole." Mmkay. Go in the door here if you need Garlic. Otherwise, keep going left. Talk to yet another woman here who says, "I'll see you at midnight on the river bank." Going left some more will reveal another woman who says, "Sorry pal, no time now. Maybe later." Some sick bastards wrote this game. =) Once you're done, exit through the west. xii - PATH TO THE TOWN OF OLDON *** **** ** *** **** ** ***** Here, kill the two Slimes, and head left. Kill the Skeleton Snakes (use the Rib as a shield against their fireballs), kill the Skeleton, and go into the next area. Skip the stairs and go left, killing Skeletons and Dark Skeletons as you go. The next area is litered with Slimes. Just run and gun! After this is a town called Oldon. Make sure to have 200 Hearts before coming here so you can purchase the Morning Star. If you don't, fight around the town or in the town (if it's night), until you do. xiii - TOWN OF OLDON **** **** ** ***** In the town of Oldon, your main priority should be to purchase the Morning Star for 200 Hearts. From the east, go up the stairs. Unless you need Laurels, ignore the door and go up another flight of stairs. Go left and into the door. Descend the stairs and buy a Mornign Star from the cloaked man for 200 Hearts. Go back into town and go left. Talk to the man and he'll tell you, "Believe in magic and you'll be saved." Then go back right and up the first set of stairs you come across. Talk to the old man and he'll say, "Take my daughter, please!!" Alrighty then. From the platform that old man was on, and go right and jump to the other platform and go up the stairs. Talk to an old man here who'll say, "When I was your age, women loved me." Go left more and talk to the man who'll say, "Dig up the 4th grave in the Cemetary for a Diamond." Farther left is another old man who says, "A man living in darkness can give your whip power." Then head all the way back right and down to the base level of the town. Go right and over some water holes to an old man who says, "Don't make me stay, I'll die." By him is a door. Go in it to talk to a crouching man, who must have seen Star Wars, because he says, "Don't look into the death star or you will die." After that, you're done here. xiv - PATH TO THE GRAVEYARD *** **** ** *** ********* Leave town the way you came in, to the east. Go back a few screens to the stairway I told you to skip over. Go down it now. Have your Holy Water eqipped. Use it constantly as you start heading left to avoid invisible floors. If you fall into the poisonous water underneath you, get out as quickly as possible, and use a Laurel if you're low on energy to avoid further energy loss. When you go left, you'll find yourself in a graveyard. xv - GRAVEYARD ** ********* From here, kill the Slimes and Graveyard Hands, and collect the hearts they drop. Keep going left until you hit a dead end. When you do, equip the Garlic and throw a clove to make a golden-cloaked man to appear. Talk to him and he'll give you a Silk Bag that allows you to live longer and take more damage. Now it's time to go to Braham Mansion. xvi - PATH TO BRAHAM MANSION *** **** ** ****** ******* Braham Mansion can only be gotten to by equipping Dracula's Heart while talking to the Ferryman going westward. So go right until you reach the Ferryman going eastward. Go east, jump off, equip Dracula's Heart, talk to him again, and go west. Go a screen over and enter the mansion. xvii - BRAHAM MANSION **** ****** ******* In the beginning, simply go right, jumping over the spikes as you go. When you get as far right as you can get, go up the stairs. Don't go left, but kill the Skeleton Knight here and go up the stairs again. Kill the Knights and head left. Kill the Slimes and ascend the stairs. Kill the Skeleton and ascend the next flight of stairs as well. Go right, kill the Skeleton Knight, and go up the flight of stairs in front of you. Kill the two Skeleton Knights and again go up the stairs. Then head right, into the next area. Here, kill the two Gargoyles ad go down the long flight of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs is a Knight. Kill him and go left into the next area. Ignore the stairs, go left, kill the Knight, and purchase an Oak Stake from the cloaked man for 50 Hearts. Then just keep climbing down the numerous staircases, killing Knights, Skeleton Knights, and Slimes as you go. When you get to the bottom, go right. Here, kill or avoid the three Bats and again go right. Grim Reaper is here. Fight him, he's easy. Simply go into a corner, avoid his scythes, and let him come to you. When he does, whip the crap out of him. Your reward is the Gold Dagger. Then go right again, stick the Oak Stake in the orb, and collect the bag with Dracula's Eyeball in it. Then leave the mansion the way you came in. xviii - PATH TO THE FLAME WHIP AND BODLEY MANSION ***** **** ** *** ***** **** *** ****** ******* Go back to the Ferryman and go east. Make sure Dracula's Heart is unequipped and go back left. Go left many screens through familiar territory, through both towns, until you reach a dead end. Here, equip the Red Crystal and kneel facing right. A tornado will come and sweep you away to Bodley Mansion. Before going in it, however, go left. Go left one screen until you get to an impassible lake. Equip the Red Crystal and kneel to show the way. Go down and left. Here, go up, kill the super strong Skeletons and Skeleton Heads and proceed. You'll eventually come across a cloaked man in a large box. He'll upgrade your Morning Star into the most powerful whip in the game; the Flame Whip. Use your Holy Water to gain entrance to the box he's in. Once the upgrade has taken place, go back to Bodley Mansion and enter it. xix - BODLEY MANSION *** ****** ******* In the beginning, simply go right and kill the Knight. Go up the stairs and kill the Skeleton Knight, and then repeat the process. After the repeat, go up the next flight of stairs, kill the Slimes, and use Holy Water to detect and avoid the invisible floors. Then go right. Kill the various Skeleton Knights as you go right. When the path splits, take the top path. Go to the wall and jump through it. Go roght, kill the Skeleton Knight, go left and do the same. Then jump down, go left and destroy the wall blocking your way with Holy Water. Go right, kill the Knights and go down the stairs. From here, look for the hidden secret wallbreak on the left wall. Once through it, go left and talk to the cloaked man to purchase and Oak Stake. Then fall through the invisible floor near him. Then go left, fall down to the lower area, go right to the orb room and retrieve Dracula's Nail. Then exist the mansion through one of the two available routes. xx - PATH TO LARUBA MANSION ** **** ** ****** ******* From Bodley Mansion go left until you reach the lake. Equip the Red Crystal and crouch down to show the way. Go right and into this familiar where you got the Flame Whip. Kill the Skeleton and jump up to the wall. Use your Holy Water to destroy the wall and proceed left. Be careful of the floating Skeleton heads, they are tough and can knock you off ledges with ease. Continue left until you get back on solid ground. From here, leave and go left. Go left, killing Flame Skeletons as you go. When you reach a swamp, use your supply of Laurels so you don't take too much damage. Keep going left and you'll come to mansion #5, Laruba Mansion. xxi - LARUBA MANSION *** ****** ******* At the outset, kill the Skeleton Knights and go right. Keep going, killing Knights and Skeleton Knights blocking your path. Once you get to a flight of stairs, go up them and proceed to your left. Kill the Knights as you come across them. When you get to some stairs, go up them, kill the Skeleton Knight, jump right to another platform, kill two more Skeleton Knights there as well. Once up there, go right, killing enemies, leaving them in your wake. Remember to collect the hearts they drop! When you finally get all the way over to the right, go into the next area. Here you can either go up or down. First, go up. Take the long flight of stairs up and kill the Skeleton Knight. Then jump to the platform to your right and kill another Skeleton Knight here, then go right, kill another Skeleton Knight and buy an Oak Stake from the cloaked man for 50 Hearts. Then go back the way you came, but keep going down until you can't go down anymore. Then go right on the moving platforms, avoiding the spikes that fly up at you and into the next area. Here you'll fight the Crying Mask. He/She (?) is ridiculously easy. When he circles around, whip him as many times as you can, from safe range. Then when he stops, he'll drop a fireball underneath him which'll shoot out several fireballs in all directions. To combat this, use Dracula's Rib to shield you from the fireballs. Then repeat the process. When he/she (?) is defeated, the Magic Cross appears. Go right into the orb room, use the Oak Stake on the orb and get Dracula's Ring. We can now go to Dracula's Castle. xxii - PATH TO THE TOWN OF FETRA **** **** ** *** **** ** ***** The castle is to the east of the Mansion. If you want to stock up on Laurels, do so before following this final part of the walkthrough. Although there are Laurels in the town ahead, who knows what hardships you'll come across as you go? To get to the castle, you must first travel over several parts of the terrain, including a few towns. Go all the way past Bodley Mansion and then to the town of Fetra. xxiii - TOWN OF FETRA ***** **** ** ***** Once inside Fetra, talk to the old man who says, "After Castlevania I warned you not to return." Go inside that door nearby and talk to the crouching man who warns you to, "Get back!!" Go right some more and go up the stairs. Talk to the old man here who says. "You've upset the people. Now get out of town!!" Scary. =) Go back down and continue going right. Talk to the old man in front of the church who says, "The cross in Laruba's Mansion must be found!" We've already got it though. =) Go into the church to heal if need be, then continue going right. Go up the stairs to buy Laurel if you need it, then leave town through the east exit. xxiv - PATH TO THE TOWN OF GHULASH **** **** ** *** **** ** ******* Go right across the bridge. Kill the Skeletons and be weary of the Fishmen as you go. They pop out of the water unexpectidly, so be careful. Then go into the next area. Kill the three Lizardmen here, then equip and use some Laurel and jump into the poisonous water. When you emerge, kill the Lizardmen and go right. Here, go down the stairs, go right, and go into the final town in Castlevania 2. xxv - TOWN OF GHULASH *** **** ** ******* Once inside town, go right and ignore the first door. Keep going right and you'll notice that the town is completly empty. Go into the door at the end of town and talk to the crouching man there who'll offer you a nice little offer, saying, "Let's live here together." No thanks! =) Leave the town through the right. xxvi - TO THE CASTLE! **** ** *** ******* Going right through the graveyard, jump over the graves and kill the Mummies and Hawks as you go. It's simple; just keep heading right. In this next area, use Holy Water to destroy the blocks blocking the bridge. Cross the enemy-free bridge. Welcome to Dracula's Castle. xxvii - CASTLEVANIA ***** *********** The castle is extremely linear and has no enemies in it. Simply use your Holy Water where the paths seem to be blocked, and make yourself to Dracula's lair. When you get there, the five bags automatically come out of Simon and go to the middle of the room and reform Dracula. Dracula forms. When he's doing this, he is OPEN TO HITS, so hit the crap out of him when he's stationary like that, you can actually take him out before he even moves. Anyway, when he perishes, you have beaten the game! Congratulations! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- XII.) THE ENDINGS *** ******* While all three endings are very, very unspectacular in the game, there are indeed three endings. The best ending is in color and shows Simon standing over Dracula's grave when the sun is going down. Then Dracula's hand comes out of the ground at the end, at nighttime! (beat the game with little or no continues and in under eight hours). The second ending is also in color, same scenario as above, but it says in the text that Simon ends up dying. (also, no hand of Dracula coming out of the ground to get you) =) (over eight hours and little continues gets you this ending). The third ending (or sucky ass ending as I lovingly call it) is basically a black and white ending of Dracula's grave with some corny text. (take your time and use a lot of continues to get this ending). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- XIII.) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ********** ***** ********* *** 1.) Q - What are the different values of hearts!? A - Well a heart during the day is worth 2, and at night that same heart is worth 4. Big hearts found in mansions are worth 6. 2.) Q - I have [so-and-so] strategy for [so-and-so] area. Use it! A - Nah. Chances are that I've beaten this game many more times than you, or you wouldn't be reading a walkthrough on how to beat the game, now would you. These strategies in this walkthrough work great, they've worked for me for 13 years now, so use these. Trust me on that. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SECTION XVI - SPECIAL THANKS, ABOUT THE AUTHOR, AND CLOSING NOTES =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= ---Special Thanks goes out to:--- *My family (Mom, Dad, Dagan, Dana, and Ali) *My peeps (Mike, Cody, Corey, Jason, Graham, and the rest) *My Favorite Band (311) for keeping me company with background music while playing through this and basically all videogames. *Konami (for making such a great game and such a great series) *Nintendo (for making the NES way back in '85, my favorite system to this day, even if I DO have like ten other systems, nextgen and all. You don't get better than the NES!) ---About the Author--- [as of June 14, 2001] Well... as of the time I'm writing this, I'm just finished up the 11th grade. I live on Long Island, in New York, about half an hour from New York City. I play ice hockey, I work at a deli, and I love videogames, especially RPGs. My favorite series for videogames include the Final Fantasy series (excluding VIII), the Dragon Warrior/Quest series, the Mega Man series, and the Tales series. I aspire to go to Northeastern University in the fall of 2002 to study History and Archaeology. ---Closing Notes--- Thanks for reading the guide, and again, any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas can and should be sent to me, Colin Moriarty, at cmoriarty311@cs.com. Please, constructive criticism only, whether it be positive or negative. I don't care which it is, but please, be polite and above all, constructive. Thanks for reading. This walkthrough is copyright (c) Colin Moriarty 2001 and should only be found on GameFAQs at www.gamefaqs.com. CJayC, the owner of GameFAQs, is the ONLY person permitted to have this on his webpage. Please don't e-mail me, asking to have this on your webpage, I'm just going to say "no" and I hope you understand that the reasons for this are too many to be named here. If you found and are reading this guide on any other site but GameFAQs, please contact me at cmoriarty311@cs.com immediately. Thank you. http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/4280.html (CMoriarty)