Palace of Magic


Palace of Magic is a computer game released on 1 November 1987 for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro by Superior Software. Combining platform elements with problem solving, it uses extremely similar gameplay principles to that of the earlier and better known game, Citadel. As with that game, it is an early example of the Metroidvania genre.
The game begins with your character in a palace, having been shrunk and taken out of your normal place and time by an evil wizard called Caldeti.
The overall objective is to magically restore your character to his original size and to find the teleporter to their home world. This involves guiding your character through the Palace and other external locations, such as a church, woods and a dungeon, overcoming various obstacles and enemies along the way.

Similarities to ''Citadel''

The player is not automatically killed if they come into contact with hazards; instead the player is allocated a set amount of energy, which is depleted through contact, and can be replenished by collecting objects shaped like top hats. As in Citadel, the game is divided into 'rooms' or screens and if the player loses too much energy in a room, the screen turns red and the player is transported back to where they entered the room. This prevents players from passing through a room simply by walking through enemies and taking the damage.
Other similarities to Citadel include:
Whilst the layout of the Palace and the mechanics of the game are identical between the two machines, the BBC version runs in a higher resolution whilst the Electron version runs in four-colour Mode 5. The BBC version also includes a vertical hardware scroll when the player strikes the ground after a long fall, and flickering pixels above the collectible top hats.