Overview and Gameplay
Dracula’s curse forces Simon Belmont to recover five scattered body parts before returning to the ruined castle for a final confrontation. This ambitious sequel replaces the first game’s linear stages with an interconnected Transylvanian landscape of towns, forests, swamps, graveyards and mansions.
Simon gathers clues, buys stronger whips and useful items, earns experience from hearts and unlocks routes with crystals and other key objects. A day-and-night cycle changes enemy strength, rewards and access to shops and townspeople. Completion time also influences the ending.
Controls And Mechanics
- Use the directional pad to walk, crouch, climb stairs, enter doors and navigate the inventory.
- A makes Simon jump, while B attacks with the whip or handles conversations and purchases.
- Hold Up and press B to use the selected secondary item.
- Start opens the status and inventory screen, and Select pauses play.
- Oak stakes recover Dracula’s remains, while holy water can reveal suspicious floors and walls.
Version Notes
The North American cartridge replaces the Japanese Famicom Disk System save files with passwords. It also has rearranged audio, a redesigned title screen and an English localization whose awkward clues can make several puzzles harder to interpret.
Release And Credits
- NES release: December 1988
- Developer: Konami Industry Co., Ltd.
- Publisher: Konami
- Original platform: Famicom Disk System
- Japanese title: Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin
