Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A playthrough of Triffix' 1991 puzzle-platformer for the NES, Castelian.
Played through on the pro difficulty level.
Castelian for the NES is a port of Nebulus, a popular 1987 computer game from Hewson (also known for youtu.be/3GbHnNZi3XM and Future Basketball youtu.be/SLZrmcKRsCk), that saw releases in several regions under different names. The US computer versions were named Tower Toppler; the North American NES and Game Boy versions, Castelian; and the Japanese Famicom and Game Boy versions, キョロちゃんランド (Kyorochan Land).
It's a simple arcade-style platformer with a few light puzzle elements. You play as Pogo, a deformed green pig/frog thing with bug-eyes, and it is your goal - for whatever reason - to get to the top of seven towers.
The game's main gimmick is that the towers are circular, and they are animated to appear as if you're moving around them in 3D space. The same effect was later used in NES games like youtu.be/HjatUdFaAf8 and youtu.be/_WsaJLcBQCY.
The effect is neat, though it doesn't do much for the gameplay but to obscure your view of most of the playing field. This trade-off wasn't too bad a compromise on the Commodore 64, where the smooth animation and controls made for a reasonably fun game with a novel (and impressive) gimmick.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the slow and clunky NES version. The time limits are infuriatingly tight, the hit detection is a mess, and the controls have a nasty bit of lag to them. Pogo doesn't move quickly nough to get out of the way of hazards unless you've already memorized and can anticipate them.
Additionally, the control scheme originally intended for 1-button joysticks hasn't been altered to suit the NES controller: you use a single button to both jump and shoot, and as you might imagine, it makes things far harder than they need to be.
The graphics took a sizable hit in the conversion. The animation and scrolling are noticeably slower and choppier, there's less detail and color, a huge black bar fills the bottom of the screen, and the fancy bonus stage was replaced with a lame platforming segment. The sound doesn't inspire much confidence, either. It adds a new song for the bonus stages, but you have to choose between having in-game music or sound effects, and the music option just blares the title theme on a loop throughout.
Castelian is a less-than-ideal port of a dated game that, while good in 1987, couldn't hope to compete in 1991 on the NES. Ultimately, though it's not a terrible game, this is a terrible way to play it.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!
A playthrough of Triffix' 1991 puzzle-platformer for the NES, Castelian.
Played through on the pro difficulty level.
Castelian for the NES is a port of Nebulus, a popular 1987 computer game from Hewson (also known for youtu.be/3GbHnNZi3XM and Future Basketball youtu.be/SLZrmcKRsCk), that saw releases in several regions under different names. The US computer versions were named Tower Toppler; the North American NES and Game Boy versions, Castelian; and the Japanese Famicom and Game Boy versions, キョロちゃんランド (Kyorochan Land).
It's a simple arcade-style platformer with a few light puzzle elements. You play as Pogo, a deformed green pig/frog thing with bug-eyes, and it is your goal - for whatever reason - to get to the top of seven towers.
The game's main gimmick is that the towers are circular, and they are animated to appear as if you're moving around them in 3D space. The same effect was later used in NES games like youtu.be/HjatUdFaAf8 and youtu.be/_WsaJLcBQCY.
The effect is neat, though it doesn't do much for the gameplay but to obscure your view of most of the playing field. This trade-off wasn't too bad a compromise on the Commodore 64, where the smooth animation and controls made for a reasonably fun game with a novel (and impressive) gimmick.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the slow and clunky NES version. The time limits are infuriatingly tight, the hit detection is a mess, and the controls have a nasty bit of lag to them. Pogo doesn't move quickly nough to get out of the way of hazards unless you've already memorized and can anticipate them.
Additionally, the control scheme originally intended for 1-button joysticks hasn't been altered to suit the NES controller: you use a single button to both jump and shoot, and as you might imagine, it makes things far harder than they need to be.
The graphics took a sizable hit in the conversion. The animation and scrolling are noticeably slower and choppier, there's less detail and color, a huge black bar fills the bottom of the screen, and the fancy bonus stage was replaced with a lame platforming segment. The sound doesn't inspire much confidence, either. It adds a new song for the bonus stages, but you have to choose between having in-game music or sound effects, and the music option just blares the title theme on a loop throughout.
Castelian is a less-than-ideal port of a dated game that, while good in 1987, couldn't hope to compete in 1991 on the NES. Ultimately, though it's not a terrible game, this is a terrible way to play it.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!
![Shining Force III (Saturn) Playthrough [2 of 3]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lxAoyO-gOoI/mqdefault.jpg "Shining Force III (Saturn) Playthrough [2 of 3]
A playthrough of Segas 1998 strategy-RPG for the Sega Saturn, Shining Force III.
This is the second part of a three-part playthrough, showing chapters four and five.
0:00 Chapter 4, Revolt in the Republic of Aspinia
3:52:45 Chapter 5, Tower Ruins of Lookover
Links to the other parts:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/XnPdZvZJIrg
Part 3: https://youtu.be/QXOo3_eBfxw
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
