Castlequest
Typed out by Dan Gonzalez
The Story
A long time ago in a faraway land, there lived a lovely young princess
named Margarita. Her beauty and grace were known throughout the land -
especially to to Mad Mizer, the Dark Lord of the grim Groken Castle high in
the Forbidden Mountains. He had vowed to make the Princess his queen; and
so, one terrible day he sent his ghoulish helpers to capture her, and she
was carried off and imprisoned in one of the hundred miserable rooms of
Groken Castle.
News of the kidnapping spread throughout the kingdom, and many courageous
young men braved the perils of Groken Castle in an attempt to rescue the
Princess, only to become hopelessly lost in the complicated maze of rooms,
ensnared in one of the many treacherous traps, or foiled by Mad Mizer's
deadly servants.
Finally the news reached the worthy Prince Rafael, who had long loved the
Princess from afar. Raising his sword to the heavens, Prince Rafael swore
that nothing would keep him from her side, and set out on his Castlequest.
The odds against him seemed hopeless... But legend has it that two magical
Fairies have been held captive in the Castle for centuries. If the Prince
can find and release them to gain their help, he may yet succeed in his
quest. And to rescue his fair Princess, he is prepared to face the deadly
wrath of the Dark Lord himself!
Rules of Play
*As Prince Rafael, you must search the one hundred rooms of the Castle to
find and rescue Princess Margarita. Each room has several doors in several
colors. You must have the matching color Key to open a door. There are six
Key colors found in the Castle: Red, Dark Blue, Light Blue, Pink, Green, and
Yellow. Do not waste these Keys, as there are no extras, and each time you
open a door you spend a Key.
*Prince Rafael begins each game with Fifty Lives, and receives another Life
every 10,000 points. Points are earned by picking up treasures in the Castle.
*When Prince Rafael loses all of his Lives, the game ends.
How to use the Controller
[Diagram of NES controller]
Controller I:
Directional Pad pressed left:
*Rafael moves left.
Directional Pad pressed right:
*Rafael moves right.
Select Button:
*Shows the room where you are on the Map. This can by used only after you
have picked up the Map.
Start Button:
*Start game/pause game.
B Button:
*Rafael uses his sword.
A Button:
*Rafael jumps.
Controller II:
*You can enter the Sub-Command Mode by pressing the A or B Button on
Controller II.
Sub-Command Mode
*During the game, press the A or B Button on Controller II to see the
Sub-Command display. You will need to use these functions in order to
conquer "Castlequest." Read through them carefully and take advantage of
them wherever you can.
Reset:
*If you cannot go forward or backward, use this command. You can start
again in this room by giving up one Life.
How to Reset:
*Place the Heart symbol on Reset and press the A or B Button. The game will
start from the beginning of the room you are in now.
Back:
*If you open the wrong door, this command will help. You can start over
from the previous room.
How to Go Back:
*Place the Heart symbol on Back and press the A or B Button. You will begin
play in the previous room.
Game:
*This command restarts the game at the beginning.
How to Reset the Game:
Place the Heart symbol on Game and press the A or B Button. The game will
restart.
Cast of Characters
Prince Rafael:
*I am Prince Rafael, here to rescue the fair Princess Margarita. Though
many evils and dangers stand in my way I shall search all of Groken Castle
to find her. And while I live, the fiendish Dark Lord shall never take her
as his queen!
Princess Margarita:
*I am Princess Margarita. Confined here in the dark alone by that monstrous
Mad Mizer, I count the endless hours until my brave Prince comes to rescue
me... I hope it will be soon!
[Drawing of a rather bodacious brunette, attired in a rather skimpy top and
bottom]
Fairies:
*We have been trapped in Groken Castle for hundreds of years. Mad Mizer has
caught us playing with the captured Princess, and has locked us away even
deeper in the Castle. If the brave Prince Rafael can rescue us, we will
present him with the Key of Love.
Things to Look For
6 Colored Keys:
*Rafael must pick these up to proceed through the Castle. To open a door,
he must use a Key of the same color as the door.
Water of Life (1000 points):
*Each bottle adds one Life to Rafael.
Oxygen Bottle (1000 points):
*Rafael can use this to go underwater when the music changes.
Map (1000 points):
*Rafael needs this to figure out where he is, and to avoid searching the
same room twice.
Gold (800 points):
Ring (400 points):
Cross (200 points):
Movable Tools (no points):
*Barrel.
*Brick.
*Jar.
*Candle.
*Locker.
Your Enemies:
Knight:
*It is our job to protect Groken Castle. We use arrows to defend against
intruders.
Bishop:
*I serve the all-powerful Mad Mizer. I must stop Prince Rafael at all costs!
Wizard:
*My black magic creates the enemies which fill this castle.
Fire Spirit:
*When Prince Rafael least expects it, I will leap forward and burn him!
Attack Cat:
*The Wizard transformed us from ordinary cats into fearsome feline fighters.
Phantom Flower:
*Prince Rafael had better not get too close to me while my mouth is open!
Playing Hints and Tricks
*Beware of the many traps hidden throughout the Castle.
*Try the game first without reading. If there is a part you cannot pass
through, then read and try again.
*It is not necessary to "clear" a room you have already been through. Make
your own map to keep track.
Needles:
*Never touch them!
Conveyer Belt:
*You cannot walk on it. To proceed, you must Jump.
Elevator:
*You can ride on the Elevator - but be careful not to get squashed!
Flying Block:
*Do not get struck by the Flying Block. Jump onto it, and you can move
along with it.
Wonder Floor (Barrier):
*While it is moving, you can walk on it; but if it stops, you cannot. Be
very careful when you walk on this floor. Don't touch the floor as it
starts to move or you will lose a Life.
Lift:
*Push this part and the Lift moves up and down.
Power Beam:
*When you are exposed to this beam you become all-powerful (A god even!);
touching Enemies and Needles becomes harmless.
Basic Playing Techniques
Smashing Technique:
*Smash your enemies with Jars and Bricks. Swords won't hurt Bishops, but
you can smash them.
Jumping Technique:
*When there is enough room, you can get by the enemies by jumping over them.
Following Technique:
*If there is not enough room to Jump over, try walking behind the enemy.
Half-Character Offset Technique:
*You must move some pieces (Bricks and Jars) half the width of one character
to use them effectively.
In and Out Technique:
*If you make a mistake moving the Jars and Bricks, leave the room and come
back in again. All the characters you moved will be back in their original
positions. This is a very important technique!
Keys:
*Be very careful not to waste your Keys. There are no extra Keys available.
*If you are out of Keys in the middle of the game, you either left a Key
unclaimed or you opened an incorrect door.
*Try starting the game over; and this time see if you can logically select
the proper sequence of doors using the correctly color-coded Keys.
"Castlequest" can be a very difficult game. However, you should be able to
solve it in time. Be sure to use the Map to plan your attack. There are
many possible solutions to "Castlequest" - be creative and have fun!
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