No, I didn't. I checked my previous posts to make sure I didn't make a typo or something, but I couldn't find anything.
It's very convenient than your ignoring these clues are hidden behind completely unremarkable brick walls which you'll never discover are fake unless you systematically throw holy water on every stone wall in the game. Simon's Quest clearly expects the player to put more effort into the game than SotN and design choices like these reflect that attitude.
This is such a ridiculous argument. Simon's Quest belongs to a genre (action-adventure/Action-RPG) which back in the day was actively advertised as being hard as nails. Creators of highly influential games like Tower of Druaga, Zelda, and Metroid admitted they designed their games to be that hard on purpose. And Simon's Quest is clearly influenced by that school of game design (see the example of the brick walls and the "kneel at cliff with the red crystal" puzzle). What's more, IGA has been record saying he actively wanted to make SotN easier than previous games in the series. Seriously, how is not reasonable to conclude from this that Simon's Quest and SotN were designed with different aims in mind when analysing the two on anything deeper than mere surface level?
But the metroidvanias have you unlock a completely new part of the game as a reward for averting the fake the ending. Simon's Quest doesn't. How is that not a clear difference? My issue with your argument here is that you're comparing two games on a very shallow level and than act like there's no meaningful difference when taking a closer look at them. Yes, Simon's Quest and SotN are both open-world games with backtracking. However, after that observation has been made, things start to diverge. Does Simon's Quest give you the option to grind for items? (This was already a feature of RPGs the 80s, so don't even try claiming otherwise) Does Simon's Quest allow you to look at a Metroid-style map in order to determine where you are? Does it have a mana meter? Are there stats other than health? The answer is no. Yet all the metroidvanias do have these elements.
How does it weaken my point? The traits the metroidvanias have in common outnumber the traits they don't have in common. The same can't be said when you add into Simon's Quest into the equation.
I'm not saying you could never justify placing Simon's Quest alongside the metroidvanias. If they would do that I would just shrug and think: "Oh, it kinda, sorta fits I guess". However, what irks me is your insistence on Simon's Quest's inclusion being anything other than "perfect", as you claim.
Anyway, I'm checking out of this discussion, so feel free to get the last word in, I guess.
come on just bow out, he based SQ on SoTN how much more do you need,
I'm not an unreasonable man as after looking in to a lot of stuff I have conclude that AlexCalvo was right they must get some kind of boost of power from the whip. I wanted to put a new spin on it for my fan work, having it unlock a Belmont's full and hidden potential and the memory of the other Belmont's power flows in to them and adds to there power permanently, So thanks Alex, really help there.

but by my logic
if saying that Julius's can't be cursed cos is due to that ritual idea I had. and that's not just for the sake of the gameplay. then by that logic I have to take what he said about how he was weaker due to the VK losing power in DoS
so i'm big enough to say I was wrong.
Yet another example is the "false ending" which has become part of IGA's formula for better or worse. The bottom line is that there's a specific "recipe" that all IGAvanias tend to follow that goes deeper than just "nonlinear game with obstacles you need to bypass".
there we go not to hard to find.
as for the clues heres another one
"The holy water causes agony to the evil, and breaks wicked walls. so one thinks"
"ok keep that in mind"
then Linked with this
"there Traders hiding in our town they are behind fake walls"
so then makes one think oh ok so i need Holy water to break walls, and i need look out odd rooms in this town, then laying the ground work for more stuff like that. So the game has once again doing it for you.
So again spoon fed.
i mean you say that it makes the player put more effort in SQ. well my first play of SOTN i didn't get item needed get the best ending. i had to really look and work out, sooo... and i remember reading that lots of other players had a hard time with it, so SQ in JP was easier in that respect.
and again you have no idea how SQ was made, and seeing those clues it seem that they gave the play an easy time. so its leading the play by the hand, showing them what you have to do.
also who finds what hard is matter of opinion.
Both have the same core gameplay, porved by IGA baseing Sotn on SQ.
and i see your over looking what iGA said, as by your own logic you said that all follow the same Patten,
and he based His game on SQ so by that logic it counts. As he used concepts from SQ for Sotn. So again
i can't see how you still trying to get out of this.
It weakens your point and i can't believe i have spell this out
cos your going by IGAs work, and word, yet he him slf said that DSS did not fit in with his idea of CV. so by that it does not follow his pattens and the pattens that you set out, so if you count CoTM you have to count SQ if you don't your just being silly. and picking what you like over facts.
i can do this all day listening to break free. (man that kate higgins amazing) watching shoot your self in foot and dig your self deeper and deeper
so just do yourself a favour and bow out. I know you have this rep as master debater.
but you've never taken on a Belmont before
I identify as a Belmont so sue me 
trust me just bow out it'll hurt less in the end.