Citadel (BBC Micro)

Superman vs the castle of evil monks? This game was a request, so... don't blame me.

This is my first BBC Micro game, and apparently it was actually one of the better games on the system. It's even got speech on the title screen!

Scary key configs. Not a single one of them puts the direction keys in a one handed WASD type layout.

Okay it's a platformer, I'm the the guy with purple hair, I'm in a citadel, and there are weird enemies around. Shooting my magic at enemies does nothing but eat through my ammo, though I did manage to pick up that blue rectangle by jumping next to it.

Now I have three exits, slightly less ammo, and a blue box in my pocket. I think I will go... right.

Well it's not one hit kills, which is good to know. I clipped the fire a bit as I was jumping over, and it only cost me a little health. Wait, the health counter is the same as the ammo counter? Damn, I was firing all my health away!

Well the only way out is right, but I'll grab that key on the way.

I've got a box and a key now, but I can't jump high enough to grab the bucket too. So I've got two choices, up and down, and seeing as this is called 'The Well' I think I'll try down first.

Lots of exits, all of them dead ends. Plus I lost some health to that rope... lobster... thing. The only way out is up.

Three exits this time (it won't let me go any further up the rope). The snakes are patrolling back and forth and the purple stuff is almost certainly lethal. Fortunately I can jump across using that red lift when it reaches the bottom.

I went left for a bit, and found this block. Suddenly I had a flash of inspiration... maybe I have to find the right coloured coded item to open each barrier!

But no, the blue block does nothing.

And the purple key does nothing either. Maybe I need to find a purple and RED coloured key...

Well, I didn't much want to go down there anyway to be honest. I'll leave the pig to bounce in peace.

Here's an interesting fact. Those harmless looking purple things in the background are actually harmful. Now I have 77 health remaining.

I've found a switch though! And an bottle with E written on it.

The switch activated the lifts... and sent this druid guy after me. Unlike most of the enemies, this guy doesn't just wander back and forth or bounce around. This guy follows me everywhere I go, and I can't outrun him.

I can't even just soak up the damage and run through him to the lift. If I lose too much health on a screen the room is reset and I get put back at the door I came in through. Fortunately enemies can't follow me off a screen so I can at least get rid of him.


A DARING ESCAPE LATER.

Crap, he had a friend! I hate these monks.

Well I still don't have a clue what I'm doing, but I should probably give it another shot from the start just to be fair.


SOME PLATFORMING LATER.

Hey, I've found the way out of the citadel! And also a purple/red key... perhaps the item I need to open the pig ladder door.

But fuck that, I've escaped! I'm out of here.

On the very next screen I ended up on a beach next to the ocean. So I figured I'd just jump across the whole thing. Better than going back to that citadel.

I've found land! I bounced across the entire ocean and it actually leads somewhere! I honestly thought it'd be endless.

I really hate those bastard druids.

Oh well, at least I scored 1 point somehow. Top of the High Score table!


Next game.