Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is the black sheep of the NES trilogy and the first Castlevania to borrow from adventure games. Dracula's curse is killing Simon, and the only cure is to gather the five body parts of Dracula scattered across Transylvania and burn them in his castle.

That quest structure means an open map, towns with shops and NPCs, and a day/night cycle that raises enemy strength after dark. Hearts now act as currency rather than sub-weapon ammo, and experience levels replace the pure stage-by-stage run of the first game. It is also famously cryptic: some NPC hints are deliberate lies, and several required actions - kneeling at a specific wall with a specific item, for instance - are buried behind riddles. Its soundtrack, especially Bloody Tears and Monster Dance, is among the most covered video game music ever written.

• ▸Open-world Transylvania with towns, mansions and hidden underground passages
• ▸Day/night cycle that changes enemy strength and NPC behaviour
• ▸Five Dracula relics to collect and burn for the good ending
• ▸Introduction of Bloody Tears, one of the series' most famous themes