The castle opened into a country, and the country had a clock.
The first Castlevania was a straight corridor of stairs and whips; this one tears the walls down and hands you a whole nightfall-haunted countryside to wander. Towns to enter, hearts to hoard, merchants to barter with, a sun that sinks until the villagers turn to zombies — and townsfolk who lie to your face on purpose. For years we cursed the cryptic clues as broken English, only to learn the Japanese version was already feeding you half-truths by design. What once felt like a maze with no map reads, on a second look, like the moment the series stopped being a haunted house and started being a haunted world.
About this game
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is a 1987 metroidvania for the famicom disk system, developed by Konami. It belongs to the Castlevania series.
Gallery
Tricks & Tales
The misleading hints weren't just a botched localization — the original Japanese NPCs were deliberate liars too, so the 'broken' clues are partly faithful to the design. The day/night cycle was a rare feature for its time: by night enemies hit harder but drop more hearts, while townspeople vanish and are replaced by zombies. It quietly became a 'metroidvania' ancestor: a free-to-explore world map, a leveling system where hoarding hearts raises Simon's health, and how fast you finish even changes the ending.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The Famicom Disk System was sold exclusively in Japan and was never officially released in any other region. It was designed as an attachment to the original Famicom, using a rewritable magnetic Quick Disk format — a medium that no longer has manufacturer support and that Nintendo ceased rewriting or selling decades ago. Buyers outside Japan should understand that there is no Western-compatible equivalent: FDS software requires a Famicom console, the RAM adapter, and the dedicated power adapter, all of which are Japan-market hardware. The disk media itself is not readable by any standard floppy drive.
Maintenance Tips
The drive belt is the most critical maintenance item. The original rubber belt (approximately 31mm diameter) stretches and eventually fails after decades of storage, preventing the drive from reading disks. Replacement belts are widely available from retro hardware suppliers and require no special tools -- a documented procedure exists in multiple collector guides. After belt replacement, the drive may need alignment, which is a more involved process. The RAM adapter board contains electrolytic capacitors that should be recapped if the unit is used regularly -- leaking capacitors can damage the PCB and corrupt disk reads. Clean the battery compartment with vinegar and a cotton swab if corrosion is present. FDS disks should be stored in their cases away from magnetic sources.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Castlevania II: Simon's Quest copies regularly.
This is the original Japanese disk — does that change how it plays versus the famous NES version?
Yes. The Japanese 'Dracula II' runs on the Famicom Disk System, so there's a disk-load wait the NES cartridge doesn't have, and all the text is Japanese — meaning the notorious 'broken English' clues simply aren't here. The half-truth NPCs remain, but the legendary mistranslations are a Western-release phenomenon.
Being on disk, is there anything fragile I should check before buying?
It's a Famicom Disk System title, so it needs a working Disk System (and its belt, which commonly perishes with age) to play, and the disk's save data and magnetic media degrade over time. Confirm the disk reads and saves, and check the sleeve and shutter for damage rather than relying on the label alone.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom Disk System disk wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Inspect the disk and its shell
Disk System media is fragile — the magnetic disk can wear, and saves are written back onto the disk itself.
Ask whether it was tested and reads reliably; look for cracks or a warped shell in photos.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is Japanese Famicom Disk System media and requires a Famicom with a working Disk System drive.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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Mind the drive belt on the console side
Disk System drives commonly need a replacement belt to read reliably — this is a console matter, not the disk.
If reading is unreliable, the console's belt is the usual culprit, not the game.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
See what it's selling for on eBay →Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Castlevania II: Simon's Quest sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
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