Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest
Nonlinear multi-part FAQ/walkthrough
by Darrell Wong (hawaiidkw)
Stuff for CJayC
Date completed: 6/13/08
Version: 2.0
E-mail: dkw0001@gmail.com
** Version history **
2.0 - Some mistakes the first time out, like the number of hits the Gold
Knife does...only to be expected. Corrected. Also spent some time figuring
out just how that danged experience system works; it's updated. Little more
info on passwords, and overall more to this FAQ.
1.0 - So it begins...
Contents
--------
i. Prologue
ii. Why I'm doing this
1. The basics
2. Walkthrough
3. Reference
4. Going for the second ending
i. Prologue
-----------
You know how it is sometimes?
This one game you remember from your childhood. An "action RPG", they called
it, ubiquitous now, but a fairly revolutionary idea back then. You played
the hell out of it, you demolished monsters, solved puzzles, ran into
seemingly insurmountable dead ends and blind alleys. Maybe you even got the
ending...or *an* ending, at any rate. It was great fun, and yet, somehow
there's always the nagging feeling that maybe, possibly, there's something
you missed. Probablya lot of things.
Your friends helped however they could, of course, and a few went so far as
to claim that they discovered everything, but you could never tell for sure.
You read the magazines. You winced when read some of the stupid questions.
("Eem, this lady says I gotta bang my head against the cliff to make a
hole...how'd I do that?") You got a few pointers that helped considerably,
perhaps even enough to get past a really tough obstacle. But you know how
notoriously unreliable those publications are...they got deadlines, you
know...you still couldn't be sure you had everything, or even the best method
of accomplishing what you know you had to.
Somewhere down the line, you decided to give it a go again. Maybe you kept
that old NES around all these years. More likely, you discovered the wonder
of emulators. Whichever it is, you now have a chance to revisit this fine
classic and go after everything you haven't gotten already.
Yeah, a lot's happened since then. That hero, long gone. In his place, a
breathtaking dramatis personae of heroes, villains, allies, obstacles, and
plain old mysteries. Video games have become far more sophisticated,
too...amazingly lifelike 3D figures, a million colors, and truly terror-
inducing levels. You don't care. You want one more quest. Just one more,
just the one where everything goes right and you get the best possible result.
And it just so happens that there is someone else, who himself has enjoyed
this game immensely but never discovered everything, someone who himself
recently got an emulator, who can now play NES games with neat things like
save states and rewind *and* enter those way-cool Game Genie codes (and not
just three at a time!), who has, in fact, discovered everything. Who,
dissatisfied with at the lack of a complete, thorough writeup on this game
(at least one which he could get a quarter of the way through without getting
dizzy), knew exactly what he had to do, completely regardless of how old this
game was or...
Oh, come on, you've read my Mike Tyson's Punch-Out FAQ, you know what I am,
right? :-D
ii. Why I'm doing this
----------------------
Pretty much the same reason I do any FAQ; I know the game, and either no one
else has covered it or not everything has been covered. The exact
requirements for the 2nd and 3rd endings, for example...number of continues
plays a part in it, not just time. Also the issue of frozen experience,
which even I don't have the complete picture of (not surprising, it's
confusing as hell). Simply put, nobody's done the FAQ *I* want to see yet.
So I am.
There is another reason. I've always wanted to do something like this. You
know how most of my FAQs are laid out in nice, neat order...first the
introduction, then an overview of the game's mechanics, then specific
strategies, items, opponents, then finally the actual walkthrough, etc.?
Well, Castlevania 2 is different. Much different. And so this FAQ is much
different, by far the most unusual I've ever done...but for reasons that will
make perfect sense when it's all over. I relished the opportunity to stretch
my boundaries and do a FAQ that has a beginning, middle, and end...just not
in that exact, boring order.
As always, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. And who
knows, maybe you can learn to stetch your boundaries and cut loose every so
often as well.
=============
1. The basics
=============
(You only need to read this if you're new to this game or haven't played for
a long time. If you're already familiar with the objective and the lay of
the land etc., you can skip this. I'm just including it as a courtesy.
Sheesh, you know how easily NES instruction books get lost, and I've never
even *seen* one for this game...best to err on the side of caution, right?)
Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest takes place some time after the events of the
first Castlevania, anywhere from six months to two years, depending on who
you believe. In it, Simon Belmont risked life and limb to slay a vile
vampire lord known only as "The Count", later revealed to be Dracula, who had
placed a curse on his entire family. After overcoming a plethora of foes and
winning the craziest Konami game final boss fight ever, he prevailed.
He later discovered, to his horror, that the curse was not broken, and it was
threatening to not only kill him, but blight the whole land of Transylvania.
The undead horrors which had previously been confined to foul Castlevania
were spreading over the once-peaceful forests and lakes like a cancer. Simon
learned that what was sustaining the curse was evil power contained in four
of Dracula's intact body parts. The only way to break the curse is to find
the body parts and a special ring serving as an unholy focus for Dracula's
power, return them to Castlevania, and burn them.
There are three types of environments in Simon's Quest, towns, outside areas,
and mansions. Towns contain merchants who sell vital equipment for your
quest, hermits with strange advice, kindly religious folk who always give a
helping hand to those in need, and of course ordinary citizens. The
merchants and church members reside in buildings, which you may freely enter
and exit during daytime. Many townspeople will cheerfully offer advice, but
beware, as this advice is notoriously unreliable, and a few malicious souls
will even deliberately mislead you. In the daytime, there are no monsters
roaming about, so there are no dangers besides falling into water...a minor
hazard, but most definitely a lethal one, so watch your step. At night,
zombies roam the streets, usually accompanied by ravens, and the townsfolk go
into hiding. You cannot enter buildings, as they are all securely locked up.
Outside areas comprise the majority; nearly all of them contain enemies
spawned by the curse. A few of them have important allies, and you may even
find a well-hidden special weapon. Mansions are Dracula's strongholds of
evil, each of them containing one of the five objects of your quest.
Monsters prowl every corridor, and there are also a multitude of deadly traps
to snare the unwary.
An enemy can take damage from only ONE weapon at any time. If you hit an
enemy with, say, a Sacred Flame, you must wait until the effect expires
before hitting it with something else (assuming that it's not killed by the
Flame, of course). An enemy that's being damaged flashes and produces a high
pitched "damage sound". An enemy can't move while it's being damaged, so
continuous-damage weapons can kill tough foes before they have any chance to
retaliate.
The game keeps track of your elapsed time with a clock that counts days,
hours, and minutes. Your time is next to the "T-" in the pause window.
2:09:36, for example, means two days, nine hours, and thirty-six minutes
elapsed. For some reason, the clock is not only the usual two 12-hour cycles
but a single 24-hour cycle ("military time"). For numbers above 12, subtract
12 to get the PM time. 13:00 is 1:00 PM, 18:00 is 6:00 PM, etc. Each second
of real time is equal to 4 minutes of game time, meaning that each day in the
game lasts for 360 seconds, or 6 minutes. Daytime lasts for 6:00 to 18:00,
night the opposite. During night, not only do you not have access to town
residents, all enemies in normal areas can take twice as much damage as usual.
On the plus side, they also surrender more hearts when slain (I'll get to
this in a bit). You receive *no warning* whatsoever when nightfall or
daybreak is about to happen, so be sure to check the pause window whenever
you're about to enter a hazardous area (or an area that could become
hazardous). The clock stops whenever you're in a town building or mansion,
mainly to remove the hassle of night falling while you're in a place you're
not supposed to be in at night. The game starts at noon of the first day.
Many enemies leave behind heart tokens when slain. The small token is worth
2 hearts, the half token is worth 4, and the big token is worth 6. Your
current total is next to the heart symbol in the pause window. Hearts are
used to buy items from the merchants, and they're also required to operate
most of your special weapons. At night, normal area monsters give the next
more valuable token than they do in daytime. You can carry a maximum of 256
hearts.
Your experience and level are next to the "E-" and "L-" in the pause window,
respectively. You start at level 0 (not 1). You get experience from heart
tokens, 1 for small, 3 for half, and 5 for big. You need 100 experience
points to advance to level 1. Each successive level requires 50 more
experience points; 150 for level 2, 200 for level 3, etc. Advancing a level
increases the amount of damage you can take and fully restores your health
(there is no other benefit).
Your selectable items fall into two categories, big important items (upper
level) and special weapons/items (lower level). You can have one of each
selected at any time. Important items do what they're supposed to
automatically; you fire a special weapon with up + B. You can use a special
weapon while on a staircase, but you need to time it just right.
You start each session with 3 lives and lose one, naturally, when your health
runs out. Falling into water is ALWAYS instantly fatal, so watch your step
around those lakes. Unlike the first Castlevania, there's no means of
gaining extra lives. Once you lose all 3 lives, you can either continue
immediately with 3 more lives or end the game and get a password. If you
continue, you start at the same point you would normally. The password allow
you to end your game and continue at a later point. You'll always start in
Jova with the time moved ahead to the next noon (to keep the password at a
reasonable length). Unfortunately, whenever you continue by either means,
your experience and hearts are both reset to 0 (you retain any levels earned).
There is no time limit for completing the game and no limit to the number of
times you can continue. It's never over until either Dracula or your will to
continue perishes.
That's about it. Oh, and don't worry about that "Dracula's Riddle" business
you'll hear about a lot. It probably doesn't mean anything. ;-)
==============
2. Walkthrough
==============
What's this? It's happening already? Shouldn't I start with a general
description of the Castlevania 2 world, a rundown of the enemies, and
descriptions of the special weapons, hazards, etc.? Short answer...no. No
tedious lectures, no big gameplans, no charts and graphs and bits and bytes.
We're diving in feetfirst, no safety net, through the fire and flames, and
que sera flippin' sera. You have the game? You have a controller (or in the
case of an emulator, something that can act as one)? Fine. Game on. Now.
Unless you have a lot of stamina and free time to spare on this game (or are
using an emulator), you're going to have to quit and take a password at some
point. Write it down carefully (be sure not to mix up O/0 or S/5), and also
write down the path you took from Jova to get there if need be.
Incidentally, none of the towns or mansions are actually named in-game, BTW,
so I'm not sure where these names come from, but there is general agreement
on what the proper names are. From what, I don't know, but there's no point
in arguing, so just bear with it. It'll make things simpler.
You begin in Jova, the first of several quaint little towns you'll visit on
your noble mission. All you have besides the (admittedly nice) clothes on
your back are an ordinary, nonmagical, nonholy, and all around unimpressive
Leather Whip and 50 hearts. The area to the immediate left contains fast,
tough enemies and a hazardous environment that will kill you in about 5
seconds. The area to the immediate right contains slow, weak enemies.
Pretty obvious which exit you're taking, no? That's the nice thing about
this game; if you proceed conservatively, you'll *never* be in over your head.
The enemies will be killable, the obstacles will be surmountable, and you can
get through alive.
Take a stroll around Jova, talk to the friendly citizens walking around
(this'll give you an initiation into the general level of reliability of
these guys), and read the road sign by pressing B while standing over its
left side. Also make a note of the buildings you can enter and where they're
located. Be sure to memorize the location of the church, the building with a
cross above the entrance. These holy sanctuaries contains healing energies
that restore your life to full; simply talk to the nun to use this extremely
valuable (and free) service. Most buildings contain merchants, all of whom
wear hooded robes (they fear retRibution from Dracula's minions for aiding
you and hide their faces). Watch out for the open patches of water on the
ground level, especially if you're jumping off a higher level where you can't
see them. Always take the little extra time to use the stairs if there's any
doubt.
In addition to the church, Jova has 3 merchants, one selling Holy Water for
50 hearts, one selling a White Crystal for 50 hearts, and one selling a Thorn
Whip, the next most powerful whip, for 100 hearts. All are important, but
get the Holy Water first. This is a special weapon, so immediately go to the
pause window and select it (press up or down once and hit right or left and
the arrow should appear over it; it'll be easier to select items once your
inventory is better-stocked). Holy Water will come in extremely handy
throughout the entire game; for now, suffice it to know that there are no
restrictions whatsoever on its use, so you can toss all you like.
Now it's time for your first taste of combat. Head to "street level" and go
right one screen to the Jova Woods. This section has bone walkers, skeletons
that just wander back and forth, and werewolves, which move slowly but pursue
you when attacked and jump continuously when close. (Note: The instructions
have correct names for the enemies, but since NES instruction booklets are
such a rare commodity, I'll use my own terms, like most FAQ writers have done
anyway.) The bone walkers require 1 hit from your Leather Whip or Holy Water,
while the werwolves require 2, and both give up small hearts. Since Holy
Water falls in an arc, it's perfect for hiting enemies below you; a jumping
toss can also tag a werewolf too far for your whip. Never try to hit a
werewolf that's jumping; back off and finish it from a safe distance. Do
*not* leave this screen. If you run out of enemies, proceed right or left
until more show up.
When night falls, Jova will be beset by easy-to-kill zombies; they merely
shamble straight ahead, take only 2 hits apiece to kill (later zombies can
take more punishment), and give up half hearts. Since the werewolves now
take 4 hits for the same reward, the risk is greater outside. On the other
hand, enemies appear more frequently in the Woods. It's your call. The best
place to fight the zombies, BTW, is the upper level where the church is, as
they appear the most frequently here (and you'll more than likely need the
church after you're done).
After day breaks, go directly to the Thorn Whip merchant and rid yourself of
that feeble Leather Whip for good. As your new whip packs twice the punch of
the old one, you should have no trouble mopping up now. Return to the Woods
and continue collecting hearts until you have 50, then go back to town and
buy the White Crystal (you'll probably need to endure one more night).
At around this point, you'll hit 100 experience points and gain your first
level. This merely restores your health, but later levels will dramatically
improve both your total life and the amount you lose with each hit.
Unfortunately, getting to level 1 also creates a big "dead zone" of screens
where you cannot earn any experience (including Jova and the bone
walker/werewolf forest), and this area increases at each successive level.
I'll have full details later; for now, just remember that when a screen stops
giving you experience points, it'll remain fruitless for the remainder of the
game.
Select the White Crystal from the pause window. This is a magic item, so you
have to switch from the special weapons level to get to it.
Doing pretty good so far! Time to hit the road. It gets a tad tricky for a
bit, so just bear with me...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jo-–1---2---3---4---5---M1--X1--X2--!
| !-+
| |
+---Ve--6---7---8---9--10--Aj--11
|
+--12--13--M2
1 – W Jova Woods 9 – C Aljiba Woods
2 – E Jova Woods 10 – E Aljiba Woods
3 – border forest 11 - Camilla Cemetery
4 – W Veros Woods 12 - unnamed cave
5 – E Veros Woods 13 - unnamed lake
6 – W Dabi’s Path X1 - unnamed forest
7 – E Dabi’s Path X2 - unnamed forest
8 – W Aljiba Woods ! - connection
Jo - Jova Ve - Veros
Aj - Aljiba
M1 - Berkeley Mansion M2 - Rover Mansion
The numbered sections (and a bit of other stuff I'll get to later) are the
normal areas you will be travelling thorough (in that order, natch). Jo, Ve,
and Aj are towns, and M1 and M2 are the first two mansions you'll be tackling,
in that order. For the most part, dispatching the ordinary enemies is pretty
straightforward; I'll bring up specific tactics only when they're needed.
The enemies present are indicated in each normal section.
1: West Jova Woods - bone walker, werewolf
You've been here before, so just get through.
2: East Jova Woods - bone walker, fish man
While jumping across bridge sections, you'll be attacked by fish men. These
amphibians leap out of the water, pursue, and after a few seconds breathe a
fireball directly at you. This variety only takes one hit, so they're easy
pickings. Make sure you're never on a platform that a fish man is about to
land on, or you're almost certainly taking the plunge.
3: forest bordering Jova Woods and Veros Woods - bone walker
Might actually be a part of Jova Woods. Or Veros Woods. I don't know. At
any rate, just take the high road and continue right.
4: West Veros Woods - bone walker
Your path branches here. Take the staircase down and pay a quick visit to
Veros.
Veros: Welcome to town #2! Not much to it, actually. Enter the first
building. Empty? Not quite; throw Holy Water at the two blocks on the far
right. They'll vanish with a crumbling sound. These are "evil blocks",
obstructions created by dark sorcery to bar your way, and Holy Water has the
power to destroy them (the regenerate after you go to a new screen, however).
Incidentally, you can take the lower path in the border forest by breaking
evil blocks, but there isn't much point in doing so. Except to say that
you've done it. Whatever that's worth.
Go right, talk to the merchant here, and buy his Dagger for 50 hearts. Like
Holy Water, this weapon has unlimited free uses. It flies horizontally a
considerable distance when thrown and is especially handy for attacking over
hazards. It does the same damage as a Thorn Whip.
Avail yourself of the church's services if need be; chat up some townies if
you like. The only other order of business in Veros is buying the Chain Whip,
but that's beyond your means at this point. Leave the way you came.
4: As you're climbing the stairs, time your final steps so you don't run into
the bone walker, then immediately jump left and take it out with Holy Water.
Equip your new special weapon and proceed right, taking care not to fall into
the poisonous marsh (if you do, get the heck out *quickly*).
5: East Veros Woods - bone walker, fish man
Switch back to Holy Water and tag the bone walker and the fish man that leaps
out, then continue right.
And just like that, you've arrived at your first mansion. Now your hunt for
Dracula's body parts begins in earnest. Note that unlike the town buildings,
you can enter at any time. Additionally, mansion enemies always take the
same amount of damage and yield the same heart tokens. Strangely enough,
time doesn't pass in these places, but you'll get used to that.
Note: The mansions are fairly linear, so I'm not going to bother with maps or
screen indications. When there's a choice of direction, I'll let you know
which is the right one. All mansion enemies leave half tokens except
gargoyles.
Gird your loins (whatever that means) and step into...
------------------------------------------------------------
BERKELEY MANSION
Enemies: bone soldier, armor guard, bone bomber, slime, gargoyle
If for some reason you haven't equipped the White Crystal, do it now;
otherwise, the elevator platform you need will be invisible. Your first foe
is an armor guard, easily dispatched with a jumping Dagger toss. Time the
jump over water carefully, dispatching the sword- and shield-bearint bone
soldiers along the way. For all the equipment, they just walk around like
their outdoor cousins, so they're no threat.
You'll come across an up and a down staircase. Go up; down leads to a blind
alley with all kinds of threats you're not equipped to deal with yet. And
just in case it isn't obvious, don't ever touch those nasty spikes sticking
out of the wall. They can literally kill you before you have time to scream.
Equip Holy Water and proceed left cautiously. A slime assaults you here, an
annoying little thing that loves to bounce all over you; worse, while on the
ground it can't be hit by your whip. One well-placed toss will take it out.
They frequently jump between the floor and ceiling, during which time they're
vulnerable to your whip or Dagger. Next up is a gargoyle, which hops at you
and breathes two fireballs in a horizontal "V" every few seconds. Quickly
dispatch it before it can get a shot off. A second will attack from the left;
evade its fire and smash it. Gargoyles give up valuable big tokens.
Go up, eliminate the armor guard with another jumping Dagger, then
immediately take the stairs up. Right only puts you through a slime-filled
corridor with nothing but a worthless clue at the end. (Okay, I suppose
there's some curiosity value to this whole Dracula's Riddle thing, but it's
definitely not worth the damage you're going to take.)
Proceed until you see the higher-level foor. Just jump to it, right?
*Wrong*. Go as far right as you can before making the jump. Aha, another
evil trick, blocks that look there but aren't! The surest way to find them
(without becoming a victim) is to throw a weapon that would normally strike a
normal block; it'll pass right through a fake block. Not surprisingly, Holy
Water is the best choice.
A bome bomber awaits. This looks exactly like a bone soldier, but moves a
lot faster, can jump, and tosses bones which fly in a high arc before landing
and bursting into flames; both the bone and the flames can hurt you. On
level ground, it's not much of a threat. Continue right, descend two levels,
head left to the staircases, and go up.
Cross the spikes to the mansion merchant, who offers an unusual item, an Oak
Stake, for 50 hearts. (He also asks if you wish to "invest" in it, a hint
that there's a very specific, important purpose for it.) Buy it.
Descend, then descend again (right only leads to another stupid Dracula's
Riddle clue). After the short drop, advance SLOWLY...another pair of those
aggravating fake blocks lie in wait, and you'll *really* be thrown for a loop
if you fall down them. (The bone soldier who turns around for no apparaent
reason should be a hint.) Throw Holy Water to pinpoint them.
Continue the rest of the way to the chamber, where there's a conspicuous
glowing orb on a pedestal. Jump up to the platform, select the Oak Stake,
and throw it to the right (it flies horizontally an unlimited distance, so as
long as you're on the platform, it'll hit the orb). Jump atop the bag that
emerges, which contains the first Dracula body part, his Rib. This gives you
complete protection against fireballs in the direction you're facing when
you're not walking. You *are* protected when you're jumping, attacking, or
both. Remember all this, it's very important! Incidentally, the Oak Stake
is the *only* way to reveal an orb's prize, so make sure you're properly
equipped when you get to it.
Okay, you've gotten in and gotten yours...don't forget that critical final
step. Return to the fake blocks and drop down them, proceeding left. Stay
on the lower level at the staircase (thus avoiding way too many fake blocks).
When you run into more gargoyles, stand still and whip them, letting the Rib
do its job. Climb the staircase at the dead end and crush the remaining
defenses. Back at the entrance, jump across the blocks (you don't need the
elevator this time), drop through the gap, and exit.
------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations on conquering your first mansion! Oh, and from here on out,
*always* have that Rib equipped unless you have a specific reason to equip
something else, and even then return to the Rib once you're done with that
other thing. This is your shield (literally); never set it aside without a
good reason.
Your next order of business is to buy the Chain Whip, which costs 150 hearts.
If you don't have enough yet, you have two options: collect hearts in Veros
Woods, or head into Veros at night. This place is absolutely crawling with
zombies after dark, and you should have your coffers filled in no time. In
addition to undead, you'll be attacked by ravens, which slowly descend before
striking; be sure to get them before they get you. Both enemies take twice
as much damage as the Jova zombies, but that shouldn't be a problem at this
point. As an added bonus, Veros lies just outside the experience "dead zone"
created by level 1, so you can take a huge step toward level 2 here.
The Chain Whip merchant is in the building at the right of the town; break
the evil blocks in the floor with Holy Water to get to him. This whip has
the same range as the Thorn Whip but does twice as much damage. It's also
the last whip you will get for a long, LONG time, so you'd better not pass it
up.
Moving on!
6: West Dabi's Path - bone walker, big eye
The first of the three "floaters", the big eye, assails you here. This
airborne monstrosity moves horizontally toward you at a constant speed, and
also vertically at a constant speed until it reaches your level. This is
only a threat if it's directly above or below you; when this happens, move
right or left until you have enough space to attack it. When you first enter
the screen, stand still and take out the big eye with a jumping whip; if you
miss, exit the screen and try again. Go right and climb. Two big eyes will
bear down on you from above; run left and whip them when they reach your
level. Go up a level, jump-whip another big eye, then climb to the top and
go right.
7: East Dabi's path - big eye, cave bat
Upon entry, you're immediately confronted by cave bats, brown fliers which
continuously zigzag up and down. Time your whipping carefully. Go right,
drop to the ground, and douse the two evil blocks comprising the lower
platform. Go left, crush the remaining cave bats and big eyes, then continue
to the two seemingly out of place blocks at the end. More evil blocks, of
course. Shatter them to reveal what looks like a bone bomber's attack. Go
ahead, touch it, it won't hurt you...in fact, it'll do just the opposite.
This is the Sacred Flame, your third special weapon. When thrown, it arcs a
short distance like Holy Water, generating a small pillar of fire when it
hits the ground. Both the initial toss and the piller can hit, and the
pillar does continuous damage, each hit doing the same damage as a Thorn Whip
or Dagger. Even better, you can throw three at a time. Since enemies can't
move while being hit, this is a perfect weapon for taking out a particularly
tenacious or hardy foe without any risk of taking damage. Such potency is
not without a price; each toss costs you one heart. If you run out of hearts,
you can't use this at all.
8: West Aljiba Woods - bone walker, spider
Now the going gets tough. Or maybe just incredibly annoying...which is tough
enough in its own right. Anyway, spiders lurk here; they hang high and move
horizontally toward you, dropping down every so often. And tossing webs
directly at you at frequent intervals. Even if you have the timing to squash
them, chances are good you'll take a hit back. My advice, *get the hell
through* as quickly as possible, even if it means taking a hit or two.
Thankfully, you won't encounter these annoyances very often, and they'll be
easier once you have the proper weaponry.
9: Central Aljiba Woods - bone walker
Just another branch. Stay on the upper level. The bone walkers can take
more damage than their earlier cousins but are otherwise the same ol'
pushovers.
10: East Aljiba Woods - bone walker, spider
More of those nuisances, thankfully not nearly as many. Hurry through.
Aljiba: Phew, safe at last! Well, unless it's night, but it's still a lost
safer than with those freaking spiders swarming around. Not a particularly
inviting 'burg (especially since it doesn't have a church), but nonetheless a
can't-miss stop if you are to complete your quest. Start by entering the
first building and breaking the evil block floor to reach the merchant. He
has a new good for sale, Garlic, at the cost of 50 hearts for 2 cloves. You
only need one purchase for your entire mission, so do just that. As for its
purpose, you'll find out very soon. The second building only has a hermit.
Go to the end and climb the staircase to the other merchant, who sells
Laurels, which cost the same as Garlic. Once activated, a Laurel grants you
roughly 8 seconds of invincibility. You can carry a maximum of 4 at a time,
so it's up to you whether to make one or two purchases (one is mandatory, two
is an excellent idea if you can afford it).
Just one more stop: Head all the way to the top and go left until you see a
gentleman in plain gray clothes that look similar to your own. Talk to him,
and he'll upgrade your White Crystal to a Blue Crystal, which will become
handy shortly. (Actually, the exact wording is "I'd like to exchange a White
Crystal for a blue one.", which makes it sound like Simon is the one
initiating the transaction. Or else the trader is dyslexic. Whatever, the
fact remains that you now have a Blue Crystal, which is all that truly
matters.)
11: Camilla Cemetery - grasping claw
Nothing here but those two sitting ducks completely powerless to avoid your
crouched whip strikes. Oh, and as soon as you enter, select the Garlic and
drop a piece. Legend has it that this humble plant possesses the ability to
drive away evil, which is why it's an effective defense against vampires. In
this case, however, what it drives away is the shroud of invisibility
surrounding the orange robe-clad mystic in the cemetery. Talk to him to get
your fourth special weapon, the Silver Knife. This flies horizontally when
thrown, like the Dagger, and has unlimited range. It's not especially potent,
however. Like the Flame, it consumes one heart per use.
Incidentally, you can reveal the mystic at any time, day or night. So if
night falls after you buy Garlic, you can come here to get the Silver Knife
before finishing up business in Aljiba, in case you want to save a little
time. Don't bother mining the grasping claws for hearts; zombies are better
for that.
Oh yeah...if you go right, you'll see a platform too high to reach,
effectively setting the boundary of this initial section. Just FYI, there
*is* a way to get on that platform...but you wouldn't want to. You'll see.
10: If you have 4 Laurels, fire one up and make you way through the spider
gauntlet posthaste. If you have only 2, save them, no matter how great the
temptation gets; you'll need them.
9: Take the stairs down.
12: unnamed cave - bone walker, big eye
Stay on the bottom to take out the big eyes. At the juncture with the
staircase, jump to the top level and proceed right (no sense putting you at
risk of drowning needlessly). Oh, and the moment you exit this screen, STOP
MOVING.
13: unnamed lake - no enemies
Yikes! That was a close one, huh? :-) Okay, now that you've managed to
avoid drowning (again), it's time to traverse the lake. No way across, you
say? True...but there *is* a way *down*. Select your recently-acquired Blue
Crystal and crouch for a few seconds. The lake will drain away...well,
that's kinda what it looks like..anyway, the point is that you can now cross
the blocks and exit to the right.
Eureka! Huzzah! Woot! That is what the entrance to a mansion looks like,
correct? Enter, brave quester...there is no justice for the timid. Oh, you
*did* remember to switch back to the Rib, right? :-D (While you're at it,
also equip the Dagger.)
I should mention this at some point...by now you've gone a long way without
healing and probably taken a fair amount of damage along the way, especially
from those razzafrakkin spiders. This is actually at least the second
hardest part of the entire game in terms of staying alive, especially since
at this point your level is 2 at best. Try not to get discouraged. Remember,
continuing is always an option, and there's never any point in the game where
you can't get more hearts. Intermission over; let's get that body part!
------------------------------------------------------------
ROVER MANSION
Enemies: bone soldier, armor guard, bone bomber, vampire bat
If anything, this mansion is even more straightfoward than the first. Start
by making your way across the bottom floor. Ignore the stairs up; all they
lead to is a world of hurt (trust me on this). Jump across the water to the
platform. See that 4-block wall ahead, right in front of the water. Jump
toward it. You read right, jump toward it! HA! SUCKER! You've landed
right in the...fake blocks. (Hey, when have I ever steered you wrong?)
Continue right. The Dagger shows its strength here, as it can easily
obliterate the bone bombers amidst the spikes without worry or heart use.
You're going to have to make another "investment" soon; make sure you have at
least 50 hearts before continuing. Go right, past the moving wall, back to
ground level, and obtain an Oak Stake from the merchant.
Backtrack and go up the stairs. No difficulties until you reach the zigzag
climb. The most important to thing is to not jump too late, or else you're
taking a plunge. If you're early, you just go down a level. The timing
isn't too hard once you get used to it. If you do fall, immediately whip to
the right to take out the armor guard before he sticks you. Continue until
you reach a big gap in the floor. Drop down it, then head right into...the
orb chamber! You remember what to do here, right? Good. There's a very
specific and vital purpose for Dracula's Heart which you'll discover when the
time is right.
To get out, simply retrace the steps you took to get here. At the first
zigzag, you can either descend with early jumps or drop striaght down the
middle (being sure to immediately whip the armor guard to the right, of
course). You may take a hit from the armor guard at the top of the first
staircase (these are always a pain), but otherwise there isn't anything that
can threaten you.
------------------------------------------------------------
Super job! Entire right-of-Jova area COMPLETED! Pause, give yourself a pat
on the back, take a breather, maybe even suicide your remaining lives and
call it a day (nothing wrong with that). The left areas will be much more of
a challenge, but if you made it this far, it's nothing you can't handle,
especially with your Chain Whip and that shield.
Oh, I'd better mention this now...see those two "X" areas and the "!"
indicators on that little schematic way at the top of this section? Yes,
there are two unnecessary screens. X1 has bone walkers and cave bats, while
X2 has bone walkers and spiders. The connection goes from the right of the
second section to a small entrance at the upper left of East Dabi's Path.
Honestly? I'd just avoid these areas, as there's no need to go to them, they
take more time than the normal routes, and most likely you'll only take
unnecessary damage. If you curiosity has become unbearable, however, one
visit won't hurt. Up to you.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
20--Ol--19--18--17--Ad--16--15--14--Jo
|
21---+
14 - Belasco Marsh 18 - C Sadam Woods
15 - mouth of Dead River 19 - W Sadam Woods
16 - ferry destination 20 - Jam Wasteland
17 - E Sadam Woods 21 - unnamed cemetery
Jo - Jova Ad - Aldra
Ol - Oldon
If you struggle horribly in this section and can't complete it at all (which
will almost certainly happen at least once), take the time to build up to
level 4. Jam Wasteland and the unnamed cemetery both remain productive after
level 3, as well as the mouth of the Dead River if you really want to play it
safe.
Jova: Return here at your convenience, restore your health (waiting until
daybreak's probably a good idea anyway), and get ready...
14: Belasco Marsh - salamander, dark hound, marsh creature, rocket worm
You're promptly greeted by salamanders, tall reptilians that run at you and
breathe fireballs. Hold your ground and whip them; the Rib will do the rest.
Soon a dark hound will sprint at you and jump over your head. This one's not
a threat, but the one that'll rush you on the high ground is; get ready to
crouch whip it, or just jump over it. You'll hit the marsh proper very soon.
Select your Laurels and jump in. Run right by the marsh creatures (tall
fire-breathing mutants) and rocket worms (bizarre things that vault high into
the air and plummet straight back down...NO hearts for killing them, so don't
bother) and get out ASAP. Whenever you're in a marsh unprotected, not only
do you continuously lose health, your foward jump is severely hampered,
taking you just a few inches ahead, so there's no way to avoid massive damage
(and it's even worse if marsh creatures get in your way). You *never* want
to slog through a marsh without an ample stock of Laurels. Thankfully, in
this case one is sufficient.
15: mouth of Dead River - salamander, fish man
Extinguish two more salamanders and talk to that hooded figure on the little
boat. This is the Ferryman, who certainly sounds like a treacherous fiend.
I say "sounds like" because he doesn't do a single detrimental thing to you
in the entire game. Anyway, you don't have much choice as to where he'll
take you, so just enjoy the ride. The fish men shouldn't be a threat; if one
of them gets too close for comfort, rapid crouch whipping should take him out.
16: ferry destination - salamander, fish man
Jump off the boat as soon as it hits the shore, otherwise you'll get
unceremoniously hauled back to the river mouth and have to start over. Crush
two more salamanders.
Aldra: A lovely little hamlet with lots of lovely ladies strolling around
(too bad this isn't *that* kind of game, if you know what I...oh, never mind).
Chat up the crystal trader (looks just like the one in Aljiba), who will
upgrade your Blue gem to the third and final color, Red. The building
slightly above and to the right has a Laurel merchant; replenish your stock
if necessary (you will need at least one for this part of the game). The top
level has a church, which you will soon be very grateful to have. There's
also a Garlic seller somewhere, but you already have all you need. Except
for the crystal trader, this is essentially a convenient rest stop. Return
as needed.
17: East Sadam Woods - bone walker, slime, dragon skull
No jeering, please...he was out *ally* at the time of this game, or don't you
remember? Ahem. You're faced with more of those annoying bounding slimes.
Equip the flame and do your best to get the first hit. If two of them manage
to close in on you, you're most likely toast. Next up are a pair of dragon
skulls mounted on chains; these breathe fireballs straight at you.
Complicating matters a bit is the slime that'll bushwhack you from the right.
If you can somehow coax it to jump over you, great; otherwise, you're going
to have a real struggle trying to block the fireballs and evade the slime
while trying to kill something, *anything*. Use a Laurel here if you must.
Once the skulls are smashed, hurry to the end of the screen before you're
slimed again.
18: Central Sadam Woods - bone walker, nightshade
Here be the nightshades, shadowy undead who move like bone walkers, only much
faster. Flame the lower ground clear and continue left.
19: West Sadam Woods - slime
Slimes...*why* did it have to be *slimes*?? (C'mon, you knew this was
coming...) Use a Laurel, set the whole place a-Flame, do whatever it takes to
get through.
Oldon: A sparsely-populated backwater, but it doesn't matter, because there's
only one person here that really matters...the one selling the Morning Star,
the longest-ranged and most powerful whip you can buy. It's a big-ticket
item...200 hearts...so chances are you'll be spending some time collecting
the necessary funds. Fortunately, the area just to the left is perfect for
that. This whip is a *must-have*; don't even think of returning to the Sadam
Woods without it. The only other thing of note here is the Laurel seller
behind the evil block wall, just another source if the need ever arises.
20: Jam Wasteland - wraith, mummy
If the little section before the pond serves any purpose besides heart mining,
I'm unaware of it. The wraiths slowly bob up and down, while the mummies
creep back and forth before dashing at you. Both take 2 Chain Whip hits to
kill in day, 4 at night. The wraiths give up half tokens in the day, the
mummies big tokens. They're both big targets and not at all hard to demolish.
The only drawback is that they do a lot of damage with every hit; don't let
that happen. Little note: When you head right to the little drop with the
mummy at the bottom, out of reach of your whip, toss a Flame to freeze it,
then drop down and finish it with your whip (if necessary).
Don't bother crossing those moving steps...they just lead to a sheer cliff
face that you are never, ever getting over. Get 200 hearts and vamoose back
to Oldon for the ultimate purchase.
19: Laurels definitely aren't a problem now, so employ one here to minimize
the suffering.
18: Time to visit the area the staircase leads to that you were no doubt just
bursting to explore. Equip Holy Water...yep, you guessed it, more block
fakery. There are two pairs of these nuisances, one a short distance past
the staircase, and a second right above the middle of the marsh.
21: unnamed cemetery - bone walker, grasping claw, dragon skull, slime
All foes you've faced before...it's just that there are lots and lots of them.
Only the slimes should give you trouble. Proceed to...a dead end with
nothing? Well, you know what that means. Namely, drop your remaining Garlic
clove to reveal the green robe-clad mystic, who gives you a Silk Bag. On the
pause window, you'll see a little bag icon to the right of "M.STAR"; this
means that its effects are permanent and you don't have to select it. Oh,
what it does is expand your Laurels capacity to 8. Handy, huh?
Head on back. Aldra's church isn't far off, so it's up to you whether to use
a Laurel to get through the marsh and/or slimes. Retrace your steps back to
where the Ferryman dropped you off and talk to him to head back to the mouth
of the Dead River. Jump to shore, whip the Salamanders, leave the Dead River
behind and...
...immediately head back, where the Ferryman is docked and ready for another
go.
Wait a second, you're undoubtely saying. We're headed back to the same
destination? No, of course not. Remember, I said that you don't have MUCH
choice as to where he'll take you, not that you don't have ANY choice. And
now you're going to take it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
24--23--M3--22--15
15 - mouth of Dead River 23 - unnamed lake
22 - ferry destination 24 - unnamed mountain
M3 - Brahm Mansion
15: Select Dracula's Heart before talking to the Ferryman. This time he'll
say "Let me show you the way" and, with a confirming sound effect, take you
to a hidden island. Quite the sneaky game, isn't this? :-D
22: ferry destination - salamander, fish man
Just the same 'ol Dead River vermin. Bypass the mansion entrance for now.
23: unnamed lake - no enemies
No threat of attack here, meaning that you can fully concentrate on the
tricky task of jumping across the moving blocks. The cardinal rule is to
jump while the block is moving up, which increases the jump height and gives
you enough oomph to reach the next block. The exception, of course, is the
two blocks that are close together. Also, check your time to see if the
daybreak/nighfall change is about to happen...the last thing you need is to
mistime a jump due to an inconvenient stock message.
24: unnamed mountain - wraith, mummy, eagle, fire plant, medusa head
Whew, crowded over here. Thankfully, only the eagles are potentially
dangerous. They hang high in the sky before diving down to within a jumping
whip's reach, then dive again and attempt to cut your legs off. Stay on the
move and jump-whip them as soon as they dive. The fire plant stands still
and toss fire like dragon skulls, and medusa heads are the second of the
three "floaters" and behave just like big eyes. Advance all the way to the
dead end. No, it's not a mystic bearing a valuable item who's shrouded by
darkness which only the purifying power of Garlic can exorcise...it's a
mystic bearing a valuable item who's standing in plain view.
A special weapon, to be precise. This is the Diamond, a big, heavy
projectile. The initial trajectory is toward the ground at a shallow angle,
but it can bounce off of walls and ceilings, smashing foes all the way. Like
the Flame and Silver Knife, each use expends 1 heart, and there can be three
onscreen at a time. You do have to be a little judicious with your throws,
however, since this thing can bounce off an incredible number of walls before
disappearing. You're going to have a blast with this. This is THE weapon
for squashing those repulsive slimes, and due to their rebound ability they
can do a number on spiders as well.
Equip your newfound jewel and return to the mansion entrance. You're packing
some serious hardware, and believe me, you're going to need it now.
------------------------------------------------------------
BRAHM MANSION
Enemies: bone soldier, armor guard, gargoyle, slime, vampire bat, Death
Jump across the spikes and go up. Ignore the path to your left (this leads
only to a fake block floor and a world of pain) and go up again. Head left
and up another level. Keep going until you reach the top level with a
gargoyle, then head right.
Equip the Flame and roast the two gargoyles beneath you. Descend carefully,
as the armor guard below is just waiting to knock you into a spike trap.
(Use a Laurel if you have to; it's next to impossible to avoid getting
drilled here.) The next screen has the mansion's Stake dealer; buy one and
head all the way down, whipping both slimes in mid-jump.
The corridor to your right has three vampire bats, which fly around
haphazardly in search of your blood. Whip them or just run continuously to
the right to avoid them.
It's Death itself! Or is that Death himself? Whatever the correct
terminology is, you've just run into the first big, bad boss of the game.
Don't fight this horror (yet); just run like hell to the right. If you
dawdle, he'll descend and cut you off; in this case, return to the previous
corridor and reenter before making the run.
Orb room! Three down, two to go! Sadly, the Eyeball is nothing special; it
merely allows you to see the hidden clues for Dracula's Riddle, which you're
no doubt sick of even *thinking* about anymore. Get ready to face Grimmy for
real.
Who will, depending on were you're coming from, be an enormous relief,
disappoint, or mystery. At any rate, he's a pushover. Run beneath him
before he closes the gap, make some distance, then turn and lay into him with
the Morning Star. That's all there is to it, just whip furiously until the
big, slow, immoble boss who's about a twentieth as deadly as he was in the
first Castlevania perishes. He'll get off at least one scythe toss, but
it'll just get eaten up by your whip. (The Flame is just for insurance, in
case you need to stun him to make a little extra space.)
Your prize for besting him is the Gold Knife, or Golden Knife, as the game
says. (Why "golden", BTW? I mean, we don't say "ironen", "paperen", "clayen",
"bonen", "mudden", or "alabasteren", right? Just wondering.) This has the
same properties as a Silver Knife, except that when it hits, it creates a
flaming aura which can hit up to two more times. Each it does the same
damage as your current whip. An awesome weapon to be sure, but not without
its price; it uses 2 hearts per throw. Never to be used indiscriminately,
but nonetheless an invaluable addition to your arsenal.
Oh, incidentally, the reason I told you to run past him the first time was
that...well...if you return to the room...he respawns. Believe it or not,
this and the next boss RETURN TO LIFE if you reenter the room. Must be the
curse. That, of course, is far more than any player should be expected to
take, so best save his destruction until you're good to go.
Egress time. Head back up past the Stake seller. Hmm, that's rather
convenient...you don't supposed you should buy a second Stake from him,
should you? Well, you can, but don't. Not yet, anyway. Don't bother
looking for shortcuts or easier paths (there aren't any), just retrace your
steps all the way to the ground level of this mansion and split.
------------------------------------------------------------
Nicely done. That's it for Brahm Mansion and this island of mystery. Return
to the Ferryman and get back where you belong. And by "where you belong", I
mean "the normal destination". Just remain on the boat until he makes the
round trip; you don't have to get off and restart the voyage. I know, pretty
roundabout way to get to where you need to be, but there are reasons for that,
no?
Fight your way to Jam Wasteland. With the Diamond, this should be much
easier now. Cross the blocks and head to the end. Right in front of you is
Deborah Cliff, which, as I mentioned earlier, there is absolutely, positively
NO way of getting over, nohow, fugeddaboudit, don't even think of it. So
you'll have to go through instead. Select the Red Crystal (About freaking
TIME you got to use that! :-D) and crouch on the two middle blocks of the
floor in front of the cliff. Before too long, a small but ferocious wind
will arive to carry you to your final destination.
Note: I hope I haven't understated the importance of having a sufficient
supply of Laurels at all times. They're literally lifesavers, and there is
*no* other way to get through a marsh in good shape. You should have an
absolute minimum of 2 before riding the wind, and realistically, you'll want
more. Buy as many as you need from Oldon. Once you've made the flight,
there's no turning back!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
11---X3--M5--29--28--27--26--25--M4
25 - empty area 29 - unnamed marsh
26 - unnamed lake X3 - unnamed marsh
27 - giant wall 11 - Camilla Cemetery
28 - wasteland
M4 - Boddley Mansion M5 - Laruba Mansion
The whirlwind drops you off right in front of Boddley Mansion. Hmm...go
right in? Well, that would be the obvious thing to do. And doing the
obvious thing is...well, the obvious thing. However, sometimes you're not
supposed to do the obvious thing (and some games can get *really*
insufferable about this, but that's another issue). That in turn makes the
non-obvious thing the obvious thing, and the right course of action, as
opposed to the obvious thing, which is not the *obvious* obvious thing, and
thereby the wrong course of action. Sometimes, however, the obvious thing
*is* the correct thing, so it's the obvious obvious *correct* thing, as
opposed to the obvious non-obvious *incorrect* thing. The upshot, naturally,
is that the correct course of action is to do the obvious thing as determined
by the obvious obviousness of the obvious choice, and *not* the obvious non-
obviousness of the obvious choice as caused by it's obvious non-obvoius
obviousness, or worse, the non-obvous choice as *non*-obviously determined,
which is just plain messed up.
So yeah, go right in.
(Oh, hell, where is the damn *fun* in a FAQ where you're not allowed to
ramble aimlessly? ;-) )
------------------------------------------------------------
BODDLEY MANSION
Enemies: bone soldier, slime, armor guard
There is a super shortcut to this mansion, but even the "normal" path is easy
(and time doesn't pass in mansions anyway), so that's what you'll be doing.
Proceed normally through the stairs. On the level before the top, whip out
the Holy Water and pinpoint yet another two-fake block trap. Go up and
proceed right (the left has nothing but concussion-dealing boulders). Ignore
the staircase and continue right. Stay on the upper level and jump right at
the wall, through the fake blocks.
At the blind drop, jump to the left, immediately face right, and whip the
bone soliders. Dissolve four evil blocks and head all the way down. Uh oh,
end of the line; there's nothing but blackness all around. Which is where
you're going next. Jump left; you'll bypass two more fake blocks and enter a
place where you swear you shouldn't be able to go.
Oh, you have at least 50 hearts, right? Well, if you don't, you cerainly
will the next time you come across here. At any rate, the Stake man is here.
Stake in hand, continue left through the fake block, then take the first
stairs down. Head right and put that Stake to good use. Dracula's Nail
allows you to destroy evil blocks with your whip instead of Holy Water. One
of those things that's more fun than useful, although there are at least a
couple places where it's convenient to have.
Head to the left staircase and go up and left. You're in an area with lots
of jumps over water and evil blocks just under deadly spikes. Equip the Nail
(wow, that was fast!) and smash the evil blocks one by one as you proceed.
Jump left through four fake blocks, and from there just keep going left until
you're out.
Hey, when hawaiidkw says something is easy, brother, *it's easy*!
------------------------------------------------------------
You should be in good shape at this point. Even if you are a bit banged up,
don't worry too much as long as you're at least level 3. And of course, you
can always gain a level here. At any rate, proceed left.
25: tiny mountain area - no enemies
Not only no enemies, no lake, no marsh, no traps, *nuthin'*! Weird. Maybe
this was supposed to be the whirlwind's destination and it messed up somehow.
Whatever, just keep marching.
26: unnamed lake - no enemies
You know the drill. Oh wait, you only did this once before, I can hardly
call it a "drill", can I? Select the crystal and crouch until the way opens.
27: giant wall area - bone walker, death's head
I'm still not sure exactly what this place is. A ruined castle? A sewer? A
dungeon? An unused Arkanoid design? The death's heads are the last of the
three "floaters"; handle them exactly the same way. Start by equipping
Dracula's Nail and going straight left. Jump across the moving blocks, whip
the evil blocks imprisoning the mystic, and talk to him. He turns your
Morning Star into the ultimate weapon, the Fire Whip. Not much to say,
except that the damage of this flaming destroyer is off the charts. And of
course, this enhances your Gold Knife's power as well. Once you get the Fire
Whip, that's all she wrote for *any* foe giving you problems. Oh, and the
Morning Star is the only weapon that can receive this treatment...told you it
was a must-have.
Go back, jump to the next higher level, and exit at ground level on the left.
The upper floors are nothing but aggravation and pain and fake blocks.
28: unnamed wasteland - flying skull, flamer
Flamers are humanoid figures made entirely of fire that chuck fireballs that
roll along the ground. These can't be blocked by the Rib, so you have to
jump them. On the plus side, they can travel down but not up; they fizzle
out if after running into a block. Have your Gold Knife handy to deal with
multiple-foe assaults.
29: unnamed marsh - marsh creature, rocket worm
This place is just plain evil, a big marsh follwed by an *enormous* marsh.
Don't even think of tackling the denizens, just fire up your Laurels and get
a move on! 2 Laurels to get through without massive damage; 3 will get you
through unharmed. If you have no Laurels, this place is simply impassable.
Your only chance is to go to Fetra (a town I'll cover a bit later) and buy
enough Laurels to survive the marsh, which, needless to say, is a lot of
hassle and aggravation just to proceed.
Whew! There it is, the final mansion! Nothing to do but do it...
------------------------------------------------------------
LARUBA MANSION
Enemies: bone soldier, armor guard, bone bomber, spider, boss #2
The trickiest mansion, but at this point it's nothing you can't handle, and
there are none of those irritating fake blocks to deal with. Even better,
there's a tremendous reward for making it this far.
Go right and take the first staircase up (the right has nothing). Go up
another flight, then proceed straight right (upstairs has nothing). Go right
and jump up the blocks (downstairs has nothing). When you see a huge wall of
spikes on the right, climb the stairs and jump the spike trap to the Stake
merchant.
Stake in hand, return to the spike wall room and go down, jumping to the left
as soon as you see spiders. You'll land on a remote floor with a mystic here
with a very special gift...your Laurels increased to the maximum. Woo hoo!
It might be a good idea to employ one right away to deal with the spike floor,
flying spikes, and spider webs inconveniently raining down on you from above
(and you can immediately talk to the mystic again for a quick refill if you
like). Once you're past all this, keep going right.
You'll see an ominous face slowly rise. Second boss, natch. Run by it and
Stake the orb for Dracula's Ring. This is just a focus; it has no special
powers. It's simply one of the things you need to put to the fire.
Back to floaty-face. (I have no idea what this thing's proper name is; I've
heard everything from "Vampira" to "Weeping Mask".) It rises a fair distance
before ejecting blood droplets which fall to the ground and burst into
fireballs. Once it's done with this, it spins in a slow circle several times.
That's it, that's all it does. Stand still and keep your Rib up when it's
fireballing; jump and whip it when it's spinning. Repeat until this
unbelievably lame boss is fragments. You get the Magic Cross as your reward,
a special item which, like the Silk Bag, will help you when you need it.
On the way out, you'll have to bypass by far the most irritating spiders in
the game. It's hard as hell to hit them, while they can tag you with
sickening frequency. Stick to your whip and get through the corridor ASAP.
On the way back out (go back up the steps you came down), two more spiders
will attack. Don't even bother fighting them, just get the hell up and out,
using a Laurel if it comes to that.
From there, just retrace your steps like you've done before, and you're out.
------------------------------------------------------------
That's it, everything you need, every weapon, every item, all done, complete,
finito. Now, off to Castlevania!
You'll have to cross the Insane Death Marsh again, of course. Since there's
a church coming up, however, the danger is far less. Use at least 1 Laurel,
2 if necessary. The remaining screens are enemies you've seen before, so no
worries.
So what's to the left, you ask? Well, as you may have surmised by "X3", you
really shouldn't go in that direction. That's a big marsh full of haglike
marsh creatures and rocket worms. And past that is...Camilla Cemetery.
Remember that inaccessible platform you saw earlier? Guess where you are now.
If, lord forbid, you jump down to the lower level...yep, you're in the first
part of the game with no way back! Your only option is to go all the way
back to Deborah Cliff and summon the whirlwind again. Then again, you only
come around once, so if you want to do this just to say you did it...well,
who am I to stop you?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
M4--30--Fe--31--32--33--X4--X5--X6
|
+--Gh--34--35
30 - Wicked Ditch 35 - bridge to evil
31 - "North" X4 - E Dora Woods
32 - W Dora Woods X5 - big bridge
33 - C Dora Woods X6 - suicide marsh
34 - Vlad Graveyard
M4 - Boddley Mansion M6 - Castlevania
Once you're back at the entrance of Boddley Mansion (one way or another), the
final stage of your grand quest begins.
30: Wicked Ditch - mummy, harpy, medusa head
The harpies are very similar to ravens, except that they land briefly before
charging. Easy pickings, and none of the other creatures here are much
threat.
Fetra: You get a strangely hostile reception from three of the residents here;
this place must've been hit pretty hard by the curse. The church, thankfully,
is unscathed by Dracula's evil, and there's even a friendly Laurel seller in
the building on the right. This is your last chance to spend your hearts on
anything (besides your special weapon uses), so use 'em or lose 'em! Get
what you need and get a move on.
31: "North" - bone walker, fish man
You've seen this before, except with much slower fireballs from the fish
men's mouths. Have your Flame ready.
32: West Dora Woods - bone walker, salamander
No matter how fast the fireballs fly, against your Rib they may as well be
paper. Advance with jumps and take out the salamanders one at a time.
33: Central Dora Woods - bone walker
Your destiny lies downward. Don't give straight right a second...
Y'know what, since we're nearly at the end, let's take a quick look at the
last three "optional sections".
X4 - East Dora Woods - no enemies
Nothing. No bone walkers, no spiders, not even a blasted fish man. (A hint
that this isn't the right way, perhaps?)
X5 - big bridge - fish man
A completely straight and even bridge, nary a gap to be found, and with lots
of easy-to-kill fish men. Yep, something definitely not right here.
X6 - suicide marsh - bone walker, marsh creature
Oh boy. Avoid the marsh, of course, and carefully cross the blocks to the
right. At the end, jump down. Your reward for this is...nothing. All that
travel for a pointless dead end, no item, weapon, not even a lousy clue.
Well, nothing to do but go back. No, not through the marsh (you'll never
make it), you have to get back up. How? Easy...climb the invisible stairs!
BWAAH HA HA HA HA HA! I kill myself...heh..."climb the invisible stairs"...
What? Hey, I just told you what to do. Yeah, they're right there, see? Why
can't you trust me at this point, hmm? :-)
So there you have it, just a pointless diversion. A pretty nifty pointless
diversion, but pointless nonetheless. Okay, enough sightseeing...there's a
vampire who needs annihilation.
Ghulash: The town closest to Castlevania, hence the one hit first and hardest
by the curse. There's nothing to be had here, and the sole survivor is a
hermit who enigmatically asks you to live with her. Politely decline the
offer and press on.
34 - Vlad Graveyard - wraith, mummy, eagle
Dracula's last line of defense makes its final, desperate stand against you.
You know how to deal with them all, and none can withstand the cleansing
power of the Gold Knife. Let none stand in your way!
35 - bridge to evil - no enemies
The two topmost blocks closest to you are evil blocks. However, if you don't
have the Cross *and* all five items to be burned, your holy water or Nail-
aided whip will simply pass harmlessly through them. Since there's no reason
to come here without the cross, consider this just a bit of fun trivia. (I
put a *lot* of time into this, can you tell?)
------------------------------------------------------------
CASTLEVANIA
Enemies: Just the ultimate one...
It started here, and by all that is good and holy, you're going to end it
here. Here is where the curse comes to an end. Maybe. Possibly. It
depends on a few things. But don't concern yourself with that when there's a
final battle to be won. Just make your way through the castle, busting up a
few evil blocks and making a simple jump. This place hasn't stirred since
your first victory over Dracula; you won't have to worry about an attack.
Just make your way through to the room with the enormous pyre, onto which you
automatically toss the body parts and unholy Ring, setting it all ablaze.
Uh oh, trouble...in destroying Dracula's remains, you've also released the
evil energy within them...which even now is...RETURNING DRACULA TO LIFE!
Frightened? Horrified? Well...you shouldn't be, as he's a pale, pale shadow
of his former self. He takes a long time to return (during which you can hit
him with complete impunity). Once fully materialized, he alternates between
tossing pinwheel fireballs and spinning at incredible speed around the room.
Seems pretty mean, but as well-equipped as you are, all it amounts to is
spitting in the wind.
Here, I'll even give you the three killer methods of utterly destroying him:
1. The standard method - Equip Laurels, then jump and whip him while he's
materializing. When he starts attacking, fire up a Laurel and whip away
(without jumping). With the amount of screen he's covering, there's no
avoiding your weapon..
2. The aggressive method - Immediately use a Laurel, jump right onto the
pyre, and whip like crazy. Use a second Laurel when the first is nearly
expired and continue whipping.
3. The villainy-deserves-no-honor method - Jump and whip while he's
materializing, then before he starts attacking, toss a Gold Knife at him.
Then throw another, timing it so it connects immediately after the first
expires (Dracula's such a huge target that this is easy). And repeat.
Because this weapon does continuous damage, he'll powerless to do anything
but take his medicine.
16 Fire Whip hits or the equivalent, and the king of vampires is ash.
------------------------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Congratulations! Great job getting all the items, finding every secret, and
completing this grand quest! It wasn't an easy road...plenty of bumps along
the way, and more than a few continues, but in the end, you won. Good has
triumphed, and Dracula's curse is...
Wait a minute. Just a moment here. Isn't this ending just a
bit...well...suspicious?
For starter's, why's it in black and white? That's a bit dismal for what's
supposed to be your moment of triumph. And the idea that the world is free
from Dracula forever, doesn't that seem a bit *too* optimistic to you
(espeically knowing where Konami has gone with the series since this game)?
And what of the hero? "Forever remembered"...what *happened* to him? Death?
Exile? Retirement and settling down to the good life?
Guess what...this is just the "normal" ending. The cruddy, boring, and I
might add, *grossly inaccurate* normal ending. You're done, but you're
nowhere near finished. Your next task is to get the next best ending...the
"special" ending...for which you will *not* have the luxury of unlimited
continues or time. You're going to have to be more on the ball, faster,
stronger, tougher...better.
Rest for now, and when you're ready, take up your Leather Whip again and
let's make it better.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
============
3. Reference
============
Before we get to the quest for a truer conclusion, let's review all the items
and enemies.
+ Whips +
Your essential killing tools. Each does twice as much damage as the
preceding one.
Leather Whip - you start with this
Limited range and does the most minimal damage of all the weapons in the game
(tied with Holy Water and Garlic). Okay in the early going, but you should
upgrade to the Chain Whip as soon as possible.
Thorn Whip - buy for 100 in Jova
Somewhat better range than the Leather Whip. Not really worth 100 hearts,
though, especially since you can get the Dagger (and Chain Whip) not long
afterward. Get it only if you're a beginner and need every bit of extra help
in the early going.
Chain Whip - buy for 150 in Veros
Your workhorse. Powerful enough to dispatch all enemies up to Jam Wasteland,
and you have a long way to go until you get the next more powerful whip.
You'll be doing the bulk of your heart mining with this.
Morning Star - buy for 200 in Oldon
Despite being the most expensive item in the game, this is a must-have. The
longest-ranged whip *and* the only one which can be upgraded to the Fire Whip.
Fire Whip - upgrade Morning Star at giant wall
15 feet of righteous searing doom...nothing more need be said.
+ Special weapons +
The Sacred Flame, Silver Knife, and Diamond require 1 heart per use; the Gold
Knife requires 2.
Holy Water - buy for 50 in Jova
Your first special weapon, and one which will serve you well throughout the
entire game. It's great for hitting enemies on lower levels, it's required
to destroy evil blocks, and it's great for helping you pinpoint fake blocks.
Dagger - buy for 50 in Veros
Flies straight horizontally, goes through enemies, and does as much damage as
a Thorn Whip but with slightly better range. Good if you want to do a little
cost-free damage without putting yourself at risk, but not that great a
weapon overall. Becomes completely obsolete once you get the Morning Star.
Sacred Flame - hidden in East Dabi's Path
The equivalent of the fire bomb in the first Castlevaia, this drops to the
ground in an arc, creating a fiery column lasting a shade under two seconds
when it lands. Enemies are damaged continuously for the duration. Great for
lower enemies too tough for Holy Water, and you can also use it to simply
immobilize them long enough for you to get away. You can toss three at a
time, immolating your foe before it even has a chance to scratch you.
Silver Knife - get from hidden mystic in Camilla Cemetery
This flies straight and goes through enemies like the Dagger, but travels the
entire length of the screen. You can throw three at a time. I really don't
like this one at all. You'll almost never need its range, which makes its
low damage and inability to hit more than once all the more glaring. Might
be a useful if you're skipping the Chain Whip for whatever reason or want to
get every weapon and item; otherwise, I'd give it a pass.
Diamond - get from mystic at unnamed mountain
When you first throw this big, glittering crystal, it descends at a shallow
angle. It bounces off of floors, walls, and ceilings, always going in a
straight line (and maintaining the same horizontal and vertical velocity) and
smashing every foe in its path. It disappers only after going off the screen
or making a ton of bounces. There can be up to three onscreen at any time.
This is a *fantastic* weapon for clobbering those really annoying, hard-to-
hit enemies, especially slimes, and because of its rebound ability, one toss
can do an unbelievable amount of damage, making it economical to use. And of
course, it's just plain fun!
Gold Knife - get after beating Death
An awesome weapon. Like the Silver Knife, it has unlimited range, it flies
perfectly straight, and you can toss three at a time. However, it's slightly
slower, making it easier to connect with, and when it does hit, it bursts
into a flaming aura which hits *two* more times! Even better, each hit does
the same damage as your current whip. Once you get this destroyer, you're
pretty much unstoppable. (And once you get the Fire Whip as well, you're
*completely* unstoppable. :-D)
Oak Stake - buy for 50 from any mansion merchant
The sole purpose of this is to extract the missing body parts and Ring from
the orbs. This will PASS THROUGH enemies (and walls), doing no damage. You
can only have one at a time.
+ Limited-use items +
Garlic - buy 2 for 50 from merchants in Aljiba and Aldra
This is used to make the mystics that give you the Silver Knife and Silk Bag
visible. This, although I didn't mention it earlier, can ALSO be used do
damage enemies. It only does as much damage as a Leather Whip or Holy Water,
but the great thing is that it doesn't go away at all until you leave the
area. That means that no matter how tough the enemy is, one clove of Garlic
will destroy it! This is too expensive a use to be practical for most
enemies, but there *is* one enemey where Garlic can give you an...interesting
victory.
Laurels - buy 2 for 50 hearts from merchants in Aljiba, Aldra, Oldon, and
Fetra; get for free from mystic in Laruba Mansion
Activate one for a short period of total invincibility. Most useful for
marshes and any area where you risk taking lots of hits from enemies.
+ Magical items/body parts +
White Crystal - buy for 50 hearts in Jova
This will make the invisible platform in Berkeley Mansion visible.
Blue Crystal - trade White Crystal to crystal trader in Aljiba
Same power as the White Crystal and will reveal hidden paths below lakes.
Red Crystal - trade Blue Crystal to crystal trader in Aldra
Same power as the Blue Crystal and can summon the whirlwind at Deborah Cliff.
Dracula's Rib - in Berkeley Mansion
Gives you a shield which completely deflects all fireballs fired at your
front. You can still be hit from behind, and you can also be hit by
fireballs when walking (but not attacking or jumping).
Dracula's Heart - in Rover Mansion
Show to the Ferryman to access the secret island.
Dracula's Eyeball - in Brahm Mannsion
Allows you to see and collect the hidden "Dracula's Riddle" hints.
Dracula's Nail - in Boddley Mansion
Gives your whip the power to destroy evil blocks.
Dracula's Ring - in Laruba Mansion
No abilities, it's just one of the items of your quest.
+ Extra items +
Silk Bag - get from mystic in unnamed cemetery
This doubles your Laurel capacity, from 4 to 8.
Cross - get after beating the floating face boss
This, along with the five items to be destroyed, is required to enter
Castlevania.
+ Normal area enemies, small tokens in day, half tokens in night +
bone walker: Ubiquitous flunkies that just meander aimlessly.
werewolf: Slow-moving beasts that leap continuously when they're close
enough.
fish man: These leap out of the water and breathe fireballs before
submerging.
cave bat: Brown beasts approaching in a zigzag pattern.
spider: Giant vermin which pursue you relentlessly, tossing a web every few
seconds.
grasping claw: Helpless hands in the ground.
salamander: Quick-moving reptilian firebreathers.
slime: Annoying little blobs that leap all over the place.
dark hound: Sickly-colored fast-running beasties.
dragon skull: Fire-breathing automatons chained to the ground.
eagle: Aggressive birds capable of rapid dives and swoops.
big eye/medusa head/death's head: Small floating monstrosities that go at a
constant speed both horizontally and vertically.
+ Normal area enemies, half tokens in day, big tokens in night +
wraith: Large undead slowly floating up and down.
marsh creature: Big beasts which emerge from marshes and hurl fire.
fire plant: Just one in the game, it sits still and launches high-speed
fireballs.
+ Normal area enemies, always big tokens +
mummy: Move slowly until it senses you, then charge.
harpy: Descend, pause briefly, then breathe fire and lunge at you.
+ Town at night enemies (always half tokens) +
zombie: Ordinary shamblers with no special abiliites.
raven: Small birds that slowly descend to the ground before rushing you.
+ Mansion enemies (big tokens from gargoyle, half tokens from all others)
bone soldier: Essentially the same as bone walkers.
armor guard: Shuffle back and forth at various speeds and will rush you
when you get close.
bone bomber: Move quickly, hop frequently, and toss bones that burst into
flames when they land.
gargoyle: Approach with hops and breathe pairs of "V" pattern fireballs.
slime: Exactly the same as the normal area variety.
vampire bat: Erratic flyers, little threat and easy to avoid.
+ Levels and dead zones +
Ah, finally, here we are. (It took me a *lot* of time to figure all this out,
believe me.)
For every level you gain, certain screens will stop giving experience points.
This is to encourage you to move on to new areas and not stay in one place
for too long. Note, however, that where you gain each level has NO effect on
the order the screens become dead. So if, for example, you're at level 1 and
in a screen that becomes dead at level 3, you can get to level 2, remain in
the same area, and continue to gain experience until level 3.
Dead zones by level (experience required next to each)
1/100: 1-5, Jova, Berkeley Mansion
2/150: all other right-of-Jova locations except 11
3/200: 17-19, Aldra, Oldon, entire special island
4/250: 14-16, 20-21, 30, Fetra, Boddley Mansion, X5, X6
5/300: 31, 34, Ghulash
6/350: Anything left
Level 1 merely restores your health. 2 makes you somewhat tougher, but you
have a long way to go with churches few and far between, so survival still
isn't easy. You're in pretty good shape at 3, enough to *possibly* complete
the game. At 4 (which I definitely recommend getting), you're very tough,
and you're just about indestructible at 5. I wouldn't go for 6, as it's
really overkill, plus boring mining the same screens over and over for 350
points.
==============================
4. Going for the second ending
==============================
Okay. Going to go for a higher ending now? Cool. Here's what you need to
know: You need be done before the 16th day. You can continue, just so long
as it's not too many times...fewer than 10 should be good enough. Once you
know the lay of the land, these conditions aren't too tough. Just make sure
you know where you have to be away from to get the next level, where the
churches are, where you can get Laurels, etc. There are some things you can
do differently from the basic walkthrough to save time, but these really
aren't necessary. If anything, I'd eschew the Thorn Whip (you'll want the
practice skipping directly to the Chain Whip anyway) and Silver Knife.
It's important to do things in the proprer order and avoid the useless areas.
There's nothing to be had in the spider- and bat-infested X1 and X2, and the
rest just take you from where you should be.
Since I didn't mention it before, go ahead and try out the Boddley Mansion
super shortcut now. You'll need a spare Stake for this. What you do is stay
on the ground level and take the exact same path that you use to get out at
the end. Break the evil blocks carefully (straight jumping toss to get the
first of each pair), remain on ground level, and go right to the orb. Then
left back out. Piece of cake. The actual main advantage of this is that you
don't risking taking damage going up and down, always a pain with stairs and
long drops.
(rest TBD)
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FAQ/Walkthrough in progress copyright 2008 by Darrell Wong (hawaiidkw)
All rigths reserved
