Dark Castle
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| Dark Castle | |
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| Developer(s) | Silicon Beach Software |
| Designer(s) | Mark Stephen Pierce (graphics) Jonathan Gay (programming) |
| Release date(s) | 1986 (Mac) 1989 (Apple IIGS) 1991 (Mega Drive/Genesis) |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Apple IIGS, C64, Atari ST, Apple Macintosh, MS-DOS, Mega Drive/Genesis |
| Media | One 3.5" 800k floppy (Mac) |
| Input | Mouse, Keyboard |
Dark Castle may also refer to the movie production house Dark Castle Entertainment
Dark Castle is a 1986 computer game for the Macintosh by Silicon Beach Software. It is a platform game where a young hero named Duncan tries to make his way to the evil Black Knight, dodging objects as well as solving occasional puzzles. The game is notable for its use of sampled sounds to great effect. A sequel titled Beyond Dark Castle was released in 1987.
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[edit] Gameplay
Movement within Dark Castle is typical for most platformers. Duncan can run, jump and duck, and can throw a limited supply of rocks at his enemies. More rocks can be found in little bags along the way, as well as bottles of an elixir that provides a one-time antidote to bites of the numerous rats and bats found around the castle.
To defeat the Black Knight, Duncan needs a magic shield and the power to hurl fireballs, both of which can fortunately be found within the Dark Castle. The game begins in the Great Hall, where the player can choose from four doors. The large center door leads to the Black Knight. One other is marked with the shield and the remaining two mysteriously alternate between the fireball course and a more troubling path. The game can be played at three different skill levels, the hardest "Advanced" level containing more enemies and a few extra surprises.
[edit] Distinctive features
- Duncan easily gets disoriented; when walking into a wall or falling a short distance without jumping he walks around in circles for a moment mumbling incoherently.
- Falling into holes in the floor does not cause death but instead leads to a dungeon ("Trouble 3") which can be escaped with some effort. On easier difficulty levels, this is a delay and a source of annoyance. However, this may be strategically necessary on the harder difficulty levels so that you can stock up rocks and elixir.
- Easter Egg: Playing Dark Castle (and its sequel) with the computer's clock at December 25, the Great Hall or the throne room (respectively) will have holiday decorations.
[edit] Beyond Dark Castle
Main article: Beyond Dark Castle
In 1987, the sequel Beyond Dark Castle was released, in which Duncan has to return and defeat the Black Knight who is still alive. To access the Black Knight's tower, the player must first gather five magic orbs which are placed in various hard to reach places. The orbs have to be returned to the Ante Chamber and placed on 5 pedestals for the gate to open so Duncan can face the Black Knight.
Beyond Dark Castle had an engine similar to Dark Castle but with improvements and additions, including some levels where the player could control a "personal helicopter" of sorts. These levels and maze levels were side-scrollers instead of being limited to a single screen. Games could also be saved in a "computer room" level.
[edit] Remakes
In 1994, the game developer Delta Tao Software acquired the rights to some of Silicon Beach's old games, via Aldus, and were able to produce and publish the modernized Color Dark Castle. In 2000, a new sequel called Return to Dark Castle was announced, where a new young hero called Bryant must once again defeat the Black Knight. It is still in development.
A version for the Mega Drive/Genesis was released by Electronic Gaming Arts (now Electronic Arts) in 1991. Many believed this version did not do the game justice, and it was panned by critics and gamers alike[citation needed].
A DOS version of the original Dark Castle was also released, which was closer to the original game. Considering the hardware specifications that it was written for (4 colors, PC speaker, no mouse), the port runs very well[citation needed].
Version for the Apple IIGS and Amiga were released in 1989 by Three Sixty. This port was programmed by Lane Roath, and was almost identical to the Macintosh version, except in color and some controls.
A version for mobile was released in 2006. It is developed by Super Happy Fun Fun and published by Bandai. It contains slightly remade level designs as well as updated color graphics.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ "Dark Castle game resurrected for cell phones" from MacWorld
[edit] External links
- Dark Castle at MobyGames
- Running Dark Castle on an emulator, plus advanced walkthrough
- Dark Castle for the Apple IIGS at the Apple IIGS Gaming Memory Fairway
- Dark Castle for cell phones at SuperHappyFunFun.com
