Castleween (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Before I even start this review (and to avoid confusion) I can tell you that in some areas of the world Castleween is also known as Spirits and Spells. Confusing, I know, but before you contact us here with your letter starting 'Your review of Castleween is just like a game called....' we thought we'd save you the trouble. Confusing titles aside though, Castleween is actually an 'original' property which is increasingly rare in this high risk market and which is why you see so many movie/TV tie-ins. Although this game is almost two years old now (and there are very few games like it) it's Halloween so we thought we'd give it a go. Have we all been missing out on a handheld gem then or should we bury it along with the other spooks?

Gameplay

While Castleween appears at first to be a run of the mill platformer what makes it different is the need to co-operate with a second character in order to complete each section. You start out by playing a tiny girl who's chosen to dress up as a witch called Alicia. While she's rather good at throwing her hat to dispose of enemies, she can't jump very high or far although she can use her dress to float down from a height without getting hurt. Greg, on the other hand, isn't very good with heights unless he's jumping but is pretty good at striking enemies with his pitchfork. Level objectives are plentiful and just collecting everything a section has to offer will take some time. These include sweets, which increase your score and souls who are very helpful in pointing out potential secrets. The level structure initially is pretty linear guiding you on which character you should use for a given section although later on in the game requires much more thought as you change between the two in order to solve a given task.

In addition to the different abilities there are aspects of each level that will either help or hinder you. Alicia, for example can use a spider to carry her across impossible gaps whilst Greg is quite partial to anything hot. On the subject of temperature there are symbols dotted around the levels, which are colored red and blue and while a character may be happy treading on one the same is not true of the other. The game also gets tough towards the end and this is where your special powers come in useful. These are 'powered up' by collecting as many sparks as possible and are essential if you find yourself in a tight spot. As for everything else... well you'll have to discover that for yourself but there's enough variety and gameplay in Castleween to keep you going for some time and even if you do complete it there are still the 'hard' and 'against the clock' modes to try and beat. However I can't really finish this review without a mention of the password system. To have to record seven numbers and letters with no meaning is unforgivable as well as difficult. There, I've said it. On with the review...

Controls

With two different characters to manipulate the control could be a problem and the developers were clearly aware of this because they've included a tutorial section. Unlike other games though this is not simply woven into the first level, instead you actually select 'training' from the main menu and are taken on a tour that includes just about everything you'll need to know during the game. The control itself is pixel perfect allowing you to make some impossible jumps and attacks with inches to spare. While it may seem obvious that this should be the bare minimum requirement for a game of this nature you'd be surprised at just how many developers overlook this.

Graphics

Outstanding! Really. I've seen so many mediocre game engines and overall design it's always nice to know that you can rely on Magic Pockets to deliver the goods. There doesn't appear to be one missed opportunity here and from the initial menu system you know you're in for something of a treat. The various environments, for example, are absolutely wonderful and it's even worth taking a moment to look around to see just how detailed they are. You can even see the developers experimenting with various light sources, a process that they've used again in the recent Catwoman. The real highlights are the visuals which include not only the character animation but also the background and spot effects with the armored soldiers in particular looking so real you really will think twice before running under their axes as they power down into the floorboards. Also pay particular attention to how the various creatures die and watch the skeleton guards (who are everywhere) collapsing into a heap of bones whilst the skull remains suspended in mid air. What can we say... visual perfection.

Sound

Before you even switch on your GBA you'll have pre-conceived ideas of what to expect from a Halloween style game and I'm pleased to say you won't be disappointed. Just imagine every creepy soundtrack you've ever heard, place them into a mixer and you're probably hearing it already. As you can imagine this goes a long way to enhancing the gameplay but it's not just about the music as each character has some rather wonderful sound effects attached to them too. Expect lots of sampled screams, groans and generally things that go bump in the night.

Final comments

Castleween was released during a rather confusing period for publisher Wanadoo. I actually bought my copy in Spain but I've yet to see it on general release in the UK nor have I managed to find a single review whether it be web or print based. Indeed I was starting to question if it had indeed been released at all. As a result it probably didn't get the treatment or publicity it deserved and, while this is just a platformer, it's so beautifully designed and executed it really deserves everyone's attention. Again this is mainly down to Magic Pockets and their effortless GBA construction with Castleween proving that old ideas can and do make for good gaming. It loses marks because of this too though because though we like a bit of nostalgia we also like to see the boundaries of gaming constantly pushed and this is something that appears to have completely disappeared on the GBA and we won't even mention the password save feature. If you do manage to track a copy down then don't hesitate to buy it for your mates as well. Just consider this one of the increasing number of lost gems.

Pro: Incredible Visuals and Animation.
Con: Nothing Really New
Final score: 7.2

Share on Twitter or Facebook

Comments