TIGSource: Return to Dark Castle

Return to Dark Castle

Derek Yu — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:17:00 +0000

Z Sculpt has finally released Return to Dark Castle for Mac OSX, after a long development that began in 1996! Wow! That gives me hope for Duke Nukem Forever. (I’ll wait until the year 3000, Duke!)

The original Dark Castle, and its sequel, Beyond Dark Castle, were developed for the Macintosh by Silicon Beach Software, and were subsequently ported to other platforms (including a terrible Sega Genesis/Megadrive port). Return to Dark Castle retains the gameplay from the first two games, and adds a lot more stuff, including “remastered” versions of the 30 levels from the original games. A level editor is also forthcoming.

I had a great time with the DOS version of Dark Castle as a kid. Damn was that game hard. To hit a bat with a rock you needed some skills, dawg. And I’ll never forget the three prisoners getting whipped in the torture chamber, and how they’d help you pick the key that wasn’t booby trapped.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a Mac, but Benzido, who tipped me off about the game, does, and he had this to say:

Anyway, I bought it, and it’s extremely compelling. I’m into the 15 fps cap… it gives everything a film-like feel, like the stop-motion sequences in Star Wars.

Thanks, man! The full game is $30.

"Return to Dark Castle" by Mike Hawk

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:14:28 +0000

Excellent game, and contrary to popular whining, the controls are actually very well done and precise. The problem is, that the protagonist is an utter pussy, and the levels are completely and totally unforgiving. How many games exist in which you can trip over a step a couple inches high, get stunned and then die in the half hour it takes for the hero to shake the little birds out of his head? Even running into a wall will make you see stars, and dear god don’t ever walk off a ledge that is even a couple feet up.

Also, Jesus Christ people, if $30 is too much money to pay for a game, maybe you should get a better job or something.

"Return to Dark Castle" by Cycle

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:52:27 +0000

Holy shit, I never thought this would be released. I first heard about this sequel like… WAY TOO LONG AGO.

And now I don’t have a mac :( oh, how cruel fate is.

"Return to Dark Castle" by Zack Black

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:40:20 +0000

PC user will not be left out in the cold. We are hard at work on a Windows port. :-)

"Return to Dark Castle" by NegativeZero

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:22:00 +0000

The first game I ever played was Dark Castle on my Dad’s Mac SE. Shame this is Mac-only, I’ve long since left Apple behind. :(

"Return to Dark Castle" by Michael

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:44:02 +0000

@!#?@! I’d been waiting for Return to Castle Darkenstein for years, and my Mac decides to die on me just before its release.

"Return to Dark Castle" by raelz

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:30:13 +0000

Haha Trotim.. you made my day :P To the topic - also mac users are the only ones who are used to pay loads of money for everything :P

"Return to Dark Castle" by Trotim

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:35:34 +0000

Cave Story rip-off

"Return to Dark Castle" by gnome

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:31:45 +0000

This looks absolutely beautiful, though I still prefer the original black&white graphics of the original. Still, I’d easily buy a PC version…

"Return to Dark Castle" by goldbuick

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:22:59 +0000

Damn! Now I really wish I had a mac :( Dark Castle is the reason I decided to become a programmer! It inspired me to make games.

"Return to Dark Castle" by ninjascience

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:19:29 +0000

woah! Dark Castle!! I loved the Mac we had as a kid but there weren’t many games for it. When Dark Castle came out I begged and begged for it and got it for Christmas. It was soo hard, I probably only got about four rooms into it, but it made a big impression on me. Great to see it’s still alive.

"Return to Dark Castle" by Hunty

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:48:57 +0000

Because only Mac users would be desperate enough for new games to pay $30 for a 2D game. LOLZ BURN!!

…actually, I think it’s kinda cool that it’s Mac-only, since the original Dark Castle was Mac-only for a long time, so they’re maintaining the original flava.

I hope to see a PC port soon, but in the meantime there will probably be plenty of youtube videos via which I can enjoy it vicariously.

"Return to Dark Castle" by Guesst

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:34:34 +0000

Dark Castle, huh? I saw this game ages ago in a mall store and have kinda beek deeping an eye out for it for years. At least i think it’s this game. Being a Mac only title I may never find out. Unless they make a iPod Touch version.

"Return to Dark Castle" by Zeno

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:24:56 +0000

$30?

Mac only?

What is this nonsense? It’s not April Fool’s day anymore, guys.

"Return to Dark Castle" by codekitchen

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:00:32 +0000

There’s a great game here, but I can’t get around the horrid controls. Not just the control scheme, but the way your character moves is just awful, and causes a lot of deaths that just don’t feel “fair”.

Granted the original Dark Castle was much the same way and I persevered and played through the whole thing. I don’t know what’s changed, guess I’ve gotten pickier. Or maybe it was that I was playing the original Dark Castle during school hours…

"Return to Dark Castle" by GirlFlash

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:50:35 +0000

I never actually got round to playing the dark castle games, though I looked into them when I was studying the history of flash (the guy who coded the first two went on to be the guy who came up with flash).

anyhoo, I’ll patiently await a window port, though its not likely :(

"Return to Dark Castle" by raigan

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:25:46 +0000

DOS dark castle?! UGH!!

"Return to Dark Castle" by ZeppMan217

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:22:44 +0000

its only looks so. gameplay - compensate everythings!

"Return to Dark Castle" by MrBig

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:22:21 +0000

Man that looks pretty sharp for a 2d side scrolling platform adventure… unfortunately it won’t be played by the masses… that sucks.

"Return to Dark Castle" by ZeppMan217

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:20:19 +0000

ohhh…mac-only…what a pity!

"Return to Dark Castle" by GiGaGoGu

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:48:47 +0000

That is no super-happy fun fun. :( Whyy, why mac-only? That is… blashphemy!

"Return to Dark Castle" by Nikica

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:07:34 +0000

Windows? :(

"Return to Dark Castle" by jeb

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:58:48 +0000

I loved this game when I was a kid. It was terribly hard, and I never got far, but I still loved it.

"Return to Dark Castle" by Derek

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:43:04 +0000

Just found out that one of the Z Sculpt guys is Zack Morris. :O