Crystal Caves (1991)

The fascination of rediscovering Crystal Caves was more potent than its gameplay. Relics of the DOS era are peppered throughout. A fossilized snapshot of pre-mouse gaming and #1-800 call-to-order numbers.

It often wavered a balance between retro charm and a rushed anxiety, impatiently wanting to see it through to the end.

I'm happy to have discovered it fully - a gift for my younger self, who never got very deep into the mines.

I figured 50 cents on gog for a nostalgia deep cut was a good gamble. Its an acceptable platformer. Quick takes below:

• Having released in 1991, it is visually ghastly comparing it to Super Mario World, released a year prior.

• The crystallized simplicity of the controls is highly appreciated:
  Left, Right, Jump [ctrl], Shoot / Activate [alt]. The jump's good and rocket gun feels great.

• 3 hits before death is nice but restarting a level after death feels exhausting because of the powerfully slow pace.

• The fun of 'find all gems to exit' is a drag.

• With the Apogee logo, I expected more nostalgia. This one is faded in ancient memory now. I'll probably try a few more levels and move on.

Platform:

PC floppy version.

Graphics/Sound:

The graphics are simple EGA, but I always liked that color palette. It's got a very classic feel, the tile grid is never obscured. But I still feel the graphics are polished, everything is pretty consistent, and there are no lose tile ends. Monster animations are probably a bit weaker than the evironment, but it's all within a range I would call good. The sound is sadly only PC speaker, and no music available which is kind of a setback compared to console games of the time. But the sounds are great considering PC speaker limitations.

Gameplay:

This is the first puzzle platformer I knew. It's not an action platformer. You don't get rewarded for speed, but you have to carefully choose your route through the level. All levels have a solution where you don't have to loose any hp. I like the sheer amount of items that change the gameplay a little, this game is filled with ideas.

Difficulty:

The controls in this game are tight, you're always in control of your character. The difficulty is usually not about quick reflexes but paying attention to your surroundings and memorizing what comes next. I love how this game even back in the day had so many modern game design elements. There is unlimited lives, because yes, there is no fun involved in forcing you to replay levels you have already beaten. If you you are annoyed by a level you could at any point exit to the map level and chose a different one. You'll probably die surprised a few times at the beginning, but once you got the hang of all the dangers in the game it's pretty fair.

I loved the game as a child, and I think it still holds up well today, especially since it almost doesn't do any of the mistakes games used to make back in the day. The level design is outstanding, and it's as far as I can see not just a copycat of any other platformer. I think this is a seriously overlooked game.