It's a beautiful game to look at, immersive to wander around in, and even as a layperson I can tell it's brilliant programming. I'd happily live in Citadel, if there was a coffeeshop.
Just to correct you a little, Colin. You actually have to get the chicken from the freezer, cook it in the fireplace and then use it in the room where you said you had to use the crystals. The place where you have to put the crystals is actually very nearby. You've sparked a little bit of a desire in me to do a walkthrough (even though I'm sure there's already one somewhere on UA-cam). I've never played it on the BBC though as I had an Electron.
Ah, thank you! The old memory isn't what it once was, I must have mixed a few things up in my head - thanks for the correction 😄 I'd love to see a full walkthrough, much more engaging than a text-based one. Go for it!
@@NickyNustar Hilarious. Pretentious 🔔 end takes the time to comment on a thread that has nothing to do with him. Stick to making shitty "art house" films that have about 5 views and getting drunk; it seems that's what you do best from your painfully boring channel 🙄. Bravo 👏.
Fantastic arcade adventure for the Beeb. Has everything you could want from a puzzle platformer. Would have been in my top 5, so you must have a very strong top 6!
That I did Sir, but I struggled finding one of the crystals so I wrote to Superior for help. Turns out it was in a tower on the roof of the Citadel, I think it has a C indicating a door and you had to jump on the icon to enter, a little like getting into the Witch's House via the chimney.
@@Rikky2000 yeah, loads of times. It used to take around 90 minutes, depending on how many bluestones I used to take to Stonehenge to get extra energy. It was quite an easy game, once you knew where to use everything. I've completed it with way over 100 energy left in the past. I had it on the Electron though, I never had a BBC back in the day. I didn't have a colour TV back in the mid 80's either, so I did it in black and white 😂.
@@Rikky2000 thanks. If you're interested, I've got a number of BBC game walkthroughs on my channel. Mainly games from the high score competition on the Stardot Forums. Feel free to have a browse 🙂.
Very interesting. I knew of this game, of course -- one of my friends from the Repton UA-cam community, KatieRoseine, has done a walkthrough series of it. Never got round to playing it myself. I am definitely interested in exploring the games of this genre, though -- one thing I have in mind as a potential future project is to do a Let's Play series and try to solve them for myself, constructing maps as I go along. I'll keep you posted if I ever get that started!
Thanks, Colin, for another awesome video. Something that might help you avoid monsters in the sea is the fast descent feature - pressing down and jump. Palace of Magic also has this feature. I would have put Citadel at number one but I've been playing it for longer than I can remember so I'm sort of in no position to judge. It's amazing to think that Michael Jacobson was only 19 when he wrote it. The sound of your character's energy slowly ebbing away, those monks, the whole game has a slightly eerie quality combined with solid game mechanics and an open feel since you can solve the puzzles in any order. Something which keeps it interesting even after finishing it. The gameplay was always fair by design and Citadel can never be placed in an unwinnable state (low energy aside). Plus it has a really cool psychedelic ending sequence. Happy days.
Thank you! It won't surprise you to learn that every game in the top 10 was a contender for the no. 1 spot when I made my list - Citadel perhaps more than most. As you say, there's so much in its favour and everything combines to produce something really special. Thanks for the underwater tip, too!
A very enjoyable video. I am one of your viewers who has never used a Beeb. I am so old that the only computer I used at school, which I left in 1969, was a slide rule! I have recently dabbled with emulation, but haven’t progressed beyond Chuckie Egg.
Been waiting for this one. Unfortunately UA-cam deletes my comment if I attempt to link to anything, so you'll have to find these on Stardot: 1. We have the source code, some early versions, and various development assets, thanks to the author. I wrote a detailed report on these discs. 2. For veterans, I developed an Item Randomiser. This shuffles the locations of the items into a guaranteed-solvable permutation, forcing the player to develop a novel route in order to complete it.
Thank you! I'd seen some of the posts on the source code but not the item randomiser - will check that out 😀 (Not that I've yet completed Citadel on the original item locations, admittedly 😅)
Fantastic game, properly scary too at points too, like when the Witch comes after you.. and the stocks of dormant baddies in The Lab I think it was. And the Star Port dish ominously staring up into the heavens affected me so much as a kid, I get the same apprehension every time I see a radiotelescope as an adult 🤭
It's funny how these simple 8-bit graphics can "scar" you like that for years afterwards, isn't it? Just like the tarantula in Boffin, I can never quite get that image out of my head 😅
This looks brilliant, and I must be one of the few that has never played it. Until recently I only ever got to play the Beeb at school so depended on either finding game disks people left around or games people brought in, so there were tons I missed out on. Great vid as usual.
Thank you! I was one of those kids that brought in games to school to use on the one Beeb we had in our primary school wet play room 😁 (surprise, surprise!)
I never had this and I'll tell you why but don't laugh! I saw it in the shop and looking at the screenshots on the box, I thought it looked a bit like Castlequest and I bought castlequest and hated it within minutes of first loading it. So yeah, that's why I avoided Citadel. ..Stupid I know :(
I won't laugh if you promise not to laugh that I've... never played Castlequest! It's famous, but just not a game I ever had back in the day nor one I've tried since. I must give it a go one day, but for now I'm afraid I can't tell you whether Citadel is or isn't similar to Castlequest! 😂
Castle Quest has a nice title tune and it comes in a lovely wallet, but the game itself is ridiculously hard and very unforgiving. Perhaps I never gave it a fair chance at the time, but no one I knew could get anywhere with it. Chalk and cheese really.
It's a beautiful game to look at, immersive to wander around in, and even as a layperson I can tell it's brilliant programming. I'd happily live in Citadel, if there was a coffeeshop.
Yes, you can happily lose yourself in the game and just enjoy the ride!
Wondered when this gem would hit your list. Absolutely loved this game. I only just noticed this upload, gutted I missed it til now. Super review
Aw, thanks! Very glad you enjoyed it - the review and the game 😀
@@ColinHoad still wondering what your number 1 is gonna be
Great video of a classic game. Brought back many happy memories, thank you
Thank you, I'm glad! 😀
This games just oozes atmosphere , classic stuff 👍
It certainly does! 😀
Just to correct you a little, Colin. You actually have to get the chicken from the freezer, cook it in the fireplace and then use it in the room where you said you had to use the crystals. The place where you have to put the crystals is actually very nearby. You've sparked a little bit of a desire in me to do a walkthrough (even though I'm sure there's already one somewhere on UA-cam). I've never played it on the BBC though as I had an Electron.
Ah, thank you! The old memory isn't what it once was, I must have mixed a few things up in my head - thanks for the correction 😄 I'd love to see a full walkthrough, much more engaging than a text-based one. Go for it!
@@ColinHoad if I get the time I'll have a go on the weekend.
Hilarious. Pedantry has never had a finer point in eternal space time than this night. Well done.
@@NickyNustar Hilarious. Pretentious 🔔 end takes the time to comment on a thread that has nothing to do with him. Stick to making shitty "art house" films that have about 5 views and getting drunk; it seems that's what you do best from your painfully boring channel 🙄. Bravo 👏.
Fantastic arcade adventure for the Beeb. Has everything you could want from a puzzle platformer. Would have been in my top 5, so you must have a very strong top 6!
Well, I think it's strong, but I can only hope you agree! 😅
This game was awesome. Never completed it. Think this would be in my top 3 of all time games. An absolute classic.
One of the all time classics for the Beeb, no doubt about it!
I completed this many times on the Electron when I was a kid. I truly wonderful game.
Congrats! You must have played it a lot 😀
That I did Sir, but I struggled finding one of the crystals so I wrote to Superior for help. Turns out it was in a tower on the roof of the Citadel, I think it has a C indicating a door and you had to jump on the icon to enter, a little like getting into the Witch's House via the chimney.
Such a great game, lost hours at this, both myself and my brother. We mapped it all out and worked out how to complete it, such a balanced great game.
Congrats! Mapping it all out and deciphering the cryptic puzzles is a huge part of what makes this game (and the ones it inspired) so special 😊
One of my all-time favourite games. I've lost count of the number of times I completed it, back in the day.
You managed to complete it??? Many times? 🙂
@@Rikky2000 yeah, loads of times. It used to take around 90 minutes, depending on how many bluestones I used to take to Stonehenge to get extra energy. It was quite an easy game, once you knew where to use everything. I've completed it with way over 100 energy left in the past. I had it on the Electron though, I never had a BBC back in the day. I didn't have a colour TV back in the mid 80's either, so I did it in black and white 😂.
@@VengerVideoGamer Much respect! 😀👏
@@Rikky2000 thanks. If you're interested, I've got a number of BBC game walkthroughs on my channel. Mainly games from the high score competition on the Stardot Forums. Feel free to have a browse 🙂.
Wow, in black & white?! That's next level hard!
Great video Colin!
Cheers, Matt!
Very interesting. I knew of this game, of course -- one of my friends from the Repton UA-cam community, KatieRoseine, has done a walkthrough series of it. Never got round to playing it myself. I am definitely interested in exploring the games of this genre, though -- one thing I have in mind as a potential future project is to do a Let's Play series and try to solve them for myself, constructing maps as I go along. I'll keep you posted if I ever get that started!
Sounds like a great idea! 😀
Thanks, Colin, for another awesome video. Something that might help you avoid monsters in the sea is the fast descent feature - pressing down and jump. Palace of Magic also has this feature.
I would have put Citadel at number one but I've been playing it for longer than I can remember so I'm sort of in no position to judge. It's amazing to think that Michael Jacobson was only 19 when he wrote it. The sound of your character's energy slowly ebbing away, those monks, the whole game has a slightly eerie quality combined with solid game mechanics and an open feel since you can solve the puzzles in any order. Something which keeps it interesting even after finishing it. The gameplay was always fair by design and Citadel can never be placed in an unwinnable state (low energy aside). Plus it has a really cool psychedelic ending sequence. Happy days.
Thank you! It won't surprise you to learn that every game in the top 10 was a contender for the no. 1 spot when I made my list - Citadel perhaps more than most. As you say, there's so much in its favour and everything combines to produce something really special. Thanks for the underwater tip, too!
A very enjoyable video. I am one of your viewers who has never used a Beeb. I am so old that the only computer I used at school, which I left in 1969, was a slide rule! I have recently dabbled with emulation, but haven’t progressed beyond Chuckie Egg.
Thank you! I've got a slide rule that belonged to my grandfather - but I must confess, I don't know how to use it 😅
@@ColinHoad I was lucky. My dad was a draughtsman, he taught me how to use the slide rule. Of course, I wouldn’t know how to now, so long ago.
I'd argue these sort of games can be classified as Metroidvanias. Large explorable maps and all that.
I believe Exile is considered a very early Metroidvania prototype, yes!
Been waiting for this one. Unfortunately UA-cam deletes my comment if I attempt to link to anything, so you'll have to find these on Stardot:
1. We have the source code, some early versions, and various development assets, thanks to the author. I wrote a detailed report on these discs.
2. For veterans, I developed an Item Randomiser. This shuffles the locations of the items into a guaranteed-solvable permutation, forcing the player to develop a novel route in order to complete it.
Thank you! I'd seen some of the posts on the source code but not the item randomiser - will check that out 😀 (Not that I've yet completed Citadel on the original item locations, admittedly 😅)
Fantastic game, properly scary too at points too, like when the Witch comes after you.. and the stocks of dormant baddies in The Lab I think it was. And the Star Port dish ominously staring up into the heavens affected me so much as a kid, I get the same apprehension every time I see a radiotelescope as an adult 🤭
It's funny how these simple 8-bit graphics can "scar" you like that for years afterwards, isn't it? Just like the tarantula in Boffin, I can never quite get that image out of my head 😅
I loved Citadel. The first game I ever saw where I could play as a girl. I’m not a gamer now but this has very fond memories
You're right, it's the earliest game I can remember where that was the case - and a great game it was, too 😀
I spent soo many hours on this game it's unreal, can't recall however if I ever finished it 🤷
The difficulty is pitched at just the right level - hard enough to stay challenging but not so punishingly hard as to make you give up!
This looks brilliant, and I must be one of the few that has never played it. Until recently I only ever got to play the Beeb at school so depended on either finding game disks people left around or games people brought in, so there were tons I missed out on. Great vid as usual.
Thank you! I was one of those kids that brought in games to school to use on the one Beeb we had in our primary school wet play room 😁 (surprise, surprise!)
Played most classic games for the Beeb, and heard of Citadel, but never played it or even seen it.
Now that you've seen it, are you tempted to try it? 😀
I've just finished the walkthrough and posted it to UA-cam. I hope you don't mind if I post the link on here?
I don't mind at all, but UA-cam might 😅 I've noticed it tends to auto-delete comments with URLs in them 🤔
@@ColinHoad Let's give it a try... 😂
ua-cam.com/video/LflaPIyDe2E/v-deo.html
I never had this and I'll tell you why but don't laugh! I saw it in the shop and looking at the screenshots on the box, I thought it looked a bit like Castlequest and I bought castlequest and hated it within minutes of first loading it. So yeah, that's why I avoided Citadel. ..Stupid I know :(
I won't laugh if you promise not to laugh that I've... never played Castlequest! It's famous, but just not a game I ever had back in the day nor one I've tried since. I must give it a go one day, but for now I'm afraid I can't tell you whether Citadel is or isn't similar to Castlequest! 😂
Castle Quest has a nice title tune and it comes in a lovely wallet, but the game itself is ridiculously hard and very unforgiving. Perhaps I never gave it a fair chance at the time, but no one I knew could get anywhere with it. Chalk and cheese really.