Citadel walkthrough with all 3 crowns and 99 points (BBC Micro)

Citadel is one of the finest games on the BBC Micro and is an outstanding example of the arcade adventure genre. This video contains a complete walkthrough of the game, including collecting all 3 hidden crowns and maximum (99) points. This is the first time I've played it in roughly 30 years, and also the first time I've ever played the BBC Micro version (having had an Acorn Electron in my youth). I employ the "Title Screen glitch" by bouncing on the trampoline at the end of the island to burst through the title screen and end up near the start. This saves time and energy (usually!!!).

[@tazman8487]

This and Repton 2 were my favorite games of all time. I was 14 when this was released. I did complete it after many hours. I went on to Castle Quest after this which I thought was much harder and then on to Exile which was a massive game back then.. Superior Software did make the best games!

[@VengerVideoGamer]

I had all the Repton games but I wasn't the biggest fan of the franchise. I still haven't played Castle Quest as I don't think it came out for the Electron, back in the day. Exile was superb. I totally agree that Superior Software was the best software company for both the BBC and Electron.

[@oortcloud210]

I remember finishing this. Such a fantastic, but tough, game. Don't think I got the crowns though.

[@cowboycrunchies]

When I was a kid I remember getting up at 4am in the morning to play this before school, it was THAT good! Memories of a lifetime. Superior Software could do no wrong in my eyes! What a game. Oh and the prize money IF you found all three crowns! Brilliant game!

[@VengerVideoGamer]

@cowboycrunchies Superior Software was, by far, the best software house to produce games for the BBC and Electron. There were a couple of other notable companies, such as Audiogenic, Tynesoft, Acornsoft and the 4th Dimension (towards the end of the 8 bit era). Citadel has got to be one of my all time favourite games though.

[@VengerVideoGamer]

@cowboycrunchies For some reason, I can see your reply about Mousetrap on my notifications but it hasn't appeared on the comments here. I didn't find Mousetrap that hard. I've got a walkthrough of it on this channel too.

[@puregd]

The only game I ever completed, I was so sad I even drew a map of the entire environment… which my mum still has! Second best game to Elite.

[@VengerVideoGamer]

It's a great game, and even to this day it's one of my favourites.

[@robindunning2046]

Hi Thank you for uploading this this game was the first game I really remember i think I was around 8 year old when I played it and I still love this game

[@VengerVideoGamer]

No problem 🙂. It's a great game and a pleasure to play. I was 11 when it first came out.

[@AcornElectronGameplay]

Been playing this tonight. Managed to die on the second to last screen…due to a silly mistimed jump. Took about 1hr 18mins ish to that point. I’ll try again tomorrow! Been decades since I last completed this!

[@VengerVideoGamer]

I think it was at least 30 years since I last played this, before this effort. Some numpty in another thread was basically calling me a liar when I said I used to regularly complete it with hundreds of energy left. There are some idiots about.

[@AcornElectronGameplay]

@@VengerVideoGamer I had 40 energy on the last screen with the moving blocks then made a right hash of it! I had died on the same screen a few times in the past. I basically bricked it!!!

[@falksi3182]

@@VengerVideoGamer Tbf dude, this was no easy task! Well done

[@daveweeks4748]

Great playthrough cheers. The secret room (18:50) appears to be giving clues to three of the puzzles...if you look at each horizontal row you'll see the cannonball and powder flask next to the cannon (for entry to the lab)...the cooked chicken is on the same row as the yellow bull head (for entry to the temple)...and the light-blue bone is next to the witch (the cauldron is also shown in the middle of the screen). Amazing to learn the author was only 19 when he designed the game. :) All the best.

[@VengerVideoGamer]

Thanks, Dave 👍. The secret room does give a little bit away come to think of it. I use it as a short cut back to the main area and I've known about it since my Electron days. I screwed up by losing far too much energy the other time I used it though (it's easy to get stuck in the wall if you're not careful). I reckon I could definitely complete the game with 400+ energy left. It is impressive that the author was so young, especially as the game is so polished. All the best.

[@daveweeks4748]

@@VengerVideoGamer Thanks for your reply, agreed it has the polished (and well play-tested) feel. My only criticism (nit-pick) was the lack of clues to the whereabouts of the two crowns accessed by jumping into the walls (cellar and witches house), perhaps we missed something (e.g. hinting at the room's co-ordinates, or using the two round barrels as giant x-ray specs). Still an amazing game:)

[@goldenmantis]

I loved this game on my acorn electron. I never completed it so this is deeply satisfying to watch!

[@VengerVideoGamer]

I bought this on the Electron, when it first came out, from Boots. What a great game 👌.

[@Ben_C01]

Cropped up in my feed... great gaming - this looks insanely hard!

[@VengerVideoGamer]

Thank you, Ben. It's not so bad when you know where all the keys and objects are and know where to use them. I've probably played the game hundreds of times over the years, so it's 2nd nature to me (although I hadn't played it since my teens before this run).

[@DerbJd]

I had this on Acorn Electron

[@DnBclassictunes]

Awesome! Great to see this in 2024

[@VengerVideoGamer]

Yeah, this game is brill. Nearly 40 years on and it's still very playable.

[@DnBclassictunes]

@@VengerVideoGamer was Hunchback on the Micro? I'm sure l played that and a Robin Hood game.

[@VengerVideoGamer]

@@DnBclassictunes yeah, Hunchback was on the BBC. I had an Electron when I was a kid and it was on one of the Play it Again Sam compilations. The Robin Hood game may have been Gisburne's Castle.

[@michaelburnside8034]

I remember playing this game decades ago. Never did get anywhere near the end. Palace of Magic I did manage to finish. A less hectic game.

[@VengerVideoGamer]

I've completed both, but I always thought Citadel was easier because you can accumulate as much energy as possible, without any upper limit. With Palace of Magic, you have an upper limit to the energy bar, so you have to be much more careful with energy management.

[@falksi3182]

Incredible work

[@VengerVideoGamer]

Thank you 🙂.

[@Rikky2000]

Now I need to watch this all the way through and complete it myself! Thank you!

[@VengerVideoGamer]

Not a problem. I enjoy doing these videos, even though they don't get many views. I think it's more meaningful to post videos of games that sometimes don't have any walkthroughs at all (even though this one has), than to post more popular games that are over-represented on the net. Old and obscure games need some love too 😂.

[@dw1664]

I played this for many hours BITD, but never quite completed it. Well done you!

[@VengerVideoGamer]

Thank you. I completed it loads of times, back in the day, but always used to come back to it as it's such a good game. There's not many I can say that about, as once I've completed a game, I usually get bored of it.