This is gonna sound crazy and condescending (and I assure you I don't mean it that way) but I don't think you can fully appreciate Simon's Quest unless you played it around the time it was released. Sure, nowadays it seems poorly designed and even antiquated in some ways, but back in '88-'89, it was an amazing game, in part because there weren't many like it. Games back then couldn't be made to be beaten in a day. SQ is actually the game that got me into VIDEO GAMES as a whole, so I'm certainly biased. But I still think the game holds up despite its shortcomings.
You definitely need a guide in a couple places, but overall, the game gives you a lot of the information you need to solve it. You just have to try every clue you're given and suss out which ones are real and which are fake. I was able to get through the entire game and only needed help finding Dracula's Castle at the end. I think most of you who think the game sucks just aren't willing to put in the time, which is fine. But don't blame the game for your lack of interest.