In the eighties Simon Belmont jumped onto the scene with whip in hand and put a hurting on legions of the undead in the NES classic Castlevania. The gameplay was incredible yet simple; walk, whip, jump spikes, repeat. But what separated Castlevania out from the hundreds of games that were so similar at the time, the atmosphere and the game’s ability to play on our imagination. Storming an eerie castle in an attempt to put an end to Dracula’s bid for control over the world, who couldn’t get excited by the idea? Fighting Frankenstein’s Monster, Mummies and such, in dank tunnels or on top of a clock tower excited us to no end. It didn’t matter that everything was pixilated to the point that you couldn’t out Simons face. Our imaginations, boosted by purposely-dreary music and seemingly impossible split second decisions created a tension that even today’s great horror games strive to recreate. Then came Castlevania 2 Simon’s Quest, a love it or hate it kind of game. (The fact that so many people dislike it still amazes me to this day, considering how many elements Symphony of the Night pulled from it, and the majority generally considers SotN, to be the best in the series.) Simon’s quest was an attempt to bring many RPG elements to a very basic formula. NPC’s, upgradeable weapons, hidden items and a non-linear quest helped create the sense that you really were in Simon Belmont’s world. By roaming through forests, caves, and battling more powerful creatures as night falls upon the land Konami succeeded again in creating a creepy backdrop in which Simon could assemble the remains of Dracula and dispatch his curse for good.

Throughout the years there have been many adventures of the Belmont family from the PC to the GameBoy Advance, some heralded and others ripped apart. Yet the main components of the great series can be found in these first two installments. From gameplay elements, to the atmosphere each one creates with the series’ trademarked soundtracks and stylish settings each successive game owes its identity in part to these NES classics. 

This Halloween I beg you put down your fancy PS2s and Gamecubes. Let go of those X-box controllers. Go to your closet and dust off your NES and go on a quest to rid the world of Dracula with the Belmont Clan. Trust me, you won’t be sorry you did.