Castlequest
Navigate Groken Castle to rescue Princess Margarita.
Castlequest, originally released in Japan as Castle Excellent, is a 1985 puzzle-action game developed and published by ASCII Corporation. It is the sequel to The Castle and is considered an early example of the Metroidvania genre.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- ASCII Corporation
- Publisher
- ASCII Corporation; Nexoft Corporation
- Designer
- Isao Yoshida; Keisuke Iwakura
- Composer
- Mitsunori Ogihara (Famicom)
- Released
- 1985 (computers) (JP)
- November 28, 1986 (Famicom)NA (JP)
- September 1989 (NES)
- Genre
- Puzzle, Action
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- MSX
- Family Computer
- Nintendo Entertainment System
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The player guides a prince through Groken Castle to rescue Princess Margarita. Progress is made by pushing objects such as brick blocks, barrels, candles, and elevator controlling blocks. Some rooms require careful alignment of these objects to open doors, which can only be activated when the prince stands by them, not while jumping. Matching colored keys to doors is necessary. A map in the first room shows a 10x10 room matrix and highlights the princess's location. Enemies include Knights, Bishops, Wizards, Fire Spirits, Vikings, and Phantom Flowers.
Release
In the Family Computer and NES versions, each room is wider than the screen, causing horizontal scrolling. Room layouts were adjusted compared to the MSX version. The Family Computer version starts the player with 4 lives and supports the Famicom Data Recorder and ASCII Turbo File peripherals for saving and loading. The US NES release removed the save/load feature because the NES lacks the 15-pin expansion port for the Turbo File, but gives the player 50 lives initially and includes two magical fairies. Unlike the MSX version, the NES and Family Computer versions allow the player to attack enemies with a sword or dagger, though the enemy must be very close. The prince can dash and retrieve his weapon, but mistimed attacks can prevent further strikes. In the MSX version, enemies are eliminated only by throwing objects on them or forcing them onto an escalator to be crushed against the ceiling.
Reception
Reviewers in Biweekly Famicom Tsūshin compared the Famicom port's quality to that of Lode Runner, while others praised the character designs and noted the game's difficulty. Gary Meredith of Game Players found the lack of a save feature frustrating despite starting with 50 lives, but called Castlequest a fascinating game for those tired of action-oriented adventures. Nintendo Power described the action as slow but praised the logic challenge as among the greatest seen, and noted the helpful room reset function in the sub-command menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who published Castlequest?
Castlequest was published by ASCII Corporation and Nexoft Corporation.
What platforms is Castlequest available on?
Castlequest was released for MSX, Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System.
Who designed Castlequest?
Castlequest was designed by Isao Yoshida and Keisuke Iwakura.
Who composed the music for Castlequest?
The music for Castlequest was composed by Mitsunori Ogihara (Famicom).
More in Puzzle Games of the 1980s
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