Crystal Castles (1983)

Developer: Atari
Publisher: U.S. Gold, Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: Arcade, BBC Microcomputer System, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST/STE, PC (Microsoft Windows), Acorn Electron
Genres: Puzzle, Arcade
Rating: 2.7 of 5, 15 player ratings

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Classic 1983 Atari arcade game where Bentley Bear collects gems through isometric castles while dodging enemies.

retroclassic arcadenostalgicfast-pacedarcadegem collecting

About

Crystal Castles is an arcade game released by Atari, Inc. in 1983. The player controls a cartoon bear by the name of Bentley Bear, who has to collect gems located throughout trimetric-projected rendered castles while avoiding enemies out to get him as well as the gems. Crystal Castles is notable for being one of the first arcade action games with an actual ending, whereas most games of the time either continued indefinitely, ended in what was termed a "kill screen" or simply just restarted from the first level, and to contain advance warp zones.

Screenshots

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More by Warner

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.