Thanks to Ratalka Games for providing this code for this cute game!

Castle Pals is a side-scrolling game based on the old NES games of yore. It reminded me opening up of a cross between Mario and Castlevania, although there are no vampires or Koopas here. Your mission is to save Castle Pookapick, a creepy old castle with lots of secrets. Easy, right? The player plays as 2 individuals, Kylee and Owen. You don’t get to choose; the game alternates between Owen and Kylee in each level. Kylee is the puncher and fighter and Owen the graceful flyer. Both skill sets are needed to progress through this game.

Castle Pals opens with the first level and you begin as Owen. As you progress, it gives you hints on what to do and explains the controls. The controls are pretty simple: you fly with the B button as Owen and the same button allows Kylee to punch. The control stick moves your character the way you direct it.

There are no enemies to speak of in Castle Pals. But there are lava pits, spikes, and everything non-living imaginable that wants you dead. One false move, and your character is KO'd. There’s no life bar or hearts or powerups either. Fortunately, the game provides you with unlimited continues, so there is a lot of grace there. A timer ticks off the minutes and seconds it takes for you to pass each level, but there is no time limit on passing, which is a good thing as the game can sometimes completely stump you on how to pass.

The soundtrack and sound effects are pretty good, but they can get repetetitve. And it is the same looped music again and again. The sound effects from pushing items and from the laser balls that want you dead are realistic, as are the sounds of applause when you pass a level.

There is little else to say about plot and gameplay as it really is as simple- and as hard- as it sounds. So, onto the morality score. There is nothing anti-Christian in the game, and it is family friendly. There is animated violence, but no blood or gore. The characters are covered and they are not wearing anything revealing; they are, after all, two kids. No swear words are present; in fact, there’s no dialogue at all. No alcohol or drug references, and no disrespect for family values either. And no magic or occultic stuff- not even card tricks. In terms of morality, it’s about as squeaky clean as you can get.

So, what is the final analysis on Castle Pals? From a gaming perspective, it’s entertaining enough, albeit frustrating. Don’t plan on spending more than a day or two on it. Morally, there’s no complaints at all. I just wish there had been more to the plot than two kids punching their way through, and that the areas had sometimes had more guidance on how to pass the level.