Escape From Meridell Castle

Introduction

A brave and strong warrior, Valrigard the Draik is known all throughout Meridell for his courageous actions to defend the castle from unwanted visitors. Or, he was before one of the advisors for King Skarl decided to betray him. Charged for a crime he never committed, Valrigard was sent to the deepest cell in the maze-like dungeon underneath Meridell Castle. Finally, after three years, an opportunity arises for Valrigard to escape; a key was carelessly left on the floor by his cell. Now having escaped from his cell and armed with a sword, Valrigard is almost ready to escape from the dungeon. All he needs now is someone who can guide him. Are you up to the challenge?

Game play & Instructions

Escape from Meridell Castle is a simple platformer with basic controls. The right and left arrow keys move Valrigard in the corresponding direction while the up arrow key allows him to fly for a very short period of time until the energy meter runs out and needs to recharge. It is also used to exit through level doors. The spacebar will make Valrigard swing his sword at oncoming enemies.

Speaking of oncoming enemies, there is quite a variety of them to be found. Below is a guide that should be helpful for those who want to learn more about their attackers:

Tips & Strategies

Probably the largest issue with Escape from Meridell Castle is the extreme precision of position required to avoid spikes and enemies. Making one mistake, like being just a tiny bit too far to the right when squeezing between spikes, will cause you to lose a life and send you all the way back to the starting point of the level you were on. Also, six lives is the absolute maximum you can get in the game. Once they have been used up, it's Game Over.

Typing valrigard during gameplay will reset the timer back to 300 seconds.

Do not hesitate to hit any Mystery Boxes you may encounter during levels. You'll usually find only a few points in them, but it is possible to receive 100 points from one! It is also important to collect as many stars and gems as possible. Everything adds up in the end, you know.

Freaking out when a large amount of enemies are around is a big mistake. Relax and think logically as you progress through the levels. A clear mind is an important key to winning.

Glitches

As one of Neopets' older games, Escape from Meridell Castle has its share of glitches. From annoying to frustrating, there are many to be found. Below are the two most common glitches in the game:

Tight Squeeze: This is a rather annoying glitch that is easy to overcome. Sometimes when you are trying to enter an area that is one block wide, Valrigard will become a bit jerky in motion and won't go through. You need to go through the opening at just the right position to usually solve this problem.

Stuck in a Platform: Although I never have personally experienced this glitch myself, I've heard several accounts and watched videos of this happening. During the game, Valrigard may actually get stuck inside of the stone platforms. I don't know of any solutions on how to solve this glitch.

Conclusion

Despite the difficulty and glitches, Escape from Meridell Castle is a decent game nonetheless. Those of you who are into platforming games shouldn't overlook this game at all.