RPGClassics.com - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

	Now you get to backtrack alllll the way to the town of Jova. Yay. Just keep going left and eventually you'll get back there. Visit the church if you need healing, then leave town via the left exit, and you'll reach Belasco Marsh. New enemies will appear here, but it's nothing you can't handle. You'll end up at the edge of the poison marsh itself. There's no way you can make it past by wading through it, you'll be dead before you reach the other side.
The only safe way to cross is by making use of one of your Laurels. Use one and cross quickly, ignoring the enemies in the marsh, since they can't hurt you now either. On the other side is the Dead River, where a ferry will be waiting for you. Open the menu and equip Dracula's Heart before talking to the Ferryman and he'll offer to "show you the way".
	Stand perfectly still when the ferry starts moving. Don't react to the Fish Men jumping up, they won't hit you if you don't move. When the ferry reaches the other side, it will turn back immediately, so you'll have to jump off. And right there on the other side will be Brahm's Mansion. Don't enter yet, go past it and proceed further west.
You will have to jump a series of tricky platforms here, and you can't make any mistakes. Be sure only to jump while the platforms are rising or you'll be sure to miss your jumps. When you reach the cliffside at the end, you'll meet a man who'll give you the Diamond when you talk to him. Unfortunately, after that, you'll have to go back past the platforms again. If you're having too much trouble, you could skip getting the Diamond altogether.
	Now it's time to enter Brahm's Mansion. Most of the enemies here will take two hits to defeat. It's a pretty straightforward area. In the first area, keep taking the first stairway you see. Don't use any block platforms to get higher up, only stairs. When you see your first Gargoyle, you've reached the top. From here, walk all the way right, into the next area. You'll see two Gargoyles walking around there.
Go down the stairs, be careful not to let the Knight throw you onto the spikes, and exit left to the next area. You'll see the Oak Stake salesman right in plain sight. Make your way over to him and buy one for 50 hearts. Then go all the way down and exit right. Run through the small hallway with the Mansion Bats, and you'll reach the game's first boss.
	The Grim Reaper, a.k.a. Death. While he's a major annoyance in most Castlevania games, he just doesn't seem to be doing his best in this one. All he does is slowly approach you, swinging his scythe to throw a single sickle at you every now and then, which you can choose to either dodge or intercept with your whip. Be careful, they take two hits to destroy.
The best way to beat him would be to let him float down a little bit, then quickly walk under him, turn around, and start whipping him like crazy, backing off when he gets close, then whipping more. You should beat him before he corners you. Or if you're feeling particularly sadistic, you could drop your garlic on the floor and guide him down towards it. When he touches it, he'll be immobilized and eventually die.
	Note that you don't have to beat the Reaper at all if you don't want to. You can just run under him to the next room, grab Dracula's body part, and run back under him again. Another clear sign showing just how unmotivated he is for this game. But it's highly recommended you do defeat him, since you'll get the Golden Knife for it, quite a nifty little toy. And hey look! They spelled it right this time!
After the battle, enter the next room, toss the stake at the orb, grab the bag, and... looks like they only accidentally spelled it right last time. If you hold Dracula's Eyeball, you can see objects hidden in the walls, only useful if you want to collect the clues to Dracula's riddle. Which you won't need to do, so stick with holding the Rib. Watch out! When you turn back, the Grim Reaper will be back again, so quickly run under him.
	To make things easier on yourself, return to the Oak Stake salesman, and buy another one. Also, battle enemies in the mansion until you reach level 3. It may take a little while, but it'll be worth it. You're also going to need the hearts you'll gain in the process later on. When you've gained your level, leave the mansion and return to the ferryman.