Crystal Castles



Crystal Castles is an arcade game released by Atari in 1983. It was released long after the stigma of appearing like a Pac-Man clone had worn off. It began development as a much different game, a variant of the Asteroids theme that would retain the 3D look that Crystal Castles ended up with. Much of the ideas for that game (intended to be called Toporoids) ended up in a different game, I, Robot, which was the first arcade game ever to contain filled 3D polygons. Crystal Castles became a more whimsical title, that also contained a number of arcade firsts, including a back-lit translucent track ball.

The player must help Bentley Bear explore 16 different playfields through 37 different stages, as he attempt to collect as many gems as possible. He must escape all the scary creatures that chase him along the way, and grab some of the gems for themselves. Bentley is awarded a big bonus if he manages to grab the last one. A wide assortment of enemies present themselves, including a swarm of bees that appear if Bentley takes too long. A pot of honey may be present for bonus points, and a magical hat can grant Bentley limited invulnerability and the power to kill Berthilda the witch.

Only a little over 5000 units were ever produced for the arcade, including a wonderfully decorated upright cabinet, and a much rare cocktail version. Due to the games appearance right around the time when the home video game market was crashing, Crystal Castles did not see as wide a variety of home conversions as it might have, appearing primarily on Atari systems, but making it's way to other popular home computers, courtesy of Atarisoft.

Story
Once upon a time there lived a bear named Bentley

Who wandered o'er the land in search of fortune plenty.

Picnic baskets and such were not his bill of fare.

Only ruby gemstones could content this clever bear.

While roaming the lands of Crystal Castles,

Bentley gathered his jewels with the greatest of care.

A snatch here and there by a swift paw or two

Showered fame and fortune on this rarest of bears!

Gameplay Summary

 * You control Bentley Bear with a trackball. You can make him jump by pressing the jump button.
 * Your primary goal is to clear every stage of ruby gemstones. When the last gem is collected, you advance to the next stage.
 * If you collect the last gem, you are awarded a bonus. If an enemy collects the gem, you simply move on.
 * You must avoid contact with every enemy that occupies the stage. If you remain on a stage for too long, a swarm of bees will fly down to chase you.
 * A pot of honey can be collected for bonus points. A magic hot can be collected for limited invulnerability and the ability to kill the witch.
 * There are 37 stages in all, and three hidden warps allow you to advance quickly to higher stages.