152:(termed 'Scrollerama') and imperfect vertical scrolling. Play includes climbing ladders, which are sufficiently wide to simplify this aspect of gameplay. Various objects can be found and used to solve problems. These include everyday items, furniture, specialist equipment and valuables. Other characters include guards, animals, a witch and the wizard.
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Self-styled "marketing expert" Chris Payne (at that time a recent graduate employed by Micro Power as a marketing assistant) recalls his memory of
Sothcott's game being "terrific". Micro Power did not commission the marketing from any of their usual agents, instead appointing new agency Kidd's of
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feature was justified (while acknowledging the earlier March review) by the opinion that the game represented a landmark in game development, both on the BBC Micro and other platforms. Micro Power's software development manager Alan
Butcher tested and completed the game before release. Marketing
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The game was marketed as "Probably the most challenging game ever devised for the BBC Micro." The publishers offered small cash prizes to those completing the game within three months of purchase. They also announced a future competition between the four highest scorers, with a prize of computer
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Control is via the keyboard, with 13 keys having various uses, for example accessing the inventory of objects carried in the backpack, viewing off-screen to left/right. Play requires both dexterity and lateral thinking. A
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Reviewer Bryan
Skinner noted that the programmer had developed "something really special", with both publications noting the "clever" use of colourful
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equipment worth £500. The game's retail price (cassette £12.95, disk £14.95) was noted as being "not cheap" but nevertheless worthy.
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reviewer Bruce Smith noted the hardware scrolling as being the "best ... yet" on the platform. Skinner was of the opinion that
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Scores are awarded based on progression through the game. Upon completion, additional rewards are given for remaining
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and a bonus is awarded according to elapsed time. An expert player may complete the game in "around seven minutes".
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The game is set in a wizard's castle, the player's task being to find the treasure. It employs "very smooth"
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blocks, there being 13 different types of such block. Two adjacent blocks are stored as a single
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noted at the time of release as being the best game on the platform in its genre for its
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assistant Chris Payne recalled that staff predicted the game to be a bestseller.
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Leeds. This agency devised a "nicely done logo" on a simple black background.
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and would qualify as "the best game" were it not for the existence of
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The game was reported as being programmer Tony
Sothcott's first
233:) and was featured in an illustrated double-page spread in the
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The game was listed as a 'star game' in a 1985 review in
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273:. He called for readers to join him in demanding that
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in total. This technique was noted for its ingenuity.
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471:"Working at Micro Power / Program Power, Leeds"
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183:, requiring more than half of total available
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187:. The map is made up from screens comprising
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132:, colourful graphics and smooth scrolling.
673:Video games developed in the United Kingdom
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658:BBC Micro and Acorn Electron-only games
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179:game. Its colours are achieved using
195:within the map data, which occupies
333:Skinner, Bryan (23 February 1985).
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653:BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games
556:Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror
263:was "the best arcade game" on the
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385:"Who'll be king of the castle?"
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1:
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563:Felix and the Fruit Monsters
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383:Smith, Bruce (March 1985).
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10:
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678:Video games set in castles
435:Smith, Bruce (June 1985).
160:facility is not provided.
668:Single-player video games
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475:triumphoverchallenges.com
277:convert the game for the
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47:
35:
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340:Personal Computer News
226:Personal Computer News
145:
143:
570:Felix in the Factory
663:Metroidvania games
445:. pp. 164–165
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683:Micro Power games
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549:Cybertron Mission
437:"Wizard treasure"
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648:1985 video games
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122:action-adventure
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16:1985 video game
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605:Killer Gorilla
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469:Payne, Chris.
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150:side-scrolling
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393:. p. 159
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124:game for the
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53:Tony Sothcott
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49:Programmer(s)
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542:Castle Quest
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478:. Retrieved
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447:. Retrieved
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395:. Retrieved
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345:. Retrieved
343:. p. 35
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279:Commodore 64
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261:Castle Quest
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177:machine code
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117:Castle Quest
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37:Publisher(s)
22:Castle Quest
523:Micro Power
480:18 February
449:18 February
397:18 February
283:ZX Spectrum
275:Micro Power
171:Development
59:Platform(s)
42:Micro Power
642:Categories
442:Acorn User
390:Acorn User
335:"Gameplay"
297:References
240:Acorn User
158:saved game
619:Stock Car
535:Adventure
265:BBC Micro
237:issue of
235:June 1985
219:Reception
206:Marketing
126:BBC Micro
64:BBC Micro
612:Positron
591:Gauntlet
347:18 April
253:graphics
144:The jail
136:Gameplay
93:Genre(s)
104:Mode(s)
70:Release
598:Ghouls
584:Imogen
577:Frenzy
181:Mode 2
626:Swoop
270:Elite
189:8 × 7
165:lives
482:2014
451:2014
399:2014
349:2023
288:The
281:and
193:byte
83:1985
249:PCN
247:).
231:PCN
185:RAM
120:is
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290:AU
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257:AU
245:AU
199:kB
197:2
78:WW
515:e
508:t
501:v
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243:(
229:(
80::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
