Finally embarking on "Simon's Quest"... but which one?

[mikey.shake]

I know all the news lately is about the NES-Mini, and I guess this is sorta related...

 

The game selection reminded me that I've been meaning to blast through Simon's Quest to completion for the first time. Played it a fair amount as a kid, tried it last year after I beat Castlevania, but there was some glitch where I wouldn't level up and it frustrated me and I swore it off for a while. So, I'm going to attack it with a guide if need be but I'm gonna get through it.

 

I'm one of those "it's flawed but it's greatly ambitious" apologists for the game's overall concept, but since I've spent enough years dabbling with the official mis-translation, I was going to go with the popular "Simon's Quest: Redaction" re-vamp by TheAlmightyGuru. (Found on popular *ahem* *romhacking* sites and TAG's website.)

 

 

When I was looking that up, I came across the existence of another patch, which says it adds a new English Translation and a map system and save system. Good lord! It's by "Bisqwit", and you can find it with a quick search.

 

The Bisqwit one, based on the maps and stuff, seems like the obvious winner to pick... to someone who's never done a full play through. But is that the case? Any technical problems or glitches or translation preferences that might make the Redaction patch the preferable one? Just curious. I really can't find many reviews on the Bisqwit hack either way.

 

Help a guy decide? It's getting late in the day, and it would be a horrible night to have a curse.

 

[Austin]

Do you have a Power Pak? If so, additional mappers can provide save state functionality without using an updated/patched ROM. That would enable you to play the original release with save states.

 

Honestly, I don't think it really matters which version you play. You are probably going to need a walkthrough by your side regardless as it can be fairly obtuse even with the better translations. I do think it's worth playing through though. It's ambitious for the era and features some great music and visuals. One of the few NES games that provided a creepy atmosphere as well (when the game turns to night).

[mikey.shake]

Do you have a Power Pak? If so, additional mappers can provide save state functionality without using an updated/patched ROM. That would enable you to play the original release with save states.

 

Honestly, I don't think it really matters which version you play. You are probably going to need a walkthrough by your side regardless as it can be fairly obtuse even with the better translations. I do think it's worth playing through though. It's ambitious for the era and features some great music and visuals. One of the few NES games that provided a creepy atmosphere as well (when the game turns to night).

 

 

Everdrive, actually, but yeah. And frankly, I'd probably just use my quick-save button combo anyway, but I was impressed with the implementation of the system! And you're right... that atmosphere. There's actually a real sense of tension when it's a matter of, "Oh, no...am I gonna make it to the church before nightfall?"

[Austin]

Yeah, exactly. If the towns weren't there (and empty at night), the effect wouldn't work as well. But thanks to that it really does work!

 

Good luck on your "Quest". I'm curious to hear feedback along the way (or after you are done).

[Great Hierophant]

There are two sources of tension in this game. First, there is the suspense of "Am I going to make it to the merchant before I have to continue and lose all my hearts." Second, there is the suspense of "Am I going to complete the game to get the best ending."

 

You can add a third if you have the FDS original "Will this area load without causing the game to crash?" (real disk and drive only, with an FDSStick you won't have this problem.)

 

Bisquit's patch is awesome and there should be more like it, saving to RAM is so much more convenient than having to type in passwords. I usually just take a picture of the screen with my phone, saves half the struggle

[phoenixdownita]

..... I usually just take a picture of the screen with my phone, saves half the struggle

Why didn't I think of that? Me feel stoopid!!!

[Austin]

Second, there is the suspense of "Am I going to complete the game to get the best ending."

 

I tend to not worry about this one, because all the endings seem depressing either way.

[+chicgamer]

I've been thinking of giving this one another try as well. I played through it many, many years ago as a rental (thanks to the help of Nintendo Power). The only thing I really remember about the game was summoning the tornado. I don't see how anyone would have figured that one out without a guide.

[mikey.shake]

Well, I picked "Simon's Quest: Redaction" because, as I understood it, it had a revised translation, day/night transition speedup, more value per heart (i.e. less farming), and Dracula's face being replaced. I didn't mind missing out on some of the shortcomings of the original, but didn't want to stray too far from the core gameplay.

 

I was glad I picked what I did. There was still plenty of farming, and I suddenly remembered why I'd never sat down and played this one all the way through. A BIG improvement, if you're just interested in fun gameplay over authenticity. The translation was really good, but since I was using a walkthrough I found it less than necessary, but still talked to everyone just to compare.

 

So, how was it? It was great! Totally flawed, yeah. But the hack/revision I picked really went a long way toward helping those problems. It's still a weird game, with its somewhat underwhelming boss mansions/battles and strange "open-but-linear" world (in the left-to-right sense). The day/night changeover would be a total drag for me at normal speed, and some of the enemy placement was kind of cheap and sneaky, not tough but fair. Frankly, with this game's reputation, I don't consider playing it without a walkthrough an option. Ever since that Nintendo Power back in the day. Mrs. S calls it "touring" a game -- just wanting to see most everything it has within, but not wanting to let it frustrate you in the process. This had enough quirks, even with the radically improved update, that it certainly seemed like the definition of a touring game. Super Metroid draws you in and makes you want to unlock secrets. Simon's Quest just makes me irritated that I can't figure out some stupid riddle and get on to the next part of the game.

 

But how about the good stuff? The atmosphere was so rich! Just like posted above, it's just so immersive, with all the timing you've got to be aware of and the 'quest-y" nature of the plot. I would easily elect this as a valid point to cite that "Metroidvania"-style gameplay first hit the series. "Explore area. Get item. Use item to unlock new area." The music's fantastic, the graphics as well -- I love the dual-palette concept, with each really looking sharp. And I remember back in '88 when my friend Toby got it... man, it looked gorgeous. It's just right in that late-'80s Konami sweet spot with the audio/visuals.

 

I even LIKE some of the aspects people seem to hate. The time-factor is essentially the same as a ticking counter, but having it affect the gameplay itself was brilliant. I could NOT have done it without a walkthrough, but I like the "puzzle" aspect of it, with some of the more obtuse stuff making sense. Once I learned the first time about kneeling down to reveal the underwater walkway, I just tried equipping/kneeling at every body of water I came across to see what would happen -- you know, exploring. Sierra-style.

 

I may very well whizz through the "Bisqwit" update, just to check it out. But if there's anyone out there reading this who's thinking "I kinda always wanted to try 'Simon's Quest', but never got around to it...", by all means do it. It's really immersive and exciting and gives you a Castlevania fix in a different way. I'm glad I used a hack, but I'll probably have fun going back and playing it again in a few months and seeing if I can remember how to do it myself from town to town.

 

In short, big thumbs-up, thanks to The Almighty Guru for the hack, and happy playing, everyone.

 

(Oh, and I got the "middle" ending, which had corrected text -- in this one, you're "injured". I'm assuming the B&W Simon-less one has you perishing, and I bet the Best Ending has proper text too... a great detail to have fixed.)

Edited July 19, 2016 by mikey.shake