Castle Crashers
Encyclopedia
Castle Crashers is a beat 'em up
console video game independently developed by The Behemoth
and published by Microsoft Game Studios
. It features music created by members of Newgrounds
. The Xbox 360
version was released on August 27, 2008 via Xbox Live Arcade
as part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. The PlayStation 3
version was released in North America on August 31, 2010 and November 3, 2010 in Europe via the PlayStation Network. The game is set in a fictional medieval universe in which a dark wizard steals a mystical gem and captures several princesses. Four knights are charged by the king to rescue the princesses, recover the jewel, and bring the wizard to justice.
Castle Crashers was well received by critics on both platforms. The Xbox 360 version holds a score of 82.73% at GameRankings and 82/100 at Metacritic
, while the PlayStation 3 version averages 88.67% and 85/100 at the same sites. The game was a commercial success, and the Xbox 360 version has sold over two million copies alone as of year-end 2010. The PlayStation 3 version has also done well, moving over 181,000 units as of December 2010.
As the knights progress they succeed in rescuing the princesses, and ultimately the journey culminates in a final showdown with the wizard. The knights emerge victorious from the confrontation, having defeated the dark wizard, rescuing all of the king's daughters, and recovering the mystical gem. The knights then ride the reclaimed gem through several empty battlefields on their trip back to the castle. At the castle the king brings one of his daughters for one of the knights to kiss, her face veiled. As the knight leans in for the kiss, the princess removes the veil, revealing that the princess is actually a clown.
map. After completing a stage, the player has the choice to revisit it or to move to another stage. The map also displays shops where the player character
can buy items and weaponry using coins gained from defeated foes. Arena stages can be unlocked where the player character can take on challenges to unlock additional characters.
Castle Crashers supports cooperative gameplay for up to four players, either locally or online. The game progression in terms of what stages are unlocked is defined by the hosting player; however, each player character will gain experience points and acquire wealth, weapons, and animal orbs independently as they progress with the rest of the party. In each stage, the player can use melee and combination attacks. Each character has a unique magical ability in order to defeat foes and a health meter
that, if drained from enemy attacks, will cause the character to fall in battle. In single player mode, this ends the stage; however, in cooperative multiplayer other players may attempt to revive the downed character.
Characters gain experience point
s by defeating foes which allow the character to level up. Each level gained allows the player to allocate points towards the character's four basic combat attributes. Certain level advances also grant new combination attacks. Progress is tracked for each of the playable characters separately. The character's magic level is also tracked by a meter and regenerates over time. Numerous weapons can be found in the game, each that have various effects to the character's attributes when equipped. The player can find animal companions for their character that may assist in battle, improve the character's attributes, or provide another special ability such as increased treasure earned from defeated foes. Each version of the game features two minigame
s. In Arena, the first minigame, player characters attempt to survive through several waves of enemies. This minigame is available on both console versions. The Xbox 360 version features All You Can Quaff, a button-mashing contest between all characters to attempt to eat as much food as possible. The PlayStation 3 version features a Volleyball minigame for up to four players and four AI characters.
. Though the original Comic-Con 2005 demo was shown running on a Nintendo GameCube
, no mention has been made of a release on a Nintendo-based platform. It was released for the Xbox 360 on August 27, 2008. On July 23, 2009 The Behemoth announced that Castle Crashers would be coming to the PlayStation Network. The game was released on the PlayStation 3 in North America on August 31, 2010, and in Europe on November 3, 2010.
The game's art style was developed by The Behemoth's Lead Artist Dan Paladin. As the team created new locales and characters, placeholder art was used as a template for look, size and scale of the final art. Paladin drew multiple partial renditions of a game asset, then selected one for finalization. Although Paladin was the primary source for much of the art, programmer Tom Fulp assisted with the game's art, creating some of the minion creatures for boss characters. Paladin cited River City Ransom
as his primary inspiration for the game's art style, noting the character's expressions when damaged as a particular point of influence. Fulp added that several beat 'em up
s from the 1980s influenced the game, such as Guardian Heroes
, Final Fight
and Double Dragon
. Much of the music for the game was created by Newgrounds
users, with The Behemoth contracting over twenty individuals for their tracks. Paladin himself scored the title screen and ending credits tracks. The soundtrack was made available for free on September 1, 2008 via the Newgrounds website.
, is available to play on the Xbox 360 for those who have purchased Alien Hominid HD. As The Behemoth had no way of telling whether an individual had purchased the PlayStation 2
version of Alien Hominid, the character was included in the PS3 version free of charge. Writing on their blog, the developers explained "we are going to attempt what is the most fair and make the logical assumption that by this point everyone has PS2 Alien Hominid, right?" The Behemoth announced A Pink Knight Pack, which features a Pink Knight, an unlockable character in the Xbox Live Arcade version of Super Meat Boy
, and five new weapons on February 2, 2011. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on February 8, 2011, with a release on the Xbox 360 on August 27, 2011 along with the Blacksmith Pack which adds one additional character and five new weapons. All proceeds from the content will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
reports similar scores, with 82/100 on the Xbox 360 and 85/100 for the PlayStation 3. It has been a commercial success, with the Xbox 360 version selling over two million copies on the Xbox 360 alone as of year-end 2010. The PlayStation 3 version has also done well, moving over 181,000 in 2010. IGN
editor Cam Shea ranked it third on his top 10 list of Xbox Live Arcade games. He praised it for being both a call-back to a much-loved genre and a great piece of game design. Additionally in a September 2010 ranking, IGN listed Castle Crashers fifth in their top twenty-five Xbox Live Arcade titles of all time. It was voted 2008 Best Game of the Year at the Xbox Live Arcade Awards. Castle Crashers was also Xbox Live Arcade's best-selling title of 2008. Gaming Target
's staff named the game as one of their "40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008."
Reviewers universally praised the unique art style of Castle Crashers. GameSpot
's Don Francis noted that the "crisp art design really makes the game shine." 1UP.com
's Andrew Hayward noted that the game's hand-drawn characters, effects, and scenery make the game "shine." Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer
stated the game's art was more detailed and polished than The Behemoth's previous title, Alien Hominid. The game's humor was generally lauded by reviewers. Writing for Gaming Target
, Troy Matsumiya stated the game was "bigger and funnier" than Alien Hominid. Francis and IGN's Hilary Goldstein also praised the game's humor. The gameplay also received high marks from reviewers. GameTrailers
' staff stated that the game has "a deceptive simplicity that sucks you right in." Goldstein praised the simplistic gameplay, and said the game was a modern throwback to classic beat 'em up
s. He additionally noted the high replay value, and cited the game's four player multiplayer and number of unlockables as reasons to continually play the game.
Several reviewers expressed frustration in regards to multiplayer connection issues. However, these were resolved in a later title update to the game. Francis stated that the connection issues "handicap the multiplayer experience." "Despite trying all day and night on launch day, we were only able to get a couple of two-player games going for a couple of levels before the connections were lost" stated Whitehead. Hayward also reported slight connectivity issues in the PlayStation 3 version. The PlayStation 3 version of the game also received criticism from GameSpot's Carolyn Petit for its additional Volleyball game mode, who described it simply as "lousy."
to get a patch released as soon as possible in order to fix the issues. A patch for the game was released on December 24, 2008 fixing glitches and exploits as well as resolving networking issues that were experienced at the game's launch. Similar networking problems have also been reported for the PlayStation 3 version of the game. The PlayStation 3 version of the game only allows one profile to be signed in per console, with additional players being unable to use their own progress rather than of the profile in use.
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
console video game independently developed by The Behemoth
The Behemoth
The Behemoth is a video game development company that was created in 2002 by John Baez, artist Dan Paladin , and programmers Tom Fulp , Brandon LaCava, and Nick Dryburgh. Dryburgh later left the company. The Behemoth development studio is located in San Diego, California...
and published by Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
. It features music created by members of Newgrounds
Newgrounds
Newgrounds is an American entertainment and social media website. Founded on July 6, 1995 by Tom Fulp, the site primarily hosts Adobe Flash animations and games, but also features a music-oriented page, along with an art portal...
. The Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version was released on August 27, 2008 via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
as part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. The PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version was released in North America on August 31, 2010 and November 3, 2010 in Europe via the PlayStation Network. The game is set in a fictional medieval universe in which a dark wizard steals a mystical gem and captures several princesses. Four knights are charged by the king to rescue the princesses, recover the jewel, and bring the wizard to justice.
Castle Crashers was well received by critics on both platforms. The Xbox 360 version holds a score of 82.73% at GameRankings and 82/100 at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, while the PlayStation 3 version averages 88.67% and 85/100 at the same sites. The game was a commercial success, and the Xbox 360 version has sold over two million copies alone as of year-end 2010. The PlayStation 3 version has also done well, moving over 181,000 units as of December 2010.
Synopsis
Castle Crashers is set in a fictional medieval universe. It begins with four knights attending a party in a king's castle. During the party a dark wizard arrives, stealing a floating mystical gem and capturing four princesses. The king sends the four knights to retrieve the gem, rescue his daughters, and bring the wizard to justice. The four knights encounter several enemies along the way, including other knights, multiple encounters with a cyclops, a giant "cat-fish", and alien invaders.As the knights progress they succeed in rescuing the princesses, and ultimately the journey culminates in a final showdown with the wizard. The knights emerge victorious from the confrontation, having defeated the dark wizard, rescuing all of the king's daughters, and recovering the mystical gem. The knights then ride the reclaimed gem through several empty battlefields on their trip back to the castle. At the castle the king brings one of his daughters for one of the knights to kiss, her face veiled. As the knight leans in for the kiss, the princess removes the veil, revealing that the princess is actually a clown.
Gameplay
Castle Crashers is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that incorporates a small number of role-playing game elements. After selecting a character, the player then selects a starting stage through an overworldOverworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
map. After completing a stage, the player has the choice to revisit it or to move to another stage. The map also displays shops where the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
can buy items and weaponry using coins gained from defeated foes. Arena stages can be unlocked where the player character can take on challenges to unlock additional characters.
Castle Crashers supports cooperative gameplay for up to four players, either locally or online. The game progression in terms of what stages are unlocked is defined by the hosting player; however, each player character will gain experience points and acquire wealth, weapons, and animal orbs independently as they progress with the rest of the party. In each stage, the player can use melee and combination attacks. Each character has a unique magical ability in order to defeat foes and a health meter
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
that, if drained from enemy attacks, will cause the character to fall in battle. In single player mode, this ends the stage; however, in cooperative multiplayer other players may attempt to revive the downed character.
Characters gain experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s by defeating foes which allow the character to level up. Each level gained allows the player to allocate points towards the character's four basic combat attributes. Certain level advances also grant new combination attacks. Progress is tracked for each of the playable characters separately. The character's magic level is also tracked by a meter and regenerates over time. Numerous weapons can be found in the game, each that have various effects to the character's attributes when equipped. The player can find animal companions for their character that may assist in battle, improve the character's attributes, or provide another special ability such as increased treasure earned from defeated foes. Each version of the game features two minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s. In Arena, the first minigame, player characters attempt to survive through several waves of enemies. This minigame is available on both console versions. The Xbox 360 version features All You Can Quaff, a button-mashing contest between all characters to attempt to eat as much food as possible. The PlayStation 3 version features a Volleyball minigame for up to four players and four AI characters.
Development and marketing
Castle Crashers was first revealed on July 14, 2005 at the San Diego Comic-Con International; however, the game did not receive its title until 2006 Comic-Con, when it was announced for Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
. Though the original Comic-Con 2005 demo was shown running on a Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, no mention has been made of a release on a Nintendo-based platform. It was released for the Xbox 360 on August 27, 2008. On July 23, 2009 The Behemoth announced that Castle Crashers would be coming to the PlayStation Network. The game was released on the PlayStation 3 in North America on August 31, 2010, and in Europe on November 3, 2010.
The game's art style was developed by The Behemoth's Lead Artist Dan Paladin. As the team created new locales and characters, placeholder art was used as a template for look, size and scale of the final art. Paladin drew multiple partial renditions of a game asset, then selected one for finalization. Although Paladin was the primary source for much of the art, programmer Tom Fulp assisted with the game's art, creating some of the minion creatures for boss characters. Paladin cited River City Ransom
River City Ransom
River City Ransom, released as in Japan and as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Technōs Japan and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' Kunio-kun series released for the console,...
as his primary inspiration for the game's art style, noting the character's expressions when damaged as a particular point of influence. Fulp added that several beat 'em up
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
s from the 1980s influenced the game, such as Guardian Heroes
Guardian Heroes
is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up and hack & slash action RPG video game in the vein of Final Fight or Golden Axe. The game features RPG elements. Guardian Heroes was developed by Treasure and released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn video game console...
, Final Fight
Final Fight
is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game originally released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . It was the seventh game released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware...
and Double Dragon
Double Dragon
is a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
. Much of the music for the game was created by Newgrounds
Newgrounds
Newgrounds is an American entertainment and social media website. Founded on July 6, 1995 by Tom Fulp, the site primarily hosts Adobe Flash animations and games, but also features a music-oriented page, along with an art portal...
users, with The Behemoth contracting over twenty individuals for their tracks. Paladin himself scored the title screen and ending credits tracks. The soundtrack was made available for free on September 1, 2008 via the Newgrounds website.
Downloadable content
The Xbox 360 version of the game features four downloadable content packs. On January 14, 2009, the King Pack downloadable content was released and added two characters, another animal orb and three weapons. On August 26, 2009 a second downloadable content pack known as the Necromantic Pack was released and further added two characters, one animal orb and two weapons, as well as a picture pack for Xbox Live profiles. Both packs are included as part of the full game on the PlayStation 3 version of Castle Crashers. Additionally, the title character from The Behemoth's previous title, Alien HominidAlien Hominid
Alien Hominid is an independently developed console video game released for Sony PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube in 2004 through publisher O~3 Entertainment. A PAL version was later released during May 2005 for PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox through ZOO Digital Publishing...
, is available to play on the Xbox 360 for those who have purchased Alien Hominid HD. As The Behemoth had no way of telling whether an individual had purchased the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version of Alien Hominid, the character was included in the PS3 version free of charge. Writing on their blog, the developers explained "we are going to attempt what is the most fair and make the logical assumption that by this point everyone has PS2 Alien Hominid, right?" The Behemoth announced A Pink Knight Pack, which features a Pink Knight, an unlockable character in the Xbox Live Arcade version of Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. It is the successor to McMillen and Jonathan McEntee's October 2008 flash game Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy was released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, on...
, and five new weapons on February 2, 2011. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on February 8, 2011, with a release on the Xbox 360 on August 27, 2011 along with the Blacksmith Pack which adds one additional character and five new weapons. All proceeds from the content will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Critical reception
Castle Crashers was well received on both platforms. GameRankings reports a 82.73% aggregate score on the Xbox 360, while the PlayStation 3 averaging an 86.67%. MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reports similar scores, with 82/100 on the Xbox 360 and 85/100 for the PlayStation 3. It has been a commercial success, with the Xbox 360 version selling over two million copies on the Xbox 360 alone as of year-end 2010. The PlayStation 3 version has also done well, moving over 181,000 in 2010. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
editor Cam Shea ranked it third on his top 10 list of Xbox Live Arcade games. He praised it for being both a call-back to a much-loved genre and a great piece of game design. Additionally in a September 2010 ranking, IGN listed Castle Crashers fifth in their top twenty-five Xbox Live Arcade titles of all time. It was voted 2008 Best Game of the Year at the Xbox Live Arcade Awards. Castle Crashers was also Xbox Live Arcade's best-selling title of 2008. Gaming Target
Gaming Target
Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
's staff named the game as one of their "40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008."
Reviewers universally praised the unique art style of Castle Crashers. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Don Francis noted that the "crisp art design really makes the game shine." 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Andrew Hayward noted that the game's hand-drawn characters, effects, and scenery make the game "shine." Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
stated the game's art was more detailed and polished than The Behemoth's previous title, Alien Hominid. The game's humor was generally lauded by reviewers. Writing for Gaming Target
Gaming Target
Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
, Troy Matsumiya stated the game was "bigger and funnier" than Alien Hominid. Francis and IGN's Hilary Goldstein also praised the game's humor. The gameplay also received high marks from reviewers. GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
' staff stated that the game has "a deceptive simplicity that sucks you right in." Goldstein praised the simplistic gameplay, and said the game was a modern throwback to classic beat 'em up
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
s. He additionally noted the high replay value, and cited the game's four player multiplayer and number of unlockables as reasons to continually play the game.
Several reviewers expressed frustration in regards to multiplayer connection issues. However, these were resolved in a later title update to the game. Francis stated that the connection issues "handicap the multiplayer experience." "Despite trying all day and night on launch day, we were only able to get a couple of two-player games going for a couple of levels before the connections were lost" stated Whitehead. Hayward also reported slight connectivity issues in the PlayStation 3 version. The PlayStation 3 version of the game also received criticism from GameSpot's Carolyn Petit for its additional Volleyball game mode, who described it simply as "lousy."
Technical issues
Some users experienced problems finding available online games, as well as their Xbox 360 sometimes freezing when attempting to join an Xbox Live game, or while already in a game. "There are certain network settings," said Paladin, "where, if you're in a very specific network environment, it won't work with another person's connection and that's what's happening. But that's something we're already addressing by working with Microsoft to get a patch out as fast as possible." In addition to multiplayer problems, the game could also occasionally suffer from corrupted save files, causing players to lose character progress. In an interview with Joystiq, Tom Fulp and Dan Paladin of the Behemoth stated that they were working with MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
to get a patch released as soon as possible in order to fix the issues. A patch for the game was released on December 24, 2008 fixing glitches and exploits as well as resolving networking issues that were experienced at the game's launch. Similar networking problems have also been reported for the PlayStation 3 version of the game. The PlayStation 3 version of the game only allows one profile to be signed in per console, with additional players being unable to use their own progress rather than of the profile in use.