CASTLE OF ILLUSION FOR SEGA GENESIS

Copyright William Walker. Any alteration, copying or selling of this document without my clear
permission is strictly prohibited and will result in suing.

Difficulty: Medium Easy

Violence: Absolutely none, a very good choice for kids with violence problems.

Credits: I got all this information from one source: playing the game myself.

My e-mail address: j-d-walker@worldnet.att.net . Before e-mailing me experiment and read what
I say carefully - this is a very simple game, and I don't want e-mails that are stupid. On the other
hand, praise and additions/corrections will be greatly welcomed. However, e-mails containing
any of the following: ads, quizzes, chain letters, illegible nonsense, things about my personal life,
hate mail or bad language will not be replied to under ANY circumstances.

Important note: This FAQ is for normal mode. Practice or hard mode differences will not be
talked about - you must experiment yourself.

Well, welcome! In this game Mickey's girlfriend Minnie has been kidnaped by the evil witch
Mizrabel, and you must rescue her.

The controls are very simple. Press A or B to throw an object and C to jump. When on the
ground press down to duck and when in the air, press down to do a butt slam. Most enemies can
only be killed by butt slamming on their heads, so master it early.

The power-ups are also simple. Diamonds are worth 100 points. Stars are worth one extra hit
point. Bags are ten objects. (Objects can be apples, marbles or candles, depending on which level
you're in). Individual objects are worth one object. To beat enemies, either hit them with an
object or jump and butt slam them on the head. Beat bosses the same way, only they can take
many hits. There's also one 1-UP in the game - e-mail me if you find more. You can get lives for
getting points too, and you start with two continues.

At the bottom of the screen is the status bar. It displays how many lives and objects you have. It
also displays your score. The power is simple: You start each stage with three little red balls.
Each time you get hit, one blue ball turns red. If you run out of red balls you'll lose one life, but
don't worry - if you finish a level with less than three red balls, you'll be bumped back up to
three, but if you finish with more than three, you'll keep that number.

To score points, beat enemies - most are worth 200 points, but some are worth 300. Also collect
a star when you have full power or an item bag with full items for 1000 point. Last, whenever
you get a gem (of which you need seven to complete the game) you'll get a clear bonus, technical
bonus and secret bonus.

LEVEL 1: THE HAUNTED FOREST

Stage 1: Your enemies here are walking trees, mushrooms and plants. The plants can be beaten
by jumping, but avoid the pollen grains they shoot. The trees and mushrooms can also be beaten
by butt slamming, but be careful - some mushrooms burrow through the ground. There's ten
apples in the top section, and by all means use them - you don't get any points for left over
objects. Also when you find the swinging rope, grab onto the end and swing over the mushroom
pit, collecting two stars.

Stage 2: You'll notice a lot of holes here, which will KILL you in one shot. Cross them by either
jumping over or swinging on a rope. You're invincible when swinging, so the moving leaves
won't be much a of problem. Just be very careful, it's easy to die here. Be sure to grab the end of
each rope. On the last rope, jump off a little early for the first, and last, 1-UP. Then slide down
the ramp - a giant apple slides down, so at the bottom jump or you'll be hit. Then hurry right to
the exit before another one comes.

Stage 3: This whole place is in a spider web. Again be careful not to fall - it's usually fatal. Some
of the leaves move too, so watch your steps and plan your jumps carefully. Also beat the spiders
by butt slamming them when they come down, and beat flying leaves the same way. The exit is at
the far right.

Stage 4: This forest turns dark and spooky in a hurry. It also introduces bats, a rather nasty enemy
that flies at you in the higher areas. Also drop down the first hole, then go left THROUGH the
wall for some bonus goodies. Butt slam the ghosts - you can't kill them but can and should use
them as trampolines to get to bonus items or over pits. Finally when in the cave at the far right,
defeat the mushrooms in the thin passages with objects, as it's impossible to jump on them.
BTW, when I say jump on an enemy that means butt slam, OK?

Boss: This boss is really easy. First he'll roll toward you - go to the far left and jump over him.
Then he'll slam into the tree and some acorns fall. Get between them to avoid them and then
jump on him before he can roll. You can also hit him with apples but he (and all other bosses)
can take twice as many apples as jump hits. Just hit him five times and he's out and you'll get the
red gem.

LEVEL 2: TOYLAND

Stage 1: I love this stage. You'll be climbing up staircases while avoiding the toy soldiers - just
jump on them. Take care of jack-in-the-boxes the same way, jump on their heads when they
come out of their blocks, or just ignore them - you don't need to beat every enemy. Also climb up
side paths to reach bonuses - some you need to bounce off planes to reach. At the very top, grab
the key to make the entire stage become a slide! Slide down all the way to the bottom, collecting
as many diamonds as you can, then enter the exit.

Stage 2: First go right and bounce up on the springboard. To get through the orange blocks hit
them with marbles. Be careful not to run out of marbles - you could trap yourself and have to
RESET THE GAME! Try to use as few marbles as possible. Then go left and bounce up on the
springboard, then go right and down by the moving blocks avoiding jack-in-the-boxes. Near the
end you'll meet a clown - he fires balls out, and if you jump on him his unicycle will roll out of
control and take out enemies, and maybe you if you're not careful. The exit is in the top right
corner. Oh, and if you find yourself in jell-o, bang on the jump button like mad for dear life,
because you won't have one if your head goes under.

Stage 3: Weird stage. Go to the far right while avoiding the many toy soldiers and clowns. Thing
is, you can hit the little arrow things to flip the stage over so you'll be walking on the ceiling!!!
Hit each one as all enemies on the screen will be beaten. Minor note: In the corridor full of
soldiers go through the area above/below the corridor, and go through a fake wall and destroy the
block for a star. Also use enemies to bounce up to some goodies. The exit is at the far right.

Boss: This is another easy battle. First the large clown machine will make 2-3 jumps, then try to
punch you. Run under it when it jumps and duck when it tries to punch you. Then four
springboards come out. Use one to bounce up and hit the machine on the head. About five hits
should do it in.

LEVEL 3: MOUNTAINS & TEMPLES

Stage 1: This stage is really easy if you do it right, and almost impossible if you have no idea
what to do. First go right, drop into the hole, and go left through a fake wall for some diamonds
and a bag. Then go right, jumping over holes. Avoid/beat bats, mushrooms and those annoying
piranhas. The bridges collapse, so watch it. After the second bridge drop into the hole. You can't
beat the fish underwater, so just get into the hole in the floor and a current takes you to the exit.
It's that simple!

Stage 2: Finally, a challenge. This level ranks as among the toughest levels in the game. a word
of advice: Make your jumps right! This stage is played on some Indian ruins, and falling is fatal.
There's no save points either. To do it, you must make your way to the far right. Easier said than
done. You'll tangle with bats and jumping piranhas, and worst of all those jumps where you must
make a running start and jump at just the right time. Also avoid the torrents of water from above
- they kill. When you reach the tiny platforms it's even trickier - you must land on a tiny surface,
and if you miss a jump you're in the drink. After the platforms become bigger you'll find the
exit. And trust me, you'll be glad when you find it.

Stage 3: This is in a cave, where you must make your way right avoiding the torrent of water -
contact with it hurts you and sends you back. Stay on the platforms until the water goes down,
ten run for the next platform. Also avoid bats. This stage really isn't that hard - just take one
section at a time, it's also pretty short.

Boss: This boss will be a pain in the neck. A huge totem pole appears and releases frog-men that
jump around and release phantoms of themselves that shoot across the ground and can be
annoyingly hard to hit. After hitting one with a jump or marble it'll smash into one of the totem
pole sections. You've got to beat five frogs to complete this boss.

LEVEL 4: THE STUDY ROOM

Stage 1: Just go right, avoiding jumping "A"s and the more common bookworms and enter the
milk bottle.

Stage 2: This stage reminds me of the cookie box stage in World of Illusion another Mickey
game. Make your way right while avoiding jumping red dolphins (dolphins as baddies???? Now
I've heard everything) and collapsing bridges. The cupcakes will not sink into the water and if
you fall in the water you won't die - you'll just spring back up and get hit. After the moving
platforms are out of the way you'll pick up the green gem. No boss here.

Stage 3: After getting the green gem the ceiling disappears, so climb up ans swing across some
ropes. Don't worry about planes, but do worry about the collapsing floor on the other side. Beat
those bookworms by jumping. When you reach the four books that fall on you, avoid a hit by
getting in the holes and ducking and running by quickly. Soon you'll find a teacup - jump in.

Teacup bonus: Collect diamonds while avoiding sugar cubes. In the second stage you'll pick up
apples instead. This is purely optional.

Stage 3 continued: After the first teacup jump up and right onto the ledge. Then jump left onto
the ledge - this may take several tries. Climb up, and at the top drop down and hold right to get to
the standing apple. The path to the right of the chains is a dead end, so slide down the ramp. The
apple chases you but falls in a teacup. Jump in yourself for the second bonus. Then go right, past
some "A"s to the second milk bottle - jump in.

Boss: Ahhh, my favorite. A giant candy dragon (NOW I really have seen everything) comes out
of the water and will try to hurt you. Stand in the center and if it comes in one of the middle two
pits, jump on it quickly. If it comes in the far left or right, it'll either lunge at you (jump over it)
or make a long overhead sweep. In that case jump on its head. After six hits to the head this boss
is defeated.

LEVEL 5: CASTLE

Stage 1: Go right, jumping on knights that throw their axes at you, and also avoid the statues -
some try to club you. Drop into the second hole and you can either go left or right. If you go right
you can reach some goodies by bouncing off a knight, or going left to some falling blocks. For
the first set, run under them quickly. For the second, the second and fourth blocks don't fall, so
walk next to the other ones, and run by when they go up. In the last set the safe spots are the
second and third blocks. Get on the platform and drop down. Now go right past a bowling ball -
to avoid a hit, get in a hole and duck. Then beat the two knights with candles and climb up on the
dropping platforms. Go left for some diamonds or right to a ramp. Slide down and at the bottom,
JUMP!!! Otherwise you'll fall in the purple acid, which will KILL you immediately. Keep going
right, jumping over acid (some acid has bubbles rising from it - jump by at the right time) and at
the far right, get on the dropping platform. at the bottom is (surprise!) more acid, so jump off.
The last part involves you jumping over acid on dropping platforms. When you find the bridge of
skulls (ugh!) you made it. Go left and pick up the indigo gem.

Stage 2: Really easy, you'll be swimming, at the first junction take the top path, at the second the
bottom path, it may not look like you can out swim the fish, but you can.

Stage 3: I hate this stage. You'll be in some sort of clock tower and must climb up to the very
top. Yellow gears that aren't moving will drop, and ones that do rotate move you in that
direction. Little platforms will swing around wheels, and at one point you must cross a pendulum
that swings back and forth. Also, run under pistons as they can hurt you. This stage is mainly
vertical, so you might fall back to the very start. Oh, and avoid the many bats. Good luck.

Boss: This boss took me a while to figure out, as if you try to hit him, he'll bring up a hand to
block you. Well, walk close to him and he grins and tries to hit you with his whip. Jump to avoid
it and land on his head. He'll also jump sometimes. About eight hits should do the job.

THE FINAL BATTLE

Now that you have all the gems, you must fight one final time...

Mizrabel: Man, those black clouds in the background are neat. She'll attack by surrounding
herself with eight ghosts. She's invincible then, so wait until the ghosts fly away (IOW, dodge
them) and then hit her on the head. The problem is, she'll teleport to a random location. If she's
at the top of the room, she's impossible to hit. If she's at the side ledge, you can hit her by
standing on the other top ledge, and when she releases the ghosts jump over and hit her before
she teleports again. It often doesn't work. But if she's at the bottom, it's easy - after she releases
the ghosts, jump down from an upper ledge to hit her. There is some luck in this battle, so be
patient and don't stretch your luck. After six hits, the game is over. Sit back and watch the ending
- you've earned it.

GOOD LUCK!!!