Atari Coin Connection

AUGUST 1983 VOLUME 7 NUMBER 7
Now Appearing: Crystal
CastlesM Starring Bentley BearM
!
ife is no picnic for Bentley Bear as he
walks the crossroads between waves
of mazes in CRYSTAL CASTLES by
Atari. Each wave presents him with a tempt-
ing trail of ruby gemstones winding in and
out and all around a 3-D super maze struc-
ture that varies in 16 different playfields,
including a castle, fortress, palace, and even
a dungeon. There are tunnels to explore,
elevators that take him from one plateau to
another, and sometimes a hidden ramp!
And the player maneuvers him with a lit lrak-
Ball™ controller and "jump'' button.
Bentley's determined to collect all the
gems-which treats him to a rapidly esca-
lating point value for each succeeding
stone plucked .. . all the way up to 99
points apiece. The trick is to escape all the
scary creatures that chase him along the
way and do their share of gem gathering to
lessen his chances. If he is able to get the
last gem in a wave, he also captures a
handsome bonus.
The screen is a fury of action as our furry
friend encounters the erratic behavior of
L
his opponents. "Nasty Trees" vigorously pur-
sue him. "Gem Eaters" wend their way to di-
gest their portion of the jewels. Crystal balls
roll along to wreak their havoc. If Bentley
takes too much time, a swarm of
bees descends to get him moving!
Each level of game play pro-
gresses through four separate
maze waves, and Berthilda the
Witch arrives to harass Bentley
Bear on every fourth wave. The
demise of Berthilda is worth
3,000 points to Bentley, but he
can only do her in while wearing
the magic hat positioned some-
where on the screen. The special
powers of the hat run out quickly
but do make Bentley invincible to
all of his opponents for a few
seconds.
And Bentley insists upon
wearing his luminous red
boots and belt whenever he
travels' This allows players to
track him as he moves into
Once upon a time
there lived a bear named Bentley
who wandered o'er the land
in search of fortune plenty.
Picnic baskets and such
were not his bill of fare.
Only ruby gemstones
could content this clever bear.
While roaming the lands of Crystal Cast/es,
Bentley gathered his jewels with the greatest of care.
A snatch here and there by a swift paw or two
showered fame and fortune on this rarest of bears!
tunnels or around the back of the maze.
CRYSTAL CASTLES also features a Warp
Tunnel through which a player can jump
ahead- when beginning a new game-to
the level of play he just completed in the
preceding game. And there are chances
for Secret Warps to be discovered in later
waves! Warping always benefits the player
with a large bonus. continued on last page
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