by Filippo DinolfoAs a long-time Castlevania fan, I have seen the series evolve and have its fair share of ups and downs. For me, the best eras the franchise has ever known are the early 8 and 16-bit titles. Granted, 1997’s Symphony of the Night was, and still is, a landmark title in the series that has shaped its future evolutions, but there is just something about the pure action gameplay of the earlier titles that still appeals to me.
One game that often gets criticized, and perhaps with undue harshness, is Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. It attempted to mix action and adventure together, with some success. It had its rough edges, sure, but the groundwork for a solid game was always there. Rom hackers in recent years have done a pretty good job smoothing out those rough edges and turning it into a very enjoyable experience. But, what if you want a new game that takes that formula, smooths it out, and gives it to you with a neo-retro style presentation?
Developer Programancer and Retroware are bringing us The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest, a game billed as a parody or homage to the original Simon’s Quest. The premise certainly lends itself to the designation of parody. In the game, Simon Quest, yes, that’s your character’s actual name, is a bit annoyed. He’s aiming to slay Count Dracula, but that Belmont guy already beat him to it. So, Quest embarks on a quest to recapture all of Dracula’s pieces in an attempt to resurrect the Count, so he can then slay him himself. I mean, why not? What else is he going to do, wait a hundred years? Ain’t nobody got time for that!
As absurd as that sounds, when you start playing the game, you quickly realize that this is a lovingly crafted adventure that takes the Simon’s Quest formula and polishes it to a glowing luster.
The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest (TASQ) does just about everything right, straight off the bat. You jump right in, and it’s not hard to figure out what to do. The whipping and jumping mechanics feel very good, and retain many of the properties of the older game, like not being able to impart forward momentum to a straight-up jump. But it also adds more modern mechanics, like a slide attack. It takes all of two minutes to get to grips with the controls, and that’s a good thing in my view.
In town, folks will share information, give you objectives to complete, invite you to play a Memory mini-game, rest, or shop for items. Eventually, you’ll make your way out of town, track down items you need to open the gate to Bram Mansion, and get into the first real level of the game. Here, you have a set number of attempts to finish the level. If you fail, you’ll have to go back to the entrance and try again.
If you’re familiar with the series, the sorts of challenges you’ll face in the overworld and in mansions will be immediately familiar. I found myself smiling more than once as my mind connected the dots.
Unlike Simon’s Quest, TASQ handles day-to-night transitions seamlessly. The clock is always running, so you’ll just go from day to night without interruption. Churches are open at night, so you can go in, rest, and head back out in the morning. That’s a nice QoL enhancement, since townsfolk aren’t out at night, and their doors are closed.
The game opts for an 8-bit adjacent style, with excellent pixel art, and layers in modern effects that give it a nice sense of depth. Add to that sections where the game plays with lighting and foreground/background elements, and you end up with something that feels like it might have been possible on the NES — if the NES had received a new and beefier mapper/enhancement chip.
It also sounds great. They’ve opted to stick really close to Konami’s traditional 8-bit sound, including that iconic DMC percussion. It doesn’t hurt that the soundtrack is great, too. It does an excellent job of invoking its influences, while also feeling like its own thing. The sign that you’ve got a great game soundtrack is that you want to listen to it outside the game, and that is very much the case for this one.
All in all, from what I have played so far, The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest is an awesome take on the Simon’s Quest formula, and it has made me incredibly excited for the game’s release. Hats off to Programancer and Retroware for nailing the feel of the classic, while also making it so much better.
The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest
