Obviously Castlevania set a damn good standard back in the NES days, with three adventures that continue to stand the test of time. And what do you know, the series is still around today, with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse set to whip it good on modern platforms later this year. But while you’re waiting for that, the folks at Retroware, alongside Programancer, are cooking up something to stir up those vampiric memories – The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest.
As you could probably surmise from the title, this is a tribute to all things old-school Castlevania. You portray Simon Quest (does he know Jonny?) as he makes his way to Transylvania, only to find his hunting rival has been done in by Count Dracula. What’s a guy to do? Hunt his way through the haunted land and stop him once and for all, obvs.
There’s a demo available on Steam, and though a bit on the short side, it does give you an idea of what to expect – good old-school challenge. Programancer once again nails the gameplay thus far, with good use of weapons and lots of platforming. Not to mention great level design, with various paths to take.
On top of that, the visuals and sound strike the right kind of 8-bit tone. Honestly, I’d love to own this thing on a cartridge. But I’ll happily take The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest when it arrives later this year for consoles and PC. Hurry up already!
The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest Knows Where There’s a Whip, There’s a Way
In the game, you’ve got a whip. Obviously that’s going to be good for when you have to defeat enemies. But, in pure Castlevania fashion, Simon also has other weapons he can pick up along the way, using hearts as currency for each use. So, yeah, make sure you don’t run out and plan their usage accordingly.
Look, it’s not rocket science. Programancer is purely paying tribute to Castlevania with Simon Quest here, but he does it in the best way possible. The game feels like an old-school entry in the series, but with a couple of nice additions.
There’s a sweet little challenge that shines through in certain parts, particularly with the boss encounter we came across. You’ll need to react quickly and whip even more rapidly if you want a chance to survive.
But I’m also a big fan of the level design. There’s plenty to explore here based on what we’ve seen in the demo, and the alternate pathways are a nice touch.
I also like how the game has a parody-style approach. Not to say it’s Naked Gun or anything like that, but it knows the territory based on what we’ve seen and has fun with it. Just like the player themselves. Programancer has covered this territory before (the amazing Prison City), and continues to do so with stride.
In short, the demo left us hungry for more Transylvania Adventure. And my hope is that we won’t have to wait long to get it.
The 8-Bit Vibes of The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest Are Sending Me
Now let’s talk about the presentation. Obviously Programancer is no stranger to the realm of 8-bit, but The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest feels like it’s on another level.
For instance, the use of colors is dazzling. The world can be dark and drab at times, and then a bit more lively the next, depending on the stage. But the usage of scrolling backgrounds and sharply animated sprites is really something. This looks like a vintage Castlevania adventure through and through, but with little bonus touches. It’s also great to check out menus and – gasp! – being able to see what you want to select.
Oh, yeah, and the music is great. The soundtrack here feels like classic bleeps and bloops from an adventure game, no matter which room you may be dwelling in. I also enjoyed the old-school FX, complete with slams and whipping noises aplenty.
We Can’t Wait For This Transylvania Adventure
Really, just go and check out the demo for The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest. It’s got fun and challenge written all over it, like some of the best 8-bit games from the era; and it has enough smarts to smile back at you while you enjoy the demo.
It leaves some good vibes for the full release whenever it drops later this year. Retroware looks like it’s going to do it again, between this and the upcoming Toxic Crusaders. (Oh, there’s a demo for that too.) Can anything stop these guys?! Maybe a tray full of hot dogs. Nah.
