History VideoGame / CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest

** Several of the location names. For example, Brahm's Mansion and Bodley Mansion are references to Creator/BramStoker and UsefulNotes/ElizabethBathory, respectively, and [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Storigoi]] Graveyard is supposed to be [[OurVampiresAreDifferent/{{Mythology}} Strigoi]] Graveyard.

* NothingIsScarier: In contrast to how the rest of Transylvania is infested with monsters, the ruins of Dracula's Castle are ''completely'' empty of any dangers, and a slow, unsettling tune plays as you make your way to the ritual chamber

->''[[AC:"What a horrible night to have a curse."]]''[[note]]Or, loosely translated: "And so begins the frightening night.", in the Japanese version.[[/note]]

* DecapitationPresentation: An infamous ''Magazine/NintendoPower'' cover had a very [[Film/ThreeHundred 300]] Spartan looking Simon Belmont holding the severed head of Dracula. It was certainly BloodierAndGorier than the series and game were presented as and made tons of 13 year old boys want to buy the game. The heavy coverage of the game by Nintendo Power only added to the fond memories the game had from fans.

** The game itself was a sharp departure from the level-based platforming challenge of the previous game, with an expansive open world and items to collect and use. While the game would go back to the level-based style of the previous game for the next few titles, this game was the first tentative step into what would become known as the {{Metroidvania}}.

* PlotCouponThatDoesSomething: Four of the five Dracula parts give you secondary benefits if you equip them. Dracula's Rib gives you a shield that takes effect when standing or crouching, Dracula's Eye makes hidden clues visible, Dracula's Heart prompts the ferryman to take you to a different location, and Dracula's Nail lets you destroy walls with your whip. Meanwhile, you need to have both Dracula's Ring and the Magic Cross to access the bridge leading to Castlevania.

* {{Trailers}}: You can take your pick of the classic 80's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkqbw9Y0fVM commercial]] or the modern fan-made trailer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGudlj4kxSo here]].

** Thanks to misleading dialogue, well-hidden clues, and some muddled translations, figuring out how to find the game's mansions is very difficult. The crowning example is accessing the section of the map where the final two mansions are, which requires you to equip the strongest crystal and kneel down in a dead end.

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Implied in the worst ending, since Simon is not standing by Dracula's grave, though the text is optimistic. Outright stated in the moderate ending, though he is standing in front of the grave (it's generally believed they got the text for the two endings mixed up).]]

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Implied in the worst ending, since Simon is not standing by Dracula's grave, though the text is optimistic. Outright stated in the moderate ending, though he is standing in front of the grave.]]