アクション RPG
NTSC-J
Magic Castle
1998, 2020 KAIGA
For more info about the game and its development,
you can read an interview with its creators at
[Link]
This manual was last updated on January 2nd, 2021.
Check for revisions at the above url.
3
Contents
6.. Boot menu.
7. Beta version.
8. Promotional video.
9. Full game.
11. Main menu.
13. Options menu.
17. Character selection.
18. Controls.
21. Equipment menu.
23. Heads-up display.
24. Treasure chests.
25. Fountain of wishes.
26. Non-playable characters.
27. Ivy.
28. Booby traps.
29. Keys.
30. Coins.
4
31. Experience
32. Characters
33. Knight.
37. Wizard.
40. Fighter.
43. Archer.
46. Fairy.
47. Common items.
51. Enemies.
54. Ending stats.
55. Unlockables
58. Tips and tricks.
61. Credits.
5
Boot Menu
Press up or down on the directional pad to select an
option and left or right to change the selected value.
Highlight ★START★ and press ◯ to launch the
desired feature.
Once the game is loaded, you can return to the boot
menu pressing SELECT+START.
SELECT+START.
6
Beta version
This version has been built from the original
untouched source as it was left in 1998.
It lacks many features later included in the final build
but the controls are basically the same except for the
right analog stick and the L3 and R3 buttons which
have no use.
The only menu available is the character selection
screen which can be triggered by pressing
SELECT+L2+R2 at any time.
7
Promotional video
This is the video with game footage that was sent to
different videogame companies when trying to reach a
deal for producing and distributing the finished
product.
It is based on an even earlier beta version than the one
featured on the disc.
The video loops endlessly and you must reset your
console/emulator to load the boot menu again.
A better quality version is available online at
[Link]
8
Full Game
There is a treasure hidden inside the Magic Castle. An
evil warlock has been hoarding stolen wealth and
turning coins into an army of monsters. These
creatures return to their inanimated original self after
being defeated.
Many adventurers, eager to find the treasure, have
previously attempted to raid the castle but no one has
ever come back from such a perilous journey.
It is said four brave raiders joined forces against this
common enemy and sneaked into the castle decided to
put an end to this constant threat.
But that was two decades ago. Now it’s up to you to
decide which was their destiny.
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Your main goal is to find and defeat the castle master.
The castle has endless floors and its layout changes
every time you start a new game.
Some characters, both allies and enemies, will always
be roaming in the same floor, but others can only be
randomly found beyond a certain floor number.
Along your way you may face additional challenges.
The completion of these optional tasks will get you a
better rank in the end. There are 4 main side quests
and 4 secret ones.
While you’re at it, get all the coins you can. That’s
one of the reasons you’re raiding the castle.
10
Main menu
Use the directional pad to move the cursor through the
different options. Press ◯ to confirm your selection
and ✕ to go back to the previous screen.
11
- New game:
Start a regular game.
- Training:
The training mode is based on the same
concept demo from the promotional video. Additional
controls are as follows:
-SELECT:
SELECT: Skip to next section.
-L1+R1:
L1+R1: Return to main menu.
- Options:
Change different game settings and save or
load your preferences.
- Unlockables:
Start a new bonus game if it has been
previously unlocked.
12
Options menu
Press left or right on the directional pad to switch
between the different values.
- Memory card:
From this screen you can load and save your
personal settings and unlocked mini games. In case
you get an error message when accesing the memory
card, check if it’s properly inserted, it’s correctly
formatted and there’s at least one block available for
saving your game.
- Scoreboard:
Your best scores are stored here. You can
check which game modes have not been completed
yet for unlocking new bonus games.
13
- Sound options:
Here you can enable or disable sound effects
and background music. In training mode, music will
play even if the BGM option is OFF because it is
required for showcasing the dynamic transition
between music tracks.
- Game options:
- Screen Adjust:
In case you are playing the old way in a
classic CRT TV, the screen borders may be
uncentered. Use the directional pad to move the
display area and press START to confirm or
SELECT to restore the default settings.
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- Camera:
Select camera behaviour. Available options
are:
-AUTO: Camera automatically rotates
when needed.
-MANUAL: Right analog stick controls
the camera.
-AUTO+MANUAL: Although the camera is
automatically rotated, players can also manually
control it with the right analog stick.
- Difficulty:
Switch between NORMAL and HARD. In
HARD mode, enemies respawn after being defeated.
To prevent quick experience raising, respawned
enemies provide only one experience point (Sorry, but
HARD mode is meant to be hard).
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- Fairy:
The fairy provides a bird view when a
playable character jumps and hits her with his or her
head from below, but she may sometimes get on your
way and shorten your jump, so you can optionally
disable her.
- Quick turn:
When turned off, characters rotate up to180
degrees before facing the different direction you want
them to walk. Turning it on supresses this animation
making them less vulnerable as they switch directions
with one tap of the directional pad, but you lose
accuracy when performing long distance attacks.
- Tag style:
Choose one of the four available sets for
marking which character belongs to each player.
16
Character selection
In this version, only two simultaneous players are
allowed. The pad plugged to port one controls players
1 and 3. Players 2 and 4 are controlled with the
second pad.
Press START to confirm your selection and begin the
game.
17
Controls
These are the common controls for all characters.
- Directional pad or left analog stick:
Move your character and the cursor in
equipment menu and shops.
- ✕:
Jump or close equipment menu.
- ◻:
Attack and interact with environment or other
characters.
- ◯:
Special ability and accept in menus.
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- △:
Use selected item.
- L1 and R1:
Rotate selected item. Rotate camera when in
bird view mode.
- L2 and R2:
Unequip weapons and accessories or drop
unequipped items.
- SELECT:
Enable and disable player tags.
-START:
Bring up player status and equipment menu.
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- Right analog stick:
Left and right rotate the camera. Press up for
bird view camera and down to return to normal view.
- L3:
Bring up statistics. Press left and right to
switch between screens. This option is useful for
keeping track of objectives already cleared.
- R3:
Switch between master and slave when
controlling two characters with the same pad.
- SELECT+L2+R2:
Exit current game and return to main menu.
20
Equipment menu
This screen displays the character’s status. The
following attributes are measured here:
- LV: Player level.
- HP: Current and maximum health points.
- SP: Current and maximum soul points (magic).
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- AT: Attack strenght.
- DF: Defensive power.
- EX: Experience points.
- $: Collected money.
Players can wear up to 5 accesories. A minimum of
one weapon and armor are required.
Press up and down to select a cell and left and right to
switch between available items. On horizontal menus
up/down and left/right functions are switched.
Press ◯ to unequip an item.
22
Heads-up display
Every player has an individual HUD providing
general stats, like class (the medal with a kanji),
health and magic points and selected item.
Player 1 can relocate HUDs bringing up the
equipment menu and pressing START again. Use the
directional pad to move the HUD around the screen
and press START or ✕ to fix it in that position.
23
Treasure chests
Walk beside a treasure chest and it will automatically
open itself releasing its contents.
In case a treasure box remains closed, a key may be
required to unlock it.
Also, be careful, some treasure chests contain bats
inside them.
24
Fountain of wishes
This is not your average tourist attraction where
people throw coins and make wishes. This one
actually works.
Press ◻ to go shopping. Confirm your selection
pressing ◯.. No refunds. Like in actual vending
machines, items may sometimes get stuck in
unreachable corners.
There must be a magic item somewhere for fixing
these situations.
25
Non-playable characters
Along your way, you will meet other allies who need
your help.
Walk closely and press ◻ to talk to them. Step back
and press L2 or R2 to give them the selected item. It
has to land right on them. If they want it, they’ll
accept it and will become more talkative. After they
have been assisted, they will provide hints and trade
more items with you.
26
Ivy
Sometimes, your jump is not enough to reach high
areas. In these cases, ivies grow right beside the wall.
Walk and jump towards them to get a grip. Use the
directional pad to move up and down and to rotate
your character. Press ✕ to release the ivy and jump.
27
Booby traps
Watch your step. Hidden traps, like geysers and
flames, are triggered as you walk on them.
They don’t cause any damage but your character will
get stunned and become vulnerable for a moment.
Same happens if you fall from heights.
For a quick recovery, repeatedly tap ✕,, ◻, ◯,, or △..
Watch out for haunted pianos.
28
Keys
The golden key takes you to the next floor after
hitting it. To obtain it, you must first find and defeat
the enemy who is carrying it. Tougher enemies are
more likely to be holding it. If there is no boss on that
floor, any regular random enemy could be hiding it.
In some floors you will find cursed silver, bronze and
platinum keys. To break the incantation, the creature
who cast the spell must be destroyed.
29
Coins
Coins can be found in several places around the castle
and their color determine their value.
Silver: x1
Gold: x2
Platinum: x3
They can be traded for items in the fountain of wishes
and they also represent your score at the end of the
game.
30
Experience.
Every time an enemy is destroyed the player who
defeated it is awarded with experience points.
After earning enough experience, the player’s level
raises. By doing so, your attack and defense power are
increased too as well as your maximum health and
soul points.
The highest level a player can reach is 20.
31
Characters.
Each character class has its own weapons and
accesories. Even though every character can carry
each other’s items, only the ones designed for its class
can be equipped.
Items exclusive to a specific character class are
tagged under the item’s name in the equipment menu.
In case an item also provides an extra ability when
worn, it will be advertised too.
32
.
Knight ( 騎 ):
Although his homeland has not yet been attacked by
the creatures of the Magic Castle, he knows it’s just a
matter of time. Neighbouring areas have already
suffered their nuisance and he does not want to put his
people in jeopardy.
Wearing a heavy armor, he’s a slow character and
lacks long distance attacks. However, he has a wider
variety of weapons than other characters and can be
very powerful in short distance fights.
With the proper equipment he can promote to Holy
Knight ( 聖 ).
33
Knight gear and accesories:
accesories:
- Armor:
Armor: Basic armor.
- Fire Armor:
Armor: Provides stronger defense.
- Chain mail:
mail: His strongest armor.
- Copper sword:
sword: Initial weapon.
sword: Hold down ◻ for one second
- Dash sword:
and release it to perform a quick and strong attack.
You can also do it while jumping. Hold down ◻,
press ✕ and release ◻.
34
- Kabutowari:
Kabutowari: Also known as the helmet-
splitter. Jump and hold down ◻ for stabbing enemies.
- Light blade:
blade: Provides abilities from both the
dash sword and the kabutowari. It is also very
lightweight and faster than any other sword.
- Heavy metal:
metal: This is the strongest sword,
but it adds no special ability.
- Warrior boots:
boots: Player does not get stunned
when falling from heights. Press ✕ three times for
triple jumping. They also increase walking speed.
shield: Press ◯ to block frontal
- Iron shield:
attacks.
35
- Red shield:
shield: Same as the regular shield but
provides more protection.
36
Wizard ( 魔 ):
Being the youngest of her coven, she’s not taken
seriously by her fellow witches. So she has decided to
risk her life gathering magic artifacts to increase her
powers and perhaps even dispatch the evil warlock
and conquer the Magic Castle. That would certainly
prove she’s no apprentice anymore.
The wizard starts being the weakest character, but
with her strongest weapon and accesories she
becomes the most powerful of all.
Get her best gear to promote her to Monk ( 僧 ).
37
Wizard gear and accesories:
accesories:
- Wizard tunic:
tunic: Her basic armor.
- Holy tunic:
tunic: Provides stronger defense.
- Magic tunic:
tunic: Her strongest armor.
rod: ◯ lights a small fire in front
- Wooden rod:
of the character.
- Magic rod: Same ability as wooden rod.
Also, press ✕ twice to fly. Hold down ✕ to fly faster.
Tap ✕ to fly higher. Flying higher consumes magic
points. Press ◯ to stop flying.
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- Flying rod.
rod. Same abilities as magic rod and
more. The tip of the rod hurts enemies while flying.
When not flying, ◯ shoots a row of big flames
instead of just one small flame.
- Witch boots:
boots: Player wearing them walks
faster.
39
Fighter ( 武 ):
The fighter has seen many loved ones daring to go
into the Magic Castle only to never return. After
training hard, he feels confident enough about his
chances of succeeding on beating the warlock and his
minions. By doing so, no more lives will be lost
trying to get fame and fortune.
He is the fastest and strongest character and also the
most versatile. He’s deadly in short distance fights
and with a better equipment he can use enemies as
throwing weapons.
Find the best accesories to become a Ninja( 忍 ).
40
Fighter gear and accesories:
accesories:
- Tracksuit:
Tracksuit: Initial apparel.
- Kenpogi:
Kenpogi: Enhances defense.
- Black belt:
belt: Even better defense.
- Iron bracelet:
bracelet: Initial accesory.
bracelet: Press ◯ to grab an enemy.
- Power bracelet:
Press ◻ to throw him vertically. Press ◯ to throw the
enemy in front of the character. Hold down ◻ or ◯
to throw him farther.
41
- Muscle ring:
ring: Same ability as power bracelet,
but you can walk faster and jump while carrying
enemies.
- Fighting boots:
boots: Player does not get stunned
when falling from heights. Bounce on walls holding a
direction button and pressing ✕ twice near a wall. In
narrow rooms you can bounce unlimited times.
Bounce on enemies by jumping and pressing ✕ right
after landing on them.
42
Archer ( 弓 ):
After her village was robbed by the creatures from the
Magic Castle, she had no option but to fight back and
try to retrieve all the goods that were stolen from her
folks.
And perhaps she may take an extra tip for all the
trouble caused.
She is the only character with a long distance attack
right from the start. This is a clear advantage over
other characters.
Although the Archer has less special abilities than her
allies, she can still promote to Thief ( 盗 ).
43
Archer gear and accesories:
accesories:
- Hunting clothes:
clothes: Basic attire.
- Logger outfit:
outfit: Stronger defense.
- Hunter suit:
suit: Her best clothes.
bow: ◯ shoots vertically. Hold down
- Short bow:
◻ or ◯ to shoot farther.
bow: Hold down ◻ or ◯,, release it
- Long bow:
and quickly tap the same button to repeatedly shoot
arrows.
44
- Magic bow:
bow: Arrows go through enemies.
One single shot can harm every enemy it encounters
in its way.
- Hunter boots:
boots: Player does not get stunned
when falling from heights and also jumps higher.
45
Fairy:
Fairy:
The fairy watched in despair as a big bat swallowed
three fellow fairies and then headed towards the
Magic Castle.
It may not be too late for rescuing them so she has
joined the four adventurers to provide them her
assistance.
A bird view camera can be triggered by headbutting
the fairy. Place your character under her using her
shadow as a reference and press ✕.. Use L1 and R1 or
the right analog stick to rotate the camera while in
bird view mode.
If she gets hit by an enemy, don’t worry, she won’t
die.
46
Common items.
These items can be found inside treasure chests and
any character can use them. Some of them are also
available at fountains of wishes. Press L1 or R1 to
rotate your inventory. Press △ to use or wear an item
and L2 or R2 to unequip it.
- Ring of life:
life: Automatically trades soul points
for health points when needed.
- Ring of fire:
fire: Adds fire effect to regular
attacks. The witch can also shoot fire while flying by
pressing ◻.
- Ring of power:
power: Player wearing it is
invincible while soul points last.
47
- Mini HP potion:
potion: Restores 15 health points.
- HP Potion:
Potion: Restores your entire health bar.
- Mini SP potion:
potion: Restores 15 soul points.
- SP potion:
potion: Restores your entire soul bar.
- Mini HS potion:
potion: Restores both 15 health
and soul points.
- HS potion:
potion: Restores both your entire health
and soul bars.
- Thunder scroll: Causes 50 damage points to
all surrounding enemies.
48
- Drain scroll:
scroll: Drains 3 health points from all
surrounding enemies and adds them to your health
bar.
- Fire scroll:
scroll: Sets the room on fire. Don’t
worry, magic flames won’t hurt you.
- Geyser scroll:
scroll: Causes 25 damage points to
all surrounding enemies.
- Warp scroll:
scroll: Takes you to a secret location.
Use it wisely at your own risk.
- Surprise bag:
bag: It usually contains a few
coins, but be careful, some bats may have slipped
inside the bag.
49
- Ghost trap:
trap: The only way to get rid of
annoying ghosts is using one of these. Drop it and lure
the ghost to the trap. Only one ghost per trap.
- Lucky charm:
charm: Its carrier has an extra life. It
is automatically used when a player dies.
Additional items:
Some extra items can only be obtained by defeating
certain enemies or by trading with non-playable
characters. There are no useless items. Some items
have to be thrown onto something to activate them or
to turn them into a different artifact.
50
Enemies.
Enemies come in different color and sizes. Do not
understimate small enemies. In hard difficulty
respawned enemies are a different color. These
enemies give only one experience point.
- Rats:
Rats: They may be weak, but a room filled
with them will put you in a difficult situation.
Females are more aggressive than males and some
people think there is a rat hierarchy.
- Slimes:
Slimes: Some of these creatures are barely a
threat, but others can jump and split into smaller ones.
Floating slimes carry rare and exclusive items.
51
- Bats:
Bats: These winged enemies usually attack
in groups. They unexpectedly come out of treasure
chests and surprise bags. If you stay too long in the
same floor, a small red bat will be released to make
things a bit harder.
- Skeletons:
Skeletons: These unfriendly guys will
relentlessly go after you no matter what.
- Ghost skeleton:
skeleton: Ghosts can only be found in
dark rooms. The dim light and slow music is a
warning of their presence. Regular weapons and
spells won’t work against them. If you think you have
outrunned a ghost, be careful, it may materialize
before you in a blink. A ghost trap is required to get
rid of them.
52
- Golems:
Golems: Make sure you’re strong enough
before engaging in a fight against golems. They can
empty your life bar with a couple of their powerful
punches.
- Knights:
Knights: As you ascend to higher floors,
encounters with these guards will be more frequent.
They are usually holding the key, so fighting them is
inevitable in most cases. One of these knights might
be the castle master.
? - Doppelgängers:
Doppelgängers: In higher floors, under
certain circumstances you may face dark versions of
yourself and your allies.
53
Ending stats.
After beating the game, you will be presented with a
screen summarizing your statistics and cleared
objectives.
In case there is more than one player, the one who has
collected more coins will be declared the winner. If
two players have the same amount of coins, the first
player will beat the other.
Unlocked game modes will be notified after the staff
roll and if you obtain a better score than the one
previously stored in the memory card you will be
prompted to update your data.
54
Unlockables.
Unlockables consist on a series of short missions with
a time limit. In these game modes enemies don’t carry
the key, it is roaming free in a random room.
- Escape the blaze:
blaze: Reach floor 20 in less than 5
minutes.
How to unlock: Beat the game in normal difficulty
playing as the knight.
- Raid at night:
night: Collect 50 coins in less than 5
minutes.
How to unlock: Beat the game in normal difficulty
playing as the wizard.
55
- Treasure hunt:
hunt: Find the treasure and get out of the
chamber in less than 10 minutes.
How to unlock: Beat the game in normal difficulty
playing as the fighter.
- Black knight:
knight: Playing as a black knight you must
defeat the good knight at floor 8 in less than 12
minutes. This game mode is for one player only, but
maybe there’s a way another black knight can help
you on your quest.
How to unlock: Beat the game in normal difficulty
playing as the archer.
56
- Cursed:
Cursed: Defeat 100 skeletons in less than 5 minutes
without leaving the room.
How to unlock: Beat the game in hard difficulty with
any character.
- Friendly deathmatch:
deathmatch: Fight against other human
players.
How to unlock: Beat all the other unlockable games.
57
Tips and tricks.
- The warp scroll comes in handy when you’re
outnumbered by stronger enemies. Use it as an escape
route.
- Golems won’t attack unless provoked. You can walk
right by their side without upsetting them.
- When quick-turn is disabled you can switch
directions faster by tracing a semicircle in the
directional pad or left analog stick like this
instead of just pressing the opposite direction.
- Remember the castle has endless floors. If you can’t
find what you’re looking for, keep going up. Also, if
you have skipped an important place, you have a
second chance. There is a way to go back to the
starting point.
58
- Experience determines your strength and defense.
Even if you find the key to the next floor, you can still
explore the remaining rooms in search for more
enemies to strengthen your character. You’ll regret
facing a black knight if your experience level is too
low.
- Some characters, like golems and knights, will also
attack other enemies. It may be helpful but you won’t
get any experience points from this.
- In hard difficulty, you can use respawning enemies
to your own advantage. Casting a fire spell in a small
room filled with rats or slimes will quickly provide
you a large reserve of potions and you’ll easily get
plenty of money to spend on fountains of wishes.
- The strongest weapon is not always the best choice.
59
- If an enemy seems to be invincible, there is a chance
it might be invincible.
- After walking through a door your character is
invincible for almost two seconds. This is made to
prevent unfair deaths when colliding with an enemy at
the other side.
- While helping non-playable characters is not
essential, it centainly provides valuable information.
- Your storage capacity is limited. Do not hoard. If
you can’t pick up an item you’ll have to choose which
one you discard.
- Before playing in hard difficulty it is recommended
to become a master in witchcraft. Learn how to create
your own spells and unveil the secrets of alchemy to
extend your own life.
60
Credits.
Magic Castle was created in 1998 by:
Keiichi Matsunami
(Planning, game design and graphics)
[Link]
Hiroyuki Itoh
(Game design and program)
[Link]
[Link]
Tetsuya Kanatani
(Program)
61
Soshi Hosoi
(Sound)
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
In 2020, Magic Castle was reworked as suggested
by its original developers. Additional help:
Mike Garcia
[Link]
[Link]
Ed H.
[Link]
62
Special thanks to
Matt Verran
Your message in the NY Europe newsgroups
explaining how to run executables from another NY
program was very helpful to us.
Many thanks to all players.
63
[Link]/magiccastle
