Bentley Bear has found himself in a fortress full of gleaming gems, and is now determined to collect every gem for himself! But he is not alone in this strange place. Strange beings pursue him. Others snatch the gems away. And once in a while, Bentley sees the witch of the castle, the evil Berthilda! Help Bentley navigate the steps, tunnels and elevators of the castle, collecting as many gems as he can before his enemies collect him!
Each level of Crystal Castles consists of four castles, each containing gems to collect and enemies to avoid. Every castle has its own particular cast and its own peculiar quirks, but the object remains the same throughout: stay alive and collect as many gems as possible. Along the way, Bentley will meet Crystal Balls, who roll after the bear, crushing any gems in their path; Nasty Trees, who trample gems while lumbering after our hero; Gem Eaters, green critters that are always hungry and ready to swallow any gem they find; and ghosts and skeletons, possibly past victims of Berthilda now under her spell and ready to make Bentley join them. Berthilda herself makes an appearance every fourth castle. In some castles Bentley will also find a pot of honey, good for a meal and bonus points, at least when it isn't being fiercely guarded by a swarm of angry honeybees! Some castles also offer a Magic Hat, which gives Bentley a few precious seconds of invicibility when he wears it. Finally, sometimes Berthilda leaves behind her cauldron, bubbling with her witch's brew and ready to turn our hero into Bentley Bear stew!
For the most part, Bentley cannot harm his enemies. However, when wearing a Magic Hat, he can send Berthilda away from the castle for even bigger bonus points. Also, when a Gem Eater is swallowing a gem, that is Bentley's chance to get rid of that Gem Eater once and for all! Just make sure Bentley touches the Gem Eater while the Gem is still going up its body. Bentley can also gain temporary freedom from Gem Eaters and Nasty Trees by jumping over them, stunning them for a short amount of time.
Make sure that Bentley Bear doesn't take too long collecting gems in a castle. If too much time passes, the bees will start attacking, even if there is no honeypot to defend! The bees must follow the lay of the castle, so Bentley is safe as long as the bees don't have a direct path to him. But if Bentley continues to dawdle, they just might exit the castle and then come back right on top of him!
Bentley gets points for every gem he collects and every time he wears the Magic Hat. He also gets an extra bonus each time he collects the last gem in the castle. Magic Hats normally sit still, but after level 3, they begin bouncing around. To make matters worse, once level 9 starts, Magic Hats will turn into Crystal Balls when Bentley doesn't catch them quickly enough!
Level 10 is the final level of the game. Can you and Bentley make it that far? Good luck!