The Rover Mansion (ローバーの館 Rōbā no Yakata?, lit. "House of Rover"), also known as Lauber Mansion, is a location in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. It is the second mansion accessible in the game.
Overview[]
Rover Mansion is sitting on an island in the middle of Yuba Lake. The only way to reach it is to cross the lake (coming from the Aljiba Woods and taking the Lower Road) by kneeling at the base of the lake while using a Blue Crystal (obtained from the Vampire Killer in the town of Aljiba). This allows the player to go underneath the lake and enter the mansion.
One thing that is dangerous about this mansion is that the town it is near, Aljiba, does not have a church which can heal the player if they decide they're taking too much damage and want to escape. It can be risky traveling the road to the nearest church in Veros with low health.
The enemies in this mansion are the color purple, indicating they are more powerful than those found in Berkeley Mansion. Some of the skeletons in this mansion are somewhat more dangerous than the ones found in Berkeley Mansion. The first section of mansion consists of many stairs leading upward and then downward and is populated by Skeletons, Gargoyles, and Vampire Bats if entered at night that move in different patterns than those in the caves do. They flutter around in a circular like pattern and resting every now and then, inching closer to the player in the process. This entire first section above the first stairs can be skipped through a secret false wall along the lower path. Indeed, the only way to get to the relic housed in this mansion is by going through this false wall. If the player starts on the bottom floor and heads right, they'll jump over a patch of water. The wall to the right of the second water hole is the one that they can go through.
Once beyond this false wall, the area is populated with Skeleton Soldiers who throw exploding bones and Knights. The Merchant, who will sell the player an Oak Stake, can be found by following the lowest path possible. False floors above the Merchant will lead to spiked traps. The relic can be found by following the upper path.
One of the hints found in this mansion is "DESTROY THE CURSE WITH DRACULA'S HEART". Dracula's Heart is the relic housed in this mansion, and having it will allow the player to continue their quest. Showing this relic to the Ferryman at the Dead River to the west of the town of Jova will cause him to take the player to a place he normally doesn't take them to, allowing the player to enter Brahm's Mansion.
Enemy Data[]
| Enemy Data: Rover Mansion | |||||
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| Image | Name - Game Description |
Statistics | Items | Location | Notes |
    
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| Japanese Description: (*) They carry a shield and throw bones at Simon. Quite formidable! |
HP: 2/4/8/16/32 |
Drop: Half Heart |
Berkeley Mansion / Rover Mansion / Brahm's Mansion / Bodley Mansion / Laruba Mansion |
Abil: some Throw Bones (arc, explode) | |
    
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| Japanese Description: (*) They ready their spear and charge at Simon. |
HP: 2/4/8/16/32 |
Drop: Half Heart |
Berkeley Mansion / Rover Mansion / Brahm's Mansion / Bodley Mansion / Laruba Mansion |
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| Japanese Description: (*) They hop while approaching and shoot projectiles. |
HP: 2/4/8 |
Drop: Big Heart |
Berkeley Mansion / Rover Mansion / Brahm's Mansion |
Abil: Fireball | |
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| Japanese Description: (*) They will attack when you get close. |
HP: 4 |
Drop: Small Heart |
Rover Mansion, Brahm's Mansion |
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Item Data[]
| Item Data: Rover Mansion | ||||||||
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| Image | Name - Game Type - Users Description |
Attributes / Consume | Statistics / Sell | Found | Notes | |||
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| Watch out! The heart attacks. | Find: Rover Mansion |
Effect: Allows the Ferryman at Dead River to take the player to Brahm's Mansion | ||||||
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| You'll need the Oak Stake to collect Dracula's corpse at the mansions. | Buy: 50 Hearts Find: Berkeley, Bodley, Brahm's, Laruba and Rover Mansions (...) |
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| "13 CLUES WILL SOLVE DRACULA'S RIDDLES." | Find: Breakable walls |
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Gallery[]
Maps[]
- See also: Simon's Quest World Map
Other appearances[]
It is possible that Rover Mansion corresponds with one of the sites that Dracula's Castle appears at. In Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, it is shown that there are two castles. The Abandoned Castle is encountered early in the game and may represent the site that Dracula's Castle was on during the events of Castlevania and Simon's Quest, which was not on a lake. A second castle is raised from the water's surface on a giant lake, which corresponded with the castle from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. When it collapsed again in this game, some ruins could still be seen on the surface. This might be one of the sites that Dracula's servants sent one of his relics to after his demise in Castlevania. Simon Belmont has to use a Blue Crystal in order to gain access to Rover's Mansion in Simon's Quest. This could involve a process related to the one that raised Dracula's Castle from the water in Curse of Darkness (which utilized Belmont blood). The castle may have resurrected at this site in other games that depict the castle as being on a lake, such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness.
Super Castlevania IV[]
- Main article: Super Castlevania IV Stage 1
The path taken in Super Castlevania IV to Dracula's Castle generally aligns with the optimal path that can be taken in Simon's Quest to the castle. Rover Mansion corresponds with the fortress found in the first stage. The island it is on is enlarged in this game to encompass much of the areas right before Laruba Mansion.
References[]
- ↑ In most scenarios, after completing Rover Mansion, the player is intended to backtrack all the way to the town of Jova, the initial area of the game, and this time exit through the left path to the Belasco Marsh and from there keep proceeding westward along the world map.
External links[]
- NES Game Atlas hints: Scan of pages 152-153 and 154-155 hosted on the Castlevania Dungeon.
- NesMaps.com - Rover Mansion Interior Labeled Map