Castlequest

The Mad Mizer has kidnapped the beautiful Princess Margarita and spirited her away to the foreboding Groken Castle. The whole land is in mourning at the loss of its princess - and in terror at the thought of the Mad Mizer running rampant. In Castlequest, you are the brave Prince Rafael who is sent to rescue Margarita from the deadly and mysterious Groken Castle.

And the castle is indeed mysterious. In its 100 rooms you'll find enough tricks and traps to bedevil ten noble princes. The mazelike aspect of the game alone can have you puliingyourhairout. Buteach room also has many other ways to drive you crazy. You'll encounter numerous obstacles, conveyor belts, keys that are just out of your reach, deep pools of water, and deadly power beams. Then there are the wizards, bishops, and attack cats that also make your life miserable.

Of course, there are certain objects that can help you, if you can figure out the best way to use them. Castlequest requires a great deal of ingenuity, as well as the ability to think things through to logical conclusions.

In one room, for example, you must figure out how to move and stack blocks in a precise order so you can reach a key and then a door above the key. Another room contains deadly needles you must avoid, and a third chamber is filled with conveyor belts moving in different directions.

Because there's no save-game feature, getting through Castlequest in a single sitting can be difficult and frustrating. You start with 50 lives, and you can acquire more by picking up bottles of life elixir, but with all the traps and obstacles, lives can go pretty quickly.

Still, Castlequest is a fascinating game - especially for those tired of shooting or slashing their way through the more action-oriented adventures.