Deceptively simple, Castles 2 is an addicting strategy game almost anyone will want to play over and over. The intuitive interface makes the game easy to learn right away, and the added video and speech in this version (original floppy disk version had neither) are a very nice touch for the time period, if a bit repetitive. Be warned though, the enemy AI can be quite strong and aggressive even on lower difficulty levels, and you'll need to act quickly.
Castles 1, however, is not quite as good. It's a nice nostalgia piece, to see where Castles 2 came from, but there's little reason to stick with it when Castles 2 is available in the same package. Castles 1 focuses much more on building and expanding castles specifically, and less on conquest and diplomacy. The interface also leaves much to be desired.